By far my new favorite by Alex Finlay always delivers such a solid edge of your seat thriller and this one is no exception! In this story we follow Ryan who has experienced a very traumatic event that left him with a severe blow to the head and a spotty memory with his girlfriend Ali disappearing into thin air. Because her body and car were never found Ryan was never charged however suspicion always follows him since he was the last to see her. When he’s traveling abroad he gets a life changing phone call. Her car has been found…with two dead me a mysterious letter written by Ali: If something happens to me….

In a fast paced thriller crossing different parts of the world, each character paths collide resulting in an explosive ending! I absolutely love this action packed, tense entertaining story. I was easily able to connect with each character and love how Alex writes from each POV. I love that we got to tour the world in this book and I was so surprised at how it all fit together like a puzzle in the end. The ending wasn’t completely believable however, that’s what I loved about it! Alex Finlay will continue to easily be an autobuy for me and as always I look forward to his next book!

What do I think of Alex Finlay’s newest book?

I loved it! He always brings his A-game to his stories, and once again he blew me away with this fun, fast-paced, pulse-pounding, mafia-laced thriller!

In a story epitomized by secrets, lies and revenge, it’s nearly impossible to know who to trust, and when the dead bodies start piling up and secrets are slowly revealed, it’s a race to see who’ll make it to the end!

No one was more surprised than me that I enjoyed this so much. I’m not a super huge fan of crime family stories, but this pulled me in from the jump with super speedy chapters and a constant flow of action and intrigue. I couldn’t wait to get back to it every time I had to step away. With great characters, world travel and a wildly engaging story, I can definitely see this making its way to the big screen at some point, and I’ll be in line for it!

You may be tempted to think this is just a fluff action story with one-dimensional mafia goons, naive small-town characters and young adults in peril, but the thing I loved most about this story is how wonderfully human and accessible ALL these characters are. It would be easy to just say mafia = BAD, but Finlay shows a vulnerable side of every character that allowed me to feel empathy, though not approval, of even the worst actions they took. That’s a tough trick to pull off, but he did it beautifully. I finished the story having liked or sympathized in some way with every major character!

I listened to this on audio while reading along on my Kindle. The narration by Helen Laser, John Pirhalla and Paul Dateh was excellent and I highly recommend both formats! Check out the author’s note at the end for a fun little insight into the book and Finlay’s writing style.

This is everything I want out of a mystery/thriller. Fast paced, interesting characters, attention keeping plot. The book kept the story moving and stayed engaging. I was invested the whole time. The audio performances were great. My first book by Finlay & it won’t be my last!

5 stars

I went back and forth between the audio and the ebook. I'm so happy I had access to both because I couldn't stop this one. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Trying to figure out how all the different POVs fit together was just a puzzle that I couldn't get enough of. I always go in blind and I would recommend that you do the same if you can. I feel going in blind with thrillers just makes the twists that much twistier and the turns that much more curvier. You don't know where you're supposed to go. You don't have any preconceived ideas of what the book is about.

Normally I have some sort of idea what's going on and start picking up on little things, but, honestly, idk if the book was just THAT GOOD or if I'm extra tired from work being crazy, but I didn't see this one coming until right before it happened. My jaw literally dropped. I had to pause the audio and just stared at my phone for a few seconds. I then grabbed the ebook to make sure I didn't hear that wrong.

The twists! The turns! The heartbreak! Picture it, I'm Charlie Day with red string all over my mind trying to piece everything together. IYKYK. I literally just finished and maybe the excitement/sadness of it being over (THAT EPILOGUE) is heightening my love for this book, but I hope not.

This is my first Alex Finlay book (although his entire catalogue is already on my TBR) and this book just made me oh so very excited to dive into the rest of them. Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Dateh did such good jobs narrating this book. All the characters were brought to life in such a believable way.

Thank you, NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for the ARC and ALC of this wonderful book.

This was an enjoyable reading journey from beginning to end. Just when I thought I had it figured out, there was some new plot twist thrown in that had me rethinking. I did feel like it got a little long at the end, but it tied up all the nicely and came together in a very satisfactory way. This one was a solid four stars for me. Thank you, McMillan and NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook.

I’ve got to say, I was quite impressed with this one! I’m not usually one for books involving crime families but I really enjoyed If Something Happens to Me. It just took me 2 days to read it once I started, with breaks to work and sleep. This is my second book by @alexfinlayauthor and I’m definitely a fan! The characters were well developed and relatable, and I was rooting for Ryan! This book is told through multiple POV throughout and that really helped to keep me invested and to get a better understanding of the characters. I read the book and also listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narration! The narrators did an excellent job and really helped me to relate to the characters.

