After Jane's father dies, she struggles , drops out of college and becomes involved with a group of online true crimers or arm chair quarterback detectives. As she investigates different crimes, she becomes a member of a smaller group of 5 dedicated to assisting law enforcement to catch killers and they have enough success to be recognized. She is searching for answers not only to various crimes but also how to bring peace and meaning to her Dad's death and move forward in her own personal life. The stakes get higher as they get closer to finding a serial killer of 6 college coeds which also parallels the real life murders of 4 college students in Idaho. I was left guessing on this one until the very end!

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#ThisBookWillBuryMe

Solid 4⭐️ thriller
To be honest I was a little hesitant to read this one. I’d heard that the author based this off the Idaho killings and that it is a little soon to be writing books based off those events-when the killer hasn’t even been on trial.
So I went in a little cautious and the first half of the book was a little underwhelming. I do think the author should have and could have easily put this book in another state. Why Idaho?
After it taking me forever to get to 50% of this book I finally got sucked in. I could not put this book down! The last 50% was a whirlwind of edge of your seat. Even though I had an idea of who the killer was right away-this book still surprised me and I was anxiously turning the pages to see how it would end.
Last chapter was a little underwhelming but still a decent heart pounding thriller!

4.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had been hearing somewhat mixed reviews of this book, but I've been a pretty solid Ashley Winstead fan, so I went in with an open mind. Compared to her other books, this one was a bit of a journey, at around 480 pages. However, I found myself heavily invested in the characters and the plot, and I was still able to finish in a couple days.

There was a lot going on in this one, so it was a lot to process. There was the grief that Jane felt when her dad unexpectedly passed away. While I can't quite relate to losing a parent, I can relate to losing someone unexpectedly who was close to me, and her confusion and desire for answers was completely relatable. Then, there was the growth and getting to know her secondary family through the amateur detective network, and how her time with them helped her cope with the death of her father. There were also the cases that they investigated/got involved in, and this book covered several of them, including Jane looking into her father's life. Finally, there was the entire sleuthing network itself, and a lot of attention to detail with how the network functioned, and the amount of research that went into everything. There was so much detail, and it was, once again, a bit different from Ashley's previous novels. This one was much more complex, and was more of a mystery than a shocking psychological thriller with surprising twists. The themes in this book primarily focused on grief and coping with it, along with this idea that you never really know a person, and having to accept that as well. There was also the exploration of the two sides to these investigations - law enforcement, and how they handle things, as well as how law enforcement (and the world) view these "armchair detectives," and it really shows how both can help or hurt these investigations. It was very well-done, and made you think about the pros and cons of all these different aspects of investigations, and the implications they might have on the outcome.

I feel like this novel showed tremendous growth from her previous three novels, all of which I have loved for various reasons. With all of the moving parts and characters involved, it only got a bit slow and redundant in the middle, however at the same time I feel like all of this information was necessary to make the points that the author was trying to make. Everything felt well-thought out, even if it was a tad predictable. Some parts at the end also felt a little rushed, but I still felt satisfied with it all. There was also a pretty intriguing twist, which I loved how that played out. I didn't see it coming at all, and added a little more excitement to the ending, which in and of itself was a whirlwind.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It was everything I come to expect from Ashley Winstead, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Janeway Sharp is in her senior year in college when she unexpectedly loses her father. She finds herself being comforted by posting on online forums for true crime. From there she finds a small group of like-minded people who are amateur sleuths, and they become close online friends. She starts neglecting her job, her mother, and everything else in her life to try to solve crimes with her online sleuthing group. When a brutal murder happens in Idaho to three college girls, Jane and her online group decide to go there and meet in person and investigate the murders. It also deals with the grief that Jane feels after her father's death and how she lets it command her.

I liked this mystery that had some thriller elements. It kept me turning the pages even when I had guessed what was going on and who was to blame. I liked the writing, although it felt a little simple (maybe more like YA or New Adult?), but the plot was interesting, and it felt like it had a lot to say about criminal detection and police/FBI versus untrained, amateur sleuths. It was also very long and could have used a good edit and maybe a better ending that wasn't so predictable.

The reviews on this book are very mixed- it is based on some real murders and some people did not like that it used those for this fictionalized version as it was fairly recent. I did not mind that as it was very clear that this was fiction and not nonfiction true crime and it really had some critical things to say about police work and online speculation. It is also fairly graphic in parts, so this book is not for the sensitive reader.

Overall, I liked this book for what it was. If you are wanting a medium paced mystery that's based on a true crime, this book might be for you.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

This book was so good! Very well written and right up my alley! A group of amateur online sleuths come together to try and solve multiple murders, but little do they know, the murderer has never been far from them.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy. This one was slow for me, and I got confused with the facts and characters. I love the premise and did enjoy the clues and mystery.

