The Anniversary by Alex Finlay @alexfinlayauthor @acflea @britpressley @macmillan.audio @macmillanaudio.bsky.social #TheAnniversary

the setup…
It’s May 1, 1992 in Monarch, Nebraska and seventeen year old Jules Delaney, a popular high school star is not deterred about it being the anniversary of the May Day Killer. It’s the moniker given to the predator who appears on this day annually, strikes and then disappears until the next year. Quinn Riley isn’t in her social circle but they connected in study hall and he secretly admires her. When they both attend the same concert that evening, it ends disastrously for them both…him ending up in detention for trying to break up a fight and she surviving an attack by the May Day Killer. They find their lives connecting every year on May 1 as the killer remains at large.

the heart of the story…
Jules and Quinn have this undefined bond that serendipitously reconnects them every May 1. I loved how their lives were on completely different tracks but paths crossing in very believable ways. Quinn’s mother is murdered during his year in detention and he’s on a mission. Jules’s trauma manifested itself in predictable ways and I kept rooting for these two to emerge whole while he hunted a killer and she struggled to stay clear of one.

the narration…
Ari Fliakos & Brittany Pressley were wonderful as Quinn and Jules, respectively. Their pacing was perfect and they brought the tension and suspense. So glad I got the audio.

the bottom line…
I really liked the structure of the story, the framing over the years, always on May 1. There were three investigations in play and I wasn’t certain if they’d even connect. It’s twisty in a way that feels natural with one jaw dropper I never imagined. I finished it in one day after being hooked from that chilling prologue. Well done!

Book Info

• Release Date: May 12, 2026
• Narrators: Ari Fliakos & Brittany Pressley
• Audio Length: 7 hours, 38 minutes
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio

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(Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)