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Appelle-moi
" Appelle-moi. Besoin de te parler. " C'est le texto que Livy vient de recevoir de sa meilleure amie Julia. Mais le moment est mal choisi : ce soir, la jeune mère de famille a décidé d'accompagner son époux Will, à une soirée professionnelle. L'occasion pour elle de retisser les liens distendus de son couple. Le lendemain, Julia gît sur son canapé. À côté d'elle, une boîte de somnifères et un vague message d'adieu laissé sur son ordinateur. Un suicide ? Livy ne veut pas y croire. Dans l'ombre de police et de la famille de Julia, Livy mène l'enquête. Mais bientôt, cette affaire rouvre les plaies d'une autre, vieille de vingt ans : la mort de Kara, sa sœur, l'amie de Julia elle aussi. Et si cette dernière avait fait des découvertes gênantes ? Se pourrait-il que les deux crimes soient liés ? Mais dans ce cas, pourquoi Julia aurait-elle embauché une call girl pour tester la fidélité de Will ? Quels secrets lui cachait-elle ? Et qui est ce mystérieux Damian, qui prétend avoir été l'amant de Julia, mais dont Livy ignore tout ? À qui se fier désormais ? Car Livy le sait, le tueur est tout près. Et la jeune enquêtrice en herbe pourrait bien s'être précipitée dans sa toile...
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
120 people are currently reading
3687 people want to read
About the author
Sophie McKenzie
84 books1,500 followersHey there! Welcome to my Goodreads page where you can keep up with all my stories - both the ones that are already published and the works in progress!!
I write mostly teen thrillers - plus some teen romance, books for younger children and four adult psychological thrillers.
I'm really excited right now because of...
Boy, Missing, my £1 book for World Book Day and Truth or Dare, my new teen thriller. (UK)
For more info on these and my other books, check out my website: www.sophiemckenziebooks.com
I write mostly teen thrillers - plus some teen romance, books for younger children and four adult psychological thrillers.
I'm really excited right now because of...
Boy, Missing, my £1 book for World Book Day and Truth or Dare, my new teen thriller. (UK)
For more info on these and my other books, check out my website: www.sophiemckenziebooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 434 reviews
July 11, 2018
When Livy and her two children, six-year-old Zack and twelve-year-old Hannah, arrived at her best friend Julia’s home for their weekly Sunday lunch, Livy had no idea her life, and that of her family’s, was about to change – terribly. For Julia, although looking peaceful, was lying dead on her sofa in the living room – an apparent suicide. But Livy was positive Julia would not have taken her own life. She had been a vital, fun loving and “out there” kind of person. Livy was determined to find answers, even though everyone else, including the police, agreed it was suicide…
Eighteen years previously, Livy’s little sister Kara had been brutally murdered, and Julia had been Kara’s friend. But since then, Julia and Livy had become close – they understood each other and the devastation of the past. But Livy’s suspicions were that the same person who had killed Kara had also killed Julia. Was it possible? She had no idea who she could trust – even her husband Will had shattered her trust in him once again.
Livy was certain it was someone she knew – someone close to the family. But who?
Wow! You Can Trust Me is the 3rd I’ve read by Sophie McKenzie and it’s another intense, fast-paced, incredibly chilling psychological thriller which I couldn’t put down! I had five people in my sights as the murderer, but I was wrong with the one I’d narrowed it down to! The chapters were alternated with the arrogance of the anonymous murderer; the main story narrated by Livy. Plenty of twists, lots of monstrous evil – You Can Trust Me (or Trust in Me) is one I highly recommend.
Eighteen years previously, Livy’s little sister Kara had been brutally murdered, and Julia had been Kara’s friend. But since then, Julia and Livy had become close – they understood each other and the devastation of the past. But Livy’s suspicions were that the same person who had killed Kara had also killed Julia. Was it possible? She had no idea who she could trust – even her husband Will had shattered her trust in him once again.
Livy was certain it was someone she knew – someone close to the family. But who?
Wow! You Can Trust Me is the 3rd I’ve read by Sophie McKenzie and it’s another intense, fast-paced, incredibly chilling psychological thriller which I couldn’t put down! I had five people in my sights as the murderer, but I was wrong with the one I’d narrowed it down to! The chapters were alternated with the arrogance of the anonymous murderer; the main story narrated by Livy. Plenty of twists, lots of monstrous evil – You Can Trust Me (or Trust in Me) is one I highly recommend.
April 4, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.)
“A long second passes before I let out my breath and the knowledge slams into my brain.
Julia. My best friend. Is dead.”
This was an interesting murder/mystery story, and we were kept guessing right up ‘til the end.
I felt quite sorry for Livy in this book, she’d already lost her sister, and her husband had cheated on her, so to lose her best friend (Julia) as well was awful for her.
"And then we're in the living room and Julia's lying there on the sofa. And she could be asleep but I know that she's not."
The storyline revolved around Livy trying to find both her best friend’s, and her sister’s murderer, and there were plenty of suspects, from Livy’s husband, to Julia’s boyfriend, and Livy really didn’t know who she could trust. I did guess at who the murderer was at around the 71% mark, but it wasn’t confirmed until the 90% mark.
"But there is no killer here, just a deeply unhappy woman who fooled us all, who put a brave face on things,"
There wasn’t really any romance in this one, but there was a storyline concerning Livy’s husband cheating on her, which played into the mystery aspect of the story.
"You do know how much I love you, don't you?"
The ending to this was okay, and we did get a happy ending, not without a few casualties though.
6.5 out of 10
“A long second passes before I let out my breath and the knowledge slams into my brain.
Julia. My best friend. Is dead.”
This was an interesting murder/mystery story, and we were kept guessing right up ‘til the end.
I felt quite sorry for Livy in this book, she’d already lost her sister, and her husband had cheated on her, so to lose her best friend (Julia) as well was awful for her.
"And then we're in the living room and Julia's lying there on the sofa. And she could be asleep but I know that she's not."
The storyline revolved around Livy trying to find both her best friend’s, and her sister’s murderer, and there were plenty of suspects, from Livy’s husband, to Julia’s boyfriend, and Livy really didn’t know who she could trust. I did guess at who the murderer was at around the 71% mark, but it wasn’t confirmed until the 90% mark.
"But there is no killer here, just a deeply unhappy woman who fooled us all, who put a brave face on things,"
There wasn’t really any romance in this one, but there was a storyline concerning Livy’s husband cheating on her, which played into the mystery aspect of the story.
"You do know how much I love you, don't you?"
The ending to this was okay, and we did get a happy ending, not without a few casualties though.
6.5 out of 10
June 21, 2016
Who can you trust? That's the big question with this thriller.
When Livy arrives at her long time best friend Julia's place for their regular lunch date and gets no answer from her knocking at the door, she lets herself in with the spare keys Julia has given her.
With her two children in tow Livy calls out as she walks through Julia's flat, hoping that her friend may just be suffering a hangover or such, yet concerned at her friend's uncharacteristic absence.
With mounting trepidation she reaches the living room and sees her friend lying on the couch, apparently asleep, though some deep and horror filled part of Livy knows that Julia is not just asleep.
Everyone is shocked to find that someone like Julia has taken her own life, but they quickly accept the fact and try to move on...everyone except Livy that is.
Livy cannot believe that her friend has committed suicide and she refuses to let it drop. She believes someone was responsible for Julia's apparent suicide and is adamant she will find out who.
Julia tried to call Livy the previous night and left messages for her to call her as soon as possible as she wanted to talk to her about something.
Now Livy is consumed with guilt for not returning her calls because it was late when she got home.
Livy's husband and friends say it is her guilt over this that is making her obsessed with unfounded suspicions.
Left alone with her grief and doubts she tries to figure things out on her own, soon discovering a possible ally.
Although this was a good story, I thought some of the characters were not very convincing and found the whole story to be a bit drawn out and lengthy for it to be as compelling as it could have been.
3★s
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy to read and review.
July 23, 2017
This wasn't quite 4 stars, but I rounded up just for the simple fact that I enjoyed the speculation. The author did a great job at shifting the suspicion among a handful of characters. It really fit the title as she explored who can you really trust. The author played on that idea a lot. Can you trust your husband? Do you really know your best friend, your boss, your family friends, your children?
This was first person POV, which worked for the story. I wasn't in love with any of the characters, but the author described the family dynamics well. The story line was a little on the far-fetched side, but I liked the constant shifting on who could have done the crimes.
This was first person POV, which worked for the story. I wasn't in love with any of the characters, but the author described the family dynamics well. The story line was a little on the far-fetched side, but I liked the constant shifting on who could have done the crimes.
October 16, 2015
Let me start by saying I REALLY like this authors books, that is why I have many.
But this one just didn't "do" it for me
There were heaps of characters that were really good in this book that made the experience worth while but I just couldn't agree that its "fast paced" or that its "gripping".
You get to learn the culprit early on in this, and although you do, it really isn't the reason for me giving it 3 stars, its more the fact that it just didn't 'grip' my attention. I found myself wandering in my thoughts at times and so this is why I gave it 3 stars.
