In an attempt to cope with the unexpected loss of her father, Jane falls into an obsession with true crime - And quickly finds her way to TheRealCrimeNetwork.com. What is at first a means to distract herself from the grief, becomes a full-blown, head-first dive into sleuthing. Jane connects with four other amateur “armchair detectives” in this online forum, branching off separately from the larger group network. They work together and race against other sleuths in an attempt to solve the deaths of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho. Theories are thrown around and details don’t add up, leaving reputations tainted and the media in a frenzy.

This story is Jane’s version of the events that took place a year ago in response to the book that tarnished Jane’s reputation.
I have so many thoughts about this novel. This is my third Ashley Winstead experience, and probably the one I struggled most with. While I found the tone and suspense to be what I look for in a mystery/thriller, the pace wasn’t consistent. It wasn’t until I hit just past the halfway mark that I really got into the story. I enjoyed the cast of characters and how their varied personalities added to the story, but they felt somewhat one-dimensional. Especially when we encounter the “romance,” or the possibility of a romance. It felt forced and unbelievable. I had some other moments where I struggled to suspend my disbelief, mostly when it came to the police and FBI.

Normally, when I read mystery novels, I’m just along for the ride - I very rarely predict the twist or the killer correctly. So, I was actually pretty bummed when I guessed things very early on. I enjoy second-guessing myself in these types of stories. The ending also left me feeling unsatisfied.

While I’m not completely versed in the real University of Idaho murders (2022), I am aware of the controversy online surrounding This Book Will Bury Me. It makes me uneasy knowing that that crime, among others, inspired this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

This Book Will Bury Me - Ashley Winstead
Pub Date - 3/25/25
Page Count - 480
Trigger Warning(s) ⚠️ - loss of a parent, misogyny, sexism, kidnapping
Summary - When her father passes away suddenly, Jane drops out of college and discovers a true crime forum where helps solve a crime close to where she lives. Then news breaks about the murders of 3 college girls in Idaho and the forum goes crazy. Shortly after, 3 more girls are murdered from the same University only miles away from the first. Jane and her friends are wrapped up in these cases, trying to find a serial killer responsible for these crimes.

Thoughts - Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Ashley Winstead for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I am a fan of Ashley Winstead's stories, and was very excited to read this upcoming 2025 release. For me, this book was a struggle to get through. The premise was very engaging and the story was well done, but it DRAGGEDDDD and took me over 5 days to finish. I liked how Winstead incorporated the POV of sleuths/armchair detectives, while also highlighting that crimes are part of someone's life and another human has lost a family member/someone close to them. Being a true crime commiseur myself, it's sometimes hard to remember that aspect. Overall, a good story if you can stick through it.

4 🌟

An engaging, fun, and ultimately satisfying novel that will delight any thriller or true crime fan.

Despite being a little cheesy at times, I enjoyed this book a lot; I found the depiction of Jane's grief to be relatable and the twists and turns exciting. There was a little bit of everything here, and it's well worth a read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I really enjoyed This Book Will Bury Me. It was fast paced and kept me engaged the entire time. I wouldn’t have known it was almost 500 pages because of how fast I was able to read it. I really enjoyed how it was written, but I could see how some might not. It was also very similar to real life situations, which some people might not like. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC. I recommend reading when it comes out March 25, 2025.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
WOW this book was SO good. I was completely immersed in the true crime aspect of it.
I will say that the details of the case in the book was definitely inspired by a real recent case. Which I can see why some people have had some issues with that.
That being said it did not affect my review of this book.

Similar to every other book I've read by this author, I absolutely loved my time with it. At no point did I ever think this felt like an almost 500 page book (why so long, Ashley??) and was engaged with the story throughout. I felt the approach to this book felt unique, but the inspiration for the story was almost eerily similar to the recent college murders in the US, the case of which is not even closed yet. Overall I loved this, but the profiting off of very real and very current trauma left a pretty sour taste in my mouth.

"It's the most famous crime in modern history, and only she knows the true story."

Ashley Winstead's 2023 book was one of my top reads last year, so I had high hopes for her upcoming release, This Book Will Bury Me. Fans of true crime will be immediately hooked as we follow Jane and her band of misfit "arm-chair detectives" working together to solve the biggest murder mystery - before the rest of the internet.

This fast-paced story, relatable characters, and multiple twists drew me in. Maybe even more than the story itself, I was pleasantly surprised by the thought-provoking deep dive into the cultural obsession with true crime woven through the decisions our heroine makes.

Fair warning: Ashley incorporated real case tidbits throughout the book, most notably mirroring one that is still working its way through the legal system. That choice made me cringe the most, and may trigger some readers.

Overall, This Book Will Bury Me delivered truly suspenseful entertainment, and I'd give it a solid 4.5/5 stars. True crime fans, add this one to your TBR!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is March 25, 2025.

This book took forever for me to read. The characters were mostly insufferable and I just couldn't get into the story even though I did want to know what happened. Several reviews say this is about a live case in Idaho and even though a bunch of other things happen in the book, and I am sure the twist ending is intended to move the story away from live events, it's a bit icky to take a current, unsolved live event and use it as a plot device.

