This book was pretty gripping! However, not his best. I am generally a big Alex Finlay fan, but I just had a bit of a harder time getting into this one. I felt that it was pretty predictable if you were paying attention and that took away from the fun a bit.

This was my first book by Alex Finlay and it definitely won’t be my last. I listened to the audiobook and I loved the narration and I felt that the storyline was written very well. I was happy with how the author connected everything in an actual smart way instead of a haphazard or flimsy connection.

Easy to listen to and binge in a day because you will want to know how everything ties together.

This is a mystery/thriller following the story of Allison. A girl who disappeared without a trace and no one knows what happened. After many years her car is recovered from the lake, but will it provide clues to what happened? Is she in the car? The story takes place from there. I enjoyed this audiobook, I thought the narrators did a great job. I think the narration played an important part in this book especially as here were a lot of characters and storylines going on in this book. If the narrators were drying and just monotone it would have made the story confusing and uninteresting.
Although I did enjoy this book and the previous books from Alex Finlay, for me, this book had too many characters and storylines. I wish it could have been condensed a little bit and we could have gone deeper into a few of the stories to learn more about those characters and more of their back story and where they came from. I felt myself getting lost and having to re-read some parts frequently. That being said, I did still enjoy unraveling Allison's story and the clues that lead us to find what happened to her.

TW/CW: Language, drinking, toxic family relationships, bullying, death by suicide, cheating, cancer, death of parent, anxiety, depression

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
For the past five years, Ryan Richardson has relived that terrible night. The car door ripping open. The crushing blow to the head. The hands yanking him from the vehicle. His girlfriend Ali’s piercing scream as she is taken.With no trace of Ali or the car, a cloud of suspicion hangs over Ryan. But with no proof and a good lawyer, he’s never charged, though that doesn’t matter to the podcasters and internet trolls. Now, Ryan has changed his last name, and entered law school. He's put his past behind him.Until, on a summer trip abroad to Italy with his law-school classmates, Ryan gets a call from his father: Ali's car has finally been found, 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…Then, halfway around the world, the unthinkable happens: Ryan sees the man who has haunted his dreams since that night.As Ryan races from the rolling hills of Tuscany, to a rural village in the UK, to the glittering streets of Paris in search of the truth, he has no idea that his salvation may lie with a young sheriff’s deputy in Kansas working her first case, and a mobster in Philadelphia who’s experienced tragedy of his own.
Release Date: May 28th, 2024
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 336
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. The book seemed short
2. Writing style was good

What I Didn't Like:
1. Hated all the pov's - just too many for me
2. All kids in book are like 30 year olds in children's bodies
3. Book felt too basic for a crime thriller
4. Didn't feel like there was a mystery here
5. Repetitive parts

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

What is up with these huge synopsis' lately? It's like a whole page long.

How does the sheriff know there was foul play if the two bodies have been submerged for years?

Is it weird that I think that the sheriff was behind Alison's death.

Okay so the dudes don't have fingerprints but they have dental records so couldn't they identify them by that.

What is with this weird pov of Patrick? It's like it's 1940s and he's the Irish man in the Malfi and controlling the dealings and protection of the street on that side of town. Is this Fargo?

It's so weird to me that these Irish people are dining at an Italian place. Do the Italians not run any part of Philly? These parts sound like it's 1940s/50s mob.

I had to laugh because Poppy acting like she just knew that something was happening in her in her own family when so many people told her that her family was behind it all. Ridiculous.

Another kid introduced into a thriller where the kid is some genius. He starts a podcast at 8 years old and solves 3 cold cases in 4 years. Of course.

It was so stupid for two missing penkie dude showing up to tell Ryan him to figure out what's going on and then disappear. So Ryan just so easily can trace him down and jump a plan to find him. Plus this dude knows he's being followed but still uses his name and location in the guest book that's left open.

The Irish go all Final Destination on the kids that bullied Anthony, killing them off one by one.

This Jones dude was not that far ahead of him in travel, but by the time Ryan gets to his house finds Jones he got home, tortured, murdered, and the police are already at his house. {{it's been 2 days}}

Alison was actually Taylor and Taylor was apart of a group of people that bullied Anthony. Michael and Taylor restart somewhere else after Patrick sees that Alison was apart of it.

God, this book makes it seem sooooo easy to find people that were so hard for people with money to not be able to do. Ryan's just able to find allison. He manages to find the eight finger dude. It all just seems so simple when he tries to find them. I'm also completely confused why finger guy found Ryan when there was no point. No one was looking for Ryan. The only one who saw Ryan was the evening guy and he took off.

Why would Michael even tell the dude how much money he has in the bank account? I just think a normal person would like lie since he doesn't know how much he has.

