This Book Will Bury Me was a highly anticipated read for me this year. Which I gave a 3.5 star rating, this books expected publish date is March 25, 2025.

We follow Jane as she is in the midst of her grief from her father’s unexpected death.

In her sorrow she turns to a true crime sleuths chat to seek a distraction. She quickly befriends a group of sleuth detectives and eager to prove herself.

When 3 college girls in Delphine Idaho are found dead, the world is struck. All true crime sleuths race to solve the crime. Jane finds herself amongst her group of detective sleuths in Idaho to solve the crime. Which I loved and found so unique. I was immediately reminded of Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll while reading.

This didn’t hit for me like I thought. Not what I had expected. I really enjoyed the setup of this book and where it was going. There was so much grief embedded in this book as Jane tries to get some other understanding of who her father was. Some of which took over the story line of the mystery and thriller storyline. Picking up this book for this factor and not a drama (sad story grief expectation).

I realized the big twist before the reveal and was left a little deflated. I wasn’t as invested in the group of sleuth detectives as characters. They really pulled together and became a ‘found family’. I was way more interested in solving the crime and the mystery there.

The writing was enjoyable and had a great pace for a thriller and I was finding that I didn’t want to put the book down.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tantor audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this book was interesting and well written but I wish it was a little less true to life. It was so obviously inspired by the University of Idaho murders that it almost came off like fanfiction. I really think more should've been changed from the real life case. That being said, I thought the perspective of a websleuth was an interesting one to take and the story was tense throughout. I also liked how the book was written as if it were a tell-all written by a character after the fact.

Well I was glad to get this Audiobook, but I was disappointed. The voice was very soft, too whispering. When my phone, with headphones, was on it loudest I couldn't hear the voice while walking my dog or vacuuming. I had a hard time listening to it.
Also I found the story too slow and dull whithout something happening. This wasn't for me unfortunately.

While listening to the audiobook I was really taken aback by the similarities - especially since there hasn’t been any sort of resolution or justice in court. I had to do some digging but I found out that the author posted a note (on Instagram) that did end up clearing things up for me. I’m really hoping this will be added to the beginning of the audiobook as it felt a little counterintuitive without having known it was a true crime book when starting it. That being said, the main character was interesting and the story intriguing. This book was very detailed, maybe even a tad long. Included was lots of backstory, like the main plot of the story doesn’t start until chapter 23 (again reading the note made this make more sense). All in all, I look forward to reading more from Ashley Winstead, as I feel she’s a wonderful author. The narrator was amazing with her multitude of different character voices - all with so much depth and inflection. I would like to thank Tantor Audio and NetGalley for giving me an ARC (which did not sway my opinions or review).

***Also, if grief of losing a parent (or you have lost someone recently), or true-crime events are triggers this is probably not a good fit to read at this time.***

Dark, gritty, and propulsive. I loved this book’s deep dive into true crime rabbit holes and the lengths amateur sleuths will go to stop a killer.

If I was reading this strictly for funzies, with no outside knowledge of the case that this so strongly pulls from, I would still have trouble recommending this book. Oof, this was disappointing and that pains me so, considering I adore this author so much. Her writing and the engagement you get with the characters is always there, strong on the page. Unfortunately, there were so many takes I couldn't get past, even with the enjoyable writing.

We are going to scoot right past the fact that this fictional story is clearly based on a pretty recent and very real murder case... and on to a couple other issues I had. Just because you are acknowledging that there is a disparity between the air time that murders or disappearances of Black and white women get in the media doesn't then mean you should continue to embolden that statistic by an "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" attitude. I think the topic of obesity is handled the same way in this book. Also, I didn't understand the coloration between our protagonist's father dying and her turning to true crime as an outlet. Perhaps, if the manner of his death was different.

I don't enjoy leaving critical reviews, particularly. This was just a big ol' bummer from an author whom I really enjoy. I will absolutely be on board for her next book, though!!

