Hank Phillippi Ryan’s newest book is Trust Me. It’s a stand-alone psychological suspense/thriller. And, it’s good. Really good.
The main character (MC) is a journalist who has lost her husband and daughter to a terrible tragedy and isn’t close to picking up the pieces of her life.
But then she gets a call (i.e. the Inciting Incident or Catalyst) she can’t refuse. She’s asked to write the “true” crime book on an accused child murderer, the child’s own mother. Hank weaves the goals and secrets of the MC and villains together so tightly, the reader is led to question the role of each. True to the logline, it’s not clear who you can trust. Is the MC an unreliable narrator? Is the villain really a villain? Is the villain the Mc’s doppelganger? These were my thoughts as I tried – unsuccessfully – to figure out the TRUTH.
The disturbing theme is timely, to say the least. The book questions how our view of the truth can be altered by the events of our lives and our own internal dialogue.
The third act twist is perfection. I actually gasped out loud. The subplot of whether the MC knew of the truth of her marriage wraps up as the main plot boils over to a fantastic finish.
In addition to being a great read, so well written, and hailed by list after list as the book to end your summer with, Hank is a kind, funny and giving author, and is supportive of other authors, especially including newbies. I first met Hank at Sleuthfest last winter. She has been kind enough to personally correspond with both Christie and I, along with many other new writers. If you haven’t had the pleasure, seek her out. You’ll be happy you did.
And my favorite part of the book? Check this out:
Do you see it?
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