Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
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
Please enjoy additional book reviews & adventures on my blog: CMAC's Paperbacks
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
dark
tense
fast-paced
The most insane ending but this had all the pieces of thriller genre that I love. I had a good time with this read.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A twisty and twisted novel that keeps you guessing. Told mostly in the POV of our main character, Ethan, we get glimpses into a few other side characters thought and actions that allow us a fuller picture of what happened to Callie 10 years ago and how it could possibly connect to the alleged serial killer who murdered Ethan’s father. There were few times one needs to suspend disbelief, but I enjoyed the ride it took me on.
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
Okay… this one got me. I had a wild theory around 66% in, and was correct. It was totally out of left field and based on nothing in the book Just my brain spiraling like it does when I read too many thrillers. Although I did call one of the twists, the other reveal? Completely blindsided me. I loved that. Charlie Donlea really knows how to weave a complex, layered mystery that keeps you second-guessing everyone and everything.
There were a lot of moving parts, so many characters and pieces to connect, but it all came together in such a satisfying way. I devoured this book. Honestly, if I didn’t have to do annoying things like go to work and parent, I could’ve read it in one sitting.
Easily a new favorite from Donlea. Highly recommend! I received an eARC of this book for review consideration and am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
There were a lot of moving parts, so many characters and pieces to connect, but it all came together in such a satisfying way. I devoured this book. Honestly, if I didn’t have to do annoying things like go to work and parent, I could’ve read it in one sitting.
Easily a new favorite from Donlea. Highly recommend! I received an eARC of this book for review consideration and am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.