ABOUT THE BOOK
Who killed Jack Sullivan?
Welcome to Hamlet. Population: 192.
You can’t find it on any map, GPS, or directions site. A small village tucked between a mountain and a valley, Hamlet is the sort of place where everyone knows everyone—and their business, too. There’s no television. No internet. No phones. Only one way in and, for the locals, barely any way out. The sheriff is the law, the only doctor moonlights as the coroner, and outsiders hardly ever come to town.
Murders are even rarer.
A treacherous storm, a flat tire, and a touch of serendipity cause Tessa Sullivan and her husband Jack to stumble upon the narrow strait that leads into Hamlet. It was supposed to be a one-night stop until the rain let up and Jack could figure out how to fix the tire—until Tess lands herself in the local jail cell overnight and Jack is found dead in their hotel room the next morning.
There’s no doubt it was murder, but with Sullivan’s gentle wife having an airtight alibi, the sheriff has to wonder: who had any cause to kill the outsider? And is he the only victim?
Dr. De Angelis doesn’t think so. Neither does Deputy Walsh. With Tess looking more and more like the killer’s next target, both men take the time to comfort and protect the young widow. But only one of them is sincere. The other just wants her to himself now that her husband is out of the way.
Alone and afraid, who can she trust?
MY REVIEW
Beware the town of Hamlet. There is no cell phone service. The locals aren’t partial to outsiders. And it’s harboring a murderer.
The story follows newlyweds Tessa and Jack as they venture to the town on their second honeymoon. Unfortunately, their car breaks down during a rainstorm and they’re forced to seek shelter in the town. However, their problems are just beginning as Jack is soon found murdered and Tessa becomes a prime suspect. The sheriff realizes that the town may be harboring a murderer and begins to investigate.
One thing to note about this book is that it’s told from multiple points of view, which can be confusing at times. Tessa is portrayed as young and naive, while the men in the town seem to want to protect her. This includes Dr. Lucas DeAngelis, who is charming but has a checkered past with his ex, and Deputy Mason Walsh, who is portrayed as a creepy stalker.
The sheriff, Caitlin De Angelis, is also a character in the book, but her emotional and spiteful behavior makes her unfit to run the police department. She’s too obsessed with her ex-husband and shows a strong bias towards Tessa.
While the premise of the book is intriguing and there are little hints leading toward the surprising ending, the execution fell short for me. The many perspectives made the ending confusing and didn’t make sense to me. However, if you’re a fan of murder mysteries with several twists, this book might be worth a read.
Overall, Don’t Trust Me is a unique murder mystery with a twist, but the multiple perspectives and confusing ending might not be for everyone. If you’re looking for a quick read with a bit of suspense, give it a try.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jessica Lynch loves to write! She’s been writing ever since she was a child, and spent years writing fan fiction before deciding at the end of 2017 to begin focusing on her original works of fiction. A 14-time winner of NaNoWriMo, Jessica has tons of manuscripts waiting to be formed and shaped and introduced to the world — plus countless more milling around in her brain. She just wishes she could type fast enough to get them all out!
When she’s not writing or working, she’s either reading, playing with her family of cats in Central New Jersey, rooting for her beloved Mets, or working on her graphic arts skills to bring her characters and cover art to life.
Follow Jessica on her website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and Goodreads.