I see by my looking at other reviews there are a few more that felt the same as I do.
Phew.
This doesn't put me off of reading other books by her though, because all books are different as are stories even when related by the same person.
*Thank you to Simon and Schuster UK Fiction and Net Galley for my copy**
April 17, 2015
This is another great psychological thriller by Sophie McKenzie.
This book is well written, cleverly structured, has some good characters, plenty of mystery, tension and twists and turns.
This book is at its darkest in the sections written from the point of view of the killer. His coldness & matter of fact descriptions are chilling.
Looking back at my scribbled notes, I'm giggling at my comments where I suspect one character at 29%, another at 52%, another at 67%, and none of those was the character it turned out to be in the end, although I was definitely getting warmer, honest.
For me personally, this was never going to be quite as good as Close My Eyes, which is one of my all time favourite psychological thrillers. It is also the reason I read so many more psychological thrillers these days, eagerly craving the thrill Close My Eyes gave me. Having said that, this is still a very good book, and anyone who enjoyed Close My Eyes should definitely read this one too.
I look forward to reading more by Sophie McKenzie in the future.
I would like to thank the publisher, St. Martin's Press for allowing me a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is well written, cleverly structured, has some good characters, plenty of mystery, tension and twists and turns.
This book is at its darkest in the sections written from the point of view of the killer. His coldness & matter of fact descriptions are chilling.
Looking back at my scribbled notes, I'm giggling at my comments where I suspect one character at 29%, another at 52%, another at 67%, and none of those was the character it turned out to be in the end, although I was definitely getting warmer, honest.
For me personally, this was never going to be quite as good as Close My Eyes, which is one of my all time favourite psychological thrillers. It is also the reason I read so many more psychological thrillers these days, eagerly craving the thrill Close My Eyes gave me. Having said that, this is still a very good book, and anyone who enjoyed Close My Eyes should definitely read this one too.
I look forward to reading more by Sophie McKenzie in the future.
I would like to thank the publisher, St. Martin's Press for allowing me a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2015
“Trust In Me” by Sophie McKenzie, due to be released in April 2015, is a psychological thriller, my second novel from this author having loved “Close my Eyes”. Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Ms. McKenzie for the opportunity to read this novel. This second adult novel explores trust and fidelity issues within a domestic suspense novel.
This psychological thriller tells the story of Livy Jackson, the first person narrator, who has lost her sister, Kara, to murder in college, loses her best friend, Julia, to murder as the story unfolds, and very nearly loses a lot more. None of the characters were extremely likeable to me, but their relationships were well-described and I enjoyed speculating about who the killer might be. The killer also narrates his crimes, in the first person, which gives a definite insight into his twisted mind.
When Livy finds her best friend, Julia dead in her apartment…her world suddenly falls apart. Initially drawn together by grief over the murder of her sister Kara, eighteen years ago, Livy has been friends with Julia since they were teenagers. Livy has a good life, but still struggles to come to terms with the loss of her little sister who was murdered while in her first year of university. The person who so cruelly took her little sisters life was never found. Julia is a single career journalist while Livy is a stay-at-home wife and mother of two children, a teenager daughter, Hannah, and a son, Zack who is seven years old. Julia was always there for her, especially when Livy dealt with her husband’s infidelity, six years ago.
But Livy does not accept the suicide death for Julia, and begins to investigate Julia’s life and realises that perhaps she did not know her at all. Alienating everyone around her, Livy is determined to get to the truth of the matter but danger lies ahead as she stirs up an age old murder and finds herself in the sights of a killer…
This was an intriguing and engaging read, with a few good twists and turns, even though I spotted the murderer quite early on this did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the novel, as there were some great characters to follow through to the finish.
This read was a good one, it did have me in suspense and my favourite chapters were the ones told from the murderers’ point of view as they were dark and interesting. However, they were few and far between and Livy as the main protagonist bored me a little.
The overall flow of the novel is great, building the tension until the total reveal.
Overall a highly enjoyable read and definitely recommended for fans of crime fiction and psychological thrillers. This novel is multi-layered and depicts the dynamics of family life.
Livy questions who she should trust. And trust, as the title suggests, is at the heart of this story.
This psychological thriller tells the story of Livy Jackson, the first person narrator, who has lost her sister, Kara, to murder in college, loses her best friend, Julia, to murder as the story unfolds, and very nearly loses a lot more. None of the characters were extremely likeable to me, but their relationships were well-described and I enjoyed speculating about who the killer might be. The killer also narrates his crimes, in the first person, which gives a definite insight into his twisted mind.
When Livy finds her best friend, Julia dead in her apartment…her world suddenly falls apart. Initially drawn together by grief over the murder of her sister Kara, eighteen years ago, Livy has been friends with Julia since they were teenagers. Livy has a good life, but still struggles to come to terms with the loss of her little sister who was murdered while in her first year of university. The person who so cruelly took her little sisters life was never found. Julia is a single career journalist while Livy is a stay-at-home wife and mother of two children, a teenager daughter, Hannah, and a son, Zack who is seven years old. Julia was always there for her, especially when Livy dealt with her husband’s infidelity, six years ago.
But Livy does not accept the suicide death for Julia, and begins to investigate Julia’s life and realises that perhaps she did not know her at all. Alienating everyone around her, Livy is determined to get to the truth of the matter but danger lies ahead as she stirs up an age old murder and finds herself in the sights of a killer…
This was an intriguing and engaging read, with a few good twists and turns, even though I spotted the murderer quite early on this did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the novel, as there were some great characters to follow through to the finish.
This read was a good one, it did have me in suspense and my favourite chapters were the ones told from the murderers’ point of view as they were dark and interesting. However, they were few and far between and Livy as the main protagonist bored me a little.
The overall flow of the novel is great, building the tension until the total reveal.
Overall a highly enjoyable read and definitely recommended for fans of crime fiction and psychological thrillers. This novel is multi-layered and depicts the dynamics of family life.
Livy questions who she should trust. And trust, as the title suggests, is at the heart of this story.
September 28, 2014
Sigh. Yet again I am going to be in the minority in reviewing Sophie McKenzie's new book I fear. I was not very blown away by Close My Eyes like many were, finding it a bit repetitive and insipid. This was somewhat the same. I honestly struggled to keep picking this up to get it finished. But let me balance out my review a bit more with some good and bad points for you.
Julia has always been the friend that Livy turns to when life is difficult. United fifteen years ago by grief at the brutal murder of Livy's sister, Kara, they've always told each other everything.
Or so Livy thought.
So when Julia is found dead in her home, Livy cannot come to terms with the news that she chose to end her own life. The Julia that Livy knew was vibrant and vivacious, a far cry from the selfish neurotic that her family seem determined to paint her as.
Livy finds Julia dead in her home, the police brand it as suicide with no foul play but Livy knows her friend better and is not convinced. The desire to know what has happened pushes her to start her own investigation into her friend's death.
Livy is married with two children, the marriage is strained thanks to infidelity on her husband's part six years ago, the bonds have never quite reconnected. Her twelve year old daughter Hannah is twelve going on eighteen and Livy is at constant loggerheads with her over everything from underwear choices to eating breakfast. Her younger son is a sweetheart, the joyful child in the family.
As Livy pries into the life of her best friend she uncovers some secrets and things she did not know about her, much to her surprise. This leads Livy into tracking down the man who was in relationship with her best friend, the one she never met, nor heard much about. He too joins Livy on her private investigations into what they both believe was murder. At this point the family and the police have washed their hands of it, so they are on their own.
I found some choices Livy makes to be just plain ridiculous for an intelligent adult woman, she puts herself in some really risky situations before doing a whole lot of fact-finding, but she is fueled by the deep desire to find answers, so probably not thinking very straight.
I found the plot to be V E R Y S L O W for at least 60% into this book. It's a lot of slow investigating going on, internal dialogues in Livy's head about what might be happening, again us hearing her thoughts around secrets and clues that are popping up. It's a very slow coming together of details and there is really not a lot of action AT ALL until around the 80% completed book.
I found the same with Close My Eyes, felt it was drawn out in plot and dragging on at mediocre levels until near the end then it was all guns blazing. What a shame Sophie McKenzie does not put the thrills more evenly through the books she writes. It would make for much more exciting reading.
Hailed as a psychological thriller. Well, I disagree. I didn't get too many psychological thrills from this book. Look, it's readable, I read it and finished it and didn't skip any paragraphs (came close!), but I found the plot to be too long winded and uninteresting. I worked out who the killer was and I HATE THAT, it was too obvious for me.
I do think some of the characters were done really well especially Livy's husband and Julia's brother. I think Hannah, at age twelve was portrayed quite well too although I was annoyed that Livy never seemed to give her any consequences for talking rudely to her and the like.
