Guess Again is Charlie Donlea’s latest criminal investigation story. It’s a fast paced, convoluted story, with short chapters that flip from character to character and across different time periods. The premise may be a tad unbelievable, but it made for a fast moving, high energy story. It’s big on action, gore and evil characters .
Ethan Hall was a detective until he retired to enter medical school in his thirties and become an ER doctor. But while a detective, he boasted a 100% solve rate. So, ten years after the disappearance of 17 year old Callie Jones, her father, now the governor, calls for the case to be re-opened. And he pulls strings to get Ethan to conduct the investigation.
Ethan also has a complicated back story. His father, also a detective, was murdered. His murderer has been in prison for the last 32 years with Ethan blocking every attempt at the man’s parole.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that these two disparate parts of Ethan’s life will become intertwined. In fact, the main problem with this book is it contained one overused plot ploy after another. Less twists and more like cliches. It was way too easy for me to see where the story was going well in advance.
I am definitely the outlier with my opinion, so check out the other reviews.
My thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for an advance copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
I enjoyed the cat and mouse game with this book.
So many twists and turns.
Ethan Hall ER doctor that used to be a cop is called back into duty to look into the cold case of the governor’s daughter Callie Jones. This book definitely kept me guessing. Thank you Charlie for writing such good books 😊

I am always attracted to a story about a missing person and a cold case. I am also a fan of short chapters, so this was a win for me. It was addictive and I couldn't put it down. You will always be guessing just like the title says.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for allowing me the opportunity to read this as an ARC.

This book has a lot of build up but keep pushing through because the ending is worth it. I love the short chapters. This one gives a lot of “the crazy things someone will do for love”. Suspenseful story, especially at the very end. The last twist I did not see coming! Charlie is always an author to keep an eye out for because all of his books have been great reads.

Charlie Donlea has done it again. And he has done something extra that I will get to at the end of this review.

Ethan Hall gave up being one of the best investigators in the state when the heaviness of the crimes he investigated got to him. He traded his badge for ER scrubs and worked to save lives instead of tracking down people who took them. His relationship with Maddie is going well; his father’s murderer has been refused parole again. Things are going well for Ethan.

But when his former partner and the governor beg him to help with a cold case, one connected to his father’s murderer — a sadistic serial killer — Ethan finds himself embroiled in a plot bigger than he could have ever imagined.

A wild yet plausible storyline? Check. Plot twists? Check. Another winner from Donlea? Check, check, check!

And an opening for a sequel? Yes, he did that, too! Sign me up because Ethan Hall has unfinished business, and I want to see how it ends.

Thank you SO much to Charlie Donlea and Kensington Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I cannot WAIT for another book in this series...please tell me there is one on the way??? I was riveted. The story WHEW, blew me away and kept my attention the entire time. I cannot believe all the things that were going on in this book, but in no way was it hard to keep up with. It flowed nicely and had me glued to my kindle for a few days even with busy end of year school and soccer things happening in our world! I highly recommend this one. I've been on a horror book kick lately and this was just what I needed to read right now. A good police procedural with a twist because the main character quit law enforcement to become a doctor!! This is for sure a book that left me wanting to know more and more and more about the characters involved, so I hope a way is figured out quite soon for a sequel to this one. Thank you so much! Go read it!!!!!!!!

In this newest book Donlea creates nonstop suspense with twist and turns galore. The multitude of characters and dual timelines provided a richly vivid portrait of a serial killers life and the detectives personally entwined with it. As with most of his books, it starts with some gritty scenes (for those who don’t love that) but then levels off and the meat of the story is powerful and addicting. I was completely surprised by the big twist and thoroughly glad it ended with the promise of a sequel. Or so I hope. 🤞

If you’ve never read anything by Donlea you should remedy that. He writes truly excellent thrillers!

Charlie Donlea has done it again! This book was FANTASTIC! He is one of my favorite authors! I absolutely enjoy the suspense. I was on the edge of my seat, wanting more throughout the whole book!

*will post on instagram closer to pub date * GUESS AGAIN by Charlie Donlea ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book had me invested immediately, and every chapter ended on a cliffhanger! The story is INTENSE, my heart rate was elevated, and I couldn’t put it down. I still don’t know how I feel about the ending, I don’t think I love it, which is why I’m taking off a star. This book gives you no breaks to breath, so brace yourself.

Ethan is a former detective turned ER Doctor. After 10 years out of the game, he has been recruited back to work on a disappearance that has been cold for 10 years. Little does he know, this one is going to become more personal than he thinks.

Pub. Date: 7/29/25.

Perfect if you like:
•Suspenseful thriller.
•Serial killer.
•Cold case.
•Short chapters.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
Mood:

🚪: 1 (minimal details but essential to storyline)

I think I just read the first season of my new favorite tv show. My mouth is still on the floor! This was fast paced, with short chapters, and had the best cast of characters I’ve ever read in a book.

