‘This Book Will Bury Me’ by Ashley Winstead is a dramatic and engrossing read that explores the notoriety of true crime as entertainment and delves into the motivations of Jane Sharp, who becomes infatuated with a group of amateur internet sleuths after the death of her beloved father. Jane joins an elite team with their hearts set on enabling justice to prevail… but can they identify the perpetrator of a gruesome massacre or will it tear them apart?

Unusually, I’m going to start this review - of a book I absolutely recommend to those who love a good thriller - with two red flags… 1) I didn’t love all of the focus on Jane’s late father’s obesity - I’m not sure that moralising his weight really added to the examination of grief at the heart of the novel, and 2) the fictional case whose horror permeated the pages of the book bears significant similarities to a real crime that has not yet reached its trial, which feels quite uncomfortably raw. While this made me uncomfortable, fictionalised reality is not unusual and the ethical dilemma the book presents feels raw and gripping. Those factors almost put me off, but I was ultimately glad I read this!

Jane was an interesting character and watching her deal with bereavement by taking up an (albeit strange) hobby and forming meaningful connections online was captivating. The reflective structure of the chapters made them totally addictive, and some of the twists were jaw-dropping! I rushed through the pages, the novel feeling much quicker than its 400+ pages. The diverse members of Jane’s investigation group started to feel like family, to her and to me as the reader, and a couple of their stories really resonated with me.

I listened to some of this in audiobook format and was impressed with the narration. Overall, it was a four star read for me.

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Aria & Aries and an Advance Listening Copy of the audiobook from Tantor Audio via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

4.5/5
This book was a trip. It really enveloped me and had me feeling like I was apart of their group trying to solve crimes. The twist actually surprised me.

A twisty thriller about a true crime enthusiast who gets caught up in a group of fellow amateur sleuths as they attempt to solve major crimes only to discover one of the biggest killers might be among them. I think this is my new fav by Ashley Winstead and highly recommend it to fans of true crime podcasts/murder stories. Great on audio and def worth picking up! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to review this book. After doing more research and reading the author's note she shared online regarding this book's content, and it's true crime inspiration, I have decided not to read this book at this time. I appreciate the author's honesty about her mindspace in writing this book, especially her own grief story, but don't feel comfortable reading a fiction novel about a nonfiction open case.

If I choose to read this at a later date I will come back and update this review. Thank you!

I enjoyed this Advanced Listening Copy by RB Media! I really enjoyed MIDNIGHT IS THE DARKEST HOUR, so I was excited to get my hands on a copy of this new novel. It has facts from real true crime cases, so it may not be for everyone, but as a narrative, it was suspenseful and layered with memorable characters and fun popular culture references. I did guess the killer, but this book still made my mouth drop open in the last ten minutes, and that’s what I always strive for when reading a thriller. I also found myself thinking about this one even when I wasn’t listening to it, which is another hallmark for me of a good book. As an audiobook, I really enjoyed the narrator, and though it was on the longer side, i’d have read more of this story because I truly connected with the characters. If you’re into true crime, Star Trek, or just want a good thriller, I recommend this one. It releases on March 25 2025.

3.5 stars rounded down

This Book Will Bury Me is a commentary on family, grief, and the fascination we have with true crime. Ashley Winstead is a fantastic author who weaves another engaging, thrilling novel following a group of people drawn into a serial killer’s spree killing young sorority girls.

Overall I enjoyed this work, but I do think it was a bit long and very predictable. I’m usually not great at figuring out mysteries but I guessed the ending quite early in this book. I still enjoyed the characterizations and the little found family that was developed between these online sleuths. Winstead draws you into her worlds and makes you care. I’ll still be picking up her future works!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio, and Sourcebooks Landmark for access to this work. All opinions are my own.

This is my first book by this author but definitely won't end up being the last!

The plot felt like a great mix of true crime podcast, documentary and book all rolled into one. This had so many twists and turns and each chapter kept me interested and wanting to carry on to find out more.

The characters were varied and the narrator did a great job at all the varying voices. I found out main character a strong voice to lead the story.