As Livy is investigating her friend's death, her marriage and family come under strain and pressure for a number of reasons. I did find some of the choices she makes in relation to going off gallavanting being the private detective at the cost of time with her family was a bit unusual for a devoted mother. She slips into another world of excitement and danger. Got to be better than coffee morning with the mums right?
We have similarities to Close My Eyes too in that there is a another man in the marriage triangle to cloud things, and like CME, in this novel Livy is suspicious of her own husband. Again, she does not know who to trust or what to trust. Very similar concept. A bit too close to make this book more interesting.
The ending of the book is where things really get interesting, we get some solid action and excitement (thank God!) and Livy comes to the party as the strong and determined woman I felt she was all along underneath some of her more questionable moments.
Yes there are lots of secrets, lots of lies that get uncovered, it's all tangled up with previous things in Livy's life that have occurred as well. They just get explored and revealed too slowly for me to call this a thriller. When I read a book and struggle to pick it up when I have put it down I know it's not a great sign. One the twist and turns picked up page a bit I was enjoying the book a lot more.
Really I fluctuate between 2.5 and 3 star rating for this book, it was okay. I have bumped it to 3 as the ending I think salvaged it for me somewhat, but this book is nothing to write home about. I can think of so many other psychological thrillers I have read just this year that top this. It just didn't excite me very much and I was a little bored if I am honest for the first 60%.
So! Readable, not awful, not brilliant. It was not terrible, just has some weaknesses in it from this seasoned psychological thriller readers' perspective. You may indeed really like it, don't take my word for it, sometimes you need to find out for yourself.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Julia has always been the friend that Livy turns to when life is difficult. United fifteen years ago by grief at the brutal murder of Livy's sister, Kara, they've always told each other everything.
Or so Livy thought.
So when Julia is found dead in her home, Livy cannot come to terms with the news that she chose to end her own life. The Julia that Livy knew was vibrant and vivacious, a far cry from the selfish neurotic that her family seem determined to paint her as.
Livy finds Julia dead in her home, the police brand it as suicide with no foul play but Livy knows her friend better and is not convinced. The desire to know what has happened pushes her to start her own investigation into her friend's death.
Livy is married with two children, the marriage is strained thanks to infidelity on her husband's part six years ago, the bonds have never quite reconnected. Her twelve year old daughter Hannah is twelve going on eighteen and Livy is at constant loggerheads with her over everything from underwear choices to eating breakfast. Her younger son is a sweetheart, the joyful child in the family.
As Livy pries into the life of her best friend she uncovers some secrets and things she did not know about her, much to her surprise. This leads Livy into tracking down the man who was in relationship with her best friend, the one she never met, nor heard much about. He too joins Livy on her private investigations into what they both believe was murder. At this point the family and the police have washed their hands of it, so they are on their own.
I found some choices Livy makes to be just plain ridiculous for an intelligent adult woman, she puts herself in some really risky situations before doing a whole lot of fact-finding, but she is fueled by the deep desire to find answers, so probably not thinking very straight.
I found the plot to be V E R Y S L O W for at least 60% into this book. It's a lot of slow investigating going on, internal dialogues in Livy's head about what might be happening, again us hearing her thoughts around secrets and clues that are popping up. It's a very slow coming together of details and there is really not a lot of action AT ALL until around the 80% completed book.
I found the same with Close My Eyes, felt it was drawn out in plot and dragging on at mediocre levels until near the end then it was all guns blazing. What a shame Sophie McKenzie does not put the thrills more evenly through the books she writes. It would make for much more exciting reading.
Hailed as a psychological thriller. Well, I disagree. I didn't get too many psychological thrills from this book. Look, it's readable, I read it and finished it and didn't skip any paragraphs (came close!), but I found the plot to be too long winded and uninteresting. I worked out who the killer was and I HATE THAT, it was too obvious for me.
I do think some of the characters were done really well especially Livy's husband and Julia's brother. I think Hannah, at age twelve was portrayed quite well too although I was annoyed that Livy never seemed to give her any consequences for talking rudely to her and the like.
As Livy is investigating her friend's death, her marriage and family come under strain and pressure for a number of reasons. I did find some of the choices she makes in relation to going off gallavanting being the private detective at the cost of time with her family was a bit unusual for a devoted mother. She slips into another world of excitement and danger. Got to be better than coffee morning with the mums right?
We have similarities to Close My Eyes too in that there is a another man in the marriage triangle to cloud things, and like CME, in this novel Livy is suspicious of her own husband. Again, she does not know who to trust or what to trust. Very similar concept. A bit too close to make this book more interesting.
The ending of the book is where things really get interesting, we get some solid action and excitement (thank God!) and Livy comes to the party as the strong and determined woman I felt she was all along underneath some of her more questionable moments.
Yes there are lots of secrets, lots of lies that get uncovered, it's all tangled up with previous things in Livy's life that have occurred as well. They just get explored and revealed too slowly for me to call this a thriller. When I read a book and struggle to pick it up when I have put it down I know it's not a great sign. One the twist and turns picked up page a bit I was enjoying the book a lot more.
Really I fluctuate between 2.5 and 3 star rating for this book, it was okay. I have bumped it to 3 as the ending I think salvaged it for me somewhat, but this book is nothing to write home about. I can think of so many other psychological thrillers I have read just this year that top this. It just didn't excite me very much and I was a little bored if I am honest for the first 60%.
So! Readable, not awful, not brilliant. It was not terrible, just has some weaknesses in it from this seasoned psychological thriller readers' perspective. You may indeed really like it, don't take my word for it, sometimes you need to find out for yourself.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 19, 2014
I really enjoyed this psychological thriller which kept me guessing all the way through.
Livy and Julia have been best friends since Livy’s sister Kara was murdered 18 years ago. They share everything, and are always there for each other. Now, Julia too is dead and everyone is convinced it is suicide, but Livy isn’t so sure – Julia would never kill herself. Determined to find out exactly how Julia died, she decides to investigate and soon discovers that Julia’s death is linked to that of Kara all those years ago.
I really liked the character of Livy. She is loyal, adores her family and very human in her reactions to events in the book. I would have liked to have seen more of her husband Will however, I didn’t feel that I got to know him as he spent quite a lot of the story away from home on business, and sometimes came across as a bit “cold”. We only meet Julia through other people’s recollections of her. She comes across as warm, funny, sharp – a very colourful character, but one with hidden depths.
The plot is quite complex, with a number of suspects and I was constantly changing my mind about who was guilty throughout the read. It is a very chilling, twisty turny read that really kept my interest. I was never bored as the story moved on towards a climax that was gripping and scary. Many thanks to the publishers for the advance review copy.
Livy and Julia have been best friends since Livy’s sister Kara was murdered 18 years ago. They share everything, and are always there for each other. Now, Julia too is dead and everyone is convinced it is suicide, but Livy isn’t so sure – Julia would never kill herself. Determined to find out exactly how Julia died, she decides to investigate and soon discovers that Julia’s death is linked to that of Kara all those years ago.
I really liked the character of Livy. She is loyal, adores her family and very human in her reactions to events in the book. I would have liked to have seen more of her husband Will however, I didn’t feel that I got to know him as he spent quite a lot of the story away from home on business, and sometimes came across as a bit “cold”. We only meet Julia through other people’s recollections of her. She comes across as warm, funny, sharp – a very colourful character, but one with hidden depths.
The plot is quite complex, with a number of suspects and I was constantly changing my mind about who was guilty throughout the read. It is a very chilling, twisty turny read that really kept my interest. I was never bored as the story moved on towards a climax that was gripping and scary. Many thanks to the publishers for the advance review copy.
June 18, 2019
Livy arrives at her best friend Julia’s apartment for their weekly Sunday lunch date and discovers Julia dead on her couch. The police rule her death a suicide, but Livy knows Julia better than anyone and believes Julia would never take her own life.
She expressed her concerns to anyone who will listen, but no one believes Livy. They are convinced Julia’s death was a suicide. Everyone except Damian, Julia’s boyfriend. He, too, agrees with Livy, and so they delve into their own investigation to get to the bottom of Julia’s death.
The events that transpire bring Livy back to 18-years earlier when her own sister, and Julia’s best friend, Kara was brutally murdered after a college party. Her murderer was never found and now Livy is worried Julia’s death was at the hands of the same killer.
Livy doesn’t know who she can trust anymore. She goes on a wild goose chase to uncover the truth, no matter the cost.
You Can Trust Me is a stand-alone thriller by UK author, Sophie McKenzie. It took me a while to get into this story, as it was rather wordy and long-winded in the beginning. I kept getting annoyed that Livy repeatedly gets into situations where someone has answers and they run away. We also see through the perspective of the killer and all the people he killed leading up to present day. I found their perspective interesting and helped set the stage well. I guessed who the killer was about halfway through and was proven right at the very end. I feel like I’ve read this book several times over recently, so the goose chase murder mystery just feels tired to me. This was good, but not great. 3/5 stars.
She expressed her concerns to anyone who will listen, but no one believes Livy. They are convinced Julia’s death was a suicide. Everyone except Damian, Julia’s boyfriend. He, too, agrees with Livy, and so they delve into their own investigation to get to the bottom of Julia’s death.
