A clever plot that I thought was a bit creepy in places.. A good read and highly recommended .

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.

A gripping psychological thriller with dark overtones. Clair, an aspiring English actress is in America without a green card. To make ends meet she works as a a temptress for a legal firm dealing in entrapment work. It is after one of her missions that the lady client is found murdered. She and the husband are seen as possible perpetrators. Clair is used by the police to use her acting ability to try to catch the husband. A complicated but perverse and exciting adventure begins with many twists and turns so that you do not know who to trust. It also flirts with “the dark side of the net and necromancy.. has the actress embarked on one part too many.?
It was an interesting style of writing in a world of drama , intrigue and theatre hence the use of play like settings and directions. It took a bit of getting used to but did add a little something. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and devoured it in a couple of days.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for thecARC copy to review

I couldn't make up my mind about this book, it was a very clever plot with a number of unexpected twists and retelling of events from different perspectives which kept the reader on their toes. However there were also times when it felt almost too clever in trying to devise the plot around Baudelaire's "les fleurs du mal" collection of erotic and violent poetry. On balance I have given a four star rating as it did hold my interest enough to want to know what happened at the end.

Really liked the premise and turned out to be as compelling as The Girl Before. Definitely one I’ll be recommending.

At first, I was really intrigued by the story and wanted to keep on reading. The script-like parts of the story kind of annoyed me at first but I got used to them later on. But the second part of the book kind of bored me. I knew there was to be some sort of thrilling ending to all this, but I really couldn't care less about the second part of the book. Still, it was a nice story to read and I do recommend it to people who love thrillers.

Thanks to netgallery for letting me get a early review book this and once again it blown me away, what a twist that I never seen coming. The main character Claire is written well and loved every minute of the book.

read this book in two sittings! that tells you something! a cleverly plotted thriller, my only dislike was the script style dialogue which i found irritating and unnecessary.

many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Believe me is a psychological thriller that is dark, twisty and a little bit creepy, so just my kind of read.

Claire is a struggling British actress living in the United States without a green card. Desperate for the money and the green card she takes a job with a divorce law firm working as a decoy trying to catch out unsuspecting husbands. Soon she finds herself involved in a some pretty scary situations.

A great read that kept me hooked throughout.

A fast paced read! I didn't realise that this book had previously been published but I can certainly see why the author would want to alter it and publish again after the success of The Girl Before (I haven't read it but have heard good things about it).
The first part of this book, introducing the main character had me completely hooked. I really liked her and I felt sorry for her. She seemed very believable and I could imagine a failed actress becomming a honey trap quite easily. She seemed to have a uniquness and sass about her that would certainly draw people in.
The main part of the story lived upto its name. I didn't know who to belive and up until about the 60 per cent mark I was lapping it up.
Then it all became a bit confusing for me. There were too many mentions of Bauderlaire and to be honest I was sick of hearing about him. I felt the book would have ended nicely earlier and was too drawn out. I literally didn't know who to believe but whereas before this was intriguing, it now became quite annoying.
An enjoyable enough read and a fast paced thrilled indeed but I had to knock 2 stars off for that average ending.

An unusual book that is compulsive reading the story centres around Clair, a British girl trying to make a new life for herself in New York. She is one mixed up lady and it seems that most of the people she meets are also not what they seem. The story twist right until the end and it is not easy to dig into who the murderer really was as all pointers suddenly get reversed.
Loved the book, the poetry and the finale in Montmatre added such intrigue.

Enjoyed this as much as his previous book. It was a well written thriller that kept me guessing until the end!

The writing style took some getting used to but once you become accustomed to that it is an easy flowing read, however it starts off quite a slow burner but once you hit the halfway point the story really takes off and I really couldn’t put it down until i’d finished it. Every time I thought I had worked out which bit was reality it would spin me round another 360 degrees and scratching my head yet again!!

The book was told from the point of view of Claire, an aspiring english actress living in New York. To earn money whilst she is studying she takes on a job working within a law firm honey trapping clients philandering husbands.

And this is where it all goes wrong for her! A client ends up dead and the husband as the prime suspect. Lacking the evidence an elaborate scheme is put into play requiring Claire to use all her acting skills to get close to the husband and secure a confession.

But is that truly what the police believe or are they really looking at Claire herself as the prime suspect and its all been a setup? Who can she really believe and can she even trust herself and her own judgment? Who could be setting her up? Is it her law firm, the husband, an old flame or the police?

There are some great plot twists and each one creating more confusion and more questions than they answer right up until the end of the book.