I guessed the twist before it came.

In the end, this book was okay. Longer than it needed to be. I think if it were 100 pages shorter, I might have liked it more.

with gratitude to netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

*This Book Will Bury Me* by Ashley Winstead presents an intriguing premise with its blend of suspense and literary mystery, but it struggles to maintain momentum. The concept of a book that unravels its reader’s life is fascinating, and Winstead crafts a mysterious, tension-filled atmosphere that pulls you in. However, while the narrative has moments of gripping intensity, it occasionally feels disjointed, and the pacing can be uneven, making some parts drag. The characters are intriguing but not always fully developed, which makes it hard to become deeply invested in their journey. While the book has strong potential, it doesn’t quite reach the level of tension or emotional payoff I expected, leaving me feeling somewhat unsatisfied by the end.

5 stars. Ashley Winstead is an autobuy author for me. If she writes it, I will read it. She's definitely a go to for thrillers and This Book Will Bury Me might just be my favorite thriller she's written. This Book Will Bury Me follows Jane Sharp, a college drop-out who dives deep into the online true crime community after the death of her father. Jane is exactly the type of personality that you would expect to find sleuthing on the internet. She's smart, but also a little naive, and very much struggles to fit in. So the types of relationships she's able to make with people in these chat rooms are perfect for her. And it turns out, she's also quite good at the whole internet sleuthing thing. Jane, along with 4 other online sleuths, make something of a name for themselves by successfully solving several murders that the cops themselves are unable to. So when the crime of the decade (which does have a ton of similarities to the real Idaho college murders) occurs, she and her team are on the case.

There's a lot of discussion about whether internet sleuths bring value to these types of investigations, and also about the public's general fascination with true crime. As stated earlier, the main crime that Jane and her team investigates is the murder of 3 sorority girls at one of their off-campuses houses, which certainly has similarities to the Idaho murders that occurred a few years ago (it is worth noting that Winstead does have a warning at the beginning of the book saying that this is a work of fiction and any similarities to real events are coincidental). Regardless of whether it was on purpose or accidental, given the discussions that Winstead has in the book about true crime, and the Internet's fascination with it, parts of This Book Will Bury Me almost feel a bit meta. I haven't followed the real case, at all. So I don't know exactly to what degree/how inspired by reality Winstead's fiction is, or is not. I do know that there are reviewers that are very critical of the similarities. And fair is fair. You are 100% justified in those opinions, and I can absolutely see this being a reason why many will choose to avoid this book. However, I think that's a personal decision that readers will have to make, and my review exists to talk about the quality of the book as a whole, and not the ethics of it. And the quality of this book as a whole, as is the case with all of the books that I've read from Winstead, is superb. She is SUCH a skilled writer. Her characters, as always, are so well developed. This Book Will Bury me is fast paced, super suspenseful, and full of twists. And that's basically everything I want in a thriller. All in all, I really enjoyed This Book Will Bury Me. In addition to being a great thriller, I also enjoyed the honest discourse about true crime as a genre. Whether it's too close to reality is up to you to decide. Thank you so much to Winstead, Sourcebooks, and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to #NetGalley and @Sourcebooks for the advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. This book publishes March 25, 2025.

4.5 stars rounded up

What to expect in this book:

-Singular POV
-True crime
-Armchair detectives
-Book within a book
-Exploration of grief

Thoughts

Ashley Winstead is an auto-buy author for me and author of some of my favorite thrillers, "The Last Housewife," "In My Dreams I Hold a Knife," and "Midnight is the Darkest Hour" and she is BACK with another hit thriller. Her newest takes place following the unexpected death of Jane Sharp's father. In the wake of her grief, Jane finds comfort and community in a group of online true crime sleuths. Written at times between first person and second person POV, this story follows Jane's involvement in what feels like a real life murder investigation. Based on the Idaho State murders, Jane and her co-sleuths seek to hunt killers in recent mysterious deaths, but Jane gets more than a little involved, resulting in her expose. This book is written in such a way that readers will start to question if it really is fiction.

For fans of true crime, serial killer plot lines, and online crime tracking/tracing, This Book Will Bury Me will quickly immerse you. For a thriller that is over 400 pages I am shocked how quickly I read this and needed to know more. There are no huge or major twists but I loved the pacing and suspense throughout. Several chapters include online chat-like conversations, which makes it feels like readers get to break down the fourth wall and feel involved in the story as it is unfolding. There were times where it feels like these were real crimes. The author shared that she received her inspiration based on the Idaho state case that happened in 2023 and as someone who does not follow true crime super closely, I was able to read this and enjoy it as inspired by true events without it feeling like a retelling.

Ultimately, I think this is the best of this author: suspenseful, tense, interesting, and entertaining. I hope to see this on people's lists for 2025 thrillers. If you love a good compulsive thriller, add this to your list!

Another solid read. It felt a little slow and then the climax came fast but I still enjoyed it! I enjoyed the characters and liked their interactions.

