I love Ashley Winstead, but I am so disappointed.

In My Dreams I Hold A Knife is peak dark academia, and Midnight Is the Darkest Hour reads like Twilight fanfic in the best way.

But, girl… writing a factionalized account of real-life murders, especially when they are so fresh, is pure exploitation. I’ve seen some marketing materials that frame the book like it’s supposed to be commentary on society’s unhealthy obsession with true crime but, if that’s her motive, the hypocrisy is epic. Other authors have made that point without profiting off of the pain of real-world victims and their loved ones.

If this were the first time she did it, I might be less critical, but I read The Last Housewife. I remember feeling like the details of that story were not only disturbing, but eerie… because it was based on the Sarah Lawrence cult.

If I wanted true crime (which I don’t), then I would read true crime. This is almost worse because it pretends to be more noble in pursuit of statement, but it’s too exploitative for me to enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are 100% honest and my own.

For all true crime lovers, this book is for you. Jane Sharp is reeling from the unexpected death of her father & throws herself into unsolved murder online forum. Once there, she is HOOKED. Ultimately she partners with four other amateur sleuths from extremely different backgrounds to assist the FBI solving a gruesome murder on a college campus.

This book is PHENOMENAL. As someone who went down the true crime rabbit hole, this book spoke to me on all levels. ✨

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own

*posted on GR & IG

THIS BOOK WILL BURY ME is a pivot for Ashley Winstead and her most personal thriller yet.
After losing her father unexpectedly, college student Jane Sharp immerses herself in the world of true crime, joining online sleuths who teach her how to track killers from afar. When the shocking murders of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho, make headlines, Jane and her friends race to crack the case, only to uncover a web of deception and danger far more sinister than they imagined. One year later, Jane breaks her silence to reveal the true story of the Delphine Massacres—a confession that will stun even the most seasoned true crime fans.

THIS BOOK WILL BURY ME is perfect for fans of Michelle McNamara's true crime book, I'll Be Gone in the Dark. This book reads more like a true crime thriller (which it is) than a psychological thriller that you may expect from this author. This book is still twisty at times that you won't expect, but the story does dive into a "story within a story" narrative, which is very different than the author's previous thrillers. The pacing is a bit slower, which took me a bit longer to finish, but I do believe that the reason for the pacing was to fully immerse into Jane's world. The narrative about Jane's father was deeply personal, raw, and compelling. You will root for Jane in ways that you won't expect. THIS BOOK WILL BURY ME is entertaining and suspenseful, and fans of this author should prioritize this book when it comes out in March 2025!

This book was quite crazy. I loved the closeness of the real Idaho murder case because it almost felt like a true crime. This kept me so enthralled from start to finish. An Easy 5 stars. If anyone likes thrillers this is going to be my top rec for 2025!

Ashley Winstead never fails to deliver a gripping thriller. Her writing is so compelling, and I'm always sucked right in.

I loved the deep dive into the true crime message boards. If I didn't have so many hobbies already, I could totally see myself getting sucked into this world. Jane's reaction to her father's death was surprisingly relatable, and I totally understood how she used her newfound obsession with true crime as a way to avoid addressing her feelings about her father.

This book was never slow or boring. There was always something new I was desperate to discover, and it was so hard to put down when real life came calling! The steps these amateur sleuths took to identify these killers were fascinating the whole way through.

I'm not going to comment on my opinion of the ending in hopes of avoiding spoilers. Absolutely add this one to your TBR, and once you've read it, head to my blog post to discuss the ending! I certainly have thoughts I want to share.

5-Star Review: A Thrilling, Unstoppable Read

Ashley Winstead’s This Book Will Bury Me is a masterfully crafted thriller that grips you from the first page and refuses to let go.
After the death of her father, college student Jane Sharp becomes immersed in the world of online amateur sleuths. When a series of brutal murders rocks the quiet town of Delphine, Idaho, Jane and her friends embark on a race against time to uncover the killer’s identity. But as the investigation deepens, they discover the true danger may be far closer than they ever anticipated.

Presented as a “tell-all” narrative in the near future, Jane’s compelling voice guides readers through the shocking twists and turns of this relentlessly paced story. The clues unfold with precision, keeping you on edge until the very last page. Though certain scenes may be unsettling and some resemble familiar real life cases, this is balanced by the gripping tension and plot twists that propel this novel at breakneck speed.

Winstead excels at weaving an intricate plot with richly developed characters, especially Jane, whose emotional growth adds depth to the high-stakes mystery.

Dark, addictive, and expertly written, This Book Will Bury Me is a standout read for fans of true crime and psychological thrillers. Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced digital copy—this book is sure to be a hit!

