I just finished reading the book and I really enjoyed it! The story had me hooked from the beginning. It’s full of mystery, twists, and turns that kept me guessing the whole time. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, something new would happen and surprise me.
What I really appreciated was how cleverly the plot was crafted. It was layered and intelligent. The characters felt real and flawed, and the emotional undercurrents made the whole story hit even harder.
If you like thrillers or mystery books that keep you on the edge of your seat, I totally recommend Guess Again. It’s a great read!
In the start i was honestly confused as there are many Pov's and i was confused, but as the story kept progressing it made me hooked.

Also another thing that made the book more exiting was the narrator, I really enjoyed the way she narrated the entire story.

Thank you #Netgalley and Recorded Books Media #rbmedia for providing this Audiobook to me. I loved it!!!

The amount of twists and turns in this was crazy, and felt like the whole book flew by! I can never get over that ending and the deception that still left loose ends - sequel in the works maybe?

Really dark and gritty and tough to read at times, but definitely kept me hooked. The prison transfer to prison break was really interesting and how Lindsey deceived everyone only to truly think she pulled a fast one on Francis! Woah.

The end with Ethan’s dad … and omg his « partner » YIKES. The last few sentences had me gripped. Would be interesting to see if anything comes from this pairing!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

This book grabs you from the very first page.
On the anniversary of a 17-year-old girl’s disappearance, former detective Ethan Hall is reluctantly pulled out of retirement to reopen the case. But in order to find answers, he must confront someone from his past—someone who’s playing dangerous psychological games with him. Forced to work together, Ethan constantly questions every move, unsure of who he can trust.

The story is full of twists and turns, and just when I thought I had it figured out, it ended on a cliffhanger that left me stunned.

I absolutely love this author—his books never disappoint. If you're a fan of psychological thrillers packed with suspense and unexpected twists, you need to pick this one up.

I thought this book was a lot of fun. It kept me on the edge of my seat and second guessing all my thoughts. I love a book that makes me think and gives me misdirections throughout to pull the rug out from under me when I think I figured it out.

Donlea is a master at plot twists, I can’t say I guessed a single one correctly from start to finish. I will admit, I felt a bit confused in the first few chapters trying to figure out who was who and who was talking, but it evened out and became understandable.

This is exactly how I love a thriller to make me feel. I’m never disappointed when I pick up a Donlea book, and this one is no different! The ending chapters gave me such anxiety, but I loved every second of it!

If you’re a thriller lover this should definitely be on your list to read this year!!

4 ⭐

Thank you Netgalley for an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ethan whom was previously a detective and worked on cases, is now working in an ER, when his old partner from the force comes to him with a plea for help in solving a decade long cold case, where a 17 year old girl named Callie who is the Govenor's daughter had gone missing. Ethan had a perfect track record when it came to his cases, so his friend believes if anyone can finally get closure it is him! The skeletons that Ethan digs up during his investigation kept me engaged and wanting to keep listening, I listened to this book in a day! The narrators did a really good job. Very entertaining and so many twists that were shocking!

Guess Again by Charlie Donlea
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is a fantastic and exciting thriller!! It is jam packed with an intense and action filled story! It’s a book that I didn’t want to put down and had me completely sucked in!
This story has it all; secrets, lies, mystery, suspense and twists!!

Callie, a 17 year old in high school went missing after a party and wasn’t seen since. She had her own secrets though and was dating her older volleyball coach.
Ethan, an ER physician is asked to look into this cold case of the missing Callie Jones. He was previously a very successful detective, but quit because of the stress. After 10 years from Callie’s disappearance, he’s been asked to step back in to assist in this case. This new investigation takes on crazy twists and lands Ethan at a maximum security prison talking with a serial killer, who he has a personal connection with.

I enjoyed the different timelines for the past and present events as well as multiple POV’s. It kept the intensity and suspense high.

Thank you to NetGalley for an audio arc of this excellent thriller! The narrator did a fantastic job!
*It comes out July 29th and is a must read!*

This was a little long, and very dark. The plot twist was good. The end dragged. Undertones of misogyny and that icks me out.

I am a big fan of Donlea's thrillers and this was no exception! Really action-packed and twisty all throughout but it felt a bit tiring and confusing because it was almost nonstop. Like four different times i was like "WHYYY are you doing this yourself instead of calling the neighboring police force?!!!" but i'm impatient so that's just my own personal gripe.

I received an audiobook ARC and there were a ton of different characters so it was a little hard to remember who was who at times. And i thought the dialogue was super unrealistic at times, whenever Donlea wanted the audience to know something technical or factual the character speaking just spelled it out. Show don't tell :/

Overall i really enjoyed this, might be one of my favorites of his! Thank you to NetGalley + Kensington Publishers for an ARC!!

