This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead is a medium paced thriller that shows just how dangerous things can get when you obsess over them. Janeway (Jane) is reeling from the unexpected death of her father, when she learns of a local woman whos chopped up body pieces turn up in a lake not far from her house. From this point forward, her life is never the same. Jane dives into the all consuming world of true crime and quickly finds herself teaming up with an online group of other true crime fans to take matters into their own hands and solve one of the biggest true crime stories of the decade.

This book overs a very interesting look into the true crime groupies you can find anywhere online, including Reddit, and how obsessed some of these people can get over finding the truth. I will be honest, I did not like the main character, but I feel that is supposed to be how the story plays out. Her and her ragtag team of detectives constantly over step boundaries in order to pursue their own agenda and self assured-ness in order to feel some type of way about solving a case. I know some people were knocking this book for Winstead's use of the Idaho Murders and how similar her book is to the real life case. I actually enjoyed her portrayal of the case, and how people on the internet went nuts over it, and completely obsessed over it. I think she mixed in some elements from other famous cases into it as well, so it wasn't an exact rip from the headlines.

All in all, I thought this book really put into perception how viral cases can get now a days, due to the number of true fan fanatics, and outlets for sharing information, It shows what can happen when someone looking for an escape gets obsessed with an outlet to the point they cannot control themselves anymore and the dangers of true crime fanatics.

This book is going to be controversial. Like 2023's Bright Young Women (which I loved), it uses as its foundation a real crime story. Kind of. The difference is, the story this book is based on is still working its way through the courts, not nearly half a century in the past. And This Book Will Bury Me goes far beyond the inspiration case, using it as a starting point, not the entire plot.

Honestly, it's a little bit unsettling to me to use the University of Idaho murder that took place only a few years ago as inspiration. The families of the victims are still waiting for justice for their loved ones and it's all just so very fresh. And yet… the book is good. Damned good.

This Book Will Bury Me gives commentary on the ethics of true crime and armchair internet detectives without being preachy. And it's full of twists and turns that, to be fair, are sometimes a little obvious, but that I still found captivating.

Four stars for this engaging, thriller of a read that I had a hard time putting down once it got going.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I can understand why some found this book exploitative of the recent Idaho murder case of three college students, however, I found it an enjoyable work of fiction focusing more on internet sleuths than a true crime story.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Tantor Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest book by Ashley Winstead, with the audiobook wonderfully narrated by Leslie Howard. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

After the unexpected death of her father, college student Janeway Sharp heads home to grieve with her mother. She becomes obsessed with true crime and soon becomes part of an online armchair detective group, finding purpose and friendship. When three college girls are killed in Idaho, Jane and her friends are determined to solve the crime.

Ashley Winstead has once again created a book that you’ll have a hard time putting down, especially if you are obsessed with true crime (and who isn’t?). This book, told in a story-in-a-story format, will pull you into the hunt for a serial killer. It will have you thinking about the online true crime obsessives – good or evil or somewhere in between? It’s also a story of grief and trying to come to terms with losing someone we love.

I simply could not get through the first 100 pages of this book unfortunately. I was so excited about it...

One thing about Ashley Winstead—she never writes the same book twice. Every time I pick up one of her books, I have no idea what I’m in for, and I absolutely love that. This Book Will Bury Me is no exception—a fictional true-crime-inspired thriller, that will take you on a psychological deep dive. It’s dark, unsettling, and utterly addictive.

I loved the way this book played with format—Jane’s story is interwoven with chapter notes and commentary, giving it an almost documentary feel. I originally read the ARC on my Kindle but plan to grab a physical copy because it’s the kind of book where you want to absorb every little detail. I would also be interested in listening to the audiobook to see how the characters were meant to sound.

Told as a book within a book, the story follows Jane Sharp, a college student reeling from her father’s unexpected death. She finds solace in amateur sleuthing, but when a gruesome murder case grips the internet, she and her crime-obsessed friends get pulled into something far more sinister. The story unfolds in hindsight, with Jane narrating a year after the case exploded. From the start, we know she has a lot to unpack—Winstead teases a big reveal, and I felt the payoff was worth it.

I get why this book is controversial—it pulls inspiration from real-life crimes, which will always spark debate. But the best books often do. Winstead doesn’t just tell a story; she examines our cultural obsession with true crime and what it does to us.

