3.75*
Remember the case of Casey Anthony? The trial that held the world’s attention when she was on trial for the murder of her young daughter.

The premise of this book has a strikingly parallel theme to that trial. Though the author does acknowledge that fact, often referring back to Casey Anthony’s trial throughout.

Mercer has the opportunity to put her life back together after losing her family in a tragic accident. She’s offered the rare chance to pen a book chronicling the trial and verdict of one of America’s most hated women. Ashlyn Bryant, now on trial for the murder of her daughter. Is Mercer able to distance herself from her own pain long enough to write a book about a woman she despises?

“Trust me” She said.

But how can you trust someone who may have mercilessly killed her own daughter? Someone whose story changes with the wind?
And once the verdict is in....is anyone really safe? Or is this bizarre nightmare just beginning?

This book will have you debating guilt or innocence at every turn. Do we always have all the facts? Can you trust your instincts? What is truth and what are deception and lies?

This was a high-wire read by Hank Phillippi Ryan that will keep you engaged and questioning everything. You’ll have a love-hate relationship with the characters and always wanting justice for the life and memory of a beautiful child.

So “trust me” when I say I would recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Hank Philippi Ryan for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I feel that I will be in the minority, but this book did not click with me. I was really annoyed with the main character for most of the book. I certainly knew "who dunnit" after the first part. It took 9 days to read because I kept distracting myself with other things. I gave it three stars because the beginning was good. It just didn't go anywhere for me. But I will say that I see this as the potential hit of the season.

This book was amazing. Read very quickly but I did not want it to end. Can’t wait to see what others think. I believe this will be very popular.

Everyone hates Ashlyn Brant, a young mother accused of killing her young daughter. Was little Tasha Nicole in the way of her single young mother's lifestyle? Or did something more sinister happen to little Tasha that wasn't Ashlyn's fault at all?
Mercer is in a slump. Over the past year, she's lost her husband and young daughter in a car accident. Her friend, Katherine, offers her an opportunity to write a true-crime novel covering the real story of Tasha Nicole's murder and Ashlyn's conviction. Mercer agrees to write the story. She needs the money and knows she needs to begin to move on.
As the trial progresses, Ashlyn sits in court with her defense attorney refuting every possible angle. Any piece of evidence or witness against her is conveniently missing. Then, there is a mistrial. Ashlyn is found not guilty. No one will have anything to do with her. So, Katherine brings her to Mercer's home to stay for two weeks, which is the exact amount of time that they have to craft the best selling true crime novel. What ensues is an amazing rollercoaster of ups and downs. What is the real truth? Who is responsible for the death of Tasha?

Amazing book that had me questioning who did it the whole time. Definitely torn from the local headlines but with great twists.

I liked the first half of the book and was sailing through it pretty quickly and then it turned weird and I had to trudge through the remainder of it. Honestly, I would have tough time recommending.

The plot summary of Trust Me cannot do justice to the mysterious menace of the story.

An accused killer insists she’s innocent of a heinous murder.

A grieving journalist surfaces from the wreckage of her shattered life.

Their unlikely alliance leads to a dangerous cat and mouse game that will leave you breathless.

Trust Me examines how we arrive at truths, the nature of facts and memory, and how conclusions and judgments are made. Are facts immutable? In the hands of a skillful practitioner, how prone could anyone be to gaslighting? Hank Phillippi Ryan will have readers torn between stopping because the suspense is unbearable and staying up all night to finish. Why? Because the suspense is unbearable!

A woman is “drawing through the steamy condensation left by the shower” to write the number 442 for the saddest of reasons: “Four hundred forty-two days since the car accident that destroyed my family. The crash that took Dex and Sophie from me.” She’s haunted by the tragedy that has forever altered her future. Her mind turns to the promises and offers we proffer to the universe: “If you make this happen, we promise, I’ll give up drinking.” To get what we want, we willingly enter Faustian bargains, thinking that “eventually, certainly, inevitably, we’ll get what we want.”

Then the universe laughs. And we are left to bargain with ourselves.

A bargain is in the offing: an assignment to write a ripped-from-the-headlines account of a mesmerizing trial. Her former editor Katherine tells Mercer that she needs to get back to work but Katherine’s worried about her capacity to handle it. Is she okay?

“Yeah. I’m fine.” So Kath wants me to write the inside true story of this gruesome crime. I sink into my chair in the study. Can I handle it? To be honest, I’m not sure.

“The book will be an instant bestseller, kiddo. It’ll put you back on the map.” Katherine charges ahead, persuading me. “Toddler killed and dumped in Boston harbor? And now the mother’s on trial for the murder? Sorry, I’m horrible. And I know it’s short notice. But you’re the only writer who can do this justice. Can I tell them yes?”

