If Something Happens to me by Alex Finlay is a thriller that kept me guessing from start to end.

What I liked in this story
- Foreshadowing was done in a manner that while obvious when looking back did not give away the mystery within
-charecters were beliveable if not always relateable
-The story kept me guessing which isn't something a lot of thrillers pull off
What didn't work as well for me
-The formatting on my e-arc was a bit to smushed for its default font. more spacing between the lines on a physical copy will likely solve that fine and the e reader did allow for altering the font
-pacing was a bit all over the place

Wow! Talk about action packed!

When Ali is abducted in front of him one late night, Ryan is charged with surging guilt and afraid he may be criminally charged for her disappearance. Despite swirling suspicion, he embarks on a mission to find the truth.

Packed with many fascinating characters, this novel kept me hooked! I loved the interplay with mafia types and law enforcement as well as a Who Done It! This felt fresh from a genre that has begun to feel a bit stale for me.

After Alex Finlays last couple of reads left me feeling lacklustre, I was super nervous of picking up this one.
HOWEVER, this is hands down his best yet. With a unique plot line and fast paced action, this is an unputdownable thriller!

Have you ever wanted to start over, to have a new life with a new name? What if you had no choice and it wasn't something you did, but what someone else did? That's the world that Ryan and Alison find themselves in one stormy night, when all they wanted was a few moments alone to see where their relationship is going. This is a duel story-line, with several characters, but it works and it moves. Boy does it move, what a page-turner. I've read other books by this author and they never fail to pull you in and don't let go till the very last. This one was no different. Wish I could've given more than5 stars. Highly recommend!!

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay is a thrilling rollercoaster that weaves a complex narrative. It follows the story of Ali, who mysteriously vanishes after her boyfriend Ryan was pulled from her car, only to have that car discovered in a local lake five years later. The narrative unfolds through three distinct plotlines, each contributing to the gripping climax of the story.

The mob plotline, a glimpse into a world driven by revenge, struck a deep emotional chord with me. It delves into the heart-wrenching aftermath of a middle school bullying incident, a tragedy that resonated deeply with me as a parent. It’s a poignant part of the story that I knew would lead to anything but a devastating outcome.

I also loved the pacing. I flew through this story just having to know how the plotlines were connected and what was going to happen next. I figured out some twists, while others caused my jaw to drop in surprise. I felt like the ending was an interesting, though not surprising, choice. And overall I enjoyed this newest Alex Finlay novel. They never disappoint!

I enjoyed reading this mystery about an attack on Lover's Lane one night. Alison goes missing, and Ryan is blamed for her disappearance. AF writes an exciting story with POV sections and characters who change their names. Nothing is as it appears to be, and the read is a wild ride chasing down the bad guys and hoping for the good ones! If you like reading about different places, this is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. This book will be published on May 27, 2024.

What an un-put-downable read. This book had me hooked from the very beginning, even though I would say that anything involving organized crime is not really my thing. However, I read this in one day and raced through it-- I was unable to stop thinking about it over the course of the workday.

I actually did find most of the twists and turns to be fairly predictable, however I don't think it took away much from reading it. Finlay's suspenseful writing had me glued to the page to see how everything played out in the end for a unique and fascinating cast of characters.

I also appreciated Finlay's writing more in this one. The last novel of his I read, the Night Shift, irked me. It was a little too choppy and straightforward, and his portrayals of some of the female characters bothered me. I didn't find either to be the case for this book.

My only complaints would be I think a couple of things were a little rushed or convenient-- I thought the myriad talents of Ryan's law school classmates and how they came into play felt too "easy" and that one of the loose ends at the end wrapped up a little too quickly and tidily. And the overall predictability chipped away at my star rating in the end.

Still, for the sheer popcorn excitement that this one had, I would absolutely recommend it to anyone. I just personally find myself unable to to give a full five stars and would instead place it closer in the 4.25 star category.

Hands down the very best book from Alex Finlay to date. If Something Happens to Me is unpredictable and impossible to put down. A roller coaster ride from Rome to Italy to small town Kansas. You certainly don’t want to miss this.

Alex Finlay knows how to write an explosive edge-of-your seat action packed thriller! At one point I was surprised, which is hard to do and I have to give kudos where it’s due. That “aha”! moment and the break neck speed of the pacing made this a five star read for me. I’ll be digging into Finley’s backlist for sure.

Fast paced. Very gripping and worth reading. I enjoyed every moment of this book. Pace is faced and fueled by twists and turns.

If the 2nd half of this book would have gone like the first it would have easily been a five star read. I flew through the first half trying to figure out how everything was interconnected and it was so good. Then it got more predictable, violent, and mob based and it became less of a suspense book and more of a crime story. I still read it quickly and it still held my interest, but because I just didn’t love the 2nd part as much I gave it 4 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

This book started off so strong!
Great hook. An early, but good, “twist”. A fun way to have all the characters' stories flow together…

For the first 50% of the book you’re going to really be scratching your head wondering what’s going to happen! You’ll probably be feeling super invested too…

HOWEVER! At the 50% mark things start to become obvious, and as it moves on you’ll be thinking “hmmm 🤔 there’s still so much book left there’s no way I’ve sorted it all out!”…. Well sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you have indeed figured it all out.
The last half of this book was just too predictable. I had SUCH high hopes for something at the end to really wow me, but it just never happens.

