I read this book in a single sitting and enjoyed it like I was watching a tense action thriller! As readers, we are introduced to a handful of characters, of course not being sure where their stories might intersect yet. Ryan, the only witness to his girlfriend Ali's sudden disappearance five years ago, is on a trip in Italy with his law school cohort when he is confronted by a mysterious message and has a panic attack in a hot air balloon. Poppy, a young veteran, has returned to her childhood home in Kansas to care for her father and start a new job as the deputy sheriff. This role is not as fancy as it sounds -- she's assigned to monitor the tip line, but then tips start coming in about the discovery of Ali's car, submerged in the lake for the last five years -- with two dead men inside. Shane is a mob boss in Philadelphia who is trying to balance his work (killing guys, apparently) with his family life (his son is struggling at his fancy new boarding school).
We've got code breaking, an FBI agent who loves riddles, and some really likable characters. We jump from Kansas, to Italy, to Philadelphia, and beyond, and I had a great clear sense of place and characters. The chapters are short with a few cliffhangers; this is definitely a page turner as I was predicting connections and couldn't wait to find out how everyone was connected.
This was my first book by this author but I would love to read more -- I was super satisfied by the ending and how all my questions were answered (for example, why didn't anyone find Ali's car in what should have been a huge search for her five years ago?). Recommend for fans of Taylor Adams or Martin Scorcese's The Departed. Enjoy!

4.5⭐️ You won’t want to miss Alex Finlay’s latest book when it hits the shelves on May 28th! With a storyline featuring a missing girl, questionable characters, and a few murders, this book will have you flipping through the pages. Trust me, from start to finish, it’s easy to get caught up in the story, and even with multiple viewpoints, it flows smoothly.

Three separate stories finally come together at the end - lots of balls in the air but Finlay made them all make sense. A little violent in some parts for my taste (I like my murders off camera and not all that descriptive) but otherwise, engaging characters, solid plot, kept me engaged, and some glimmers of possible sequel. This one is a good one. Read it one day and my thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur for the advance copy.

Went in knowing not much about the premise of the book. I did not see the plot twist coming with Alison Lane and the multiple identities. I had to go back and reread that page a few times because I was shocked. I thought this book was well written and the multiple perspectives weaved together nicely. Loved seeing the change of Chaz’s heart to let them go for his grandson. I also was not expecting the dirty FBI agent. It was fast paced and suspenseful.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC. I would highly recommend it for anyone who loves fast paced thrillers.

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay is a superbly written, fast passed thriller with lots of twists and turns.
I was sucked right into this story by the author's interweaving of plot lines that have us traveling from small town Kansas to the mob in Philly to England, Italy and France. With these three alternating plot lines, I was so drawn in I could not put this book down.
I highly recommend this one!
Thank you NetGalley, the author and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Probably my favorite book by this author! I enjoyed the story, I found the timelines sometimes confusing (probably a me problem). It kept me engaged and wanted to see how it all ended. Excited to see what he comes out with next.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for my advanced e copy in exchange for my honest review.

Publish date: May 28, 2024

4.25⭐️ What a wild ride! This was fast paced and I binged it in one sitting. Needless to say I think this should be added to your tbr and it needs to be read as soon as possible.

A mysterious disappearance of a teenage girl where the boyfriend is the main suspect, but there’s not enough evidence to be sure. Fast forward five years and Ryan has become a different person after Alison’s abduction. Then her car turns up in the river.
Can her find out who was actually behind it and who can he trust to aid in his vigilante investigation.

Alex has a way with reeling you in and then, BAM, plot twist! I love when a thriller is told in multi-POVs . Especially when most of the characters narrating are unreliable. It really adds to the suspense of discovering the actual villain. Ryan is such a brilliant character, tragic and flawed, but that’s what makes him great. His determination is so incredible that he deserves all good things. Poppy is such a great protagonist as well, She is the voice of reason and wants to be by the book, but learned how to skip some pages in said book..

Also the major plot twist going from part 1 and into part 2 gave me whiplash. I really enjoyed the ways that the little pieces of evidence gathered by each character was actually of some importance. I truly enjoyed reading this and will definitely be reading more by Alex.

Lot of characters in this one, I liked the police officer Poppy the best. The chapters are short and keep you reading, I did not guess the ending. This story does not have a lot of reveals along the way, but enough to keep me reading. Overall I found it to be an intriguing story and I found myself invested. There are several different locations and a few time periods, but not overly hard to follow. I will read more from this author when I am looking for a fun, fast paced story.
3.5 stars

Loved this book by Alex Finlay. Quick read because I didn't want to put it down. Love the twists in the story. Some I would not have guessed.

Alex Finlay books are hit or miss for me, but this one was a solid success. The story moved at a breakneck pace, had some memorable characters, and wrapped up neatly, if a little unbelievably. It felt kind of like an episode of Law and Order, which was only enhanced by the addition of the the mob. I'm ready for another 'episode'!