We’ve seen this story before—a grieving mother facing the cameras, paralyzed with sorrow, desperate to know who murdered her little daughter—until the dreadful truth emerges. Readers will be flooded with memories of Caylee Anthony, the Florida toddler who was murdered: her mother Casey Marie Anthony was charged in her death although she was ultimately not found guilty.

Boston police charged Ashlyn with the murder of her daughter Tasha Nicole. Mercer soaked up “every heartbreakingly disgusting detail about the missing-then-found little girl,” seeing the parallels between her loss and Ashlyn’s.

Now it turns my stomach to think of it. How she duped me. Duped everyone. After the breaking news of her arrest? I could have murdered Ashlyn myself.
And no jury would have convicted me.

With an attitude like that, Mercer would not have been chosen to be on the jury to judge the guilt or innocence of Tasha Nicole’s murderer. But Mercer has been given the opportunity to write a modern-day In Cold Blood. This is not a transcript of the trial.

Katherine continues, as if I’ve said yes. “Narrative nonfiction. Reportage. Truman Capote simply imagined half that stuff. Made up dialogue. How else could he write it? But you can do it, Merce, I know you can.”

Mercer is alone in her house with a television set, a feed from the courtroom, and a disembodied voice—that she calls Voice—that introduces the daily court procedures.

“Happy Tuesday, trial-watchers. Got your coffee? You may roll tape in black,” Voice breaks into the morning silence of my study. “Fifteen seconds.”
I’d tried to name the voice. Give it a personality. But every name I came up with haunted me. Mickey—too much like Dex’s beloved Yankees. Mr. Darcy—never. Tigger? Never.

So he’s just Voice.

Mercer writes and writes and goes around and round with the evidence. Was anyone more likely to be convicted of a crime that Tasha Nicole’s murderer? Why hasn’t Ashlyn taken the stand? She must be guilty.

I’d love to hear her, though. Hear her attempt to testify her way out of this. It could provide an entire chapter on self-delusion and self-centered melodrama. Ashlyn testify? I write it on my list.

Sometimes wishes on lists come true: Mercer will have an opportunity to hear Ashlyn in person. Unbelievably (to Mercer’s way of thinking), Ashlyn is acquitted. Katherine shows up at Mercer’s front door with Ashlyn in tow.

I’m trying to be polite. I’m trying to act normal. But I’m in The Twilight Zone, certainly. Maybe also Through the Looking Glass with Alice. And a dash of Kafka.

Katherine wants Mercer to allow Ashlyn to move in with her for two weeks, so Mercer can write the story of Ashlyn’s redemption. How’s that going to work out? Trust Me, you’ll be desperate to find out.

After a young woman is found Not Guilty of murdering her toddler and dumping her body, a reporter takes her in to help write an as-told-to true crime book. As the what-ifs start coming hard and fast, and the lies mount, journalist Mercer
Is battered by conflicting theories and the haunting memories of her own demons.

The story opens with the trial of "Baby Boston" and everyone believes that the mother, Ashley Bryant is guilty. Mercer Hennessey had a husband and a two year old daughter, but they were killed in an auto accident, and she has been living with guilt for more than 450 days. Mercer is persuaded by her friend and editor to follow the trial and to write a true crime novel. The research, writing, and deadline give Mercer reason and purpose to her days, but what will happen to her novel if Ashley is acquitted?

Mercer has an opportunity to interview Ashley on an exclusive basis, but for every question asked, there are more questions and no answers. Ashley asks questions that cause Mercer to doubt everything she's believed in. So, who is lying and who should you trust?

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an ARC; all opinions are my own.

Wow is this title misleading! I didn’t know who to trust through the entirety of this book! I was up and down and around, all over the place, but this is a sign of great writing. I think the confusion helped me get into the head of the protagonist, Mercer, while she is plotting a book about a child murderer. There were times I was trusting, and then felt so stupid for falling for the lies. Again, great writing!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for an early copy. All thoughts are my own.

Ashlyn Bryant is accused of murdering her beautiful three-year-old daughter, Tasha Nicole. When little Tasha went missing, Ashlyn insisted she did not know anything about her daughter's fate, claiming she last saw her with she left her with a babysitter named Valerie. But Tasha's body was found stuffed into a garbage bag, Ashlyn was charged and held to stand trial. Now the trial is a gruesome spectacle with the District Attorney claiming that "only Ashlyn" had the means and motive to harm Tasha, even though no physical evidence links Ashlyn to the heinous crime.

Mercer Hennessy knows about loss. Two years ago, her own three-year=old daughter, Sophie, was killed, along with Mercer's husband, in a horrific vehicle accident. Since then, Mercer, a journalist, has been mired in grief.