Ethan left behind a career in law enforcement to become a doctor. When his old partner comes calling he gets pulled back into a decade old missing person case. Think that’s all there is to this one? Guess again. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

A Wisconsin small town, a 10 year old cold case, and a one-hundred-percent solve rate ex-detective turned ER doc. Sign me up!
In usual Charlie Donlea fashion, this book grabbed me from page 1 and I could not put it down. This story is dark, twisted, fast paced, and the characters are very well developed. As a bonus the ending paved the way for a sequel, and I’m already ready for more of Ethan Hall.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Charlie Donlea has done it again—Guess Again is exactly why he remains my all-time favorite author. This book pulled me out of a months-long reading slump with its razor-sharp twists and breakneck pacing. From the very first page, I was hooked, and the suspense never let up—not even for a second.

What sets this novel apart is how seamlessly it weaves a complex cast of characters and intersecting storylines into one cohesive, satisfying payoff. Every thread matters, and the reveals are so expertly timed that I found myself constantly second-guessing everything I thought I knew.

Donlea’s writing is consistently stellar. He knows how to craft a mystery that’s smart, engaging, and emotionally resonant. I’ve come to trust that every book he writes will be a five-star experience, and Guess Again is no exception. If you’re looking for a thriller that keeps you thinking (and gasping) until the very last line, this is the one.

Thank You Netgalley and Kensington Books for this digital arc!
We follow Ethan Hall, former detective and current doctor, being asked to come back and figure out a cold case. A missing teen girl over a decade ago.
With flashes of the past, the story takes you on an amazing thriller ride. I loved the writing style that left breadcrumbs to the mystery at every other chapter, the character depth and just a smart villain!
Charlie Donlea has illustrated a cinematic thriller and I won’t stop yapping about this for a long time to come!

Wow! Twisty, creepy and fast paced- all the best things you want in a thriller. I was so pleased to get this advanced reader copy and I have flown through it.
Ethan is a detective turned emergency room doctor who is thrust back into police work ten years after a young girl went missing in the hopes of finding what happened to her. From there, there are some dual timelines, narration by unknown characters, police work and prison visits.
A fantastic thriller - and I already can’t wait to see what’s next from Charlie Donlea!

So so good. Thank you for letting me read in advance. Kept me hanging on the edge of my seat. I was obsessed with the storyline.

WOW! Charlie Donlea is an autobuy for me , I’ve loved every single book I have read. Summit lake was my absolute favorite but now it has been replaced by Guess Again. This book is so fast paced, short chapters, dual timelines , and AMAZING STORY! Suspenseful and twisty , this is the exact example of what I look for in a book . Thank you SO MUCH!

This was the second book I read by this author the first one had me staying up late and I couldn’t put it down. This one felt similar, and I would definitely read more by this author. A good thriller if that’s your thing.

My first book by Charlie Donlea. Guess Again is about a cold case of, 17-year-old high school volleyball star Callie Jones. She disappeared 10 years ago and her body was never found. Enter Ethan Hall, once a member of the police force, now ER doctor. Ethan is contacted by his former partner, who now happens to be dieing of ALS, he has been working on this case for the last 10 years, and wants Ethan to take over and find Callie. The story jumps around A LOT, which could be the way this author writes. It had lots of short chapters that always list the DATE and the Wisconsin location that the chapter takes place in. It moves from PAST to PRESENT and LOCATION TO LOCATION. I came to discover that the places and dates are very important. The book had lots of twists, and some that I didn’t see coming. The ending was…………..let’s just say, that Ethan may have to put his career in medicine on hold-as I’m hoping a sequel could be in the works.

#netgalley

Guess Again was my first read by Charlie Donlea, and it delivered just about everything I love to see in a thriller: a decade-old cold case, a small town filled with secrets, suspense, action, and shocking twists that kept me hooked from start to finish.

At the request of the Mayor, and as a last favor to his dying former partner, former superstar detective turned ER doctor Ethan Hall is pulled back into the world of investigation to tackle a cold case that has haunted a small town for a decade. As he investigates, Ethan begins to unravel the tangled web surrounding Callie’s disappearance ten years ago. What starts as a reluctant favor quickly snowballs into a dark, twisty investigation that had me flipping pages late into the night.

There’s just something irresistible about a cold case set in a small town, and Charlie Donlea completely nails the atmosphere in Guess Again. The sweltering summer heat, the hushed whispers of long buried secrets, and that tense feeling that everyone knows more than they’re saying, absolutely brillant.

And the twists? The title couldn’t be more fitting. It fit just as perfectly as a hardcover dust jacket. I kept guessing and second guessing, and Everytime I thought I had the mystery solved,Charlie Donlea yanked the rug out from under me with another unexpected twist.

Let me not even get started on that cliff hanger ending. I just know there’s gonna be another book soon and I can’t wait to see Ethan’s smarts in action again.

Whoa, did not expect the twists in this book! Every time I feel like I figured out what happened, my mind got blown. This is a fast-paced thriller involving multiple cold cases, survivors, and interviews with a potential serial killer. Due to its fast pace, multiple POVs and lots of names, it was occasionally hard to remember who was who. I am glad to know that there will likely be another book based on how this one ended!