It took me a while to realize the story was told in dual timeline (this often happens to me with audiobooks), but I quickly got situated once I did. Then the story grabbed my full attention, at least until the halfway mark, where I somehow thought I was nearing the end. When I saw I was only at the 50% mark, my interest started to deplete a bit as there were too many characters and things happening, it was a bit all over the place. By the time things got interesting again (the last 20%), I was very confused as to who was whom and what was happening, so the twists, which probably should've surprised me, didn't have the expected effect and I sometimes felt like there were too many coincidences. All in all, not a bad read, but it would've gained to be tighter. The narrator did a great job.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I just finished listening to Guess Again by Charlie Donlea, and it was quite a ride! The book grabbed my attention right from the start with its interesting premise and well-developed characters. However, I’d actually recommend reading it instead of listening. There are quite a few characters, and if you’re not fully zoned in while listening, it can get a bit confusing at times.
The story has so many unexpected twists that just when you think you have it all figured out, Donlea throws in another surprise! The pacing was pretty spot on, which kept me engaged without feeling rushed.
Overall, I’d give this an enjoyable 3.5 stars. If you're a fan of suspense and mystery, I think you'll have a great time with it, just make sure to grab a physical or e-book copy to follow along.
A big thanks to NetGalley and RBmedia for providing me with an ARC!

What a compelling , dark and twisty read. I listened to the audiobook of this one and the narration really put the story over top for me. This is my first time reading this author and it won’t be the last. .

Audiobook ARC Review — Guess Again by Charlie Donlea
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5

Thank you to NetGalley, Charlie Donlea, and RBmedia | Recorded Books for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in advance of publication. Congratulations to the author on today’s release!

I began Guess Again this morning and finished it the same day — a testament to how engaging and fast-paced the story was. The title couldn’t be more fitting: I made several predictions about the ending, only to be completely surprised by the final reveal.

The premise is gripping: a small-town cold case reopens on the tenth anniversary of a teenager’s disappearance, drawing a former detective back into an investigation he’d hoped to leave behind. What follows is a tense, atmospheric unraveling of long-buried secrets, all set against the backdrop of a sweltering Wisconsin summer.

Charlie Donlea knows how to build suspense. His writing is both emotionally resonant and psychologically complex, making for a compelling listening experience. I was particularly drawn to Ethan Hall’s perspective — a man haunted by past cases, pulled back into darkness for the sake of justice.

That said, while the plot twist at the end was genuinely shocking (in a good way), I found myself wishing for a bit more development and clarity in the final act. The resolution felt rushed, and I wanted more insight into the motivations and mechanics behind the reveal. With a more fleshed-out ending, this could have been an easy 4+ star read.

Still, Guess Again delivers on suspense and keeps the listener guessing. Fans of character-driven thrillers with layered mysteries will likely find this one worth the ride.

Charlie Donlea fastly has become an instant buy author for me last year and his newest Guess Again releasing July 29th did NOT disappoint. As soon as the paperback comes out, I will absolutely be buying it.

I will say the only reason this book did not get 5 stars is because there were A LOT of characters and a lot of storylines that made the web a bit tricky but once things started being laid out more and twists started unfolding it got better but never 100% easy for me to remember who was who. Loooveeeed the quick and short chapters tho!

Guess Again is a fast paced and complex thriller set in Wisconsin. There are multiple points of view but we mainly follow Ethan Hall, now ER doctor, former detective who has just come out of retirement to assist with a cold case. Ethan visits the prison where Francis, the man who killed Ethans father, is held in solitary confinement. Francis begins to lead Ethan down a path he never expected.

I listened to this on audio and really enjoyed the narrator. I flew right threw this and if I had read the actual book I'm sure I'd have read it just as fast. This is a little confusing right at the beginning but the peices come together very quickly. Charlie Donlea has a way of writing intricate stories and that captivate you immediately and this is no exception. This book would make a great movie! The type where you're screaming "No!" while clutching your popcorn bucket. Its fast paced and the twists are shocking. There is A LOT going on, especially at the end.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and RB Media for a copy of this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date is TODAY, July 29, 2025.

I thoroughly enjoyed this as an audiobook.

Very aptly named! At first, Guess Again feels like trying to assemble IKEA furniture without the instructions: just a pile of oddly shaped pieces and the faint sense that everything will make sense... eventually. And oh, does it.

Charlie Donlea once again proves he’s not just a writer, he’s a sorcerer of suspense. This novel is a web of cold cases, past traumas, repressed memories, and one very committed woman wearing an adult diaper in the name of… efficiency? (You’ll see. You’ll never unsee it.)