Honestly slay
I know her books can go either way, but i love Ashley Winstead. This book was super predictable, but i loved the story and the way it played out, so i didn’t mind. The audio was super gripping and entertaining. I felt like I was in the middle of the story the whole time! I feel like if I read it I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as listening to it. Only because i liked the plot and all of the different story’s within a story, but at some points it felt too drawn out for what it was. All in all I would definitely recommend this for a fun, fast paced, twisty thriller!!
GR review posted
Amazon and IG on release day

Ashley Winstead is fantastic at writing a twisty thriller and this is no exception. Not sure how I feel about being so closely related to such a recent real-life crime, but I appreciate what she had to say about amateur sleuthing.

This Book Will Bury Me is a thriller/mystery inspired by a real true crime story. The story follows Jane, whose father died suddenly from a heart attack, leaving her overwhelmed with grief. While dealing with her grief she saw the Idoha murders on the news and became obsessed with true crime. This is my first book by Ashley Winstead, and although I am not typically a true crime reader, I wanted to give this book a chance. I found the author's writing to be very engaging, and it kept me interested in the story. The narrator did an amazing job of bringing the characters to life. This was such an intense story to read. I really enjoyed the story and will definitely read more of her books in the future. I highly recommend this book, but you should check the trigger warnings before reading it. Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

Grappling with grief following the death of her father, Jane seeks distraction in an online amateur sluething forum. There, she becomes immersed in a found family of armchair sleuths who are all intrigued by the same crime, a grisly triple homicide of college students. As they become more entwined in the case, Jane finds herself with a new "found family," a new purpose, and even her first fifteen minutes of fame. Racing to solve the crime ahead of the police, Jane realizes the dangers are creeping closer and closer to her door.

Ashley Winstead has delivered a solid thriller with fast pacing. It's a great option for your next popcorn thriller, especially if you are a true crime fan. While the book is rooted in an internet forum and not a podcast, the after-the-fact reporting delivered by Jane has a similar podcast feel that will appeal to many. Leslie Howard delivers a strong performance with the narration. Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for an advance copy for honest review. 3.5 stars rounded up out of recognition of the fact that true crime is not my true passion. 3.5 stars, rounded up out of recognition that true crime stories are not my personal passion but will likely appeal to others more.

Amateur internet sleuths.
Serial killer.
Kinda of love when a book breaks the fourth wall. Really enjoyed the entirety of this book from the different characters to the plot line to the way it was set up. I will say my inklings were correct about some things but that didn’t take away from the story.

What a compelling thriller! I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately, but this pulled me right out of it - I finished it in a day, and couldn’t put it down! The audiobook was great - the narrator did a fantastic job.

The reader follows Jane as she grieves her father’s death and immerses herself in a community of amateur sleuths online as a coping mechanism. I loved the true crime aspect and watching these amateur sleuths solve crimes. The main crime in this novel isn’t introduced until about a third of the way through the book, but I was completely engaged long before then!

This was so much fun, and I absolutely recommend you pick this one up! You will absolutely love this if you like books with…

-True Crime Themes
-Footnotes
-Found Family
-Semi-Famous Characters

This is a wonderful story on the inside of couch detectives and armchair sleuths. As a true crime frantic myself, I was very drawn to the main character as she finds a new community and mourns the loss of her father. The narrator brought this story to life and conveyed the raw emotion at the beginning of the book very powerfully.

This book both scared me and made me cry. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book and by the end everything was fully solved in my mind.

This was phenomenal. I loved the perspective, the found family, the mystery and the twist. I loved the discussion of web sleuths vs actual investigators, etc. I was definitely somewhat uncomfortable with the case being the real life Idaho case, and the liberties taken with it, but a great read and got you thinking.

