Well… I guessed again and again, and still didn’t care.

This book had all the ingredients of a fast-paced thriller - murder, secrets, forensic details - but somehow managed to feel flat, overstuffed, and undercooked at the same time. The dual timelines and shifting POVs promised complexity but delivered confusion. The characters felt more like plot devices than real people, and the emotional stakes? Practically nonexistent.

It reads like Donlea had a checklist of twists to hit but forgot to give us a reason to care when each one landed an didn't seem to care how he connected those twists - many of them being contrived and unbelievable. The pacing dragged in some places and sprinted in others, leaving the story uneven and occasionally frustrating. Even the big reveals lacked impact because the buildup just wasn’t there. For example, finding out that Ethan's father had been part of the original string of murders - first of all, what? Second of all, I love a great twist that I didn't see coming, but this twist made me reconsider my reading comprehension cause it was so far from left field it wasn't even in the same zip code as the stadium.

There were moments of intrigue, and a few clever plot threads, but overall this one just didn’t land. If you’re looking for a gripping, edge-of-your-seat mystery, you might want to… guess again.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for this ALC!

17 year old volleyball star Callie vanished one night after a party 10 years ago, now that her father is governor he wants the case reopened. Ethan is an investigator turned ER doctor whose father was killed while searching for Callie, and Ethan is who the governor (and his old partner) ask to look into Callie’s cold case. Now Ethan is dependent on his father’s killer to help him solve Callie’s case and that of a new active kidnapping. The story follows the twisted mind of a serial killer as well and dark secrets of all who are involved.

I love Charlie Donlea’s books, I am happy that I have many left to read from his backlist, but the two others I have read I really enjoyed - he is amazing at always throwing in a surprising twist that I didn’t see coming. I also have a weird love of serial killer books therefore I was very excited for this one. This aptly named novel had me guessing and rethinking my guesses the whole time, it is fast paced and a great ride to the end. The whole book makes you wonder which characters you can trust and who is and isn’t what they seem to be - this to me is the makings of a good thriller read. While I think I liked the other two better (I loved those) that doesn’t mean this one isn’t worth picking up. I loved to listen to thrillers on audio, but I always like to have the accompanying book in case I miss a detail or get confused - this audio was great but I did feel like I needed to read a bit of it to get my bearings (possibly because Donlea doesn’t want you to have your bearings). I’m happy I have a backlist author whose thrillers never disappoint.

Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for the ALC to review

Writing: 3.5
Plot: 3
Characters: 3
Impact: 2
Kept Interest: 3.5

Penalty points:
-.5 for a plot twist that comes out of nowhere
-.5 for unrealistic timeline

Former detective Ethan Hall is pulled back into a cold case when a dying friend asks him to investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl. As he reopens the decade-old mystery, a convicted serial killer claims to know what really happened, and the truth may be more personal than Ethan ever imagined. Tense chapters and shifting perspectives build to a dramatic reveal that’s shocking but not entirely earned.

This is my fifth Donlea book, and easily my least favorite. The writing is solid and the pacing brisk, but the plot relies too heavily on a last-minute twist that isn’t foreshadowed. And the conception-to-abortion timeline was so implausible, I was sure it would lead to a paternity reveal. It didn’t, and that inconsistency completely pulled me out of the story.

Despite the familiar Donlea trademarks - short, punchy chapters, dual timelines, and a central mystery that keeps you guessing - Guess Again never quite comes together. The emotional stakes feel underdeveloped, and the implausible timeline undermines the plot’s credibility.

A great, addictive, solid read with the twists and turns you expect from Charlie Donlea.. You really can't go wrong with anything he writes!
The narration was engaging although with the story having almost all male characters, I thought it might have had a male narrator? 🤷‍♀️
Thank you to Netgalley and RBmedia for the audiobook arc for review.

This was another Netgallery read I had to bump to the front of the line 🫣.. I LOVE Me some Donlea

You know that scene in Aladdin, when genie tells Aladdin he has 2 wishes left. Aladdin corrects genie, it's actually still 3 wishes, because Aladdin didn't technically wish to be brought out of the caves? The way genie's jaw drops to the ground in .25 seconds in response, is exact same response one has to reading a Charlie Donlea Novel.

I will never forget Mr Donlea because he taught me that no matter how lazy you may be feeling at the time you always, always, ALWAYS, read a books epilogue!

I don't even like cop/FBI thrillers as a rule. In fact, they're pretty much at the bottom of my personal book food chain as it gets.. Can we just take a second and let that sink in? The talent it takes to be pulling 5 stars from people that aren't even the biggest fan of your genre. I personally think that speaks volumes. Another absolute home run and I'm absolutely not surprised

4🌟

This was my second book by Charlie Donlea, and it was a solid thriller. I enjoyed the main characters and found the story itself to be compelling. It lost me a little bit about halfway through, where the story got a little convoluted. It did pick back up, and the twisty ending did save it for me, though.

