This Book Will Bury Me is full of Ashley’s signature effortless writing and storytelling, with rich imagery and relatable characters but I ultimately found the subject matter to be in poor taste. While she did acknowledge the real life cases that she drew inspiration from in the author’s note, the details of the book were far too close to the real life case for my comfort.

Although I enjoy true crime, in my personal opinion the parallels to the 2022 University of Idaho tragedy hit a little too close to home for a case that was so recent, has yet to go to trial, and in which the families have not received closure. This may not bother some readers, but I’ll include a bit of perspective so anyone reading this review understands where I’m coming from.

While in graduate school, my husband lived a case that became a true crime phenomenon. One of his best friends was brutally murd3red by a classmate right after graduation. I won’t be including any more details to protect my husband’s privacy but this is something that will stick with him forever. I told him about This Book Will Bury Me after I finished reading it and we discussed it at length. His friend’s murd3r happened over a decade ago and the k!ller is behind bars, yet he says it would still feel strange to see someone turn his friend’s case into a work of fiction almost detail for detail and profit off it. With the University of Idaho case being so fresh and unresolved, I can’t help but think of how the friends, family, and community impacted by this tragedy would feel. I know Ashley’s intentions were not to disrespect anyone with this book and to pay homage to the cases used as inspiration but I think it was just too much too soon.

Had Ashley changed more of the details I think I would’ve really enjoyed this book, I just couldn’t shake the icky feeling I had when processing the similarities. I found it to be a bit predictable at times but still enjoyed Ashley’s writing per usual. This was a hard review to write as Ashley Winstead is one of my favorite authors of all time and this book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 but ultimately I can’t in good faith recommend this book.

Thank you Sourcebooks for the advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

✪✪✪✪: the vibes are OH SHIT

What I love about an Ashley Winstead book is she does not hold back. Gonna write about young women getting involved in a cult and ultimately taking revenge? Gonna go full throttle (i still think about the ending to the last housewife). Gonna write about serial killers? Gonna make you question everything you know about what you're reading.

This Book isn't perfect. I think the ultimately reason Jane is writing this/her book is a little weak and doesn't quite make sense to me because I simply don't see the connection being strong enough. But the rest of the book is so good I can overlook that.

This book, at its heart, is a study in grief. What grief does to us and the lengths it makes us go. Winstead hits on something universal and so human when she writes about Jane's grief because it hit me in the feels, even 10+ years after I lost my grandfather and felt this grief for the first time. Grief, especially unexpressed grief (and I do think that is part of Jane's problem) alters something in you. It became the perfect avenue for Jane to get involved in the true crime network. Because the network would give her a way to ignore the grief, a place to bury her head. And it also would give her people to help her float in a sea of grief that threatens to drown you.

Winstead poses some truly interesting questions in this book. True Crime junkies: Good or Bad? There are people obsessed with the genre, documentaries and shows galore, and in the age of technology it is even easier for citizen sleuths to get in on the action. Is this a good thing? Should amateurs and people with zero real training be allowed near cases that are complex, that involve people's families? Especially since the hive mind can be so, so wrong, as shown in this book.

Ahh this one was so so good, definitely one of the best thrillers I’ve read lately! It’s a long one and normally I don’t have patience for that but there was so much going on here the length didn’t even bother me. I absolutely loved the way it was told, Jane is speaking directly to the reader and I love that type of intimacy, it gives the impression you’re listening to a friend tell the story. ​She’s recounting events that began a year ago and not knowing exactly what she’s referring to in the beginning made things so tense and exciting, a real sense of anticipation knowing whatever happened must’ve been major. It is a slow burn with a lot going on but I never lost interest, I was truly captivated by the entire thing. It’s a big puzzle with a ton pieces and while I had my suspicions before things were revealed, I wasn’t bothered by that because the whole thing was just so engaging. If you like true crime, intricately plotted mysteries, amateur sleuths and meaty thrillers try this, I loved it!

As a fan of Ashley Winstead’s previous books, I was excited to read her newest book and I loved it! The authors note at the beginning of the book let you know how recent events both personally and in the world shaped this book. Chapters alternated between Jane’s POV and chat rooms and Internet forums, which kept things interesting. As a fan of true crime I loved the references to podcasts, big TV shows and armchair detectives. The last handful of chapters had me wide eyed and needing to read faster. Fans of Winstead and true crime based stories need to add this book to your TBR!
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Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! The murder case is intricate and unique, but what I loved the most is how the murder case dovetails with Jane's grief over losing her dad. I happened to read this book right after my beloved dog passed away. I am not comparing the grief of losing a pet to the grief of losing a parent -- but still, reading through Jane's grief journey helped me in my current grief journey. Highly HIGHLY recommend this book!!