Towards the end this did feel a little too long and probably would have benefit from being 40-50 pages shorter.

Overall this was a great listen and I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys true crime, whoodunnits and intriguing thrillers.

Thank you Tantor Audio + NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an ALC of This Book Will Bury Me before it's released. I didn't enjoy the story itself (unlikeable MC, irrational need to become an armchair sleuth) but Leslie Howard's narration was engaging. Had I been reading this myself and not on audiobook, I would have inevitably DNF'd this. It's also worth noting that since finishing the book I have been made aware of the Idaho 4 Murders, it feels super icky that it was used as inspiration for this book, especially when the trial hasn't even started yet.

5 stars for narration.

1 star for the story.

This was a fast paced super fun thriller ! It was my first by this author and wont be my last !

If you love true crime this one is absolutely for you. I truly loved the pod cast style story and the audio brought it even more to life!

I was shocked with the twists at the very end! I think at some points it was far fetched , but still really enjoyed it!

This was so fun to listen to, what an audiobook! As a big Ashley Winstead fan, I knew I had to read this. And what a title - if that doesn’t already sell this one to you.
A captivating thriller, absolute must read for true crime lovers. I was hooked!

I really liked the group of characters in this book and enjoyed the true crime sleuthing aspects of the story. I found it to be an easy listen and the narrator did a great job.

Oh my goodness this book had me screaming and on the edge of my seat. Another fantastic Ashley Winstead thriller.
Jane wants to set the record straight about her crime sleuthing after one of the biggest police investigations blows up in their faces.
Jane has just lost her dad and through her grief she inadvertantly gets mixed up in internet sleuthing. It is all she can focus on, if she can find out what happened to these people then she can maybe come to terms with what happened to her father.
Jane meets a group of four others that take her in and treat her like one of their own. They are popular on the network and well known in the community. When a second set of women are targeted, the group decides they need to go to Idaho and investigate themselves, in person.
The first part of the book I was not sure of. It was really close to the show on the Idaho four that I had just watched and I could see a lot of the same elements. Then the book just kept taking turn after turn. There were a lot of subtle hints in here of what was to come but I only picked up on a few, and then was screaming when I realized what I had missed all along.
The first time Jane was called Veronica from Heathers, I knew this book was for me. If you like True Crime, internet sleuths, twists and turns and Heathers... you will LOVE this book. I honestly couldn't stop thinking about it after it was over.
Thank you to Tantor, Netgalley and Ashley Winstead for an ALC.

Thriller Thursday: Audiobook Edition
Jane is an everyday college student when her father's death sends her reeling. She moved back home and tries to find meaning in life while dealing with the sudden passing of her dad. She stumbles along a chat room for true crime junkies turned case solvers.
She begins chatting with other sleuths and locks onto a case of a murdered woman. She can't let this one go and takes it into her own hands, while putting herself in danger, but she solves the case. This puts her in with a group of serious sleuths. She becomes very close with them, chatting constantly.
When tragedy hits in Idaho and 3 sorority girls are slain, her group decides this is their case to solve.
I love the way @ashleywinsteadbooks writes thrillers. You are invested early on in the book, and there are twists and turns throughout to keep you hooked.
When you first start listening, you are wondering where this book might lead, and then it felt like I was listening to a true crime podcast. If you're a thriller lover, into true crime and podcasts, you will love this audiobook.
Thank you @ashleywinsteadbooks @netgalley@tantoraudio for the copy of this audiobook.
Release Date: March 25, 2025

8.5/10

True crime is a real phenomenon of recent years. Podcasts, documentary series, paradocuments, books – fascination with the dark world of crime seems to grow by the day. But what if too much involvement brings with it an avalanche of events that cannot be controlled?

We learn the story from the perspective of Jane – a grieving daughter who, after the death of her father, seeks solace in amateur crime solving. Seemingly innocent fun slowly turns into a life-derailing obsession – from triumphs, through fame, to infamy and traumatic consequences. The engaging plot “plays with the recipient”, provoking the same analysis and surrendering to the desire to delve, which to some extent it condemns. The solution to the mystery takes the reader by surprise, but looking back, all the facts come together, and the subtle clues make sense. The first-person narrative is a mix of confession and self-reflection, accompanied by fragments of chats, emails and forum posts. Because of the latter, I would probably suggest reading the story – the audiobook can be tricky at times.