We begin with Ethan, once a detective, now an ER doctor, but somehow always caught between crime scenes and chaos. He’s pulled into the cold case of an unconvicted serial killer of women, who also happens to be in jail for his father’s murder. From there, the narrative becomes a kaleidoscope of perspectives:

Lindsay, a psychologist whose childhood friend vanished without a trace

Maddie, a cop who narrowly escaped the serial killer’s clutches as a teen

Eugenia, whose fascination with serial killers is… unsettling, to say the least

Yes, the multiple POVs might have you flipping back to remember who’s who at first, but trust the process. This is storytelling with purpose. Donlea doesn’t spoon-feed you the plot; he hands you a shovel and asks you to dig. And when the pieces snap into place, it’s goosebumps. Actual goosebumps.

Twisty, chilling, and shockingly tender in moments, Guess Again is the kind of novel that makes you whisper “just one more chapter” until it’s 2 a.m. and your coffee's cold. The ending delivers a cliffhanger sharp enough to draw blood, and if there isn’t a sequel, I may stage a polite literary protest.

If you love your thrillers with brains, bite, and a heavy pour of unexpected heart, guess again; because this one’s a standout.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #RBMedia for the ARC

Thanks so much to NetGalley for an audio arc. I really went into this not knowing what it was about but I could not stop listening. So twisty and kept me wanting to know what was going to happen the entire time. I really did not see the twist at the end coming. Left me with my jaw dropped. The narrator was also great. Definitely recommend!!

Thank you RBmedia and NetGalley! This was a great read. I found it to be very twisty and shocking. I really like this author and the narrator did a great job as well on the audiobook.

This was my first book by Charlie Donlea and now I’m kicking myself for missing out for so long! I loved the pacing of this audiobook and the unexpected twists and turns in the second half. It really turned out to be quite a wild ride! I hope there will be a second installment to pick up where this one left off. The narrator was a great choice for this book and really had led the multiple POV well.

Cold case? Check. Twists I didn’t see coming? Double check. I was hooked. If it’s written by Charlie Donlea, I will read it.

Ten years ago, 17-year-old Callie Jones vanished without a trace. Now, her case is reopened, and former detective Ethan Hall is brought in to uncover the truth.

There are a lot of characters in this one, and I’ll admit it took me a while to get the hang of things. But once I did, I was all in. The dual timelines (past and present) worked well, and the twists? Plentiful, shocking, and exactly what I was hoping for in a cold-case mystery.

This was an entertaining, layered read that kept me invested from start to finish.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing | Kensington for the ARC. Many thanks also to RBmedia | Recorded Books for the ALC. Solid narration, no complaints.

ARC Audiobook via @NetGalley

Charlie Donlea does it again with Guess Again is a twisty, compulsively listenable thriller that kept me on edge from start to finish. The story unfolds through dual timelines and perspectives, centering around investigative reporter Kira Vance, who’s working on a true crime documentary while reopening a decades-old cold case.

This one had all the hallmarks of a great Donlea novel: fast pacing, layered characters, and jaw-dropping reveals that I absolutely didn’t see coming. The way the past and present intertwined was masterfully done, and the narration elevated the suspense with just the right tone and emotion.

Fans of true crime-inspired fiction and investigative thrillers will love this. Perfect for listeners who enjoy sharp plots, smart women, and stories that refuse to be predictable. Guess Again is Donlea at his best.

#GuessAgain #CharlieDonlea #NetGalleyARC #AudiobookReview #ThrillerBooks #MysteryLovers #ColdCaseFiction #BookReview #GoodreadsReviewer #MustListen #ARCReview #TrueCrimeFiction #BookishThoughts #5StarReads

What in the history of twists did I just read at the end of this story?!?! Guess Again by Charlie Donlea started slow and seemed to have side stories that were unrelated until these stories made their way together. This was so good! I fell into this story and am now sad that it’s over.

Vivienne Leheny did a great job narrating the audio version of this story. She did an amazing job!

NetGalley and RBMedia, thank you for this advanced audiobook. I truly enjoyed it!

Charlie Donlea did it again with Guess Again – a captivating and filled with suspense thriller.
On the 10-year anniversary of Callie Jone’s disappearance, her cold case is reopened to find out what happened to the high school volleyball star … and if she can be found.

Ethan Hall, detective turned ER doctor, is visited by his former partner, Pete Kramer, with the request for Ethan to help figure out and solve what happened to Callie. An inmate serving his sentence for killing Ethan’s father becomes an unlikely source who proves to know more than he should about the case.

Guess Again is fast-paced, twisty psychological thriller that will keep you guessing just when you think you’ve figured it out.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for providing a copy.

This one is a ride. From the very first chapter, Donlea drops you straight into the action and doesn’t let up. What starts as a cold case about a missing teenager quickly unravels into something much more layered, dark, and unexpected.

