Every Last Fear
2021 • 280 pages
Ratings22
Average rating3.6
15
Ratings22
Average rating3.6
“High-energy . . . Finlay expands the puzzle and ratchets up the action.” —New York Times "This debut is gripping from the first bone-chilling line until the final page." —Newsweek One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2021: • Newsweek • CNN • E! Online • Goodreads • BuzzFeed • PopSugar • BookBub • Bibliofile • Mystery and Suspense A LibraryReads Selection — A Top Book Voted by Librarians for March 2021 An Indie Next Pick — A Top Book Voted by Independent Bookstores for March 2021 In one of the year’s most anticipated debut psychological thrillers, a family made infamous by a true crime documentary is found dead, leaving their surviving son to uncover the truth about their final days. “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.
Reviews with the most likes.
Could be spoilers
This one was good. I enjoyed it, didn't love it. Matt, finds out that his family has just been murdered all but one who is in jail.
The FBI has contacted him to go identify the bodies in Mexico. By the time he gets there the bodies have already been released.
Has this got something to do with the investigation his father and sister were doing to get Matt's brother released from prison?
Awesome Debut Novel!
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021 and for good reasons. This was an easy five-star read and I didn't have to really think about the rating at all. I finished this in about three days. This book is an absolutely stunning thriller told from multiple perspectives and timelines that adds so much dimension. Matt is an NYU student whose family is of national acclaim after a documentary series that featured his brother's story. Danny is in jail for the murder of his girlfriend in high school, a crime for which he claims he is innocent. I found myself angry at the family's hometown because as you read you will learn that Danny's confession is so coerced, what you will see is a father who has spent a lifetime trying to prove that the wrong man is in prison.
While at NYU Matt is approached by FBI Agent Sarah Keller and told that while on vacation his entire family is found dead during a terrible misfortune and the only family he has left is Danny the brother in prison. However, this revelation is not the whole story, and as we investigate the case alongside Matt and Keller, the story takes us on unexpected paths to find out not only what happened to the Pine family but also what happened to Charlotte, the girl Danny was accused of murdering so many years ago.
I am trying to be stricter with my 1-5 star rating this year but I can say that this was easily a book that can be an all nightery kind of read. Every chapter adds more to the story making this a captivating and unputdownable read. The pace is stunning giving you just enough of the bread crumb to want to keep you up all night until you know who killed them. Without giving too much away I will say the ending is completely satisfying and very surprising. You will guess who did it and you will be wrong and you will love it.
Thank you to NetGalley and all parties involved in the decision of my receiving of this arc this was a fabulous read I can not wait to see what comes next from Alex Finlay.
DNF
I really did not like this book. People were saying that this was a fast-paced book but I do not agree. I felt like it dragged so much. There was too much POV's and they did nothing for the book. Matt was extremely boring to read from. I felt like he did nothing. There were homophobic/racists comments and that was what really push me over the edge. I don't understand why the editor didn't remove those comments. I just don't understand why people love this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my review.