4.5 ⭐️ rounded to 5⭐️

This was my first read from Ashley Winstead and it definitely won’t be my last!! This one had me hooked, book peeps!! 🙌

Definitely scratched my little research itch!! I would love to be an internet sleuth but I know if I started I would be sucked in just like our FMC! 🫠😅

One thing happened towards the last maybe 25% of the book that had me scratching my head and asking “But why…..?” as it didn’t seem like something that would happen in a typical investigation. But other than that, this book sucked me in and I loved it!! Highly recommend!!! 👏

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Ashley Winstead for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead was a book that I tried so hard to love, but something kept me from being able to stomach this true-crime-based novel (and “based” is beyond accurate for what Winstead wrote: eerily similar to the story of the University of Idaho killings of 2022).

Jane was at a party while studying at university when her mother called her to let her know that Jane’s father had suffered a heart attack. This traumatic news was what caused Jane to crack and felt the compulsion to see her deceased father’s corpse before she could believe that he was truly gone.

She sought solace in the strangest of places: a true crime forum. And so began her descent into giving into her compulsive need to bond with other amateur sleuths.

As she furthers her bonds with these sleuths, the case that they began investing in Delphine, ID takes a turn for the weird and unexpected. And the facts of the case when investigated further stop adding up.

I was nearly dizzy from the number of plot twists. The facts too closely resembled those in University of Idaho in 2022 for my comfort, though. It would have been different if Winstead had just gone the non-fiction route instead. I think that I wouldn’t have been so bothered by that project as I was with this one. The case is still unfolding in the news as I write this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC.

I honestly don’t even know how to put my thoughts into words. This book was SO good. The concept was interesting, the characters were fleshed out, the formatting with mixed in podcasts and chat rooms was engaging. For such a dark topic this was. A surprisingly “fun” read and I’ll definitely be recommending it!

Outside of my normal genre but enjoyed the true crime/ podcast-y/ internet sensation of it all. Was excited about this author but ultimately found the exposition to drag on quite a bit & the plot to be predictable. While not every twist & turn was as predictable, the main character's voice was clear & engaging enough to keep me on the hook. Once I was in the final 40% or so, I couldn't put it down (despite knowing nearly exactly what was going to happen). May be a bit pedestrian to people more into the thriller genre but with how much was borrowed from the Idaho murders I expect this will be quite polarizing & spark many a conversation!

Thank you to @netgalley and Sourcebooks for this ARC.
Janeway Sharp is a student at UCF when she receives a phone call from her mom that her dad had a heart attack. Now home and reeling from her loss, she dives down an internet rabbit hole regarding a murder of a local woman and comes across a true crime solvers group. Engrossing herself in the clues, her and this group help solve the case. Now considered a savant, she joins an even more exclusive group consisting of a retired librarian, a naval officer, a retired police officer and a known computer hacker. With their skills, they work together to now solve a gruesome murder on a campus in Delphine, ID.
This book grabbed me from page 1. Janeway starts her story out with "I know you saw me on TV on the ground in handcuffs, surrounded by FBI. Let me explain." I was all in! All in for 470 pages. The book is so well written with cliff hangers on every chapter that it didn't seem that long. If you are into true crime or thrillers, do yourself a favor and read this book.
#ThisBookWillBuryMe #AshleyWinstead #SourcebooksLandmark #March2025

I want to start out by saying everyone’s opinions are different and that is completely fine. While I wanted to enjoy this book I did not. I tried so hard to like this book. I felt like this book dragged on and I had a hard time keeping interest in it. I actually was able to go back and forth between reading this book and a few others. With that being said I believe others might enjoy this book depending on their interests.

Ashley Winstead delivered another spectacular thriller with This Book Will Bury Me. I was hooked from the beginning and Winstead’s fast paced writing style kept me locked in for the whole book. The twists and turns in this story were so well planned out and really paid off. An amazing book!

This Book Will Bury Me was the EXACT thrill-ride I needed to kickstart another year of reading! I haven't had a mystery/thriller that hooked me and made me scrounge for 10 minutes here and there to get in another chapter in in a long time! Ashley Winstead introduces us to Janeway "Jane" Sharp, a college student in Florida who is not exactly thriving. While trying her best to fit-in and attending outings, she gets a phone call from her mom that her dad has passed away. This event shapes all of Jane's subsequent actions - dropping out of college, returning to her hometown Starbucks to work, and spending time on internet sleuthing websites to read about a semi-local murder case. Jane quickly becomes obsessed with the online message boards. Showing a knack for internet sleuthing, she is eventually invited into a group of "elite" sleuths, which sends her down a path of unforgettable friendships and a wild ride in the front row seat to a serial killer.

Reminiscent of the Idaho Murders in real life, three college friends are all murdered in their home. This is the case Jane and her elite sleuthing friends are determined to solve, even if it means forgoing work and flying to Idaho. We are introduced to a parallel universe to our own, complete with Nina Grace (Nancy Grace anyone?)! Winstead lays out the story as a tell-all memoir from our main character Jane. We can tell that this story takes a wild turn, as there are references to 'The Person Who Shall Not Be Named,' setting the record straight, and going against the advice of her lawyers. A tale of friendship, murder, mystery, and of course a tiny bit or romance, This Book Will Bury Me will keep you hooked until the bittersweet end!

