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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well, just when you thought you’d finally figured out all of the twists in this crazy novel… yes, you will really “guess again”! My head was truly spinning in the latter part of this fast- moving thriller. With short, quick paced chapters, constant action, and multiple points of view, you will be reading this one on the edge of your seat.
Ethan Hall is an ER doctor, former detective with a 100% track record on solving cases. He’s asked to assist in an unsolved 10 yr old cold case which he hesitantly agrees to do. What follows is something he truly didn’t expect with a personal tie to his own life.
And then as I arrived to almost the very end… BAM… the “guess again” element I truly never saw coming hit hard!
Charlie Donlea is a new to me author and one I’ll return to again when looking for a book in this genre! Based on the ending of this, it won’t take be long before I’m looking!
Thank you to Kensington Publishers for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
*BROKE THE METER 6 MF STARS !!!!!! Charlie Donlea has DONE IT AGAIN!*
Masterpiece! Nothing less! Charlie Donlea knows how to write a book and form a plot where it will gently pull back layers and layers like your peeling an orange. It is a very medium steady process but every part of the process is IMPORTANT and EFFECTIVE!
Guess Again is about a girl that went missing in 2015 and a serial unaliver that is trying to get out on parole. The MMC Ethan is warped into both of these circumstances and that is all I am going to say! I truly feel like going in blind is the most effective way to read Charlie Donleas stories but honestly! Even if you read the description it doesn't matter because he doesn't give you anything that will spoil the plot. Donlea just gives you a slither of a layer on what will happen in this story.
This book is so amazing, action packed, emotional, dark, intense, Check your Triggers please and honestly if your not into Detective style Thrillers yet-Read one of Charlie Donlea's stories and you will have whole different tune.
This story literally had me telling my family about it! It felt like a movie in my head and I couldn't stop reading until I finished it! Am I selfish if I say I want Charlie Donlea's next book now haha!
I will definitely be going back to read more of his catalog and this is elite art! Amazing!
Masterpiece! Nothing less! Charlie Donlea knows how to write a book and form a plot where it will gently pull back layers and layers like your peeling an orange. It is a very medium steady process but every part of the process is IMPORTANT and EFFECTIVE!
Guess Again is about a girl that went missing in 2015 and a serial unaliver that is trying to get out on parole. The MMC Ethan is warped into both of these circumstances and that is all I am going to say! I truly feel like going in blind is the most effective way to read Charlie Donleas stories but honestly! Even if you read the description it doesn't matter because he doesn't give you anything that will spoil the plot. Donlea just gives you a slither of a layer on what will happen in this story.
This book is so amazing, action packed, emotional, dark, intense, Check your Triggers please and honestly if your not into Detective style Thrillers yet-Read one of Charlie Donlea's stories and you will have whole different tune.
This story literally had me telling my family about it! It felt like a movie in my head and I couldn't stop reading until I finished it! Am I selfish if I say I want Charlie Donlea's next book now haha!
I will definitely be going back to read more of his catalog and this is elite art! Amazing!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was a solid 3.5 stars for me; I didn't want to put the book down, I felt compelled to keep reading and find out what happened. However, I thought there were a lot of characters and different storylines going on; sometimes the book jumped around and it was hard to keep everything straight. I also felt like this was pretty depressing. I like suspense/thriller books when there's the thrill of the chase: you don't know how, but you know the good guy is going to catch the bad guy. In Guess Again I felt like the bad guy kept winning. I agree with other reviews that suggest that there will be a sequel, it seems like it's perfectly setup for one at the end of the book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Release: July 29, 2025
Author: Charlie Donlea
Publisher: Kensington
Rating: 5 ★
A decade after high school volleyball star Callie Jones vanished without a trace from her small Wisconsin lake town, her case remains unsolved and the community still haunted. Ethan Hall, once a detective in the child crimes unit and now an ER doctor, is reluctantly pulled back into his old world when his former partner—now terminally ill—asks him to reopen the investigation for the sake of the family’s closure. As word spreads through Cherryview, hope is reignited. But in the middle of a brutal summer, Ethan quickly realizes that solving the case will take more than revisiting the past—it will require digging deep, taking risks, and confronting painful truths, including a disturbing link to his own past. The closer he gets to the truth, the more dangerous the game becomes.
Charlie Donlea continues to prove why he’s one of the best in the thriller genre. Guess Again is a fast-paced, twist-filled mystery that grabbed my attention right from the start and didn’t let go. The story follows Ethan Hall, a former detective turned ER doctor, who is pulled back into his old life when asked to solve a cold case involving the missing daughter of Wisconsin’s newly elected governor. With a 100% solve rate in his former career and a deeply personal connection to the case, Ethan’s return to investigating quickly becomes more than he bargained for.
The plot is layered and intricate, full of red herrings and shocking twists—some I saw coming, but many completely blindsided me. Donlea does a great job weaving past and present timelines while maintaining the suspense throughout. I appreciated the short chapters and fast pacing, which made this a super quick read despite its complexity. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, and while not all of them felt deeply developed, the sheer momentum of the story kept me engaged.
