Finders Keepers
- Judith D Collins
- Apr 12
- 4 min read
By: Natalie Barelli
Narrators: Perry Daniels, Rachel Leblang Dreamscape Media
ISBN: 9781464247507
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: 02/24/2026
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 4 Stars (ARC)
"Dear Diary. Today I'm going to kill her. Love, Rose."
When Rose discovers her troubled past splashed across the pages of a bestselling book, she knows her carefully constructed life is about to unravel.
The author, Emily Harper, claims the story is fiction, but Rose knows better. Desperate to find out how Emily discovered her deepest secrets, Rose ingratiates herself into the author's life, posing as an eager assistant and adoring fan.
But as Rose gets closer to the truth, long-buried memories resurface. Slowly, the horrifying events of her teenage years come into focus, revealing that sometimes, the people you trust the most are the ones you should be most afraid of.
My Review
"A Stolen Laptop, a Published Murder, and a Game of Cat-and-Mouse."
In FINDERS KEEPERS by Natalie Barelli, when Rose Dunmore sees her most private teenage secrets—including a confession to murder—published as a bestselling novel, she knows her life is in danger. Posing as a fan, Rose infiltrates author Emily Harper’s world to reclaim her stolen laptop. But in this addictive game of cat-and-mouse, the truth of the past is even darker than the fiction.
Your Diary, Her Bestseller.
"Unreliable, Unhinged, and Utterly Unputdownable!
From unreliable narrators, stolen secrets, and a psychotic ping-pong match, there is never a dull moment.
Themes:
The book explores the power of storytelling, the consequences of unresolved guilt, and the danger of trusting the wrong people. Childhood grooming and memory.
Vibe:
~Compulsive, Sinister, Claustrophobic.
~Vindictive, Pretentious, Delusional
Characters:
~Unreliable, Manipulative, Obsessive, Calculating
When 'Finders Keepers' Becomes a Death Sentence.
The narrative has a significant mid-book shift. While the first half focuses on Rose’s desperate infiltration, the second half introduces new perspectives that reveal nothing is as it initially seemed.
My thoughts...
A Psychotic Ping-Pong Match Between Two Master Manipulators.
Imagine walking past a bookstore and seeing your own life story for sale. For Rose Dunmore, this nightmare is real: a new bestseller titled Diary of an Octopus is a verbatim copy of the journal she lost on a laptop years ago. The problem? Her diary isn't just about a teenage crush; it’s a record of a disturbing obsession and a detailed confession to a cold-case murder.
Desperate to erase the evidence, Rose adopts the persona of "Iris" and manipulates her way into the life of the book’s author, Emily Harper. As Emily’s new personal assistant, Rose scours the apartment for her old laptop, only to realize Emily is just as calculating and unhinged as she is. Barelli masterfully switches perspectives halfway through, shifting the narrative from a simple retrieval mission into a complex psychological war where no one is who they seem.
The Verdict: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐Stars
FINDERS KEEPERS is a high-octane, "unhinged" psychological thriller that is perfect for fans of Freida McFadden or Alex Michaelides. The sharp dialogue, dark humor, and "rug-pulling" twists make it a compulsive, binge-worthy read.
Best for:
Readers who love unreliable narrators, toxic character dynamics, and fast-paced, twisty plots.
The Title:
The title suggests that once you find a secret or a trauma, you are burdened with "keeping" it forever. Rose’s inability to let go of her past is what drives her into Emily’s dangerous orbit. Ultimately, the title is a play on the idea that nothing is truly lost, and finding something doesn't give you the right to own the consequences that come with it.
Triggers:
The story deals with heavy themes like grooming and childhood trauma, which some may find unsettling.
Takeaway:
The biggest takeaway from Finders Keepers is that the truth is a weapon, but memory is a minefield. A "popcorn thriller" that reminds you that the past never stays buried, especially if you leave it on a laptop at an airport.
Recs...
If you enjoyed the toxic cat-and-mouse games and the "stolen life" trope in Finders Keepers, unhinged narrators, or diary secrets, these thrillers should be next on your list:
~The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
~First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
~The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
~None of This is True by Lisa Jewell
~The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Special thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Feb 24, 2026
Praise
"I enjoyed this book so much! I'm a huge Natalie Barelli fan and I couldn't wait to dive into her latest. Rose is a great, flawed character, and my feelings about her changed so much through the book. I don't want to give anything away but I will just say that the twists are out of this world! You don't want to miss this one!"
— Freida McFadden
"Barelli’s addictive latest sees revelations from a woman’s private diary come back to haunt her... the pages fly by, ensuring readers will root for Rose to recover her laptop even as new, frightening layers to her personality come to light. The twists never let up in this rollicking psychological thriller."
― Publishers Weekly
"The high-stakes cat-and-mouse story finds Rose pulled into a past she thought she had escaped. Fans of Stephen King’s Misery and Jean Hanff Korelitz’s The Plot will find much to enjoy here." ―First Clue
About the Author
Natalie Barelli lives in Australia, where she is forever thinking about new ways of killing people and getting away with it. Favorite pastime: reading fabulously gruesome thrillers, otherwise known as research. And when she’s not absorbed in the latest gripping page-turner, Natalie loves to cook, knits very badly, and spends far too much time at her computer. WEBSITE
