This Book Will Bury Me will exhaustingly haunt you making you crave more! The story, told by a young college girl who has suddenly lost her father will pull at your heartstrings as she tries to come to grips with the sudden loss but by also her sudden obsession with true crime. By doing this, she doesn't have to think about her father as she falls into the rabbit hole of true crime murders and her father's untimely death. What she does discover as she delves into these horrific murders is to her shock and surprise in the end, they somehow will help her heal and process loss. This is Jane Sharp's own story.

Jane Sharp receives a call from her mother while she's at college living her life happily with her friends and going to classes. Her father, her best friend she suddenly learns has died unexpectedly. As she goes home to bury him still unable to process the death, still unable to even come to grips with what all this means becomes lost in her thoughts and fears of the future. She doesn't understand, she still feels him with her.

Depressed, angry and confused one night Jane is looking through internet threads and notices a group of true crime chatters talking about a mystery surrounding the murder of woman which has been unsolved in her area. She discovers the true crime site where sleuths exchange information and tips. She begins to do a deeper dive into the story and not only becomes obsessed with the case but with a group of other sleuthhounds who begin to bond actually break the case wide open.

Still mourning her father's death Jane decides against her mother's wishes that she doesn't want to go back to college and gets a job working at a coffee shop. She needs to figure out for herself how and why her father allowed himself to get to the point where he died.

When a second case comes to the group in which three college girls in Delphine, Idaho are murdered, her true crime partners and herself decide they are going to not only go visit the scenes of the crime but solve this murder themselves. Ah, be careful what you wish for!

As they move deeper into the case with no clear suspects, no clear evidence at the scene and a police chief unwilling to take their help, the group decides to gather their own information, some of which becomes terribly explosive and causes unnecessary harm to some people.

But something about this case does not feel right to Jane and although she can't put her finger on why, she seems to believe there is more to this case than they are seeing. As they proceed and get closer to some answers they can hardly believe, and when they finally figure out the shocking reality of the case Jane discovers a book is being written and that is when she finally decides she must speak her truth and tell exactly what happened, and why.

This is when Jane finally discovers her much needed closure not only with this case and all it delivered to their true crime group but how it enabled her to let go of the anger for her father and to love him for himself and for just being him. This Book Will Bury Me is a fascinating, on the edge of your seat story with unimaginable surprises and an incredibly intense look at how true crime murders can be solved by amateurs. A must-read book!

Thank you #NetGalley #SourcebooksLandmark #AshleyWinstead #ThisBookWillBuryMe for the advanced copy.

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead

#fortyfirstbookof2025 #arc #thisbookwillburyme #rippedfromtheheadlines

CW: parental death, murder, rape, false allegations, animal death, grief, raids

From Netgalley: After the unexpected death of her father, college student Jane Sharp longs for a distraction from her grief. She becomes obsessed with true crime, befriending armchair detectives who teach her how to hunt killers from afar. In this morbid internet underground, Jane finds friendship, purpose, and even glory...
So when news of the shocking deaths of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho takes the world by storm, and sleuths everywhere race to solve the crimes, Jane and her friends are determined to beat them. But the case turns out to be stranger than anyone expected. Details don't add up, the police are cagey, and there seems to be more media hype and internet theorizing than actual evidence. When Jane and her sleuths take a step closer, they find that every answer only begs more questions. Something's not adding up, and they begin to suspect their killer may be smarter and more prolific than any they've faced before. Placing themselves in the center of the story starts to feel more and more like walking into a trap... Told one year after the astounding events that concluded the case and left the world reeling, when Jane has finally decided to break her silence about what really happened, she tells the true story of the Delphine Massacres. And what she has to confess will shock even the most seasoned true crime fans...

My thoughts: I have read all of Winstead’s thrillers and of all of them, I liked this the most. It’s the best written of the four. But I kind of hated the other three so faint praise, I guess. I thought the whole “ripped from the headlines” thing was gross. It was so obviously stolen from the Idaho murders, no secret there, and it was a bit distasteful once I got into the story. I also guessed the killer fairly early. The book dragged a bit in the middle and needed some pep. I also didn’t care about Jane as a main character. She wasn’t very interesting to me. Overall this was a fine book but certainly nothing to rave about.

