*This Book Will Bury Me* by Ashley Winstead is a chilling thriller that explores the dark allure of true crime and the consequences of obsession. The story follows Jane Sharp, a grieving college student who finds solace in online sleuthing communities. When a series of brutal murders shocks the nation, Jane and her fellow amateur detectives dive into the case, uncovering disturbing truths that blur the line between justice and danger. Winstead's masterful storytelling combines suspense, emotional depth, and sharp social commentary, making this novel a compelling exploration of grief, morality, and the human fascination with crime. A must-read!

Travel to Delphine, Idaho as the crime of the century unfolds and five true crime internet sleuths decide to crack the case. Jane Sharp just lost her father and thrusts herself into the deaths of three college girls. Along side the other sleuths, will they be able to crack the case, or will the police stop them at any and all costs?

After the unexpected death of her father Jane Sharpe finds a distraction from her grief by joining the true crime community and quickly becomes obsessed. Jane finds friends and purpose in the race to solve crimes. Soon Jane and her group of sleuths find they are facing a killer more clever than any they have faced before.

Ok. I read this book blissfully ignorant and I loved it 5 star read. I then read reviews and discovered there is quite a bit of controversy around this story and real life events. This made me feel unsure of my feelings but ultimately without falling down a rabbit hole investigating a true crime I have no idea about I can't comment on any of it. All I can say is I really enjoyed this book it was well written and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout and I will rate based on my enjoyment as I always do.

I also listened to this book on audio and it was very well read and kept me engaged and was very easy to listen to.

Thank you to Netgalley, Aria & Aries and Tantor Audio and Ashley Winstead for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one was tricky for me to review and process my thoughts because I kept jumping between really liking it then wondering what the heck was going on. But then I realized that was kind of the point. To take the reader on a roller coaster. I will say I was genuinely SO curious how this was going to end. I kept waiting for one of the members of Jane’s group to be bad but I also kept wondering if any of her obsession with doing the crime had to do with her dad’s murder. The ending really made the book better to me. The last 15% was the best part of the book! All in all, I enjoyed it. I mostly listened to this on audio. I thought the narration was good, though It didn’t pull me in as much as others have. I think I preferred reading this one physically.

Happy pub week to one wickedly talented soul of an author! This book is a masterpiece, shimmering stars, no notes. Seriously an OMG for me and everything I want in a page-turner in my favorite genre. Our voicey heroine, Jane, sucked me in from page ONE. I felt like I walked smack into a true crime podcast (chef’s kiss for the audio), living and breathing the chilling twists, turns, and false starts. It’s propulsive, haunting, unique!

In the wake of her father’s death, 24-year-old Jane goes searching for distraction and meaning. She stumbles into the underbelly of online criminal sleuthing, where she quickly forms bonds and friendships. Soon after, when three sorority girls are brutally murdered in Delphine, Idaho, Jane and four other rookie detectives band together to find the killer and deliver justice. Will they find the monster? Will their newfound family stay unified in the fight? I loved this book for its stunning writing, bingeable plot, and vividly drawn characters.

Booked Solid Pod Rating: Language
TW: Detailed descriptions of violence and murder. Extremely gory and brutal at times; sensitive readers take heed!

Thank you sm to Netgalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts. I think ALCs (advanced listener copies) just might be better than Christmas. Especially when they’re this good!

I am just the biggest fan of Ashley Winstead. She has absolute range. I have loved everything she's written from her rom coms to her thrillers. This book was no exception. I am a huge true crime junkie fan and this book had me hooked from the very beginning. I feel like Ashley does such a good job with an unreliable narrator. You can oftentimes be frustrated with them, but then you are just their biggest fan and rooting for them by the end. I think this book did such a good job of touching on themes of grief while also being a real thriller novel. Like I said, range. I did this book on audio and physical copy and really enjoyed both.

🔍 “Maybe that’s the real definition of fate: when the universe hands you exactly what you want, the one thing you could never turn down, a perfect trap of your own making.”

🔪 From the bestselling author of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and Midnight is the Darkest hour, this may be her best book yet! After the unexpected death of her father, Jane’s crippling grief drives her to find distraction in an online detective forum. We are taken back to a college campus, where a group of amateur sleuths are on the hunt for a serial killer.

🩸 I loved the unique writing style/ format, with the footnotes and online chat parts, how Jane is narrating her book 1 year after the case, breaking her silence on how she and the group of armchair sleuths took on the case of the Delphine Massacres. The plot is based on the Idaho college murders from 2020, but I don’t think that took away from the story. True crime fans are going to love this one. The book was chilling and compelling, I just couldn’t put it down!

🫀This one will keep you on the edge of your seat, second-guessing every piece of evidence, suspecting every single character. The book is filled with action-packed twists and turns, and a number of tense moments that will have your heart pounding! Thank you to @netgalley @sourcebooks @bookmarked @ashleywinsteadbooks for the ALC!