When Mercer is given the assignment of following Ashlyn's trial and writing a true crime book about it, she struggles to emerge from the wreckage of her own life. Watching the trial each day, Mercer is convinced that Ashlyn is guilty.

The surprise outcome of the trial throws the two women together. Theirs becomes an unlikely alliance and dangerous game of cat and mouse as Mercer attempts to elicit the truth from Ashlyn and grows increasingly dubious and afraid for her own safety. Before long, Mercer finds herself questioning every detail about her life and relationships, including the marriage she thought was a happy, faithful one, and the circumstances surrounding the death of her beloved husband and daughter.

Trust Me is based upon a unique premise. While the characters are fully developed and their repartee intriguing, the book's momentum stalls mid-way, with scenes seeming to repeat themselves without advancing the storyline. The book would have benefited greatly from some judicious editing. Nonetheless, it is a chilling tale about the powerful hold the manipulations and machinations of a psychopath can have on a rational, intelligent individual, especially if that individual has already been rendered vulnerable. It is also a story of triumph over despair and the application of reason to outsmart a formidable, but ultimately flawed, psychopathic opponent. And for those reasons, it is entertaining and worth reading.

Trust Me
Hank Phillipi Ryan


Story 4.5
Ryan’s latest tale is a page-turning, emotional rollercoaster ride, a chilling psychological thriller about lies, murder, grief and starting over that will entice and pull at heartstrings. The characters are genuine, the scenes realistic and the first person narrative grabs readers from the start taking them through a myriad of non-stop twists and unexpected turns while holding their rapt attention until the spine-tingling end. And except for a brief period where her grieving yet professional writer protagonist Mercer comes off a bit too gullible the storyline is flawless enthralling her many fans and hooking new ones.

SUMMARY:
It’s day four hundred forty two since journalist Mercer Hennessey lost her husband and toddler daughter in a tragic car accident, she’s stopped living and is merely surviving on survivor’s guilt, grief and pain. Then a former colleague shows up with a job offer, the perfect opportunity to kick-start not only her career but just maybe a life re-start too. She’s been given the opportunity to write a true crime book about the Baby Boston murder trial where the baby’s mother is accused of the heinous murder. Mercer agrees and decides to write it for not only the victim in this crime but also for her sweet young daughter whose life ended way too soon. When the trial takes an unexpected twist Mercer and the accused killer’s lives become enmeshed in a way that she would have never in a million years imagined leaving her to wonder who she can trust.

4.5 stars

Trust Me, this book was a great psychological thriller.

“Do I ever get to start over?”

Mercer Hennessey begins her days by marking off the number of days it has been since her husband, Dex and their daughter, Sophie died. She was once a journalist who decided to become a stay at home mom to care for her daughter. Her whole world stopped when she lost her family. Mercer has been asked by her editor friend, Katherine, to write a true crime book about the case of a young woman, Ashlyn Bryant, accused of murdering her daughter, Tasha and dumping her body in the Boston harbor. This case hit close to home as Mercer is steel reeling from the death of her three-year-old daughter and her husband. She decides to take the job and begins watching the trial at home and writing each day.

This book was full of twists and turns and the beauty in this book is in the writing of the character of Ashlyn. While reading this book, I found myself guessing, re-guessing, second-guessing, going back to my original theory, coming up with new theories.... UGH! You get the picture. Ashlyn is frustrating, and I could never tell if she was telling the truth. She was manipulative, constantly lying, and twisted the truth. The entire book I questioned was this another lie? Why lie? Why be vague? Why twist the truth? I felt as frustrated by Ashlyn as Mercer appears to feel in the book! I also loved how Ashlyn spoke in this book. The "and didn't you ever wonder," or "don't you think" She was constantly testing the reaction she was getting from what she was saying, even bragging once that "I am so good at this."

While reading this book, many readers will think of the cases we have all read about in the news - I thought of "Baby Doe" the little girl whose body was found in the Boston Harbor, Casey Anthony, Susan Smith, etc. to name a few. Those cases are unimaginable and heartbreaking. This does have the ripped from the headlines feel to it and I believe that was intentional. I used to live outside of Boston and have seen Hank Phillippi Ryan on the news. I am not sure if she still is, but she was an investigative journalist, and she uses her journalism skills here. She knows how to flesh out a story and how to write about how the media comes into play and even has her characters making comments about members of the media.

I found this book to be well-written, tense, suspenseful, and thought provoking. I had my super-sleuth hat on trying to determine what was the truth, what was another lie, wondering if I would ever learn the truth, etc. This book was complex, well thought out and plotted. I was captivated by the story and invested in knowing what truly happened to Tasha. Hank Phillippi Ryan did great job at keeping me on my toes and the pages flying by. I was riveted to the pages. The description was perfect - this was a twisted game of cat and mouse!

