https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7575013029

FAB-U-LOUS!!! Literally could not put this book down!

Twisty, fast-paced, and totally addictive. Guess Again follows a former detective drawn back into a cold case involving a missing girl—and nothing is what it seems. With multiple timelines, creepy twists, and a few jaw-dropping reveals, this one keeps you guessing until the very last page.

Rating: 4.5/5 – Sharp, suspenseful, and full of surprises. Perfect for fans of smar

Ready for a wild ride through a dark and twisted criminal investigation?

GUESS AGAIN opens with a hook that ensures you’ll want to know what happens next.

We have a likable main character who is pulled back into a decade-old investigation, and he’s not happy about it. The story is told via past and present timelines, with short chapters and not much breathing space.

The ending gives us closure, while also allowing for a possible sequel.

*Thanks to Kensington Books for the free copy!*

This is my least favorite of Charlie’s books. I didn’t find this that hard to figure out and did so before the book was halfway over. This is one you’ll need to read a physical copy of, I think audio will get incredibly confusing because sometimes chapters are in the same day, a week ahead, 10 years behind, or a year ahead. Things happen with no explanation and you’re really essentially teleported into scenes where you find yourself going back thinking you missed something. There’s a lot of repetitive language, characters changing titles, and things that are just not going to happen in the real world with cops involved. That being said this is incredibly easy to binge,I think I finished it in under 4 hours.

Guess Again had me hooked from page one. When former detective Ethan Hall is pulled back into a cold case, what starts as a search for closure quickly spirals into something darker and far more personal. The pacing is sharp, the twists hit hard, and Donlea nails the suspense. Definitely a must read!

Ah, Charlie Donlea, you should be sitting with only 3 Stars on the horizon. Plenty of potholes lining this one. But ya got me with the New Glarus Spotted Cow Beer. Let's chat this one up.

Ethan Hall is a two-fer. He started out as a detective in specialized cases for Wisconsin. After ten years, the burnout was significant. At thirty-six years old, Ethan tosses that career and went to medical school. He's now a superb ER doctor.

But you can't always outrun your past. Veteran detective Pete Kramer has come calling. He's been working on a ten year old case. It just so happens to be the missing daughter of the present governor. Ethan gets talked into pursuing this case while working his ER shift.

Callie Jones had the world on a silver tray. She'd been accepted into medical school from a prestigious university. She and her friends were celebrating in Summer style. But the last time that anyone saw Callie was when she was driving her father's boat away from an island on the lake. No clues and no body were ever found.

Meantime, a serial killer has been busy depositing bodies along Lake Michigan. He leaves his special markings. Could Callie have been one of his victims? Stay tuned. This one is tied up in giant knots.

Charlie Donlea writes like his hair is on fire. And those flames will always burn in your memory. But Guess Again took more literary liberties than a squirrel stashing nuts away for the winter. Ya grabbed me, Charlie, until that vicious twist came knockin'. It was unbelievable with a capital U. Eye rolling music, please. But all is forgiven as we sniff the air for a possible series in the wind. Will even Evan be able to pull this one off? I'm definitely locked in for that......definitely.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Kensington Books and to the talented Charlie Donlea for the opportunity.

What an utterly good story. What a great thriller. All the 5 stars are worth it!
It all comes together in a master plotted end. I read this book in two days and loved it.
It is an easy written story about a detective which became a doctor. To get away from all the horrible things only to get sucked back jn again. There are a lot of unexpected twists, with a biggie at the end. This is a fast-paced story which is written in a movie-style.
I think the ultimate summer story!

If I could give this more than five stars I would!!! My jaw dropped I stayed up way to late reading since I couldn’t put it down. I loved it! A summer must read!
It’s been ten years since star high school volleyball player Callie Jones vanished from her small Wisconsin town Cherryview, Her body was never found and it soon became a cold case. We meet Ethan Hall a former investigator who is now an ER doctor , and it’s now the tenth anniversary of Callie’s disappearance , when Ethan’s former partner, Pete Kramer who has just been told he’s dying begs Ethan to solve the case and please give Callie’s family closure. He reluctantly agrees to re-examine the evidence he had an 100% closure rate , having no idea that there will end up being a personal link to the crime which took his own father’s life that ended in murder. Soon Ethan’s methods draw him deeper into a twisted psychological game. Because there is much more to the nightmare of Callie’s disappearance than he imagined, a cat and mouse game begins and someone is determined to keep the secrets buried even if that includes more murder.