On a personal note, Jane’s grief over losing her father really hit home for me. Having lost my dad as a young adult and my mom more recently, her emotions felt raw and real in a way that added another layer of connection. It wasn’t lost on me that this was also a partial love letter to a lost father.

This is my fifth Ashley Winstead book, and she’s officially five for five. Bold, unexpected, and impossible to put down—if you love thrillers that challenge the genre and keep you guessing, This Book Will Bury Me is a must-read.

Thank you Sourcebooks, Net Galley and Ashley Winstead for this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

It’s a yes for me! 🖤

DeAnn @deannsreadingriot

1⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced copy of This Book Will Bury Me.

After losing her father a woman becomes an internet detective and joins a group that likes to solve murders.

I feel like this book is in very bad taste considering it basically ripped off the Idaho murders. It honestly just gave me the ick while reading it especially since the case has not even gone to trial yet. Also the book was so hard to follow with all of the usernames and real names.

I’ve been hit or miss with Ashley Winstead books, but This Book Will Bury Me is a home run. It’s twisty, idark, and unpredictable, must-haves for me in a thriller. There’s a character in TBWBM that I think everyone can identify with, which is why I predict it will be in beach bags everywhere this spring and summer. Even if true crime isn’t your thing, this peek behind the dark side of sleuthing is so entertaining!

Such a great book!!
True crime lovers will devour this!
The suspense built up perfectly to a shocking twist!!

Winstead has become one of my favorite authors when she writes thrillers, so I knew I had to read this one. I love her story telling and her twists and this did not disappoint. When you are fully headed in one direction, she pulls the rug out from under you. I love it!



This book has an underlying theme of loss and grief. I lost my dad seven years ago, and while it was not sudden like in Jane’s story, I can appreciate the grief she felt and her longing for distraction. However, while I know there needed to be a reason for her to get into the true crime forums, this part didn’t completely work for me. It just seemed forced and out of place with the rest of the story.



That said, I did love the true crime element along with the friendships formed. Found family is one of my favorite themes, and I really appreciated how this one was executed. It was also interesting how they went about solving the crimes – though maybe not 100% believable. My advice is just to go with it and enjoy the ride.



The most unsettling part about this one (thanks or my bookstgram friends that helped me put a word to it) is the similarity to the 2022 University of Idaho murders. I continue to have mixed feelings about it, but I would still recommend it with caution. True Crime lovers please read it and let me know what you think!



This one is out this week, March 25, and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts. If you haven’t read Winstead before, be sure to check her out!



Thank you to @netgalley and @bookmarked for the eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review. T

Okay, Ashley Winstead has done it again! I’m a huge fan of her work, and while this one wasn’t quite my favorite of hers, it *did not* disappoint!

This audiobook has all the good stuff: true crime, serial killers, suspense, and a gripping thriller that pulls you in from the start. After Jane suddenly loses her father, she takes up a new hobby to cope with her grief, and it leads her to an unlikely group of friends… and WAY more trouble than she ever expected. The character development? Top-notch, as always. Jane was such a complex and relatable character, and I loved the quirky, unique group of people she gets tangled up with—each one adding something special to the story.

It took me a little bit to really get pulled into the story, but once I did...... I was ALL IN. The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat, and there were definitely some emotional moments that tugged at my heartstrings.

Overall, I’d give this 4 stars! If you’re into crime thrillers with a solid emotional punch and fantastic narration, this one is definitely worth checking out! 🔍📖

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC of This Book Will Bury Me in exchange for an honest review.

Hats off to Ashley Winstead because this book is FIRE! I was immediately hooked and could not put it down (I learned how to do everything one handed just so I didn’t have to put it down). The true crime twist in this novel is top notch and the reader is kept continually guessing on next steps. I really enjoyed the sneak peek behind the curtain of what goes into being an internet armchair detective and the interesting perspective they bring to the game.

This Book Will Bury Me is written in an autobiographical nature from the viewpoint of an internet investigator named Jane, one year after the conclusion of a murder investigation. Jane writes this novel in hopes of clearing her name as well as her co-investigators after the case goes upside down and good guys become the villains.

