Ethan was a special agent in the crimes against children’s unit until he burned out now he’s a physician. His story happens in Wisconsin. I love it when the book title actually relates to the story and this surely does. It kept me guessing and revising my theories until the end. The twists and turns of the plot weren’t predictable. I liked Ethan and found his story relatable. There was a serial killer in Ethan’s past and his crimes left a lingering effect on families and a surviving victim. It was a cat and mouse game til the end with plenty of drama and suspense throughout. There were many characters I enjoyed and would happily read more about. Thanks to the author and to Kensington Publishing (via NetGalley) for providing an Advance Reader Copy of “Guess Again” by Charlie Donlea. Publication date 07/29/2025. The thoughts and opinions are mine given honestly without compensation.

I would give this a 3.5-3.75

It was good and there was a lot of twist and turns that I did not see coming. Especially at the end, a jaw dropping secret comes out.

But in also felt it was a little busy, too many characters thrown in and I had questions as to where one of the characters came from, how she fit into the story. It ended like there will be another one, maybe it will come out then.

Overall it was a fast paced book and it kept me interested.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the gifted eARC to read and review.

Unfortunately this one was a DNF for me. I was 30 percent of the way through and just could not get invested. 😔

Cold case? Check. Twists I didn’t see coming? Double check. I was hooked. If it’s written by Charlie Donlea, I will read it.

Ten years ago, 17-year-old Callie Jones vanished without a trace. Now, her case is reopened, and former detective Ethan Hall is brought in to uncover the truth.

There are a lot of characters in this one, and I’ll admit it took me a while to get the hang of things. But once I did, I was all in. The dual timelines (past and present) worked well, and the twists? Plentiful, shocking, and exactly what I was hoping for in a cold-case mystery.

This was an entertaining, layered read that kept me invested from start to finish.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing | Kensington for the ARC.

I have read most of Donlea's novels and was thrilled to get the chance to add this new one to my list. CD is a master craftsman in the genre and makes his books remarkable with his finely tuned writing skills. I loved this mystery and the characters who populated it.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

charlie does it again! i just love the way that he tells stories and how the pieces just keep slowly coming together as more and more gets revealed. this one was twisty and kept me guessing, and the ending has me thinking and hoping that maybe there will be a sequel!

I really enjoyed this book and am glad it seems there will be a follow-up!
Ethan Hall had a 100% closure rate when he worked for the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation, but working crimes against kids wore him down and he decided to change paths 10 years ago and became a doctor so he could save people instead of showing up after it was too late. But his former partner is facing retirement with one of the first cases he worked on after Ethan left for medical school still hanging over his head: the disappearance of a 17-year-old girl. Ethan reluctantly agrees to look into the cold case, not realizing what other "ghosts" from the past may be unleashed. I liked the characters, and the plot moves at a good pace with lots of action. I always like a mystery that I can't quite figure out, and this one has some good twists that stumped me!

I loved Ethan as a main character, both as a doctor and a former, reinstated detective. The storyline is layered with suspense and twists as Ethan learns the truth of what happened to Callie Jones. Fans of mystery thrillers and crime thrillers will enjoy this book.

I absolutely loved this book. Charlie Donlea is a master of twists and turns, but he also really did his homework on Wisconsin. Lots of small details like Culvers, New Glarus, etc. really made the difference for me. The mystery kept my attention, and I'm dying for a sequel. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Callie Jones was a volleyball star who disappeared over ten years ago, she has never been found. Her case went cold and now her father wants it to be looked into again. Ethan Hall was a detective and then decided to change jobs and.become a doctor. Ethan's former partner, who is dying, has asked him to look into the case and see if he can solve it. Ethan agrees to look into the case and starts to gain traction after getting some clues from a convict in prison. As the pieces start to fit together things start to get dangerous. Dive in and see if Ethan can solve the case before he ends up in trouble or dead.

I really hope we see Ethan again because I was not ready to say goodbye. This story dragged me in and never let go. This is one of the best mysteries I've read this year. I am never disappointed by this author.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I always enjoy this author and the twisty nature of his stories. The main character Ethan Hall is a really good guy. He was on the police force, like his father for about 10 years, with a 100% solve rate. But the police work is dark and he saw lots of bad things when it was too late to do much about them. So he went to medical school and became an emergency room doctor.

