Taylor Wilson’s husband, Phil, has them. His best friend and art agent, Sean, has them. Everyone has them except Taylor—yet she’s the one someone is trying to kill.
Moments before a bomb destroys Taylor’s home, Phil disappears. Soon after, her landscape design business blows up as well. FBI agent Mark Cochran puts her into protective custody, but whoever is behind the bombings continues to stalk her.
Cochran thinks Taylor’s husband is the culprit, but she refuses to accept it. She believes the cryptic messages Phil is sending her are proof he’s trying to protect her and lead her to where he is hiding. However, while searching for Phil, Taylor learns he may not be as innocent as she believed.
Will Taylor’s faith in the man she loves keep her safe—or get her killed?
Well-written murder mystery with lots of twists and turns that will keep you guessing how the story will play out. This isn't a genre that I normally read, but I found it intriguing and read the book in one day.
After reading other reviews, I'm not going to recap the story, I'm not going to "spoil" the story or tell you about the characters. I'm going to tell you that if you don't like to sit on the edge of your seat you should not start this book. If you like to read books that you can put down at any time and don't involve your imagination, then don't read this book. If you like to know everything right up front and don't like to try to figure things out on your own, don't read this book. If you're into fluffy romances that are all about gushy feelings and bed scenes, this is not the book for you. Ahh, but if you like puzzles, if you like thinking about what you read, if you like trying to figure out what's going on, playing detective, following clues, and experiencing those "aha moments" then buy this book. I will tell you that I am generally not a reader of the suspense genre. I like to escape reality when I read, and suspenseful situations are not necessarily a reality that I would want to end up in! However, I did read this book from Laurel Bradley, not knowing what to expect from her. I've read, literally, thousands of books of many different calibers, and I tell you that this author is top-notch! The book catches your attention right away- the first line is enough bait to hook even the most discriminate of readers. And your attention? It will never be lost by this intricate story; thus my many warnings at the beginning of this review. When I was reading this book I was forced to put it down by the fact that I did not own it and couldn't take it with me the first couple of times I was reading it. This was the purest form of torture for me! This book is not only good, it is great, no actually it's excellent! I got so caught up in the story that I still think about it and events in it and details of it now, months after reading it! Bradley weaves a web that catches and holds the attention and does not release it until every loose end is tied, every 't' is crossed and 'i' is dotted. Plan on holding your breath when reading this book, and I hope your lung capacity is huge! When you are finished reading this book you will let out that breath and simply say "wow!"
Taylor Wilson married Phil because he was handsome and had the same interests as she did, but apparently she didn't know everything about Phil. Something fishy was going on....her house didn't blow up on its own, Phil wouldn't have taken money from the security box without telling her, Phil definitely didn't spell his name with two L's, and Phil definitely wouldn't have left and not gotten in touch.
Taylor had to find Phil and find out why he just disappeared, and she also needed to escape the clutches of the FBI who were protecting her. FBI? Phil Missing? Something certainly wasn't right and it definitely was something sinister. The hints Taylor found and the text message that Phil sent "had" to be clues of Phil's location. Taylor did escape from the FBI and tried to follow the clues to where she thought Phil might be, but she couldn't find him.
As she was running from the FBI, she didn't realize someone else who was very dangerous was looking for her and was known to her husband. The book focused on Taylor's following the clues she believed her husband had left her and on the FBI's solving of murders that all seemed to be connected, but how? There had to be someone on the inside giving the "bad guys" information.
The book was a thriller and was filled with secrets, evil people, people who really were not who they said they were, lies, hatred turned to revenge, many twists and turns, and of course murders.
TRUST NO ONE was fast paced and kept you guessing until the end. There were a few things that were somewhat farfetched, though, such as how Taylor escaped in her van, evaded the FBI, and rode on a snowmobile to Notre Dame. There also is some sensitive subject matter, but on the whole, it has a terrific storyline. 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge by STORYTELLER PUBLISHING in exchange for an honest review.
