Charlie Donlea is an autobuy for me. I will always come to his books for something familiar, and yet something novel. This book has A LOT happening: a missing teenager, an out of retirement detective turned ER physician, a cold case, a serial killer, a murdered dad, a bonded love story.... However, like all his stories, it is put together neatly (too neatly?) for a quick, entertaining story. I like what is happening here, but minus a star for all the "stuff."

"Guess Again" by Charlie Donlea is a solid thriller that delivers on its core premise, though it sometimes feels a bit too familiar. The novel follows former detective Ethan Hall, now an ER doctor, who is pulled back into a cold case on the tenth anniversary of high schooler Callie Jones' disappearance. The setup is compelling: a dying mentor, a small town full of secrets, and a detective haunted by his own past.

What Works
Donlea excels at creating a tense, atmospheric setting. The sweltering heatwave in the small Wisconsin town of Cherryview adds to the sense of suffocating secrets and rising tension. Ethan Hall is a compelling protagonist; his internal conflict between his past as a detective and his present as a doctor provides a unique lens for the investigation. The book's pacing is excellent, with Donlea expertly building suspense by revealing just enough information to keep you guessing. The plot twists, particularly the connection to Ethan's own past, are genuinely surprising and well-executed, even if some feel a little convenient. The psychological game Ethan finds himself in is genuinely unsettling and raises the stakes effectively.

What Could Be Better
While the twists are good, some of the plot devices feel like they've been lifted from a "thriller 101" playbook. The "haunted detective with a dark past" trope, while done well here, is something we've seen countless times before. Similarly, the idea of a small town with dark secrets is a well-worn path. While Donlea navigates these tropes with skill, they prevent the book from feeling truly fresh or innovative. The resolution, while clever, might feel a bit rushed for some readers, leaving a few minor questions unanswered in the wake of the major reveals.
Ultimately, "Guess Again" is a very enjoyable and fast-paced read. It may not reinvent the genre, but it's a testament to Donlea's skill as a storyteller that he can take familiar elements and make them feel this engaging. Fans of authors like Harlan Coben or Lisa Jewell will find a lot to love here. It's a great choice if you're looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing until the very end. 📚

Tried to listen to the audiobook and it just didn't keep my attention. The narrator didn't keep my interest and the story moved very slow and didn't keep me engaged. Although I tried very hard, I ended up DNFing halfway through.

thanks to NetGalley for an ALC to review

I really do enjoy the way Charlie Donlea writes. She keeps just enough information back so that the reader - - namely me thinks I know the answer but I'm not quite positive. Then as the story progresses, I all but drop my book as the twists and turns begin to reveal themselves. It's all just so clever and I love it!

This book has a lot going on. We meet Ethan, a former detective who became an ER doctor when burnout in his previous job began to look inevitable. He's living his life and has a very established routine when a face from his past shows up in his ER. Ethan's former partner, Pete comes to ask that he help them to investigate a cold case - - that of the governor's daughter who disappeared ten years ago. Ethan doesn't want to be pulled back into that world but can't tell his old buddy no. But when he finds out how twisted that whole case is and how tied up it is with another murder from years ago, Ethan definitely can't turn away.

Before beginning this book, be sure you have ample time to spend on it because you will be sucked in. You won't want to stop for anything because you'll want to see what happens next. It really is just that good.

Thanks to NetGalley, I was fortunate enough to receive early copies of both the ebook and audiobook so I went back and forth between the two of them. I loved each medium but have to say the audio may have been my favorite. It really lent itself to the drama of the story. The narration really was quite good and kept me engaged.

This book sucks you in from the very beginning and keeps you in its grip until the very last word. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did an amazing job bringing all of the anger, suspense, and darkness to life. This seemed like a different sort of thriller than the author has written previously and I'm hoping with everything I am that a sequel will follow!!

I really enjoyed this book. There were many twists. Many counterparts to bring it all together. It kept me interested throughout. I will say it was a tad long and got repetitive at times. But I still enjoyed it. I will say it was very cleverly plotted with all the different angles and things that had to come together to make the story whole. Many characters playing different parts. I hope there is a book 2 with the way it ends.

The narration was good. I do think she read a bit fast tho. I had to slow it down.

Okay… confession time: this was my first Charlie Donlea book. 😱 I know—wild, right? Good thing I already own the rest because this was so freaking good! My heart was in my throat the whole time — the pacing was flawless, the short chapters kept me hooked, and the twists were next-level.
I had both the print copy and the audiobook, and let me just say… the narration by Vivienne Leheny was 👌👏. Absolute perfection.

3.5 stars

I’m going to be the outlier here. I know everyone raves about this book, and while I did enjoy it and found it to be a satisfying thriller, I did find it difficult to connect. I felt like the over the top elements were a bit much for me to overlook. All in all, it was entertaining.

I did enjoy the production value and narration of the audiobook. It really brought the story off the pages for me.

Charlie Donlea never disappoints! I guessed, and I guessed, and I was right, but there was way more than I could have expected. Always a twisty-turny ride!

Loved every second of this audio book!

My only complaint is once the chapter has changed, you cannot go back to the previous chapter.

This was my first book from this author, and wow, I totally get why people rave about his writing. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Vivienne Leheny, and she brought so much life and tension to the story that I didn’t want to stop listening. The book is packed with action and so many twists that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through, the title really couldn’t be more perfect. And that ending is begging for a sequel. I’m especially hoping to read more about Ethan, since he turned out to be such a great character. Definitely won’t be my last Donlea book!

