Alex Finlay is so much fun to read and I’ve enjoyed every book by him. He’s become an auto read author for me over the years. I love fast paced, short chapters and multiple POVs and his books always pack a punch and i devour them in such a short time.

This book brought thriller/mobster/Karen Slaughter vibes and was enjoyable, but predictable. It wasn’t my favorite book by him, but still worth the read.

This story hooked me from the start! Alison and Ryan are high school sweethearts. Then tragedy strikes and Ali disappears. Five years later, there’s a break in the case and things heat up quickly. I don’t want to
Give anything away so just read it and enjoy it!

This was a really fun thriller. Ryan Richardson was once accused of killing his GF, Ali, after she went missing. There was never enough evidence to convict him. But now 5 years later, the car she was abducted in has been found. He works with a detective to find out if Ali is still alive. Ryan thinks he has seen the man that has haunted him since that terrible night. I loved trying to figure out how all the pieces fit together in this one. It was definitely fast paced and I flew through it. This will be a hit with thriller lovers.

🎧 I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Dateh. They did a great job of bringing the story to life.

If Something Happens to Me is a twisty thriller that kept me up at night reading. It follows multiple POVs, following mainly three characters that originally we don’t know how they connect but as you keep reading they collide. I’d recommend going in slightly blind to this, but for a synopsis: it mainly follows Ryan- his girlfriend Alison was kidnapped five years ago without trace while they were parked in a “lovers lane” and he was eventually cleared as a suspect. Now on a college trip in Italy, he gets a call that her car is pulled from the river without her in it, but with two men in the car and a cryptic note. The story also follows Poppy, a new detective assigned to Alison’s case, and a gang lord from Philadelphia.

As a seasoned thriller reader I guessed what was going on a little early but the first half of the book had me up all night with the twists and wanting to see what happens. The second half had a little less mystery and more suspense and it was took it down from a five star read to four stars. The chapters were short which I love and the writing and characters engaging. Perfect for getting out of a reading slump.

Thank you Netgalley, Alex Finlay, and Minotaur Books for receiving the ARC in return for an honest review.

4/5 stars

Thank you Minotaur books for the advanced reading copy!

SYNOPSIS -- Five years ago, Ryan was about to have the best night of his life, alone with his girlfriend... until it turned out to be the worst night of his life. Instead of the intimate night he had planned, Ryan remembers a blow to the head, Ali being taken and a monster coming out of the dark. With no sign of Ali or this monster, Ryan is blamed for Ali's disappearance and, though let off, the ridicule is enough to make him change his name and start a new life. Now a law student, Ryan is traveling abroad for a class trip when he sees the monster from all those years ago and, soon after, finds out that Ali's missing car has been found in a lake with two dead men and a cryptic note inside. While Ryan is chasing down the monster from his nightmares, a Kansas sheriff's deputy is up to her eyeballs in chaos on her first case and a Philadelphia mobster is experiencing the worst tragedy of his life. Somehow, these things are connected... if only Ryan can figure out how.

What a fun and wild ride!!! The second I started this one, I knew it was going to be gold. While I did end up a little bit disappointed by the end (it just fell into place a little too easily...) the rest of it was so, so good! Alex Finlay has such a great way of writing distinct characters and finding clever ways for their lives and stories to intersect. This book was so fast-paced and truly impossible to put down. Every character had an intriguing storyline and while I wasn't sure how they overlapped, you best believe I was busy trying to figure it out the entire time! There were some great twists and turns and I often found myself surprised by the way things were playing out. I wasn't sure who to root for at times but somehow I wanted everyone to have the best ending they could. Having insight into the nuance of each character really added so much to this book and made the plot even more complicated and dynamic.

Overall this was a great read, and I can't wait to catch up on Alex Finlay's back list, because I have loved what I've read from him so far!

THE. AUDIBLE. GASP!
This is told in alternating POV's the eventually all comes together! This was my first book from Alex Finlay and it was so fun, fast paced and very easily bingeable!

Thank you St. Martin’s press for providing me an advance readers copy in exchange for my honest review.
Release date: May 28th

What an amazing fast paced thriller that will keep you on your toes! I flew through this book and needed to know what was going to happen next. This book is about a girl who was presumed taken and murdered from her car in the woods 5 years ago. There was a lot of speculation as to what happened to her, and her boyfriend being a first suspect. However soon the case is closed and 5 years later, her car is found at the bottom of the lake. However, the girl isn't in the car.. but there are two strange men. If you're looking for a book that will have you guessing what's going to happen next, read this!

