If Something Happens to Me

          

               by Alex Finlay

 

Ryan Richardson has been haunted by his high school girlfriend’s disappearance for five years. Ryan and his girlfriend, Alison Lane, were making out in their version of Lovers’ Lane in Leavenworth, Kansas, when suddenly someone opens the door hitting Ryan on the head and dragging Alison from her car. Alison disappeared and hasn’t been found leaving Ryan under a cloud of suspension and forcing him eventually to leave his hometown, change his name, and attend college out of state. Over the years, Ryan convinces himself that Alison was the perfect girl and cannot move ahead to have a real relationship with anyone else.

While on vacation overseas, Ryan receives the news from his father that Alison’s car was found in the lake with two dead men inside the car and no Alison, but there is a note that begins “If something happens to me” written by Alison. Everything that he’s tried to put behind him but cannot overwhelms him and Ryan becomes convinced that the man who pulled Alison out of the car is in Italy with him. Ryan goes on a journey through Europe to try to figure out how this man fits in with Alison’s disappearance and the two dead men in her car.

Like many modern books, Finlay uses the point of view (POV) technique which follows several characters. The main characters are Ryan, Poppy the newly hired Sheriff’s deputy who is working the case, and a mobster named Shane O’Leary in Philadelphia whose son is being bullied in school. Like most mysteries there are many secrets and life tragedies to be revealed by these characters links to be established.

Poppy McGee is an interesting character with her own secrets and pain which have to do with her recent discharge from the army. She is assigned to follow up on the tips which are coming into the office but finds herself disturbed by the initial investigation’s inconsistencies and asks questions that others don’t want to answer (and don’t even want asked).

There are many complex relationships in this novel and lots of action and emotion which can keep everyone who reads it hooked. Basically, it is a giant puzzle which keeps you reading as fast as possible to discover why each character is broken and what secrets they carry and how they fit into the story. Those relationships and the secrets that are revealed are fascinating. Even though the book has several POVs and timelines, Finlay keeps the story flowing and making sense through it all.

One of the many amazing quotes from “Ted Lasso” is “I hope that either all of us or none of us are judged by the actions of our weakest moments, but rather by the strength we show when and if we're ever given a second chance.” Lasso is all about forgiving and helping others and I always feel that Finlay’s novels have a bit of this type of attitude in them as well. All in all a fine fourth mystery novel by Finlay which continues to show his excellence in the field. I am looking forward to what he does next.

My next great read will be “Middle of the Night” by Riley Sager which is a mystery with a ghostly subtext. Both of these authors write stand-alone novels so you don’t have to worry about starting with the first in the series.