Skip to main content
Every Last Fear: A Novel

Every Last Fear: A Novel

Current price: $26.99
Publication Date: March 2nd, 2021
Publisher:
Minotaur Books
ISBN:
9781250268822
Pages:
368

This is a riveting debut crime novel featuring a nonstop propulsive plot with twists and turns that will keep you up at night racing through the pages to figure out what will happen. Finlay has crafted an unforgettable story that glides between past and present while moving from locales in the U.S. to Tulum, Mexico. This will surely earn a legion of fans.

Cody Morrison , Square Books, Oxford, MS
March 2021 Indie Next List

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.

About the Author

ALEX FINLAY lives in Washington, D.C. and is the author of critically-acclaimed novels, including the 2021 breakout, Every Last Fear. His work has appeared on numerous best-of-the-year lists, been published in seventeen languages around the world, and is currently in development for a major television limited series.

Praise for Every Last Fear: A Novel

One of Newsweek's "Best Books to Read This Spring"
One of Goodreads' "Most Anticipated Books of 2021"
One of PopSugar's "Best New Books Coming Out in 2021"
One of BuzzFeed's "Mystery Novels We’re Highly Anticipating in 2021"
One of E! Online's "15 Books to Add to Your Reading List in March"
One of BookBub's "Best Mysteries and Thrillers Coming Out This Year"
One of Mystery and Suspense's "The Best and Most Anticipated Thrillers of the Year"
One of Goodreads' "Most Anticipated Mysteries and Thrillers of 2021"
One of Bibliofile's "Best Mystery Books for 2021"

"This delicious debut is a must-read for those who mainline true crime." —E! Online

"Fans of psychological thrillers will be anxious for this page-turner." —CNN

"A thriller that's at once nail-bitingly intense and utterly heartbreaking." —PopSugar

"This highly anticipated thriller has layers of mystery and intrigue." —BuzzFeed

"With so much high praise, one thing is for certain: Every Last Fear is this spring’s must-read psychological thriller." —BookBub

"Page-turning entertainment... perfect for anyone who loves thrillers that have all kinds of secrets & conspiracies within their pages." —Crime by the Book

"[T]he 'buzz' book of early 2021. It has a Harlan Coben-esque plot with an intriguing premise." —Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine

"[A] fast-paced, suspenseful thriller." —Mystery Scene Magazine

"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." —Publishers Weekly

"Finlay’s debut is a fast-moving, often-emotional portrayal of a family in turmoil... fans of a good chase scene won’t be disappointed, either." —Booklist

"Prepare yourself for twist after exciting twist. A standout novel plotted with surgical precision.”
—Karin Slaughter, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

"Explosive! A knife-edged thriller that explores the true meaning of family, including love, loyalty, and lies."
—Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

“Brilliant. Finlay weaves a story as mesmerizing as it is heartbreaking. Hooks you from the very first page and keeps you guessing until the final explosive twist. Taut, smart, and compelling. A do not miss!”
—Liv Constantine, internationally bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish

"Every Last Fear is a hugely ambitious novel that satisfies on so many different levels. It's a riveting mystery, a propulsive thriller, and a moving portrait of a family torn apart, and brought together, by tragedy."
—Lou Berney, bestselling author of November Road

"Alex Finlay’s jaw-dropping Every Last Fear, about a family found dead years after their true-crime Netflix documentary makes them infamous, is a powerful, standout thriller. Finlay is a masterful storyteller, seamlessly shifting perspectives and timelines to add layers of emotional depth and suspense to this fast-paced, expertly plotted, utterly engrossing novel. Hands down the best thriller I’ve read this year."
—Jennifer Hillier, author of Little Secrets and the award-winning Jar of Hearts

"I loved Every Last Fear. What elevates this thriller are the characters: real, flawed, heroic, driven. What would you do if someone you loved was convicted of a crime you were certain they didn't commit? You won't be able to put down this fast-moving, thoroughly compelling story until the very last page. A winner."
—Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author

"Alex Finlay's Every Last Fear reads like a bullet and had me hooked from the first few brutal pages."
—Brian Panowich, author of Hard Cash Valley and the award-winning Bull Mountain