This was a pretty solid book. It wasn’t overly graphic while still providing a good level of suspense. A bit predictable, but overall a good read

A Highly Enjoyable and Intricately Written Tale

SUMMARY
Tonight is Alison and Ryan’s last night together; tomorrow they are headed off to different colleges. They are parked in a secluded wooded area when suddenly, their car door is ripped open. Alison screams, and Ryan is hit in the head. The next thing he knows it’s morning, he is lying in the wet grass, the car is gone, and so is Alison.

Five years later, neither Alison nor her body has ever been found. Ryan has always been under suspicion for her disappearance and has never gotten over that experience or the loss of Alison.

On a summer trip to Italy with law school classmates, Ryan gets a call from his dad. Alison’s car has just been found submerged in a lake near their hometown or Leavenworth, Kansas Inside are two dead men and an envelope with Ali’s handwriting that says, “If something happens to me. ”

REVIEW
If Something Happens To Me is a skillfully written and intricately woven tale of mystery and intrigue. Author Alex Finlay's writing is captivating and gut-wrenching.

The book is compulsively readable. You can't help but sympathize with Ryan, and you will not be able to stop inhaling the pages until the mystery of what happened to Alison is solved. I really liked the new deputy sheriff character Poppy McGee, who is delightfully smart and vulnerable.

I experienced the book in both print and audio formats. Both formats were good. A multicast of narrators enhanced the listening experience. Narrators were Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Dateh, all of whom did an admirable job at bringing the many characters in this enjoyable story to life.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martins Press, and Macmillian Audio for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


Publisher St Martins Press / Macmillan Audio
Published May 28, 2024
Narrated Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Dateh
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay audiobook version 3.5 stars rounded up. This was a decent thriller. Loved the multiple narrators and the different POVs. It kept me interested enough to finish the book, but I wasn’t gripped by this thriller. Those who read lots of thrillers probably won’t be surprised how this one turns out. I did enjoy the way it wrapped up though. It’s a solid thriller, and I’m glad I listened to it. Thank you to NetGalley, Alex Finlay and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listeners copy of this book. It’s greatly appreciated.

Thank you @macmillanaudio and @minotaurbooks for the gifted copy of If Something Happens to Me {partner}

Genre: Mystery
Trope: Missing Girl
Format: 🎧
Audiobook Narration: ☆☆☆☆
Pub Date: 5/28/2024
Star Rating: ☆☆☆

Dang it! I desperately wanted to like this one. I started it on my Kindle and was feeling meh about the storyline, so I started the audio. While the audio was entertaining, there was just too much going on. It was fast-paced and twisty, but it almost pulled me in too many directions, ultimately making the plot too far-fetched and unbelievable. Because I am who I am, I figured out where the story was headed from a fairly early point, but I didn't enjoy the path the author took to get there. 

💨 Fast-paced
📝 Multi-layer story
🔀 Twisty plot
🗣️ Multiple POV

⚠️ Torture and extreme bullying of a teenager

My opinion on this book might not be popular, but that's the beauty of reading, not every book is meant for everyone. If you're a fan of high-octane, action-packed stories, then If Something Happens to Me might be your cup of tea.

An incredibly twisty read! So many characters, all connected in some way - this was so well=done. I could not put it down.

2.5 stars 🌟

After reading other Alex Finlay novels, I was really excited to get my hands on this one. The premise seemed interesting -- albeit familiar -- and I was totally ready to get sucked into a nice thriller. The first chapter grabbed me right away.

Afterward, though, my enthusiasm started to wane. The audiobook narration was fantastic (minus someone attempting to speak French and butchering it, lol), and there seemed to be enough going on with each new character to make it interesting. Finlay usually does a good job throwing in pop culture references, but for some reason, it felt so out of place in this book. Maybe I'm out of touch?? But the specific note and callbacks to Poppy liking/having a Beyoncé poster felt completely random and irrelevant to anything. It's like trying too hard to be trendy and relatable. But she also somehow knew The Waltons, too!! It just felt weird to me as neither reference really fit Poppy's character.

I also realized early on that this entire book - plot, writing style, etc. reaaalllyyyy felt like a YA novel written by Harlan Coben. I am a huge fan of his, but once I had that thought, I couldn't see the book any other way. Like Finlay was trying to emulate Coben's style, which caused it to lose some of that magic found his earlier books. That's also why it felt so familiar - because I've read Harlan Coben novels with identical premises (and much stronger endings, too). I wasn't very invested in the plot and too many of the chapters ended abruptly anytime something slightly interesting happened (P.S. why does that always happen now?? Can we please stop that trend?).

