Publisher: Minotaur Books
Published: March 2, 2021
Source: Publisher
Summary:
“They found the bodies on a Tuesday.”
So begins this twisty and breathtaking novel that traces the fate of the Pine family, a thriller that will both leave you on the edge of your seat and move you to tears.
After a late night of partying, NYU student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news: nearly his entire family—his mom, his dad, his little brother and sister—have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI and State Department seem far less certain—and they won’t tell Matt why.
The tragedy makes headlines everywhere because this isn’t the first time the Pine family has been thrust into the media spotlight. Matt’s older brother, Danny—currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend Charlotte—was the subject of a viral true crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted. Though the country has rallied behind Danny, Matt holds a secret about his brother that he’s never told anyone: the night Charlotte was killed Matt saw something that makes him believe his brother is guilty of the crime.
When Matt returns to his small hometown to bury his parents and siblings, he’s faced with a hostile community that was villainized by the documentary, a frenzied media, and memories he’d hoped to leave behind forever. Now, as the deaths in Mexico appear increasingly suspicious and connected to Danny’s case, Matt must unearth the truth behind the crime that sent his brother to prison—putting his own life in peril—and forcing him to confront his every last fear.
Told through multiple points-of-view and alternating between past and present, Alex Finlay’s Every Last Fear is not only a page-turning thriller, it’s also a poignant story about a family managing heartbreak and tragedy, and living through a fame they never wanted.
My thoughts:
I love when I book pulls me in and keeps me engaged and guessing all the way through and that is exactly what this debut thriller does. It is addictive and fast-paced, just how I love my thrillers!
This book has one of the best opening lines I have read in quite a while:
“They found the bodies on a Tuesday.”
If that doesn’t grab your attention, I don’t know what will. From there, things take off and I found myself hooked. I loved how the book moves back and forth in time, alternating from the past and the present to give us an idea of what was going on with the Pine family. We are slowly given clues as to what was going on, but at the same time are left with many questions as to where things are headed, which just keeps you flipping those pages to find all the answers and see how things are going to play out. I admit I had some theories, but did not work out all the puzzle pieces.
I loved FBI Agent Sarah Keller and the way her mind worked as she tried to figure out this case. I loved her determination in getting to the bottom of these cases no matter what…and I’m so happy to report that she is going to feature in Alex Finlay’s next book! I can’t wait to see her in action again in another case!
This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I loved the twists and turns this one takes, the emotional aspect that it delves into and the secrets that it uncovers – all ingredients that make up the perfect thriller! For a debut novel, this one knocked it out of the park and I cannot wait to get my hands on this author’s next book!!!
