Every Last Fear
A Novel
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4.4 • 23 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
“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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In the pseudonymous Finlay's solid debut, NYU student Matt Pine learns that his parents, Evan and Olivia, and younger siblings, 17-year-old Maggie and six-year-old Tommy, died while vacationing in Tulum, Mexico. The Pines' oldest son, Danny, is seven years into a life sentence for murdering his pregnant high school girlfriend—a controversial conviction that was the subject of a TV documentary—so Matt must travel solo to claim the bodies. Local authorities believe the family succumbed to a gas leak, but FBI agent Sarah Keller has doubts. Not only was the recently fired Evan's former employer laundering money for a Mexican cartel, but evidence suggests the Pines were chasing a lead that could exonerate Danny. When a series of near misses suggest Matt is also in danger, Sarah redoubles her efforts to uncover the truth. Though elements of the plot strain credulity and the denouement feels formulaic, Finlay imparts nuance via a prismatic narrative that jumps back and forth in time, examining both tragedies from multiple angles. Those who favor character-driven crime novels will find much to admire.
Customer Reviews
Good title.
A great read!!!
What a thriller!
If you are looking for a book that will take your mind off today’s headlines, Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay is the one for you. This is a mystery involving the Pines, a family whose problems are caused by one tragedy after another. Danny Pine, the eldest son, is in prison for a life sentence because he was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend, many years ago. His brother Matt is in college when the FBI seek him out to notify him that his parents, his teenage sister and six-year-old brother have been found deceased in their accommodations while on vacation in Mexico. But it may not be a gas leak as detected and foul play is strongly suspected. From then on, nothing will be predictable. The story is narrated from different points of view and alternates between the past and the present, between Mexico and Nebraska. This is a thriller like no other: never a boring moment and the reader will be fascinated all the way through. You will never guess how this mystery unwinds and you will not forget the Pines anytime soon. Highly recommended. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Every last fear
Just unrealistic. Lacked intensity, jumped from character to character in different times.... a real disappointment.