Ashley’s character development is top notch and every moment of this book captured my undivided attention. The only part of the book that I felt that was maybe odd or forced was the tie in between Jane solving these murders and her personal discovery to connect with her recently deceased father in the process. Especially at the end of the book, she credits her father for the solving of the case…?? That struck me as odd and could really have been left out as it just came off as weird. That storyline wasn’t entirely necessary but the author explains she was dealing with the actual death of her own father while writing this book, so I could understand the parallel that came about while writing.

All in all, this book is incredibly interesting and keeps you guessing at every turn. Solid 4.5/5 read for my lovers of true crime internet sleuthing! Ushering in a new era of crime detectives and I’m here for it!

While the writing style was phenomenal, the characters were well developed, and the story was a page turner, the similarities and down right identical plot points ripped directly from headlines surrounding the Moscow Murders were way WAY too much for me. I’m sure that was partially the point. The book definitely speaks to the predatory nature of internet sleuths, even those with the best intentions. I’m sure deriving the plot from a very real, very recent case was attempting to use the Moscow Murders case to point that out. But because of that, I can’t give this book more than 3 stars. Also, the twist left a lot to be desired. I’m interested to see how the book is received when it drops on March 25, 2025! I’m sure the internet will have strong opinions on all sides.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the digital ARC

Omg, I loved this. I was absolutely riveted from page one (actually, even earlier, because I loved the author’s note at the beginning before the story even started). I will caveat this review with the fact that I seem to have the opposite/unpopular opinion as most readers of Ashley Winstead’s books (In My Dreams was underwhelming for me, but I loved Midnight Is the Darkest Hour which I know didn’t work for a lot of people).

I immediately connected with this main character, who does read young, but her descent into the true crime rabbit hole felt realistic and was addicting to read. I also really enjoyed the direct-to-reader comments and footnotes, which again I can totally see other readers being annoyed by.

I am notably not a true crime person myself, which I think helped this feel really fresh and novel for me. I don’t have really any opinions on the true crime community when it comes to moral/ethical implications, but I think this book includes worthwhile commentary on the topic and I enjoyed seeing the many sides of the arguments.

Overall I’d recommend this to fans of Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll (another book that puts a fictional spin on the serial killer true crime phenomenon), Midnight is the Darkest Hour or The Last Housewife by this author, and of course anyone who thinks this premise sounds interesting and is ready for a wild ride. Thanks NetGalley for the eARC!

Dealing with the grief of the unexpected loss of her father, Jane finds herself immersed in the world of true crime amateur sleuths. As the shocking crime unfolds, she finds herself in the middle of a firestorm where she feels she needs to set the record straight.

Ashley Winstead can write a book in any genre. I have read so many different types of books by her and this one was hard. She includes an author's note at the beginning of the novel and for good reason - the focus on true crime in recent years has impacted the way detectives do their jobs - for better or worse. Despite the horrors in the book, the characters were well-written and Winstead captured the tone perfectly. Can't wait to see what she does next.

Thank you to SourceBooks and Macmillan Audio for the digital copy to review.

I have loved all of Winstead’s books and this was no different. It is centered around Jane Sharp, who has suddenly lost her father and finds the best way to deal with her grief is to channel it into an obsession with true crime, and she finds she is pretty good at it, and then the Idaho murders occur, so she sets out to Delphine, Idaho with other fellow sleuths that she has befriended.

This is a story of loss, grief, and coping, more so than a ‘thriller’ per se, and I think that is why I was drawn to this. I really felt for Jane, for all that she was going through, and for trying to understand her feelings, which were big feelings, and how to handle someone you are so close to being there one day and tomorrow they are not. Grief affects people in vastly different ways, and Winstead does a great job at capturing this in here. I had both ebook and audio, and the audio was wonderful. I listened in one sitting, I could not stop. This Book Will Bury Me is out this week, and I hope it is on your list.

This Book Will Bury Me
by Ashley Winstead
Release date: March 25th

Ashley Winstead is back, and this time she’s dragging us into the dark underbelly of internet sleuthing—a world where solving crimes from the comfort of your couch might just get you killed.

Jane Sharp, our grieving college student turned armchair detective, dives into the infamous Delphine, Idaho murders like a true crime podcast junkie on a caffeine bender. But when the case refuses to fit neatly into Reddit theories and YouTube deep dives, things get real in the most terrifying way.