I enjoyed this book . I liked the first half better than the second and I did find the major twist predictable . I’m not sure if it was on purpose that one of the crimes is similar to a recent major real life one.
Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The world of internet sleuthing is so intriguing to me and how Ashley Winstead chose to tell this story; I was not disappointed! I loved how each of her main characters was distinct, and how each came with their own story. The parallels to real-life stories kept me hooked until the last pages. Her choice of villain; OMG! This book will keep you on your toes and make you want to be right there digging online to find the answers. I loved this one!

THIS BOOK WILL BURY ME is a ripped-from-the-headlines true crime inspired thriller told as a Tell All novel. Our protagonist and tell-all author, Jane, channels her grief from her father's recent passing into amateur sleuthing in the online true crime community. It quickly becomes her obsession that leads to an investigation of the murder of three college women in Idaho.

Winstead explores the ethics of armchair investigators and whether they help or hurt when it comes to solving crimes. It was a lengthy thriller but the addictive short chapters kept me flipping pages well into the night. Every character played an important role in Jane's story, the vivid characterizations pulled you deep into the layered plotting and even deeper into Jane's paranoia.

A book within in book is such a uniquely fun format, Jane's footnotes were my absolute favorite part of this read. It completely immersed the reader into the Tell All aspect.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy!

Our main character Jane's father dies unexpectedly and she somehow joins an internet web sleuthing group to solve murders. The main murder case they are following is a murder that is almost exactly the same as the real life Moscow, Idaho murder case. I did not like that the author used this actual murder case as her basis for this novel. It was very off putting to me. This book has a good idea but I don't like the way the story actually played out. This was just okay for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a copy of this book for review.

4.5 stars! What a ride!

At first, this book annoyed me. The way the story was told took me a minute to get into. But once I was into it, I was in! So many twists and turns. I did not predict anything that happened! I also came to enjoy the POV from which the book was written.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ashley Winstead, and Sourcebooks for this ARC!

4 stars!

I absolutely love Ashley Winstead and will read literally everything she writes and so I was so excited when I got the ARC for this! I think where this book really shines is the writing. The author's note in the beginning mentions that Ashley Winstead lost her father recently, and the portions written about grief and moving past a hard loss legitimately brought tears to my eyes.

Where this book didn't completely work for me was the true crime aspect. I thought this became a lot more interesting once we got a little further in the book, but initially the monotony and repetition of the true crime boards wasn't my favorite. I also did guess the mystery, which isn't the worst thing ever, but I always love to be surprised.

That being said, I really did enjoy this book! I read it in basically one sitting because I was so invested in what was going on, and I did truly feel like every character was fleshed out and uniquely themselves.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you so much for the advanced copy! Ashley Winstead is one of the few authors I’ll pick up in the thriller genre, and it was an incredible opportunity to read This Book Will Bury Me prior to the March 2025 release.

To everyone else that has to wait? I AM SO SORRY but also preorder it immediately. Wow. Wow wow wow.

This Book Will Bury Me is a whodunnit written for our generation. It’s from the perspective of Jane, and she narrates and annotates her personal involvement in a national true crime phenomenon: the Delphine (Idaho) Massacres. Jane takes the reader from an ambiguous starting point (her father’s death) to a jaw-dropping finish line (a lottt more death).

Winstead does a great job capturing the world of amateur, online sleuthing and delivering it in a page-turning, morbidly-relatable, and engaging work of fiction. Each character has their own presence and personality - whether it’s someone in Jane’s core group, someone we only know by a username, or someone who plays a supporting role. The details are well-written, and the reader will actually learn a good bit along the way.

I did put things together before Jane does on the page but I also wasn’t mad about it. This one will have you staying up late or canceling plans to finish once you hit the halfwayish point, and then even the last page won’t disappoint.

I’d recommend this for anyone who enjoyed In My Dreams I Hold A Knife, anyone who wants a more adult version of the Truly Devious series, anyone who thinks Ted Bundy is attractive, and anyone who has also let grief steer them in an unconventional direction.

This is shared on my Goodreads

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead is a banger. It’s a clever, complex, eerie, slow burn psychological thriller. The story follows 24-year old Jane, who is reeling from the untimely death of her beloved father. In an effort to find meaning to his life, she becomes increasingly obsessed with investigating true crime online. It’s an insightful take on how easy it could be to become radicalized by the internet. Jane soon finds notoriety and an online “family” within an exclusive group of amateur sleuths. The group of 5 travel together to Idaho to track a serial killer on a college campus, and quickly become overly involved in the active investigation. I found the fictional murders in Idaho to be perhaps too closely related to the very recent real life killings of the University of Idaho students.

