You Can Trust Me: A Novel

I received this book at my local but now defunct Book Store back in 2015 at our "Christmas Party Iceland Book Swap". That was great fun and I really miss my book club friends from the past. That said... I finally put this on the short list to read and got to it this year...however it became somewhat of a torture to finish. I never got invested in any of the characters. There were teasers throughout pinning the murder on every male in the book, but NONE of the males who were the suspects were developed to get to know them, despite small chapters devoted to the thoughts of the murderer..The ending was a really a farfetched scene leaving little redemption to the work. I am surprised I finished it, but did so for the sake of finishing, not because I cared at all for the characters. Not on my list of best for the year of reads!

Everyone was panic-buying and I was jealous and thought I’d have a panic-read instead. I didn’t want to be stuck in the house with something nasty and be in the middle of heavy non-fiction. I didn’t get ill, but I did enjoy this book.

It’s main theme is the past. There’s been a murder and various other shenanigans and their implications have not yet played out. The novel’s in the present tense so there’s a real sense of immediacy as reader and narrator hurtle towards a confrontation you know must come.

It’s not without flaws. I found the inserts from the killer’s diary unconvincing; and there’s a ridiculous scene where it turns out that a detective agency keeps their clients’ personal details just laying about for anyone to read.

What I think really makes the book work is how normal and unexceptional the narrator is. You might say dull, but it’s that grounding in a suburban mind that let me make allowances for anything far-fetched.

I managed to guess the killer, but there are plenty of good red-herrings along the way.

This is a well-written thriller that stars off strong with the death of Livy’s best friend Julia in an apparent suicide. Despite the evidence pointing in that direction, Livy is unable to accept this verdict and sets out to prove it was murder. Making this situation even more dramatic is the fact that Livy’s younger sister, former best friends with Julia, was herself murdered eighteen years ago. Along the way, Livy discovers a number of reasons why those around her should not be trusted, including her husband, his best friend, their employer and Julia’s brother. While not totally trusting Julia’s latest boyfriend, Livy works with him to uncover the truth about Julia’s death. This leads to a dramatic end where someone I had not really considered to be the murderer did in fact commit the deed. The lesson here is that sometimes those you trust are not really who they say they are.

This is a book whose plot hits the ground running and doesn't let up until the very end: even when you think everything is done with, the author keeps a particularly harrowing twist up her sleeve. The parallel plotlines of marital infidelity and the death of a close friend are powerful emotional pulls on the reader, and it would be tough to put it down before seeing the whole thing resolved.

That said, I found there were not enough characters to make the 'whodunnit' angle enough of a challenge. There were only one or two possible candidates, and I hit on the right one at an early stage. Despite the author's skilfully placed red herrings, I remained firm in my belief that there was no point in that particular character's existence in the story other than as the ultimate baddie, and waited to be proved right, as I ultimately was (modest cough). In addition, some of the characters' actions felt a bit 'off' - getting all romantic at moments when stress would surely have put paid to all that. And the character Julia - central to the plot but not someone we meet in person - didn't come across as all that nice. More two fingers down the throat if I'm honest. So it's a mixed reaction from me which accounts for the moderate star rating.

Sophie McKenzie's 'You Can Trust Me' belongs to the amateur female sleuth genre.

It recounts the story of Livy, who is at a difficult point in her life. Her husband has strayed with a work colleague and when confronted has promised that Livy can trust him in the future. Her daughter has just begun the difficult adjustment to adolescence and is no longer the beloved child that Livy needs. Her once smooth life has hit a few landmines.

The mystery element is added when Livy and her two children visit her long-time best friend Julia for lunch and find Julia dead from an apparent suicide. But Livy is fairly sure that Julia, who loved the children, would never leave Livy and the kids to find her body. That the police, on the other hand, find the computer generated suicide note to be convincing gives a good indication of the plot's lack of depth. Livy sets out to prove to herself that Julia's death was not a suicide.

My major criticism of 'You Can Trust Me' is that it recounts more action than it shows. I want to see, feel, and hear events, not be told that they
occurred. And I expect characters to be portrayed in a way that the reader can make character assessments, not be told what a character is like.