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

Okay I have things to say.

First of all, I really, really love the premise of this book, and it is very different from anything i’ve ever read! I found myself thinking of this book often, and i always love when books have me hooked like that!

The characters were all so extremely likable in my opinion, and I am a sucker for unexpected friendships!

The one complaint I have, is that there was a point around 70% where I felt the upcoming plot twist was made obvious, and I wish it had been more subtle!

That being said, a lot of other plot twists happened in this book that caught me completely off guard, and I was hooked until the very end!

Thank you to netgalley and sourcebooks landscape for the arc!

Winstead’s writing in this book is superb. From start to finish, the writing is gripping, spellbinding, and absolutely captivating. Once you start reading, you just cannot stop. I couldn’t put this book down. The characters were compelling and I enjoyed their interactions with each other. This book did a deep dive into the true crime culture and did an excellent job of showing all the sides of the “armchair sleuths”. But, as much as this book was about murder and true crime and the complexities of a world that lives online now, it was also about grief, love, human nature, and found family. Winstead did an excellent job of marrying all these themes together in a way that felt natural. She tugged at your heart strings, made your jaw drop, and kept you glued to the page. The ending was truly explosive and so well done. The only part of this book that didn’t feel quite right was how closely some of the crimes in this book resembled crimes that occurred jn real life fairly recently. Other than that, this book was a truly gripping read.

I don't believe I have ever read anything by this author before, and I can't say I'm that big of a fan. It seemed a little predictable and it went on for longer than necessary.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity

Winstead's new novel is framed as a book written by the protagonist, Janeway Sharp. Jane spirals after the death of her father and quits college and immerses herself in online forums to push aside her grief. She quickly befriends an online group that is dedicated to solving murders, a group that has been pretty successful to date. When three college women are murdered in a sorority house in Jane becomes more and more obsessed the the group. When more murders take place, the gang travels to the college town to make sense of it all.

The tension is thick! Winstead creates a bit of claustrophobic anxiety as we get closer and closer to solving the crime. If you love true crime, or a unique thriller, this is a book for you!

We have Jane, who is dealing with the sudden death of her dad, trying to find something to distract her and stumbles on true crime forum.

She gets involved and soon forms friendship with 4 other true crime sleuths and tries to solve cases. I really enjoyed the found family aspect of the story and the messages in the forum.

The book was way too long and the first 75% of the book dragged for me. I did enjoy the twist and how the story played out

Thank you @bookmarked for a copy of the book.

DNF

After realizing this is an almost exact retelling of the Idaho 4 (without the author even acknowledging that’s what it is) I can’t finish this book.

I understand authors take ideas from real life but this is too fresh and raw. The trial hasn’t even started yet, the families haven’t received justice so it just feels in bad taste. Plus the amount of similarities is way too many. I’ve enjoyed Ashley’s other books but unfortunately this one was a big miss.

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
3 stars

This is the only book I’ve read by Ashley Winstead. I am basing my review solely on the quality of writing etc. I understand there is a lot of controversy over the subject matter in this novel HOWEVER, the synopsis was made available to readers and as readers we CHOSE to proceed with reading. On the flip side of that statement, I acknowledge that the details and events in this book are damn near identical to a true event and this book was clearly inspired by the tragedy that took the lives of victims and destroyed their families.

There is an authors note at the start that states the inspiration is from a true crime case. I do hope the author revises that note to include something heartfelt and respectful to the affected families. The way it sits now, I interpret it to be dismissively insensitive and the author needs to do better.

It took me longer than usual to get this book read. On average I read a book in 1-3 days. This one took me several weeks to work through. This is a story about internet “sleuths” across the world that follow ongoing and cold case crime investigations. During a spree of multiple homicides at a college campus, a group of five characters break off together and begin their own research as the investigation is unfolding. Ultimately, law enforcement brings this group into the fold to assist with the investigation and things go awry.

Each of the characters has their own personal experience that initially brought them to the true crime community and as we learn their individual stories, they become more relatable. Under the surface there is a theme that touches on grief and how the journey looks different for individual people. This group becomes a tight knit family of sorts which I love. Found family is my number one favorite trope! I think the writing is decent with good relationship building. The pacing was somewhat slow in the beginning but at the same time, that pacing allowed us to learn the character back stories. I think it showcases what society in general excels at, becoming so focused and caught up in something that you forget real people are affected. (Much like the author potentially did while writing this book.). It translates as dehumanizing (which again, is an accurate depiction of society.) The pace picks up speed at the halfway point and brings us through to the end of the book pretty smoothly. The plot twist wasn’t actually much of a twist, it was predictable and from that point on the rest of the book was predicable as well. I’m not a fan of the ending, it was lackluster and left me thinking “that’s it?”

Overall, an average read. It wasn’t a terrible novel but it wasn’t amazing either.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.