Obviously Jane is the agent that is been turning over evidence to the crime family. There's a reason why the sheriff told poppy not to talk to her.

What is this book with Chipotle? Did the author have a deal with them to mention them so much.

Ended the way I thought it would.

Final Thoughts:
Yeah, there's a pretty small & basic mystery here, but honestly who cares. I found this story pretty boring. Everything was so dull and stale. It never felt like it was such a difficult book to understand. It definitely teetered on basic thriller book. I wish there was more to the story but it feels very generic Fargo to me.

This is my third book from this author and honestly I think it's going to be my last. Previously I have rated his books between one and two stars. I like the way he writes and I think he's very talented in how he forms sentences at structurally, but I have just been bored with the books I've read from him and felt like I wanted more.

I just found everything to be very exhausting. You get the perspective of Michael telling about Anthony dying. Then we also get Patrick talking about Anthony dying then we also get Allison's version of Anthony dying then we have to wait for poppy to catch up on Anthony dying. It's so repetitive that you're going to hear the same things over and over again while each character catches up on the story. Poppy is the densest character of them all. It takes her so long to catch up on what's happening. I don't mind being reminded what happened in the past in a story it's when it continuously happens that it wears my patience down.

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Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced ebook & Macmillan Audio for the audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 Probably my favorite Alex Finlay novel yet. This reminds me most of his debut, and I loved every second of it. This book, and many by this author, expertly walk the line between action and character. There is backstory, interesting characters, action, and some twists to keep you from ever wanting to put the book down. I know I really would have loved to have had the time to devour this in one sitting.

Told in multiple POVs, this definitely shocked me with a reveal towards the middle. Now that I’m looking back, I should have figured this out, but being surprised was way more fun!

This was a perfect weekend read for me and I can’t wait for this authors next release!

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another amazing thriller/mystery from Alex Finlay! This five-star read joins the ranks of his other phenomenal books. I have been a fan since “Every Last Fear” - and each book since has proven that he is one of the best in the genre.

This story is told from three perspectives: Ryan Smith, a college student, Poppy McGee, a new Deputy Sheriff, and Shane O’Leary, a Philadelphia businessman. These three people appear to have nothing in common, but soon enough, the reader is drawn into a story of cat and mouse that moves at a pace so fast your head will spin.

There are so many great twists and turns in this story, but there is one that made me yell “Wow!” out loud. It is so hard for me to get into the details here without giving anything away. I will say that what I really liked with this one was the short, fast chapters, and the small details this author leaves along the way. I would come across one, and know that I needed to file it away for later. If you are a reader of this author’s books, you know he ties everything up in the end. This one was no different. The epilogue left me a very satisfied reader.

I would also like to highly recommend the audiobook version of this one. It has three incredible narrators that do a terrific job.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read/listen to this fantastic book! I am truly grateful. This author is an auto buy for me, and I will be recommending this one to everyone! It releases on May 28th. It is the perfect thriller to kick off your summer reading.

I'm an Alex Finlay fan so was thrilled to get a copy of If Something Happens to Me. As you'd expect from Finlay, this thriller had twists and turns galore, relatable characters, and a quick pace pulling you to the last pages. Highly recommend this one!

"But in this moment, he decides he’s not going to run from himself anymore, not going to be afraid anymore. Tomorrow morning, he will confront The Monster."

This is a complex thriller spanning multiple countries with a large cast of characters. At first none of their stories seem connected.

I do struggle to enjoy books like this that have so many moving parts. It never felt cohesive enough for me to fully enjoy.

Thank you St Martin's press for giving me an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book! I was constantly wondering how all of the story lines were going to connect. I’ve never read a book with a mob story line but this didn’t feel overly corny or dramatic. I thought the twist in the middle was great, but the ending was a little anticlimactic. Overall, I enjoyed reading this and will recommend it.

Review posted on Instagram @readwithkendall

Alex Finlay has kept me guessing along the twisty journey of Ali's disappearance right in front of Ryan's eyes. He spends years gettin ridiculed, called a Kil-er in the chants at a basketball game, and still has managed to create a life. Suddenly Ali's car is found, but she is not inside, two other men are. This leads to a note titled "if Something Happens to Me" with a code to decipher, that only one person can figure out. This story takes you on in unimaginable journey as the local police, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Ryan, and others start to reopen the cold case that was Ali's disappearance.
I was not disappointed with this story, as I was unable to put it down right from the start. Huge thank you to Alex Finlay, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this copy. I would recommend this 100 times over if you're interested in a fast paced thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for my arc copy of this book.

I was excited to test this book out, as I had heard some good things. We are following in three different POV's and locations.