Although we get to know Jane the most, the secondary characters are just as interesting (if not more so at times). The group of amateur detectives that the protagonist joins is an intriguing mix representing specific archetypes (father, matron, nerd), but has its own identity, and the number of secondary characters – witnesses, suspects, and law enforcement officers – is just as colorful. Learning about their motivations and following their actions is just as satisfying as solving the main mystery.

The whole thing is dark, intense, but not without glimmers of hope. I highly recommend it, also as a warning.

Thank you NetGalley and the Tantor Audio for a copy of this advanced listened copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

This one gave me some mixed feelings. After Janes father died, she needed something to occupy her time. She finds her way on true crime feeds and becomes obsessed. She befriends a group of other amateur sleuths and start investigating active investigations in the US. After a murder of 3 college girls sweeps the nation, they want to be the ones to solve It. Then the killer turns into a serial killer. Details don’t add up and they keep finding more questions than answers.

As an audiobook, i loved the narrator, she was great. As for the story itself, if you think It sounds familiar, that’s because It is. She copies the exact details of the Idaho murders that are still in trial and not concluded yet. Which 1. Just rubs me the wrong way and 2. Made It pretty boring in the middle since you know what’s going to happen. If she was going to copy the case, i wish she made It more satirical potentially and explored the dangers of internet sleuths or explored some other politically important topic. But Im not quite sure the purpose of this novel and that’s what bothers me.

Controversial. This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead uses a real life horrific murder, the Idaho Murders, as a fictional plot device. Yet, it’s not what the book is about. “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.” It’s the true crime aspect that is at the forefront and the relationships that develop between the members. I’m not someone who enjoys True Crime and I was hooked. I soon forgot about the murders and concentrated on who-done-it. My only complaint is that the narrator uses a whispery voice sometimes for the main character and I had to keep raising the volume. ALC was provided by Tantor Audio via NetGalley. I received an Audiobook Listening Copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoy Ashley’s other works but the parallels to the real life Idaho murders and her book just gave me the ick. Ashley knows how to write, the narration is done well. I just could not get into this one. I’ll still read what she comes up with next but won’t be recommending this one. Thanks, NetGalley for the ALC.

I really enjoyed this authors rom com books but this genre just didn’t land with me. I had a hard time finishing it.

as a devoted mystery reader with the gift of context and dramatic irony on her side, i found this whodunnit fairly easy to figure out. it wasn’t so blatantly obvious that i was annoyed at the characters for taking their time puzzling it out – i thought it struck a nice balance and enjoyed watching the pieces fall into place, even if it did take a while.

i love a found family so i really liked most of the characters (at this point, can any group of people in a fictional work function without at least one hacker extraordinaire??). the larger problem was that the book felt unnecessarily long. i enjoyed reading it while i was actually reading it, but once i put the book down it was kind of hard for me to feel motivated enough to pick it back up.

i’m not well versed in the world of true crime (i like my felonies fictional, thank you), but i’ve heard that one of the major events in this book is a ripped-from-the-headlines version of one that actually happened. i usually think it’s pretty gross and lazy to use real crimes, but i didn’t clock it while i was reading since i wasn't familiar. what i did get was that amateurs and cops both have plenty of problems (often each other). the amateur sleuths were quick to judgment and hurt innocents. the police were more concerned with their prejudices and perception than getting justice. i didn’t really believe the relationship between the group and law enforcement, just like i didn’t believe some of the final resolutions, but honestly i was way too busy losing it over the star trek AND buffy the vampire slayer self-insert fan fiction to care. the AO3 mention alone was enough to get four stars out of me!

thanks to tantor audio for the audio copy and sourcebooks landmark for the digital copy on netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The narrator was too good at her job, her voice gave a very sinister tone to the story. I was at the edge of my seat while listening and a little terrified.