Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Who to Believe is a multi-layered nuanced story that follows six friends who attend a birthday party in the small coastal town, where they live. At the start of the story a local resident was found murdered, which of course guides the party attendees to speculate who performed the horrific deed.

The author skillfully switches perspectives and timelines, revealing the complex and flawed characters and their possible motives for committing the murders plaguing their community.

This story is well-written, captivating, and full of surprises, and includes themes including: gambling, addiction, adultery, and revenge.

My favorite character is the Dr. Farley Drake, the resident therapist, whose sessions added enlightening character backgrounds to this novel. Dr. Drake is an interesting character himself, an openly gay man helping raise his boyfriend's teenage daughter.

Personal Note: Love the mention of a Triumph Spitfire (my first car as a teenager).

Who to Believe is a good choice for fans of authors such as: Ruth Ware, Liane Moriarty, and Shari Lapena, (readers who enjoy suspenseful and cleverly plotted mysteries with a touch of domestic drama).

There are a whole lot of secrets in Monreith, Massachusetts. It all seems to start unraveling with the murder of Laurel Thibodeau. But, the murder is only one part of this deliciously twisty story by Edwin Hill.

The mystery and darks secrets of this small community are revealed by different characters, often repeating the same set of circumstances but with a different point of view and perspective. This adds layer upon layer to the story, until the reader has a nearly complete picture of what has occurred. But, the reader has to pay attention and keep all the players straight. This is important in order to enjoy Who to Believe to its fullest. And, I’ll admit, it was sometimes hard to keep track of the characters, their actions, and their motivations.

However, Mr Hill is a master storyteller and this book is testament to his talents. His characters are well-drawn (although most of them are rather distasteful) and the plot is well-constructed and quite complex. For me, Who to Believe was enjoyable, frustrating, and ultimately quite satisfying. 4.5 stars. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

"Monreith, Massachusetts, was once a small community of whalers and farmers. These days it’s a well-to-do town filled with commuters drawn to its rugged coastline and country roads. A peaceful, predictable place—until popular restaurateur Laurel Thibodeau is found brutally murdered in her own home. Suspicion naturally falls on Laurel’s husband, Simon, who had gambling debts that only her life insurance policy could fix. But there are other rumors too . . ."

This story has layers! The town of Monreith is the type of town where everyone knows everyone else's business. Neighbors are close and those that grew up there have a long history together. We follow several of the towns members and their kids as we learn the various relationships that bind them together.....and a few secrets a long the way.
Told from multiple POV's this one takes a few chapters to get all the characters straight and understand their relationships. But boy does it weave a web of messy characters! While pretty much each person in this story holds a secret, some of those secrets are truly dark. This story is layered and kept me guessing to the end. I just love messed up characters doing dark and messed up things.

Thank you to @netgalley @kensingtonbooks and @recordedbooks for the gifted copy of this book.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Who to Believe is a very appropriate title for this mystery. It takes place in a small town in Massachusetts where people not only know each other but also know everybody's secrets. When a woman is found dead, her husband is assumed to be the prime suspect, but there is much more to this story.

There are seven people involved with the dead woman and each one has a plausible alibi. The reader hears each story separately as there are seven accounts all told in the first person. Who are we to believe?

In the fictional Massachusetts town of Monreith, there are plenty of secrets to go around, even among friends.

When popular restaurateur Laurel Thibodeau is murdered, those secrets start to be revealed, one at a time through the POV of several local residents. Is the killer Laurel’s husband Simon, bogged down by gambling debts? Who knows the secrets that abound – the police chief has heard plenty of them, as has his longtime friend, Unitarian minister Georgia Fitzhugh. The town psychiatrist knows his patients’ secrets, plus the information they share about others. And that’s just the beginning.

When six friends gather to celebrate one’s fortieth birthday, shortly after Laurel’s death, of course speculation runs wild about what happened. But what none of the guests guess is that one of them will die before the night is over.

