5⭐️

When Jane Sharp's father died unexpectedly of a heart attack, she never would have guessed his death would spur her obsession with true crime. But as she dove deeper and deeper into a true crime message board, she soon finds herself wrapped up in the investigation of the murder of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho. That investigation turned her and her crew of sleuths into pariah's across the nation. Now, a year after the investigation wrapped up, Jane is writing a tell all to explain what really happened.

I'm going to preface this by saying that I really enjoy true crime but can also acknowledge how harmful it can be to the victims families. A lot of time the focus seems to be on the killer rather than the victim. That being said, this book might be hard for some to read because it mirrors the 2022 University of Idaho killings so closely.

Ultimately I feel like this read as a justified critique of the true crime community. Too often it feels like the true crime sleuth's on TikTok and Reddit turn solving a case into a sort of competition, not caring that they're jumping to conclusions and possibly ruining an innocent person's life. Even if evidence is found to prove that an assumption isn't true, that first thing is what's going to stick in a person's mind forever.

I liked how Jane was trying to find herself after her father's death and how profoundly she lost herself. I can understand losing yourself to grief, especially since Jane's mother didn't know how to deal with Jane's grief as well. I could feel Jane's desperation for her life to mean something and that really drove the story. Her bouncing ideas off her father's ashes was heart breaking. I ultimately just really liked the story within a story style of this book.

Thanks Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing this ARC to me!

Thank you to NetGalley for gifted copy. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

In all honesty, this book tore me apart. I followed the case this is inspired by. I think that it kind of messed with my mind a little bit. I tried very hard to separate what was fiction and what wasn't. Not only that, but I think if I knew nothing about the case that this was inspired by and went in blindly, I would say this was a good book. This book really captured the essence of what a thriller is. I was captivated the entire time. However, I did get confused all the way to the middle part of the story, wondering why Searcher was even arrested. Towards the ending, about 25% in, you kind of have a feeling of who's done it. I do like the unique take of how the two stories intertwine with each other. However, getting back to the morally gray area for me. Due to the fact that I follow the case, and have since this came out, it's a little hard to stomach. I do find it very eerie how closely similar the story is to the actual case. I'm not entirely sure if that is a good or bad thing. Morally speaking, many people might think that it's tasteless. This is where I'm torn mentally and emotionally with this book. I feel for the families and the victims in this case. As I mentioned, it's hard because you have to separate the two cases. Distinguishing what is and what isn't. I think there were times when the pacing of the book did drag on a bit for me, but that seemed to happen in different parts of the storyline.

Personally, I feel like Searcher's story (not the actual storyline) from the beginning to the end sort of didn't tie in together. I understand why she was there, but I didn't really understand the whole nature of dragging on the middle part of the story. Personal opinion, but it could've been shorter, or maybe something to her storyline could've been weaved in much better. I mean, like I said, I do, but I don't. I guess what also makes it good is having a collection of toxic characters that I felt were so unlikable together. Despite these small little personal preferences and opinions I had, this book was still pretty good. I read this very quickly. I read it through the night, and had me gasping the entire time!

Jane and several other amateur sleuths work to solve a crime. I could not put this one town. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

I was intrigued by the premise of the true crime thriller and online community acting as armchair detectives. At 450 pages the book felt long with a lot of rambling from the main character. The twist was expected due to the slow burn.

It is painfully clear the crime had many specific details identical to the Idaho murders, which made this a tough read. Although authors often use real life events to draw inspiration, it feels insensitive since justice hasn't been served for the victims in the recent crime. Despite this, I still enjoyed the suspense and found family element.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark Publishing for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Theis Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead is a such a fun read, especially if you are a true crime junkie! It is very well written and that makes it a quick read. I gave it four stars, only because it felt like it could have been wrapped up a bit sooner.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. Ashley Winstead is quickly shaping up to be a consistent favorite of mine!

While mourning the loss of her father, Jane Sharpe gets drawn into the true crime community. She wants to leave a legacy for her dad, and soon she has several solves and a tight-knit group of crime-solving friends. A brutal massacre in a college town catches their attention, and she and her friends head to campus to get answers.

While I did guess one twist, I absolutely did not catch the ending. I enjoyed how this was written as if Jane was writing a tell-all a year later, and the voice was really interesting for that reason. It also explores questions about the role of the true crime community, the failures of policing in many cases, etc.

I can't decide how I really feel about this. I really love the concept and the plot was really refreshing and new. I did really enjoy the characters. I felt like this story was too long and dragged in certain spots. It was also really predictable. I really like Ashley Winstead's writing and will pick up her next book.

THIS BOOK WILL BURY ME by Ashley Winstead ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ WHEW! Sweating! This book was hard for me to rate. It was a weird mix of making myself pick it up the first chunk to staying up way too late to find out what happens by the end. I did predict the killer about 60% in, but I mean, still had to see how it unfolded! Turns out, I didn’t predict everything! By the end I was completely sucked in. If you’re in the mood for a good serial killer, psychological thriller, this is a great pick!

After the murder of three college girls in Idaho, internet sleuths are determined to find the killer. At the start, they make amazing discoveries, but it eventually gets away from them in ways they never imagined.

Pub. Date: March 25, 2025.

Perfect if you like:
•Serial killer murder mystery.
•Internet sleuths.
•True crime.
•Found family.
•Grief journey.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
Mood: 🍿🫗

⚠️: explicit language.

"This Book Will Bury Me is impossible to put down once you start. It’s both an engrossing mystery and a compelling exploration of grief and the mysteries loved ones leave behind. True crime fans will devour this one!"

