definitely not for me - i think it's high time i give up on trying to make alex finlay books work for me. they just do not have a writing style that appeals to me.

I thought I was a love it or hate it person when it comes to Finlay, but this one fell in the middle for me! I found the multiple perspectives to slow down the pacing at first, but ultimately it came together for me.

This is my first Alex Finlay book thanks to an advanced copy from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This mystery starts when a popular high school student, Allison, gets abducted. Five years later, Allison's high school boyfriend Ryan, is in Italy with a group from his Georgetown Law school. Ryan has changed his name not wanting anyone to know about the past that's been haunting him as he was a chief suspect in Allison's disappearance. Poppy McGee returns to her hometown as a deputy sheriff when Allison's car is found in a local lake with two unknown dead men strapped to the front seat. Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, we follow the ruthless head of a crime family and his story. Taking us from Kansas and Philly to the UK, Italy, and the south of France, Finlay leads us through a propulsive plot that weaves all these characters and stories together beautifully. Just released last week, this one is hard to put down, and a great read that I highly recommend. Vive le Francophile

Alex Finlay does it again. I have loved every single book from him and this is no exception. I love the multiple POVs, the short chapters that keep you engaged and the way he writes. This is definitely thrilling and kept me on the edge of my seat. The way the story comes together is amazing!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

Devoured this book in one sitting ... fast paced ... lots of sneaky twists ... good character development ... Story line was believable ... could it happen? Probably not, but boy it was fun reading it.

Definitely recommend and plan to read more by Alex Finlay.

This book definitely starts out as a series of seemingly unconnected events and people that finally weave together for about half of the book. It wasn’t a bad story it was just like um what? Once you even get how all the pieces fit it’s still like what? I suppose the moral of the story is be nice to people because things you do even at 14 years old can come back to bite you and some people will invest way too much time and effort into revenge that it will ultimately end in their demise. And sometimes innocent people get dragged down into a sea of nonsense for absolutely no reason. Basically that’s what happened... oh right and never underestimate an accountant.

I have to admit to being confused throughout a lot of this book. There were timelines that I thought were happening now but weren't and there were so many characters involved. It did end very nicely and came together perfectly.

Do you really know what’s going to happen? Do you really know who did what? Can you trust the system?

All of these questions have multiple answers in this small town with a corrupt law enforcement, survival instinct, lost love, and a thirst for vengeance.

The actions of middle schoolers rippled into a series of events, all becoming exponentially worse than the previous one. Do your actions really have that huge of an impact if your life? Yes, they either lead into a life of lies to survive or to your death, all depending on who you are working for and what your parent(s) are willing to do for so called “justice.”

My favorite from this author. I was sucked in from the very beginning and couldn't wait to find out what happened at the end. So many twists and turns and fast paced. Highly recommend.

I love a thriller in the summer and this was the perfect one to start with. The pacing and short chapters made this absolutely un-put-downable. After reading several books by the author I had a feeling I would really enjoy this one and I did.

The plot felt a little different than anything I’ve read which is always nice with a thriller.

I definitely enjoyed the first half more as we got to know the characters and learned the twists and turns. The second half was a little slower since we kind of knew what was going on but it was still very enjoyable.

I really liked this one! I listened on a little 5 hour road trip and it kept me captivated and curious. It didn’t go where I expected, I found it pretty unique and interesting. I thought it was paced well too, I never felt bored or anything. This is my first book by this author, but I’d pick up another for sure.

Finlay writes another fantastic thriller. Ryan and his girlfriend Ali experience a horrifying night; Ryan gets knocked in the head and Ali gets taken. 5 years later, Ryan still thinks about that night. They never found Ali, and they have no idea who took her. Ryan is studying law and is abroad in Italy when he receives a call, they found the car that Ali was in at the bottom of a lake. Inside, there are two dead bodies and a cryptic note: If something happens to me… The man that Ryan believes took Ali shows up in Italy. And then he vanishes. Ryan tries his best to find him. All the while, Deputy Sheriff McGee is trying her very best to figure out what happened to Ali.