Now the new governor, Mark Jones, wants him to lead the cold case of his daughter's disappearance many years ago. Ethan's old partner is dying and wants him to look into it. Reluctantly, he agrees.

Unfortunately, he ends up needing answers which are held by his father's killer, Francis Bernard, who has been in jail for 32 years. Ethan testifies at each parole hearing which keeps him in jail. His girlfriend, Maddie is the only known victim to escape him. All Bernard's other victims were young women. Maddie is a detective in the Milwaukee police department.

All of a sudden Ethan and Maddie are chasing after clues which Francis has directed. He agrees to give some information only if he is moved to a different prison. During the transfer, he escapes and goes after Maddie again. It's a dangerous and frantic time.

I was worried as soon as it felt like Francis was leading them around by the nose. They solved the case and it was so mind bending.

Fast chapters and changing perspectives and enough reveals that this one is hard to put down, and an ending that had me hoping there is more to come from these characters- they were a fascinating bunch. Charlie Donlea has a really particular style in this way, and it really works for me. This one was set locally to me, and it felt like the author had done enough research to do a decent job with the specifics of places he referenced, which was a nice bonus.

Guess Again by Charlie Donlea was a great read.
This book really kept the suspense alive and going.
I thoroughly enjoyed this riveting suspenseful story. .
Guess Again has the right amount of plot twists, great characters, and the writing is just intriguing.
It was hard to put this one down because the writing was fantastic!

Thank You NetGalley and Kensington for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Some books entertain you. Some thrill you. And some grab you by the throat and whisper, "You're not going anywhere until I’m done with you.” That’s exactly what Guess Again did to me.

It starts with a girl. A high school athlete, full of hope, desire, and trust. She’s in love. Or at least she thinks she is, until you realize she’s not just any girl, and he’s not just any guy. He’s her coach. And that scene? That moment? It broke something in me. Because I’ve seen what power can do when it’s abused, and Donlea doesn’t shy away from showing you just how quietly, and how deeply, those wounds can run.

Fast forward ten years. That same girl, Callie Jones, has been missing since 2015. Her case went cold. Forgotten. Buried. But now her father is the governor, and her name is being whispered again in the halls of power, and in the mind of a dying man.

Enter Ethan Hall, a former special agent turned ER doctor. He left his career in law enforcement to escape the darkness, but it finds him again in the form of Pete Kramer, his old partner, who’s battling ALS and time. Pete’s last wish? For Ethan to investigate what really happened to Callie. Not just read the file. Solve it. Because Pete can’t let go. And now, neither can Ethan. Neither could I.

This book is a maze of pain, secrets, and moral compromise. And at the center of it is the question: How far would you go to protect the people you love, even if it costs you everything?

But what really wrecked me wasn’t just the mystery, though Donlea plots it masterfully, with a trail of breadcrumbs that feels both inevitable and impossible to predict. What hit hardest was the emotional weight: the slow crumble of Pete’s body, the guilt that Ethan carries like a second skin, and the sheer heartbreak of watching lives unravel in the wake of unanswered questions.

Then there’s Eugenia! A woman so consumed by her obsession with a convicted killer that her love turns monstrous. Her chapters made my skin crawl, but also reminded me how lonely people will latch onto anything that makes them feel seen. Even darkness.

Donlea doesn’t write caricatures. He writes people. Complicated, broken, hopeful, terrified people. And in Guess Again, he reminds us that justice isn’t always a courtroom verdict. Sometimes it’s found in the quiet determination of someone who refuses to stop asking questions.

For me, this is easily Donlea’s most emotionally charged book yet. Haunting. Gripping. Devastating. And when I turned the last page, I just sat there, completely hollowed out.

If you’ve ever loved someone so much that you'd tear open old wounds just to find peace for them, this book will speak to you. And it won’t let you go.

I would recommend going in blind, but in case that isn’t your cup of tea, it won’t ruin anything (I just think it gives away too much).