Many thanks to NetGalley and RBmedia for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Charlie Donlea has quickly become one of my favourite thriller authors. Guess Again is my third book by him and I’m convinced he just cannot write a bad one! The title couldn’t be more fitting, because I was constantly guessing and second-guessing every theory I had right up until the final pages.

We follow Ethan Hall, a former detective turned doctor, who gets pulled back into an old cold case: the disappearance of a teenage girl more than a decade earlier. The story alternates between the present and the past, weaving together breadcrumbs of truth, misdirection, and a cleverly constructed puzzle. I loved how every other chapter added another piece to the mystery, and how all the characters had such depth.

This book really feels like a masterclass in misdirection. The twists were brilliant, the suspense was perfectly paced, and the red herrings had me wracking my brain for answers I never quite reached. The final reveal absolutely floored me!

Guess Again is everything I look for in a thriller: secrets, tension, action, and shocking twists that keep me hooked from start to finish. If you love smart, layered mysteries that keep you on your toes, this one is a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the ALC.

Twisty, fast-paced thriller. I enjoyed this and will say it was very compelling and I was consuming this book fast AF. However I do feel like the plot gets a little muddy with so many character and angles in such a short frame. Def didn't see some of the twists coming.
Not really sure about the ending. It didn't wrap up the story like thrillers usually do, so there's either a second book coming (unnecessary imo when one chapter could have been added to finished the book) or it just has a horrible ending. Unsure.

“The tragedy of life is not that man loses but that he almost wins.”

“Guess Again” by Charlie Donlea 5/5 Stars
ARC and Tandem Readalong
OUT NOW!

This was my grand debut in a Tandem readalong, and I’m hooked. Scrolling through everyone’s hot takes and creative posts was a blast! I mostly lurked in the shadows this round, but next time, I’m bringing my A-game. Big thanks to Charlie Donlea, Kensington Books, and Tandem Collective for letting me crash this party.

Ethan was once a detective in the children’s crime division. He ditched the endless gloom and doom for med school and swapped his badge for scrubs. Because saving lives is less stressful🤣🤣. Then his dying ex-partner and the governor drag him back for one last cold case. Ethan Hall’s life? It’s messy, and you’ll want popcorn for every twist!

A decade back, Callie Jones, the town’s volleyball legend, vanished. The case went cold with no suspects or answers. Ethan starts poking around where everyone else gave up. Things get wild when he gets help from a max-security inmate. Oh, and this is also the guy who killed Ethan’s dad. Totally crazy! I was just waiting to see what this freak had planned for Ethan.

Chapters are short and snappy, which I love! The characters have enough baggage to fill a moving truck. Juicy and messy! It’s clever, dark, and the perfect treat for fans of missing-person mysteries and true crime. Donlea’s on my auto-read list! Anyone who craves twisty thrillers needs to read his novels!

#GuessAgain #CharlieDonlea #KensingtonBooks #TandemCollectiveReadalong #NetGalley
~ Cold Case ~ Small Town Secrets ~ Serial Killer Vibes ~ Family Trauma ~ Unputdownable ~ Thriller Junkie ~ Obsession ~ Grief ~ Survival ~ Watch Your Back

Are you feeling like man mystery thrillers are getting a little stale… Guess Again.

This is absolutely a wild ride that you will stay up past your bedtime. Pay Attention for all the bread crumbs. What do a missing girl, a serial killer, and a doctor have in common? 🖤🖤🖤

Vivienne Lehany did an excellent job with the audio narration.

Thank you to Recorded Books, Charlie Donlean and Net Galley for the opportunity to review this audiobook production.

OMG there better be a sequel - you can't leave me with an ending like that!! I haven't been having great luck with audiobooks lately, but this one hooked me right away. I didn't love the narrator when it came to reading characters' voices, but otherwise was fine. The story itself was so engaging. There were tons of twists and turns. Just when I thought I had things figured out, something else would be thrown in that I'd forgotten about, but it wasn't too much to follow at all. This would make a great movie, and again, give me the sequel asap!!

Thank you to Netgalley Charlie Donlea and RBmedia for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was great! This author is a favorite of mine and this book was exactly as good as I hoped. The story caught me early and held my attention throughout. I love the author’s way of not only describing characters but also showing them as well. Highly recommend!

A fun and unique thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire ride. This was one where I really didn’t know what was going to happen next! The audio was phenomenal.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Masterful Thriller That Keeps You Guessing Until the Very Last Page!

Guess Again by Charlie Donlea is everything I want in a thriller—sharp writing, intricate plotting, and twists that genuinely surprise. Donlea has a knack for pulling readers deep into the minds of his characters, and this novel is no exception. The pacing is pitch-perfect, balancing intense psychological suspense with emotional depth.

Just when I thought I had everything figured out, Donlea flipped the narrative in a way that made me question every clue I thought I understood. The storytelling is clever without being gimmicky, and the characters are so well-drawn that their motivations and secrets feel disturbingly real.

If you're a fan of crime fiction that respects your intelligence and keeps you flipping pages late into the night, Guess Again is a must-read. Donlea proves once again that he's at the top of his game.

Recently I listened to @charliedonlea’s newest novel, Guess Again. It was just what I wanted to listen to while on vacation. Donlea does a fantastic job of writing twisty thrillers.

Things I loved about this audiobook:
💙 the narrator: Vivienne Leheny
💙 missing teenager cold case
💙 the setting: small town Wisconsin
💙 former detective, now ER doctor investigating
💙 a twisty plot full of secrets, suspense, & multiple POVs.

Damn. I can't tell you how many times this book made my jaw drop or made me slap my hand over my mouth. The title is the complete embodiment of this book. Just when you think you know a little bit of what's going on.... WHAM, Guess Again.