First off, @ashleywinsteadbooks is a dang queen 👸🏼 She could literally write a user manual and I’d read it. She can do no wrong. Second, buy this book in March. This one did not disappoint. The true crime aspect was amazing and I loved that they were internet sleuths. It reminded me of do not f*ck with cats. Anyone remember that doc? You won’t get away when the internet comes to play. It also pulls heavily from some pretty huge murders that happened recently, so it was fun to see what way Ashley was going to go with the book. Let’s just say the ending had my jaw on the floor, it was 👩🏼‍🍳💋

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...

I am a True Crime fan and I really enjoyed this book! If you enjoy True Crime, this book just might be the book for you. This was a really fun and entertaining read. In the middle of the book this does have a slow burn but it is very engaging.

I loved the characters and loved the sleuthing. There are five FBI consultants in Jane's group and I loved their relationships with each other. I also love that even though Jane was a novice she still was a member of the group.

This book captivated my attention. I Loved the cliff hanger endings of some of the chapters. There are lots of layers to the story.

What Jane has to confess will shock even the most seasoned True crime fans. The book is dark and disturbing and it's a page turner. I am a big fan of this author I have loved all of her books.

I want to thank Netgalley, and Source Landmark for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a little touch and go for me but I ultimately enjoyed it!

The book walks you through Jane's descension into the world of true crime and the toxicity of the community. While they believe they're doing good work in trying to help grieving families receive justice, you can also see how they're contributing to the problem of treating these tragedies as a spectacle, forgetting these are people's lives.

Despite the problems they caused, I loved the found family! Jane needed something to cling to after the passing of her father and I liked seeing this band of unlikely heroes using their various skills for good.

I think Winstead does a good job of writing characters you can sympathize with while also disliking them. Yes, I felt for Jane but some of her choices made it hard to root for her at times and I love a character with questionable moral qualities! They feel more realistic that way.

If you're a fan of true crime or even fiction-based true crime, I recommend giving this a try! When reading, I definitely advise you to be mindful of the bits of gore. It's not super often, but when it is mentioned, it's quite detailed. There's also discussions of weight, grief, and the loss of a parent. If any of these topics are triggering for you, I'd advise skipping this.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this arc in exchange for a review!

This book will take you on a wild ride behind the scenes of a group of internet sleuths trying to solve a high profile crime which is modeled after the Idaho College Murders.

I disliked all of the characters, but I'm guessing they were written to be that way intentionally. I did enjoy the twist at the end though, which I couldn't see coming until the characters figured it out for me lol.

This was a roller coaster ride of a book. It kept me on the edge of my seat trying as the serial killer was revealed in such slow excruciating detail. If you want a nail biter - this is it.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this ARC. All opinions are my own

The Good
Surprisingly, I enjoyed the internet forum bits. I like most of the characters and the weird found family they've made for themselves. I think that the suspense of what happened was enough to keep me engaged.

The Bad
This is heavily inspired by the 2022 University of Idaho killings, which feels disrespectful in my opinion. Also, I genuinely could care less for the main character's dad side plot like I'm sorry. I did call who the killer was very early on but for a book to be close to 500 pages long, the payoff was not impactful to make me feel like it was worth it at the end.

Overall, this was a middle of the road thriller for me. I think In My Dreams I Hold a Knife is one of Winstead's better works but this was an okay addition to her backlog.

I really enjoyed all the other books Ashley Winstead has written and would highly recommend In My Dreams I hold a Knife. I have to be honest and say this book did not resonate with me at all. I was very uncomfortable reading it. I knew someone in Idaho at the time of the recent murders and the plot seemed a bit too close to home. Maybe in future years this novel will shine but it felt off to me both in plot and pacing. I will read the next novel by this author as I believe her to be very talented and a great storyteller. Maybe use older real crimes for inspiration and stay away from those we are still reading in current daily news.

Ashley Winstead’s This Book Will Bury Me is an electrifying masterpiece that takes readers on a dark, twisty journey through the world of obsession, true crime, and the blurred line between spectator and participant. From the very first page, I was hooked by the hauntingly raw voice of Jane Sharp, a protagonist whose grief and determination lead her into the dangerous underbelly of amateur sleuthing.

Winstead masterfully captures the internet’s morbid fascination with true crime, immersing readers in a vibrant yet unsettling community of armchair detectives. The pacing is relentless, the twists are jaw-dropping, and the layered storytelling keeps you guessing until the final, devastating reveal.

The novel’s meta-narrative structure—told a year after the infamous Delphine Massacres—adds a layer of tension that builds like a ticking time bomb. Every revelation feels earned, every clue meticulously placed, and Jane’s ultimate confession is nothing short of chilling. While I had an idea of the big twist, this didn’t take away from my rating since it was done so well, and I couldn’t figure out the motivation behind it.

This is more than just a thriller; it’s a poignant exploration of grief, obsession, and the human hunger for answers in the face of unspeakable tragedy. This Book Will Bury Me is a must-read for true crime aficionados and anyone who loves a smart, sophisticated, and deeply unsettling mystery. Ashley Winstead has once again outdone herself.

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.