I genuinely don’t understand how Brianna isn’t blowing up right now—because I’m fully obsessed. Her writing? Impeccable. Her character development? Next level. And the way her mind works? Honestly, I want to live there rent-free. This finale was everything I wanted and more, and I’m genuinely sad it’s over. But on the bright side, I now get to dive into her backlist like it’s my new full-time job.

If you’re into sibling dynamics, FBI investigations, and serial killers who are disturbingly brilliant, this series is absolutely your vibe. And let me just say—Brianna did the work. The research?? Top-tier. I finished this series feeling like I, too, could moonlight as a forensic linguist.
This was a great read and I highly suggest diving into this series!
3.5 stars and thank you to NetGalley & Thomas & Mercer for the ARC!

The Review: 2.5
**Thank you to Net Galley and to Thomas & Mercer for the advanced copy of this book**
The premise behind this thriller was intriguing (B+), but the execution made the storyline disjointed and difficult to follow (C-). I understand that this is the third book in a series and believe that reading the first two books would have helped somewhat, as backstory and previous character development would have enhanced and clarified significantly. I can also see where this might be a better listen than a read, as so much conversational ping-ponging, with “he said” and “she said” written in every line, made it tiresome to get through. Should the right narrator take this one on, who can manipulate his or her voice without the need for repeated dialogue tags, it may take a different and more enjoyable shape. But as it stands, as an isolated novel and in hard copy, this thriller was not my taste.

☆ARC REVIEW☆
Publication date: May 27, 2025. Available now!


Thank you, NetGalley, the author, and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this was just a bit too slow moving for me. I do think if I had read the first two in the series prior this would have been more entertaining for me. I may give the whole series a go in the future!

I’ve been a fan of this author for quite some time and read all of this series. This is a dark psychological thriller involving three sisters with the kind of family drama nobody would want. The plot included the strange and unique relationships between three sisters with a serial killer. The family drama of these three sisters with multiple identities was distracting. Perhaps I was in the wrong headspace because it was my least favorite of the series. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer (via NetGalley) for providing the opportunity to read this Advance Reader Copy of “By the Time You Read This” (Raisa Susanto, #3), by Brianna Labuskes, publication expected 05/27/2025. These are always my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without expectation of compensation.

Finally breathing easier since her sister, a psychopathic serial killer, is in prison, Raisa can return to her vocation of being an FBI forensic linguist. A letter from her imprisoned sister "foretelling" her impending death gets Raisa's attention. When Isabel is found dead in her cell, Raisa must return to the madness of her sister's world. to solve her murder. After a newly discovered body that mirrors Isabel's murder pattern, the chase intensifies. Has one of the true-crime fans who idolized Isabel decided to follow in her footsteps? Can Raisa solve the case before more lives are lost? It's an exciting chase that keeps your heart beating fast until the end.

I have enjoyed this series however, this book was harder for me to get into.
It felt like a lot of rereading of the sisters from previous stories.
It was about 40% into the story that it started to pick up for me.

Even though I wasn’t thrilled with this particular book I do still like the author and will continue to use to read her stories.

Book Title: By the Time You Read This
Author: Brianna Labuskes

What’s it about?
A woman searches for answers after her sister’s death, uncovering dark family secrets through a series of letters. It’s a haunting psychological thriller about grief, guilt, and discovery.

Favorite Part:
The letter format added an intimate and emotional layer to the suspense. The dual timelines kept the story compelling and layered.

Thoughts on Characters:
The main character’s grief was palpable. Her relationship with her sister felt raw and realistic, which added depth to the mystery.

Would You Recommend It?
Yes. It’s ideal for readers who enjoy emotionally driven thrillers with a strong focus on sibling relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with the opportunity to review this book!

Love this series - I hope it continues. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you Netgalley and Brianna Labuskes for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first book by this author, and I didn’t realize it was part of a series. That said, she did a great job weaving in background information from previous books, so I never felt lost. Overall, I enjoyed the story as it had an intricate and twisted family dynamic that kept me intrigued.

However, I didn’t rate it higher because some parts felt repetitive, and I think the story could’ve been a bit tighter. The dual timelines (past flashbacks and present-day events) made things confusing at first, but once the narrative settled, everything clicked into place.

The ending left a lot open to interpretation, which might not be for everyone, but it mostly worked for me. I’m interested enough to go back and read the first two books in the series. If you enjoy complex family drama with secrets and layered storytelling, I’d definitely recommend this one.

By the Time You Read This is book three in the Raisa Susanto series by Brianna Labuskes.
The author did a great job at creating characters that were well developed and complex.
Their actions helped add to the suspense that was building nonstop throughout this book.
By the Time You Read This is a twist-filled thriller that hooked me from start to finish.
The plot was not only well thought out, but masterfully woven together to create a captivating read. I could not put this one down!

This third installment in the Raisa Susanto series had me hooked from the beginning and it only got darker from there.