When I first started reading this I didn’t think I was going to like it and struggled to get involved in Claire’s story but I am so glad I stuck with it as I ended up loving it and it is by far one of the best thrillers so far this year!

What a book. What would you do to stay in the country?
With every twist and turn I needed to know what was going on, I couldn’t pin anything to anyone and when I did I was wrong.
This author is going places and then some. This is the 2nd book of theirs I’ve read and I can’t wait for the next one.


Trust me. Love me. Just don't believe me...

Claire Wright likes to play other people.

A British drama student, in New York without a green card, Claire takes the only job she can get: working for a firm of divorce lawyers, posing as an easy pick-up in hotel bars to entrap straying husbands.

When one of her targets becomes the subject of a murder investigation, the police ask Claire to use her acting skills to help lure their suspect into a confession. But right from the start, she has doubts about the part she's being asked to play. Is Patrick Fogler really a killer . . . Or the only decent husband she's ever met? And is there more to this set-up than she's being told?

And that's when Claire realises she's playing the deadliest role of her life . . .

Thank you for providing me with a copy of this to read. This book wasn't for me, I couldn't get to grips with it and the staging notes detracted from the story.

My goodness what a ride that was! My head is still spinning from the constant twists and turns and jumps that happen in this story... and I loved it! I love it when a book takes you by surprise and keeps you guessing and thinking right until the very end. Thi she book ticks all of those boxes and more.

Claire Wright is a British drama student in the US running from her past. She is also working without a green card. To make money to pay her rent she works for a lawyer to entrap straying husbands..... a job that she is very good at. One night for the first time the husband turns her down. The next day the wife is found murdered in a hotel room. The police contact Claire and ask for her help to force a confession from the husband Patrick Folger. This is when things begin to get dangerous for Claire, but it is role that she relishes .

This is an original story, that is so addictive and will have you turning the pages to see what could possibly happen next. Thanks to Quercia Books and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

I didn’t know what to expect with this book but I have to say, it’s one of the best that I’ve read this year.
I’ve just re-read the blurb as I don’t want to spoil it for you as this book is full of twists and turns.
The book begins by following Claire who is trying to make it as an actress in New York. So she can pay her rent, she works for an ex detective trying to prove that husbands are being unfaithful to their wives.
This seems to be going well until one of the wives ends up dead.
Then begins the real story....
Did the husband kill his wife?
Did Claire kill her?
What has her death got to do with a disturbing book that Patrick had with him when a Claire first meets him?
Your loyalties will change throughout this book and you will find yourself questioning everything.
Prepare to be gripped by this story and set aside a few hours as you won’t want to put it down!
Thanks to Quercus and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

If you like to take on the role of detective to work out who is the villain then this is the book for you! Claire is in the US without a green card trying to get her break in acting while studying. To subsidise her expenses she uses her acting skills by working for an attorney as a honey trap to discover whether men are cheating on their partners. She is asked to meet Stella who wants Claire to find out if her husband Patrick is open to Claire's charms.but he doesn't take the bait despite all.the flirting Claire employs. Claire reports back to Stella, receives her payment but is intrigued by Patrick. Shortly afterwards Stella is round murdered and a substantial amount of her money stolen. Both Claire and Patrick fall under suspicion and this is where the story becomes teasing. Claire is once again convinced to use her acting skil!s to entrap Patrick, with threat of being deported if she doesn't, but she quickly realises she is being bugged too! Is Patrick setting her up? One minute you are sure Claire is guilty, then a few pages later you know Patrick must have done it. Right till.the very last pages my suspicions switched between them and I wasn't expecting the twist at the end. An intriguing book that deserves a read!

I thought the burb about this book was interesting but it wasn't all that it seemed- like the story itself . As the boundaries in the story were pushed so was the subject matter. If too distasteful in parts for some readers (myself included), it did keep me guessing as to what was real and what was an act. Also who was the real deal and who wasn't. Alot of misdirecting,kept me reading and the ending did take me by surprise. Not for the faint hearted, this read does draws you into a somewhat unsavoury world and keeps you wondering to the nerve tingling end.

I requested this book without even reading the blurb as I loved The Girl Before; it didn't disappoint. With its original, intriguing plot and so many twists that got my head spinning, it kept me constantly guessing and second guessing, and triple guessing everyone and everything. JP Delaney takes the concept of unreliable narration to a different level. Believe Me is a must read for all the fans of psychological thrillers.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Quercus for the ARC.