Charlie Donlea is one of those authors, for me, where I don't have to read the blurb because I already know it's going to be good. If you've read his last book you'll recognize some names in this one, which I liked. I liked the aspect of Sidney Ryan digging around to free those who were wrongly accused and airing Grace Sebold's story on tv in real time. I found it easy to envision a group of friends in St. Lucia for a wedding and then everything being torn apart and everyone having to go on with their lives in different ways. Some things were convenient and the ending was a little far-fetched but overall it's another solid and entertaining read from this author.

4.5 Stars A fabulous murder mystery, Don't Believe It is full of twists and turns that kept in on the edge of my seat. This is the first book I have read by this author and itf it is any indication of what to expect in other I will definitely be recommending and reading more.

This is a fabulous read if you are a fan of true crime documentaries like I am. I was not sure what to expect from this book and was pleased to see hoe the story is told. This is a cross between Making a Murderer and the Diana Knox documentary. It is filled with twists and turns, police procedure and investigation, which is tight up my alley.

Perhaps this is too dark and twisted for my taste but I simply could not find my place in this book. I was unsatisfied with the ending and I felt there were too many characters.

Wow!!! This brilliantly written novel knocked my socks off! If you are a mystery/thriller fan, than you HAVE to check out, Don’t Believe It! The twists and turns will shock you and the fast paced storyline will leave you on the edge of your seat! I promise there will be several parts that will completely blow your mind! This 5 star read will have you still thinking about these characters long after you finish! Having never read Charlie Donlea prior to Don’t Believe It, I had no idea what to expect! Let me say I am officially a fan and will be 1-clicking anything and everything he comes out with in the future!

WOWZA -- fantastic read! "Is fame and fortune enough or is the truth the only thing that matters?"

Wow, Charlie Donlea -- you have done it again! Written a suspense thriller that grabs from the first page and never lets go. It took me through all of the emotions on a twisty ride where I first thought one thing, and then another. Just be careful -- and don't believe anything!

The story -- in 2007, at Gros Piton on St. Lucia at the Jalousie Plantation resort, Julien Crist fell to his death from the bluff. In addition to those injuries, the fatal wound, however, was to his head before he went over. His girlfriend at the time, Grace Sebold -- a medical school graduate about to embark on a neurosurgery residency -- was convicted of his murder.

Ten years later, Sidney Ryan, a documentary producer of some renown, decides to take on this case as a possible expose of miscarried justice. She plans to go back over every element of the situation and show, in real time, everything that she discovers through interviews and evidence. The main question -- did Grace really kill her boyfriend? As her show rockets to unimagined ratings success, Sidney becomes emeshed in a deeper mystery than she anticipated. Her investigation leads her to secrets and lies -- but can she get Grace the reprieve that many believe she deserves?

I loved the narrative as it highlights excerpts from the initial police interviews and investigation as well as examination of all the evidence from the case. Since the trial took place in St. Lucia, it could be that the US government was derelict in duty to one of its citizens. A very complicated endeavor, but Sidney has the clout and the brains to do this well. She's a new network darling and everything she worked for is about to pay off big time. And then... (NO SPOILERS). Yeah, I was sure I knew where this was going -- several times. It wasn't until the very last paragraph that I got my answer!

If you read any of my reviews, you know that I am partical to this genre and read almost everything of this nature. This was exceptional on several counts, but mostly it is the writing style and the way that Donlea tells a great story. Trust me on this, you won't want to miss it! And if you haven't read his other two novels (all standalones), SUMMIT LAKE and THE GIRL WHO WAS TAKEN, you need to rectify that immediately. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this e-book ARC to read and review. I admit that I shamelessly begged for it! And I'm so happy I did. Sign me up for #4 now!

Sidney sets out to tell the story of Grace, who has been sitting in prison in St. Lucia for 10 years for a crime she claims she didn't commit. The story unfolds in real-time as Sidney is making a documentary to uncover the truth. I found this a really interesting way to tell the story and found it flowed really well. The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was the ending. It really left me hanging and I wish there could have been an epilogue with Grace and Ellie a few years down the road.

I have so many books that are releasing soon but the minute this landed in my lap, everything else was pushed to the side. I absolutely LOVED this author's debut, Summit Lake, and found his second, The Girl Who Was Taken, to be an incredibly strong follow up, as well. Summit Lake was so well written, suspenseful and was everything I look for in a thriller, and I have to say, I might have liked this one even more (is that even possible?!?)