Trust me, you will not be disappointed by this book!

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Mystery? – not too much
Thriller? – not really
Suspenseful? – no

I found Trust Me by Hank Phillippi Ryan to be a huge disappointment. The two main characters, Mercer (a journalist and grieving mother and wife) and Ashlyn (a single mother accused of murdering her daughter) are both flawed and struggling. Unfortunately, I found them to be annoying and unappealing as well. The story seems to drag on as Mercer attempts to write a book about Ashlynn’s murder trial and the circumstances surrounding the charges. Meanwhile, Ashlyn, at best a sociopath, weaves tale after tale in her own defense, confusing and confounding Mercer every step of the way.

All in all, I found the story to be much too long and drawn-out. Explanations that are revealed in the final pages are awkward and seem somewhat contrived. The only part of the book I thoroughly enjoyed and without reservation, was the epilogue. I really liked the outlook on life that Mercer articulates. It describes the positive attitude that can help you deal with the unexpected directions life often takes.

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

This is her best book yet! It will keep you reading!
Mercer Hennessey is contacted by her former editor to write a book about a mother accused of killing her two year old daughter.
She starts to write the book and even stays with her to do the interviews and find out the real truth to the story. It has a lot of twists and turns to this book.

In this stand-alone novel, Hank Phillippi Ryan delivers strong characters and a compelling story--we’d expect no less after reading her Jane Ryland series.  The author’s extensive experience in journalism makes for a fascinating and realistic description of the stresses of dealing with deadlines, editors, uncooperative story subjects, etc. The book is an effective depiction of the aftermath of a horrific, highly publicized crime, with ceaseless coverage by a hungry media machine and opportunistic instant-book publishers. At first, I found this novel a bit difficult to read for the same reason that many others will undoubtedly love it: the “ripped from the headlines” quality makes the crime a little too real for me. When I read a mystery novel for fun and escapism, it’s less pleasant if it’s a book-length reminder of the horrific murder of a child that was all over the news in recent memory.  While the crime is all too realistic, a couple of the plot elements—for example, the living arrangements that are imposed on the main character by her colleague—strain credulity.  The protagonist is an adult and an accomplished professional, so it is hard to believe that even at a vulnerable time in her life she would have tolerated this so spinelessly. The ending is satisfying, and as usual I find myself looking forward to this author’s next book.

If you are looking for an outstanding, gripping crime thriller, you've found it! Completely intense, with twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end! There is no doubt why the author of this book is an award winning author. Well written and suspenseful, you just won't be able to swipe your Kindle fast enough! This kept me up WAY past my bedtime, I had to force myself to put it down so I could actually do something productive (beyond reading of course)! Thought provoking and heart wrenching at times, a must read without a doubt. If you only have one choice of books, make it this one! I love this author, and anxiously await her next publication. No spoilers, just READ THIS.

Ryan takes the reader down paths that were troubling. The reader begins to doubt that they understand either character. Who can you trust? Trust Me may have you wondering. A 5-Star Must Read full of suspense, thrill, chills, twists, and turns. #NetGalley

So you think you have read something like this before?
You are wrong.
A compelling story of a woman grieving the loss of her daughter and husband and a narcissistic woman who denies knowing who killed her daughter.
When the lines of reality and trust become blurred, what is true and what is not?
Read Trust Me and decide for yourself. # TRUST ME. #NETGALLEY

Well, my mind was officially blown as soon as I finished this one, you guys know that I read a ton of thrillers and love the feeling of not knowing exactly where a story is headed, but Trust Me takes things to a new level. I changed my mind at least a hundred times about what direction this would take, so many times that I started to confuse myself! There was so much going on here it made my head spin at times and it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat.

The blurb here is short and sweet and absolutely perfect so I’m not even going to say a whole lot here because going in blind really upped my enjoyment and I want the same awesome experience for you as well. Mercer is a journalist trying to recover from a terrible tragedy and her first foray back into work is to write a true crime book covering the trial of Ashlyn who is accused of murdering her toddler. Horrific stuff and Casey Anthony immediately springs to mind, and Ryan doesn’t shy away from the comparisons, she actually references her several times in the book which I thought was a cool move, she definitely wasn’t trying to rip anyone off. Mercer is convinced that Ashlyn is guilty, but did she really kill her little girl? In a weird twist of fate Mercer and Ashlyn wind up playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse and that’s where I stop talking about the plot.

I found this to be highly unique and loved the book within a book structure, that always intrigues me and was very well done here. Ryan has a sharp writing style and this was meticulously plotted, remember how I said my head was spinning? That was so true, she left me reeling in the end and so surprised by what ended up happening.

Trust Me in three words: Original, Tricky and Complex.