Janeway Sharp is at a college party when she gets the news: her father has died. In the wake of his death and the middle of her grief, Jane sees other news break of a woman murdered in a nearby Florida town. Never being interested in true crime before, her curiosity is piqued and she ends up down the rabbit hole of the True Crime Network, forging a relationship with 4 others and becoming an “amateur internet sleuth,” helping to solve the Florida case and soon after becoming key in the closing of one of the biggest serial killer cases in recent history.

This book did not bury me, but it did engage me. I was immediately drawn in by Jane’s voice and her story. It was framed as if I should know all about the murders she helped to solve, as if I’d read about her and she was writing to set the record straight. I felt a kinship to Jane as she became obsessed after her father’s death. The feeling of trying to grasp at anything solid, solve a mystery, change anything within her control while drowning in grief was relatable. I felt the other characters were compelling if not as fully fledged and appreciated the found family between Jane and her investigative crew. I didn’t find the conclusion very surprising, but I didn’t feel like this was *that* kind of thriller. It was clear to me that this was a book more about grief and losing the people we love than about true crime, mystery, or thrills, and I found that to be a beautiful thing.

4.5 stars, rounded down

Ashley Winstead is a phenomenal author, and I both loved and hated Jane’s character. She was complex and frustrating! The internet sleuthing was so fun! I will be honest that I felt put off by this book, after beginning it and realizing that it is about the Idaho murders, which is still an active case. I just wanted to inform anyone else that feels the same way about reading before the families have answers. My sister went to college in Moscow ID, and reading about it like this did not sit well with me! My rating reflects the quality of the writing though. Thank you so much to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC. I cannot wait to read her next book!

I didn’t realize this was based off a real, ongoing true crime case. I agree with other reviewers that it should be marketed different. It’s quite hard to read now knowing that information.

Thanks for the arc NetGalley.

This Book Will Bury Me is a dark, gripping, and fiercely intelligent novel that cements Ashley Winstead’s reputation as a master of emotionally layered, genre-bending fiction. With razor-sharp prose and a haunting, suspense-laced atmosphere, Winstead weaves a story that’s equal parts psychological thriller and literary introspection.

At the heart of the novel is a narrator grappling with obsession, ambition, and the blurred lines between truth and fiction. Winstead plays with metafictional elements and emotional rawness in a way that feels both daring and deeply personal. The narrative pulls you in with its intensity, unraveling secrets and inner turmoil with a slow-burn tension that’s impossible to look away from.

Themes of identity, grief, legacy, and the cost of storytelling echo throughout the pages, making this not just a twisty mystery but a meditation on what we sacrifice in pursuit of meaning—or survival. It’s clever without being cold, emotionally rich without veering into melodrama.

This Book Will Bury Me is unsettling, poetic, and utterly unforgettable. It’s the kind of novel that lingers in your mind, asking hard questions long after you’ve closed the final chapter. Bold, bold, bold—and brilliant.

Thank you @bookmarked @netgalley for the digital arc!

A college student who is mourning the loss of her dad becomes obsessed with true crime and she and a group of web sleuths investigate a murder case that has gripped the nation.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint! I was completely immersed in the story with the banter between the endearing characters as they race to solve the horrific murders. I got chills towards the end when they discover the shocking truth. I definitely recommend this one for thriller lovers!

Rating 5⭐️

I really enjoyed this from start to finish! Ashley Winstead approached this story about a bunch of true crime junkies turned amateur sleuths into a gritty and propulsive novel that had be absorbed the whole way through.

After her father's death, Janeway leaves college behind and falls into the online world of true crime chatrooms as a way to work through her grief. Here she befriends a group of other wannabe detectives which leads to unintentional infamy and a huge role in solving real life murder cases.

I enjoyed how some of the details of the case echoed real life. It contributed to the rawness of the crimes and truly set a gritty atmosphere throughout the story. Although I had an inkling as to "whodunnit", I was still impressed with this book and how the plot (and characters) developed throughout. This may have been my favorite novel by Ashely Winstead to date. Highly recommend for true crime and thriller fans!

Thank you NetGalley, Ashley Winstead, and SourceBooks for an advanced copy of this ebook!

I want to start by saying how much I love Ashley Winstead’s books. Her storytelling immediately grabs my attention, and this book is no exception. It features a well-executed, unexpected twist, and I appreciated the pacing throughout. Although some elements—like amateur online crime crackers receiving special FBI clearances—seem a bit far-fetched, I went with it and still enjoyed the narrative.

