I liked the mystery in this book. A group of people trying to solve a crime, what could be better....The mention of UCF brought back memories since I graduated from there. Overall, I found this to be a winner.

3.5 ⭐️

When I saw that Ashley Winstead had a new book I was instantly interested. This is different from the previous books I had read before. I was not a fan for 3/4 of it. First of all this was an exact copy of a real life murder situation so that was uncomfortable enough all on its own. Next the Reddit threads intensity totally creeped me out. The entire time I was just waiting for them to wrap it up because I knew who did it from the beginning. It was way too obvious and it took forever for them to get to it. It just dragged for me and I couldn’t get into relating to internet sleuths. I just kept screaming go to therapy after losing your parent not Reddit!!! On the positive I actually really enjoyed the last 30 minutes so maybe this coulda been a lot shorter and much better for it.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced audiobook.

After her father's death, college student Jane Sharp seeks solace in true crime and joins an online community of amateur detectives. When three college girls are murdered in Delphine, Idaho, Jane and her friends dive into the case, only to uncover a web of deception and manipulation. As they get closer to the truth, they realize the killer may be smarter than they thought. One year later, Jane reveals the shocking truth behind the Delphine Massacres, leaving even seasoned true crime fans surprised.

I am conflicted about this book. It is labeled as fiction, yet it closely resembles the tragic events of the University of Idaho 2022 Massacre. The trial is scheduled for the summer of 2025, and I find it unsettling that I am reading a book that mirrors the real-life case so closely. It feels disrespectful to the families involved, as someone is profiting from their pain.

Despite my initial disappointment, I persevered and read the entire story. It seemed as though the author anticipated backlash and added more murders to create a different outcome. While I was frustrated and upset, I felt obligated to complete the book for the purpose of writing a review.

Opinions on this book are divided, with some readers who are unfamiliar with the Idaho murders of 2022 praising its originality. However, those of us who are familiar with the case find it difficult to continue reading. It is unacceptable to exploit a real tragedy and pass it off as fiction. The lack of respect for the victims and their families is truly baffling.

The narrator of the audiobook did an excellent job of bringing the story to life. I thoroughly enjoyed the narration.

Thank you, Sourcebooks Landmark, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

After her father’s sudden death, college senior Janeway Sharp stumbles across a true crime network on the interweb and quickly becomes enthralled as she looks for a distraction from her own pain and grief. Soon close friendships and alliances are formed as the armchair detective group takes on the shocking and brutal murder of three sorority students in Delphine, Idaho and are suddenly thrust into the spotlight themselves.

Looking at the reviews for this book, it strikes me that most people fall into two categories on it - you either love it or you hate it. Turns out, I am in the former. While this book didn’t quite bury me, it sure gripped my attention to the point of complete absorption. I. Could. Not. Put. This. Book. Down.

Unlike Ashley Winstead’s other novels that are works of pure fiction, the primary case in this book is based on a very true crime, and is part of what makes this book controversial. Is it too early to be featuring this brutal murder, an event that has left a town broken, in such a front and centered way? In fact, Winstead even includes an author’s note to explain her rationale on this and it’s definitely worth a read.

I would argue that although it is pivotal to the story, it is very much not THE story. At the core, TBWBM is about community and making sense of the senseless. It’s about our overarching desire for answers we may or may never be able to find. And it’s about family, those who we love and who offer comfort, and those who seek only to knock us down.

To prevent the risk of spoiling a book that’s best when gone into blind, I will end my review by saying that although, I didn’t love her last, this book was a major winner for me and such a pleasant surprise. Not since Verity has a first page grabbed me hook, line and sinker and I hope it does the same for you, if you choose to read it.

🎧 This book is equally terrific on audio narrated by the talented Leslie Howard. She does an impeccable job bringing this very full cast/full mixed media story to life. I would be hard pressed to say which format I prefer.

Read if you like:
▪️true crime
▪️serial killer storylines
▪️quasi-cozy mysteries
▪️epistolary format
▪️unputdownable thrillers

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and Tantor Media for the advanced copies.

This mystery drew me in with its intricate plot and emotional layers. I read it alongside my best friend, taking our time to discuss every detail and analyze each twist as we progressed through the story.

