If Something Happens to Me: A Novel
A USA Today Bestseller!
From “one of the genre’s most exciting voices” (E! News) comes one of the year’s most-anticipated thrillers.
For the past five years, Ryan Richardson has relived that terrible night. The car door ripping open. The crushing blow to the head. The hands yanking him from the vehicle. His girlfriend Ali’s piercing scream as she is taken.
With no trace of Ali or the car, a cloud of suspicion hangs over Ryan. But with no proof and a good lawyer, he’s never charged, though that doesn’t matter to the podcasters and internet trolls. Now, Ryan has changed his last name, and entered law school. He's put his past behind him.
Until, on a summer trip abroad to Italy with his law-school classmates, Ryan gets a call from his father: Ali's car has finally been found, submerged in a lake in his hometown. Inside are two dead men and a cryptic note with five words written on the envelope in Ali’s handwriting: If something happens to me…
Then, halfway around the world, the unthinkable happens: Ryan sees the man who has haunted his dreams since that night.
As Ryan races from the rolling hills of Tuscany, to a rural village in the UK, to the glittering streets of Paris in search of the truth, he has no idea that his salvation may lie with a young sheriff’s deputy in Kansas working her first case, and a mobster in Philadelphia who’s experienced tragedy of his own.
In classic Alex Finlay form, If Something Happens to Me is told by several distinct, compelling characters whose paths intersect, detonating into a story of twist after pulse-pounding twist. The novel cements Finlay as one of the leading thriller writers today.
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Community Reviews
Alex Finlay delivers a heart-pounding thriller in âIf Something Happens to Me,â a tale woven with suspense and global intrigue. Ryan Richardsonâs search for his abducted girlfriend takes readers from Tuscany to Paris, with Finlayâs signature twists captivating you until the last page.
This novel is a must for fans of emotional depth like Emily Henry, dark twists akin to Emily McIntire, and the intense storytelling of Tracy Wolff. Itâs a cross-genre gem that will appeal to true crime aficionados and those who savor character-driven stories.
In essence, Alex Finlayâs book is a masterclass in thriller writing, perfect for anyone seeking a story that thrills and touches the soul.
First a few things I liked about the book: (1) the switching of time, place, and perspective was really interesting - I liked how it was all third person but switched whose emotions you were experiencing as it helped give more depth to the characters, (2) the mystery and intrigue was there the whole way while still maintaining some aspects of realism to the story, and (3) I think the pacing of the writing was very good as it kept me interested in what was happening next but didnât feel rushed with a climax in the last few pages (love a book with an epilogue).
The only thing I think could use some improvement is that the mistakes that the good guys made didnât have any particularly real consequences, but the bad guys had very real consequences. I also think that there could have been more showing than telling on the motivations of the bad guys - particularly I wanted to know more about Gina apart from her being an extension/motivation for Shane. But these are definitely small bones to pick in light of a very successful novel.
Iâd give it a 4.5/5 overall. Very enjoyable read.
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