In “Guess Again”, Charlie Donlea once again presents a game of cat and mouse between law enforcement and the criminal mind. First you have a serial killer in prison visited only by a mysterious woman and the son of the only victim he’s serving time for. Second, that son, Ethan, was a proficient law enforcement agent who just couldn’t handle the mental load anymore so he’s become a doctor. Just when he’s started to find balance, the governor calls him in to help solve the 10 year old cold case of his missing daughter… which somehow involves the serial killer that’s haunted Ethan his whole life.

The case of Callie Jones baffled investigators. After disappearing in 2015 the police haven’t been able to find any reason the star student and athlete would have run away but nor is their evidence she was abducted.

So how are these two different cases that take place decades apart connected? How cold the serial killer who has been behind bars for decades have information leading to the recovery of Callie Jones? You’ll have to read to find out.

Ultimately this isn’t my favorite Charlie Donlea book. Both plot lines are fine are their own but how then end up being connected seems a bit too far fetched for my liking. That being said, it’s well written and the ending twist leaves you wanting more.

I also want to say that narrator Vivienne Leheny give a 5 star performance as always.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC audiobook.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by Charlie Donlea, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The pacing was fast-paced, and the transitions between the past and present were done well so you could keep up with it. The plot definitely leaves you wanting to know more about the young girl the main character is trying to find, and I found it interesting that the main character is a former detective turned physician. Definitely gave it a unique flare. The ending was also something that I was not expecting, which made for a great twist. If you have read and liked this author's books I'm sure this one will be a hit for you, and if you're like me and this is your first time reading the author's work I feel you won't be disappointed!

Charlie Donlea has done it again. Made me fall head over heels into a mystery and a thriller and make me care about the characters to thr extend that I feel what's happening to them as if it's happening to someone I care about. I loved the investigation in this story and the complex characters and even. More twisted and manipulated mind a serial killer trying big with everything he has to smell and taste freedom one more time. What starts as two stories soon morphed into one that you are unlikely to forget with twists and turns everywhere and most I didn't see coming I was left awed and shocked andnmore then a little disgusted ( but that is the idea with a dark thriller and it's a idea that payed off well) I hope this is the start to a new series with these two fascinating main characters and the twists at the end had me literally shocking my head in shock. Loved every moment of this from the plot to the characters and changes in pov to the flashbacks to 10 years previously all of it was peek thriller perfection. This is a must read from one of the best authors who does it. You have to read this and I guess again like i did with his previous novels that you will love it.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭒ ⭒
3.5 stars


ᝰ.ᐟ The plot follows Ethan, a retired detective-turned-ER Doctor who gets approached by his former partner, who’s dying and has one last request: solve a cold case from ten years ago: the disappearance of Callie Jones.

ᝰ.ᐟ Simple enough, until Ethan realizes the whole thing is tangled up with the man who murdered his father, Francis. Suddenly, Callie, another kidnapped woman, and Ethan’s past all start blending in a very suspicious soup.


ੈ𑁍 I’ll be honest, I actually liked the pacing. I saw people complaining about the short chapters or the time jumps, but I listened to the audiobook and it flowed really well for me. Even if I’d read the physical copy, I feel like I still wouldn’t be confused. The shifts in time were pretty clear, even when you didn’t catch the dates.

ੈ𑁍 Now, I do think the book dragged a little at the end. Like, everything’s exposed and wrapped up, but then it keeps going… and going… and I’m just sitting there like, “Why are we still here?”

ᝰ.ᐟ Minor thoughts about the plot

ੈ𑁍 Ethan trusting Francis?? Sir, that’s the man who murdered your literal father. It gave “obvious trap” energy, and I’m not sure how a trained detective didn’t pick that up or even a normal person tbh.

ੈ𑁍 The whole prisoner transport scene felt… convenient. Like plot armor-level convenient. You’d think there’d be more people transporting a murderer and they’d be more focused? How do you get distracted by a random hot woman on the street lmao

BUT.
ᝰ.ᐟ That plot twist at the end?? My jaw did drop. For about three seconds. Then I moved on.
It was good, don’t get me wrong. I just didn’t feel it in my soul the way I wanted to.

ᝰ.ᐟ I think that’s my biggest issue with the book. Everything was there, technically. The writing? Good. The plot? Solid. The twist? Surprising. But the thrill? The impact? It didn’t hit. I wanted to be screaming, clutching my chest, needing to lie down after each reveal. Instead, I was just like “oh wow” and then hit play again.