I was immediately sucked in by this story. I consider it a slow burn, because at 480 pages, a significant amount of time is spent on character development. There are plenty of twists and ultimately a satisfying ending. This was my first novel by this author, but will not be my last! I will definitely be recommending this to fellow true crime junkies. Pre-order now: estimated pub date 3/25/25 4.5/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This book reads like non-fiction and that is not a compliment. I was looking for a good novel and this gave true-crime vibes. So, I read and had no desire to finish. This is my 3rd book by the author and all three have fallen flat for
me. However, I feel like true crime enthusiasts will enjoy this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy. I wish I enjoyed it more.

I really enjoyed the internet sleuth aspect of this book and the issues and benefits forums and amateur sleuths can have on criminal cases. This book had so much depth with a LOT going on and I could not put it down.

My only qualm about this book was just how close it was to the Idaho 4 case, which is very much fresh and open. It made me feel a bit icky thinking about Madison, Kaylee, Xana, or Ethan’s family and friends reading or hearing about this book. Although the book takes a big twist and has a much different ending, the setting and initial crime similarities were quite similar. I wish the ARC had the authors note as I am sure that would make me feel differently about the similarities.

“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.”

“This Book Will Bury Me” was a compelling read — every time I picked it up, I had trouble putting it down even when I needed to do other things besides reading. I was enraptured by the way Winstead wove grief, friendship, and mystery throughout the narrative. The critique of true crime was done well for the most part, except I didn’t love that the case in the book was based off of a real, ongoing case.

Another problem I had with this book was that it felt unrealistic. I had a difficult time suspending my disbelief for some of the plot points. I also predicted one of the main twists, which made the reading experience a little bit less enjoyable for me.

At the end of the day though, I sped through this and had a really fun time reading it. It’s a book I will be recommending to people who are interested in reading a thriller about the obsessive nature of true crime content and amateur sleuthing.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The rating for this book will be included in my December wrap up on Instagram at the end of the month, and I will post a full review closer to the release date.

“This Book Will Bury Me” is a mystery thriller by Ashley Winstead. I didn’t know anything about this book when I requested it - then I started seeing videos from BookTubers I follow that this book was their most anticipated book for 2025. Oh, maybe I should move it up on my TBR, I thought. I found the idea of this book really interesting - armchair sleuths trying to solve crimes. I’ll be honest - this book wasn’t quite what I expected it to be. This book’s main focus is a topic I have very little knowledge about - armchair sleuths (though recently I read armchair sleuths declined to help NYPD catch a murderer - so that was an interesting “real life” tie-in). So, it was interesting reading how people online can puzzle out things by bouncing ideas off each other and getting information and data mining (social media mining?). I found that part fascinating and I see why people get a rush doing it. I found getting to know the five people in the group Jane was part of was fun - they were like a family group, each with their strengths but also working toward a common goal to solve a crime. The part I wasn’t too thrilled about - and, granted, the summary mentions it - was just how much Ms. Winstead “borrowed” from a recent crime - the four college students murdered in Moscow, Idaho. There were just a number of overlaps that made me feel uncomfortable. Yes, the story does eventually go into a different direction, but for a while I felt like I was reading an alternative reality of the case. However, I will note that the ARC version I read did NOT have an Author’s Note - so I was happy to read a new ARC version that included the note & I now better understand why Ms. Winstead included the crime, but I still wish she’d changed a bit more (like even having it occur in a different state). Overall, I found this book to be a gripping read and rather fascinating on a psychological thriller level - how well do we really know someone on the Internet? I’d recommend this book - as I found myself wanting to read it faster than I did, but I still felt uncomfortable at times regarding the Idaho murder inclusion.

I thoroughly enjoyed this unique POV of an armchair detective! Great character development and engaging storyline.

Jane Sharp’s life abruptly screeches to a halt at the unexpected death of her father. Feeling lost in her grief, she stumbles through those first few weeks bundled in his old flannel shirt and overwhelmed with questions. She seeks out anything he left behind. Treasuring every detail related to her father’s life, she reads through his old online message board posts. While enduring this grief spiral, she stumbles into an online crime solving community and finds herself comforted in filling her days and nights knee deep in a new hobby – as an amateur internet detective. Helping to put the pieces together so justice can be served seems to renew Jane’s purpose in life. But this dopamine high may lead her to a dangerous obsession with crime solving. If only she could help find justice for one more person. And this leads us to Jane’s retelling of the Delphine Massacre written down as her own reflection in the book that she claims, will bury her.

Slow burn. Good book. A lot to unravel.
I think it was beautifully written. Not sure if it's my taste though.