Thank you to @bookmarked Sourcebooks Landmark and @netgalley for the advance copy. (Available now, pub date was 3/25/25)

Bury Me has a layered narrative, blurring the line between reality and delusion, centered around a complex protagonist whose descent is definitely unsettling. If this was a normal piece of fiction, that would be cause for praise. However, the approach feels a little weird considering it's based on a real case still going through the justice system (at the time of writing, the trial hasn't started). Well written, but felt off.

You know that feeling when you stumble into a true crime forum at 2 AM and emerge six hours later questioning everything from the justice system to your own search history? That’s the energy this channels—except with more slow burns and fewer bathroom breaks.

Meet Jane Sharp: grieving college student turned online sleuth. After her father's death, she finds herself spiraling down the rabbit hole of true crime message boards, bonding with digital detectives over unsolved murders and red-string theories. It’s weirdly comforting... until the Delphine Massacres happen.

Three college girls. A sleepy Idaho town. A case that captivates the internet and makes amateur detectives foam at the mouth. Jane and her fellow sleuths jump in, but the deeper they dig, the more the story refuses to make sense. The cops are tight-lipped, the evidence sketchy, and every theory feels just slightly... off. Oh, and there might be a serial killer watching their every move.

Told from Jane’s perspective a year later, when she's finally ready to break her silence, the book promises a bombshell reveal. And it delivers—sort of.

Now, let’s talk real talk: this book could have been a knockout. The premise? Killer. The structure? Intriguing. But wow, the pacing needed CPR for the first half. It dragged like a detective with jet lag. And while the second half picks up steam, by then you might’ve already guessed the “big” twist, or worse, started checking your watch.

Also, fair warning: it bears a very uncomfortable resemblance to a real-life crime that’s still raw for many. For some readers, that line between inspiration and insensitivity might feel a little too blurry.

A moody, meta take on true crime obsession that bites off more than it can suspensefully chew. Worth the read if you're into slow burns and unreliable narrators—but maybe skip if you're looking for a tight, twisty thrill ride.

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC—true crime addicts, proceed with caution.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.5⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: thriller/ mystery 📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
This one hooked me in right from the start and I didn’t want to put it down!

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
True crime documentaries/ podcasts
Psychological thrillers
Unreliable narrators
Amateur sleuths/ online detective chatrooms
Grief driven obsessions
Found family
Serial killer storylines

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
The chatroom dialogue and footnotes were a fun addition
The emotional depth felt very authentic
Short chapters

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
Followed really closely to 2022 University of Idaho murders
Some sections seemed to drag on a little too long

𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚀𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:
★ “Maybe that’s the real definition of fate: when the universe hands you exactly what you want, the one thing you could never turn down, a perfect trap of your own making.”
★ “You want what I once wanted, that insatiable longing for answers, the most human of urges. It’s what started my journey, too, after all. Our desire to order the unknowable, touch the unreachable, shine a light on what’s hidden—it’s universal. We’re uncomfortable with ambiguity, with living suspended in the mess of the world.”
★ “It’s what we will never know about the ones we love that binds us to them.”

This book was absolutely captivating from the start to the finish. As a fan of true crime, I especially enjoyed this book as it gave an inside look at what people experience and how the crimes are solved. It also included serious and complex relationships between friends and family so it offered a more dynamic view of true crime than a nonfiction book would. I have read Ashley Winstead books before, and enjoyed them all, but this is my favorite.

This story had such an interesting plot, with characters that kept me intrigued until the very end! I was on the edge of my seat with this page turner!

"You want what I once wanted, that insatiable longing for answers"

I am so torn on this one. It's a great mystery - that murky gray area of true crime armchair detectives getting in the middle of an active investigation.