Listening to the audiobook of “If Something Happens to Me” by Alex Finlay was an unforgettable experience. The story’s gripping narrative and complex characters had me completely immersed. Ryan Richardson’s harrowing journey to uncover the truth behind his girlfriend’s disappearance is both heart-wrenching and exhilarating. Finlay’s skillful storytelling, combined with the excellent narration, made for a thrilling listen that I couldn’t pause. The twists and turns kept me guessing, and the emotional depth of the story resonated with me deeply. I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone who loves a good mystery with a strong emotional core

After reading The Night Shift by Alex Finlay, I became a big fan of his writing! He keeps you on your toes and throws in the perfect amount of twists to keep you guessing from start to finish.

The chapters for this one were short and intriguing but unfortunately it didn’t give me that adrenaline rush like his other book. Maybe the whole mob thing threw me off lol idk but I can say it was different and I like that! I would still recommend this one if you enjoy fast-paced thrillers with a little something different!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest review 🤍

This is a twisty and thrilling mystery book that will keep the pages turning long into the night. The story is told from multiple points of view in a dual timeline fashion. Since the chapters are short and the narrative shifts you a kept on the edge of your seat the entire time. The book centers on the disappearance of Allison five years earlier. She was with her boyfriend, Ryan Richardson, at “make-out point” when the door to the car was ripped open and Ryan was knocked out and yanked from the car. For years everyone believed that Ryan was lying about that night and a cloud of suspicion has followed him wherever he goes. Ryan has since changed his name and seems to be moving on with his life and is on a trip to Italy with his law school classmates when he is visited by the man who has only existed in his memories of that night. Around the same time, Allison’s car is recovered from the bottom of a local lake with two unidentified men inside. A young sheriff’s deputy named Poppy is working on the case despite the fact her boss, the sheriff, has relegated her to manning the tip line and avoiding the investigation. In true mystery/thriller fashion their paths cross and the stakes are high. I enjoyed how seamless this book was. Alex Finlay was able to jump around characters, time and the world in an effortless manner. The characters all had rich lives and secrets to uncover so there was never a section of the story that felt less than the others. This book definitely has summer beach read/ road trip vibes.
I listened to the audiobook which features a multi-cast narration. Each of the readers delivered excellent performances complete with accents. I was able to get lost in the story thanks to the care they took with each of their parts. Thank you to MacMillan audio for the advanced listening of this book, the performances and presentation were all top notch.

If Something Happens To Me is a fast paced mystery that doles its clues out as deftly as it switches narrators. Our main points of view come from Ryan, a man who was accused of killing his high school girlfriend and is now in Italy on a college trip. The mystery around what has happened to her has plagued his life, but he’s about to be sent across Europe in search of answers.
We also hear from Poppy who has returned home after being discharged for slapping her superior officer. She’s starting a new career in police enforcement and her first case is gonna cut close to home.
Then there’s Shane, the crime boss from Philadelphia, hell bent on revenge.
I really enjoyed this book, especially the first half. The best part was figuring out how all these different characters were connected.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book and it has a cast of narrators, Helen Laser, John Pirhalla and

This was the first book by Alex Finlay I have read, and I am hooked! I loved all of the pieces of this story and how they played together. I was hooked from the very beginning! Very great read/listen!

Ever read that book that you totally thought you were tracking right until all of a sudden you're hit right in the face with the realization that the truth has been right in front of you for half a book but you hadn't even seen it at all?!?! Well if not, be warned, you only think you know how to read between the lines before 'If Something Happens to Me.' This twisty turny book will have you hooked from the beginning. How in the world do all the threads come together in such a way that makes so much sense once you step back and see the finished piece? If you like thrillers, mystery, family drama, etc. you MUST add this to your TBR immediately.

This was an absolute joy to listen to and I am so thankful to #netgalley and #MacMillanAudio for allowing me to listen to the #arc.

I’m thinking audiobook is not the way to go for this book. There was a lot going on- characters, multiple locations- and I had trouble keeping it all straight. A little far fetched, this one missed the mark for me. I think reading a physical copy would have been better.

This was an easy listen. I liked the multiple narrators. I lost track of characters midway through, but caught up later on. Overall a good book.
Thank you netgalley for the prerelease audiobook.

Loved this book, finished it in one setting!

POV from three main characters a female cop, a college student and a mob boss (some others sprinkled in). At first I was irritated by the multiple voices, I am not a fan of graphic audio but this makes it easier to understand the character changes. It all makes sense later.