The spiritual undertone of this novel surprised me with how deeply it resonated. Taylor’s quiet pleas for clarity, her whispered prayers in moments of panic, and the way she clings to the thin thread of faith when everything else is falling apart, all of it felt authentically human. It isn’t preached; it’s lived. These moments anchor her in the chaos, and watching her turn to God not as an easy answer but as a source of fragile courage made the story richer and more emotionally layered. Her faith becomes its own presence, shaping her inner world, revealing her fears, and reminding the reader that strength doesn’t always roar, it sometimes trembles.
The dynamic between Taylor and Phil is unlike any pairing I’ve encountered in suspense fiction. Their relationship isn’t romanticized or sugar-coated; it feels weathered, intimate, full of small memories that speak louder than dramatic declarations ever could. That’s why the threat to their bond cuts so deeply. Taylor isn’t just running for her life, she’s running from the possibility that everything she believed about the man she loves might collapse beneath her. That emotional duality, fear wrapped in longing, devotion tangled with dread, turns the story from a simple thriller into something hauntingly personal. I finished the book feeling hollow, in the best way.
Taylor’s true battle isn’t just with the enemies stalking her, it’s with the doubts clawing at her mind. Watching her question every memory, every smile, every fragment of Phil’s past is painfully poignant. The book captures the way fear warps perception, how trauma makes you interrogate the very foundation of your love and identity. Taylor struggles to hold onto herself even as the world around her fractures, and the emotional weight of that journey is unforgettable. She becomes a symbol of what it means to keep fighting for truth in the midst of chaos.
I was blown away by how vividly the book portrays the moment when Taylor realizes she has to rely on herself. It’s not triumphant, it’s heartbreaking. She’s exhausted, terrified, and grieving, yet she chooses to move forward. That emotional resilience is written with such tenderness that I felt uplifted and shattered at the same time. This is the kind of heroine who stays with you.
The loneliness in this book hit me hardest. Taylor is surrounded by people yet emotionally abandoned. Her fears are dismissed, her loyalty questioned, her love doubted. That sense of being unheard felt so real that it hurt to read. The author captures emotional isolation with heartbreaking accuracy. Taylor’s fight to stay grounded feels like a rebellion.
Mark’s presence adds a unique emotional tension to the story. He’s both protector and obstacle, someone who wants to help but doesn’t understand the depth of Taylor’s love for Phil. Their interactions are layered with frustration, fear, and reluctant trust. Watching Taylor navigate her instincts while under his watch made the story feel even more emotionally charged.
This book reminded me that secrets aren’t just facts, they’re emotional landmines. Every secret Phil kept had a cost, and Taylor pays for it in fear, grief, and confusion. The author shows how the truth can be both salvation and devastation. I loved how the story captured the way love can blind us, but also the way it can sharpen our intuition. Taylor’s heart is her compass.
Phil’s hidden messages broke me. They felt desperate, tender, terrified, like he was trying to reach her from a burning building. Taylor’s reactions were equally emotional: hope, fury, heartbreak. Their love becomes a fragile thread stretched across danger, and every message feels like it could snap it. I cried more than once reading those scenes.
The last thing Taylor expected when she stepped into the backyard was to be knocked down by an explosion. When she realizes the explosion came from her house, and her husband is nowhere to be found - neither in the demolished house or out - panic starts to set in. Her life was happy, ordinary...but she soon begins to realize it was all built on lies, and that those lies may very well get her killed.
Trust No One drops you right into the action from the first page, although you start where you might not expect. Before getting to the explosion, you are introduced to the all consuming need for revenge that sets off this whole mess. I certainly don't want to give anything away, the death in the first chapter is absolutely chilling, and sets the tone for the novel very well. Follow that up with an explosion...needless to say it was a great start to the book.
Even with the shocking events of the first few chapters, this story wouldn't have been nearly as engaging if it hadn't been for the characters. Taylor was a great character. She is completely out of her element, but she is incredibly strong and smart. She muddles her way through each bad situation without any 007-inspired gadgets or special abilities, which is really pretty impressive. Cochran is the agent assigned to protect her, and I instantly took a liking to him. He's also a strong character, but not infallible. I really appreciated the way he handled situations. As for the bad guys (one of which shall remain nameless), they were chilling. Accawi is creepy, cold, and scary, which made him a fantastic villain. The other one, well, he was just plain disturbing...another great bad guy. I was rooting for Taylor and Cochran, but worried that the bad guys would get them in the end because they were so good. The characters also had great emotions and reactions. I really felt like I was in their heads and experiencing everything right along with them.