The narrative follows a group of characters who connect on the internet, uniting to solve a murder and ultimately pursue a serial killer. Their interactions and shared experiences kept me engaged, allowing me to invest in their journeys.

The story explores themes of connection and the human experience, showcasing how relationships evolve through adversity. The author skillfully navigates the group dynamics, highlighting how their bonds strengthen through shared challenges.

The plot was filled with unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing. The pacing was expertly crafted, transitioning from a simple online connection to a gripping investigation. I often found myself reflecting on the complexities of human relationships and the impact of trauma as I read.

While I enjoyed the overall experience, I wished for a more detailed exploration of certain character arcs and motivations, especially toward the conclusion.

The best aspect of the book for me was the villain, whose portrayal left a lasting impression. I was surprised by my feelings toward this character as I delved deeper into the story. This mystery provides a fresh take on the genre, skillfully blending suspense with deeper emotional themes. I will never forget this book and wholeheartedly recommend it for its captivating journey that lingers in your mind.

In need of a distraction from her grief after the unexpected death of her father, college student Jane Sharp becomes obsessed with true crime, befriending armchair detectives who teach her how to hunt killers from afar.

This is one I'm very conflicted about. It's not a bad book, it's definitely entertaining, and there's bits and pieces I liked about it, but it's not groundbreaking or anything like that. It does take inspiration from real life cases, which felt a little... icky at times as it felt like it took a little too much. The main group of characters had a fun dynamic, which made it fun to follow them, even though I didn't really care all that much for any of them. Some parts in the middle felt very slow, and the pacing was weird, making it feel like an incredibly long read, and it really didn't need to be, and the ending also left me somewhat unsatisfied. I really did enjoy the storyline about her father, and I would have loved it if it focused on that a little more.

I did listen to the audiobook for this one, and it definitely did most of the job getting me through all of book. The narration was truly great, and made it very easy to follow along.

if you enjoyed holly jackson’s “a good girl’s guide to murder”, pick up this book. it has the same vibe, except instead of the main character having her own podcast, she was a part of an online forum. you even get some found family elements i’d say, which was a pleasant surprise. the ragtag group of “online detectives” jane surrounds herself with was a lot of fun to follow. i could easily visualize them.

there is something to be said about ashley winstead’s choice to take a very real and relevant case (the idaho college murders) and make it a fictionalized plot point. this has made me unsure on what star rating to give this story, because on my ARC copy, there was no author’s note or trigger warning that provided a heads-up on this. hopefully in the final version there will be. i have very mixed opinions on the ethics of authors doing this (i.e. “bright young women” by jessica knoll being a spin on the sorority ted bundy targeted). there needs to be a level of respect held for victims of violent crimes, and i feel this creative choice is encroaching on this.

on one hand, i like that winstead approached the idea of how true crime content creators negatively sensationalize cases, but on the other hand, it felt like she was doing the same thing with writing this book, in a way. that’s the catch 22 with books like this. personally, i feel it was in poor taste to take a murder case that currently has an ongoing trial. what furthers that opinion is the direction winstead took the fictional case in her book— it almost felt as though she was pointing fingers at the real victims or making a mockery of them.

that aside, “this book will bury me” was entertaining. the allure of the murders would have been just as “reeling” if they weren’t based off the idaho murders. there were details that were very intentionally alluding to that real case, and that did not sit right with me. winstead easily could have made a more original, fictional sorority murder case without those specific details (i.e. the shoe size, what the victims did the night before, the call logs, the location). nevertheless, i enjoyed the mixed media format, because it makes you feel as though you’re on the amateur detective forum too. i know it’s become increasingly common for thrillers to incorporate transcripts, podcasts, interviews, etc, but i eat it up every time!

Ok wow where do I start…
I haven’t read anything like this book before and thought it was fantastic.
I’m guilty of enjoying the True Crime ‘genre’ (although never tried to solve a case) so the topic was immediately interesting to me.
I loved the writing style and was completely engaged the entire time, I did guess the ‘twist’ quite early on but that didn’t take anything away from the book.
The one thing I didn’t like was how one of the ‘cases’ was very heavily based on the Idaho 4 murders, it made me very uncomfortable and I think it was unnecessary to be based so closely on it.
But over all I think this is the best thriller I’ve read in a long time and now am looking forward to reading the authors back catalogue and anything else she brings out.
Excellent narrator

I unfortunately had to set "This Book Will Bury Me" aside due to its subject matter hitting a little too close to home at the moment—but I’m genuinely upset that I can't finish it. Even though I only made it about 8% in, I was already loving the atmosphere and eagerly speculating on where the story might go. Ashley Winstead has such a strong sense of tone, and I could feel myself getting completely drawn into the world she was creating.

