Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed this! Believe Me has such a unique premise- Clare is a British woman who has come to New York to pursue acting. She can't work, since she's here on a student visa, and she hasn't gotten her big break yet so shes pursuing other options. She works for a law firm in entrapment- she gets hired to try and get cheating husbands to sleep with her to get evidence for the wives. She's working on her acting skills and getting by- until one of the clients turns up dead the next morning.
The book takes many turns and I never really knew what was real and what was an act. I really loved the author's last book, The Girl Before, and I think I enjoyed this even more. Warning: this is one dark book so if you're sensitive to violence, you might want to skip it. From this depraved reader, it gets 4.5 stars.
The book takes many turns and I never really knew what was real and what was an act. I really loved the author's last book, The Girl Before, and I think I enjoyed this even more. Warning: this is one dark book so if you're sensitive to violence, you might want to skip it. From this depraved reader, it gets 4.5 stars.
Last year I read J.P. Delaney's The Girl Before, and loved the way he created a psychological suspense with the right amount of intimacy. So, when I saw that he had another psychological thriller work going to be published, I was eager to get my hands on a copy. I was lucky enough to get a galley copy of this book. I have been glued to my ereader since downloading the ebook. Believe Me was everything I could have hoped it would be. Delaney did not disappoint. The passion, murder, and psychological roller-coaster leaves you wanting to get to the heart of the story. About half way through, I thought, "Okay, so this is it. She is just crazy. What else could happen?" Boy was I wrong! There was so much more to it than I could have imagined.
Claire is the epitome of a struggling actress. She grew up in the foster system in the UK. When she meets obstacles that prevent her to become a successful actress, she comes to America. She again reaches a road block in her pursuit of becoming an actress in that she does not have a green card. So, in order to remain in her acting classes, she has to take on side work that pays cash. She assists a small organization in catching cheating husbands. However, she finds herself caught up in a murder investigation. In trying to help solve the murder, she, herself, begins struggling with whether or not she is a suspect.
Or worse, if she truly is unhinged.
I do want to warn future readers that BDSM, mental illness, and self-harm are involved in this work.
Claire is the epitome of a struggling actress. She grew up in the foster system in the UK. When she meets obstacles that prevent her to become a successful actress, she comes to America. She again reaches a road block in her pursuit of becoming an actress in that she does not have a green card. So, in order to remain in her acting classes, she has to take on side work that pays cash. She assists a small organization in catching cheating husbands. However, she finds herself caught up in a murder investigation. In trying to help solve the murder, she, herself, begins struggling with whether or not she is a suspect.
Or worse, if she truly is unhinged.
I do want to warn future readers that BDSM, mental illness, and self-harm are involved in this work.
This book was odd. The suspense seemed to ebb and flow throughout the story, but not in a a good way. Sometimes it felt almost like a "women's fiction" bordering on romance between Claire and Patrick. Added to all this were sections written like a play script. I get that it was because Claire was an actress, but it was rather distracting. The weird part was that as the story shifted in and out of the romantic relationship sections, the reader knows the mystery hasn't been solved (because the book hasn't ended yet) but it is as though the author has forgotten about it and is off writing another book. While I had a lot of issues with the flow of the book, the mystery and basic story line was a good one. I guess I just didn't like the presentation.
A copy of this book was received from NetGalley and Random House Ballantine in exchange for an honest review.
A copy of this book was received from NetGalley and Random House Ballantine in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars. This book stumped me several times. When I thought I had it figured out, it threw me for another loop. All of these characters had severe mental issues so it was hard to pin down which one was telling the truth.
J.P. Delaney's Believe Me is every bit of hypnotic as The Girl Before.
That being said, even though I read on with rapt attention, and with little choice as to whether to continue (yes, the book is that engrossing), there was a sort of repulsion for me at work. Both of his works have been centered around a female protagonist who is damaged, a victim of sexual abuse and suffers from some self esteem issues, to say the least. In short, you read, but you read on with dread. Cuz you know something is going to happen. And it's going to be much worse than what you have read till now.
