This Book Will Bury Me

Author: Ashley Winstead
Genre: Crime Thriller
480 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark, 2025

Synopsis
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…

My review
This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead is a fantastic, highly entertaining crime thriller! I’m a sucker for true crime amateur sleuths, and this book had me hooked from the start. I was thrilled to get an advance copy, and it didn’t disappoint. Despite being nearly 500 pages, the writing was so engaging that I flew through it in just two days. It was captivating from beginning to end—I couldn’t put it down, even with its length.

This is an incredible, multi-layered story about a young woman who becomes entangled in true crime after the loss of her father. Following his death, Jane joins a true crime community and finds herself deeply involved in several cases. As her small group of amateur sleuths grows closer, they set out to investigate the crime of the century. True to her style, Winstead crafts fully developed, engaging characters who are intelligent and relatable, drawing me in right from the start.

My only criticism is that the main crime in this book bears a striking resemblance to the real-life Idaho college student murders. Many of the small details are nearly identical. While I think the author may have done this to add realism and spark conversation, I can’t help but wonder if it might come across as a bit insensitive to the real-life victims’ families.

I suspected who the killer was a little over halfway through the book, but surprisingly, that didn’t detract from my enjoyment. Normally, guessing the culprit too early takes away some of the suspense for me, but this story was so captivating and well-crafted that it didn’t bother me as much as it usually would. The writing was engaging enough to keep me fully invested, and the unfolding of events and the depth of the characters kept me hooked right to the end. The journey was just as thrilling as the reveal itself.

This Book Will Bury Me is a standout crime thriller that truly highlights Winstead’s skill in crafting an intriguing, well-structured, and captivating narrative. From the very first page, I was drawn into the story. Winstead’s ability to develop rich characters and weave complex plotlines kept me engaged throughout, and she is definitely on my list of must-read authors.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Ashley Winstead for an advance copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

My recommendation: read it!