I loved the short chapters, the intricate storyline, and the multiple whodunits. The pacing was perfect, I always felt engaged, and there were always interesting things happening. To some, though, the sheer number of characters and concurrent events may be a con. There were admittedly a lot of characters to keep track of, though I didn’t feel it was ever confusing. Each chapter does start with the date and location, but honestly, you can disregard. You will get a feel for the location once you start the chapter, and the story moves in chronological order, with the exception of the excerpts from 2015, which are clearly different.

This was the perfect amount of suspense, mystery, action, and was packed with twists. I enjoy Donlea’s writing and concepts, and his newest is no exception.

Thank you Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Guess Again” by Charlie Donlea is an absolutely addictive read! I devoured it in one sitting because I simply couldn’t put it down. From the very first page, the tension hooked me and never let go. The cold case element was brilliantly woven, filled with unexpected twists and turns that had me gasping out loud more than once. Every time I thought I had something figured out, Donlea pulled the rug out from under me in the best way possible.

What really stood out was the intricate plotting and pacing nothing felt wasted or predictable. The narrative alternates seamlessly between past and present, gradually peeling back layers of secrets while keeping you guessing until the final pages. The suspense builds with such precision that it’s impossible not to stay glued to the story.

I also loved how Donlea’s writing balances sharp, investigative detail with an emotional depth that makes you deeply invested in the characters and their fates. It’s everything I want in a thriller: shocking revelations, relentless pacing, and a perfectly satisfying conclusion that ties everything together.

This is easily one of my favorite thrillers of the year and a perfect example of why Charlie Donlea is a master of suspense. If you love cold cases, jaw dropping twists, and stories that refuse to let go, this is a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Charlie Donlea book, I had heard his books were good, and the hype is definitely real, what a great book for my first one. I really enjoyed this book and there were some great twists to the storyline. I will definitely be reading more of this author’s works.

Ethan Hall is a former detective who retired because he needed to leave the horrors of his job in the kid crime division behind and move onto something else, something positive; so he became an ER doctor saving lives . Ethan’s old partner Pete, comes to him and asks for his assistance on the 10th anniversary of a missing case that has haunted him for all these years; 17 year-old Callie Jones a star volleyball player went missing from her small quiet lakeside town. Her body has never been found and there has been no trace of her since.

Ethan agrees and signs on to help, but as Ethan re-examines the old evidence he realizes he needs a new way into the case. Ethan decides to interview the original characters and try to find something new something that will lead to Callie’s location, or if she is dead, her killers identity.

Meanwhile, Ethan, who has just appeared at the parole hearing for his late police officer fathers murderer, goes to visit the man, Francis, in jail after the hearing to tell him that he will never stop and that he will not be getting out of jail. But while visiting this man, Francis reveals that he knows something about the Callie Jones case. Ethan has to decide if this is a lead worth following and as he tries to solve the disappearance from ten years ago, he will find things aren’t always what they seem.

Thank you to Netgalley, Kensington Books and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This was my first Charlie Donlea book and definitely won't be my last! I flew through this book - the short chapters with varying perspectives and alternating timelines kept things moving, but also proved to be slightly confusing at times. I also really enjoyed the WI setting as many places felt familiar to me. Overall this was a super entertaining, bingeable thriller - I will definitely be reading more from this author!

5/5 stars!!

Thank you Kensington Publishing for the advanced reading copy for book club!!

This book was such an easy 5 star for me! What a fun mix of thriller, mystery, suspense and police procedural!

There were lots of characters and location jumps, which could be tricky at first but became soooo worth it. It was SO FUN reading about Milwaukee/Madison locations, especially ones that are only a few streets away from where I live! My one and only complaint is that the distance to things felt a little unrealistic and like an unnecessary barrier at times...but this was something I noticed after reading, rather than during, so it wasn't distracting!

Honestly, I had so much fun reading this book from the first and last page. We love a revenge story, and there was a good amount of that, for sure. There was a ton of action, which lots of shocks, surprises and twists. AND THAT BIG TWIST ????!!!! I was honestly floored, and that doesn't happen often.

I could not stop reading once I started, and I am THRILLED by the cliffhanger ending... hoping that means more of this story to come!