This was a good solid read. Not my favorite but it wasn’t bad! I enjoyed it. There were parts to me that didn’t feel right, I don’t know how to explain it. It wasn’t my favorite of hers but truly still enjoyed and would recommend it!

Thanks to Sourcebooks & NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Somehow, this one wasn't top of mind until I went on vacation and started looking for my backlog of ebooks, and that was an error on my part! This book is worth your time - especially as we learn more information about the Idaho Four Murders, which serve as the inspiration for this plot (maybe a little too much).

Janeway Sharp has just lost her dad suddenly and unexpectedly, and he was the center of her world. She comes home from college to help bury him and support her mom, but Jane is a mess. She eventually stumbles upon an online crime solvers group and starts taking initiative with real cases as a way to deal with her grief, which leads to her being invited to a more exclusive, smaller upper echelon of crime solvers across the US. They're good at what they do, and no one has ever really indicated to Jane that she was smart (apparently, not even her dad? Hmm). Jane feels accepted in a way she hasn't for a long while.

Then the Delphine Murders happen, and all hell breaks loose. These are the murders based on the Idaho university killings, and Winstead presents a deft treatment and character studies of the victims - it's pretty fascinating, and it was easy to get caught up in the sleuthing.

So, there are some pros and cons:

PRO:
well written, Winstead provides good dialogue and interesting characters (even if her MC is a bit of a dishrag).
Although it was longish, it didn't feel too repetitive.
By the time I read it, Bryan Kohberger had pled guilty, so I felt less icky about how closely the fictionalized account mirrored the real case.

CON:
I mean, the similarity was such that the fictionalized account was almost identical to the real case (aside from whodunnit). Kind of in bad taste, and I gather that Winstead has taken a fair bit of flak for that.
MC is not very compelling or interesting, kind of personality-free.
The bits about the "competing" publication lend some verisimilitude, but ultimately fall flat.
Probably could have cut 50-100 pages out and it would have been a sleeker, more dynamic read. Winstead gets caught up in her MC's grief-brain, and it drags the plot. I believe she lost her own dad under similar circumstances, so I assume that was part of her own grieving process, but a good editor should've handled that shit.
Ending is entertaining, but ridiculous.

Overall, a good read. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 rather than a solid 4, mostly due to creepy similarity to the Moscow, ID murder case.

I knew little about the Idaho murders, so I still am not sure how much of this was based on real events, but it was riveting and dark. I mostly listening to it--great on audio. I loved the amateur sleuths and how in to the case they get. There were many surprises and it kept the pages turning.

I would prefer not to sugarcoat this, this book was such a deep disappointment. I went into this blind. I love Ashley Winstead's writing and have loved every single novel she's written up til now. Let me start by saying - the writing? Phenomenal as always. Ashley is a gifted writer and I will still continue to pick up her work despite this. Now let me explain why I will dissuade absolutely everyone I know from reading this. This book was 100% inspired by the Idaho 4 murders. This was so so so so so unnecessary. The story had so much potential and she could have written a fake "true crime" story into this book instead of capitalizing off of something so fresh. I don't know if the story ends the same way that this actual crime played out, and I don't care to know. I have DNF'd this book at 36% as it simply felt too gross for me to keep going. I get what she was doing with this but she really shouldn't have. Thank you, Netgalley, for the gifted copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Unfortunately this book was not at all for me. Jane was a completely unlikable and frankly, kind of pathetic character. I spent the entire book being surprised by all the absolutely dumb choices she made while also being grossed out by the fact that she was “doing all of this” for her dead father?

Not to mention the fact that this was essentially based off of a horrible crime that at the time of publishing hadn’t even gone to trial yet. Even with the authors note at the beginning of the book it still felt icky.

I'm just going to start off by saying that I DEVOURED this book.

After the death of her father, Jane feels a need to find something to distract her. And she finds it online, with a group of armchair detectives. I LOVED the idea of this book. As someone who discovered the internet at a young age, this book almost felt nostalgic at first in the way that Jane finds her group online. The fact that she and her group figure out cases that even the police can't, I was excited (heck, I'm a crime junkie, I can't help myself).

This book takes you on some MIGHTY twists and turns, and although I sort of figured out the end, it didn't matter. The cast of characters is fabulous and Jane was an excellent main character. I found myself rooting for her and feeling sad for her and I just did not want this book to end.

This is the kind of book that stays with you long after it's gone. If you love true crime (and especially if you fancy yourself an armchair detective), this is for you.

