This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead Narrator: Leslie Howard
Published by Tantor Audio on March 25, 2025
Source: NetGalley
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Length: 13 hrs 12 mins
Pages: 480
Format: Audiobook
Purchase at Bookshop.org or Audible
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From the bestselling author of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and Midnight is the Darkest Hour comes a chilling, compulsive story of five amateur sleuths, whose hunt for an elusive killer catapults them into danger as the world watches.
It's the most famous crime in modern history. But only she knows the true story.
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. In this morbid internet underground, Jane finds friendship, purpose, and even glory...
So when news of the shocking deaths of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho takes the world by storm, and sleuths everywhere race to solve the crimes, Jane and her friends are determined to beat them. But the case turns out to be stranger than anyone expected. Details don't add up, the police are cagey, and there seems to be more media hype and internet theorizing than actual evidence. When Jane and her sleuths take a step closer, they find that every answer only begs more questions. Something's not adding up, and they begin to suspect their killer may be smarter and more prolific than any they've faced before. Placing themselves in the center of the story starts to feel more and more like walking into a trap...
Told one year after the astounding events that concluded the case and left the world reeling, when Jane has finally decided to break her silence about what really happened, she tells the true story of the Delphine Massacres. And what she has to confess will shock even the most seasoned true crime fans...
This Book Will Bury Me is told from Jane Sharpe’s point of view. She’s 24, has recently lost her father by way of a heart attack, and has become obsessed with true crime, or maybe more accurate, with a true crime online forum where amateur sleuths discuss clues and theories about the murders in the headlines. I listened to the audio and the narrator does a fabulous job. Her tone and pace match the story well. Each character has a distinctive voice, and she brings out Jane’s emotions well.
Take the time to read the author note on this one. She was inspired by several real life murder cases, including the killings in Idaho in 2022, and the loss of her own father. How you feel about that may influence whether you want to pick this one up or not.
The plot is engrossing. Jane has found acceptance and support in her online community, even a bit of fame. Then she and her four closest friends(?)/ allies(?)/ partners(?) start looking into the murders of three sorority sisters in Idaho. The deeper they get, the more questions they have. And then another set of murders pulls them to Delphine. The book is from Jane’s point of view and she is telling us a year later what happened during that time, how the investigation went, the mistakes and highlights. While I found Jane a little over dramatic, I enjoyed the rather dysfunctional family the five sleuths formed.
The big twist was not totally surprising, but I think that’s because the author did a good job at giving us just enough clues. The plot moved along quickly and the the internet forums felt authentic. Parts are a bit gory and disturbing. I usually say I don’t read serial killer fiction, but this is my second and I’ve enjoyed (I’m not sure if that’s the right word, but you know what I mean) both.
About Ashley Winstead
Ashley Winstead is the national bestselling author of Midnight is the Darkest Hour, The Last Housewife, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, The Boyfriend Candidate, and Fool Me Once. Her books have been Library Read picks, Loan Star picks, Best of Amazon picks, and Best of Apple Books picks, and have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, BookPage, and Library Journal.
Her work has been covered by New York Times, Washington Post, CrimeReads, Parade, Cosmopolitan, Good Morning America, Good Housekeeping, Seattle Times, and Southern Review of Fiction, among other outlets. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages worldwide and optioned for television. Ashley holds a Ph.D. in contemporary American literature and lives in Houston.
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I really enjoyed this book when I read it. So glad you did too!