The first one is in Italy, we are following a gentleman years after his girlfriend was abducted from their small town. He is on his way to becoming a lawyer, but he has changed his name since the media went hard on him thinking that he was involved in his girlfriend's abduction.

We are also following a young police officer as she come back to her small hometown. Not long after being there, a car is discovered at the bottom of a lake. It is believed to be the car of a young girl who went missing years ago.

We are also following a different POV from a man with a lot of power.

It takes quite some time for you to figure out how all of these POV's come together. I will say that it was not the most predicable, but it also could be guessed if you have read enough of these books. I was initially pretty invested, and then my interest tapered off at about the 50% mark. I do think that it is a forgettable book, but I had enough fun with it while I was reading it.

I’m a huge Alex Finlay fan, and this book may be my favorite of his yet!

When his girlfriend Alison was pulled from his car and went missing in high school, Ryan took most of the blame from his community. He was forced to change his name and start over, but five years later that night still haunts him. While on a college trip in Italy, he hears that new evidence has come up in the case, and then he sees the man from that night in his past.

Buckle up for a wild ride on this one! The book begins with two storylines that seem entirely separate, and I was just waiting for the reveal that would tie the two together. In an interesting twist, Finlay reveals most of the big secrets semi-early in the story, leaving to an action packed back half as the characters race to put the final piece together. It truly felt like an action move as we went from city to city around the world, chasing down bad guys and answers.

I found this one to be compelling, full of intrigue, and completely binge-worthy, and I finished it the same day I started. I just couldn’t put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley and SMP (Minotaur) for the arc. All opinions are my own.

If Something Happens To Me by Alex Finlay
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: May 28, 2024

A missing girl. A bullied boy who takes his own life. A mobster dad out for revenge. A deputy sheriff on her first job out of the military. A heartbroken boy who can’t move on or forgive himself. What do these vast characters have in common? Only one way to find out- READ THIS BOOK. I couldn’t put it down. The mystery unravels and connects the stories page by page. I highly recommend this one. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this advanced reader copy.

I really loved The Night Shift so I was really excited to read this one. Even though, this one has a completely different vibe, Finlay delivers again. One of my favorite things about his books is his ability to weave in just a little bit of the spooky/scary with the thriller/mystery. This one has some great twists and will have you questioning which side you are on.

This was a really good book! It is the 3 one I have read by this author and I have enjoyed all three of them. The first part of the book was intense and fast paced. There are a lot of characters (a wide range which was good. I liked that even the horrible characters had a redeeming quality about them. It really made me think about what I would do.) and setting shifts. The chapters are short and it got distracting to me to keep shifting around. I loved when things started to click together and the relationships were unveiled. The second half of the book was still great for me, though the big "reveal" had already happened. I enjoyed reading to find out how it would all be resolved. I thought the ending was good and it worked with what I was expecting. A great read and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Great suspense, a girl missing for years, corrupt law enforcement, and deadly thugs…what more could you want? This was a wild adventure that I really enjoyed!

This twisty thriller grabbed me from the first page!! Ryan Richardson and Alison Lane are parked in a quiet area close to Suncatcher lake for some time together.

The next thing that Ryan remembers is the passenger door being ripped open, hearing Ali’s piercing scream and being struck on the head as he is pulled from the car!! Later he will come to remember only one thing about the attacker — you will find out what that is.

Ryan is never found guilty of Ali’s disappearance, but he is nevertheless hounded by podcasters and the press. He changes his name and enters law school to start a new life.

Poppy McGee is a young deputy sheriff in Ryan’s hometown, recently discharged from the army. Before she has a lot of time on the job, a submerged vehicle is pulled from Suncatcher lake. There are two men inside and a cryptic note!

It is 5 years since Ali’s abduction and Ryan is on a school trip to Italy. He gets the news about the vehicle that was pulled from the lake and a cryptic note “If Something Happens To Me” written in Ali’s handwriting!

There is yet another POV in this novel, that is Anthony O’Leary who has started in a new academy. His father is Shane and is the leader of a mob family.

OMG, there is so much going on in this book. The short chapters kept my interest and I thought this was a wild and entertaining ride.

Poppy was my favorite character as she tries to untangle the mystery that the recovered vehicle presents.

I think this is the return of Mr. Finlay to his earlier very twisty and character driven plots and I loved it!

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

Thank for allowing me to read this book.

I enjoyed this read. It was exciting and fun, although predictable. Even with the predictability, I still wanted to finish the book and find out how everyone ended. Definite will suggest to others.

Get ready to lose some sleep! Alex Finlay’s latest, If Something Happens to Me, is so addictive you will gladly sacrifice a good night’s rest to get to the end.

He had to change his name, switch colleges, and declare a new major. For five years, Ryan Richardson’s life has been defined by one night. A rainy evening when he and his girlfriend Ali (Alison) went to Lover’s Lane and did not see the monster approaching their vehicle through the fogged-up windows. They only knew he was there after. After he had yanked open the door, ripped Ryan from the car, and driven Ali’s BMW into the night, her screams piercing the dark.

When Ali disappeared, so did Ryan’s reputation. The police were skeptical (to say the least) of his description of a man with no pinkies materializing in a remote area of a backwater town, perpetrating a kidnapping (or murder) and leaving no trace of himself, Alison, or the car. To close the case, the cops and community needed Ryan to have done it. They would all sleep better, they assured him, knowing the killer in their midst had been locked away. Unfortunately for them, lack of evidence and a good defense attorney meant Ryan was never charged, much less incarcerated. That hasn’t stopped people from convicting him in their hearts, though. Nor has it kept the media from heavily implying he got away with it. The former basketball star had to cease to be Ryan Richardson and become nerdy Ryan Smith to have a shot at a future.

Then, the past comes calling. While on a trip to Italy with his law school classmates, Ryan’s phone rings. It’s his dad, letting him know that a YouTuber called Cold Case Company has found Ali's car submerged in a lake not far from Lover’s Lane. There are two dead men inside, but no sign of his former girlfriend.

Poppy McGee’s life hasn’t exactly gone as planned. Thanks to a handsy superior officer and the untimely and unexpected death of her mother, Poppy is back home in Leavenworth, Kansas. She knows she has a job as a sheriff’s deputy not because of her military experience but because her dad had served with the Sheriff in Iraq. She’s grateful for the position; her family has never been poor, but they sure aren’t rich either. With her dad’s cancer keeping him from earning a living, it’s Poppy’s paycheck that will keep them afloat.

She expected quiet days driving quiet streets, keeping drivers in line. Instead, her first day is full of tedious excitement. Excitement because Alison Lane’s vehicle has been found, breaking open a case five years cold, tedium because putting up blockades to keep the lookie-loos from compromising the scene isn’t exactly a thrill-a-minute. Her next day is even less exciting - she gets the fun, fun task of weeding through the tips that come in and coordinating with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Little does she know those two things will be what finally sheds light on what happened during a stormy night when a couple of teens expecting a fun makeout session found themselves involved in something far more dangerous.

Weaving through the story of Alison, Ryan, and Poppy is the tale of Shane O’Leary, his son Anthony, his accountant Michael, and that man’s daughter Taylor. From Philadephia to Italy, from Paris to Kansas, the threads of these lives will tangle together into one final explosive showdown between past and present.

If Something Happens to Me is a multi-PoV tale. Readers hear from Ryan, Poppy, Shane, and a host of others, each with a riveting piece of the story to tell. The author does a fabulous job of turning the narratives of these distinct individuals into a mesmerizing whole. I read this novel in a single sitting and was so grateful I could find the time to do that since I definitely didn’t want to put it down.

Figuring out how the disparate dramas fit together is compulsive, but what really pulled me in was the people. My heart just ached for Ryan, who had his life shattered by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is a genuinely thoughtful, sincere person carrying guilt for the girl he couldn’t protect and the money his family had to spend keeping him out of prison. Ryan’s keen intelligence and courage shine through when he is sucked back into the mystery of Ali’s disappearance.

Shane O’Leary is a deeply flawed human being whose only redeeming characteristic is his love for his fragile son, Anthony. I found my heart aching for them at the start, too. Shane, like many powerful people, finds himself powerless in the face of Anthony’s social awkwardness and outsider status at school. As that situation unfolds, you can’t help but feel for them as Anthony falls prey to some cruel people, and Shane finds himself unable to protect him. I didn’t at all agree with what happensas a result, but I certainly understood the emotions driving it.

Poppy is a sweet but stock character. She plays the role of a law enforcement officer who has just plugged into the system, still has ideals, and is willing to think outside the box and push back against the powers that be when needed. She works well here because the story needs her Holy Fool-style persona, but that doesn’t change the fact that she is ultimately only a tool for the author to move the narrative forward.

My one complaint with If Something Happens to Me is its sheer unbelievability. At numerous times during the tale, I found myself close to the giggles as our heroes repeatedly battle and defeat trained killers. That’s okay because this isn’t meant to be more than a fun summer action/adventure read, but the craziness pulling me from the story a few times did cause a wee bit of a downgrade. I would still recommend this novel very strongly, however. If a few hours of entertainment is what you are looking for, you can’t do better than this.

Do not start this book at night unless you have nothing to do the next day because you will be up all night reading. I think this was easily my favorite Alice Finlay book. The character development was on point as well as the unpredictable twists.