As for the audiobook, Leslie Howard is absolutely KILLING it. Depending on the emotions the character is describing, she sometimes uses a tense, whispering voice, which is such a unique choice for an audiobook narrator. It adds an extra layer of intensity and immersion that I don’t often hear.

Even though I personally can’t continue right now, I’ll absolutely be recommending this one to all my armchair detective patrons—it’s the kind of book that begs to be dissected and discussed.

Thank you to Ashley Winstead, Leslie Howard, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley for sending me the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a mixed bag of a read. While I enjoyed the whole online sleuths solving murders angle. I thoroughly disliked the main character. It felt like her reason behind getting so deeply involved in all of this was weak and disconnected.

Oh my!!! 4.25 stars. I’ll be quick. This was amazing. I really enjoyed this one and the narrator was perfect. Written in first person, this book follows true crime lovers solving cases and it was so fun. There was so much mystery and complexity and a lot of character but everything was easy to follow. The setting of the story was easily imaginative which I loved and I highly recommend this one. Please give it a try!!
As always, you should check trigger warnings.

This Book Will Bury Me: A Novel by Ashley Winstead, was a compelling read. The writing was well done and kept me engaged throughout even though the clues were very obvious and allows the user to predict the villains early in the story. Fortunately, for me it is about the journey and not the destination, so it doesn’t bother me like it would for some readers.

The ending felt a little flat, and I wanted it to be more dramatic instead of all the action happening off page. Finally, the narration by Leslie Howard was delivered at a good pace, and she has a great range for providing distinct voices for all of the characters. I do just wish that she chose a more mature sounding voice for the narrator, because that voice gave the book YA feel. Nonetheless, I still recommend the book as it was well done.

Thank you, Tantor Audio, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4 stars
Audio Release Date: Mar 25 2025
Print Pub Date: Mar 25 2025

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# TantorAudio
@sourcebooks
#ThisBookWillBuryMe
#AshleyWinstead
#LeslieHoward
#YarisBookNook
#netgalley

I enjoyed this novel, but there was a bit of what the heck is happening! Winstead has a good mix of characters.

It's the most famous crime in modern history. But only she knows the true story.

After the unexpected death of her father, college student Jane Sharp longs for a distraction from her grief. She becomes obsessed with true crime, befriending armchair detectives who teach her how to hunt killers from afar. In this morbid internet underground, Jane finds friendship, purpose, and even glory...

So when news of the shocking deaths of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho takes the world by storm, and sleuths everywhere race to solve the crimes, Jane and her friends are determined to beat them. But the case turns out to be stranger than anyone expected. Details don't add up, the police are cagey, and there seems to be more media hype and internet theorizing than actual evidence. When Jane and her sleuths take a step closer, they find that every answer only begs more questions. Something's not adding up, and they begin to suspect their killer may be smarter and more prolific than any they've faced before. Placing themselves in the center of the story starts to feel more and more like walking into a trap...

Told one year after the astounding events that concluded the case and left the world reeling, when Jane has finally decided to break her silence about what really happened, she tells the true story of the Delphine Massacres. And what she has to confess will shock even the most seasoned true crime fans...

Thank you Netgalley and Tantor Audio for the arc for my honest review.

I have to say there were very many similarities to the real crime that happened to the college girls in Idaho, which was a little off putting at first. It took me a bit to actually get into the story, but then I needed to see how it ended.

Jane's father has just passed away and while grieving for her father she starts distracts herself with true crime cases online. Jane is that one girl in the scary movies that does stupid stuff and you scream at them, "why are you doing that?", she does get a little bit better about not doing that later on...kind of. I loved the group of friend she made in the online community and how all their personalities balance each other out.

I think I enjoyed this book because it's different than a lot of the books in the same genre and I didn't see the ending coming.

