Book Review: If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay

Plot:4⭐

Audio Narration: 5⭐

It’s been five years since Ryan Richardson witnessed the kidnapping of his girlfriend Alison Lane in their hometown of Leavenworth, Kansas. Ryan was left injured, with a vague recollection of his attacker, who was never found, and Alison and her car disappeared without a trace. Initially a prime suspect in her disappearance, Ryan is eventually acquitted, but the unwanted media attention surrounding the case forces him to change his name.

In the present day, he is a law student at Georgetown and while visiting Italy with a group of friends he is informed that Alison’s car was found submerged in Suncatcher Lake with the bodies of two men and Alison’s bag with a cryptic note. Ryan, able to decipher the note, embarks on his own quest to find out what happened to Ali.

In Leavenworth, Kansas, Poppy McGee, who only recently joined as deputy sheriff after being discharged from the army, is pursuing the investigation into Ali’s disappearance. She has her hands full, reviewing case files from five years ago, trying to locate Ryan and decode Ali’s message. As she delves into the details pertaining to Ali’s disappearance, Poppy begins to suspect that there are people close to her who might know more than they are letting on and unbeknownst to either Ryan or Poppy there are other forces at play and people with their own agenda who are monitoring their movements.

A cleverly crafted thriller with well-thought-out characters, If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay is a gripping read. A lot is going on in this novel, but the author deftly weaves it all together into a twisty and suspenseful fast-paced narrative presented through multiple perspectives in short chapters and not a boring moment. I will admit that I could predict one of the major twists/reveals midway through the novel, but this in no way detracted from my overall experience because there were plenty of surprises along the way.

I loved the full-cast audio narration featuring Helen Laser and John Pirhalla and Paul Dateh, which made for a riveting immersion reading experience that I finished in one day.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller! As with most books in this genre, there are OTT elements, but don’t overthink it and just enjoy the wild ride!

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the digital review copy and Macmillan Audio for the ALC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.