This book is so twisted and suspenseful. I read this book in one sitting and I couldn’t put it down until the end. Ethan’s character is so interesting. He is a detective and now turned a doctor. Ten years ago, Callie disappeared from the lake community. Upon the request of Pete, his former partner, he investigates the case of the disappearance of Callie, a seventeen year old volleyball star. But the unthinkable happens and with each chapter, more secrets make their way out and a layer of mystery and truth unveils. The deeper Ethan go, the deeper the mystery gets. I didn’t see the twists coming. This book blew me away. The title is so appropriate, nothing turned out to be the way I thought it would be. So, the book will keep you guessing till the end and the revelations will shook you. The truth was twisted and hidden behind so many layers, I mean no one can guess it. This is such a suspenseful thriller with a jaw dropping ending and twists you won’t see coming.

If you love thrillers, do yourself a favour and get this book. You will definitely love it.

Thanks to the Publisher

Five HUGE stars for this police thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I could not get enough of this story and these characters. What a freaking twist that I absolutely did NOT see coming…any of them actually! My only piece of feedback is that when referencing the Pittsburgh Pirates, the ‘h’ is missing from the end of Pittsburgh. Being born and raised there, that is a big deal to us haha.

4+ stars

My first novel by this popular author and I found it gruesome, but captivating in a scary way. As the blurb indicates an ER physician, Ethan, former law enforcement investigator is called upon by the governor to reopen the cold case of finding his missing daughter of 10 years prior. He doesn’t want to but accepts the challenge as the governor has offered to forgive his student loans if he will take on the case.

This novel involves several plot lines actually, one of a serial killer, of whom Ethan’s girlfriend Maddie was once a victim of as a teenager, barely escaping with her life, and of a prisoner whom Ethan is forced to visit in jail against his desires, in order to gather information, as the prisoner killed his father many years back and he detests this individual, sitting in on every one of his parole hearings, offering his protests.

There is a lot going on here and I won’t go into all the twists and surprises, but there are several one doesn’t see coming. if you are a follower of this author you probably won’t be disappointed with this his latest release.

I was provided an e-ARC which I realize is not the finished product and open to editing and changes. In this case I would like to offer my thoughts on what would have made the ending of this novel more enjoyable for its readers. If you haven’t read it yet and intend to, stop here.

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If the only serial killer were Francis instead of him being part of a duo, and he kept it from Hank who was his lover, then Hank discovers what Francis has been doing and is horrified and insists that he stop, this would be a good reason for Francis to kill him. This scenario would have been so much easier to understand and more compassionate for Ethan who suffered so much with the discovery of what his father had done. It is understandable why he broke up with Maddie after his discovery, and if there is a sequel one wonders if she will ever know and how this relationship will end up.

My thanks to publisher Kensington via NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this offering and give it my honest an unbiased review. Get your copy at your favorite retailer on release day, July 29, 2025.

A thrilling book that keeps you turning the pages until the shocking ending. Full of twists and turns and shocks. Brilliant! I highly recommend reading this book!

3.5 stars rounded up. WOW, the number of incredibly evil people who had to all live in neighboring zip codes AND be in contact with each other for this book to work is just….yeah. Look, I was entertained, I will say that. But as with most crime fiction written by men, I was able to skip past pages and pages of gratuitous violence without missing a beat, and the action at the end, which was a lot, was another skim-job…and not a single thread of plot was dropped. This was a decent and quick read, and I do like some crime thrillers, but can be pretty picky about who authors them. I’d read this author again to see how I really feel, but it was no Steve Cavanagh.

When I was chosen to be an early reader for Charlie Donlea’s 2025 release, I nearly died!!! If you’ve read Donlea before, you already know he has some tricks up his sleeve!

A convicted killer’s sinister offer from behind bars breaks open a missing girl’s cold case in dangerous ways. The governor is her father and ten years later he still wants answers to her disappearance.

The story involves a whole cast of characters from dual timelines…. Before the girl goes missing and now. That is all you need to know other than some other mysteries are weaved into the plot. The less you know, the better trust me!!!

Once the story took off, I couldn’t let go! Highly suspenseful and definitely recommend! I loved it!

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I can always count on Charlie Donlea having me sit on the edge of my couch wondering what in the world is going on. He throws these subtle hints to where you think you know who did what. Then a wrench get's tossed and you start back at square one.
I truly thought the coach had done it all. Then like I said that wrench was tossed at me like "Here Irene, think again"
I can honestly say that Charlie is a favorite author. If I want suspense, mystery I know I can pick up one of his books and get that.
There are many POV's so you do need to keep that in mind. Charlie does state the location and the date in which each chapter takes place. I had to go back a few times when I first started reading this book to see which timeline I was on. Please keep that in mind.
The ending was fabulous and has me wondering will there be a part 2??

Thank you Kensington for the gifted ARC!

You ever read a book and have a hard time putting into words just how good it is? That's the case for me with Guess Again. This is by far Donlea's best book yet, IMO!

It felt like every chapter ended on a cliffhanger, but in the most satisfying way. And the chapters are short so you really feel like you're on the edge of your seat the whole time. I also loved that for the first ~20% of the book I kept wondering "what on earth is going on?!" but knowing everything would tie together eventually. And did. it. EVER!