In this type of story, the ending will make or break the whole rest of the book for me. If there are holes, or the story takes the easy, lackluster way out, a book will lose my recommendation no matter how good the rest of it was. Trust No One did not have that problem. I thought it had a very solid ending that made sense, was exciting, and wrapped everything up. Having said that, I did guess the bad guy and his motive about halfway through the book. Usually that takes something away for me, but I still really enjoyed the ending.
Now here come the caveats. There is some bad language, but it's not profuse. While there were no sex scenes, there were some sexual references. Along with the dark motives behind the attacks in the opening chapter, this book makes my "Not for my Nieces" list.
My only other complaint about this book was that I had a hard time liking Taylor's husband, Phil. He was absent in the book for so long, where as Cochran - a character I really liked - was present and involved in protecting Taylor. I found myself rooting for Cochran over Phil at times. I think if Phil had had more of a presence I would have felt differently.
Overall, this was an entertaining and exciting book. The strength of the characters enhanced the story, and the plot was solid throughout.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, absolutely. I enjoyed it from start to finish.
Who would I recommend this book to? Just about any action and adventure reader out there will enjoy this book. Readers looking for a strong female character will latch onto Taylor. Many espionage enthusiasts will like this twist on the classic format. This is a book both men and women can get into as well.
Trust No One is the kind of novel that doesn’t just pull you into its world, it traps you there, breath by breath, emotion by emotion, until you realize your heart has been clenched for chapters without release. What struck me most was the way Bradley captures the slow, suffocating unraveling of Taylor’s world. She isn’t simply thrown into danger; she’s pulled into it through the person she trusted most, and that emotional betrayal hits harder than any gunshot or explosion. The tension is relentless, but it’s the emotional tension that destroyed me, the way Taylor clings to memories of Phil not because she’s naïve, but because she has lived the depth of their love. Every tender moment she revisits feels like opening an old wound, raw and pulsing. And yet, she keeps searching for truth, even when truth feels like it might break her. Her resilience is quiet but ferocious, the kind that grows out of heartbreak and faith and fear all tangled together. This book made me question how well we can ever truly know another person, and how love sometimes blinds us, sometimes saves us, and sometimes does both at once.
Heroine Taylor Wilson can’t figure out why someone would want to kill her. She’s just a landscape designer. Her husband Phil is a sculptor. But someone blew up their home and her office. Now she’s on the run and Phil’s missing.
The FBI sends someone to protect her. Agent Mark Cochran has lots of questions—mainly why their security is anything but secure. The FBI has a leak. Taylor knows more than she says. Phil’s not nearly as innocent as he seems.
Phil told Taylor not to trust anyone. And so she runs—away from Cochran, away from everyone. But it’s hard to stay one step ahead of the bad guys, ahead of the good guys, when you don’t know which is which. Whom to believe? Whom to trust?
TRUST NO ONE.
This is a twisting-turning edge-of-your-seat thrill ride, where every secret revealed just adds to more doubt, more lies. Author Laurel Bradley has penned a complex tale peopled by three-dimensional characters and layers of complications and subtext. Every little thing has a point and purpose—there’s no filler here. Even the tiniest clue and details fulfills a purpose by the end.
As with most thrillers, there are multiple points of views. Some scenes are really short, and the switches can be a bit abrupt. Some bad guys are known from the start. Some good guys are questioned from the start. The identity of “the shooter” remains a mystery for a good long while, but the clues are there and it’s a logical build-up and reveal. Ms. Bradley did some nice research into profiling there.
I really found a heroine to root for in Taylor. I like that Taylor finds herself questioning Phil, trying so hard to believe him innocent when all the evidence points otherwise. Makes her very human and likeable. I liked Mark Cochran. Wish he could have his OWN tale someday. (Ahem, Ms. Bradley…?) Laurel Bradley is an RWA member and accomplished romance writer, so a HEA is assured for Taylor—after a stellar bumpy ride.
Women in jeopardy stories are some of my favorites and "woman in trouble" just about sums up the theme of Trust No One. It was full of twists and turns. Just when I thought it was safe for Taylor to trust someone, they turned out to be not so reliable or were somehow involved in the mess her husband appears to be tied up in.
I thought the clues Ms. Bradley planted, especially in the beginning of the book when Taylor decides to take her safety into her own hands, clever and definitely made me think. Was she on the right track or heading for more trouble?
The pacing was perfect for this length of book and the dialogue natural sounding for all the characters. I also thought there was the right mix of dialogue with narration.
The only thing I felt would have drawn me into the story more was a different introduction to Taylor and her relationship with Phil. I was cheering her on but somehow needed to have more of connection with her to amp up the enjoyment of the story. I think had the opening chapter been more of a "get to know Taylor" and a look into her life with Phil, the consequences of what happened to her and what followed would have had more of an emotional effect on me as a reader.
However, I did enjoy Trust No One and if you like mysteries and suspense stories with a female lead character this is a good pick, especially for summer reading.
After a bomb blows Taylor's house away and her husband disappears, she has to run for her life. Why somebody is trying to kill her, she doesn't understand and neither does the FBI. They think her husband may be at fault but Taylor tries to hold onto the belief that Phil loves her and wants her to be safe. It seems that no matter where she goes or who is supposed to be protecting her, she is never safe.
I really LOVED this book! It is full of non-stop action from the very first page to the very last. It's a really fast-paced and exciting read. Even though Taylor was completely out of her element she seemed like a very smart and strong woman. Throughout the book you wonder why somebody would possibly be trying to kill her and what role her husband plays in this whole mess. The more lies that are uncovered the more questions you have. This book had me guessing you have. This book had me guessing until the very end. I wasn't sure whether Taylor would make it out alive or not because the killer seemed to be very good at what he does and he thought of absolutely everything. I think the story had a great ending that wrapped everything up very nicely. This book has action, suspense, adventure, and a little bit of romance. I think both men and women would enjoy this novel. Although, some of the things in this book are not meant for younger audiences.
Pros - Fast-paced action, strong story-line, good character development and no loose ends is a winner for me. Taylor was very engaging as a character, and it's wonderful to continue to see intelligent, strong women in action-based plots (That lean toward believable). Cochran took me a while to warm up to, but by the end of the story I was hoping for a sequel based on him. I loved that the setting was in the Midwest for a change. Loved the tech/art aspect! I'd really like Taylor to design my yard!
Cons - The antagonists were a little shallow and spotty at first. I was slightly annoyed with the "Unreasonably Angry Middle Eastern Man" stereotype. The author could have picked any region on the planet to find a bad guy and went with the sadly popular American meme target. If you do pick that option, at least do some credit to the rest of the Middle Eastern population and explain the depth of feelings and unusual nature. I also found it hard to like Phil, I think due to his absence at the onset of the action. If your style is to vacillate between characters' thoughts, then include our future love interest in the beginning.
I really enjoyed this book. From page one, the action blew me away (no intended pun). There were times I had to close the book to catch my breath before I could continue reading--the action was that intense. I enjoyed the international feel of the story as well as the heroine's creativity in saving herself. The writer does a great job with description and although some of the support characters were "standard-issued" the main characters are not. Add this book to your list. You'll be pleased.
I had the pleasure of working with Ms. Bradley on the production of TRUST NO ONE. This is no ordinary "woman in peril" novel. It is intelligent, well-written and exciting. Unlike so many romantic suspense books where a relationship unfolds, TRUST NO ONE is a book about a woman's faith in the man she loves.
I don't usually enjoy books which may be labelled "romance" but reading the back cover I decided to take a chance, and boy was I not dissappointed. While romance is an element of this book, it is only one element of a plot that features the classic paranioa elements of the true thriller, and will keep you guessing until the end. Heartily recommended.