It's a quick easy read for those who choose to give it a whirl. But, at least for me, it was not a satisifying read.

(The reviewer received a free copy of the book from the publisher.)

A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

YOU CAN TRUST ME by British author, Sophie McKenzie, a suspense psychological mystery, years apart--of friendship, lies, marriage, betrayal, and murder. .

Set in England, Julia and Livy have been friends for years, since they bonded over a brutal murder fifteen years ago of Livy’s sister, Kara when she was a college student.

After her murder, Kara’s friend, Julia, became Livy’s friend, a friendship that remained close despite their different lives; Livy, a homemaker and mother, and Julia living a more exciting life with numerous short-lived relationships. Years later Julia is found dead, alone in her flat and Livy begins to realize everything was not as it seemed.

When Livy arrives at Jula’s flat for a lunch date, she finds her dead, as she did not answer her text the previous night and now feels guilty. Of course, her death was ruled as a suicide; however Livy cannot accept this decision, and begins to dig further to solve the mystery of her friend. She knows her friend loves life, and would never take her own life. What if she was murdered, and by whom? Could the killer be one of Livy’s friends, family or acquaintances?

Livy, married to Will, with two children- 7 year old son, Zack and her 12 year old daughter, Hannah which is a brat. A stressful marriage from a former infidelity and a daughter which is problematic.

The more Livy uncovers, the more she realizes her friend was not always truthful and forthcoming. She finds out about a man, Damian who was in a relationship with her friend, one she never met. These two combine forces without the help of the police. Livy goes off on these tangents without thinking, not knowing who to trust. Together they start to investigate Julia’s last days. Julia’s diary leads them on a chase looking for a killer who is so much closer than they realize. Too late, they discover how much danger they are in and that they may be the next victims.

And when Livy finally faces her sister’s killer, and he traps her with one horrible, impossible choice, she must finally decide: is she strong enough to trust herself?

McKenzie interjects the killer's perspective, and tidbits, offering readers a look into more dark sides of the personality and motives. There is a long list of suspects-- as to the identity of the killer. The best part of the book for me was, the psychological parts of the dark psychopath killer.

My first book by McKenzie, and will have to agree with some of the other reviewers, not evenly paced. Very slow moving until the last portion, when things intensify and really heat up when the cases come together.

Livy continued to dwell and dwell, on her husband's infidelity six years ago with no trust or intimacy. However, on the other hand, she immediately trusts Julia's grieving fiancé, Damian, one of mystery; since Julia had hidden his identity from her.

Would have liked a little more sarcastic humor mixed in, and all the characters thrown at you in the beginning, with a long list of suspects--throws it off a little. Livy was not a likable character, and of course Julia was more intriguing. Look forward to reading more by this author, even though I was not totally in love with this one. Recommend to crime fiction fans who enjoy a long line of suspects, and slower pacing with some psychological elements.

This suspenseful thriller was recommended to me by my reviewer friend, Tom McGee. Tom's literary tastes are usually on the money and with his review, he hit the nail on the head.

Livy Jackson has dealt with her sister's death for almost twenty years.

Currently, she comes to her best friend, Julia's, flat for lunch and finds her dead which is ruled a suicide.

Livy doesn't believe it but her husband isn't being supportive. He thinks she's being paranoid.

In the midst of dealing with her friend's death, Livy's husband is given an assignment in Paris. Not only must she bear her grief alone but she learns that a colleague of her husband with whom he had an affair with in the past, is accompanying him on the Paris assignment.

Livy feels an added burden of guilt because Julia had left a number of urgent messages on Livy's phone, asking Livy to call her.

In the hands of a lesser writer, the story might have been a typical melodrama but Sophie McKenzie draws Livy out so that the reader feels her pain. When she learns something new about her husband, she faces everything by herself.

The drama increases as she meets Julia's mysterious boyfriend and seems drawn to him. However, the reader isn't sure of his intentions.

The story is done with panache and McKenzie's characters come to life before our eyes.

I can't wait to read the next novel by this exciting author.

I received a free book in return for my honest review.