While it was an alright story, unfortunately, I don't think it'll stand out within this year's read books. It was fine but didn't blow me away... other than my gripes with pop culture references and 'inspiration,' I wasn't annoyed reading this story. It just felt like something was missing. Maybe others will enjoy it much more than I did.

Shoutout to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio/Minotaur Books, and Alex Finlay for an early release digital audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

If Something Happens To Me is a non-stop, action-packed thriller! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my first Alex Finlay novel and I wish it didn’t take me this long to discover him. After listening to the prologue I was hooked and knew I’d be in for a wild ride. A bit of a trigger warning, this book is full of heavy content which left my jaw dropped multiple times. I enjoyed the short chapters alternating between the many storylines.

A solid & captivating thrill of a story. Amazed at Finlay’s ability to end each chapter with a cliffhanger that kept me wanting more!

One word to describe Alex Finlay’s writing style is solid. Check out If Something Happens To Me on May 28th!

Thank you to @macmillan.audio for the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 Stars. From the very first page, this mystery thriller grabbed me right away. With a story that weaves through multiple points of view and alternating timelines, it demanded my full attention and had me worried I would miss a crucial twist or turn. It is a complex story, but it made all the revelations that much more satisfying.

I thought the standout element of the audiobook was the voice of the mobster. The character was so well written and the voice just fit him perfectly, was a joy to listen to.

As the story unfolds, the intersections between characters are nothing short of masterful. Every encounter was a puzzle piece that fit into the larger picture, revealing connections that were both fun and surprising. From the missing and the presumed dead, to mobster double crossings and daring escapes it was impossible to put this one down.

I’ll be recommending this one for a long time to come and I suggest you pick it up and buckle up for an exciting ride!

Big thank you to macmillan audio for my free copy!

2.5 stars, generously rounding up to 3. If Something Happens to Me was okay. I just finished this yesterday and I am feeling "meh" about it. I didn't dislike it but can't say that I liked it either. I think the first part was pretty good. The mystery unraveling was interesting. But it wasn't captivating and the overall plot is fading in my memory. The narrator was great.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this audiobook. #ifsomethinghappenstome #netgalley

If Something Happens To Me" is a complex and intricate mobster story that delves into the murky world of organized crime. The novel introduces a wide array of characters and intertwining timelines, offering a detailed and multifaceted narrative.

One of the challenges I encountered while listening to the audiobook version, provided through NetGalley, was the large cast of characters. At times, it was difficult to discern who the protagonists and antagonists were, as the moral lines between them seemed quite blurred. This ambiguity, while adding to the complexity of the story, made it a bit challenging to follow and connect with the characters on a deeper level.

The audiobook production presented its own set of challenges. Some characters were voiced similarly, which occasionally led to confusion about who was speaking. Additionally, the use of both a male and female narrator, while adding variety, sometimes disrupted the continuity of character voices that had been established earlier in the story.

Despite these challenges, the book's intricate plot and detailed exploration of the mobster world will likely appeal to readers who enjoy richly woven narratives and morally complex characters. The audiobook format, while presenting some hurdles, offers a different dimension to the storytelling that some listeners may appreciate.

Ultimately, this book wasn't quite suited for my demographic, but it has qualities that will resonate with fans of complex crime stories.

I spent the first half confused as how these different POVs connected. I figured it out a bit before it’s confirmed in the story. It was an entertaining enough story. I’d be curious to check out other books by the author.

Very well done -- this was a delightful read.
________________________________________


Review copy provided by publisher.

This book definitely kept me interested and wanting more. I felt like there was always a turn. It’s a little confusing with each chapter swapping to different characters but towards then end I kind of liked to see both perspectives! Really enjoyed

Thank you NeyGalley and Publisher for this audio.

Soo this was a no for me. I DNFed it. I think it was more the narrator and not so much the book. I just couldn’t keep listening to it.

This was just an ok book for me. The plot was slightly complex but very easy to figure out. The suspense wasn’t very strong. And, I honestly didn’t really care much about the characters. Ryan was ok, but I never felt any kind of deep emotional connection to him. I also never really cared about Allison or finding out what happened to her. If I am being honest, most of the characters felt shallow or one dimensional.