At first I was intrigued by this book but then 50% in I was like huh is this based on a real life murder that happened. When it progressed I realised this was based on a true life story. The book kind of dragged in places and I believe it could have been shorter. Overall it was gripping in places

True crime? Yes, please! I had instant interest in the story of Jane Sharp who joins a true crime network and ends up helping to solve murders across the country from the comfort of her own home. What I wasn't prepared for was the death of Jane's father. Yes, the book's description mentions the death of her father, but what it doesn't say is how much a part of the story this is. Jane's experience and grief are new and raw and it fuels her desire to help others. So here is my TW for anyone who has lost their father - this book will trigger you! But you also might feel seen and heard in Jane's grief journey (which extends through the entire book). That being said, let's get back to the murders and all the details! I liked the new family unit Jane found in the people of the true crime network. I appreciated the group's breakdown of the crimes, utilizing each of their strengths to dive into all the small details because it is usually the smallest of details that offers the biggest piece of the puzzle. When three college girls are murdered in Idaho Jane's new family of sleuths breaks tradition and decides to meet in Idaho to further dig into the clues. Chaos ensues, but also the true murderer is identified. I admit I was surprised by the reveal. Ashley Winstead did a good job at presenting all the angles and leads there would be to follow in a complicated case like this.

I listened to the audiobook version and Leslie Howard did a great job with all of the characters. She has a great voice that is easy to listen to, however at times she would dip into a very soft volume, especially if it was sensitive information. This had me turning up the volume quite a bit so I wouldn't miss anything, but the use of the soft speaking also gave the information discussed a more urgent feel. It was nice that Leslie wasn't just reading the story, she was obviously into it!

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ALC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. This is my first Ashley winstead book. I did read this via audiobook and the narrator was fantastic. We follow Jane sharp as her father unexpectedly dies. She gets a phone call from her mother breaking the news that her father might have had a heart attack. After her father’s death she becomes obsessed with true crime and joins a website called the network. She signs up and goes from there. One day she gets a message from someone to join their group who investigate cases and she accepts. They know everything about her before inviting her into their group. There are now 5 of them in the group and they come across a case that is so horrific that they feel they need to investigate right away. Then we follow the sleuths on their journey to uncover the killer of the murder of these 3 college girls. There are so many twists and turns in this book I would highly recommend. I read that the author takes from true crime cases in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ashley Winstead, and Tantor Audio for this audio copy of this book will bury me for my honest review

Narrator: 5/5 Fantastic narration
Plot: 1/5 Incredibly exploitative and hypocritical.

First of all, the writing is amazing and as usual, Ashley Winstead is a fantastic story teller.

Unfortunately, she lost the plot. As in, should have never written about true crime cases that are so fresh and aren't even closed yet. I read the authors note and I understand that she wanted to discuss the exploitation of true crime, but all she did was become exploitive herself. It's horrifically graphic when it talks about CASES THAT ARE REAL. I don't know why she couldn't just make up a fictional case and use that and internet sleuths. It was entirely unnecessary to bring in real cases.

I was hoping it was going to be broadly based on the real life cases, but it was basically like she was reading from the case file. Honestly I'm really sad and disappointed in the author and the publishing team for this. I hope the families never read some of the graphic scenes in this book.

To write this kind of book, the families need to consent and I haven't seen that anywhere. If they come out and say they approve of the book, I'll take back this review.

This was hard for me to rate, but I can't ethically go for more than two stars.

This novel follows our protagonist, Janeway Sharp, as she discovers a true crime online community and becomes part of a group of five amateur sleuths. They turn into a cute little found family and try to solve a gruesome case in Idaho that just keeps getting weirder.

Here's the thing: I really liked this book. I also really loved the narrator's voice and she kept me engaged. The characters charmed me, the pace kept me locked in, and it was suspenseful despite being a bit predictable. Now here's why I couldn't rate this any higher than 2 stars: it's clearly based off of the University of Idaho case from 2022, and not just a little bit. So many of the details are pulled directly from the case. If it was a couple similarities I could look past it, but it's everything from the murder weapon to two of the victims having been childhood friends and being in the same bed together the night of the murder. It's an insane number of similarities and it feels gross, particularly because this case is so fresh and still going through the legal system. I read this entire book going "wow this seems familiar" and finally did my research once I was done with it. Yikes.

This was such a fun and crazy thriller. I did not see any of the twists and turns. My first Ashley Winstead book but definitely not my last.

This is my first book by this author. I have heard really great things about this author though. I really enjoyed this read though. It was a rather interesting story.

3.5* rounded up... I am approaching this review on the sheer standpoint of a fictional account of some true crime aficionados that investigate crimes, but typically in way more in-depth fashion than just from their armchairs. I do see the similarities to the current Idaho murder case, but am not sure this is a deal breaker for me...since it is categorized as fiction. I think if you go in with this firm mindset, and do not read into anything or add facts to the ongoing case, it helps. There are differences as well. Prove me wrong or convince me otherwise and I'll gladly retract.
On its surface, I thought the character development and dialogue was well-written and the storyline captured my attention and kept it throughout. Jane, while going through the grief of recently losing her father is caught up in gathering details and helping to solve a serial murder. There are twists and turns and an unexpected ending. I thought Winstead was clever in her handling of the online exchanges, as well as what was going on in real time.
The audio version was good, but at times I found the narrator's voice to be breathy or whispery, causing me to turn my volume up and down throughout. It was sometimes difficult to follow the multiple layers of this story in audio form, and I may go back and remedy that with the actual print copy.
Overall I recommend for any fans of true crime and psychological thrillers. I don't think you'll be disappointed if you take it at face value.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARL. All opinions are mine.