The events that transpire bring Livy back to 18-years earlier when her own sister, and Julia’s best friend, Kara was brutally murdered after a college party. Her murderer was never found and now Livy is worried Julia’s death was at the hands of the same killer.
Livy doesn’t know who she can trust anymore. She goes on a wild goose chase to uncover the truth, no matter the cost.
You Can Trust Me is a stand-alone thriller by UK author, Sophie McKenzie. It took me a while to get into this story, as it was rather wordy and long-winded in the beginning. I kept getting annoyed that Livy repeatedly gets into situations where someone has answers and they run away. We also see through the perspective of the killer and all the people he killed leading up to present day. I found their perspective interesting and helped set the stage well. I guessed who the killer was about halfway through and was proven right at the very end. I feel like I’ve read this book several times over recently, so the goose chase murder mystery just feels tired to me. This was good, but not great. 3/5 stars.
August 29, 2017
This was my second book by Sophie McKenzie, and I am already looking forward to what she comes up with next.
The story centers around the apparent suicide of Livy Jackson's friend, and the murder of her younger sister eighteen years earlier. Livy does not believe the police verdict that her friend, Julia's death is a suicide, and begins to investigate.
The story moves very fluently, and McKenzie has a style that strikes a great balance between POVs and the way the story unfolds. Livy is a very real character, something I found to be the case with Gen in her book, Close My Eyes, as well, and I was definitely invested in her story. In terms of the plot, I will confess, as with Close My Eyes, I guessed who the killer was very early on, nonetheless, I was curious to see whether my prediction was correct, and to discover what would happen in the end. However, had the writing not been so good and the protagonist so likeable and realistic, I might have deducted a star for this. For me, a book can be great if the characters are interesting, even if the story is a little flawed.
All in all, I found this to be fast-paces and well-written, definitely a great summer read and for fans of Samantha Hayes, Tana French, or Elizabeth Haynes.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
The story centers around the apparent suicide of Livy Jackson's friend, and the murder of her younger sister eighteen years earlier. Livy does not believe the police verdict that her friend, Julia's death is a suicide, and begins to investigate.
The story moves very fluently, and McKenzie has a style that strikes a great balance between POVs and the way the story unfolds. Livy is a very real character, something I found to be the case with Gen in her book, Close My Eyes, as well, and I was definitely invested in her story. In terms of the plot, I will confess, as with Close My Eyes, I guessed who the killer was very early on, nonetheless, I was curious to see whether my prediction was correct, and to discover what would happen in the end. However, had the writing not been so good and the protagonist so likeable and realistic, I might have deducted a star for this. For me, a book can be great if the characters are interesting, even if the story is a little flawed.
All in all, I found this to be fast-paces and well-written, definitely a great summer read and for fans of Samantha Hayes, Tana French, or Elizabeth Haynes.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
January 2, 2015
WOW what a book! This one kept me up at night and found me stealing moments in the day to read just a few more pages. "Page-turner" doesn't begin to cover it.
Livvy discovers her best friend dead and refuses to accept that it was suicide. The whole plot revolves around the possible connection to Livvy's sister's murder decades before. Every few chapters we get the murderers perspective and trying to solve this mystery was (the good kind of) agony. Author Sophie McKenzie weaves an amazingly tight mystery that manages to throw suspicion on everyone but in a very subtle way. I found myself trying to eliminate suspects when I was away from the book. To me, this is an excellent mystery. Nothing is given away but all the clues are there. I also found McKenzie's writing about friendships, marriage, family and trust to be insightful and spot on. I'm so happy to have found this author. I will be reading everything else she has written and you, reader, YOU CAN TRUST ME, should go get this book!
Livvy discovers her best friend dead and refuses to accept that it was suicide. The whole plot revolves around the possible connection to Livvy's sister's murder decades before. Every few chapters we get the murderers perspective and trying to solve this mystery was (the good kind of) agony. Author Sophie McKenzie weaves an amazingly tight mystery that manages to throw suspicion on everyone but in a very subtle way. I found myself trying to eliminate suspects when I was away from the book. To me, this is an excellent mystery. Nothing is given away but all the clues are there. I also found McKenzie's writing about friendships, marriage, family and trust to be insightful and spot on. I'm so happy to have found this author. I will be reading everything else she has written and you, reader, YOU CAN TRUST ME, should go get this book!
July 31, 2021
Julia is the friend Livy turns to for everything, the friend who has been through all the good and the bad, her link to her murdered sister. But, after a recent tragedy, Livy finds herself questioning whether she ever really knew Julia at all....
Fantastic book, filled with twists the full way through. I loved how they separated parts to show the killer's state of mind, what was going through their head. It's such a different book, it kept me hooked.
Fantastic book, filled with twists the full way through. I loved how they separated parts to show the killer's state of mind, what was going through their head. It's such a different book, it kept me hooked.
February 4, 2020
My first Sophie McKenzie book and it certainly won't be my last.
This book was an intense and chilling thriller which I couldn't put down.
I constantly thought I knew who the killer was and then kept changing my mind. I even guessed correctly at one point but once again decided it couldn't be them. Right up until it was revealed.
I absolutely loved this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
This book was an intense and chilling thriller which I couldn't put down.
I constantly thought I knew who the killer was and then kept changing my mind. I even guessed correctly at one point but once again decided it couldn't be them. Right up until it was revealed.
I absolutely loved this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
April 14, 2015
A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars
YOU CAN TRUST ME by British author, Sophie McKenzie, a suspense psychological mystery, years apart--of friendship, lies, marriage, betrayal, and murder.
Set in England, Julia and Livy have been friends for years, since they bonded over a brutal murder fifteen years ago of Livy’s sister, Kara when she was a college student.
After her murder, Kara’s friend, Julia, became Livy’s friend, a friendship that remained close despite their different lives; Livy, a homemaker and mother, and Julia living a more exciting life with numerous short-lived relationships. Years later Julia is found dead, alone in her flat and Livy begins to realize everything was not as it seemed.
When Livy arrives at Jula’s flat for a lunch date, she finds her dead, as she did not answer her text the previous night and now feels guilty. Of course, her death was ruled as a suicide; however Livy cannot accept this decision, and begins to dig further to solve the mystery of her friend. She knows her friend loves life, and would never take her own life. What if she was murdered, and by whom? Could the killer be one of Livy’s friends, family or acquaintances?
Livy, married to Will, with two children- 7 year old son, Zack and her 12 year old daughter, Hannah which is a brat. A stressful marriage from a former infidelity and a daughter which is problematic.
The more Livy uncovers, the more she realizes her friend was not always truthful and forthcoming. She finds out about a man, Damian who was in a relationship with her friend, one she never met. These two combine forces without the help of the police. Livy goes off on these tangents without thinking, not knowing who to trust. Together they start to investigate Julia’s last days. Julia’s diary leads them on a chase looking for a killer who is so much closer than they realize. Too late, they discover how much danger they are in and that they may be the next victims.
And when Livy finally faces her sister’s killer, and he traps her with one horrible, impossible choice, she must finally decide: is she strong enough to trust herself?
McKenzie interjects the killer's perspective, and tidbits, offering readers a look into more dark sides of the personality and motives. There is a long list of suspects-- as to the identity of the killer. The best part of the book for me was, the psychological parts of the dark psychopath killer.
My first book by McKenzie, and will have to agree with some of the other reviewers, not evenly paced. Very slow moving until the last portion, when things intensify and really heat up when the cases come together.
Livy continued to dwell and dwell, on her husband's infidelity six years ago with no trust or intimacy. However, on the other hand, she immediately trusts Julia's grieving fiancé, Damian, one of mystery; since Julia had hidden his identity from her.
Would have liked a little more sarcastic humor mixed in, and all the characters thrown at you in the beginning, with a long list of suspects--throws it off a little. Livy was not a likable character, and of course Julia was more intriguing. Look forward to reading more by this author, even though I was not totally in love with this one.
Recommend to crime fiction fans who enjoy a long line of suspects, and slower pacing with some psychological elements.
Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
YOU CAN TRUST ME by British author, Sophie McKenzie, a suspense psychological mystery, years apart--of friendship, lies, marriage, betrayal, and murder.
Set in England, Julia and Livy have been friends for years, since they bonded over a brutal murder fifteen years ago of Livy’s sister, Kara when she was a college student.
After her murder, Kara’s friend, Julia, became Livy’s friend, a friendship that remained close despite their different lives; Livy, a homemaker and mother, and Julia living a more exciting life with numerous short-lived relationships. Years later Julia is found dead, alone in her flat and Livy begins to realize everything was not as it seemed.
When Livy arrives at Jula’s flat for a lunch date, she finds her dead, as she did not answer her text the previous night and now feels guilty. Of course, her death was ruled as a suicide; however Livy cannot accept this decision, and begins to dig further to solve the mystery of her friend. She knows her friend loves life, and would never take her own life. What if she was murdered, and by whom? Could the killer be one of Livy’s friends, family or acquaintances?