The audio narration was great though, especially since parts of the books were in different countries. It was probably the best part of the book actually.

3⭐
Genre ~ suspense thriller
Setting ~ Kansas, Pennsylvania, Europe
Publication date ~ May 28, 2024
Page Count ~ 322 (p+ 84 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 7 hours 16 minutes
Narratosr ~ Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, Paul Dateh
POV ~ multiple 3rd
Featuring ~ 3 part story, short chapters, suicide

Ryan was clonked on the noggin 5 years ago and girlfriend, Ali, was missing when he woke up. Now he’s in Europe with his law school friends when he sees someone that brings back memories from that horrible night.

Michael is an accountant who got involved with a very dangerous man. I wasn’t sure how his storyline was going to fit in, but I was quite pleased with how it did. Looking back now I'm like duh.

Poppy is the deputy sheriff looking for answers when Ali’s car is found in the lake with 2 bodies inside. I thought she did a great job for her first case.

The prologue was super promising, but the middle was really slow for me. Don’t get me wrong, there was a good amount of action, and there was a nice twist, but it was just a bit too slow moving for me. Even though there was a lot going on I was never fully engaged. I did like how it was all wrapped up, but I could’ve gone for a little more thrilling pizzazz. Jackpot for short chapters.

Narration notes:
All the narrators did a fine job. Ryan sounded age appropriate, but could have shown a little more emotion during the action packed moments though.

📚Review: If Something Happens To Me ✉️
Here is another book I really wanted to love but just didn’t. I was so disappointed because I just didn’t really connect with this book at all. Not the storyline, not the characters. I really wanted to like this and had such high hopes because I had been seeing great things around Bookstagram about it. So I was really looking forward to this. I requested the ARC on NetGalley for the audiobook and I was so excited when I was approved. I couldn’t wait to get started. And after my last read and not loving that one so much, I really wanted to like this. And I should say it was okay. It was a typical crime investigation story. But there were a lot of characters to keep track of and the settings were all over the world (literally) so that was a little confusing to keep track of at times too. For me, there was a lot going on and I really couldn’t get invested in or connect with any of the characters. They were all spread so thin for me. They had no depth. Anyway, you may love this too because I again, seem to be somewhat of an outlier with this one as well. This was ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me! But, you may like it, so don’t let my review sway you. Everyone needs to form their own opinions on books.
Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for this opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: May 28, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC audiobook of this title. It’s definitely one I think I would’ve been able to follow better as a reader instead of a listener…a few name changes & period of time that can easily get you lost if you’re not paying super close attention. The ending was a surprise but I did feel some parts were left a bit unexplained. It leaves itself open for a sequel.

Alex Finlay plunges readers into a heart-pounding thriller fueled by mystery and suspense, by masterfully weaving a tale of intrigue!

Ryan Richardson is still grappling with the shadows of his past. Five years after his girlfriend, Alison’s, disappearance, Ryan’s world is upended once again when her car resurfaces with an interesting new discovery.

Ryan is not the only one on the hunt for the truth on the missing girl! This most recent development propels the new young deputy sheriff Poppy on a relentless journey of her own.

Finlay’s signature storytelling unfolds through multiple perspectives, keeping readers on the edge of their seats with each twist and turn. If Something Happens to Me is a thrilling read you won’t want to miss!

Huge thank you to #netgalley and @minotaur_books for the advanced audiobook!

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay
I would like to thank McMillan Audiobooks, NetGalley, and Minotaur Books for allowing me to review this audiobook with an ARC copy.
The.narration was wonderful, it was a full cast narration. This publication will be released on 5/28/2024. Helen Laser, John Pirhalla, and Paul Daleh did a great job as narrators and distinguishing the voice of individual characters. The pacing was excellent and the story flowed well. The narration definitely made the novel experience exciting and alive.
The story was a very well written thriller. I am now a new Alex Finlay fan! The plot was so well executed and it kept you guessing throughout the whole book.
You have Ryan Richardson and a cast of small town heroes develop as they are thrust into a vengeful chase from Philadelphia to Leavenworth, Kansas and all over Europe. As Ryan relives a nightmare daily . Then his nightmare comes true when he sees the monster of his dreams in Italy while on a college trip abroad. Back in the US, there is a small town with a lot of secrets that no one wants exposed. Then a car is found submerged in the lake by podcasters, and nothing can stop the roller coaster that results.
This is a fast paced thriller with lots of detail and well developed characters. You don’t want to miss it!