Every Last Fear

by Alex Finlay

[Quirky Cat]

Every Last Fear is the debut novel of Alex Finlay, and it is a twisting thriller of epic proportions.
Matt Pine knows what it is like to have his life turned upside down. It happened years ago when his brother was convicted of murder. And it just happened again, as his family (minus the incarcerated brother) have all died unexpectedly.

The loss is tragic enough, but the media frenzy that follows is too much for Matt to handle. They're looking for ways to connect his family's death with the crime his brother was convicted of. All while Matt is trying to make sense of it all.

“Never underestimate the power of a creep with too much time on his hands.”

I honestly don't think I've read a novel with quite so many twists and turns before. Every Last Fear is full of surprises. It seemed like every time I thought I had the plot in my grasp; something happened to change everything.

It probably goes without saying that I loved those moments! There's nothing better than a thriller that fulfills its promise and brings with it even more surprises along the way. Though, I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it as much if Matt was the only perspective.

Fun fact! He isn't. There are several narratives for this tale. His deceased sister and father both have a chance to tell us their story, as does another party – an agent who can tell that this was more than just a gas leak.

Those additional perspectives added a lot to the story, especially the agent if you ask me. Hers was my favorite perspective, being the most informative and the least conflicted (her stakes are arguably less personal than anyone else).

“[T]he truth of the matter was that it was rarely a stranger who killed you; it was usually someone you held dear. As Keller knew too well, the sheep spends its life worried about the wolf, only to be eaten by the farmer.”

I enjoyed how Every Last Fear connected the events in the novel with similar events in real life. The whole idea of a Netflix documentary focused on falsely imprisoned those who feel pretty familiar, don't you think?

Last but certainly not least, the reading experience that came with Every Last Fear was divine. It was thrilling in all of the right ways, resulting in a book that I did not want to walk away from. It had been a hot minute since I managed to get so absorbed in a thriller novel, so I appreciated that. Better yet, the ending does not disappoint! I cannot tell you how often the opposite is true.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and #Goodreads for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks (of Books)