Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay
Publication Date: March 2, 2021 by Minotaur Books
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Source: eARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
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.
Finlay’s debut, Every Last Fear, was an intriguing and pulse-pounding mystery/thriller. I really enjoyed this book! I never know how I’m going to get along with a thriller, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. This story kept me guessing and I loved every minute of reading it.
🩸Multiple POVs and Alternating Timelines
Every Last Fear is told in the past and present timelines and there are multiple characters’ point of views. Certain chapters are from Matt’s father’s, mother’s, and sister’s perspectives in the past, and other chapters are from Matt’s perspective in the present. Readers also get the perspective of the FBI agent assigned to the case, Sarah Keller. There is also some documentary footage interspersed throughout the book. I really love when books feature documentary footage or podcasts. I also really loved the use of past and present timelines and the multiple POVs, although it was a little difficult to follow in the beginning.
🩸Many Questions
I had many questions while reading this book. What really happened to this family? Why would someone want to kill them? Did Matt’s Older Brother Danny really kill his girlfriend? Is someone after Matt? What secrets are these characters hiding?
🩸Interesting Characters
I thought all the characters were very interesting and well-written. Matt has to deal with the loss of his father, mother, sister, and brother, while trying to find out what happened to them. Matt’s older brother Danny is in prison for the murder of his girlfriend, but did he really kill her or was he framed? In the past, Matt’s father, Evan, desperately tries to find evidence to get Danny freed from prison; and Matt’s mother, Liv, and sister, Maggie, both have secrets that are eating away at them.
🩸Thrilling Read
Overall, Every Last Fear, is a thrilling mystery that I highly recommend. This was a gripping page-turner and I had so much fun reading it. I will definitely be reading Finlay’s future books. Mystery/thriller lovers should absolutely pick this one up!
Thanks for Reading!