Livy, married to Will, with two children- 7 year old son, Zack and her 12 year old daughter, Hannah which is a brat. A stressful marriage from a former infidelity and a daughter which is problematic.
The more Livy uncovers, the more she realizes her friend was not always truthful and forthcoming. She finds out about a man, Damian who was in a relationship with her friend, one she never met. These two combine forces without the help of the police. Livy goes off on these tangents without thinking, not knowing who to trust. Together they start to investigate Julia’s last days. Julia’s diary leads them on a chase looking for a killer who is so much closer than they realize. Too late, they discover how much danger they are in and that they may be the next victims.
And when Livy finally faces her sister’s killer, and he traps her with one horrible, impossible choice, she must finally decide: is she strong enough to trust herself?
McKenzie interjects the killer's perspective, and tidbits, offering readers a look into more dark sides of the personality and motives. There is a long list of suspects-- as to the identity of the killer. The best part of the book for me was, the psychological parts of the dark psychopath killer.
My first book by McKenzie, and will have to agree with some of the other reviewers, not evenly paced. Very slow moving until the last portion, when things intensify and really heat up when the cases come together.
Livy continued to dwell and dwell, on her husband's infidelity six years ago with no trust or intimacy. However, on the other hand, she immediately trusts Julia's grieving fiancé, Damian, one of mystery; since Julia had hidden his identity from her.
Would have liked a little more sarcastic humor mixed in, and all the characters thrown at you in the beginning, with a long list of suspects--throws it off a little. Livy was not a likable character, and of course Julia was more intriguing. Look forward to reading more by this author, even though I was not totally in love with this one.
Recommend to crime fiction fans who enjoy a long line of suspects, and slower pacing with some psychological elements.
Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
September 15, 2014
This is a psychological thriller that certainly kept me guessing, one of those books where there appears to be a plethora of suspects for the scary narrator who we know has killed before and will probably not stop until they are caught.
Livy Jackson’s younger sister Kara was murdered when she was just 18 leaving Livy feeling that she should have done more to protect her. After her murder, Kara’s friend, Julia, became Livy’s friend, a friendship that remained close despite their dissimilar lives where Livy became a homemaker and mother whilst Julia lived an exciting life with numerous short-lived relationships. Years later Julia is found dead, alone in her flat and Livy begins to realise that her belief that they told each other everything simply wasn’t true.
The story is told from Livy’s viewpoint and the fault-lines in her marriage to Will are exposed right from the start. The couple have a moody pre-teen daughter Hannah as well as a less complicated son Zack and their household is easily recognisable of a myriad empty cereal boxes, tears and slammed doors.
After Julia’s death Livy starts to investigate, she is sure despite all the evidence that someone was involved in her death and she feels she needs to honour her friend’s memory. Early on in the story we hear from the killer themselves in a truly chilling fashion, they themselves pronounce themselves a psychopath with no attempt to justify their actions except that it was to fulfil an urge. Each section from the killer is simply headed with the name of a victim, the description of their murder and boasting of how no evidence was left behind. Livy meanwhile is in turn obsessing over an affair Will had six years previously and struggling without her best friend to support her. She hooks up with Julia’s latest boyfriend who is also doubtful that the vibrant and feisty woman he had dated would kill herself despite the fact that this is what her family believe.
The plot was good and it certainly kept me guessing as I became convinced that it was one suspect, then another until fairly close to the reveal I worked out who it was. Livy’s character was fairly bland, she seemed to lack oomph so I took a while to warm to her and I struggled to understand how this woman was so close to Julia. Julia’s character is a conundrum which was never resolved, estranged from her mother who seemed entirely happy to believe she committed suicide as did her downright horrible brother and his equally awful wife, who all seemed to know a different Julia than the one Livy knew the reason for the hostility was left unresolved.
Once the scene has been set the book picks up pace with enough action to keep this reader turning the pages. I like the fact that all the different types of relationships that define our lives are represented in a realistic way. This is the sort of book that is best read in big chunks which will allow you to immerse yourself in Livy’s investigation.
I’d like to thank the publishers Simon & Schuster UK for giving me a copy of this book in return for this honest review.
Livy Jackson’s younger sister Kara was murdered when she was just 18 leaving Livy feeling that she should have done more to protect her. After her murder, Kara’s friend, Julia, became Livy’s friend, a friendship that remained close despite their dissimilar lives where Livy became a homemaker and mother whilst Julia lived an exciting life with numerous short-lived relationships. Years later Julia is found dead, alone in her flat and Livy begins to realise that her belief that they told each other everything simply wasn’t true.
The story is told from Livy’s viewpoint and the fault-lines in her marriage to Will are exposed right from the start. The couple have a moody pre-teen daughter Hannah as well as a less complicated son Zack and their household is easily recognisable of a myriad empty cereal boxes, tears and slammed doors.
After Julia’s death Livy starts to investigate, she is sure despite all the evidence that someone was involved in her death and she feels she needs to honour her friend’s memory. Early on in the story we hear from the killer themselves in a truly chilling fashion, they themselves pronounce themselves a psychopath with no attempt to justify their actions except that it was to fulfil an urge. Each section from the killer is simply headed with the name of a victim, the description of their murder and boasting of how no evidence was left behind. Livy meanwhile is in turn obsessing over an affair Will had six years previously and struggling without her best friend to support her. She hooks up with Julia’s latest boyfriend who is also doubtful that the vibrant and feisty woman he had dated would kill herself despite the fact that this is what her family believe.
The plot was good and it certainly kept me guessing as I became convinced that it was one suspect, then another until fairly close to the reveal I worked out who it was. Livy’s character was fairly bland, she seemed to lack oomph so I took a while to warm to her and I struggled to understand how this woman was so close to Julia. Julia’s character is a conundrum which was never resolved, estranged from her mother who seemed entirely happy to believe she committed suicide as did her downright horrible brother and his equally awful wife, who all seemed to know a different Julia than the one Livy knew the reason for the hostility was left unresolved.
Once the scene has been set the book picks up pace with enough action to keep this reader turning the pages. I like the fact that all the different types of relationships that define our lives are represented in a realistic way. This is the sort of book that is best read in big chunks which will allow you to immerse yourself in Livy’s investigation.
I’d like to thank the publishers Simon & Schuster UK for giving me a copy of this book in return for this honest review.
April 21, 2015
I really had 3 different theories in my mind while reading this and when it came to the end it just hit me out of no where! Such a good book!!!
March 19, 2020
3.5 sterren. Het verhaal was spannend en goed geschreven.
October 4, 2019
Livy Jackson has lived with her fair share of upset, and it’s hard not to sympathise with her. Her sister was killed at the age of eighteen, and the killer was never found. Her husband had an affair a few years ago, and it’s obvious that the trust between them has been broken. Then her best friend, Julia, is found dead...a suspected suicide.
Livy can’t accept this and ends up on an increasingly dangerous quest to find out what happened. Once she starts digging, more and more secrets are unearthed. Who can Livy trust? Everyone seems to have been keeping secrets and the potential guilty party list grows longer with every incident.
Interspersed with this search are narratives from the killer, telling us about how each of his victims met their end. There’s some clues dropped that make one or two characters more likely suspects, and though one stood out the identity of the killer wasn’t revealed for certain until very late on.
With the unmasking of our killer coming at such a key moment in the story, it was more about the impact on Livy and her family and how people could recover from such an ordeal.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for my honest review.
Livy can’t accept this and ends up on an increasingly dangerous quest to find out what happened. Once she starts digging, more and more secrets are unearthed. Who can Livy trust? Everyone seems to have been keeping secrets and the potential guilty party list grows longer with every incident.
Interspersed with this search are narratives from the killer, telling us about how each of his victims met their end. There’s some clues dropped that make one or two characters more likely suspects, and though one stood out the identity of the killer wasn’t revealed for certain until very late on.
With the unmasking of our killer coming at such a key moment in the story, it was more about the impact on Livy and her family and how people could recover from such an ordeal.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for my honest review.
December 1, 2021
What an absolute waste of my time this nonsense was.
The basic facts: none of the characters are likeable. Not one (apart from maybe Zach). The plot *could* have been good but it was let down by bad writing and not having one character to root for.
The Main Characters
LIVY - A yummy-mummy selfish cow. She has zero trust in her husband, Will, after an affair he had six years ago (not completely unreasonable, I guess) but she does say she’s forgiven Will but then goes on and on about how much she doesn’t trust him – and she *immediately jumps to the worst conclusion in issues involving Will – so you really have to wonder why she’s not got out of the marriage before now??? If you don’t trust your husband, woman, get out. You made your bed, now you have to lie in it. Oh, and her sister was murdered when she was a teenager. If you missed this point in the blurb, don’t fear – you’ll be beaten over the head with it throughout the book.
WILL – Former cheater, now turned over a new leaf. Doesn’t really seem to think that much of his wife so again … why are these people still together? Honestly, there’s not a lot I can write about Will because he’s just so meh.
