**3.5-stars rounded up**

Looking for some much desired alone time, Ryan and Ali, a high school couple, find a quiet place to park in their hometown by Suncatcher Lake. The next thing Ryan knows, it's hours later, he's laying on the ground having been bludgeoned in the head and Ali is gone. He remembers being yanked out of the car at some point, and briefly seeing a strange man, but that's it.

In the aftermath of Ali's disappearance, everyone suspected Ryan. The ole' logic of, 'it's always the husband, or boyfriend', in full effect. The fact that there's no evidence against him, doesn't stop the world from speculating. Haunted by that night and the blow to his reputation, Ryan changed his last name and moved away for law school. Nevertheless, he hasn't truly been able to move on. Ali was the love of his life and it tortures him imagining what may have happened to her.

Five years later, in Italy on a trip with some law school classmates, Ryan gets an unexpected call from his father. Ali's car has just been found submerged in Suncatcher Lake. Once the car is recovered from the water, a grisly discovery is revealed. There are two dead men in the trunk, along with a cryptic note contained in an envelope that has five words written on it in Ali's handwriting:

'If something happens to me...'

Obviously, this reopens everything for Ryan. With that night fresh in his mind, the unthinkable happens. Ryan actually spots the man he remembers seeing that night. What is that man doing in Italy? Who the heck is he? Ryan is no longer a scared teen. He pursues the man. He needs answers and he's not stopping until he gets them.

If Something Happens to Me is a whirlwind ride. The drama takes place in multiple countries and follows a few different perspectives. Initially, it's jarring, but as the pieces start falling into place, the various connections are revealed. Even though this isn't my favorite Finlay novel, that distinction goes to [book:The Night Shift|57693427], there's no denying he knows how to deliver the action and page-turning intrigue.

This is a very action-oriented Thriller, most in line with Finlay's earlier work, Every Last Fear. The various perspectives each help to build out a different aspect of the underlying mystery and it always impresses me how much detail Finlay goes into. For me, Ryan's perspective was the most memorable, but I also enjoyed Poppy McGee, a young deputy from Ryan's hometown, brought onto the case after the car is found. As a side note, there were certain elements of this that reminded me of the series, Your Honor, featuring Bryan Cranston, but with an international twist.

Overall, this is fast-paced and twisty. I listened to the audio and enjoyed the narration. It felt compelling and I needed to keep reading until it was complete. Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. Alex Finlay is a force to be reckoned with in the Thriller space, and I'll continue picking up his work!

Alex Finlay knows how to write a thriller! His books are always so fast-paced with so many interwoven parts. It’s hard not to read these books in one sitting.

If Something Happens to Me was honestly such a rush. There was soooo much going on and it was fun trying to guess how all of the stories were going to connect. I definitely wasn’t expecting how everything ended up connecting and how one of the storylines ended up being in the past 😮

And why did I cry during the epilogue?! 🥲

It has been so long since I’ve read a thriller or any sort of action book, and this was the perfect way to get back into it! I loved this book and highly recommend picking it up! The multiple storylines, the twist that happens half-ish way through so you get to really experience the action instead of an adrenaline rush at the end, and the chase across Europe…. it was perfect! The pace that clues are revealed keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire book, which I could not put down. Only docking half a star because after the rest of the convoluted puzzle of the story I feel like it almost ended a little too easily? This book leans more towards action adventure than psychological thriller, and if it was made into a movie I would be first in line!

If you’re looking for a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat yet not give you nightmares, this is a great option! It is intense but also there’s a reason for why everything happens, like people mostly did stuff to get them into the situation they’re in.

