Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay is about the notorious Pine family. Their eldest son Danny is the subject of a famous true crime docuseries, imprisoned for killing his girlfriend. But the case was riddled with inconsistencies and the Pines never gave up on proving his innocence.
When a horrific tragedy befalls them on a trip to Mexico, NYU student Matt and convict Danny are the only two survivors. Matt travels to Tulum to piece together the mysterious circumstances surrounding his family’s death. Was it a freak accident or cold-blooded murder?
Every Last Fear drew me in from the very first page. Finlay uses alternating POV, switching between ‘before’ and ‘after’ to slowly unravel the plot. I was left shocked and intrigued by each new and unexpected twist. It was a smart choice on the author’s part, because it allowed me to really get in the heads of each of the characters and empathize with their hopes, fears and dreams. This is one of those rare breeds of mystery novels where both the plot and character development are equally fantastic.
I highly recommend Every Last Fear to fans of heart-pounding, gripping and fast-paced mystery/thrillers. Finlay defies the hackneyed tropes of the genre and provides an ending that you’ll never see coming. I loved the true crime backdrop of the novel and was riveted by the psychological portrait of a family grappling with loss.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