JULIA – Dead, which should make her interesting, and should help the reader garner some sympathy towards Livy, her “best” friend (we’ll come back to that issue). Nope. Every time we hear from Julia, it’s a pithy observation that Livy remembers her saying … But then, not pithy in a funny way. Bearing in mind this is one of the few insights we ever have into Julia, it would be nice to get a more well-rounded view of her; instead, she comes across as a man-obsessed sarcastic b***h.
DAMIAN – Absolutely not the killer, despite all half-hearted efforts to make us think he might be. The most likeable main character. Apart from being ridiculously handsome (this is drilled into the reader relentlessly, and OF COURSE he and Livy kiss at some point), we never learn much more about him, except that he used to be a bit of a naughty boy, with at least one run-in with the police.
The Minor Characters
HANNAH and ZACH – Will and Livy’s kids. Zach’s fine, just your average little boy. Hannah is a truculent teenager with a potential shoplifting problem (this could have been explored but why would you tie up loose ends like that? That would be CRAZY behaviour from an author). That is literally all I can say about them.
JOANIE and ROBBIE – Julia’s mum and brother. Couldn’t really work out if people hated Robbie, or if he was supposed to be a nice guy. Bit weird, that bit. Joanie just seems to have zero reaction to the death of her daughter, and they burn all her stuff fairly soon after the funeral. Which is lovely, isn’t it?
PAUL and BECKY – Old friends of Livy (and Kara, the dead sister) and Will. Introduced at the start and then forgotten about until Paul is reintroduced with a vengeance later on. Becky kind of fades into obscurity; towards the end of the book, she was mentioned, and I had to take a second to remember who they were talking about.
LEO and MARTHA – Leo is Paul’s dad and Will’s boss. Martha is his wife. … … … I genuinely cannot think of anything else worthy of saying about them. I mean, Marth’s entire character arc is “wife of Leo” so … yeah.
Problems with this Book
Dear Livy, STOP CALLING EVERYONE AROUND YOU ‘SELFISH’ WHEN YOU ARE THE MOST SELF-OBSESSED WOMAN TO EVER EXIST. I get that your best friend is dead, and I feel horrible for you because that’s an awful situation. Thank you for realising that Julia would never kill herself, and for looking into it. That being said, maybe live in the present once in a while and stop looking towards the past? Your family is falling apart and while it’s not your complete responsibility to fix it, it might be nice if you took your head out of your arse once in a while.
Damian is so obviously not the killer that the vague attempts to make you suspect him come across less as red herrings, and more sad little sardines. His initials (oh yeah, he changed his name for tax purposes, I think, and that’s why Livy can’t find him on the internet), his experience of breaking and entering, the fact that Livy starts to FEEL THINGS for him, because why not use the tired trope of “woman falls for a bad boy” … I just can’t.
Julia … Who even is she?! Is she the Dire Straits-loving romantic woman who wants to be a mum (says Damian)? Or the spiky, has-no-time-for-bullshit lady that Livy was friends with for years? Every single time Damian (who dated her for six months) says something about Julia, it never tallies with what Livy knows about her best friend, and she is always shocked. Once or twice it’s fine. But the rate Damian keeps dropping things into conversation, either Julia had a completely different personality that Livy never knew, or Damian is making up stuff about a dead woman because nobody can say he’s wrong. If it’s neither of those things, then Julia may well be the most inconsistent character ever to grace the pages of a book.
The murderer. Right. In between each chapter is a small monologue from the killer. Nobody ever knew who killed Kara, and now they’re striking again! The killer thinks he’s incredible (oh yeah, of course it’s a man) and starts each monologue with a quote, like the pretentious d**khead that he is (because of course he’s comparable to Einstein, right?). If you read the book carefully, it’s obvious from the start who it is. And to be fair, even if you skim-read 80% of the book, the way the character just drops back in, weirdly and with no warning, *should* make you think, “well, he’s the murderer then, isn’t he?!”
Overall
Not great. An interesting story let down by bad characters and some very implausible events. I never give a book 0/5 because someone’s put some time and effort into writing it, and every book has some plus points. I also hate leaving books unfinished. But I’ve had to read this for a book club, and honestly, if I’d just downloaded the sample, I wouldn’t have bought the full book.
The basic facts: none of the characters are likeable. Not one (apart from maybe Zach). The plot *could* have been good but it was let down by bad writing and not having one character to root for.
The Main Characters
LIVY - A yummy-mummy selfish cow. She has zero trust in her husband, Will, after an affair he had six years ago (not completely unreasonable, I guess) but she does say she’s forgiven Will but then goes on and on about how much she doesn’t trust him – and she *immediately jumps to the worst conclusion in issues involving Will – so you really have to wonder why she’s not got out of the marriage before now??? If you don’t trust your husband, woman, get out. You made your bed, now you have to lie in it. Oh, and her sister was murdered when she was a teenager. If you missed this point in the blurb, don’t fear – you’ll be beaten over the head with it throughout the book.
WILL – Former cheater, now turned over a new leaf. Doesn’t really seem to think that much of his wife so again … why are these people still together? Honestly, there’s not a lot I can write about Will because he’s just so meh.
JULIA – Dead, which should make her interesting, and should help the reader garner some sympathy towards Livy, her “best” friend (we’ll come back to that issue). Nope. Every time we hear from Julia, it’s a pithy observation that Livy remembers her saying … But then, not pithy in a funny way. Bearing in mind this is one of the few insights we ever have into Julia, it would be nice to get a more well-rounded view of her; instead, she comes across as a man-obsessed sarcastic b***h.
DAMIAN – Absolutely not the killer, despite all half-hearted efforts to make us think he might be. The most likeable main character. Apart from being ridiculously handsome (this is drilled into the reader relentlessly, and OF COURSE he and Livy kiss at some point), we never learn much more about him, except that he used to be a bit of a naughty boy, with at least one run-in with the police.
The Minor Characters
HANNAH and ZACH – Will and Livy’s kids. Zach’s fine, just your average little boy. Hannah is a truculent teenager with a potential shoplifting problem (this could have been explored but why would you tie up loose ends like that? That would be CRAZY behaviour from an author). That is literally all I can say about them.
JOANIE and ROBBIE – Julia’s mum and brother. Couldn’t really work out if people hated Robbie, or if he was supposed to be a nice guy. Bit weird, that bit. Joanie just seems to have zero reaction to the death of her daughter, and they burn all her stuff fairly soon after the funeral. Which is lovely, isn’t it?
PAUL and BECKY – Old friends of Livy (and Kara, the dead sister) and Will. Introduced at the start and then forgotten about until Paul is reintroduced with a vengeance later on. Becky kind of fades into obscurity; towards the end of the book, she was mentioned, and I had to take a second to remember who they were talking about.
LEO and MARTHA – Leo is Paul’s dad and Will’s boss. Martha is his wife. … … … I genuinely cannot think of anything else worthy of saying about them. I mean, Marth’s entire character arc is “wife of Leo” so … yeah.
Problems with this Book
Dear Livy, STOP CALLING EVERYONE AROUND YOU ‘SELFISH’ WHEN YOU ARE THE MOST SELF-OBSESSED WOMAN TO EVER EXIST. I get that your best friend is dead, and I feel horrible for you because that’s an awful situation. Thank you for realising that Julia would never kill herself, and for looking into it. That being said, maybe live in the present once in a while and stop looking towards the past? Your family is falling apart and while it’s not your complete responsibility to fix it, it might be nice if you took your head out of your arse once in a while.
Damian is so obviously not the killer that the vague attempts to make you suspect him come across less as red herrings, and more sad little sardines. His initials (oh yeah, he changed his name for tax purposes, I think, and that’s why Livy can’t find him on the internet), his experience of breaking and entering, the fact that Livy starts to FEEL THINGS for him, because why not use the tired trope of “woman falls for a bad boy” … I just can’t.
Julia … Who even is she?! Is she the Dire Straits-loving romantic woman who wants to be a mum (says Damian)? Or the spiky, has-no-time-for-bullshit lady that Livy was friends with for years? Every single time Damian (who dated her for six months) says something about Julia, it never tallies with what Livy knows about her best friend, and she is always shocked. Once or twice it’s fine. But the rate Damian keeps dropping things into conversation, either Julia had a completely different personality that Livy never knew, or Damian is making up stuff about a dead woman because nobody can say he’s wrong. If it’s neither of those things, then Julia may well be the most inconsistent character ever to grace the pages of a book.
The murderer. Right. In between each chapter is a small monologue from the killer. Nobody ever knew who killed Kara, and now they’re striking again! The killer thinks he’s incredible (oh yeah, of course it’s a man) and starts each monologue with a quote, like the pretentious d**khead that he is (because of course he’s comparable to Einstein, right?). If you read the book carefully, it’s obvious from the start who it is. And to be fair, even if you skim-read 80% of the book, the way the character just drops back in, weirdly and with no warning, *should* make you think, “well, he’s the murderer then, isn’t he?!”