A high-profile serial killer case isn't adding up so a group of armchair detectives decide to put boots on the ground to solve it. As they get deeper into the case, they become more tangled within it, potentially to the point of no return. A year later, one of the amateur detectives is telling her story, but the truth may bury her.

A dark, propulsive thriller in the vein of Winstead's previous work, this book is nearly impossible to put down from the start. The story includes a found family trope in a way that isn't typical of the genre, but it really works and helps raise the stakes as well as push character development. The story is loosely based on recent true events but I think it's done well and has a trigger warning at the beginning in case that specific true crime case hits too close to home.

This Book Will Bury Me was a raw, powerful, and unforgettable memoir that deeply moved me. Ashley Winstead’s honest storytelling and vivid descriptions brought her journey to life with emotional intensity. The book sheds light on resilience, survival, and the complexities of the justice system in a way that felt both personal and eye-opening. It was a gripping and important read that stayed with me long after I finished.

This book was loosely inspired by a very public recent crime but I felt it explored the crime while still being respectful to the fact it was still "new." A well-done amateur detective book.

Jane is reeling from her fathers unexpected death and in that process discovers her love for murder mystery cases and the suspense of unsolved murders. Suddenly three girls are murdered and Jane decides to embark on a trek with her friends to find out what really happened. As they start to investigate there is lots of questions and things start to feel very fishy. There are missing parts of the story, police are being cagey, and weird things start to happen around Jane. As Jane gets more into the case she starts to realize that her own situation is more precarious and the previous life she had is about to me exposed.

This put me on a roller coaster full of twist and turns that I did not want to get off of. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this book and the journey it took me on. Jane was kind of a quirky character but fit well into the story. I thought this book was going to be challenge to finish because it was long but I sped through it quicker than expected. Another win for Ashley Winstead! I would highly recommend!!!

I have loved Ashley Winstead’s thrillers in the past and was VERY excited for this one, though apprehensive because I’m not into true crime at all.

The way this one started out hooked me right away; it was DARK. However as time went on I just felt like the book was being repetitive and boring.

Ultimately, I DNF’d this one at 33% but I would certainly recommend it to lovers of true crime.

I have a love/hate relationship with unreliable narrators but this book did it right! You know the main character did something but you don't know what and it kept me hooked the entire book.

I also really loved the concept of internet sleuths solving crimes. I'm obsessed with true crime documentaries and could scroll for days on crime conspiracies on TikTok so having that be a part of the plot was so cool. The found family "trope" was so heartwarming and really added an element to the story.

As always, I didn't predict her ending but the version had going in my head would have been mind blowing lol - I did wish the ending was a little more dramatic but that's just me.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Sourcebook Landmark for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely amazing!!!! This was an easy five stars!!!

I loved everything about this book…when I was reading it I was all in, when I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it.
The storyline and characters were wild and the twists got me everytime…especially the ending!

Winsteads wiring style is perfection- every word she writes is so well thought out and intentional- in this book and all her others.

I loved the amount of character development and all the different personalities in this one- they were super fascinating to read about and all contributed so much to the story.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants good, twisty book full of amazing writing from start to finish!

After the sudden death of her father, emotionally untethered college student Jane Sharp dives into the world of online true crime sleuths for distraction and meaning. But when a string of brutal murders in Delphine, Idaho, captures national attention, Jane and her group of internet detectives try to crack the case before law enforcement does. Except nothing about the investigation adds up. The police are secretive, the evidence is scarce, and the deeper Jane digs, the more dangerous the truth becomes. A year later, Jane is finally ready to tell the real story, and it’s more disturbing than anyone imagined.

Themes
* Amateur sleuths
* True crime obsession
* Unreliable narrator
* Internet subcultures
* Found family (but dark)
* Grief & trauma
* “Girl detective” gone too far
* The media circus
* Flashbacks and nonlinear narration
* A mystery wrapped in psychological decay
* Intense pacing with slow-burn dread

Ashley Winstead strikes again with a razor-sharp, genre-bending thriller that blurs the lines between obsession, justice, and delusion. This Book Will Bury Me is not just a murder mystery; it's a meta-exploration of our addiction to true crime, the ethics of storytelling, and the cost of inserting yourself into someone else’s tragedy. Jane Sharp is deeply flawed and completely captivating, and her descent into obsession is as addictive for the reader as the crimes she's trying to solve. The atmosphere is tense, the commentary scathing, and the final reveal? Genuinely jaw-dropping. This is Winstead at her twistiest and most unhinged in the best possible way.