Review for “This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead”

1. Plot Uniquenes : 4.5/5
2. Pacing and Coherence : 4/5
3. Emotional and Interllexrual Engagekent : 4.5/5
4. Twists and turns : 4/5
5. Protagonist Character Development : 4/5
6. support character development : 4/5
7. Setting and atmosphere : 4/5
8. Chapter Organization : 5/5
9. Conclusion and tied loose ends : 4/5
10. Overall rating of book : 4/5

Audio narration and Production : 4/5

i got about 6% in when the narrator went off on a rant about how her dad was obese and because he was so fat he had to die of a heart attack.

i decided to dnf at that point, but i skimmed through other 1-star reviews and it turns out this book is based on a very real court case THAT IS CURRENTLY AT TRIAL for the university of idaho killings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_University_of_Idaho_killings

what an inhumane, despicable book to write. shame on you, ashley winstead.

thanks to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars ☆
⤿ spoiler-free review
thank you to net galley for this amazing arc!!

ೃ⁀➷“Now lets begin. My story starts with a body. Just, not the one you might expect.”

narraration: I was kindly sent the audiobook version of this book and this is how I felt: This womans voice is PERFECT! The emotions she portrays, and her talent to change the way her voice sounds to accomadate other characters is otherworldy.

plot: I will give you a very brief summary of what this book is about, because I highly recommend going in blind. This book is a story within a story. Jane, our main character, is recounting the events of the prior year which contained blood, sweat and a whole lot of tears. Her story starts when she finds her father dead, due to a heart attack. Jane wrestles with the idea of losing a beloved, and somehow, ends up in a true crime forum, where amateur sleuths solve crimes. Little does she know, this forum, is the beginning of the end.

characters: I honestly felt really connected to Jane throughout this book. She was a complicated character, with many questions to ask. Even though she wasnt the best at making friends; Searcher (Jane), Citizen, Mistress, Lightley, and Goku were her family, no matter the distance between them.

pacing: Each chapter always ended on mini cliffhangers, which had me foaming at the mouth for more. I want to tell you where this book really picked up, but there is no real answer to that. It was a five star for me from the beginning.

✧.* If you love the idea of a character recounting past events, interluding only to point out what mistakes they made -the ultimate foreshadowing tool btw- you NEED to pick this up.

For every true crime fanatic and armchair detective, this book is for you!

Diving into the world of true crime discussion boards and podcasts through the eyes of Jane Sharp, a college dropout grieving her father's death, unsure of what her life looks like now as she and her mother navigate the loss of their patriarch. When Jane finds solace in a true crime discussion board community, eager to solve the latest headline murders that remain unsolved, Jane soon realizes she has jumped head first into the world of amateur sleuthing that is far more dangerous than she imagined.

This Book Will Bury Me's story line felt very familiar, clearly based on the tragic University of Idaho college murders from a few years back. Putting that aside, the characters were easy to become acquainted with, and main character Jane was relatable. I thought maybe having so many online personas would be confusing in audiobook, but I quickly became accustomed to all of them, and quite enjoyed their family-type relationship as Jane become a part of their group..

As the book progressed and the pool of suspects became smaller, I was eager to see how this would all tie together and end. I have my opinions, but I don't want to spoil it for future readers!! The story was well-paced and intriguing throughout, so no matter how I felt about the conclusion, I still thoroughly enjoyed Ashley Winstead's latest!

Read this book if you like: true crime, layered storylines, mystery, serial killers

The audiobook was clear and easy to listen to. Narrator Leslie Howard did a fantastic job in bringing the story to life.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the advanced eaudiobook of this title!

I went into This Book Will Bury Me blind, and I wish I had read reviews prior to starting. To fictionalize a real-life case with extreme similarities feels so lazy and icky?? I kept hoping a twisty ending would make it worth reading the book, but I ended up DNFing at 78% after going on social media to see both the 911 call transcript and bridge video from the real life case. This case is still so active, and it felt morally wrong to read a fictionalized version of it.

I received an ALC from Tantor Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.