If you’re a fan of twisty mysteries, true crime podcasts, or armchair detective dramas, Ashley Winstead’s This Book Will Bury Me might already be on your radar. Known for her gripping storytelling in In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and Midnight is the Darkest Hour, Winstead delivers another thriller that’s compulsive, chilling, and darkly intriguing. But does it live up to the hype? Let’s dig in.
The story revolves around Jane Sharp, a college student grappling with the recent loss of her father. Seeking solace, she dives headfirst into the world of online true crime communities. When three shocking deaths rock the small town of Delphine, Idaho, Jane and her fellow amateur sleuths decide to crack the case themselves. But as they unravel the threads of this mystery, they find themselves entangled in a web far more dangerous than they anticipated.
Winstead excels at capturing the morbid fascination many of us have with true crime. Jane's evolution from grieving daughter to obsessive sleuth feels authentic and nuanced. Her online friendships mirror the camaraderie—and occasional toxicity—that can arise in internet subcultures. The novel’s framing device, with Jane recounting the events a year after the case’s shocking conclusion, adds tension and an air of foreboding.
However, despite its engrossing premise, This Book Will Bury Me stumbles in a few areas. As a legal professional and true crime enthusiast, I found some of the legal and procedural aspects distracting. For example, the repeated assertion that evidence discovered by civilians would automatically be inadmissible in court is simply incorrect. While mishandling evidence can diminish its credibility, the strict rules about constitutional violations (like the “fruit of the poisonous tree” doctrine) apply to law enforcement, not private citizens. These inaccuracies pulled me out of the story and made me wish for a more thorough fact-checking process.
Another curious choice was the heavy use of footnotes. While this might have been intended to mimic the style of non-fiction true crime accounts, it felt out of place in a fictional thriller. The footnotes occasionally disrupted the narrative flow, making it harder to fully immerse myself in the story. Similarly, the inclusion of thinly veiled real-life figures, like a Nancy Grace doppelgänger dubbed “Nina Grace,” felt clunky and unnecessary.
Despite these flaws, there’s a lot to enjoy. The mystery surrounding the Delphine Massacres is genuinely compelling, and the interplay between Jane and her sleuthing friends provides plenty of drama and humor. Jane’s personal journey—grappling with grief, finding purpose, and ultimately confronting the consequences of her obsession—is relatable and engaging.
In the end, This Book Will Bury Me is an imperfect but gripping read. If you can overlook the occasional procedural misstep and quirky stylistic choices, you’ll find a chilling, thought-provoking story about grief, obsession, and the dark side of internet sleuthing.
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