Fast-paced, engaging, and immensely entertaining, 𝗜𝗳 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗧𝗼 𝗠𝗲 held my attention and I hated to put it down! I have loved Alex Finlay’s writing since reading 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵 a few years ago. His writing style is so immersive and he crafts complex, layered characters that will keep you guessing the entire time!

There’s a lot going on in this story with three different POVs and a global web of conspiracy and intrigue. It’s difficult to give a synopsis without giving away any spoilers, but the basic premise is that Ali and Ryan are living their best life at the end of high school and spending a romantic evening at Lover’s Lake when they are attacked by an unknown assailant. Ryan is ok but Ali vanishes without a trace, so he is blamed for her murder until years later when Ali’s DNA turns up at the campsite of a serial killer. By this point Ryan has moved away and changed his name, but he’s never been able to come to terms with what happened to Ali. He is on a college trip to Italy when suddenly new information comes to light that will change everything…

The way all the different storylines come together is brilliant! There are some shocking twists and turns, and at one point my mouth literally fell open while I was reading. Trigger warning for some short but very disturbing scenes of high school bullying. Highly recommend this one for your summer TBR!!

I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced readers' copy.
Although the first third of the book was a bit slow, it picked up pace after that. Unfortunately, not enough to make me love it. It was ok, with enough action to keep me engaged, but I only gave it three stars.
The book had a couple of storylines that were confusing at first. That made me not want to pick it up as often as I normally would. But it did make sense at the end, even though some things were too far-fetched for my liking. So, as my first book by the author, I must say that I wasnt wowed. I'm not gonna run and read any of his previous books just yet.

This book had my attention from the first chapter. It is a mystery/thriller told from multiple points of view with a storyline spanning about 10 years. I am a sucker for dual timelines and multiple timelines, it fits so well with the theme of the book and I love trying to figure out how everything fits together before it is all revealed. This book definitely kept me on my toes, some of the plot is easier to predict than others.

I would recommend this book to fans of the genre, there is a lot going on but the author has a very easy-to-read style and the chapters are on the shorter side. This would be the perfect vacation or quick weekend read.

Alex Finlay is a master of mystery! I really enjoyed reading "If Something Happens to Me." This book was full of memorable characters, from Poppy, the small town deputy sheriff, to Alison, the girl who went missing a few years ago, to Ryan, Alison's boyfriend - who was accused of of murdering her. As the story goes on, we learn more about each character and how they are all connected. Full of twists and turns, I did not see the ending to this one coming! Highly recommend to all mystery and thriller lovers!

This one gave me major “The Last Thing He Told Me” vibes. A girl returns to her home town and joins the police force after serving in the military . Her first week on the job a vehicle from a teen who went missing five years prior, surfaces. Lots of family connections , corruption, and twists in this one. Short, fast-paced chapters make it an easy read !

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book but it wasn't my favorite. I figured out how all the narratives converged together before it was explained so I was proud of myself for that one.

I liked part one of the book the best, it was the most interesting. Once part two hit it felt like all the mysteries were basically solved and it turned into mobsters going after people. That's not normally the book I'd go after. I still enjoyed it though.

3.5 stars rounded up

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

𝑴𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔:
There was so much going on in this book! My brain was literally running on overdrive, trying to see how all of these characters and their storylines intersected. Once the stories finally did connect together, my mind was blown! The plot of this book is quite deep, and there definitely is a requirement on the readers end to pay close attention to the details. However, with the short length of each chapter and the writers easy to read style, it made it really easy to follow along to the plot, and keep up with the large cast of characters.

The ending of this book was probably my favourite part of the whole thing. Without me giving the ending away, I’ve got to say that the author did an amazing job at throwing in some unexpected twists which I did not see coming at all. I was left speechless at one point! The epilogue was just as good and unexpected, and also broke me slightly.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a quick and easy crime/thriller/mystery novel, which will leave you wanting to know what happens next throughout its entirety.

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆:
- 👮‍♂️ Mobster thrillers
- ⏲️ Short and easy to read chapters
- ⏳ Dual timelines

𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈: 2020 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo - Antonini🍷

If you're looking for a twisty page turner, look no further. Finlay's If Something Happens to Me checks all the boxes: short chapters that keep you going late into the night, cliffhangers galore, multiple locations, characters you care about.

I devoured this one. Couldn't put it down.

There is a Lovers Lane, a Mike Ehrmantraut like character, an old mystery / cold case, a twelve year old true crime podcaster, encryption, and one epic car chase escape scene. On the downside, there 's a pretty horrific depiction of bullying that was tough to read.

