I was so graciously given an ARC of this title

Wowwwwwww this book was so good. Definitely a Charlie Donlea CLASSIC. I could NOT put it down.

Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Charlie Donlea can do no wrong. His writing immediately immerses you in the story and doesn't let go anytime soon. What a ride "Guess Again" was.

Ethan Hall, un exdetective convertido en médico de emergencias, dejó atrás la policía después de enfrentarse a los horrores del crimen infantil. Sin embargo, un viejo compañero de Ethan le pide que le ayude a resolver un caso. La desaparición de Callie, ocurrida en una tranquila comunidad lacustre de Wisconsin, nunca fue resuelta, y su cuerpo jamás apareció.

A pesar de su felicidad en su nueva vida como doctor, Ethan acepta el desafío y se adentra en un oscuro y peligroso juego psicológico. A medida que avanza en su investigación, descubre que la verdad detrás de la desaparición de Callie es mucho más compleja y aterradora de lo que imaginaba, involucrando secretos del pasado de Ethan y una serie de intrincadas mentiras que podrían costarle la vida.



Necesito el siguiente libro.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5⭐️ YET AGAIN!! I would gladly read Donlea’s shopping list at this point lol every single book by him that I’ve read has been pure genius.
I absolutely LOVED this book - a thriller with grit and a true detective style mystery with twists I didn’t see coming (and I read a lot of thrillers).
I thought the plot was well paced and the flow of the narrative felt great, not too rushed or too plodding. I think Ethan’s detective cum surgeon personal narrative was interesting and I liked that the ending wasn’t the perfectly wrapped gift. It felt more real.
A strong thriller and a must read

I discovered Charlie Donlea about two years ago and he has become one of my favorite authors. This book doesn't disappoint and it is well written and amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I have loved Charlie Donlea’s work beginning with the first book of his I ever tried, and this book is no exception. It is very well written, easy to read, and kept me engaged from start to finish. I definitely would recommend this book to others!

Just got to read "Guess again" by Charlie Donlea and oh my god, what a ride it's been.

This thriller is set to be released on the 29th of July, you better read it!

Ethan Hall went through medical school at a late age and is a doctor in the ER now. After being an agent with the DCI in the kids crime unit, he needed to retire so he wouldn't lose his marbles. With a 100% success rate on closing cases Ethan was very good at his job, but catching a Killer still meant a kid was dead.

Working the ER, where he could actually save lives was somewhere he was meant to be, until Pete Kramer came knocking. Pete being his old partner at the DCI, and now diagnosed with ALS has one dying wish. To solve that one case, that has haunted him for 10 years. The disappearance of Callie Jones, the daughter of now governor Mark.
With his success rate and the reopening of this cold case, Ethan had agreed to look through the files.

Francis Bernard, convicted of killing a cop named Hank Hall has requested parole. But at the hearing he gets denied. That has set some things in motion. When Ethan visits the day after the hearing to tell Francis he'll do what he can to keep him incarcerated, Francis dangles a fact in front of Ethan. He knows who killed Callie Jones and where her body rests and where kidnapping victim Portia is being held. But to get that info, he wants to be transported to Gen-pop. That's when the shit hits the fan.

Mind boggling this book, I didn't see it coming... It actually didn't make sence until it made sence. Which I absolutely love in a book.

This one was a solid 5 stars!

In Guess Again, Charlie Donlea delivers a gripping psychological thriller centered on former detective-turned-doctor Ethan Hall, who is reluctantly drawn back into the decade-old disappearance of Callie Jones. As he reopens the case, Callie’s best friend, Lindsay—now a psychologist running a confidential online therapy platform—receives a chilling anonymous confession: “I killed Callie Jones.” As the investigation unfolds, long-buried secrets resurface, putting lives at risk and uncovering shocking truths.

This was my first book by Charlie Donlea, and I devoured it. Fast-paced, twisty, and full of suspense, Guess Again kept me hooked from start to finish. The psychological depth, compelling characters, and unpredictable turns made for a fantastic read. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early release copy in exchange for an honest review.

What I liked about it:

How the main character was a former special investigator who had retired and was now working as an emergency doctor, both interesting careers that offered useful knowledge and expertise

The two timelines merging past and present day cases together

The pacing of the book was quick and had a strong forward momentum from beginning through end.

There’s lots of characters, storylines, twists and turns all going on at once that offers a chaotic read full of surprises.

What didn’t work for me:

Although I found the storyline and characters interesting there was something that missed the mark for me, it was my first time reading this author and it may just be the writing style or dialogue that didn’t quite align with my typical reading preferences? I’ll try more by this author to figure out my thoughts!

Thank you for the gifted copy, publish date is July 29th 2025

Guess again is a thrilling story of two crimes and how they we’ve together. Ethan Hall, a retired detective turn Doctor, is reached out to solve a cold case. Solving a cold case is hard enough, but having it weave into your personal life, that’s a whole different story.

Overall, this was a really great detective novel. The twists kept twisting. The quick pace pushed me to keep reading on, even when I was so tired. There were a wide range of interesting characters to get to know, but not enough characters where you felt overwhelmed. No one was hard to track or follow along with their story arc. What was clear when I reached the end of the story is that the author is obviously talented in creating a thrilling web for a reader to try to unpack.

This would’ve been an easy four or five star read, but there were so many piddly things that annoyed me. All of these little things, added up to bigger issue that took away from the story. 

