The Anniversary: A Thriller
AN INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER
From the national bestselling author of Parents Weekend, comes one of the most anticipated thrillers of the year.
"Everything I want in a thriller!”―Ashley Elston
"I could not put it down!”―Angie Kim
"Nonstop twists!"—Jason Rekulak
“A master of his craft.”―Jeneva Rose
Every May 1st, a serial killer stalks a small town. Every year he comes for them . . .
On May 1, 1992, Jules Delaney and Quinn Riley hardly know each other.
Jules is high school queen bee in a small Midwestern town when she survives a brutal attack by the elusive May Day Killer—a predator who strikes every May 1st and then vanishes without a trace. Quinn, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, is arrested the same night after trying to break up a fight and nearly killing someone.
By morning, their lives are forever connected.
A year later, Jules is haunted by trauma and guilt, tormented by one question: Why was she spared? Quinn is newly released from juvenile detention and returns home to devastating news—the unsolved murder of his mother.
Over the next decade, their lives are revisited on a single day each year: May 1st.
As the years pass, secrets surface, lies unravel, and the paths of Jules and Quinn draw closer together. Two mysteries edge toward the truth—what really happened the night Jules was attacked, and who murdered Quinn’s mother? All the while, the May Day Killer is still out there.
And the clock is racing toward another anniversary.
Twisty, high-concept, and emotionally charged, The Anniversary is an addictive murder mystery and nail-biting thriller—but it’s also a tender, heartrending story about fate, innocence lost, and two people bound by a single day. With its masterful structure and propulsive tension, The Anniversary reaffirms Alex Finlay as one of the leading thriller writers today.
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Community Reviews
This was an unputdownable book. I had a hard time tearing myself away from it. I only wish the twists weren't done quite so dramatically. It made them feel a little too ridiculous at times which took me out of the story. Some of the plot points were predictable. I did enjoy this, though. Especially all the references to the 90s.
Alex Finlay has become one of my goto authors. He is such a really good writer and storyteller. This is only the fifth book of his that I have read, but I have thoroughly enjoyed every single one.
As the book summary states, the story spans nearly 20yrs of the lives of MC’s Jules and Quinn, focusing every year on May 1st and the tragedies and losses that transpire on that day. It’s also Quinn’s birthday, so it’s not like he can ever get over or forget any of it. Quinn’s and Jules’s friendship is the secondary storyline and all the changes that transpire throughout the story.
I really don’t want to say too much about the storyline because, frankly, it would be a spoiler. Although the story is only 336pgs, it’s kind of epic in all the history and timelines it entails. So much of it is about how Jules and Quinn grow up during the story and the events that shaped their lives forever. Yes, the May Day killings and abductions are very much a part of the storyline and even the huge revelations surrounding that were shocking. While I suspected parts of it, the enormity of it was something I never saw coming. Well done Mr Finlay!!!
The character development of Jules and Quinn was well done as well as some of the other characters. The pacing was steady to fast, which can be challenging when focusing on one particular day over a long period of time, like nearly 20yrs. I also flipped back and forth between the ebook and the audiobook, which allowed me to get through it really quick. The storyline was absolutely engrossing and intriguing, the kind of story that had me finding time to pick up for just a few moments throughout the day. The writing was classic Alex Finlay, and a style that I have come to really enjoy for years now. I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.5 that I will be rounding up to a 5star review. I want to thank NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #MacmillanAudio #TheAnniversary
As the book summary states, the story spans nearly 20yrs of the lives of MC’s Jules and Quinn, focusing every year on May 1st and the tragedies and losses that transpire on that day. It’s also Quinn’s birthday, so it’s not like he can ever get over or forget any of it. Quinn’s and Jules’s friendship is the secondary storyline and all the changes that transpire throughout the story.
I really don’t want to say too much about the storyline because, frankly, it would be a spoiler. Although the story is only 336pgs, it’s kind of epic in all the history and timelines it entails. So much of it is about how Jules and Quinn grow up during the story and the events that shaped their lives forever. Yes, the May Day killings and abductions are very much a part of the storyline and even the huge revelations surrounding that were shocking. While I suspected parts of it, the enormity of it was something I never saw coming. Well done Mr Finlay!!!
The character development of Jules and Quinn was well done as well as some of the other characters. The pacing was steady to fast, which can be challenging when focusing on one particular day over a long period of time, like nearly 20yrs. I also flipped back and forth between the ebook and the audiobook, which allowed me to get through it really quick. The storyline was absolutely engrossing and intriguing, the kind of story that had me finding time to pick up for just a few moments throughout the day. The writing was classic Alex Finlay, and a style that I have come to really enjoy for years now. I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.5 that I will be rounding up to a 5star review. I want to thank NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #MacmillanAudio #TheAnniversary