Addicting is the best word I can think to describe this book - it's a love story to mystery stories with a healthy (and valid) critique of the true crime community. I loved the story composition - the direct to reader moments blended with the past and present story kept me focused on the story. There were twists and turns that kept me engaged even though the story is more of a slow burn that builds over time.

I have mixed feelings about This Book Will Bury Me. While I couldn't put it down and was completely engrossed in the story, it also felt too soon to be reading a book that was clearly based off the Idaho college student murders. Especially when a trial hadn't even happened yet. Yes, I get it's a fictional story and she could weave whatever ending she wanted, but it just didn't fully sit right with me. Even though I read the entire book.

With all that said, Winstead does have a way with weaving a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages.

All in all, depsite it feeling too soon, I did enjoy it.

Thank you Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am a big Ashley Winstead fan, and I have to say, this is my favorite book of hers to date! I am a thriller lover and a true crime junkie so I could not wait to read this one! This book is written in a memoir style format, which made it very unique and interesting.

Thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for an eARC of This Book Will Bury Me in exchange for my honest opinion. I previously loved In My Dreams, I Hold a Knife, Winstead’s first thriller, and I have been chasing that book high ever since while reading her new books. I started this weeks ago and put it aside because I was bored… but I finally finished it yesterday on my drizzly train ride to NYC by switching back and forth between the audiobook from my library and the ebook.
Even though this one didn't really work for me, I think I know why. I'm not a fan of true crime, and I don't know much about the online sleuthing community, beyond what I learned in Michelle McNamara's book I'll Be Gone in the Dark, which I read for a book club. I lightly followed the Idaho college student murders. This book has a lot of overlap with that case, and I didn't follow it closely enough to know what was based on truth and what was entirely made up for this book, so I kept stopping to look up facts about the case. If you are a true crime fan, or if you have any interest in amateur internet groups that try to solve cases, I bet you'll like this book.
I did like the way Winstead approached writing this one as if it was a response to another book written by someone else related to the main crime. And I'll keep reading her thrillers - maybe the next one will be what I have been looking for!

I have read multiple books by Ashley Winstead and enjoyed them. This one was good and had a strong resemblence to the 2022 Idaho students murder. Jane Sharp’s journey through grief is deeply relatable as she clings to anything that can distract her from the pain of losing her father. But in the distraction lies her newfound online family. This family helps her crawl out of the darkness and find a purpose in the sadness. You find yourself loving these characters, willing them to succeed, and finding out each sleuth's deeply personal reasons that led them here.

This novel was my first introduction to Ashley Winstead, and if this isn’t considered her best, then I’m buckling up, because what’s in her earlier works must be phenomenal. From the first page, I was swept into a mix of memory, grief, digital sleuthing, and narrative trickery that pulled me deeper with each chapter.

Told in distinctive parts, the story is told from the perspective of Jane Sharpe (aka Searcher24), who enters the true crime world not out of voyeuristic obsession, but out of personal grief. Her plan was to learn more about her late father, whose past is knotted in shadows. That pursuit leads her to an underground collective of amateur sleuths, each with their own skills and motives: Lightly, the retired cop and father figure; Mistress, a retired librarian; CitizenNight, has a navy background; and Lord Goku, a high-level techy.

As the narrative shifts into co-ed murders that echo the recent Idaho Kohberger case and the Richard Speck case from the mid 1960’s, Winstead ups the ante. Relating a storyline to true events isn’t a bad idea, since Paula McLain did the same thing in her book ‘When the Stars Go Dark’ and the abduction and murder of Polly Klaas.

There are moments when you feel like you’re reading investigative journalism, but then Winstead reminds you that with fiction, nothing is safe. Even the structure itself is a sly deception: we’re reading Jane’s book, layered with footnotes and reflections that hint at motive, defense, and possibly guilt. A book within a book. A crime within a question.

The storytelling is laced with references to real-life cases and famous true crime voices. Ann Rule floated to the surface early for me, like a breadcrumb meant to be followed. It’s oddly satisfying how Winstead dances between homage and originality, grounding readers in familiar territory while leading us toward a disturbing and ultimately shocking ending. And let’s talk about that ending; yes, I spotted the twist early, but still, she managed to keep my interest all the way through. What I didn’t see coming was how satisfying and unsettling the final pages would be.

This book is for anyone who enjoys crime fiction that not only entertains but also raises questions about obsession, morality, storytelling, and the individuals who pursue ghosts in digital back alleys.

And with this book, Ashley Winstead earns her spot on my “be on the lookout for” list.