Vivienne Leheny narrated the audiobook. She did a great job overall, though some of the male voices (like Pete) were a little iffy. I would listen to another audiobook narrated by Leheny.

Recommended for readers who love fast-paced, twisty thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley & RBmedia for the ALC.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Charlie Donlea is an author who always gets my attention, as his books always have me hooked from the first chapter.

This book has tons of twists and turns, and the “bad guy” may not be who the reader is thinking it will be. Eddie is very likable in this book, both as a detective and a doctor and seems to just be a great person overall. I enjoyed the flipping back and forth of timelines, and it definitely kept me engaged in the story.

I received the audiobook of the ARC and felt the narrator did a good job. I sometimes dislike when a female is the narrator for a book with a male POV, but this one worked well.

This book definitely left room for a continuation of Eddie and Maddie’s story, and I will certainly be eager to read if that is the case.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen and review!

Man, I loved this book. I want more of Ethan! Once I started this audiobook, I couldn't stop. I really enjoyed the narrator, she kept me engaged and entertained - very few times did I feel my mind drifting away. It was pretty much constant action in this book. I enjoyed that little touches the narrator did, such as making it sound different when the characters were on the phone! I highly recommend this as an audiobook!

For the story itself, I did not see what was going to happen! I was guessing the entire story. The heroes were heroic, the villains were evil without becoming caricatures. I can easily see this becoming a series, with a reluctant Ethan leading the story.

Thank you the Netgalley, Charlie Donlea and RBmedia for an ALC! I really enjoyed this one and all reviews are left voluntarily.

WOW! what a wild ride! Charlie Donlea is a master at crafting the most twisty, jaw-dropping thrillers and this was no exception! Just when you think you've figured it out, something happens to completely flip your theory upside down! This was SO GOOD and I can't wait for more!

4.5

I will read anything Charlie Donlea writes. He is a great twisty author of mystery/thrillers.

Ethan Hall, currently an ER doctor, formerly a detective, has been summoned by the governer to help solve a ten-year-old case of a missing girl. Things get a bit convoluted as he begins the investigation and needs the help of the one person he hopes to never see - the murderer on death row who killed his father.

I read the book while listening to the audio and was totally immersed in this book. Highly recommend!!

My thanks to Net Galley, Kensington and Recorded Books for advanced copies of the e-book and audiobook.

Audiobook. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I thought the narrator did a great job. I loved this book it was full of twists that surprised me. The characters were very likable except for the bad people. I never got bored with it and even gasped at the surprising twist. I love this author.

Ethan Hall is a special agent turned ER doctor that’s brought back to investigate a 10 year old disappearance of the governor’s daughter, Callie Jones. A cold case connected by the very man that killed his father. Serial killer Francis Bernard has been in a maximum security prison for 32 years, yet somehow obtaining relevant information to the ten year old cold case and a recent missing woman. Ethan can’t deny new leads in Callie’s case and must act before another woman is hurt, uncovering dark secrets along the way.

I was originally intrigued by the glowing reviews and true crime angle of this book and I’m so glad it delivered an infuriatingly compelling story.

Multiple character POVs build a thrilling mystery, leaving the reader to connect the dots like an investigator. The short, punchy chapters made this insanely bingeable. It’s dark and gritty, sometimes shocking and definitely twisty.

I liked how the author chose to tell this story, and how the characters were intertwined, the pacing was ideal. While some descriptions of past and current crimes are detailed, it felt very true to the genre and I wouldn’t expect anything else from a serial killer themed plot!

I very much enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Vivienne Leheny. Her delivery and vocal range worked very well to distinguish all the different characters.

Thanks to RB Media for the audiobook copy to review.

This is my first by Charlie Donlea and it won't be my last. I love a twisty thriller, and this one hooked me from the beginning and had me riveted through the end. I devoured Guess Again in one day.

Ethan Hall is an ER doc after switching careers from criminal investigation. His old partner wants his help to solve a cold case. Ten years ago, a star high school volleyball player went missing, and the mystery was never solved. Apparently Ethan was a hot shot with a 100% solve rate back in the day, and some bigwigs are pulling strings to get him on the case.

Throw in a serial killer, up for parole, in prison for a crime committed over thirty years prior, and we have ourselves a real puzzle.

Narrator Vivienne Leheny gives unique voicings to a copious cast of characters, helping the listener keep track. With the rotating characters and alternating timelines, Guess Again is guaranteed to keep you guessing.

My thanks to NetGalley and RBmedia | Recorded Books for the Advance Listener Copy. (pub. date 7/29/2025)

A thriller should have some sort of satisfying ending. Some resolution.

I really enjoyed the first half, mostly enjoyed the latter half even though it started becoming more unrealistic, disliked the ending.

A detective turned ER Doctor helps to solve a cold case of a missing girl when new information comes to light.