That said, one aspect gave me pause. Winstead made the bold decision to loosely base her plot on the 2022 Idaho Murders, and the trial for those cases is currently underway. I can’t help but feel that the timing of this book’s release is rather insensitive to the families involved, and I’m genuinely surprised that she chose this direction. The ARC doesn’t include an acknowledgment page or an author’s note, but perhaps the final copy will offer some insight into her reasoning.

This was not what I was expecting from an Ashley Winstead book. It was fiction, but with the underlying tones of a true crime story. I missed the pure twisted nature of her previous books. Still enjoyed it, just a different take.

The Premise of this book is what drew me into wanting to read it, this is my first by this author so i was anxious to see what it was all about. I also like true crime books, videos etc. That being said, I feel like this book was too much like the real-life scenario that the author tried to fictionalize, which made it uncomfortable. I felt like the first half of this book was well written and easy to follow, however I feel the ending was not handled in a sensitive manner to those involved in the trauma. Before starting this book, I had never heard of 2022 University of Idaho Murders. As I always do I read every detail in a book, (dedications, authors notes, etc ) after reading the note from the author at the beginning. Which stated to proceed with caution when reading if the reader is sensitive to these cases but not really knowing any information about the cases, I didn't think it would be a problem. While reading, I did become more curious and started looking into the news reports on the murders and was absolutely appalled that the author's story and details were almost identical to the case. Maybe I should have been prepared for this, but this is a fictional book based on a very true story and that doesn't sit well with me. I feel that it is disrespectful to the victim's family, friends and other survivors to base a fictional novel on a very real case, especially when justice has not been served.

Ashley Winstead delivers a gripping psychological thriller exploring true crime obsession and the ethics of amateur sleuthing. The story follows Jane Sharp, a college student drawn into an online investigation of a real-life murder case, blurring the lines between curiosity and danger.

Winstead’s use of footnotes and an unreliable narrator adds depth, keeping readers engaged. While its parallels to real-life crimes may be unsettling for some, the novel offers a thought-provoking look at society’s fascination with true crime. This Book Will Bury Me is a compelling, suspenseful read that lingers long after the final page.

This one lives up to the hype. Janeway Sharp is a 24 year old true crime savant who is reeling from her father’s death and meets best friends who become her family through an online forum. Dark, quirky, and hard to put down- this book will pull you in and keep you guessing. It is incredible!

While I found This Book Will Bury Me to struggle with pacing a bit at its beginning, as it dragged out out its exposition and pre-Delphine cases, once the protagonists made their way to Delphine, the plot started to tighten and the pace definitely picked up speed. Although I could have done without that first half of the novel (as well as the extended discussions of Jane's father), Winstead is clearly a skilled writer, and built the world of Delphine, the online world of the Real Crime Network, and Jane's web sleuth circle of friends to the point that it all became nearly tangible. Writing from the perspective of armchair detectives was a clever approach, as well, and kept the mystery feeling fresh. I did pick up on the plot twist fairly early on, but that didn't stop its reveal from being compelling. All in all, while I think it may have benefited from being significantly condensed, This Book Will Bury Me was a well-written, unique take on true crime and worth the read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my advanced digital copy!

A gripping story of grief, hyperfixation, and the intimacy of online communities, This Book Will Bury Me kept me riveted throughout. In fact, it was quite hard to put the story down so that I could go to sleep! But though I really enjoyed the storytelling here and deep dive into the ways online discourse, social media, and the popularity of true crime converge today, there are things about this book that made me uncomfortable—chief among them the use of a real and very recent murder mystery whose setting and details were barely smudged in this work of fiction, as well as the use of a real sorority (full disclosure: that I am actually a member of!).

Though I understand that the author's own grief and interest in true crime inspired this book, I do wish some of the details surrounding the real case of the University of Idaho murders had been changed to separate this work of fiction from an ongoing case. That said, I still did really enjoy this book, the portrayal of the online true crime community, both for good and for ill, and the nuanced depictions of grief, desperation, and the desire for a supportive community/found family.

I love true crime books, and I think if done well, thrillers that are based off true crime events can be really good. However, because the case depicted in this book is still so fresh (the guy hasn’t even gone to trial yet!) I found this one to be in poor taste. If you haven’t heard about the Idaho Murders, then you may feel differently about this book but because I watch a lot of true crime and have read so many articles on them it didn’t sit well with me. I don’t mean this as an insult to the author either. She’s a great writer and its very easy to get sucked into her books but this one is just “too soon”. Especially considering the details in this book and the case are nearly identical.

My suggestion would be to market this book in a different way rather than a work of pure fiction because it’s not. Sure, the names are changed but again, the details are nearly identical. I don’t think the families would appreciate someone profiting off this case and saying, “oh it’s just fiction”.

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