Charlie Donlea does it again and remains a must-read author for me. As with most Mystery/Thrillers, it is hard to review without spoiling the suspense and twists. Just go in blind and buckle up!

Charlie Donlea does it again and remains a must-read author for me. As with most Mystery/Thrillers, it is hard to review without spoiling the suspense and twists. Just go in blind and buckle up!

Release: July 29, 2025
Author: Charlie Donlea
Publisher: Kensington

Rating: 5 ★ 

A decade after high school volleyball star Callie Jones vanished without a trace from her small Wisconsin lake town, her case remains unsolved and the community still haunted. Ethan Hall, once a detective in the child crimes unit and now an ER doctor, is reluctantly pulled back into his old world when his former partner—now terminally ill—asks him to reopen the investigation for the sake of the family’s closure. As word spreads through Cherryview, hope is reignited. But in the middle of a brutal summer, Ethan quickly realizes that solving the case will take more than revisiting the past—it will require digging deep, taking risks, and confronting painful truths, including a disturbing link to his own past. The closer he gets to the truth, the more dangerous the game becomes.

Charlie Donlea continues to prove why he’s one of the best in the thriller genre. Guess Again is a fast-paced, twist-filled mystery that grabbed my attention right from the start and didn’t let go. The story follows Ethan Hall, a former detective turned ER doctor, who is pulled back into his old life when asked to solve a cold case involving the missing daughter of Wisconsin’s newly elected governor. With a 100% solve rate in his former career and a deeply personal connection to the case, Ethan’s return to investigating quickly becomes more than he bargained for.

The plot is layered and intricate, full of red herrings and shocking twists—some I saw coming, but many completely blindsided me. Donlea does a great job weaving past and present timelines while maintaining the suspense throughout. I appreciated the short chapters and fast pacing, which made this a super quick read despite its complexity. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, and while not all of them felt deeply developed, the sheer momentum of the story kept me engaged.

The final twist is one of the most memorable I’ve read in a while—Donlea really leans into the title here. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out… guess again. The ending was intense and left the door wide open for a possible sequel, which I’m definitely hoping for.

If you’re into cold cases, serial killers, or thrillers with a psychological edge and a touch of emotional depth, Guess Again should be on your list. It’s easily one of the most compelling thrillers I’ve read this year.

Favorite Quote:
"she found a bench near the water, took a seat, and pretended to scroll through her phone while she looked for anyone who might have followed her. She saw no one. Finally, she stepped back onto the walking path and made her way to a little free library. The stand looked like a large birdhouse.. The triangular structure was perched on an oak pole and housed a variety of free books for anyone to take."

Thank you so much Kensington Books for the gifted ARC!

4.5 stars

WOW- Charlie always finds a way to blow my mind, but this is definitely his best one yet!

I don't know he managed to take so many different timelines and perspectives and weave one of the wildest unsolved murder mystery stories I've ever read, but he absolutely NAILED every single detail!

If you love short chapters (most two to three pages), multiple timelines, insane characters you won't soon forget, then this one is definitely for you!

I feel like this could have been so confusing because there were SO many moving parts, but somehow he made it all so easy to follow and understand. That is not easily accomplished!

I can't wait to see what he accomplishes next!

This was the surprise of the week for me and what a pleasant surprise it was. Another "new to me" author and so I went into this ARC with absolutely NO expectations.

I love most genres and tend to hop around from one to the other fairly regularly, but had never even heard of Mr. Donlea before. I will say that once I started this book, I could NOT put it down. The pacing on this book is excellent, with short powerful chapters that found a way to grab you early on and pull you into the story.

This story is told with multiple POV's and also has different timelines. The basic plot surrounds the disappearance of high school senior Callie Jones 10 years ago in a case that is still unsolved. The case is reopened by the victim's father when he is elected as the new Govenor. In another odd scenario, we meet the MMC Ethan Hall who was a former detective turned ER doctor when he left law enforcement to escape the horrors of the children's crime division.

The story is compelling, unfolding as Ethan begins to investigate the case, with snippets of the actual events in the past thrown in intermittently. I can usually follow along and figure out the "killer" in advance in most books, but I will be the first to say that I do not think anybody is going to figure this one out. The minute you think you understand what is happening, something changes. I was seriously hooked, trying to keep reading to figure out WHAT THE HECK was going on.

There are twists upon twists, but they are NOT thrown in like so many of today's books are -just to get a reaction, or a twist thrown in that completely goes against the rhythm of the story. These crazy events end up tying up all of the loose strings that have been thrown out during the story, somehow making things make sense, yet never in any ways that you were thinking.

