If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay
4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press Minotaur Books for a copy of this ARC!

When Ryan's girlfriend Alison is taken, with him as the only witness, he is thrown into suspicion. Though he has never been charged with her disappearance, public opinion believes he is guilty. Ryan changed his last name, and our story takes place on a summer trip abroad with his law-school classmates.

While in Italy, Ryan gets a call from his dad saying that Alison's car has been found - and it contains two dead bodies, and a cryptic note titled "if something happens to me...". Ryan roams around Europe trying to solve the mystery of what happens to Ali.

My thoughts:
If Something Happens to Me is a multiple-POV thriller with different storylines that take a while to all join together. While the synopsis focuses on Ryan's POV, there are a lot of characters to keep track of. I do feel like this was organized and written in a way that made it easy to keep them straight, but there was a lot going on at times. That being said, it was engaging, exciting, and I was eager to find out what had happened to Ali all those years ago.

This talented author has written a page turner. Love and romance…red herrings and secrets…family and friends… the realistic characters keep this story moving…a quick read…intrigue. Thanks Netgalley.

Alex Finlay never ceases to amaze me. This novel is a fantastic read!

My initial reaction to this novel was that I was hooked immediately from the first page to the final page. The book was more plot-driven than his other books. It works well because of its fast pace. I like that!

I love everything about this book. The short chapters with a storyline like this one kept me well engaged. I didn’t find any lags in the book whatsoever. The incredible part of the book was how Mr. Finlay constructed his plot. Simply amazing!

I was satisfied with the book’s ending. Everyone, somewhat, had a happily ever after, well, except one character, LOL!

Please add this book to your bookshelf or Kindle library. Alex Finlay is one of those authors you’ll never forget because his brilliant storytelling is just the icing on the cake!

I read this one pretty quick. It was available for 72 hours on Netgalley. I wasn't sure if I had to read the whole thing in that time so I powered through! I've read others by this author and enjoyed them. This one was suspenseful and intriguing from the start. There were a lot of different characters and POVs to keep track of. I felt the beginning and middle were stronger than the end. Overall, a nice mystery suspense book to get me through a Monday.

I was completely captivated from the first page. The story twists and turns, yet brings you right back to where it all began. The multiple storylines all intertwined flawlessly. Once I started reading, I had to finish the book.

Five years ago, Ryan's girlfriend, Ali, went missing. Ryan was there when it happened - he was struck on the head and saw the hands of someone taking Ali from the vehicle. After all the years, Ali and her vehicle were never been found. Ryan was never charged with Ali's disappearance but that doesn't keep people from suspecting that he was involved. And suddenly, Ali's vehicle turns up with two dead men. The police also find a cryptic note, "if something happens to me..." Ryan also sees a man that he remembers from the night of Ali's disappearance. He starts to re-question everything and is pulled into a young sheriff's new investigation. What happened to Ali? And who are these other men that were involved?

Alex Finlay is known for his great thrillers - this one did not disappoint! It is filled with complex layers that keep you on your toes until the very end. All the intricate stories and characters weave together to make an enjoyable and suspenseful read. I also love thrillers with short chapters - keeps me wanting more! Alex Finlay succeeded with a well thought out storyline that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.w

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an ecopy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. I was hooked from page one. It was really an intriguing and suspenseful read. I just wanted to know the mystery so almost every chapter kept me engaged. I wasn't too fond of the multiple POV because sometimes it can get confusing when there are too many POV. Once it was revealed who was who and why everything happened, it was just a matter of how long until the ending that made it a bit dull. I didn't care much for the Epilogue. I get it, some readers want to know the aftermath of the lives that were entertwine but I felt like the ending was being dragged out too long that made me lose interest. Overall, it was a quick and good read!

If you've read any Alex Finlay books than you know it is going to be a good time. A convoluted story that somehow just works. You accept it. You step off the ride. You hand out 5 stars and wait patiently for the next ride to stop and pick you up. That is an Alex Finlay book. A great ride you wait patiently for every year in the hopes that it's just as good as last year's ride. And this one was. 5 stars.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the eARC of If Something Happens to Me by @alexfinlayauthor in exchange for an honest review!

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 It has been five years since Ryan’s fiancé and high school sweetheart, Ali, vanished into thin air. He is absolutely traumatized by the memory of being forced out of the car they were traveling in together that then drove off with her in it, never to be seen or heard from. The grief is immeasurable for Ryan whose involvement is questioned relentlessly but he does his best to move on…until her car is found.
This gripping psychological thriller pulls you in from the beginning, making it impossible to put down! Alex Finlay creates a strong supporting cast of characters whose perspectives all weave together, drawing the reader in, and heightening the mystery of this story. If Something Happens to Me is a masterpiece in storytelling, one that will leave you guessing throughout the twists and turns!

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be on Instagram well ahead of the publication date!