This was an entertaining thriller which some may call a police procedural (I have trouble telling the difference) with some touches of literary fiction. I have heard some criticize the book for having too many details about the characters that seemed (to them) to be irrelevant. For me, however, this worked. Sometimes I find with these kind of novels that they can be so plot driven, that the characters are neglected. I like delving into the characters, like this one does. I also like that the characters were well developed and not just the biggest ones. We learned a lot about Poppy, who the reader could not help but root for, as well as Ryan Richardson, who suffers the guilt of not doing enough to prevent his girlfriend from being taken while in high school.
I did not figure out the twist until the end but that is not my forte; if you are the person that is good at that, you might have been able to figure it out sooner. For me, it is more important how we get there anyway. There are things that I did figure out along the way because certain things needed to happen in order for the story to go forward.
We also get a good sense of place. Much of the story takes place in Leavenworth, Kansas and through the characters we get a good picture of the place. There is also Paris and England which were welcome settings.
I definitely plan to read more of Alex Finlay's work.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to enjoy this work in exchange for my honest review.

Some nights change the course of your life forever. For Ryan it was a rainy night on lovers lane with his girlfriend Ali. What was suppose to be a night they have waited years for turned into a nightmare. Ryan was struck in the head and pulled from the car and Ali was taken, never to be seen again.

This story is told from multiple points of view and as the reader we are trying to piece together how they fit together. The three main P.O.V.'s are: Ryan who has long been suspected of foul play in the disappearance of his girlfriend Ali who is now a law student, Poppy returning home from her time in the military as a deputy sheriff in Leavenworth, Kansas, & Shane O'Leary a mobster in Philly.

It has been five years and everyone has tried to move on. Ryan is now a law student and has changed his last name. He is away on a school trip in Europe when he the news breaks that the car Ali was abducted in has been found. Here is where the story really takes you on a twisted ride of what really happened to Ali. I would go into this blind and enjoy the ride. This is one of those addicting reads that you will want to finish in one sitting. I just had to know what happened next.

If you are looking for a fast paced mystery/thriller that will take you on a wild ride then buckle up this is the one for you. I loved how the title represented in the book as a cryptic note left by Ali. All the P.O.V's converge perfectly giving us a full picture of the past that led to the events in question. There was never a lull or a moment when it was safe to look away. There was a perfect amount of tension throughout making this an unputdownable fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

This was an enjoyable read, as the reveals came throughout the story and that kept me hooked.. However: the plot was a bit too over-the-top for me, I couldn't get into any of the characters, and the ending came off as rushed..

I found this to be a fast-paced thriller read with lots of plot threads that at first seemed unconnected but which came together near the end of the book.

It is a popcorn thriller and requires suspension of belief at times and the characters are not very well developed but the short chapters, fast pace and likeable main character made it a very engaging read. I couldn’t stop turning the pages and flew through this one. Readers looking for an action-packed, entertaining read will like this one!

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay, 336 pages. Minotaur Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2024. $26.
Language: R (99 swears, 28 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
When Ryan and Alison were on the cusp of leaving for college, their last rendezvous on Lovers Lane was interrupted. Alison was never seen again, and Ryan, the suspected killer, left town and changed his name. Five years later, the case is reopened when Alison’s vehicle is found and The Monster, as Ryan has always thought of him, reappears.
The twists and turns of this story are seamless, unraveling in a natural way as readers get glimpses of the story from several points of view. Both protagonists and antagonists are relatable—I was definitely rooting for one of the antagonists by the end—and Finlay concludes all of their stories satisfactorily in the last pages. An all-around enjoyable crime fiction read.
Most of the characters are implied White, though Chantelle is Black and Ziggy is described as having “olive” skin. Also, it is heavily implied at one point that a couple of main characters are gay. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, including underage drinking; mentions of drugs, condoms, nudity, prostitution, and rape; sexual harassment; and innuendo. The violence rating is for bullying, assault, mentions of child abuse and torture, gun use, suicide, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

This was a great book! I was honestly hooked from the beginning. It was really cool to see the different POVs, however in the beginning it was a little hard for me to keep them all straight. The twist completely blindsighted me and I had no idea that the accountant was Alison’s dad. The only thing I guessed was Fincher being the dirty FBI agent. I was so sad that Michael sacrificed himself but he was right, it needed to end. I was also heartbroken about Chaz because he was finally free to a certain degree and then he got killed at his grandsons play. I wish there would have been a little more about Alison in the epilogue and of her and Ryan meeting up again. Great read though all in all!

If Something Happens to Me starts off with a horrible crime. A young couple on a Lover’s Lane. One is ripped out of the car and the other is driven off and disappears. A young life is ruined when, even though someone else is charged with the crime, he cannot shake being called a murderer. Five years later, the car reappears. It is learned that this abduction was not exactly a surprise. She knew she might be taken. She had left behind a clue in case she was.

This was a global adventure with people from small town Kansas, Georgetown Law, Philadelphia crime families, France, and Italy all working to solve the same mystery. What happened to Ali? Was Ryan involved? Are his memories really that or guilt driven nightmares? Poppy comes back from the military to serve in her town’s police force just in time to try to find out. You are never quite sure who to trust. That makes this a real page turner.

Meh this was average. Nothing special. It had some solid points but nothing to run home to mama about.

Laced with thrills and chills. Jaw-dropping twists. Non-stop suspense mixed judiciously with some drama. All of the above describes If Something Happens to Me to a T. With a perfectly plotted, interwoven storyline and characters that had me cheering them on from the sidelines, this epic game of cat-and-mouse was everything I love about Finlay’s novels and more. This time around, though, we got to ride shotgun as the villains and heroes battled it out on both sides of the Atlantic. Needless to say, I couldn’t put the book down.

While there was quite the long list of characters, the short chapters and intense scenes kept my eyes glued firmly to the pages. Told from multiple POVs and in three parts, there was more than one staggering revelation that completely rearranged everything that I thought I knew with a mind-blowing twist. Perfect for fans of Charlie Donlea or Harlan Coben, the cliffhanger scenes and fast-pace meant it was a rollercoaster ride of suspense. Not once did I have even a glimmer of what was really going on, which kept me happily addicted as I held on for dear life.

I do have to add a minor warning, however. This is one book where you’ll have to suspend all disbelief. At the same time, though, certain topics within the plot make it plausible, I guess. Having no experience with it myself, I just couldn’t say. But if you approach this novel with an open mind, the adrenaline-fueled storyline will mean a raucous good time.

All in all, Finlay clearly come out a winner yet again with psychological thriller number four. Already one of my auto-buy authors, the seemingly unconnected threads of this dynamite plot meant that he merely cemented his name firmly in place. Now I’m crossing my fingers and toes that this book ends up playing on a screen near me someday soon. After all, the palpable tension and edge-of-your-seat action are primed and ready. I have just one caveat, though. I strongly recommend going into this one blind. You’ll be all the better for it. Rating of 4.5 stars.

IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME BY @alexfinlayauthor ✉️🫧

Let me start by saying woah 🤯 this thing sucked me in! The dual point of view trying to catch the same person was a nice pace. It wasn’t too confusing and helped to build the story line.

I liked the female deputy who was able to help in her first case on her new unit 🔎

The pace was good and I liked the mystery aspect of it! However, after the twist I felt like the book just wrapped up and closed. I feel like it could have gone one or two more chapters more to really give the story a closure.

⭐️: 3.5/5
📚 Publish date: 5/28
📖 generes: thriller/ suspense

Thank you @netgalley for this book!
And thank you @minotaur_books and @alexfinlayauthor!

If Something Happens To Me by Alex Finlay

This story takes you on an adventure from Kansas to Italy to England and Paris. It is a dual timeline that eventually merges into the present and follows multiple characters throughout.

Alex Finlay is such a talented writer. He kept me engaged with the story every step of the way. If you like suspenseful mystery this is for you. I really enjoyed the characters and the entertaining plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy. If Something Happens to Me is the first book that I have read by Alex Finlay. It is told from three main perspectives. It was a quick paced thriller that will keep you guessing to the end. I love d the short chapters and it just made the book fly by. I do believe that the biggest shock of the book occurred between parts one and two. Overall Finlay was able to create a book that flowed well and kept me guessing.