The fact that every official government department was spelled out so clearly. Did I really need to know?  Someone could just be a detective, we didn’t have to say every single time Milwaukee police department detective of the highest degree. Or the Wisconsin Department of investigation special agent, Ethan Hall. (I’m being dramatic here but I hope you get my point. ) it was a mouthful every time. Spell it out once, then use the abbreviations.

Also, all the chapters had the full name of the city and state which felt a little annoying. How clearly we are pointing out that this town was near this town, which is near this town, which is far away from this town, which is north of the capital, Madison. Maybe it’s extra annoying because I’m from Wisconsin? I feel that other authors don’t need to pull so much specific knowledge. From outside perspective, it wouldn't feel relevant for the reader.

Speaking of being specific, describing overly in detail of where the veterans museum is, compared to the walking path, compared to the little library. It all felt overdone, unnecessary. 

Again, I could be biased due to how familiar I am to Wisconsin? Anyone else feel that nagging sense of almost, “get to the story!” it was the most distracting part of the novel.

Hopefully by the time this is published a lot of this is simplified and cleaned up. As this is my first time reading this author, I’m not sure if this is the norm. Again, a great thriller you could eat up in one sitting if you wanted. I would recommend this for anyone who wants an excellent detective mystery.

Amazon Link - Guess Again By: Charlie Donlea
Stats: 352 pages - Expected publication July 29, 2025

**Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Guess Again is a perfectly titled book in which Ethan Hall, retired detective turned doctor (and pilot), is asked to look into a 10-year-old missing persons case. Things start to unfold and he finds himself getting most of his information from the man who killed his father and attempted to kill his girlfriend. If it sounds wild, it’s because it is.

I find that thrillers aren’t so much for me these days and I think it’s because I trust no one and suspect everyone. So for me to enjoy a thriller, the motive has to be interesting and I have to love the outcome. This one was pretty good for me. Not my favorite but the way other things unfolded kept me engaged. I was shook until the last page. I also enjoyed the cast of characters in this even down to the murderous crazy ones. They were fleshed out well which is typical for Charlie Donlea and the reason I will continue to pick up his books even though my thriller era has ended.

Overall, this is a fun, fast-paced thriller that I think anyone who enjoys thrillers would love. I would even recommend ANY Charlie Donlea novel. The best one, in my opinion, is Twenty Years later.

Thanks so much to Net Galley and Kensington Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy of this book! :)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

Charlie Donlea is one of my favorite authors, and this book is immensely fast-paced and readable. Former investigator-turned-doctor Ethan is basically dragged back into an investigation that has ties to his family. I didn't love the main villain and there were just a few too many red herrings that sometimes were difficult to keep straight. The book had a way out-of-left-field ending twist that definitely surprised me and that I wished had a bit more time to understand how it all came together. I'd give this 3.5 stars.

One of the best thrillers I’ve read in a while! Guess Again is packed with twists that will keep you guessing until the last page. The characters are complex and I was invested in the storyline from the beginning. Donlea’s writing is sharp, suspenseful, and perfectly paced. If you liked Look Closer you will love this. Highly recommend!

4.5 stars. A retired special agent turned ER doctor is asked to look into a cold case of a missing girl. There are a lot of moving parts with intertwined story lines that tie together nicely as the story progresses. This book will keep you on your toes with twists you won’t see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this arc!!
This was a great mystery thriller read and would recommend it to everyone who’s looking for an engaging, entertaining and fast paced book.
It’s really suspenseful which made me want to keep going until the mystery was resolved.
Definitely will be reading more from Charlie Donlea.

This was and ARC that I was super excited to read after just discovering Charlie Donalea through Twenty Years Later. He may just be my new favorite author. This story kept delivering. I'm telling everyone they need to read it and text me throughout. Really no higher praise than that.

This thriller/mystery was addictive, packed with twists and turns! The writing was engaging and easy to follow, with well-developed characters that felt real. The story had a perfect pace, keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout. I really appreciated how everything came together in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Charlie Donlea and Kensington publishing for the ARC and opportunity to review this book.

This wasn’t my first by this author and it absolutely won’t be the last. This wasn’t an addictive read that once you start you won’t want to put down.

I loved following Ethan as he took charge of the investigation and all the twists that came from it. I would have finished the book sooner but sadly had to be an adult and go to work.

The character development was so well done, the twists you don’t see coming and the ending completely threw me!

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Charlie Donlea has done it again! The only reason I didn’t finish this book sooner was because adult responsibilities got in the way of my reading time.

Dr. Ethan Hall who was formerly a Wisconsin DCI agent is tasked with looking into a 10 year old cold case. Unfortunately for Ethan, the cold case intertwines with the death of his father, and more specifically with his father’s killer, Francis Bernard, who is in prison with minimal contact with the outside world. Francis, despite not having much contact with other people, knows quite a lot about the cold case even though he was in prison when it occurred. He keeps dangling information regarding the cold case in front of Ethan which keeps Ethan coming back for more.

Most of Donlea’s stories are told from the perspective of 2 timelines, past and present, which come together in the present day. We didn’t have that as much in this book. There were a few flashbacks regarding the cold case, but the majority was from the perspective of Ethan and a mystery woman who is helping Francis.

This book was hard to put down! I would recommend this 5 star book to everyone I know!

Ethan hall is a former detective turned ER doctor. He is asked by his former partner and the governor to take a second look at the case of a missing girl, who happens to be the governor’s daughter. The case takes a turn when the man that killed Ethan’s father is somehow linked to the disappearance of the girl, Callie, despot being in prison during that time.
A very simplistic description of a very involved and twisty story. One of the best endings I have read in ages. Now the question…is there going to be a second book? Or do we imagine Ethan going on to bring a final closure?