If Something Happens to Me is the first book I’ve read by Alex Finlay, and it won’t be the last. It was a complete thrill ride as new sheriff in Leavenworth, Kansas tries to figure out a 5 year old cold case.

Chapters are short and gripping and represent a few different characters’ points of view. We have the new sheriff, the law student with a changed name because he was in the car when his then girlfriend vanished and once a suspect, the father of the vanished girl, and a couple of mafia chiefs. While this may seem chaotic, the author pulls it all together. Not only is the mystery in part one gripping, the cat and mouse chases in parts two and three are thrilling. Yet the book is more than the suspenseful plot. We care about the characters and they are all well-developed. I also liked that the action took place in areas in Europe as well as the US.

This a was a fun read and I could not put it down.

Thank you NetGalley for making this available for an advance reading! Even with several different POVs it was easy to follow. It was a fun, unpredictable ride and I thought the twists were well executed. The plot was addictive and kept me engaged and thoroughly entertained

Five years ago, Ryan and Ali’s date is brutally interrupted when a blow to the head knock’s Ryan out and Ali and her car disappear. Suspicion follows Ryan: was he somehow involved? Grieving, unable to prove his innocence, remembering only an unknown man’s face, Ryan finally changes his name and gets into law school. Then a call from his father: Ali’s car has been found submerged in a local lake, with two men’s bodies and an envelope with a cryptic note in Ali’s handwriting, “If anything happens to me…” Soon after, when Ryan spots the face that has long haunted his dreams in a crowd, the chase is on. What happened to Ali? Will he live to find out? Fast moving suspense, with surprising twists and turns; a satisfying read.

Another winner from Finlay! This reminded me a lot of Every Last Fear - fast paced with a very tight plot. It bounces from Kansas to Philadelphia to Europe, but it’s seamless and comes together so well. Very suspenseful and with short chapters, it’s easy to fly through and I read it in one sitting. It’s also a book where it’s best to know just the blurb and then let the story unfold.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and a chance to read this early. All opinions are my own.

First 5 star read of 2024! I am becoming a huge Alex Finlay fan! This book had great pacing, character development and a very unique storyline. Mr. Finlay is adept at writing page-turners that you don't want to put down. Without giving too much away, I will simply say that this book involves: bullying, the mob, murder, intrigue, kidnapping, a cute lil detective, Iraq war vets, and several trips to Europe. There are red-herrings and clues galore. The past and present collide in an awesome story that keeps you at the edge of your seat.

This book is perfect for your summer beach read, plane book, vacation novel. Highly recommend it as a fun read - now I will be going back and checking out more of Mr. Finlay's books!

Special thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Alex FInlay book and I was absolutely sucked in. The different characters and points of view made it a fast read that I didn't want to put down. I quickly figured out where the pieces were falling so I would say I was more captured by the thriller side than mystery.

If you are looking for a page turner or something that spikes your adrenaline a little, this one is for you. I look forward to reading Alex Finlay's other works.

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this advance copy!

Would give this 4.5 stars. I truly couldn't put it down. The pace was fast and kept me engaged. The twists were good and kept coming at a rapid pace. I enjoyed the writing- when a books reads like I think, I can plow through it quickly. I'd admit I was a bit hesitant after "Night Shift', but this was much more on track and suspenseful. Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is broken into 3 parts and told in 3rd person. Alternating POVs between Ryan, Poppy, Shane, Michael ~ I was unsure how they’re connected at first which I loved. Wild ride with sooo many twists. Page turner!! I absolutely loved this and highly recommend

As this novel commences, there are chapters which alternate between Kansas, Philadelphia and Italy and this leads the reader to wonder why.
There is a lot going on in this book — the mob, school bullying, multiple murders, a new deputy sheriff, the disappearance of a high school girl and inter agency rivalries replete with leaks therein. Mr. Finlay ties all of these seemingly unrelated items together in a very interesting and intriguing manner and, as the action occurs, it becomes extremely difficult for the reader to put this book down.
This book is highly recommended and I thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication and look forward to Alex Finlay’s next novel.

Alex Finlay does it again! I started reading and could not stop! If you are a Harlan Coben fan, this is equal to his best.
Heart racing from from the beginning, there are many lose threads, and it's pure reading pleasure to see them pulled!
Intrigue, great characters, excellent mystery, don't miss it!

This was a fun ride! Told in multiple timelines, perspectives, and locations, this novel centers around the disappearance of a teenage girl five years ago. The author deftly weaves the story together in a way that had me literally saying, "OHHHH!!" aloud multiple times as different connections were revealed. The characters may not be as fleshed out as they could have been, but I think that's typical in this type of plot structure. There is a lot of action but it also delves into serious themes like redemption and forgiveness. (Trigger warning for suicide.) Overall I really enjoyed this and read it in a day.