This novel is fast paced, heart pounding, and absolutely addictive. Filled with suspense and a mystery that builds on multiple interwoven timelines, and told from multiple points of view, you won’t be able to put it down. It comes out 5/28, and it is definitely worthy of a spot on your TBR!

This was an exciting and suspenseful read where it took me a hot minute to catch on! In typical Finlay fashion, it was fast paced with short and exciting chapters and quite the puzzle to put together! It grabs you from the start when a young high school couple, Alison and Ryan are parked in their car, and one disappears and the other has no recollection of what happened. The case remains unsolved until five years later a clue emerges sparking a renewed interest in the case.
There are a slew of characters, settings and interwoven storylines that unravel with one interesting reveal after another! Although a quick read, it was one I had to pay attention to so not to miss any clues! I can’t say much more in fear of giving anything away, but if you’re an Alex Finlay fan, you won’t be disappointed. And if you haven’t read him yet, this would be a great one to start with!!

When a missing girl's car is found 5 years later, the cold case of her disappearance has been reopened. This brings her boyfriend Ryan back into the investigation. 
This story jumps right into the mystery. There are three storylines going on and it took a while for me to figure out what they all had to do with each other. When the twist hit, I was loving how it all came together. 
I feel like this was one of Finlays best thrillers! I liked the character development and the unfolding of the mystery. 
This was a fun one!
As far as the audiobook, I thought the cast did fantastic bringing this story to life.

Really really enjoyed this one! I’ve read two other Finlay books and this was my favorite by far. I didn’t see the twists coming, unlike The Night Shift, and it held my attention from the first page.

The three different POVs, with one seemingly not connected was a great touch!

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
If Something Happens to Me
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 336
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Release Date: May 28, 2024

Ryan was making out with his girlfriend in her car when some guy rips open the car door, smashes Ryan in the head leaving him for dead on the ground, and takes off with his girlfriend and the car. And no one has seen her since and no progress has been made on the case. Until five years later when the car is dredged up in a nearby lake and Ryan spots the kidnapper on a class trip to Italy.

OK, so that’s just the premise of the book. What happens before and after is so juicy and twisty! I loved how everything came together in big ah-ha moments. I could easily see this playing out as a Netflix miniseries.

Thank you, @NetGalley, @StMartinsPress, and @AlexFinlayAuthor for my gifted copy. I loved it!

Another freaking great listen for me! The plot of the story is told so well that you're immersed into it right from the start. The multiple POV seems like it wouldn't all go together as the settings of the story are in Kansas, Pennsylvania, Italy and France, but as you go along with the plot it all starts to come together and make total sense. I liked the mystery of it, like what actually happened to Ali? Why do they think Ryan murdered her? Alex Finlay really knows how to do a twist and I plan to read/listen to more of his books.

Thank you to Minotaur Books, SMP Influencer Program and NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved the action, pace, and mystery of this one! It was such an easy to fly through thriller.

The suspense starts quickly when a girl is abducted from her car while parked on the side of the road with her boyfriend. The story fast forwards to 5 years later, when a car is found in a lake and a coded letter is uncovered. The letter is believed to be written by the girl who vanished and a detective seeks out the help of the previous boyfriend to solve the mystery.

I loved that this story has multiple fun settings and jumps around. It does take some mental focus to keep track of everything, but I liked the puzzle of it all.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press( Minotaur Books) for access to this title.

When the book begins, we have two young teenage lovers, Allison and Ryan out at a lover's lane in Leavenworth Kansas. The night ends in tragedy with Allison believed to be dead and Ryan accused of killing her. Eventually, Allison's murder is linked to a serial killer and it seems the case is closed. Years later, Allison's father's vehicle is recovered from the lake and there are bodies inside- but neither one belongs to Allison. As a new deputy investigates, other characters emerge that make it clear that there is more to this case than originally thought.

I really enjoyed the pace of this book and definitely recommend it to thriller fans. I do warn that the beginning was a tad confusing with many characters - be patient, it all comes together in the end!

IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME is an intriguing, braided tale. It is told in multiple viewpoints. Ryan has changed his last name and entered law school to get away from the fateful night when he and his girlfriend Ali were attacked at the local make-out spot. She disappeared and he was questioned in her disappearance.

The second point of view is that of Poppy McGee who is in her first week as a sheriff's deputy in her hometown of Leavenworth after an honorable discharge from the Army when she was harassed by a superior officer. Her first job happens after Ali's car was discovered at the bottom of a local lake by true crime podcasters. Ali's body wasn't there but the bodies of two men, shot in the head, were.

The third point of view is that of Shane O'Leary who is a crime boss in Philadelphia who goes on a rampage when his teenage son commits suicide after bullying at his exclusive prep school. His accountant raids his accounts in a Swiss bank and goes on the run with his teenage daughter who was a part of the bullying.

As the story progresses, we learn how all three parts of the story connect. The clues are gradually revealed as the characters investigate their own parts of the mystery. This was a fast-paced and intriguing thriller. It was filled with adventure and discoveries.

The first half of this book was amazing while the second was, well, the opposite of that.

This book started with a bang and the suspense then kept building up and up and up till halfway through, at which point I have already figured the whole thing out, making the rest of the book quite boring and a chore to get through.

I liked some of the characters, the plot, the quick-pace, I just wish it was somewhat…unpredictable? I mean, not one twist caught me off guard and I hate when that happens.

3.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley, Alex Finlay, and Minotaur Books for an #ARC in return for an honest review! Read as an audio!

After reading two other books by this author and not being blown away, I decided to give this one a chance. And I did enjoy this one much more! This was decent and entertaining. The narration was done well and engaged. Short chapters so that makes this read go quickly which I always enjoy. There were any OMG moments or crazy things occurring in my opinion, but I cared enough for the characters and the thrill!

I think my main issue was that there were wayyyyy to many characters, subplots, and cities to keep track of. I like the mystery of it all but I also do not want to have too keep a web of information on the side just to read this book...

Read if you like:
- crime fiction
- puzzle-like
- popcorn thrillers
- action packed
- multiple POVs

Read Completed 5/3/24 | 3.5 stars
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for this early listening review copy! Macmillan Audio provided this audiobook for review and this did not affect my read or review process in any way. #MacAudio2024

EVERY LAST FEAR (2021) | 4 stars
THE NIGHT SHIFT (2022) | DNF
WHAT HAVE WE DONE (2023) | 1.75 stars

Alex Finlay has been super hit or miss for me lately so honestly, I didn't go into his one with high expectations and I think that helped my read a little bit. Alex Finlay still has a million POVs in the book, but these characters were much easier for me to connect with than some of his previous books, and they were just slightly less cliche, so that helped.

I don't normally like mob plot lines in psychological thrillers (not a spoiler - it's one of the POVs in the beginning), and I figured everything would tie back in that way because why else would you include it.... The ending wasn't super shocking and I easily picked up on some clues and twists throughout the way.

This wasn't ground-breaking for me, but I'm happy I still was engaged with the book and got to root for some characters. I wasn't ever bored and the pacing was good, keeping me wondering what was going to happen next and waiting for my guesses about the twists to be confirmed. It wasn't super believable in some ways, but I was here for the popcorn thriller entertainment factor and let it be what it was.

I'm glad I enjoyed this, even if it wasn't a new favorite. If I didn't like this read, I definitely wouldn't be reading more Alex Finlay, so there's hope yet!

AUDIOBOOK THOUGHTS: I was happy to see Helen Laser as a narrator because I've enjoyed her performance and her voice lately! I thought all of the narrators did a nice job and covered the voices really well. There were two other narrators, both male -- John Pirhalla, Paul Dateh -- and I thought they had nice performances as well! There were multiple male POVs so I think they did a really good job making all of those characters feel different enough that I wasn't confused. I forgot how many narrators there were and while the voices weren't wildly different, I would have believed there were more to cover all of the POVs. I would happily recommend this as an audiobook for someone who was interested.

It's no secret that I love Alex Finlay, so I was thrilled to get an ARC of If Something Happens to Me. Needless to say, I was hooked within the first few chapters. Told from alternating perspectives, timelines and locations, Finlay did an exceptional job of weaving together the narrative to make a cohesive story. Of course, there were a few fantastical elements to the plot but Finlay somehow even makes those elements plausible. Don't sleep on this one!