It was a super intertwined story but not confusing. Easily question how everyone is tied together but then suddenly there is a twist and everything clicks and then the story takes off! Once you understand the twist it isn’t difficult to see who did it but it’s still an exciting journey to the end.

Exciting, fast read.

Posed to Goodreads.

Overall this was fine- kept my interest and the narrators were good. I'm not sure I will recomend it to anyone.

"If Something Happens to Me" by Alex Finlay presents a promising premise with a good amount of suspense initially. However, the experience was a little marred by an overwhelming number of characters and multiple points of view that were hard to follow, which made it difficult to connect with any of them or understand their relationships. Despite these issues, the 3 narrators delivered a solid performance that added to the overall listening experience.

Thank you #Netgalley and #MacMillanAudio for allowing me to read this early in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Summary
If Something Happens To Me is intricately plotted and compulsively readable. While I guessed some of the twists, I was eager to keep reading to see where the story was headed and how the author would tie everything together. It’s set in various cities across the world, which is fun and different for a missing girl mystery. My biggest hang up with the book is that so much of the mystery's unraveling happens due to chance. After a while, favorable outcomes start piling up, distracting from the reading experience and disrupting the emotional resonance of the story. If this bothers you, I’d recommend skipping this one. Otherwise, the complex plot, compelling characters, and interesting locales make it worth picking up.

Audio
We get various POVs throughout the story, voiced by 3 different narrators. The female voices are performed by Helen Laser, who I LOVE! She does a wonderful job here bringing them to life. The two male narrators are new-to-me voices, but I’m not sure I noticed a difference between the two, except when we got one right after the other. Based on the context of the first few lines, it was always clear whose POV we were in, so I’m not sure the third narrator was strictly necessary.

Characters (3.5/5)
There are a lot of characters and it’s not clear how they’re all related at first. Some are more prominent at different parts of the story, and some don’t make it to the end. This made it harder to stay close to any one character. I do think this was necessary based on the level of complexity to the plot, but I didn’t feel much of a pull to anyone in particular.

Atmosphere/Setting (4.5/5)
These characters trot all over Europe and the US throughout the course of the story. We visit Italy, France, England, Kansas, Philly, and probably others that I’m forgetting! This globetrotting fits the story well – it’s a complex plot and the expansive setting reflects the various threads we’re trying to follow at once.

Writing (4/5)
Nothing specific to note. The dialogue is effective and the narrative is engaging. No WOW factor.

Plot (3.5/5)
- The plot is quite complex, and the reader gets all the information that individual characters get… so we know more than any single character. This is always fun, but perhaps gave too much away… I guessed most of the twists.
- I love a thriller with unreliable characters where I’m not sure who I can trust and this one delivered!

Intrigue (4/5)
I felt compelled to keep reading even though I guessed many of the twists. The plot is complex enough that I wasn’t sure how the author would eventually weave everything together.

Logic (2/5)
This is my biggest issue with this book. So much of how the answers are revealed hinges on chance. It's understandable for this to happen once or even twice in a book as complex as this one, but it’s not just once – over and over again, the characters catch a lucky break that propels the story forward. While it was satisfying from a plot perspective to keep things moving, it distracted and pulled me from the story when it kept happening. A huge part of the emotional resonance of a story like this is that it could happen to anyone, in any town, and the continual lucky breaks dispel this connection with the story.

Enjoyment (4/5)
The complexity of the plot plus the varied settings held my interest despite the plot holes and the somewhat predictable twists. I really enjoyed it!

I listened to this as an audiobook. The story had a perplexing start with various points of view, but the narrators skillfully differentiated between the characters. Halfway through, I believed I had figured it out, but the multitude of unexpected twists kept me guessing until the end.

The reading experience could have earned a 4.5-5 star rating if the conclusion had been slightly more extensive. The narrative unfolded with such intensity that it left lingering questions by the end. To prevent any plot gaps, some chapters could have been shorter or the author could have opted for a more extended book.

Overall, a good quick thriller! Be sure to give it a listen on May 28th. Special thanks to Macmillan Audio!

Alex Finlay always writes books that I enjoy and this one was no different.

The only thing I really struggle with in reading Alex Finlay books is a double edged sword because I LOVE fast paced books BUT his tend to be so fast paced that I feel like I don’t really get to know the characters all that well. So I sorta wish I could learn more about a character before other characters and twists are thrown in.

Even though I couldn’t keep the characters straight or remember all of them I was still able to enjoy reading this one. It was fun to see this story play out. You def feel very untrusting while reading it.

I opted for the audio and that was very well done. Looking forward to reading more of his work.