When you're wondering how all the pieces fit, they all come together. Go into this one cold, the payoff is worth it.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books for the ARC. I'll be adding Alex Finlay to the list when looking for my next twisty thriller.

I just finished If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay and here is my review.

Ryan Richardson has spent 5 years going over what happened that night. The night when his girlfriend Ali was abducted from his car. The feel of the hands pulling him from the car and the pain that filled his head. Ali is presumed dead even without her body and the suspicion is all on Ryan, the last person to have seen her.

Even after he changes his last night and goes to law school, he cannot move past what happened that night. It all comes to a head when Ryan takes a trip to Italy with his class. Not only has Ali’s car been found in the lake with 2 dead bodies in it, neither of them hers and a note in her purse in a cypher Ali used…. If something happens to me… is the chilling clue.

Still reeling from that bombshell Ryan then sees a man everyone told him didn’t exist… The monster… The man that haunts his dreams… The man who took Ali. Not wanting him to get away Ryan follows him to the UK where things go from bad to worse.

You know when you pick up a Finlay book, you are in for a wild ride and this book did not disappoint. The book is loaded with twists!

The book is written in the present day and the past where we get the story of a mob boss who loses his son when kids bully him at his new school and he commits suicide and the aftermath of it.

Present day includes Ryan and a new deputy to the police force trying to figure out what happened to Ali that night and everyone has their secrets and you never quite know what you can trust. It’s brilliant. I loved every single moment.

It makes perfect sense when you get to the end of the book because you never really understand why these stories are connected until that ah-HA moment!

The plot was great and the characters were well rounded. I found myself holding on to the edge of my seat.

Highly recommend this thriller! 4.5 stars

Thank you to @minotaurbooks and @netgalley for my gifted copy

#ifsomethinghappenstome #alexfinlay #thriller #thrillerreader #thrillerreads #newrelease #minotaurbooks #netgalley #kindlereader #readingonthego #bookreview #readerreview

Thank you to St Martin's Press/ Minotaur Books for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A teenage couple are attacked one night, the young girl is dragged from the car never to be seen again. Ryan's life changes forever and the only thing that saves him from a prison term is the lack of evidence of his involvement, as well as a competent lawyer. He may have been cleared but he lives with the backlash of people who believed he got away with murder. Ali haunts his life everyday and he can't let go of what really happened to her.
After changing his name to regain some anonymity and attending law school, his life is upended again with the discovery of Ali's car in a lake.
The past jumps right back into Ryan's present, sending him on a mission to find out what really happened that night and who is responsible.

Great thriller with so many levels of deception that the twists will leave you dizzy with questions, needing to find the answers.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press Minotaur books, and Alex Finlay for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

@alexfinlayauthor
@netgalley
@stmartinspress

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s been five years since that horrible night when Ryan’s girlfriend Ali was taken. He remembers the car door yanking open, a crushing blow to the head which makes him unconscious, and Ali’s piercing screams. When he wakes up Ali and her car is gone which leaves a cloud of suspicion over Ryan. He is never charged due to no proof. He enters law school and changes his last name in hopes of leaving the past behind. Ryan goes on a trip to Italy with his law-school classmates and gets a call from his father that Ali’s car has been found. It was submerged in a lake in his hometown. Inside are two dead men and a cryptic note with five words written on the envelope in Ali’s handwriting: If something happens to me...

I have read other books by Alex Finlay and this one was great! I really enjoyed the multiple points of view, short chapters, intricate plot, and the characters. I love his writing style and the way the story all came together!

#stmartinspress #alexfinlay #netgalley #netgalleyreads #ifsomethinghappenstome #read #bookishlove #bookstagram #bookworms #booklover #readmore #tbr #thrillerbooks

Wow!! What a great, fast paced thriller! The chapters are short and jump from different POV"s which just make it 'unputdownable'. I couldn't figure out the connection between the different characters and them BAM...the twist! I highly recommend this one and all of Alex Finlay's previous books.

This book had me hooked from the first page and didn’t let go until the end! I’ve read almost all of Alex Finlay’s books and this one is seriously his best yet!

If you are a big fan of multiple pov books, you need to check this one out. He created 3 seamless stories with 3 awesome characters. Poppy was my favorite and I hope we get more stories with her. Every time one characters story would end, he left it on the most perfect cliffhanger where I was dying to get to their next chapter.

I did guess how they all intertwined and who was who, but that didn’t keep me from enjoying the story. He was still able to throw in a couple curve balls I didn’t see coming! I also really loved how it covered most of Europe. I felt like I was on a trip with these characters (minus the hitman aspect).

Also, do you know why all of Finlay’s books have some sort of lawyer in them? Because that’s his day job! I absolutely love seeing how that pops up in his books. They do say to write what you know!

All in all, I really enjoyed this one and it was a great way to wrap up my reading for May. I give it 5/5 stars!

Alex Finlay is becoming an auto buy author for me, I loved this book! I really enjoyed the multiple POVs from the deputy Sheriff, a mobster and the mobsters accountant and Ryan's POV in Italy. This story is fast paced and cinematic with a twist I did not see coming!

Thank you to @Minotaurbooks for the #gifted copy of the book.

I love Alex Finlay's books and this one was no different. It was another fast paced thriller. Ryan's high school girlfriend Ali is abducted while they are together. Everyone thinks he did it. He tries to move on with his life, but he never is fully able to put the past behind him. It isn't until Poppy McGee returns to town and becomes a deputy sheriff that Ali's dad's car is found at the bottom of the lake. She is determined to find out what happened to Ali. The truth is too close to home. Can Poppy protect the ones she loves? Can Ryan handle the truth?

Thank you so much @macmillan.audio for the complimentary audiobook and @netgalley and @minotaur_books for the #gifted DRC!

Totally bingeable! This is my third Alex Finlay novel and he hasn’t let me down yet! If Something Happens to Me is the first of his that I listened to on audio, and the narrators Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Dateh were excellent. The multiple narrators also helped me to always know whose POV I was listening to at any point which can sometimes be a struggle for me on audio. Short chapters kept the pace moving at breakneck speed, and I felt the tension from start to finish. I so enjoyed trying to connect the dots and figuring out how the story would wrap up. Are parts of this a little OTT? Yes, and I loved it! I can imagine this as a movie. I am looking forward to whatever Finlay comes up with next.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced thriller/mystery! I personally love multiple POVs, dual time-lines, and a keep-you-intrigued-and-guessing -and this book had it all! Alex Finlay's new releases will definitely have a place in my TBR queue.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book and was excited to have the chance to do so. This is my third book from Alex Finlay, so I'm familiar with his writing style and know what to expect from his work.

Our story starts with Ali's abduction, and Ryan's life after, as he faces life with a new name, and tries to move past the accusations that he was involved in her disappearance. He's started law school and is traveling abroad for his law journal. But then Ali's car is discovered in a lake near their hometown in Kansas and his life is thrown into a tailspin all over again.

As the new deputy in town, Poppy McGee is assigned to oversee tips in the newly reopened cold case. As she digs deeper, she starts questioning old friends and starts realizing that she has to look within her own department and family.

I did enjoy this book overall, but I did have some issues with it. The first was that Poppy McGee's past is alluded to, but we don't really get the deep dive, which made me wonder why it was even mentioned. I assume this was building up her reputation as a character who would take the time to dig in and make sound judgments, but it fell a bit flat for me.

If you've read What Have We Done by Alex Finlay you've already met Shane O'Leary and his men. Seeing them in this book gives the reader a very clear idea of where the story is going.

The biggest "twist" comes around the 50-60% mark of the story. I love it when an author does this because it's unexpected and can really shock the reader; I personally like that. However, in this case, the twist revealed too much and because I had already met some characters in another story, it made the last part of the book somewhat hard for me to be invested in. It felt more like loose ends were being tied up versus getting more of the story.

There are some other twists later in the story, but nothing that feels vital to the story.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. I think if there had been a few characters eliminated, and some more character development on others, this story would have felt more satisfying overall.

I've read other Finlay books that I have loved. I liked this one but didn't love it.

The premise was great. It just dragged on a little too long for me. There was more of a crime family aspect to the story than I had thought there would be. That isn't really my thing. I was very interested in what happened to Ali that fateful night and was somewhat surprised when it was revealed. I found myself confused often as there are so many characters and different timelines. Short chapters and the need to find out what happens kept me reading.

I just don't think this was the book for me with so much mobster type drama.

Thanks to netgalley and Minotaur Books for the arc.

Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book. That’s now two Finlay books in a row that didn’t do it for me. I’m thrilled that so many people love his work, but I may need to take some time apart.

I read this less than a month ago and already I forgot almost everything except my major gripes. There’s one trope used here that always grinds my gears.

Credit where credit is due: there was a really well-executed twist, and it’s VERY bingeable!

At the end of the day, it was largely unmemorable and just not my cup of tea.