The big reveal was elite. I didn't see it coming, and all the (seemingly unrelated) storylines wove together in a really interesting way. I got major Criminal Minds vibes from it.

I know it's not nice to publicly rave about a book 2 months before it is released, but just trust me on this one and pre-order now!

Guess Again pub date is July 29.

Guess Again is a compulsively readable thriller that delivers smart, snappy chapters and keeps the tension high from start to finish. Don’t read the synopsis, just dive in!

Set in a small town rattled by multiple related crimes, the story centers on the cold case of a missing 17-year-old volleyball star. When a former detective turned ER doctor is pulled out of retirement to consult, old secrets resurface and new dangers emerge, some of them personal.

Told through dual timelines, Guess Again weaves together past and present, unraveling a chilling narrative with the help of a serial killer who provides cryptic clues from prison. With many characters to keep track of, the novel keeps readers guessing; just when you think you’ve figured it out, Donlea pulls the rug out from under you.

With the hint of a sequel, this page-turner is perfect for fans of twisty, character-rich mysteries. Think you’ll predict the ending? Guess again.

READ THIS IF YOU:
-Love small-town suspense with dark secrets
-Prefer thrillers with layered timelines and chilling clues
-Thought you’d figured it out… but were completely wrong

Many thanks to Kensington Publishing for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.
PUB DATE: July 29, 2025

Guess Again by Charlie Donlea
Publication Date: July 29, 2025
Four Stars- ⭐⭐⭐⭐


Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Press, and Charlie Donlea for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Brief Synopsis: Ten years after 17-year-old volleyball star Callie Jones vanished from a quiet Wisconsin town, her case remains unsolved. Former detective turned ER doctor Ethan Hall is pulled back into his detective role by his dying ex-partner, desperate for closure. As Ethan reopens the cold case, he uncovers new leads—including a tip from a prison inmate—that suggest Callie's disappearance is tied to a darker web of secrets, including connections to his troubled past. What begins as a quest for truth becomes a dangerous psychological game with deadly stakes.

It took me nearly half the book to get invested, but once I was, I was fully hooked!

What I liked: The first chapter set the tone for the story. I appreciated the short chapters, the dual timelines, and the multiple points of view. As a midwesterner, I enjoyed the setting as well.

What didn’t work for me:
The chapters indicated the timeline but not the narrator, which made it hard to follow at times. The plot felt very unrealistic, with a couple of unnecessary or forgettable characters. The ending was disappointing, which left me underwhelmed, maybe intended for a sequel?

I liked this book but I wouldn’t say that I loved it. It took me awhile to get into it but once I got hooked I was locked in. I am a fan of shorter chapters so I appreciated how quickly it felt like this book was moving because of the very short chapters.

This book was suspenseful but I thought some of the twists were a little predictable. I like when a thriller truly shocks me and unfortunately this book did not do that. I also didn’t love the ending… it does leave the option open for a second book but I kind of wish it had all been wrapped up in one.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Kensington publishing for the ARC! It was very entertaining, 3.5⭐️

I normally really enjoy Charlie Donlea’s novels but this one was a miss for me.

While I am pro short chapter this book was jumping all over the place. Scenes didn’t stay with characters long enough for the story to properly develop. But then sometimes a new chapter would just start in the middle of the scene. It made the book read choppy and it was hard to get invested in the story.

I don’t know if it was because of this structure or because there was genuinely too much going on but I wasn’t invested and it felt like a chore to finish this one.

What a ride! Guess Again is a gripping, suspenseful thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The tension never lets up, and just when I thought I had it figured out—Donlea flipped the script again. Twists, turns, and razor-sharp pacing make this a must-read for any fan of the genre. I never saw what was coming next!

Reading Journal Details
Book: Guess Again by Charlie Donlea
Format Read: eBook (~352 pages long)
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

My Quick Take Review
This sharply plotted thriller has layered characters, killer pacing, and lives up to the title Guess Again by being so twist-laden that it'll keep you guessing until the very end! Charlie Donlea has completely outdone himself with this one!

My Full Review
Guess Again is a fast-paced, twist-filled thriller with clever red herrings and jaw-dropping moments. Its seamless blend of intersecting timelines, misdirection, and flashbacks kept me guessing and completely engaged.

Short, punchy chapters combined with multiple perspectives adds layers without ever feeling disjointed all while maintaining high tension and strong emotional depth. Ethan, the main protagonist, is whip smart, relentlessly persistent, and full of heart.

I'd truly love to see a prequel just exploring his detective days, as I get the sense it would be an equally compelling story. The other accompanying characters in the novel are just as well-developed, each adding meaningful complexity to this harrowing story. The ending hints at a possible sequel, which I'd love to see and eagerly read if it ever came to fruition. This is hands down my favorite Charlie Donlea novel to date.

I received a complimentary advanced readers copy (ARC) of this highly anticipated novel from Kensington Publishing and NetGalley in return for my voluntary review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are solely my own.

4.5 stars, rounded up. I am already a Charlie Donlea fan, so I was excited to see Guess Again available on NetGalley.. I hesitate to give too much of the plot away- detective turned ER Doctor comes back for one more case…that of a 10yr old case of a missing 17 year old girl. The story is told from multiple points of view and time periods.

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.