“He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you”. 

–Friedrich Nietzsche

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Ashley Winstead’s This Book Will Bury Me is a gripping psychological thriller that also explores the complex themes of grief, obsession, and the many ways a desire to help can end up turning to harm. She examines the ethical and emotional consequences of society’s interest in true crime through the unreliable eyes of Jane Sharp, a college student who finds purpose and community in a team of amateur sleuths after the sudden death of her father.

Jane, known online as “Searcher,” finds a chosen family with online colleagues Citizen, Lightly, Mistress, and Goku, who work together on solving the murder of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho. Winstead manages to make Jane both sympathetic and infuriating as she makes highly questionable choices.  She also highlights the dark side of true-crime fandom and “internet sleuthing” without being preachy or moralizing. Rather than being judgmental, Winstead depicts both the community’s allure and dangers, inviting readers to see the emotional draw of obsession, catharsis, activism, and moral ambiguity.

Winstead’s writing style elevates the novel, artfully blending atmospheric suspense with passages of interiority that highlight the unpredictability and turbulence of grief. Jane comes across as sharp and self-aware, alternately manic and contemplative, and her story within a story is tense and foreboding. If you’re looking for a great read that both keeps you entertained and makes you think, This Book Will Bury Me will fit the bill.