I think this would make a better show than it did a novel.

Alex Finlay has done it again! You will never see the twists in this novel coming. When the car of a missing girl is found 5 years after her disappearance, it brings all the people involved back to where it all started. Will we finally find out what happened or will it lead to just more questions and more suspects. The thriller is truly a page turner and will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way to the end! 5 stars!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book for the most part. Disappearance stories always pique my interest. It starts off with a bang when two teenagers encounter trouble while parked at lover's lane. The girl is abducted, and the boy is soon under suspicion for her disappearance. Years later, a young female cop, new on the force, gets handed an intriguing mystery relating to the case.

To be honest, I lost interest at about the 80 percent mark. I am not sure why, but maybe I'm just not the right audience. Once things start to become clear and questions pretty much answered, nothing compelled me to keep reading, so I skimmed through to the end. There is a suggestion that the female cop may be interested in women, so what else is new. Recommended.

It has been five years since tragedy devastated Ryan Richardson’s life. Now a law student on vacation sees a man who was a part of that past. A kidnapping that happened back then that is intertwined with the lives of so many from all over. The twists and turns in this book will keep you on your toes figuring out who all is involved and the connections they all have with each other. Great read!



Thanks to Alex Finlay and St Martin’s Press for the read!

*round up to 4.5/5 stars* wow! This book truly did amaze me! I had read “The Night Shift” a while ago and found it to be a pretty average read, so this blew away my expectations. The research put into this plot was clearly shown through the attention to detail and intricacies of how each character was connected. I would’ve given this 5 stars, but honestly until about halfway through, the plot was almost too elaborate and complex that it was hard to understand the intensity of what was going on. The plot twists were fantastic, the connecting of stories was beautifully done, and the writing was a pleasure to read. I couldn’t put this book down!

Just wow! Intelligent and complex mystery, the past haunting the present for all involved as some ghosts won't stay hidden, and some keep being found. No spoilers - a solid and well written mystery that will keep you hooked.

St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books provided an early galley for review.

Earlier this year, I read The Night Shift by Finlay and really enjoyed it. So, I was eager to see what he would write for his next novel.

There are definitely some similarities between that book and this one. Both involve a reopened cold case involving high school students several years later. There are several narrative viewpoints in both - including one from a male connected to the incident who changes his name to avoid the infamy and one from a female in a position of law inforcement that is investigating the case. This book is also divided into three parts and features many shorter chapters, allowing for jumping around to the various threads of the tale.

I found the story to have a slow build, much like a roller coaster. While everything still moved along at a steady pace, I was hoping for some faster thrills and much sharper twists. Granted, the "slowness" might too be where my brain was at when reading this (coming off a super busy week prior). Still, I was entertained by this story.

One of the secondary characters instantly became a favorite of mine - the true crime podcaster Ziggy dela Cruz (no spoilers). This is a character of which I'd like to see more. To be used in just a small way would be a waste. Finlay has reused characters in books in the past, so there might be some hope for Ziggy down the road.

As a would-be writer myself, I did appreciate Finlay's notes in the back where he talks about how locales in the book were places he had some familiarity. That reflects a lot of writing tips and guidances I've absorbed over the years ("write what you know").

Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC of the book.

Ali was kidnapped in her car during a date with her high school boyfriend Ryan - which made him the number one suspect. It took years for Ryan to get on with his new life, when Ali’s kidnapper comes back into the picture with more mystery. Around the same time the true crime podcasters have located Ali’s car in the local lake with 2 male bodies and a coded message from Ali in it. Where is Ali and who are those men as well how to crack the code is a riddle for a new deputy sheriff to solve.

At the beginning I was trying to figure out who is who and how they’re connected because there were multiple POV. Almost every chapter ended on a mini cliffhanger and I wanted to cheat and skip some chapters but every POV had intriguing and unexpected twists that I didn’t want to miss.

It's probably a good idea to mention is that there’s mob involved so there are some ruthless scenes involved, as well as a suicide.

Alex Finley does it again!

An abducted girl, a serial killer and a secret code all make this fast pace novel a fun read!
Ryan and Ali are on the brink of adulthood when Ali is taken and presumed dead. Years later her car is found with a note that says “if something happens to me” and the new sheriff starts to uncover the truth behind this cold case.

Face paced thrillers are my favorite type of read so I thought I had this book figured out but my jaw was on the floor with that twist!!
If something happens to me takes place across several different US states and Europe with different character point of views.
I will say that there are a lot of characters and I had a little bit of trouble keeping everything straight. But overall this is a very fun read that feels like an action movie. I highly recommend it!
Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!