Thank you Libro.fm / Macmillan Audio for the ALC and Minotaur Books, #partner for the advanced copy of The Anniversary in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Minotaur Books / Macmillan Audio
Published: May 12, 2026
Summary:
Every Year He Comes For Them.
On one fateful night in 1992, the lives of two seventeen-year-olds are changed and intertwined forever. Quinn Riley, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, is arrested after he innocently tries to break up a fight but ends up nearly killing someone. Jules Delaney, high school royalty, survives an attack by the elusive and terrifying May Day Killer—a serial predator who strikes every May 1st in midwestern small towns.
A year later, Jules is struggling with trauma and guilt, tormented by one question: Why was I spared? Quinn is newly released from juvenile detention and returns home to fresh the unsolved murder of his mother.
Over the next decade, their lives are revisited on a single day each year—May 1st. As secrets unravel and the paths of Quinn and Jules collide, two mysteries edge closer to the truth. All the while, the May Day Killer is still out there—and the clock is racing toward another May 1st.
The Anniversary is an utterly compelling story of the hunt for a serial killer. But it’s also a heartfelt—and heartrending—novel about fate, innocence lost, and two souls who find that sometimes being broken is the only way for the light to get in.
My thoughts:
I have been a fan of Alex Finlay since his debut…and he never fails to disappoint. There is one book I still need to read — looking at you, Night Shift — but I feel pretty confident in saying this is his best book yet. This one has a little of everything — a serial killer, romance, nostalgia — and it comes together in an unforgettable way!
What I loved:
🔪 serial killer storyline…the predator strikes every year on May 1st!
🖤 the romance angle…this got me all up in my feels!
🔪 the nostalgia…I grew up in the 90s!!
🖤 the way the author explored trauma and guilt
This is a fast-paced, dark read that had me hooked from the beginning. I was glad I was able to finish this one in one go because I was on edge, needing resolution…and let me just say the twists are perfectly placed and quite surprising!!
Audio thoughts:
I was lucky enough to be able to listen to this in one go and the narrators helped with that, making the story impossible to walk away from…Brittany Pressley and Ari Fliakos do an amazing job bringing these characters to life.
Bottom line–this book is not to be missed!
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