Devoured this thriller in 1 day! Took me a bit to get all the characters straight, but ended up loving the short chapters, multiple settings, & many little twists. Wish the ending was a tad different but overall really enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

A highly entertaining thriller - a perfect movie material!

Thanks NetGalley and St Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for the ARC!

Synopsis –

Ryan’s girlfriend Alison was taken from right under his nose. That night has been haunting him ever since along with the suspicion that surrounds him like a shadow. When on a summer trip to Italy, he learns that Ali’s car has been found submerged under a lake in their hometown and a note preserved in her bag, saying “If Something happen to me …”. Ryan has to find out the truth when he meets the man who has been in his nightmares all this time.

Review –

Finlay has a distinct trademark style of plot construction and creating characters whose lives intersect in unimaginable ways. This one’s no different and it delivers on every aspect we look for with thrillers.

The alternating narratives between the characters are deployed so cleverly that they will effortlessly misdirect us. I especially loved detective Poppy McGee’s thread and started rooting for her the moment I sensed her potential and realized she is the underdog. Poppy’s investigation starts the cat and mouse chase that will ultimately wreak havoc on the masterplan at play.

It's more of a thriller than a mystery for seasoned thriller readers who can sniff out the big twist early on. Although a few things were a bit too far-fetched, there were so many other elements that made this a winner – a gangster and his henchmen hunting their rivals, a heartwarming/innocent love story, a street smart detective and a creative interlinking of the lives of characters that would be quite impossible to guess.

With short pacy chapters that I love, the pages turn themselves & the tension builds to a crescendo. The ending was the anticipated, explosive high-octane drama that finally settles all our confusion and speculation. I’d love to see this as a Hollywood blockbuster!

Definitely worth a read for lovers of the genre!

This fast-paced modern thriller was just the palate cleanser I needed after a slew of heavy reads. From America's heartland in Leavenworth, Kansas to a flight of escapades across Europe, "If Something Happens to Me" kept me on the edge of my seat. While many of the characters were in their early 20s, they had a layer of maturity around them that many characters of that age these days lack. Not every new adult is a hot mess (I for one was not), and I appreciated that in the storyline. This was my first Alex Finlay book, and I can't wait to go back and read his previous novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Five years ago, Ryan Richardson lived a nightmare. Violently attacked and dragged from his girlfriend's car, Ryan woke up to no car, no girlfriend and a lot of people who thought he had done something to her. Now he has changed his name and is a successful law student on a celebratory class trip to Italy when he hears that the car has been fished out of a local lake with two dead men inside. But still no trace of his girlfriend, Ali, dead or alive. The only clue is a note from Ali which has miraculously been kept dry. It has "If anything happens to me" on the front and a message in code inside.

But Ryan has caught sight of the mystery man he vaguely remembers from that night, a man that no one believed was real. But he has contacted Ryan and Ryan instantly recognizes him.

But who are those two men in the car? How did they get there? And where is Ali? Is she still alive? Did Ryan really see this man that night? And who else knows what happened?

Told from several different perspectives and locations, this is a little confusing at first, but it finally becomes clear what is going on and the ending is one I didn't see coming.

This is the second book I've read by Alex Finlay (The Night Shift was the first) and I continue to be impressed and entertained. If Something Happens to Me has a strong plot and great characters.
It's one of those books that will have you so engrossed in one set of characters' lives that you feel disrupted when the plot switches to other characters. But then you become equally emersed in the next set of characters. Basically your always so into what you're currently reading that you never want to switch plotlines, but find yourself happy every time it happens because that chapter grabs your attention too. The ending was perfection.

This book has mystery and suspense, but at its heart, it is a thriller-lovers thriller. I give it 5 big bloody stars!

Note, thriller lovers are used to death and gore in their books. If you're new to the genre, or get triggered easily, this might not be for you.