I love Finlay books. They are twisty, they keep you guessing, they keep you on the edge of your seat, and they shock you. I was certainly shocked in this one when the puzzle finally fit together for me. You can tell that Finlay puts a lot of work into his books. The intricacies of the plot are very well thought out.

The chapters are told from different points of view/characters/locations. They are short, and filled with action. There is not a dull moment in this book. This is definitely one of Finlay’s best works.

Wow this book really made me think, what I would do in this situation.
Ryan and Ali are young couple that go to lovers lane, they are attacked and Ryan was knocked out. Ali was abducted and this ruins Ryan’s life. Not only is he seen as involved but he can’t escape it.
Ali’s car is found submerged with a note that kick starts an investigation to decipher the code and find out what happened.

This was my first Alex Finlay novel and I really enjoyed it! I was sucked in from the beginning and could not put it down mid read. I do think the ending was dragged out and there were SO many characters it I got confused on who was who at some points. It is a fast paced thriller and I would definitely recommend.

I take a lot of time to consider what my first read of each year will be. It's not a decision I take lightly, as I feel like it can make or break the vibes of the year for me. I'm usually never upset with my decisions. I ultimately chose If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay as my first read of 2024 and I was so excited to dive in. But I was sadly disappointed throughout the reading of this book. It didn't capture my attention like I had expected. It was the fast paced thriller I was hoping to devour.

I loved the concept of this - a girl goes missing after getting into an accident and she's never found. Until years later when her car is found, two unknown men are found in the car and a cryptic note is found.

While I just didn't love the execution of this story, I still think the plot is genius and I've love to see this turned into a movie or tv series. I think it would translate well with some updates to the story.

I enjoyed this fast paced thriller by author Alex Finlay. . Five years ago, Ryan and his girlfriend Ali were parked at the local “lover’s lane”. He is attacked, and when he regain conscious , to, Ali and the car are gone. There are several possible leads, , and the reader is right in the middle of the investigation. This is an engaging story.

I've read other books by this author and enjoyed them. However, this one missed the mark for me. It really seemed to drag on, and it was quite predictable. There was far more of the mobster element than I expected, and that's really not my cup of tea. I did appreciate the short chapters. There was enough action, but there were too many characters. The big reveals weren't a surprise, unfortunately. However, if you are looking for a popcorn thriller, this may be of interest to you.

I really enjoyed If Something Happened to Me by Alex Finley.. It pulled me in from the very beginning, and the relatively short chapters, and quick pacing had me turning the pages, unable to put it down. Though the story starts off cycling through multiple points of view, with lots of different characters, and locations throughout, it does all come together in the end in a way that I didn't see coming. I will definitely recommend this to others. Looking forward to reading more by Alex Finley.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Alex Finlay book, and I absolutely devoured it! Written in multiple POV's, the short chapters kept the story moving and kept me wondering how all of these people connected and what happened 5 years ago when Ryan's girlfriend, Ali, disappeared. When I got to the one twist I literally said "no way!" out loud and my kids thought I was nuts 😂😂. This was a bingeable book and will definitely make a good summer read. This may be my first, but will definitely not be my last book by Finlay.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the e-ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

WOAH! What a fantastic thriller. Alternating between present today and an unforgettable chain of events that occurred about 5 years ago, the story follows a missing teen who mysteriously vanished while in the company of her high-school boyfriend, Ryan. Shockingly, her car and body were never discovered. All eyes turn to Ryan, but there was not enough evidence to convict him and he himself is trying to figure out just what happened. Fast forward to present day, her car is discovered. But she is not in it.

The events that led up to that event and that unfold 5 years later are told in such a masterful way that I really could not put this book down! The author truly kept you guessing at so many key facts and there were several plot twists that I just did not anticipate. Highly recommend!

Review posted to Goodreads, thank you netgalley, all opinions are my own