Edwin Hill has crafted a wonderfully twisting whodunit, leading the reader down paths that make for so many possible killers. Each complex character the author has created has a piece to add to the puzzle, challenging the reader to figure out who the real killer is.

Brilliantly written mystery told from multiple POV's. Held me until the end...the surprise ending I should say.

What a brilliant read. This has got to be one of my top reads for 2024. Don't let the cover fool you! Inside lies a brilliant whodunit that only gets revealed right at the end, by an unlikely narrator.
The story is told from various character's viewpoints and as each one progresses, more information is given to the reader with many surprises along the way.
You'll probably never look at your new neighbours in the same way again after this book.
Brilliant writing, keeping you guessing until the end. Happy to admit, I was wrong about who committed the murder.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.

I loved this book!! I had no idea who the killer was. I was on the edge of my seat. Very well done. I also liked the multiple POVs.

I'd read a title or two by Edwin Hill early on, and so looked forward to reading WHO TO BELIEVE. But less than 50 pages in, after I had already spent a chunk of the preceding pages curling my lip regarding a certain character (who really set me off), I found myself going ballistic and figuratively spitting nails, I was so furious! I felt as if the author had betrayed me, making me discover horrible secrets unwarned. And then! More horrible secrets! Talk about morally gray: these characters are solidly in "morally black!"

Fictional Monreith, Massachusetts, seemingly a quiet unassuming small town, is actually a descendant of Peyton Place!! Almost nobody is truly free of secrets and misdeeds. Of course, some are much worse [and more fatal] than others. And nobody is trustworthy.

Once I had finished and calmed down, I decided I was glad I had read the novel, though by no stretch of any imagination could it be considered "comfy" or comforting. Can there be THAT MANY evil people in one small town? Doesn't ANYBODY behave?😳

Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for the earc in exchange of my honest review.

I hate hate books that redo the same things from different POVs, instant buzzkill.

Monreith, Massachusetts, seems like a peaceful town filled with good people, but that illusion is soon shattered once a local restaurateur is found brutally murdered. The layers of secrets the town holds begin to peel back, and a dark underbelly is exposed. Told from multiple POV's, but in a unique way, the story and the town really come alive for the reader. I enjoyed getting to know the cast of characters, and found myself pleasantly surprised with several twists I didn't see coming. This is a unique book, which is hard to do in today's heavily saturated thriller market. I will have to check out more from Edwin Hill!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

Who to Believe by Edwin Hill

Brilliant, well-crafted, riveting read ~ drew me in, grabbed hold, and wouldn’t let me go ~

What I liked:
* Superb story telling
* The plot, pacing, and setting
* Multiple – seven – viewpoints all sharing new elements that build the suspense
* That characters are more than they appear to be on the surface
* Thinking about what it might have been like to have been any one of the characters in this story and deciding which one, if any, I could most relate to or might find myself willing to call friend
* Thinking about what would have motivated the murders and what would create a person willing to kill someone – or more than one person
* The few more sane characters that helped balance out those who were less so
* The dark, twisted, deviousness of the story and just how brilliant it truly was
* That it made me think and care and really hope that at least the teenagers might come out okay in the future

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about evil, murder, and the way some can appear so “good” but have rather rotten centers

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Theories, rumors and recollections run rampant, with several suspects at the forefront. There are some twists, but who to believe? Very entertaining.
Many thanks for to Kensington and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was the first Edwin Hill book I’ve read, but it won’t be my last. I was drawn into the story from the first chapter, with the interesting situation between a counselor and a pastor.. Both are accustomed to keeping secrets told to them by clients or parishioners, so their verbal sparring was a perfect way to build tension.

Author Hill does a fantastic job of layering the clues of the thriller between the conversations of friends, lovers, and neighbors — all told in a series of first-person narratives that leave you wondering which version to believe. The timelines overlap and occasionally flash backward to fill in important details, yet the story is propelled ever forward. This can’t be an easy style to write, but it is great fun to read.

“Who to Believe” is masterful....but you may have to read it to believe it. My only issue was the overuse of sexual relationships to build the complexity of the characters.