Seriously, this book made my jaw actually drop open, and then had the gall to leave an open-ended ending, which means.....yep, you guessed it....there looks like there is going to be a book 2 in this series. And for once, I'm not even annoyed. I just think that next time I am going to go in expecting some serious drama because THIS bad guy, well, he is REALLY bad.....

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. This book will be out for publication on July 29, 2025.

This is my 2nd Charlie Donlea book, and I would say it did not disappoint. I love it so much but there was one thing I hoped had more answer.

It stemmed with a story that an ex special agent was hired to investigate a crime that happened a long time ago, and the person who hired him is the father of the missing girl. There were no leads before, but as the ex special agent visits the facility where his father's killer is situated, more and more clues are starting to come into the light. But as more clues arise, the killer wanted to be transferred to another facility.

The plot was engaging. It was packed with feelings and it would feel as if you are also part of the special forces. The twists was unexpected, I thought it was this person but in reality it is someone you wouldn't expect.

But there was one tiny bit of disappointment. It stemmed from a reinvestigation of a crime, but it more on revolved on other things that happened after the disappearance of the child who was the reason why the investigation happened again. The ending had a closure of the disappearance but I felt like it did not state more about what happened. Hoping next time there would be more explanation of the very reason why the investigation happened.

BUTTT!! Please let there be a 2nd book, the ending was hanging and I need to know what will happen next. Pleaseeee

4.5 stars | Charlie Donlea's "Guess Again" is a brilliant display of suspenseful storytelling, From the start, I was completely absorbed in a narrative that skillfully weaves together multiple compelling threads: a young girl gone missing for a decade, and the unsettling story of a convicted cop killer with a strangely dedicated female fanbase. But then there's the truly baffling element: a serial killer, seemingly behind bars, yet somehow possessing knowledge of events that occurred while he's been locked up for years longer than the missing girl's disappearance. This immediately had me questioning: Is he truly behind bars? Does he have help on the outside? Or, was he even the right guy to begin with?

What truly sets this book apart are the twists – and oh, do they deliver! Donlea is an absolute magician at misdirection, expertly laying out clues only to reveal them in an entirely new and shocking light. I found myself constantly theorizing, trying to connect the dots between the missing girl, the killer's motives, and the strange allure of the imprisoned cop killer. Just when I thought I had a handle on things, the narrative would pivot, forcing me to "guess again" at every turn. The central mystery of how a killer, incarcerated for so long, could know details about a girl missing for only a decade, was a brilliant hook that kept my mind racing. If you're a fan of intricate psychological thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat and deliver genuinely surprising, well-earned twists, "Guess Again" is an absolute must-read. Just be prepared to have your theories shattered – in the best possible way!

With that ending, this better be a set up for a series??? Cause DAMN. Hooked from the beginning and sped through the last 40%. I’m usually never good at guessing twists so I’m curious to see if others can figure it out lol

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC.

I was so excited for this book because I seem to love me some Charlie style writing. He always has a way of pulling me in, completely immersing me in the story. I couldn’t put it down and found myself constantly thinking about where the plot was headed. There were truly some shocking twists that caught me off guard. At times it felt like a stretch with some of the directions he chose in this one, but overall, it was a solid and enjoyable read!

Holy smokes! The title of this book could not be more fitting, because just when you think you have it figured out… Guess Again!! I was deeply invested in Ethan and Maddie, and the complex history that they each brought to the story. This was an extemely well-executed novel that brought everything to the table, deftly weaving intrigue, romance, fear, and complicated characters together into an explosive, cliffhanger finale. Sign me up for the next one!

This book was everything I expect from the author and more! He always delivers the most insane twists that I can never predict! Guess Again is a top tier thriller that starts off strong and doesn’t let up until the final twist! The tension in the book had me so stressed out, waiting to see how it would end! The short chapters 🙌🏼 made it impossible to put down! I was on high alert the whole time, sure I could figure it out! But Donlea nailed the title, Guess Again, because this book had me doing just that! I know if I need a thriller that will deliver, get me out of a slump, or something to binge, Donlea will provide that!

I have been (and always will be) a Charlie Donlea fan!

The opening line of this book hooks you. I liked the back and forth. This book went through multiple views, yet also had one MAIN view that it kept coming back (Ethan.)

Ethan is an ER doctor, but preciously a DCI Agent. When the big wigs ask him to come back to detective work to work a 10 year old case, he had no idea how in depth and involved it would really get INTO HIS OWN LIFE

Great story - did NOT see the ending coming!!