This is hands down the best Alex Finlay yet and in the running for my favorite of 2024. As a Kansas girl, the setting and references to the area were spot on and what initially grabbed my attention. The action packed global adventure Alex took us on was literally “unputdownable” and easily read it in one day.

I haven't read many books by A.F. and this book is what's about to have me reading the entire backlist over the next month. I can't get enough.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

"If Something Happens to Me" is a plot-driven thriller about a missing girl. Or is she really missing? There are multiple points of view that are part of this story: the missing girl's boyfriend, a deputy sheriff in a small-ish town charged with researching the cold case once new evidence appears, and a shady mob guy. These multiple points of view come together about halfway through the book. The chapters are short and things keep moving but the characters weren't that interesting, some of the things that happened were improbable, and it just felt very very rushed.

I was already a fan of this author, and this book just reinforced that opinion!

What a wild ride this one was! I really didn’t know how to predict what would happen next, and I’m so glad I didn’t. The setting changed so much, and the characters were and weren’t trustworthy, and we never knew quite which. This one has mysteries inside mysteries.

I’m not going to regurgitate the plot, but what ensues after an outside-of-school incident has major implications for multiple families. What a great plot this is, and Mr Finlay has brought it to life most vividly.

My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the complimentary digital copy of the book. My review is voluntary.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: May 28, 2024
I’ve been a fan of Alex Finlay since his debut, “Every Last Fear” and I was beyond excited to get the chance to read his new novel, “If Something Happens to Me”.
Five years ago, Ryan’s girlfriend, Ali, disappeared and everyone in his hometown believed Ryan to blame. When a local serial killer is charged with her suspected murder, Ryan is hopeful he can move on and put the guilt and blame behind him, enrolling in law school to try and make a difference. Until he goes on a trip to Italy with some law school classmates and finds himself being followed by a man that Ryan instantly recognizes as the man who was there the night Ali disappeared. Now, halfway around the world, Ryan sees the oppourtunity to get the answers he has searched for for so long and he will risk anything and everything to finally find out what happened to Ali.
“Something” is a little different than Finlay’s other works but it is still as engaging and suspenseful as you’d come to expect from the psychological fiction writer. Mob bosses, teenage bullying and its disastrous consequences, disappearing girlfriends, witness protection….Finlay’s novel has a little bit of everything.
Although the novel’s primary protagonist is Ryan, parts of the story are told by Poppy, a local deputy in Kansas and Mike, an accountant who works for a very powerful, and very dangerous, man. Of course, there are numerous twists and turns which kept me on the edge of my seat, culminating in an unexpected ending that brought all of the plot lines together.
The chapters are short but flow well, making “Something” an enjoyable, easy read. Although there are essentially three POV’s, Finlay’s a master at his craft and each plot line is carefully constructed and powerfully delivered. I was easily able to jump between characters and I immediately built rapport with all three, speedily turning the pages to find out what happens.
Finlay’s “If Something Happens to Me” is unique, sending the reader on a globe-trotting adventure from Italy to France to Kansas and everywhere in between! The perfect suspenseful escape, “Something” confirms that Finlay is not slowing down and I can’t wait to see what he brings us next!

When I read What Have We Done last year I wasn’t sure if Alex Finlay was for me. Boy am I happy I picked this book up! I didn’t even know the same author wrote both of these books because of how much I loved this one.

The first part of this book was so gripping, I couldn’t put it down. When I went to bed the first night I was already at 39% and only went to sleep because I couldn’t keep my eyes open.

I loved the characters and how the story is woven together. I feel like I should have seen the first twist coming but I didn’t. I felt the end of this book was satisfying with its twists as well.

I highly recommend this one if you like mystery thrillers!

ARC provided by Minotaur Books.

Pub date: May 28, 2024

This is a page turner! I’ve read a few books by this author, and this is a good one. There are three seemingly separate story lines, and they all eventually merge together well. Recommended!

Still haunted by the abduction of his girlfriend right in front of him 5 years ago, Ryan has tried to move on and make a life for himself. When the monster who took her resurfaces, he finds himself in a race to figure out what really happened to Ali before more people get hurt.

This is a fast paced, absorbing read. While I figured out most of the plot very early on, I still found this to be enjoyable. The story is told though multiple POVs. Those POVs weave a tale of secrecy, deceit, and ultimately, murder. It's one of those books that is hard to put down and I finished it in 2 sittings. Despite figuring out what what coming, the details of how and why it all happens is enough to keep you turning the page. I recommend this to anyone who loves a good mystery/thriller, especially if they are looking for something quick and entertaining.

Alex Finlay is a master storyteller.. everything he writes is gold. If Something Happens to Me is no exception. Great characters, great locations, great pacing. The story is told thru different perspectives, which I really liked. Once everything came together, my mind was blown! Twisty, suspenseful and action packed! Loved it!

Alex Finlay captivates readers with his masterful storytelling. Through compelling characters and a brisk narrative, this fast-paced thriller takes readers on a suspenseful journey filled with unexpected twists and turns. With its multiple points of view, the story intricately intertwines the lives of diverse characters, offering a gripping tale of redemption and reckoning that keeps readers hooked until the very end.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley