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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
I was sooooo hooked on this, the first 60% was honestly brilliant. I love unreliable narrators, and the twist at around 40-50% was SO good! Alas, after that... it flopped for me. The ending felt very forced and sloppy. Nevertheless, highly recommend for the first 60%, but just prepare yourself for a disappointment after that. Can't give more details without spoiling I'm afraid!
I enjoyed this one, although not as much as The Girl Before. Claire was a really interesting protagonist to read about, but I felt like it got bogged down at points in trying to point the blame all over the place. The ending was interesting and I was genuinely surprised by the twist! I wish it had gotten there a bit faster, but would still recommend!
This is one of those books that gets into your head and messes everything about. You think you know exactly what is going to happen... but you don't! I love it when a story can make you doubt your ability to predict what will happen and that is certainly the case here.
Clare Wright is a British drama student in New York without a green card. She is forced to take the only job she can find in order to earn some cash - working for a firm of divorce lawyers she is tasked with entrapping straying husbands. But when one of her targets in under suspicion for murder, the police want her to help them secure a conviction by luring the suspect into making a confession. Clare then begins to worry that what she is doing is wrong - I mean, for all she knows Patrick Fogler could be innocent. This also forces her to confront the ethical and moral implications around entrapment in general, including her trapping of cheating men. Is it possible that there is more to this this than she is being told? Could the police possibly have an alterior motive for wanting Fogler out of the way?
Delaney is adept at making you question not only yourself but what you are being told throughout the book too. There were some real insights into the acting world and the tricks and techniques they use including how an actor gets into playing a particular role. There is a tonne of misdirection and the narrative is a twisty and fickle beast that can do a 360 in a matter of moments. Delaney's writing was readable and flowed exceptionally well leading you to read and on and on, a few different elements come together and make this an unforgettable read. If you like unreliable narrator's and not having a clue what is going to go down then you will lap this up double quick!
Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Clare Wright is a British drama student in New York without a green card. She is forced to take the only job she can find in order to earn some cash - working for a firm of divorce lawyers she is tasked with entrapping straying husbands. But when one of her targets in under suspicion for murder, the police want her to help them secure a conviction by luring the suspect into making a confession. Clare then begins to worry that what she is doing is wrong - I mean, for all she knows Patrick Fogler could be innocent. This also forces her to confront the ethical and moral implications around entrapment in general, including her trapping of cheating men. Is it possible that there is more to this this than she is being told? Could the police possibly have an alterior motive for wanting Fogler out of the way?
Delaney is adept at making you question not only yourself but what you are being told throughout the book too. There were some real insights into the acting world and the tricks and techniques they use including how an actor gets into playing a particular role. There is a tonne of misdirection and the narrative is a twisty and fickle beast that can do a 360 in a matter of moments. Delaney's writing was readable and flowed exceptionally well leading you to read and on and on, a few different elements come together and make this an unforgettable read. If you like unreliable narrator's and not having a clue what is going to go down then you will lap this up double quick!
Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
At first I was blown away by this book. The audio was awesome and the structure, was absorbing and I was caught up in the psychological game until I wasn't. The last 10-15% of the book lost my interest a bit, maybe because I had a break from reading it, maybe there was one to many twists... I don't know but it still gets 3 stars.
I decided to read [b:Believe Me|36399240|Believe Me|J.P. Delaney|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515165999l/36399240._SY75_.jpg|58092624] by [a:J.P. Delaney|14719991|J.P. Delaney|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] after reading [b:The Girl Before|28016509|The Girl Before|J.P. Delaney|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1485972587l/28016509._SY75_.jpg|48027180], and I'm so happy I did! This author is a master of spinning a tale that keeps readers guessing until the very end. I look forward to reading [b:The Perfect Wife|42927050|The Perfect Wife|J.P. Delaney|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562720787l/42927050._SY75_.jpg|54885134] once my number comes up on my library's hold list!
Claire is an actress. At least, she wants to be. After leaving her native England and moving to New York City to pursue her passion for theater, nothing seems to be going right. She can't get work without the right permits and paperwork, and between her acting classes and the expense of living in New York City, times are tough. She starts working for a private investigator, posing as a prostitute to catch husbands cheating on their wives. When one of the wives ends up brutally murdered, Claire's life changes forever.
Claire is an actress. At least, she wants to be. After leaving her native England and moving to New York City to pursue her passion for theater, nothing seems to be going right. She can't get work without the right permits and paperwork, and between her acting classes and the expense of living in New York City, times are tough. She starts working for a private investigator, posing as a prostitute to catch husbands cheating on their wives. When one of the wives ends up brutally murdered, Claire's life changes forever.
Claire Wright is young British actress. But she's struggling in New York City--she's in an acting program, but she has no green card and no job or money. So when she's offered questionable work by a law firm, Claire agrees. She serves as a decoy to trap cheating husbands and catch them on tape. But when one of Claire's clients is violently murdered, the police need a suspect. They seem to be considering her husband, whom Claire saw--in the name the job--just that evening. They want Claire to try to lure him into a confession. Claire is sure she can do this: she's a great actress. But soon she's wondering who the police really suspect.
This one got off to a slow start, but once it picked up, it drew me in. After reading Delaney's recent book, THE PERFECT WIFE, which I really enjoyed, I knew I had to go back and read this one. I'm glad I did. It was just a fun, twisted ride, and an enjoyable quick read.
There's no one to really root for in this tale, but that's okay, because the journey is interesting enough to keep you hooked. Claire is a fascinating character: you're never sure how much to trust her, what's she's telling us, or what she's doing. At first, I found the confusion a little off-putting, but I soon learned to go with it and just enjoy the ride. And what a crazy one it is.
"I want to be other people. I've never wanted anything else."
This is a dark, bewildering read with some great twists and turns. There's a literary aspect with the work of the poet Baudelaire woven throughout. Claire is a focused actress and the whole "decoy" idea is turned on its head several times. I don't want to tell more and ruin anything. Just know that this book kept pleasantly surprising me, and I loved that--even when I thought I had things figured out--I was never sure where things were going.
If you're looking for a crazy, quick thriller that will keep you on your toes, you'll definitely enjoy BELIEVE ME. 3.5+ stars.
I received a copy of this novel from Random House-Ballantine and Netgalley in return for an honest review.
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This one got off to a slow start, but once it picked up, it drew me in. After reading Delaney's recent book, THE PERFECT WIFE, which I really enjoyed, I knew I had to go back and read this one. I'm glad I did. It was just a fun, twisted ride, and an enjoyable quick read.
There's no one to really root for in this tale, but that's okay, because the journey is interesting enough to keep you hooked. Claire is a fascinating character: you're never sure how much to trust her, what's she's telling us, or what she's doing. At first, I found the confusion a little off-putting, but I soon learned to go with it and just enjoy the ride. And what a crazy one it is.
"I want to be other people. I've never wanted anything else."
This is a dark, bewildering read with some great twists and turns. There's a literary aspect with the work of the poet Baudelaire woven throughout. Claire is a focused actress and the whole "decoy" idea is turned on its head several times. I don't want to tell more and ruin anything. Just know that this book kept pleasantly surprising me, and I loved that--even when I thought I had things figured out--I was never sure where things were going.
If you're looking for a crazy, quick thriller that will keep you on your toes, you'll definitely enjoy BELIEVE ME. 3.5+ stars.
I received a copy of this novel from Random House-Ballantine and Netgalley in return for an honest review.
DNF at about 40%. This has turned out to be really not for me. The opening scenes, where Claire works for a firm of divorce lawyers, sitting in hotel bars to see if husbands suspected of being unfaithful will pick her up, were interesting, although the way the narration is often written as a stage play was a little precious. I didn't like Claire anyway, and then she is asked by the police to do something that would never in a million years actually happen and it was all getting a bit yucky, so I am quitting.
Maybe these points will be addressed in the final 60%, butthe way Claire translates the final line of "A Une Passante" is incorrect. Also, if Patrick did murder Stella, presumably he took and has viewed the video Claire made of her approach to him in the bar. Wouldn't he wonder about Claire as a result?
Maybe these points will be addressed in the final 60%, but
The fact that the narrator is unreliable is just not enough to make a book compelling.