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

Oh my god 😳 True crime, amateur sleuthing, serial killers, multiple twists and misdirections…… This story had me hooked from start to finish. Wow this was excellent!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC 💛

This book offers a thrilling ride that stands apart from her previous works. While it lacks the dark, gritty tone she's known for, it still delivers an engaging and fast-paced narrative, perfect for fans of popcorn thrillers. The book leans into the world of true crime forums, making it a great pick for readers who enjoy that niche. Overall, it’s a fun, suspenseful read, though different in tone from her usual style.

Thank you, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the copy of This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead. I loved how Jane told her story as a book within the book so it felt very personal. After Jane’s father dies unexpectedly, Jane finds solace in a true crime website and some amatere sleuths. I was drawn into her story immediately and enraptured by how she and her online friends investigated and solved cases, even though parts were far-fetched and hard to believe. I had a sneaking suspicion of the identity of the culprit, but was still surprised at the reveal. The book is long, but the fast pace and the well-defined characters kept me interested the whole time. Jans’s ongoing reaction to her father’s death is woven into the story, but in the end I felt it was less interesting than the amateur sleuths, although it did explain why Jane got so wrapped up in the investigations. I loved this book and you will too if you appreciate great writing, amazing characters, and an enthralling story! 5 stars!

this was...okay. I had high hopes because I loved her previous work, but this missed the mark. this was very obviously based on the moscow murders and that just didnt sit right with me. I just think its still too soon to write a book about this when a trial hasn't even happened yet. I will say the ending did surprise me!

Ashley Winstead is amazing. Period. I will request and/or pre-order all of her books. I was stoked to get this approval, and I think this is my favorite of hers so far!

THIS BOOK WILL BURY ME is a book within a book: Jane's tell-all memoir. From the get-go, she refers to how the investigation of the Delphine Massacres took a disastrous turn, and she starts the story from the beginning. After the sudden death of her father, Janeway Sharp finds solace in a group of online sleuths. They solved multiple crimes together virtually, then ventured across the country to work on a new case that has captured attention worldwide. What went wrong?

This may be a good fit if you enjoy:
- a deep dive into the internet sleuth community
- dark thrillers that also tug at your heartstrings
- stories about friendship & found family

I could not put this book down! For being just shy of 500 pages, I was shocked how it flew by. There are so many books about true crime, but to me, this one had a unique approach. Jane begins her story with the death of her father. The way Ashley Winstead writes about grief is hauntingly beautiful, and it explained perfectly how Jane could get so caught up in the true crime world as a way to cope. The tell-all format of the story had a unique foreshadowing element that I loved.

While some folks read thrillers for the shock-factor, I think this book was more about the journey: the whys, the nuances, the humanness...all things that I associate with Winstead's books. I had ideas of the reveal, and I wanted to be right. I didn't want an out-of-left-field surprise because I think it would have done a disservice to the story, the characters, and the relationships they built.

"Even after all the evil I've seen, I still love humanity for its small mercies."

Rating: I loved it! (5)

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Nope. Sorry. This wasn’t inspired it was a carbon copy. So wrong. It felt icky to read which is too bad because it was a great book (minus profiting off a tragedy that’s still an active case). How would you feel if it was one of your daughters and someone wrote a book like this. Detached much?

Too soon
Doesn’t even mention the victims
Hope the family doesn’t read

Loved the armchair investigators
A fun format

This story has such a unique take and I loved every moment!

The beginning of this book had me wondering “where are we going?” And once I got about 80 pages in, I had a clue and I was ready for it. This story had a lot of depth and truly was so original! I really enjoyed the read and recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

this was such a huge disappointment for me :(

i LOVE ashley winstead and was so excited to get approved for the ARC of this book. however, the story fell super flat for me for a multitude of reasons, the two biggest being:

1. the similarities between the crimes in the book and recent crimes that have occurred in real life were distasteful imo, and other reviews touch on that more eloquently than i could.
2. it felt like she teased the twist in the first 15% of the story so when the eventual reveal rolled around i was bored and left thinking “thats it?”. i actually thought maybe her earlier teasing was a red herring. i was wrong

bummed i didn’t love this one but maybe next time

I really liked this book & the premise of it. Very similar to the Idaho murders which is a very interesting case. I also liked the characters and the growth of the main character throughout. I was shocked by the ending and the twists. The book was a little longer than I thought it should be but overall great!

This was a hard one to rate. And I still can’t quite figure out if I liked it or not tbh.

On the one hand, this book managed to really pull me in, it stayed with me even when I wasn’t reading. I think the author did a fantastic job with this cast of characters, especially Jane, she was complex and well written. She wasn’t necessarily likeable, but I don’t mind that in a thriller. I felt for her at times, but I also despised her for some of the choices she made. I found it truly fascinating how the author managed to simultaneously make me like and dislike her.

This played nicely into the commentary on true crime. Jane getting involved with the group and then watching her slowly but surely become obsessed with solving these cases was very well done. It also served as a great way to show how some of the people who engage with these true crime cases and ‘investigate’ will think themselves helpful and important. But what they’re actually doing is often times insanely invasive and disrespectful to the victims and their families and just plain irresponsible and dangerous for the (innocent) people they think are guilty.

On the other hand, though, I felt like it was too long. The pacing was just a bit off.
Don’t get me wrong, it was interesting and well written for the first like 60%, but it also dragged. It only started to really get going after around the 60% mark. All of a sudden, things were happening left and right.
I also struggled with the group’s ‘investigation’ and what goes on towards the end, all of that seemed very unbelievable to me, honestly ridiculous. At the same time, I don’t know anything about the whole true crime thing because that shit really weirds me out, so what do I know? Maybe this actually does happen?

Now with all that said I’d have given the book a solid 3.75 stars.