Winstead masterfully blends psychological suspense with a biting critique of true crime obsession, keeping the pages turning faster than a viral Twitter thread. The pacing is razor-sharp, the twists land like a gut punch, and Jane’s voice is the perfect mix of sharp wit and unsettling paranoia. And let’s be real—half the fun is wondering if you’d make the same terrible life choices in her shoes (answer: probably).

Dark, compulsive, and dripping with tension, This Book Will Bury Me will keep you up all night—partly from reading, partly from paranoia. Five stars. Just… maybe clear your browser history after.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for this advance copy via NetGalley for an honest, voluntary review.

#ThisBookWillBuryMe #NetGalley #Sourcebooks #AshleyWinstead

Isn’t it such a wonderful feeling when you connect with people who have similar interests to you?

That’s exactly what this story is about. Our main character has just lost her father and, while dealing with her own grief, finds solace in becoming an armchair detective by participating in an online forum for true crime sleuths and then befriending some people online and eventually in person.

This was a little slower of pace, but read like a true crime doc/conversational piece. Each chapter ends making you want to turn the page.

It was pretty descriptive which made it easier to picture the events happening, the outfits worn and the places visited.

What was a nice main portion of the story that underlies the whole novel is the idea of everyone finding their own ways to deal with grief; everyone takes it in and relieves themselves differently.

This is only the second book I’ve read by Ashley Winstead, but it won’t be my last!

Thank you so much to the author, Ashley Winstead, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for the eARC of This Book Will Bury Me!

Jane Sharp just lost her father unexpectantly. To help distract herself from his death, Jane happens upon an internet forum with sleuths currently researching true crime cases. She finds herself sucked into their world forging friendships along the way. After helping to solve a few unsolved cases, news breaks about three college students that were found dead in their off campus apartment in Delphine, Idaho. This case is attracting media attention like they have never seen. Sleuths from all over are determined to be the first to solve the case. Jane and her sleuthing friends are on the case as well, but evidence from the case is not adding up and the police are being evasive. What are they missing and can Jane and her friends help solve the mystery?
Review:
I really enjoy Ashley Winstead's writing. I love a good true crime documentary and this felt very much like that. I do wish that it didn't mirror the Idaho college murders as much it did. I feel like it would have felt more authentic if it was in a different place and didn't follow that story as closely. I absolutely loved the online chat forum conversations. I wish there was more throughout the book instead of mainly in the beginning. I loved the characters of Jane and her friends; their personalities were fantastic! I also loved that there was a wide range of age/experience among them. I can honestly say that I did not predict the outcome of this book and was pleasantly surprised by it! I do think that it could have been shortened a little bit, it felt very long, but overall I really enjoyed my time with this one.
This Book Will Bury Me publishes on 3/25, and I highly suggest bumping this to the top of your TBR!
Thank you to NetGalley, Ashley Winstead, and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC of This Book Will Bury Me in exchange for an honest review!

📚: This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead
⭐️: 3/5

This is a tough one to review. Mostly because I typically love Ashley Winstead’s books and this one didn’t hit the mark for me.

Why? I’m so glad you asked.

*As many other reviews note, this rips heavily from the Idaho 4 case that hasn’t gone to trial yet. I loosely agree with the thoughts around this exploiting an ongoing case, although I counter it to question if we’re as offended by the Max documentary that’s out on the same case? What about ripped from the headlines SVU episodes? Are we in an uproar over those as well? (I tend to think not.) For me, this is an instance of where the first 1/3rd or so is such a copy & paste of the case that it feels like lazy plotting for a fictional thriller. Not surprisingly, when the story becomes less like real life at 50% in, the writing is stronger.

*This is predictable. I guessed the major twist without trying very early on (before the halfway point). I so hoped to be proven wrong, but I wasn’t.

*There’s a sub-point in the final reveal twist and ending that would have made for a far more interesting focus for the entire book (IYKYK).

With the predictability factor and what felt like lazy storytelling to start with it such a cookie cutter to true crime, this fell as just average for me - even without the exploitation of a real life ongoing case in mind.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This Book Will Bury Me is out on Tuesday 3/25.