Ashley Winstead's books always have a darker tone than I normally like. "This Book Will Bury Me" is one of her better novels. The narrator was really good.

As a lover of thrillers, I found the audiobook difficult to stop listening to. The narrator did a wonderful job. The book was a slow burn but not to the point where I felt I wanted to put it away. I wanted to know the ending, and I was excited to finish.

However, as a true crime fan, I had a concern about how closely the book relates to the real-life events of unresolved Idaho student murders. This aspect of the novel is troubling. The case is ongoing, and this book could be seen as exploitative. However, I maintain my 4-star rating. This was my introduction to this author, and I thought the book was well written.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for providing the Advanced Listening Copy of This book will bury me by Ashley Winstead . All opinions are my own."

Thank you Tantor and Netgalley for the ALC of the audio! I was really excited for this one, and I'm leaving with mixed feelings. 3.5 stars rounded up.

"I know what you're thinking, that I'm presenting a veneer of false humility to avoid telling you how I pulled off my investigative feats. You've heard things about me, from the news, the person who shall not be named - but I'm here to set the record straight. And the truth is, no matter how much I wish I could claim I was some sort of... savant... I feel plenty of remorse."

At first, this seems like a true crime non-fic that has been fictionalized... then it turned out to be an actual true crime that was fictionalized. I have a hard time essentially finding anger with this sentiment, like other reviewers, because then I would have to look through that same lens while watching certain TV shows... (Like Law and Order: SVU that did a very similar storyline to the actual true crime inspiring this story) It is okay to take inspiration from real-life events, I think my issue is how similar to meat of the crime, in question, is to the story portrayed within This Book Will Bury Me. It is really well done, and I liked the change in antagonist, but I feel like we (the author)... just, maybe... could've changed certain aspects of the story (location, maybe) and made it more of an 'inspired by' versus the direct and very loud inspiration that it was. The more I sit with it, the more of an issue I have with it. You know? I have to have a little bit of empathy towards the real victims, sorry...

Story narrator is also, like, super unreliable and arguably problematic as hell, but I guess that's the point.
BUT Audiobook narrator? Leslie Howard? She's perfect.

This Book Will Bury Me is told from Jane Sharpe’s point of view. She’s 24, has recently lost her father by way of a heart attack, and has become obsessed with true crime, or maybe more accurate, with a true crime online forum where amateur sleuths discuss clues and theories about the murders in the headlines. I listened to the audio and the narrator does a fabulous job. Her tone and pace match the story well. Each character has a distinctive voice, and she brings out Jane’s emotions well.

Take the time to read the author note on this one. She was inspired by several real life murder cases, including the killings in Idaho in 2022, and the loss of her own father. How you feel about that may influence whether you want to pick this one up or not.

The plot is engrossing. Jane has found acceptance and support in her online community, even a bit of fame. Then she and her four closest friends(?)/ allies(?)/ partners(?) start looking into the murders of three sorority sisters in Idaho. The deeper they get, the more questions they have. And then another set of murders pulls them to Delphine. The book is from Jane’s point of view and she is telling us a year later what happened during that time, how the investigation went, the mistakes and highlights. While I found Jane a little over dramatic, I enjoyed the rather dysfunctional family the five sleuths formed.

The big twist was not totally surprising, but I think that’s because the author did a good job at giving us just enough clues. The plot moved along quickly and the the internet forums felt authentic. Parts are a bit gory and disturbing. I usually say I don’t read serial killer fiction, but this is my second and I’ve enjoyed (I’m not sure if that’s the right word, but you know what I mean) both.

Thank you Netgalley and Tantor audio for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review.

We follow Jane, who joins an online true crime community to escape the grief of her father's sudden death. When she’s invited to a private detective group, she couldn't resist. Three girls have been brutally killed by a serial killer, and when the pattern repeats, the group tries to stay ahead—only to keep falling behind. Is the killer truly that clever, or are they chasing the wrong suspect?

A year later, Jane writes a book about what really happened with the Delphine Massacres. It’s a lengthy read, but the narrator delivered it so well that I stayed engaged. I didn’t even notice it was 480 pages!

Unfortunately, I have mixed feelings about this book. The setting was amazing, and I was hooked right away. The first half flew by, but then something changed and I started to lose interest. The big reveal just didn’t hit me the way I hoped it would.

I also missed the deeper insights I usually find in her other books. I really liked Jane’s relationship with her father and wanted more of that. But towards the end, I felt detached from the investigation. I just didn’t care anymore.