3.5 stars. This Book Will Bury Me is a mystery that takes a deep dive into the role online sleuths play in true crime, as well as what makes them turn to obsessive sleuthing in the first place. The story is told as a purported tell-all memoir of the main character, Jane Sharp, who we can tell from her introduction has somehow become infamous and wants to set the record straight. Jane turns to online sleuthing after the death of her father and becomes part of a close-knit group of five friends who get intimately involved with a case that closely parallels the murders of four college students in Moscow, Idaho. The group meets up in Idaho and as they close in on the killer, Jane finds herself in danger.

I enjoyed the twisty mystery and look at a how online bonds can form after real life tragedies. This book also brings up a lot of questions about ethics in the true crime community, the way it can lead to false accusations, and the impact it has on the communities and families impacted by the crimes. I wouldn't say that it pins down any answers to any of those questions, and ultimately the whole story is told through the lens of someone trying to tell her story in a way that puts her in the best light and to justify many actions that blur or cross ethical lines. First and foremost it's entertaining, but also gives readers a lot to chew on. Judging from some other early reviews, there are a fair number of people who disapprove of the author using the details of the Moscow murders in this way, so some of those questions may apply as much to the book as to the fictional story within it.

I thought Leslie Howard's audiobook narration was pitch perfect for the 24-year-old narrator, and she did a great job with the variety of different voices for the other characters.

When Jane's father unexpectedly passes away, Jane finds a true crime forum as a way to distract herself from the grief. Along with four amateur sleuths, their group hunts for killers from their computers. Their group has gathered fame with recent cases, but they will soon investigate their toughest case yet. Three girls have been murdered in their home in Delphine, Idaho without a single clue left by the killer. The case has received nation-wide media attention and amateur sleuths from everywhere are determined to solve the case. Jane's group is determined to solve the case first but with every answer comes more questions. The group never could imagine how this case would end. Now a year later, Jane has decided to break her silence and give the true story of the Delphine Massacres.

I would highly recommend this book for fans of True Crime. Although this book is slow to start, the story quickly picks up with the Delphine Massacres and I was completely hooked with the investigation. This book makes you debate if True Crime podcasts and amateur sleuths do more harm in an investigation than help. As the group digs further into the investigation, it seems that they were willing to do almost anything to solve the case. The conclusion of the investigation was wild, and I was completely surprised with the ending. Overall, I couldn't get enough of this mystery tell-all.

This Book Will Bury Me comes out March 25th.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to review This Book Will Bury Me. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oof this one was painful. The writing style really dumbed down this book. Over the top cheesy phrases, transitions, and characters. I only pushed through because I know people love this author so it’s going to get hype I’m sure. But feel safe skipping this one.

I almost DNF'ed this one but am glad that I didn't. It took me a while to get into the story and it moved, what felt to me, super slow until about 75% of the way in. But, WOW, at that point things really got going and it turned out to be pretty darn good. The ending was also not something I saw coming and I love it when that happens.

True crime junkies, you're gonna love this one. A group of amateur sleuths solving crimes, all on the search for something...

The narration was good and even though it was longer than it maybe had to be and slow moving at the start, this was an overall fun read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Leslie Howard does a fantastic job narrating this story and really knows how to pull the reader into the book.

Jane Sharp, struggling from her father's sudden death, drops out of college and moves home with her mom as they both process their grief. At the time of her father's death, a woman goes missing and Jane becomes engrossed in the mystery with an online group dedicated to solving real life crimes. Jane even becomes sort of famous because she is very good at it and is driven by her father’s memory.

This is a well written, character driven story about family, love, loss, grief and of course murder. The plot really works and I loved the characters. They are an odd mix of people but they meshed well together with each bringing special crime solving skills to the table. I powered through this book in 2 days as I found it entertaining and completely engrossing! Highly recommend!!

I really loved Winstead’s previous book, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, so I was thrilled to get this ALC. The online chat format is a neat idea, it also works well as an audiobook too. The premise that this is Jane’s choice to recount her story in a book a year later is clever. The depiction of the community she found online was compelling. Although it's not my typical cozy mystery (it’s pretty dark and twisted). Be warned: the book closely mirrors the real Idaho college murders, which I was not informed about until researching after I read the book.