Don't Believe It is the story of filmmaker Sidney Ryan, who makes documentaries about those she believes are falsely convicted. This follows the case of Grace Sebold, a woman convicted of killing her boyfriend in St. Lucia on a vacation years prior. The style of storytelling reminds me of one of my 2017 favorites, Are You Sleeping. I have a feeling Don't Believe It will surely be making my 2018 list.

If you've read The Girl Who Was Taken, you will see some familiar characters, which I always enjoy, feels like revisiting an old friend!

Final thoughts: READ THIS!

After reading The Girl That Was Taken (his previous book)I sort of knew what to expect from Donlea, specifically enough good things to request this one off of Netgalley without even reading a pot summary. The strategy paid off, this was in every way as decent as its predecessor, possibly even an improvement. It reminded me of several different things, but it was very much its own story, one of a young woman convicted for a murder, serving time in a foreign country and an ambitious documentary maker trying to exonerate her via an investigative tv special. So you have all the basics…murder mystery, suspense, misleading clues, excitement, obligatory twist at the end and, of course, tv ratings. Granted I usually prefer my thrillers more psychological (all those logical psychos are so much fun, layers and layers like crazy onions), but Donlea does a very sound story all the same. It may not blow your mind or your socks off, but it’ll reliably entertain, and what may be lacking in character development is well made up for in meticulously sustained suspense. Nice ending too, mildly far fetched, but just the sort of thing a tv special would finish on. Fun read. Thanks Netgalley.

The light doesn't often penetrate into the darkest depths of the ocean.

Kinda like that ol' shell game that slides and switches the hidden ball beneath. You thought you knew exactly where it was. Trust me.......you won't.

Being a documentary filmmaker can have its occasional perks if the right story comes along. Just ask Sidney Ryan and her crew. It's feast or famine and very little in between. It's also a cutthroat business that depends on ratings. You gotta stay aheadof the bigger fish or you'll get swallowed up in a heartbeat.

But this time Sidney has come across a ten year old case set on the sandy beaches of the tropical St. Lucia in the Eastern Caribbean. Murder somehow doesn't seem to fit in a high class resort. But Julian Crist was dead before he could even say, "Pass the sunscreen." His girlfriend, Grace Sebold, has been prosecuted and convicted of his murder and has been sitting in a prison cell on the island ever since. The St. Lucian jury thought it was a slam dunk. Case closed......until Sidney comes along.

The crew flies out to St. Lucia, interviews Grace, and sifts through years of rushed documents and flimsy investigations. Sidney's weekly "The Girl of Sugar Beach" is a ratings bonanza. The public can't get enough of the "reveal" every week. The government of St. Lucia is takin' a hit and soon Grace is released after being locked up for ten years. End of story? Oh, not quite, Folks.

Dearest Charlie Donlea, you have clearly outdone yourself with this one. I'm a big Donlea fan and have read them all. But this one? Have mercy! The intense research, the smart smart approach, and the pop-ups of well-defined characters that are inserted at just the right bend in the road make this a definite "must read", my Fellow Readers. So glad to see how you brought back Dr. Livia Cutty once again. You need to take a bow just for that alone. Add to that the creative implementation of Gus to this fine storyline. You just can't write fast enough for the next one to get here, Charlie. Bravo!

I received a copy of Don't Believe It through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Kensington Books and to the talented Charlie Donlea for the opportunity.

Don’t believe it is a murder mystery told a bit differently. By making a true crime documentary Sidney Ryan hopes to uncover if the imprisoned Grace Sebold is really guilty of the Sugar Beach Murder. Thus a gripping story enfolds as Sydney is under pressure of time to produce each episode of her documentary, she is also under pressure from the TV executives to deliver, whilst she is under pressure to keep audience ratings up. Last not least she wants to find the truth of this murder! All these make a truly gripping read and a page turner. The end is surprising. This book is for all readers who,love an interesting and suspenseful storyline with lots of twists.

Grace Seibold has been in a St. Lucia prison for 10 years, convicted of murdering her boyfriend on spring break. Grace insists she’s innocent and in a last ditch effort to prove it, contacts documentary filmmaker, Sidney Ryan. The more Sidney learns about Grace’s case, the more she believes the woman is innocent. Shoddy police work left other line of inquiry unexplored and other suspects ignores. The film she makes convinces everyone else that Grace is innocent too. It looks like Grace may soon be free, just as Sidney gets an anonymous note telling her that she’s made a deadly mistake. Has she unwittingly freed a killer? If you like your thriller with surprises and twists and turns, you’ll love this book