Many might argue that this the charm, the very appeal of psychological thrillers. Yes, and no. As a hardcore fan of the aforementioned genre- both in books and onscreen- I am not one to shy away from the gory, grisly and the grotesque. This novel- much like The Girl Before - lacked a kind of subtlety. The kind that's key for the brain to want to keep coming back for more.
That is not to say I don't recommend this book. If anything, it's the opposite. This is a story that will fascinate most as it is in the human nature to be painfully drawn, as well as repulsed by the morbid and the insane. But the gripping factor in this book is more from the morbidity than the mystery; you just know everyone is lying! But the thrill of what will happen next keeps you reading on.
I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
That being said, even though I read on with rapt attention, and with little choice as to whether to continue (yes, the book is that engrossing), there was a sort of repulsion for me at work. Both of his works have been centered around a female protagonist who is damaged, a victim of sexual abuse and suffers from some self esteem issues, to say the least. In short, you read, but you read on with dread. Cuz you know something is going to happen. And it's going to be much worse than what you have read till now.
Many might argue that this the charm, the very appeal of psychological thrillers. Yes, and no. As a hardcore fan of the aforementioned genre- both in books and onscreen- I am not one to shy away from the gory, grisly and the grotesque. This novel- much like The Girl Before - lacked a kind of subtlety. The kind that's key for the brain to want to keep coming back for more.
That is not to say I don't recommend this book. If anything, it's the opposite. This is a story that will fascinate most as it is in the human nature to be painfully drawn, as well as repulsed by the morbid and the insane. But the gripping factor in this book is more from the morbidity than the mystery; you just know everyone is lying! But the thrill of what will happen next keeps you reading on.
I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
I have just finished reading Believe Me by JP Delaney and oh, do I have lot I want to say!
When I read The Girl Before, I was impressed with the way the author combined the storylines of two different characters and two different timelines. I loved the writing and the character development and the thrilling surprises. I couldn't put it down. It is not unusual for the follow up offering of a newish author to fall short of readers expectations, especially when the first book was so amazing. Well, SmartGirls, Delaney isn't the usual author and this book had me dizzy with all the twists and turns and I mean that in the best possible way.
Claire is a British actress struggling to make it in New York and...
Well, that's about it. I just can't say much more without stealing some of the joy of experiencing this fantastic novel for yourself. I would never do that- you mean too much to me! You will just have to read it for yourself. I recommend making it a book club pick, or at least reading along with a friend. You'll want someone with whom you can dissect all the craziness and unpick all the tangles.
My head is still spinning!
Check out more of my reviews at SmartGirlsRead!
www.smartgirlsread.blogspot.com
When I read The Girl Before, I was impressed with the way the author combined the storylines of two different characters and two different timelines. I loved the writing and the character development and the thrilling surprises. I couldn't put it down. It is not unusual for the follow up offering of a newish author to fall short of readers expectations, especially when the first book was so amazing. Well, SmartGirls, Delaney isn't the usual author and this book had me dizzy with all the twists and turns and I mean that in the best possible way.
Claire is a British actress struggling to make it in New York and...
Well, that's about it. I just can't say much more without stealing some of the joy of experiencing this fantastic novel for yourself. I would never do that- you mean too much to me! You will just have to read it for yourself. I recommend making it a book club pick, or at least reading along with a friend. You'll want someone with whom you can dissect all the craziness and unpick all the tangles.
My head is still spinning!
Check out more of my reviews at SmartGirlsRead!
www.smartgirlsread.blogspot.com
So well written and better than I expected. Kept me pushing through till the end
A broke and desperate drama student posing as an easy pickup in a bar to catch cheating husbands? I can get on board with that! The narrator in this had that unreliable characteristic that gave me a Girl on the Train vibe, and I liked it. Some things were predictable others were a nice (and by nice I mean dark) surprise. If you like mystery/thrillers JP Delaney does not disappoint with this one. Solid 3.75/5⭐️