Jane is a young adult in college when she receives the worst phone call - her father's gone, she needs to come home. She comes home distraught, she doesn't understand, she's heartbroken and feels so alone. In the midst of her sadness, a woman is horribly murdered and it's just the distraction that Jane needs. Who would do this? Make someone else miss a loved one like she does?

Jane finds herself on true crime websites, delving in the underbelly of crime and those not officially assigned or trained and, yet, trying to solve it. She's instantly drawn in to people who feel her loss and her want for answers to the world. They dive in and they encourage Jane's sharp thinking and feel she's a natural at this. Her little group does manage to solve one and they get some confidence and cohesion in the group.

So another horrible crime - 4 college kids - are brutally murdered one night in Idaho, they are instantly drawn to the shock of the crime and the draw of the mystery they feel only they can solve.

The mystery was so good. I liked Jane, understood her grief, and felt the author did a great job of showing how easy it was for her to find this crime solving world fascinating. Even knowing what I know, I didn't guess so many of the twists and I really loved the story.

But my hesitation is how gross it felt, reading something that felt like it was so close to a true crime - and one getting ready to go on trial. I think the discomfort I felt was the point - so many amateur sleuths DID get involved and overwhelmed that true case. And my discomfort was a good way of making me wonder and question, just like with true crime podcasts, what I think of armchair detectives and Youtube and TikTok stars trying to insert themselves in these stories. But this story stood so well on its own and really made me wonder - it didn't need the details of true crime meddled in. So my rating is purely for the push of the story, the rush of the mystery, and the fascination of these characters and this story.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Ashley Winstead can do no wrong and This Book Will Bury Me was no exception!

The MC makes it very clear at the beginning that something big happened where she is being blamed, but that she wants to share her own story. I was kept guessing throughout what exactly was going to happen. And in the process I didn’t want to put it down! I easily could have gotten it done in a single sitting if work and sleep didn’t get in my way

5⭐️

I was invested in this book from the very start. Jane’s tragic beginning as an internet sleuth was heartbreaking and gave her character a lot of depth and drive for justice. This was entertaining and I enjoyed every twist and turn (although it did become obvious who the killer was about halfway through). Highly recommend, especially the audiobook.

Are you a true crime, murder podcast junkie? Have you ever thought you could find evidence and draw conclusions that the professionals have not?

Looking for an escape from her grief, Jane joins a group of online sleuths and starts to find purpose in solving murders. But how far are they willing to go to solve a case? Find out in This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead.

Click here to check out the book today.

I am a big Ashley Winstead fan, I have read and loved all of her books. This newest book did not disappoint. The characters are flawed and interesting and the story kept me hooked until the very end. While I did guess the big plot twist early on, it did not take away from my enjoyment of the story. This is a fantastic mystery.

Winstead's masterful grasp of atmospheric psychological suspense is on full display in this book. In a story that seems like it is part satire and part homage to true crime, the intricate plot, unreliable narrator, and rich details of the story made for a read that was highly unique and original. Like the Jane and her group's obsession with true crime, I'm utterly obsessed with this book and have been recommending it to friends and library patrons alike.

DNF @ 14%. Sadly, giving up on this one. I was very bored and it was feeling super repetitive. The ethics of the book also feel maybe a bit off which was souring the reading experience as well. Thank you for the opportunity to review.

I have enjoyed all of Ashley’s thrillers and this one is no different. It gave me “don’t fuck with cats” documentary, with the forum in amateur sleuth detectives. I loved reading about our main character, Jane deal with grief. And I loved all the twists and turns of the ending! 4.25⭐️s

I hate this book with every fiber of my being.

The author tries to make a statement about online true crime culture and where the line falls between justice and obsession. But even the so-called good sleuths crossed serious ethical lines. Their digging wasn’t justice-driven. It was invasive, obsessive, and self-serving.

The author also pulled a “ripped from the headlines” and used a devastating real-life case and barely changed the details. Names were slightly altered, but so much was kept the same that it felt blatant. It was disrespectful and incredibly unethical to use something so recent and painful as the foundation for a thriller. Profiting from a tragedy. Talk about crossing a line.