ᝰ.ᐟ SPOILERS AHEAD.

ੈ𑁍 I lowkey hated that Lindsay died while Blake lived??
Like, Blake (the 21-year-old who was involved with a freshly turned 17-year-old. Who was their coach btw) got to just walk away with no repercussions. That was nasty
ੈ𑁍 I get that Lindsay had issues, and I did understand her rage, but when she killed Callie, she kinda lost me. Still, I wish Blake had been held accountable or at least gotten a little backlash. The whole thing felt icky and unresolved.

ᝰ.ᐟ That said, this was my first Charlie Donlea book, and apparently he has better ones? So I’m excited to check those out, because I did enjoy the writing and structure.

ᝰ.ᐟ Oh, and shout out to the audiobook narrator!! chef’s kiss. Made the story so easy to follow and get immersed in.

ᝰ.ᐟ Final thoughts: Enjoyable but didn’t change my life. Good plot, great potential, meh thrill.


Thank you to NetGalley and RB media for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are mine

Charlie Donlea is a master of suspense and I’ve loved every one of them. I can’t wait for a sequel to this one. I will say however that between the narration switches between characters and the flashing back and forth between time it can get a little convoluted in the middle

Charlie Donlea has become one of my favorite authors! GUESS AGAIN was excellent! It starts off rather quickly and had a lot of mystery and suspense. When I had read through most of the book, I thought I had it all figured out. However, in the end, I was wrong and the twist was completely unexpected. I love it when that happens! This is the reason thrillers are still some of my favorite books.

Many thanks to Kensington and RB Media for my gifted copies.

This review will be shared to my Instagram account @coffee.break.book.reviews soon.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for the advanced audiobook of Guess Again.

I have devoured all of Charlie Donlea's books since discovering him two years ago. Guess Again was superb. The way the story wove together and the characters relationships came into focus was top notch. The book was so twisty and I could not stop listening. I am so eager for future books featuring Ethan Hall as our dearest Charlie has left the ending open and ready for future stories.

Do yourself a favor and read Guess Again. And then read every other book on Charlie Donlea's back list. He is a master storyteller.

Loooooved it. This author does not disappoint. I’ve read 7 books by him and he keeps up with the level of detail and depth and intensity every single time. And the narrator did a fantastic job. I will read anything he writes.

Another hit by Charlie Donlea! What a great twisty thriller. Great characters that keep you guessing who is really who.

Ten years ago, 17-year-old high school volleyball star Callie Jones vanished from her quiet Wisconsin lake community. A highly publicized search followed but her body was never found. The case went cold, but the echoes still linger.

Ethan Hall, a former renegade detective turned ER doctor, left law enforcement to escape the horrors of the kid crime division. But on the tenth anniversary of Callie’s disappearance, his former partner, Pete Kramer, makes a desperate request. Pete is the veteran detective who originally investigated the case. Now he’s dying, and to ease his conscience and get closure for the Jones family, he needs Ethan to return to the haunting work he left behind—and solve what happened to Callie, once and for all.

Word soon spreads and everyone in the small town of Cherryview feels a rush of hope that answers will finally be found. Amid a sweltering heatwave, Ethan’s investigation gains momentum, but reexamining old evidence won’t be enough. He needs a new way into the case, no matter how dangerous or unconventional. And it comes from the least likely of sources—an inmate in a maximum-security prison.

Soon Ethan’s methods draw him deeper into a twisted psychological game. Because there is much more to the nightmare of Callie’s disappearance than he imagined, including a connection with his own dark past . . . and secrets that are still worth killing for.

Absolutely brilliant! SO many twists, every time I thought I had it all worked out, everything would turn on it's head again!

A cold case on a missing girl, a new missing girl and a manipulative prisoner who knows more than seems possible. The characters were all well developed and totally believable. Numerous suspects, the fast pace and fantastic plot kept me hooked all of the way through to the dramatic and tense ending.

Narration by Vivienne Leheny was excellent; she skilfully brought all of the characters to life.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Charlie Donlea and RB Media for an ARC of this book.

Omg talk about. A book you can’t put down. WOW. The twists and turns and what’s gonna happen next. Everything you want in a thriller. And the ending- could there be a second in the series. I’ve read a few Charlie Donlea books and they’re all so engaging. Doesn’t disappoint.

Narration was amazing + I stayed up to finish in one day!

Wow wow wow! Thanks to NetGalley for the early read. I was invested from the beginning, trying to figure it out. Just when I was sure I had figured out the twist and that the story was predictable, the whole thing blew up in my face making me realize I am not so clever. To the very last paragraph, I was caught by surprise again and again. Another fantastic read from Charlie Donlea.