Set in a sweltering Wisconsin lake town, this thriller follows Ethan Hall, a former detective-turned-ER doctor who’s reluctantly pulled back into the haunting disappearance of 17-year-old Callie Jones—ten years after she vanished without a trace. As Ethan digs back into the case, long-buried secrets start rising to the surface, including ones tied to his own past.

What I loved most: the twists are clever, the pacing is relentless, and the dual timelines and shifting perspectives keep you on your toes. This is Donlea doing what he does best—delivering smart, tightly wound suspense with real emotional stakes.

Fans of cold case thrillers, dark secrets, and small towns full of skeletons? This one’s for you!

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 the publisher and NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review

I enjoyed the story, but there were a lot of characters and different stories to follow. I think it was definitely twisted (in a good way!) but the audio was not my favorite. And that's not on the narrator because she was excellent. I just mean that the story is harder to follow on audio in my opinion. I think traditionally reading this is best. I do want to point out that I liked the narration when she was speaking through a radio, as they made it sound like it was actually a radio system which was really neat.

I did find the former detective, turned ER doctor, turned back to detective was a little bit far-fetched, but it was a very minor detail that came and went.

Thank you so much to RB Media, Charlie Donlea, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen and review.

4.5⭐️ On the tenth anniversary of Callie Jones’ disappearance, the former lead detective on the case seeks the help of his former partner, retired special agent (and current emergency room physician), Ethan Hall, to finally put the case to rest for the sake of her father, now the state senator.

I must admit, I was both completely shocked and immediately intrigued by the opening chapter, followed by a seemingly unrelated second chapter in which we meet our main character, Ethan on call in the emergency department. Right from the go, I needed to know what on earth had happened to Callie, where that first chapter fit in, and what Ethan had to do with anything.

What I loved most about this story, in addition to the true crime/cold case storyline which is obviously very engaging, was the fascinating cast of characters at its core. Ethan is a terrific MC, led in equal measures by both his empathy and drive. He felt so lifelike at times, that when he became shell-shocked, I felt his anguish.

His girlfriend, Maddie, was the perfect counterbalance, both romantically and quasi-professionally, though ultimately, I’d have loved to get even more of her backstory and psychology post-trauma, which is probably just greedy on my part (I have a sneaking suspicion we may get more on this front).

The plot line was fast-paced and terrific fun (in the gritty, brutal sense of the word) and would make a fantastic screen adaptation. It felt a bit like a cat and mouse game times two as multiple people were pulling the puppet strings, but with only one, ultimate master puppeteer— the perfect villain to our hero.

As is always the case with Charlie Donlea’s books, we are slowly walked into a cast of about a zillion characters with so many loose strings (back to that puppet master), I get to the point in every book where I wish I had an unhinged chart on the wall, complete with pushpins and (more) string, as almost always feel like I have no idea what the heck is happening. And that’s usually at the point right before Donlea begins to weave it all back together for us.

Without spoiling anything, I will say this ends with a big, hella-fun twist and a cliffhanger, leading us right into what I’m sure is a planned sequel. While my favorite Donlea book remains Summit Lake (as in, I still think about it weekly), this may in fact be his next best book. If audio is your thing, it is absolutely amazing alongside the print for a full-on immersive experience. Vivienne Leheny, who has narrated quite a few of his books, does an impeccable job bringing this story to life.

Read if you like:
▪️domestic suspense
▪️true crime vibes
▪️cold case mysteries
▪️serial killers
▪️dual timelines
▪️cliffhangers
▪️jaw-dropping twists

Thank you Kensington Publishing and Recorded Books for the advanced copies.

This book starts off with intensity! A suspenseful & twisty novel that kept my interest throughout. And just when you think you have it all figured out. Bam! The biggest shock I never saw coming is revealed! Definitely recommend!! The audiobook was great fun!

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and RBMedia for advanced audio and e-book copies.

Charlie Donlea's BEST BOOK YET!!! Callie goes missing 10 years ago and her case runs cold...until today. Ethan has tried to escape the disappearance and his time as a detective, but gets brought back on the case when new developments come to light. Here's the twist, re-opening the case forces Ethan to confront his past in the form of an inmate housed in a max security prison. Can Ethan confront the demons of his past and survive the ones in present day to solve Callie's murder??

Missing person thriller meets the icky modern day "fad?" of women romanticizing criminals in prison?! Genius. Vivienne Leheny's narration of Guess Again transported me to an eerie, dark small town haunted by a crime of their past & I was entranced. The dual POV & timeline kept me guessing till the end and I'm sad that it's over!! Stay tuned for the re-read🤯

Thank you to RBMedia and NetGalley for sending me an ALC!