Every character felt like a caricature. Every twist was obvious. The subplot was filler at best, and at worst, a clumsy excuse to shove the main character into the world of amateur sleuthing. Legal procedures, crime scene protocol, and basic human ethics were thrown out the window unless they conveniently served the plot.

I identified the killer within the first 100 pages. This book did not need to be nearly 500 pages long. Cutting the subplot and tightening the structure would have helped. The last 20% dragged badly. The author kept piling on new developments after the story should have ended. The conclusion felt bloated and unsatisfying.

This is disappointing because I’ve enjoyed most of Ashley Winstead’s previous work. Her last novel, Midnight is the Darkest Hour, also missed the mark. Her next release is scheduled for January 2026. I’ll read it, but only to decide whether I’ll continue with her books.

DNF

After reading the trigger warnings, I realized this book was not for me. I wish the trigger warnings were displayed and made more clear with the book description. I was sad to not finish this book as Ashley Winstead's other novel, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, is one of my favorite thrillers of all time. I thought I would enjoy this book because of my appreciation of this author, but unfortunately I could not continue. I think readers who are okay with the trigger warnings will enjoy this book, as I know Ashley Winstead is a great author. I hope I can enjoy her other books in the future.

After her father's unexpected death, Jane longed for a distraction from her grief. She became obsessed with true crime, befriending armchair detectives who taught her how to hunt killers afar. So, when news of the shocking deaths of three college girls in Delphine took the world by storm, Jane and her friends were determined to solve the case. But it proved stranger than anyone expected, placing them at the center of a story that increasingly felt like a trap. Told one year after the case concluded, Jane has finally decided to break her silence about what happened, revealing the shocking truth of the Delphine massacres.

"This Book Will Bury Me" is a treasure trove for true crime enthusiasts, where obsession can have deadly consequences if one isn't cautious. Jane, recently bereaved by the loss of her father, finds solace and a sense of belonging among online true crime sleuths, who become a close-knit community. While Jane sometimes acts impulsively, I was impressed by her intelligence, determination, and meticulous research skills.  I was also drawn to the warm and welcoming personalities of her friends, appreciating the positive qualities in each of them. As a fan of true crime documentaries, I thought Winstead did an excellent job portraying the sleuths in both positive and negative light. People make mistakes, and some of those mistakes have serious consequences.

I'd prefer not to elaborate, as the complexity of this narrative adds to the enjoyment, particularly in the process of solving murders and ensuring justice for the victims and their grieving families. Regarding the twist, while I had a slight suspicion, it was still quite shocking and heartbreaking. Winstead consistently crafts fun and memorable stories, and "This Book Will Bury Me" is no exception.  If you enjoy true crime, I highly recommend this book for its complex characters and multilayered plot.

I really enjoyed this one, although it's my least favorite of Winstead's books so far. That being said, her last two were five stars and this one was four stars, so that's not too bad. The premise—an emotionally raw college student swept up in a web of true crime obsession and online sleuth culture—felt really timely. Jane is a layered narrator: vulnerable, sharp, and not always reliable, which made the story’s slow burn all the more addictive. The internet sleuthing angle captured the thrill and ethical murk of true crime fandom without feeling preachy.

I did think the pacing dragged a bit in the middle, and I wanted more development for a few of the side characters (especially her fellow sleuths). But when the final twist hit? Genuinely shocking and well-earned.

Jane Sharp is looking for a distraction after her father's unexpected death. She finds comfort in an online true crime chat, but comfort quickly becomes obsession. Jane is nonstop working with other amateur sleuths to solve crimes across the country. When three college girls are killed in Delphine, Idaho, Jane and her group of internet detectives are determined to solve this case. The distance provided by the internet soon disappears and Jane may be in real life danger because of her work with this group.

Winstead is quickly becoming a must read author for me. The way this story was told felt like watching a documentary. I couldn't put it down until I figured it all out. This is one of my favorite thrillers this year.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC of This Book Will Bury Me.