Overall
Not great. An interesting story let down by bad characters and some very implausible events. I never give a book 0/5 because someone’s put some time and effort into writing it, and every book has some plus points. I also hate leaving books unfinished. But I’ve had to read this for a book club, and honestly, if I’d just downloaded the sample, I wouldn’t have bought the full book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2021
This book is a crime / thriller which follows the life of Livy . She faces many struggles with her best friend dying and a lack of trust with her husband . However she begins to suspect that someone had killed her best friend . This book had lots of twists and every chapter had a cliff hanger it was very gripping ! Lots of red herrings and it was fast paced . I would recommend this book to 14+ due to the language used and violence .
October 7, 2014
This review was originally posted on Between My Lines
This is one of those books where I didn’t overly like any of the characters but loved the guessing game of trying to figure out who the elusive psychopath was.
First Line of Trust in Me by Sophie McKenzie:
My Thoughts on Trust in Me by Sophie McKenzie:
I loved the theme of this book. It’s all about trust, how well you know people and who to believe. Even with your nearest and dearest, all you see is what they want you to see. I thought this was such a valid point and it was really thought-provoking. Of course though your true colours eventually shine true and that is exactly what happened in Trust In Me.
The book is set over the course of one month and when we first meet Will and Livy they are heading to a party at his bosses house. And we get to meet most of the main characters at this party which was a good way to be introduced to them. All except one – Julia – Livy’s best friend.
And we never get to meet Julia as she is found dead in her own home the next day and appears to have committed suicide. But Livy isn’t convinced. She is determined to uncover the truth about exactly what happened to Julia even if everyone writes her off as being neurotic.
I was really kept guessing as to what exactly happened to Julia and the more secrets got revealed, the further out the net of suspicion fell. And we do know that Julia isn’t paranoid as we are privy to the killers thoughts. We don’t know who he is but we do know he is chillingly emotionless which sent shivers up and down my spine. I had my eye on a few potential suspects included the right person but my list was a little too long for me to take victory from that! But that’s a good thing, I love when the book can maintain the suspense and this one did.
I did find I didn’t overly like Livy as a character as she was just so listless. I hated that she seemed to have lost her sense of purpose in life and that she felt she had no time for interests outside the family. It bugged me that she didn’t take the time to do something for herself when they were in school. I know she had her problems but I wanted to shake some energy onto her.
A lot of the book is Lily's internal thoughts and as I didn't take to her, this slowed down the pace of the book for me. However that was balanced out by my curiosity as to what the hell was going on.
Julia is a really interesting character. We only ever get glimpses of her through other people’s eyes and they all have such a different perception of her. So she remains an enigma. I would love to know who she really was but I suppose the truth is somewhere in the middle of all the different versions that we see of her.
Overall though I really enjoyed the suspense aspect of this book, it had the chill factor and the characters gave me lots of food for thought. I’m really glad I discovered Sophie McKenzie and I know I’ll happy to read more books from her in the future.
Who should read Trust in Me by Sophie McKenzie?
I'd recommend this to those who like psychological thrillers, especially if you like reflective dialogue and lengthy list of suspects. If you enjoyed Precious Thing by Colette McBeth or Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson, then I also think you'd like this one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
This is one of those books where I didn’t overly like any of the characters but loved the guessing game of trying to figure out who the elusive psychopath was.
First Line of Trust in Me by Sophie McKenzie:
“It’s an impossible choice.”
My Thoughts on Trust in Me by Sophie McKenzie:
I loved the theme of this book. It’s all about trust, how well you know people and who to believe. Even with your nearest and dearest, all you see is what they want you to see. I thought this was such a valid point and it was really thought-provoking. Of course though your true colours eventually shine true and that is exactly what happened in Trust In Me.
The book is set over the course of one month and when we first meet Will and Livy they are heading to a party at his bosses house. And we get to meet most of the main characters at this party which was a good way to be introduced to them. All except one – Julia – Livy’s best friend.
And we never get to meet Julia as she is found dead in her own home the next day and appears to have committed suicide. But Livy isn’t convinced. She is determined to uncover the truth about exactly what happened to Julia even if everyone writes her off as being neurotic.
I was really kept guessing as to what exactly happened to Julia and the more secrets got revealed, the further out the net of suspicion fell. And we do know that Julia isn’t paranoid as we are privy to the killers thoughts. We don’t know who he is but we do know he is chillingly emotionless which sent shivers up and down my spine. I had my eye on a few potential suspects included the right person but my list was a little too long for me to take victory from that! But that’s a good thing, I love when the book can maintain the suspense and this one did.
I did find I didn’t overly like Livy as a character as she was just so listless. I hated that she seemed to have lost her sense of purpose in life and that she felt she had no time for interests outside the family. It bugged me that she didn’t take the time to do something for herself when they were in school. I know she had her problems but I wanted to shake some energy onto her.
A lot of the book is Lily's internal thoughts and as I didn't take to her, this slowed down the pace of the book for me. However that was balanced out by my curiosity as to what the hell was going on.
Julia is a really interesting character. We only ever get glimpses of her through other people’s eyes and they all have such a different perception of her. So she remains an enigma. I would love to know who she really was but I suppose the truth is somewhere in the middle of all the different versions that we see of her.
Overall though I really enjoyed the suspense aspect of this book, it had the chill factor and the characters gave me lots of food for thought. I’m really glad I discovered Sophie McKenzie and I know I’ll happy to read more books from her in the future.
Who should read Trust in Me by Sophie McKenzie?
I'd recommend this to those who like psychological thrillers, especially if you like reflective dialogue and lengthy list of suspects. If you enjoyed Precious Thing by Colette McBeth or Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson, then I also think you'd like this one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
March 29, 2022
4.5 stars!
Right now it’s 4.5 but I have a feeling it could move up to 5 stars later. SUCH A GOOD BOOK!
Ps. The murderer wasn’t will
Right now it’s 4.5 but I have a feeling it could move up to 5 stars later. SUCH A GOOD BOOK!
Ps. The murderer wasn’t will
August 12, 2015
You Can Trust Me is about Livy Jackson, who, with her two young children, find her best friend Julia dead when they arrive for Sunday lunch. Everyone is convinced, due to the evidence, that it was suicide, but Livy just can’t accept that. There are a couple mysteries intertwined in this novel. Livy lost her sister when she was in college and the killer was never caught, and now Julia has apparently committed suicide, but things aren’t as they seem.
This book was extremely slow paced. For over 50% of the book it dragged on and on. There were way too many people who could be pinned as a suspect, which I don’t really like in mysteries. That said, I figured out the suspect maybe 80% of the way through, but second guessed myself! The reason I gave it 3 stars is because it moved too slowly for my liking, but we finally got some action, only to get to the end and be seriously ticked off because I wanted to know WHY he did what he did, and I also wanted Livy to find out what Brooke was calling her about!
In this book I seriously could not trust hardly anyone. That is the redeeming quality I found after it dragged on so long, it messes with your mind. I started to say “oh he’s the killer”, “no she’s the killer!” At one point I thought it would be one of those books where the main character is crazy and has imagined all this stuff with her schizophrenic self! I did not really like any of the characters except Zack and Damian. Hannah was a huge brat, Livy was irresponsible and obsessed, Will was a dirtbag, and Robbie was creepy. I even started to dislike Julia because she kept SO MUCH STUFF from her supposed best friend. The other thing I did like was how some chapters were actually written from the killer, like a diary entry, which was very interesting.
Overall, I didn’t really care for this book. I usually like psychological thrillers, but this one unfortunately didn’t appeal to me.
*I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!*
This book was extremely slow paced. For over 50% of the book it dragged on and on. There were way too many people who could be pinned as a suspect, which I don’t really like in mysteries. That said, I figured out the suspect maybe 80% of the way through, but second guessed myself! The reason I gave it 3 stars is because it moved too slowly for my liking, but we finally got some action, only to get to the end and be seriously ticked off because I wanted to know WHY he did what he did, and I also wanted Livy to find out what Brooke was calling her about!
In this book I seriously could not trust hardly anyone. That is the redeeming quality I found after it dragged on so long, it messes with your mind. I started to say “oh he’s the killer”, “no she’s the killer!” At one point I thought it would be one of those books where the main character is crazy and has imagined all this stuff with her schizophrenic self! I did not really like any of the characters except Zack and Damian. Hannah was a huge brat, Livy was irresponsible and obsessed, Will was a dirtbag, and Robbie was creepy. I even started to dislike Julia because she kept SO MUCH STUFF from her supposed best friend. The other thing I did like was how some chapters were actually written from the killer, like a diary entry, which was very interesting.
Overall, I didn’t really care for this book. I usually like psychological thrillers, but this one unfortunately didn’t appeal to me.
*I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!*
July 2, 2017
I enjoyed this psychological thriller it was full of twists & turns. I gave this an 8/10 or 4 stars.
Livy is married with children and her friend of at least 18 years Julia, have a close relationship. Livy's children adore this surrogate Aunty.