FBI Linguist Raisa Susanto and Criminal Profiler Callum Kilkenny return, diving deep into what they do best: decoding handwritten notes and tracking the minds behind them. When Raisa finds a chilling letter on her doorstep that reads, “By the time you read this, I’ll be dead,” she immediately knows who sent it. But this time, there’s a twist—someone else may have finished the job. As Raisa and Callum try to unravel the threads of a familiar web, new spiders begin to descend…and it’s unclear whether they’re predators or prey.

Will they finally be able to step out of this haunting web—or is the trap just tightening?

Thank you to Brianna Labuskes, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for this four star advanced copy of By the Time You Read This!

As of this post - June 1, 2025 - the book and audiobook are available to enjoy for free for Kindle Unlimited members!

Thrilled to have a third Raisa Susanto book (that can also be read as a standalone)! By the Time You Read This has us join forces with Susanto as she works to discover the truth about her sister Isabel, a serial killer who knew she was going to die. In tandem, Susanto is also working a string of seemingly connected murders.

Labuskes continues to write very quickly-paced, thought-heavy plots and characters, both of which combine to make Susanto a likeable MC. The dynamic between Susanto and her colleagues/others remains authentic. Similar to the first two books about Susanto, I was left guessing to the very end, something that I appreciate given the number of murder mysteries and psychological thrillers that have flooded the market.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing thriller, lots of twists, family drama that keeps you hanging all the way through the book.

Won't be my last of the author. Loved it.

This was a tightly paced mystery/thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. I didn’t realize it was part of a series until I’d finished — which only made me more excited, because I need more time with these characters! The dynamics between them were compelling and layered, and I loved how their relationships added emotional depth to the tension of the story. I’m already looking forward to picking up the other books in the series to spend more time in this world.

I have enjoyed this series with the main character, Raisa, a linguist for the FBI. It is interesting to read about how she uses the ways people use words as the method of investigation. This novel is a continuation of Raisa's relationship with her sisters, one of whom is a serial murderer.

I was not as engaged with the plot of this novel as I was in the previous ones. Delaney's actions were puzzling to me, perhaps because it has been some time since reading about her in the previous novel. The other puzzling and somewhat confusing aspect of this novel was the two timelines. The narrative switches from, say day four for Delaney to day one for Raisa. We sometimes read of the same event from different perspectives. In the end it made sense and allowed us to see deception but I do wish there had been a less confusing way to present the events. Do pay attention to the chapter headings indicating which day is being covered.

I am ready for Raisa to be finished with her sisters and go on to a case unrelated to them. I do like this series, however, and will be watching for the next one.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

"By the Time You Read This" by Brianna Labuskes is a thrilling psychological ride that really dives into how far people will go to find the truth. It's packed with just the right amount of mystery and surprising twists!

The book moves quickly, and I loved seeing how Raisa processes her thoughts. Her interactions with the people around her felt super genuine. The mystery was solid, with plenty of believable red herrings that kept me guessing right up until the big reveal of the villain, which completely caught me off guard.

One thing to keep in mind is that Raisa’s and Delaney’s timelines are close but not exactly the same. I got a little confused at one point and had to remind myself to pay extra attention to the dates to see how everything fit together.

Although this book is part of a series with two previous volumes, it can be read as a standalone. Still, I want to check out the earlier books too.

Big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!

I like this the least in this series but I do wonder if this confsusion was intentional; is this the author's way of showing such personalities? I'm always in awe of the author's artistic abilities in storytelling.

“By the time You Read This” is the third installment to Brianna Labuskes’ Raisa Susanto series, and “What did I just read?!” was my very first thought upon finishing. Because right from the very start, this suspenseful story pulled me in and then proceeded to take me on one helluva crazy, twisted ride.

Admittedly, the story’s structure had me a bit confused at first, but once I caught on, it was full steam ahead, and I was hard-pressed to put this novel down. But more importantly, I remained guessing every step of the way.

Absolutely riveting!

I don't know if this is Labuskes's last Raisa Susanto thriller, but if it is, this makes an excellent end to a very entertaining trilogy. Labuskes has created a compelling heroine along with some great side characters. Raisa may think she's put her family history behind her with her serial killer sister Isabel in prison, but a series of murders including Isabel's own death in prison have Raisa desperately searching for a killer and trying to unravel puzzles and secrets. The changing timeline was a little confusing, and I'm still not entirely sure what the point of it was, but it didn't get in the way of a compelling plot. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a digital review copy.

Just like the first two, this book was phenomenally written. Raisa Susanto is an amazing character to read about. Her mind is unmatched and the story and development between the characters and the cases that Raisa and her FBI partner work. While this book could be read as a standalone, it is so much better to get context from the first two (which are just as wonderful). I loved the twists, family surprises, and without spoilers, the events in this book. This reads like a crime thriller on TV, it is fast paced, thrilling, and wonderfully written. Definitely a 5 star read in the crime thriller/ FBI Procedural genre.

Thank you so much to Brianna Labuskes and the publishers for the advanced copy of this book. This review was given freely and voluntarily!