If you ignore the impossibility of this Doctor suddenly being granted all this authority and favours, this was a compelling read. Addicting.

Then, the story starts to spiral and brings in a lot of other perspectives and a larger storyline. Plot twists meant to shock and turn the story on its head.

There were too many things I had to suspend belief over and then the ending felt very unsatisfying. This is a book one that you need to continue on with.

Arc gifted by publisher.

This might be my favorite thriller of 2025! On the 10th anniversary of a teen’s disappearance, Evan, a former crime investigator turned ER doctor, is asked to reopen the cold case. As he digs deeper, he starts receiving clues from the prisoner who killed his father, and a race against the clock begins with favors that lead to buried secrets.

Donlea’s short chapters, suspenseful writing, and layered twists make this book impossible to put down. I was hooked from the start and completely invested in the characters. The ending had my heart racing, especially on audio, which was so well done!

Read if you like:
-Mystery and suspense
-Solving cold cases
-Short chapters
-Multiple POVs and timelines

Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for an advanced copy of the audio book in exchange for an honest review!
Lake Morikawa, Wisconsin.
If I hear that one more time I'll scream lol. No, seriously though. I feel like this would have definitely been better read as a physical or ebook. The short chapters (which I normally love!) made the book sound extremely repetitive. Each chapter starts with the location and date, which is great so you can keep track of the story. However, when the chapter is maybe 2 minutes long and every 2 minutes you're hearing Lake Morikawa (or Milwaukee, or whichever) back to back to back, its a bit much. Especially towards the end of the book where chapters literally stop in the middle of a scene just to repeat the date and location and pick up on the same part with the same people immediately.
The narrator was great, the story was good. Lots of twists at the end and it definitely keeps your interest throughout. But if its possible, I strongly recommend reading this one with your eyeballs.

4 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

First of all love Charlie Donlea and this one didn’t disappoint. I was so excited to read it early! This one starts with a bang and ends with a twist! For sure a page turner I was hooked from the first page. The characters were likable and I had to keep reading to find out what happened!

🎧 AUDIOBOOK REVIEW 🎧

Adding my review for the audiobook because I also got the ARC for that.

The narrator was great even tho it was a single narrator she was able to do a great job. Though the shifting timelines and multiple characters require close attention, the narration adds intensity that makes the twists hit even harder.

This was a fun, twisty thriller, which is exactly what you expect from Charlie Donlea.

However, I did feel like there was a lot going on and a lot to follow.

I listened to the audio version and enjoyed the narrator. I like that Donlea seems to stick with Vivienne Leheny for his books. She always delivers a solid performance.

As far as the story and characters go, Ethan is an ER doctor, former law enforcement, and comes out of retirement to help his former partner find a missing girl from ten years back. We also have a lot of other characters who play a big role: the convicted murderer of Ethan’s dad, Ethan’s girlfriend, his former partner, a random tech billionaire, and everyone involved in the missing girl case. It’s a lot.

I found myself wanting to know more about Ethan. He’s had two successful careers, is only in his early 40s, and is apparently also a pilot with his own plane. We get an explanation for the career change, but not how he had the time or money to become a pilot.

That’s just one of many parts of this story I found pretty farfetched. Some of the characters and their decisions toward the end bugged me a bit too.

Regardless, I found this to be entertaining and I didn’t expect the final twist. It seems like this might become a series, and I’d love to find out more about Ethan, because I still question how he had the time and money to pilot his own plane.

Thanks to RBmedia, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this one early!

I have some Charlie Donlea books in my TBR, so I jumped at the chance to give this one a listen. It certainly did not disappoint!

This novel follows Ethan Hall, a former detective, who is hired by his former partner to reinvestigate the disappearance of a teenage girl that occurred 10 years earlier.

Packed with twists and perfectly paced, I couldn't stop listening until I reached the conclusion! There were so many levels to this story, and so much at stake, that I was on the edge of my seat constantly, particularly nearing the end.

The audio production was great, and the narration from Vivienne Leheny was perfect!

Guess Again is a perfect mystery/crime/detective thriller. I would recommend it to anyone, and I can't wait to dig into more Charlie Donlea novels!

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the ALC 😁

WOW! The best suspense/thriller I’ve read this year. Ethan Hall, a former detective who traded in his badge for a medical license, is called back to help solve a 10 year-old case involving a missing teenager by his former partner. Ethan left police work because of the emotional toll it took on him, but he can’t refuse to help his old partner, who has been given a devastating medical diagnosis. As Ethan works to sort through the evidence of the disappearance of a high school senior, now missing more than a decade, he must also deal with his own demons. The character development in this book is extraordinary. The suspense is top notch and the ending of this book literally took my breath away. Never saw it coming. There’s a potential here for a sequel and I sincerely hope the author revisits these characters and the storyline. Highly, highly recommended.