The final twist is one of the most memorable I’ve read in a while—Donlea really leans into the title here. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out… guess again. The ending was intense and left the door wide open for a possible sequel, which I’m definitely hoping for.
If you’re into cold cases, serial killers, or thrillers with a psychological edge and a touch of emotional depth, Guess Again should be on your list. It’s easily one of the most compelling thrillers I’ve read this year.
Favorite Quote:
"she found a bench near the water, took a seat, and pretended to scroll through her phone while she looked for anyone who might have followed her. She saw no one. Finally, she stepped back onto the walking path and made her way to a little free library. The stand looked like a large birdhouse.. The triangular structure was perched on an oak pole and housed a variety of free books for anyone to take."
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
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Click here to read my full review, for now enjoy a little snippet below...
- Guess again is a thrilling story of two crimes and how they we’ve together. Ethan Hall, a retired detective turn Doctor, is reached out to solve a cold case. Solving a cold case is hard enough, but having it weave into your personal life, that’s a whole different story.
Overall, this was a really great detective novel. The twists kept twisting. The quick pace pushed me to keep reading on, even when I was so tired. There were a wide range of interesting characters to get to know, but not enough characters where you felt overwhelmed. No one was hard to track or follow along with their story arc. What was clear when I reached the end of the story is that the author is obviously talented in creating a thrilling web for a reader to try to unpack.
This would’ve been an easy four or five star read, but there were so many piddly things that annoyed me. All of these little things, added up to bigger issue that took away from the story.
The fact that every official government department was spelled out so clearly. Did I really need to know? Someone could just be a detective, we didn’t have to say every single time Milwaukee police department detective of the highest degree. Or the Wisconsin Department of investigation special agent, Ethan Hall. (I’m being dramatic here but I hope you get my point. ) it was a mouthful every time. Spell it out once, then use the abbreviations.
Also, all the chapters had the full name of the city and state which felt a little annoying. How clearly we are pointing out that this town was near this town, which is near this town, which is far away from this town, which is north of the capital, Madison. Maybe it’s extra annoying because I’m from Wisconsin? I feel that other authors don’t need to pull so much specific knowledge. From outside perspective, it wouldn't feel relevant for the reader.
Speaking of being specific, describing overly in detail of where the veterans museum is, compared to the walking path, compared to the little library. It all felt overdone, unnecessary.
Again, I could be biased due to how familiar I am to Wisconsin? Anyone else feel that nagging sense of almost, “get to the story!” it was the most distracting part of the novel.
Hopefully by the time this is published a lot of this is simplified and cleaned up. As this is my first time reading this author, I’m not sure if this is the norm. Again, a great thriller you could eat up in one sitting if you wanted. I would recommend this for anyone who wants an excellent detective mystery.-
Follow along on my Bookstagram/Instagram.
Read along with me by joining Book Of The Month Club - discount code linked!
**Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Click here to read my full review, for now enjoy a little snippet below...
- Guess again is a thrilling story of two crimes and how they we’ve together. Ethan Hall, a retired detective turn Doctor, is reached out to solve a cold case. Solving a cold case is hard enough, but having it weave into your personal life, that’s a whole different story.
Overall, this was a really great detective novel. The twists kept twisting. The quick pace pushed me to keep reading on, even when I was so tired. There were a wide range of interesting characters to get to know, but not enough characters where you felt overwhelmed. No one was hard to track or follow along with their story arc. What was clear when I reached the end of the story is that the author is obviously talented in creating a thrilling web for a reader to try to unpack.
This would’ve been an easy four or five star read, but there were so many piddly things that annoyed me. All of these little things, added up to bigger issue that took away from the story.
The fact that every official government department was spelled out so clearly. Did I really need to know? Someone could just be a detective, we didn’t have to say every single time Milwaukee police department detective of the highest degree. Or the Wisconsin Department of investigation special agent, Ethan Hall. (I’m being dramatic here but I hope you get my point. ) it was a mouthful every time. Spell it out once, then use the abbreviations.
Also, all the chapters had the full name of the city and state which felt a little annoying. How clearly we are pointing out that this town was near this town, which is near this town, which is far away from this town, which is north of the capital, Madison. Maybe it’s extra annoying because I’m from Wisconsin? I feel that other authors don’t need to pull so much specific knowledge. From outside perspective, it wouldn't feel relevant for the reader.
Speaking of being specific, describing overly in detail of where the veterans museum is, compared to the walking path, compared to the little library. It all felt overdone, unnecessary.
Again, I could be biased due to how familiar I am to Wisconsin? Anyone else feel that nagging sense of almost, “get to the story!” it was the most distracting part of the novel.
Hopefully by the time this is published a lot of this is simplified and cleaned up. As this is my first time reading this author, I’m not sure if this is the norm. Again, a great thriller you could eat up in one sitting if you wanted. I would recommend this for anyone who wants an excellent detective mystery.-
Follow along on my Bookstagram/Instagram.
Read along with me by joining Book Of The Month Club - discount code linked!
**Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes