After finishing ‘This Book Will Bury Me’ in 2 days, I have conflicted emotions.
I have read a few Ashley Winstead’s before with success, so I blindly requested the arc for this without too much research… my bad.
Following Jane after the sudden and tragic passing of her father, she discovers the world of armchair sleuthing and true crime.
I actually LOVED the first quarter of this book where Jane is learning about true crime for the first time and we get to experience the curiosity first hand, all while truly feeling her pain after the loss of her dad.
One thing about Ashley Winstead, you cannot talk negatively about her writing because it truly is soooooo good. It’s what kept me flying through and turning the pages.
After Jane and her motley group of amateur sleuths solve a case in Florida, they turn their sights of a triple homicide in Idaho, and try to solve that.
As someone who avidly follows true crime, I try to be as conscious as possible about consuming the media responsibly and in a way that is productive, not just for entertainment. That is the main reason why I am having a hard time with my feelings about this book in particular and how it seemingly circles around the real life Idaho murders.
From what I have researched, the book states that everything is fictional and not inspired by real life events, but it was strikingly obvious that it took partial inspiration from the real life tragedy.
Although I flew through this book and thought it was written well, I struggle with a rating due to my moral conflict.
I will still pick up books by Winstead in the future. I’d also like to look into what others thought and see if others have a similar sentiment to me.

4.5 stars-true crime fanatics, this one is for you! While I hated that almost every chapter ended with a tease, I also loved it because I NEEDED to know what happens next. I loved the ending.

Ashley Winstead’s This Book Will Bury Me is a chilling and compulsive novel that explores the intersection of true crime fascination and personal trauma. With a sharp narrative and deeply unsettling twists, Winstead crafts a story that keeps readers on edge until the final revelation.

The novel follows Jane Sharp, a college student grappling with the sudden death of her father. Seeking solace, she immerses herself in the world of online amateur detectives, forming a close-knit group of sleuths who attempt to solve real-life crimes. When a shocking triple homicide in Delphine, Idaho captures national attention, Jane and her friends race to uncover the truth. However, as they dig deeper, they realize the case is far more complex than they imagined, and their involvement may have dangerous consequences.

Winstead masterfully explores themes of grief, obsession, and the ethical dilemmas surrounding true crime communities. The novel raises thought-provoking questions about the fine line between justice and exploitation, making it a compelling read for fans of psychological thrillers. The characters here are richly developed, each bringing their own motivations and flaws to the story. The unreliable narration adds an extra layer of suspense, making readers question what is real and what is distorted by Jane’s perspective.

This book is perfect for readers who enjoy dark, character-driven mysteries with psychological depth. Winstead’s ability to blend true crime elements with a deeply personal narrative makes this novel a standout in the genre.

Absolutely unputdownable! I loved getting into the characters heads as they are solving the crimes. What a great twist at the end!

I binge read this and, as always, loved the author's writing style and all of the twists and turns that kept me guessing. I was also intrigued by the idea of the true crime podcasters banding together to play amateur detective and try to solve these brutal murders. The biggest issue I had was knowing that the book is based on real murders that took place in 2022 and that the person who has been charged goes to trial later this year. It just felt a little too soon to be reading a fictionalized account, so I was a little uncomfortable while reading. If that doesn't bother you, you'll probably love this one.

Winstead has a way with thrillers and depraved characters...and I'm here for it! This was a WILD ride. So many twists and red herrings. I loved the way this unfolded through online chats in the beginning and letters by the end. So well told, such a fun ride! Definitely recommend!

I’m a big fan of Ashley Winstead’s books and this was a fun, easy read. Theater big twist happened way earlier than I thought it would but it was a good book overall

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eArc in exchange for an honest review!

I loved reading the message board sections. I wasn’t particularly surprised by the big reveal/twist but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of reading! I can’t even really pick out any particular quotes or moments, it’s just an overall solid thriller.

Besides guessing the big twist way sooner than I thought, this was good. It was suspenseful, entertaining, and even though predictable, I had a good time reading it.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley! Feeling conflicted: This book kept me so engaged with a group of armchair detectives solving cases. BUT I didn’t appreciate the real life Idaho case being used in this book as one of the cases this group solves as well as other nods to real life cases.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC

3.5⭐️

This one was a mixed bag. I was gripped by the relationship between Jane and her father in the beginning. We immediately learn that he has passed away. Her grief and denial was so relatable and real for me. I was hooked. Unfortunately, that didn't last. It began to feel repetitive and too long. This was a decent way to pass time, but not my favorite.

Something about writing a book about a very recent crime that has yet to be punished in a court of law…just feels wrong. I realize that half of the crime has been changed to fit the book but all the other matching details felt gross to me. The book was creepy-weird and I was cringing for the main character the entire book. What a mess. The twist was so predictable it didn’t even feel like a payoff. The ending was not great either. This just wasn’t a book I enjoyed. Too bad because I love most of her other books!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

I am a fan of Ashley Winstead’s earlier thriller novels, so I was looking forward to this one as well. This book did not disappoint. This book is a quick read with short chapters, including text messages that read quickly. The story is told from the main character's perspective.
Jane Sharp is a college student when her dad suddenly dies. She is left grief-stricken and decides to leave college and head back home to mourn. She discovers much about her father that she did not know when he was still alive. She is both angry at her dad for not improving his health through diet and medication and also sad that she wanted to know so much more about his life growing up.
During this difficult and sad time for Jane, she comes across a group of internet sleuths that are discovering a recent and shocking new story of three college students in Delphine, Idaho that were brutally stabbed. No forensics were found at the scene. Jane, looking for a distraction following her father’s death, joins this group of armchair detectives working out of their own residences. They are determined to work together to find the killer of these three girls.
The story of the brutal slaying of these three college sorority girls is very similar to the real life killing of the four University of Idaho girls in 2022. The author includes an author’s note discussing the subject matter and its similarities and differences to the real slaying of three college students.
If you are a true crime junkie, one that often listens to true crime podcasts, then this is definitely the book for you. I loved the relationships between the characters, showing their strengths and weaknesses in their investigative work. Originally strangers to each other, they come together to fight crime. Sometimes they get it right and sometimes they don’t which leads them into trouble with the police. This book is both creepy and shocking at times, with a big twist at the end.
Triggers for true-crime events and loss of a family member.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Published on March 25, 2025

thank you to netgalley for the e-arc. i DNF'd at 30%. once i realized how closely this compared to a real life murder, i was out. there must be enough things the author was imagine and put to a page instead of ripping off real people's tragedies.

I hate to give bad ratings to books, but I just could not get through this one. I DNF at 54% unfortunately. This book was just so long and it dragged for me. There was too much filler and not enough of the actual mystery being solved.

*This Book Will Bury Me* by Ashley Winstead is a dark, thrilling ride that captivated me from start to finish. After the unexpected death of her father, college student Jane Sharp becomes obsessed with true crime, joining an online community of armchair detectives. When three college girls are murdered in Delphine, Idaho, Jane and her new friends race to solve the case before anyone else. But as they dig deeper, they discover the case is far stranger than they anticipated, with more questions than answers and a killer who may be smarter than any of them.

Told a year after the shocking events, Jane finally reveals the truth behind the Delphine Massacres, and her confession will leave even the most seasoned true crime fans speechless. The plot is full of twists and turns, with the slow burn of suspense keeping you hooked throughout. While the middle of the book slows down a bit, the storytelling remains engaging and full of surprises.

I loved the characters, especially Jane, who, despite being a novice, proves herself an integral part of the sleuthing group. The dynamics between Jane and the five FBI consultants in her group were fascinating, adding depth to the story. The cliffhanger endings at the end of many chapters kept me eagerly turning the pages, desperate to know what would happen next.

If you’re a true crime fan looking for a dark, disturbing, and thrilling read, *This Book Will Bury Me* is a must-read. Winstead’s unique storytelling and complex characters make this a page-turner you won’t want to put down.

While this wasn’t my favorite of Sdhley’s books, it was definitely enjoyable! I As someone who has lost their father, her grief was gut wrenching and highly relatable so I could totally understand why Jane was sucked into this world as a coping mechanism. I loved the found family/friendships of the book. The mystery was great. I think the hardest part for me was that I don’t really like true crime (too real!) and this one was almost exactly like the reality of the Idaho 4 and that case isn’t solved. I think more distinction to give respect for the family members and friends would have worked better for me.

💭 Thoughts & Feels
Self proclaimed Court TV obsessed over here so there was pretty much no way I wasn’t going to love this book. In My Dreams I Hold a Knife is one of my all time favs and this felt like Winstead brought those vibes back in a new and super current way. I was instantly sucked into this book and wanted to solve the crime just like the web sleuths in this book. I do feel like I would make a good team member for these sleuths because I kind of figured out one of the twists pretty early on but I still needed to see how this one played out. Short chapters helped the pacing on this one. I just kept turning those pages! I also loved the format with the story being told as a tell all book from one of the main characters and I loved the addition of the footnotes (little difficult on the Kindle but would be even more amazing in a physical copy). If you’re a thriller or Winstead fan, you’re definitely going to want to read this one!

🔍What to expect
▫️found family
▫️true crime podcast/documentary style
▫️tell all book
▫️academic setting
▫️web sleuths

👯‍♀️ Read-Alikes
▪️The Night Swim
▪️Listen for the Lie
▪️Things We Do in the Dark

I picked this one up, not really having read the synopsis, only because I liked the author’s last book. This one wasn’t quite as thrilling, but I still binged it in less than two days. As a true crime lover, I liked the plot line and understood all the references made to real cases. I did guess the main twist by halfway through the book, however, so I think I would have liked to be a little more surprised. Also would have heard more about the narrator’s decision to write the book (and how exactly it buried her?), since it was alluded multiple times what a bad person she and her friends were, yet she writes herself as mostly blameless in what happened.

Still a dark, bingeale book and I will definitely continue to read the author’s books in the future!

Thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the chance to read this book!

I actually expected to have some trouble getting into this book, not really a true crime type of person but this book had me hooked from page one! I was so deeply engorged in this story, and the stories of the victims that I felt like i was a part of the forums reading about it in real life live. This is just all around a great book and I loved every word of it! Still not 100% sure what i felt about the ending, He was one of my favorite characters the entire way through!