It took me a while to finish this one. I felt the story was a little slow but refused to give up on it. I felt it difficult to truly connect with the character and I felt the story a little too scattered for me.

With the increasing popularity of true crime documentaries and podcasts this is a timely novel highlighting the role this type of media plays in influencing public opinion. However, this Aussie debut didn't live up to what I thought it would. I’m not quite sure how to review this one. The story starts out with a lot of promise. But....at times the writing was precise and entertaining. At other times it was confusing, choppy and slow. It felt like two versions of the same book were poorly merged. For me, this was an over-hyped debut that I struggled to finish.

I wish I'd started reading this book sooner but now that I've finished, I know it won't leave me anytime soon. The writing is dark, twisty and led me on a path I hadn't expected. The characters were believable, the setting describable and the story itself is haunting.

Curtis Wade has been convicted of the brutal murder of grape-picker Elize Dacey. When documentary producer Jack Quick looks into the story, he thinks it will make a great show. So good that Wade gets his sentence overturned. But now, another woman has been murdered soon after Curtis is released, and Jack is having second thoughts. He decides to hone his detective skills and go back and revisit the scene of the original crime to see if he helped a murderer go free.. Thank you to NetGalley for this riveting tale.

Jane Harper wasn't kidding when she said this was an outstanding debut.  The dry, dusty Australian backdrop will lead to a lot of comparisons with Harper's work.  And yes, the storytelling is just as gripping, as well. 

Jack Quick is an utterly compelling character and it was hard not to pity, yet root for, this damaged man.  The characters, big and small, were all well drawn out and I loved how the story jumped around in time and from different perspectives.  I was honestly kept guessing until the very end.  This book was absolutely outstanding and I cannot wait to read what Benjamin Stevenson comes up with next.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the very idea of this book. It's timely and smart. With all of the documentaries picking apart police investigations to differing results, I've wondered what would happen if a conviction was overturned and a killer set free to kill again? Is that what happened here? Of course, you want to know, right? You think you do until you start to get muddled down in what was just over-written and obtuse. I wanted so badly to like this book. With ideas like this, the author could do so much. But some editing and differing writing style are what it really needs.

This was such an amazing read that I couldn’t put it down. It went everywhere with me. To the doctors office, the dentist, the eye doctor. IT WENT ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE. I was so sad when it ended that I immediately went and bought more books from this author!

I feel like this is a perfect book for what’s going on now. Which many series on Netflix like making a murderer, it brings attention to how the media influences our thoughts and feelings. There were a lot of twists and turns in this book which kept me intrigued & complex characters to keep it interesting. I love how everything is pulled together and I definitely didn’t see the ending coming. Great story

I wanted to love this one, but it wasn’t my favorite. I love a psychological thriller, mainly because of the quick pace. I like the thrillers that require you to turn to the next page. This book was not that for me. It is a slower paced psychological thriller due to the author’s unique style. It is an Intriguing storyline, but occasionally the plot read like two different stories. I appreciated the intent, so I forged on. I just didn’t feel like the execution matched the promise of the story.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc. I will be reviewing this book in the near future with an honest rating and review.

This book did not engage me - I found myself not really wanting to read/finish it which means I didn't connect with the characters or the story. The premise was interesting enough - using a podcast to help solve a crime - but it just never grabbed me.

Thanks to Benjamin Stevenson, Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This was not quite what I expected, but in a very good way. I was drawn in to Jack Quick's tale from the opening pages and stayed there throughout. It was a relatively novel world for me - not knowing much about vineyards/wineries - and I found there to be just enough background and explication to give the story depth but never to draw me away from the primary point of the book, which is discovering what *really* happened to Eliza Dacey. There were lies, half-truths, secrets, flip-flops, double-crosses... It was a well-developed story with teasers and red herrings thrown in at just the right time to keep me guessing and second-guessing myself throughout. The characters were robust and their windy, twisty motivations were presented in a series of revelations that kept me engaged and entertained throughout.

This electrifying debut is a recommended first purchase for collections where thrillers are popular.

I was dissapointed to not LOVE this book, like I thought I was going to. The characters were underdeveloped, and uninteresting, in my opinion.

4-5 stars! Very well written and honestly intense, chilling, and dark in many spots. I wish I had grabbed this one much earlier, because I was completely shocked at how truly amazing it was for a debut book, especially! I highly recommend to my fellow friends who love the same books as I do!
Will make sure I buzz it up!

Trust Me When I Lie was really a pleasant surprise to me. I read that the author Benjamin Stevenson was a stand up comedian so I didn't really have a lot of faith that it would be good, but fortunately I was wrong! Stevenson's debut novel was quite intriguing to me. In this book, a woman is murdered and Curtis Wade is sent to jail for the murder. A true crime television series with producer Jack Quick casts doubt on the trial of Wade and he subsequently receives a new trial and is released from jail. Shortly after his release there is another murder (is it a copycat or did Curtis Wade strike again?) Jack really questions Curtis' innocence and his part in having him released from jail and is overpowered with guilt blaming himself for the other murder. Jack goes on a mission to find the truth - was Curtis the real killer all along or is there another killer out there? I'm a bit conflicted on the ending -It seemed to be a bit more convoluted than necessary. Overall it was an excellent debut novel.

Trust Me When I Lie is an interesting mystery stemming from a true crime TV show. I loved that the author spotlighted a main character dealing with a serious medical issue. Also, the ending gave me shivers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC! The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #TrustMeWhenILie #mystery

What a topical premise - Documentary filmmaker features a convicted murderer and raises questions as to guilt. A new trial ensues and the "murderer" is set free. Of course there is another murder, eerily similar. Has Jack, the filmmaker, made a mistake? I appreciated Benjamin Stevenson's ability to take readers through the process of film making and the behind the scenes motives and machinations. Trust Me When I Lie is almost a before and after story, and I was glad to see Jack's character grow through the process. The pacing was a little uneven at times, but all in all a solid book. 3.5
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

Sorry to say that I just didn’t have the will to keep going. I might be me but I kept losing the thread of the story and had to keep going back to find out who was who and what on earth was going on.

Jack Quick is the producer of a true crime miniseries that ultimately leads to the retrial and release of Curtis Wade, who spends 4 years in prison for kidnapping and murdering Eliza Dacy. When the body of Alexis , Curtis' attorney, is discovered in similar fashion to that of Eliza's, Jack begins to question if his show set a guilty man free.

Jack, feeling responsible for Alexis' death, sets out with the help of Curtis' sister Lauren to find the truth about who killed Eliza and Alexis. Could Curtis be guilty of both murders? Or is a copycat at work in Alexis' murder and setting up Curtis?

I was intrigued by the plot and how it warns us about how true crime podcasts and shows could be edited for content, interest, and ratings. That we don't know if we are getting the full story. Which is what Jack's editing for his show did. He made the police and prosecution look incompetent and Curtis look innocent.

Jack is a very flawed character. We see the events of his past that still haunt him, and the effects of his battling an eating disorder. We also get to see Jack's motivations in making the show and how he deals with the consequences of his actions.

This twisty mystery kept me guessing and the ending caught me by surprise. I also enjoyed that there were little bits of dark humor here and there. I also enjoyed the setting of Australia's wine country and how it played into the story. A very enjoyable read!

My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for gifting me with an e-copy in exchange for my honest review.