The relationship between Livy and Julia comes to an abrupt end, when Julia is found dead. What at first looks like suicide causes Livy to have certain doubts. These doubts are that Julia is not a person who she would've expected to commit suicide, deep down she feels that she has been killed.
Livy takes it on herself to try and prove that Julia, has been killed and as events from the past begin to rear their head she begins to realise that the death of her sister Kara, many years before might be linked. Did Livy really know Julia at all? As Livy digs deeper she realises that their are parts of Julia's life that she knew so little about. Livy finds that she can't really trust anyone as their are so many people that she feels could be the killer, even her own husband is not above suspicion. Who can she trust?
This is the first book that I've read by Stephanie McKenzie and I wouldn't have read it, had it not been one of my reading group reads. I will be searching out her back catalogue of books.
I felt the story flowed quite well and I read it very quickly, it was a joy to pick up as I was engrossed and I wanted to know what happened and what the outcome of the events would mean to everyone.
I did however feel sorry for Livy's husband, but I must admit that I did suspect him. You can't blame her for treating him the way she did, but if you can't trust your spouse who can you trust?
Livy is married with children and her friend of at least 18 years Julia, have a close relationship. Livy's children adore this surrogate Aunty.
The relationship between Livy and Julia comes to an abrupt end, when Julia is found dead. What at first looks like suicide causes Livy to have certain doubts. These doubts are that Julia is not a person who she would've expected to commit suicide, deep down she feels that she has been killed.
Livy takes it on herself to try and prove that Julia, has been killed and as events from the past begin to rear their head she begins to realise that the death of her sister Kara, many years before might be linked. Did Livy really know Julia at all? As Livy digs deeper she realises that their are parts of Julia's life that she knew so little about. Livy finds that she can't really trust anyone as their are so many people that she feels could be the killer, even her own husband is not above suspicion. Who can she trust?
This is the first book that I've read by Stephanie McKenzie and I wouldn't have read it, had it not been one of my reading group reads. I will be searching out her back catalogue of books.
I felt the story flowed quite well and I read it very quickly, it was a joy to pick up as I was engrossed and I wanted to know what happened and what the outcome of the events would mean to everyone.
I did however feel sorry for Livy's husband, but I must admit that I did suspect him. You can't blame her for treating him the way she did, but if you can't trust your spouse who can you trust?
March 3, 2015
This suspenseful thriller was recommended to me by my reviewer friend, Tom McGee. Tom's literary tastes are usually on the money and with his review, he hit the nail on the head.
Livy Jackson has dealt with her sister's death for almost twenty years.
Currently, she comes to her best friend, Julia's, flat for lunch and finds her dead which is ruled a suicide.
Livy doesn't believe it but her husband isn't being supportive. He thinks she's being paranoid.
In the midst of dealing with her friend's death, Livy's husband is given an assignment in Paris. Not only must she bear her grief alone but she learns that a colleague of her husband with whom he had an affair with in the past, is accompanying him on the Paris assignment.
Livy feels an added burden of guilt because Julia had left a number of urgent messages on Livy's phone, asking Livy to call her.
In the hands of a lesser writer, the story might have been a typical melodrama but Sophie McKenzie draws Livy out so that the reader feels her pain. When she learns something new about her husband, she faces everything by herself.
The drama increases as she meets Julia's mysterious boyfriend and seems drawn to him. However, the reader isn't sure of his intentions.
The story is done with panache and McKenzie's characters come to life before our eyes.
I can't wait to read the next novel by this exciting author.
I received a free book in return for my honest review.
Livy Jackson has dealt with her sister's death for almost twenty years.
Currently, she comes to her best friend, Julia's, flat for lunch and finds her dead which is ruled a suicide.
Livy doesn't believe it but her husband isn't being supportive. He thinks she's being paranoid.
In the midst of dealing with her friend's death, Livy's husband is given an assignment in Paris. Not only must she bear her grief alone but she learns that a colleague of her husband with whom he had an affair with in the past, is accompanying him on the Paris assignment.
Livy feels an added burden of guilt because Julia had left a number of urgent messages on Livy's phone, asking Livy to call her.
In the hands of a lesser writer, the story might have been a typical melodrama but Sophie McKenzie draws Livy out so that the reader feels her pain. When she learns something new about her husband, she faces everything by herself.
The drama increases as she meets Julia's mysterious boyfriend and seems drawn to him. However, the reader isn't sure of his intentions.
The story is done with panache and McKenzie's characters come to life before our eyes.
I can't wait to read the next novel by this exciting author.
I received a free book in return for my honest review.
November 8, 2014
Trust In Me is a psychological thriller about Livy, who loses a sister, a best friend and very nearly a husband.
Livy is a mother to a painful teenage daughter and toddler son who adores her. She has a good life, but still struggles to come to terms with the loss of her little sister who was murdered whilst in her first year of university. The person who so cruelly took her little sisters life was never found. Fast forward 18 years and Livy turns up to visit her best friend Julia for a lunch date. Julia doesn’t open the door and she doesn’t answer her phone. She is dead on the couch. Are the deaths connected? Is it suicide? Is Julia the friend Livy thought she was all these years?
This read was a good one, it did have me in suspense and my favourite chapters were the ones told from the murderers point of view as they were smart and dark and interesting. However, they were few and far between and Livy as the main protagonist bored me a little. I felt that she could have been a real kick ass heroine, yet the ending didn’t really give her, or the other main characters the opportunity to bow out with a bang.
Overall though, a great holiday read if you love a thriller and some suspense!
3 out of 5 stars from me
Livy is a mother to a painful teenage daughter and toddler son who adores her. She has a good life, but still struggles to come to terms with the loss of her little sister who was murdered whilst in her first year of university. The person who so cruelly took her little sisters life was never found. Fast forward 18 years and Livy turns up to visit her best friend Julia for a lunch date. Julia doesn’t open the door and she doesn’t answer her phone. She is dead on the couch. Are the deaths connected? Is it suicide? Is Julia the friend Livy thought she was all these years?
This read was a good one, it did have me in suspense and my favourite chapters were the ones told from the murderers point of view as they were smart and dark and interesting. However, they were few and far between and Livy as the main protagonist bored me a little. I felt that she could have been a real kick ass heroine, yet the ending didn’t really give her, or the other main characters the opportunity to bow out with a bang.
Overall though, a great holiday read if you love a thriller and some suspense!
3 out of 5 stars from me
February 25, 2015
I received an Advanced Readers' Edition of this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway. You Can Trust Me will be published in April 2015.
Rather than devising a plan or following a proven procedure to solve the unexplained death of Julia, her best friend, Livy Jackson lurches through this story reacting emotionally to each successive tragedy. Livy was deeply hurt by her husband's infidelity six years ago and has permitted her marriage to deteriorate into a relationship with no mutual trust or intimacy. Paradoxically, Livy immediately trusts Julia's grieving fiancé, Damian, who is a figure of mystery since Julia had hidden Damian's identity from Livy and others for months.
The cold, cold case of the unsolved murder of Livy's sister's sixteen years ago is woven into the current-day tragedy of Julia's death both through the clues discovered by Livy and Damian and through the creepy voice of the perpetrator who tells his own story in short chapters sprinkled throughout the book.
The book is grinding and atmospheric ... I recommend this story to readers who like noir in their relationship novels.
Rather than devising a plan or following a proven procedure to solve the unexplained death of Julia, her best friend, Livy Jackson lurches through this story reacting emotionally to each successive tragedy. Livy was deeply hurt by her husband's infidelity six years ago and has permitted her marriage to deteriorate into a relationship with no mutual trust or intimacy. Paradoxically, Livy immediately trusts Julia's grieving fiancé, Damian, who is a figure of mystery since Julia had hidden Damian's identity from Livy and others for months.
The cold, cold case of the unsolved murder of Livy's sister's sixteen years ago is woven into the current-day tragedy of Julia's death both through the clues discovered by Livy and Damian and through the creepy voice of the perpetrator who tells his own story in short chapters sprinkled throughout the book.
The book is grinding and atmospheric ... I recommend this story to readers who like noir in their relationship novels.
March 24, 2015
I am sorry to say that I didn't particular enjoy this book. The reviews on here are practically glowing and I'm struggling to understand what I’ve missed.
I found the lead character, Livy to be incredibly wooden and unlikeable. I saw nothing heroic about her acts – instead found her impulsive, unstable and irritating. The story itself was farfetched and very over the top. Yes I get that this is a thriller and the outrageous is expected but this just wasn’t believable to me. Halfway through the book, my logical side was constantly repeating “Why on earth is this stupid woman not calling the police?”. The whole thing just annoyed me, if I’m honest. I also found it very predictable throughout and felt the constant ‘new leads’ were confusing and not really necessary.
Despite all of that, I didn’t totally detest this. Like many books, it passed the time and I managed to see it through to the end. Perhaps if the characters were more relatable then it wouldn’t have been so disappointing for me
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