I’m grateful to NetGalley for the review copy. These opinions are my own.

Great story from start to finish and the twists and OMG moments just kept going as you learned more about each character. Since there are so many characters it was nice how it was setup in sections to make it easier to keep up. I thought I knew what was going on and who did what but in the end I learned a lot about these small town people.

This book started off very strong, and I enjoyed Farley's and Alice's POV's. Unfortunately, after that it became to convoluted and confusing and it lost my attention tbh. There were to many people and ridiculous situations to keep track of. The timeline hopping in Georgia's POV was very confusing and unnecessary. The amount of murderers were unrealistic. And the amount of people who were sleeping together and having affairs were hard to keep track of. I felt really nothing when learning who killed Farley at the end because there was to much going on by then, and I didn't connect with any of the characters. I'll give it a 3 star only because I really liked the first few chapters, but probably won't be reading any more books by this author.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I was gifted a copy of this book from the author and an ARC from NetGalley.

What a perfect title. It fits so well. Who to Believe indeed.

This is a complex story that has so many thrills and twists you will think everyone is guilty. Maybe everyone is guilty in ways. Guilty of things that they don't want anyone else to know. But who is the murderer? Who actually killed? It could have been anyone. Well anyone except one of the children. Or the dog.

There is a birthday party. A group of six people. Some have secrets. Actually most have secrets. The problem is, it seems everyone knows most of these secrets and some may be willing to kill for them. Kill to keep them from getting around. Kill to protect themselves or maybe to protect another? I had many guesses but I was wrong about so much.

The story is a mix of affairs, debts owed, secrets, lying, and a diverse array of characters. Each seemed to have a motive to kill. A reason. Even the Chief of Police could be a killer. Maybe multiple murderers? Or maybe a total stranger hidden in plain sight.

This book is well written. Keeps you guessing. Keeps you wanting to know more. It's edge of your seat scary in places too. Told from multiple POVs and many motives. My favorite was Harper. His is the last POV and I loved it. Everyone had a motive except Harper.

Thank you #NetGalley, #EdwinHill, #KensingtonBooks, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five big stars. I highly recommend this one.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

Book Review: Who to Believe by Edwin Hill

Rating: 4.5 stars

Edwin Hill's "Who to Believe" is a riveting domestic suspense thriller that delves into the dark underbelly of a seemingly idyllic New England coastal town. Set in Monreith, Massachusetts, the story kicks off with the shocking murder of popular restaurateur Laurel Thibodeau, sending shockwaves through the tight-knit community and unraveling a web of sinister secrets.

The narrative unfolds amidst a cast of characters who are as complex as they are unreliable. From Laurel's husband with ominous gambling debts to a group of friends harboring their own skeletons in the closet, the novel expertly weaves together jealousy, revenge, adultery, and greed in a gripping tapestry of deceit and betrayal.

Hill's writing is sharp and enthralling, propelling the reader through a rollercoaster of twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat until the final reveal. The author masterfully crafts a suspenseful atmosphere, drawing you deeper into the murky motives and hidden agendas of each character.

What I especially loved about "Who to Believe" is the characters. None of the players in this tale are particularly likable, yet their flawed personas add layers of intrigue and complexity to the narrative. Hill's bold choice to present a cast of unreliable narrators pays off, creating a compelling dynamic that challenges readers to question everyone's motives.

In conclusion, "Who to Believe" is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and mystery novels. With its well-paced plot, unexpected twists, and morally ambiguous characters, this book is a captivating journey into the darker facets of human nature. Edwin Hill's skillful storytelling will keep you guessing until the very end, making this novel a standout addition to the genre. I wholeheartedly recommend diving into the twisted world of "Who to Believe" for a thrilling and unforgettable reading experience.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

I liked the way this book is told in sections, each from a different character’s point of view. Hill did a good jibe of showing of showing the same scenes from various characters’ viewpoints without it feeling repetitive. Each section added knowledge for the reader and included twists. It all kept you guessing!