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.

🎧 Audiobook review 🌟🌟🌟💫 rounded up

I wouldn't categorize this book as a thriller but rather as a whodunit mystery suspense.

It has a full cast of narrators, which I love, but I have to admit that I got a thrown because along with the full cast, you also get all their POVs surrounding the same timeline, which I wasn't expecting. It initially left me a little confused and lost in the shuffle for a short time.
You have the psychiatrist, their patient, the detective, the psychiatrist's boyfriend and his daughter, the minister, and even the dog. Which I loved by the way and one reason why I rounded up. I think I have all of them straight and I wanted to lay them out for you, because I think it would have been better if I had known that I would be getting multiple POVs so that I could easily distinguish when we were switching POVs. If I had known that when I began listening and knew that we would be hitting the same record of time from these POVs, it might have helped with my confusion and make sense of everything. Once I had it all straight in my mind, I was able to engage more in each and the story.

I loved how it started out with the psychiatrist who knows all the secrets of the small town. I ate that up. He's a captivating MC who has surprises up his sleeve. He was probably my favorite character storyteller. I appreciated his narration and POV. I was laughing when he was talking about how good-looking he was. I also really liked his daughter's point of view and narration. Both were very animated and a little over the top, but in a fun way. Their stories held my attention.

Although there was some confusion initially With the writing style, I found it interesting once I grasped it. I can say that I enjoyed listening to certain POVs more than others and that some held my interest better. The first time we entered Max's POV, he lost me for a moment, as it took on a detective mystery feel and I was in to the gossipy psychiatrist's POV. While I didn’t hate it I was a little disappointed when it changed and it took me a second to figure out that it was and where we were headed. When we landed back with Chloe (the daughter), it really picked up for me again.

In my opinion, this book was good. Looking back at the same events through different POVs can be interesting, but it got a little drawn-out for me because the event wasn't particularly thrilling, if you will but it was suspenseful.

I do have to say I don't think I've read anything quite like this with so many points of view and a recounting of the same event from their different points of view that helped you uncover what happened. Some will definitely love that and some will definitely hate that. I was somewhere in between, but I think that it must take some skill and another reason I rounded up. I still love getting fresh perspectives, but I was unsure if I had too many to keep track of for a while. I did enjoy the book enough to go back and revisit the parts I was unsure of. If I wasn't enjoying it, I wouldn't have done that. I think I will definitely check out another book by this author at some point. Before entering, I suggest reading a synopsis for this one to get an idea of what to expect. If I read one of his books again, I will read it rather than go blind.

It’s a yes, for me, knowing that some will love this and some will not.

Thank you NetGalley, RB Media and Edwin Hill for sending me this Audiobook in exchange for my honest review..

@deannsdailydrop 🖤

Who To Believe • By Edwin Hill
✨Mystery✨Psychological Thriller✨Crime
________________________
Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Netgalley Arc - Jan 23

This book is definition of don’t judge a book by its cover, not the prettiest of covers but boy was it a fast page turner of a thriller !

Laurel Thibodeau was found in her home asphyxiated with a plastic bag, told in 7 parts The Shrink, The Patient, The Cop, The Boyfriend, The Daughter, The Minister & The Dog we are woven through lies betrayals cheats and murder.

Everyone has their part to play, everyone has a secret to hide but who’s willing to kill to protect theirs.

As you’re told bit by bit of the storyline you try guess the ending but as the POV switches and gained new insight you’re easily switching back and forth of suspects.
This is the first novel I’ve read by Edwin Hill and I’ll definitely be picking up more!

Monreith, Massachusetts is rocked by the death of Laurel Thibodeau, the owner of a local restaurant🍰. Laurel was found violently murdered, and the evidence suggests her husband, Simon, is guilty.

Due to the nature of their professions, there are plenty of secrets hidden amongst the local minster, Georgia Fitzhugh, police chief, Max Barbosa, and psychiatrist, Farley Drake. There are also plenty of agendas...but who saw what really happened?

💡𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀💡
This was another new author for me📚. I’ve really enjoyed reading from authors I haven’t tried before and I've found some great new favorites.

I listened to the audio book for this one, and it was fun switching between character perspectives to see what each person knew about the others because it made guessing who it was really tense! One perspective at the end was very unique. I don’t think I’ve read something like it before, but without giving too much away, it was fun but also seemed a little deus ex machina .
While brave and interesting, this end felt a bit disappointing for me (though I’m sure plenty of people will love it!!)

This novel takes place in Monreith, Massachusetts a small community on the coastline. When Laurel Thibodeau, owner of a popular upscale restaurant in town, ends up murdered in her home, suspicion falls on her husband Simon. However, there may be more to the story than an open and shut case. As friends gather to celebrate Alice Stone’s 40th birthday, the seven all seem to have their own ideas about the murder. As the book progresses, each character’s viewpoint is given..showing more than one may have a motive for murder. And as the party comes to a close, another person will be found dead. I enjoyed this read and the twists, but found all of the characters hard to like and therefore I wasn’t fully invested in the story.

This pulled me in rather quickly. I love when a book does that right off the bat. They’re lots of PoVs going on which got a little jumbled just a couple of times. Developed characters that I just couldn’t figure out “whodunnit”. Good writing. Fun mystery.

Interesting start to the novel. It does a good job of pulling you on right away and I enjoyed the narrators. The various characters tell the same story of the happenings over a few days time from their own points of view, with each also adding extra info they are only privy to. After a bit though, even with the added info from the different characters, the story seemed a bit tedious because of the repetition. Some great twists, however not I can't imagine it's too likely to have that many murders in the same small town, let alone the same friend group. Overall, I did enjoy the story, with a few caveats.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for this advanced audio.

Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for a free audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was perfectly described as a ‘claustrophic’ thriller which sees the same story told from multiple POVs with each adding new elements, twists and even murders. There is not one character who’s own POV paints them well and, for that reason, Hill does an excellent job at weaving multiple plot lines together and creating slip ups and admissions that the reader could never possibly see coming.

The cast of narrators do an excellent job and each is perfectly suited to the character they embody, really bringing a voice to life rather than simply reading words on a page.

However an honorary mention needs to be given to the last POV which truly took me by surprise. A really solid tactic by the author and the only POV which truly made me believe the character.

High 3.5/5

This book looked like it would be great. It has an intriguing premise with interesting characters. It seemed - for me - to move slowly and I didn't like Farley at all so I found myself getting irritated as he was narrating. Actually, none of the characters were very likely to me and all the mysteries one after another got to be rather confusing. It turned out to be an ok book but not really what I expected.

Thanks to RB Media and NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had such promise: a murder, a small New England town, a group of friends at a summer party, then - shockingly - another murder, this time of one of the friends. Alas, the execution is lacking. 7 different POVs, lots of intrigue, and I know that small towns are supposed to be hotbeds of nefarious doings, but it seems unlikely that a town this small can support numerous murderers, one of whom is a serial killer.

If you like stories in which all of the characters have MAJOR problems, and not very many redeeming characteristics (it's weird for me when my favorite characters are a teenager and a DOG ffs, and yes, the dog gets a chapter, too. For some reason the female dog is voiced by a man? And it sure sounds like the same voice actor who did another character in the same book? Well, it's a choice I guess), then maybe this book is for you. I know that Edwin Hill has been nominated for the Agatha for previous books, and hopefully this title is not representative of his usual work.

2.5 stars rounded up

A strong story told with a clever and intricate twist which will keep you guessing all the way! Suspense and deception

Love, love, love this one! The murder of a woman in a small town has devastated the community. They try to pull together but no one seems to trust anyone else and they all have their own secrets to protect. This small town whodunit kept me guessing over and over. Every time I thought I’d figured it out, something new happened to lead me in another direction. I cannot praise the audio for this story enough. There are six characters that each have their own perspective of the town and murder, and I loved that each of them had their own voice actor! It drew me deeper into the story. Highly recommend! Available now in print, ebook, and on Kindle Unlimited!

Thank you @NetGalley, @EdwinHill, all of the narrators, and #RBMedia for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

5 out of 5 stars! I wasn't expecting that ending at all! A very enjoyable audiobook! I thought it would be hard to keep up because of how many different characters there were, but it wasn't. I like how there were different "Parts" or "Acts" that separated each POV. It definitely kept me guessing until the very end!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this audiobook. 3.75 stars.

Is there a serial killer running amock in this small town? So many characters to keep track of. I knew one part early on and felt happy to have it confirmed.

There were several sections told from different perspectives. So we are presented with some of the same stuff but from a different prerogative. It was a fun ride.

Very fun mystery book, always changing who I thought the killer was. Enjoyed all of the narrators but the last narrator was a male for a female character which seems like an oversight from the publisher. Despite that, I definitely recommend this book.

Unfortunately this one didn’t work for me. Sorry, I DNF. I had a hard time connecting to the characters and the writing. It didn’t keep my attention and I was bored. I’m sure there is an audience for this book but it wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for approving my request.

Whoa!! Secrets and lies in a small town is one thing, going above and beyond to keep those secrets is another. Moral Vigilantes or Murderers?? How do all the pieces fit together?

This is a twisty tale of backstabbers, liars, cheaters, and morally bad people and I loved every minute of it!

I easily could have read this in one sitting if I had the time. There are no graphic scenes (violence or sexual).

The style of writing was very interesting as well. There is a chapter(s) from every characters' POV and you got into each of their heads. The last chapter was by far my favorite POV!!

Definitely recommend for fans of Liane Moriarty and Sandie Jones.

Thank you, NetGalley, Kensington, and RB Audio for an advance copy of this book/audiobook.

As I reflect on Edwin Hill's mystery thriller, "Who to Believe," I must commend the author for crafting a gripping narrative that kept me thoroughly engaged throughout. Hill's ability to blend intricate plotting with well-developed characters created a truly immersive reading experience.

One aspect that particularly stood out was the protagonist, Hester Thursby. Her complexity and sharp wit made her a compelling amateur sleuth, driving the story forward with her determination and intelligence. However, I believe there is room to further explore her character development, perhaps delving deeper into her motivations and backstory to enhance reader connection.

Hill's exploration of trust and deceit within the narrative was expertly executed, keeping me on edge and questioning the authenticity of each character's intentions. This aspect of the novel was its greatest strength, and I would encourage the author to continue honing this skill in future works.

While the pacing of the story was generally well-maintained, there were moments where the tension could have been heightened even further to sustain reader interest. Additionally, I found some sections of the prose to be slightly verbose, which occasionally detracted from the overall pacing and flow of the narrative.

Furthermore, while the social commentary woven throughout the story was thought-provoking and relevant, there were instances where it felt somewhat heavy-handed. Balancing these themes more delicately could further enrich the narrative and resonate more deeply with readers.

In conclusion, "Who to Believe" is a commendable mystery thriller with a captivating premise and well-executed plot. With further refinement in character development, pacing, and thematic exploration, Edwin Hill has the potential to continue delivering compelling and thought-provoking stories in the future.

Unfortunately this one didn’t work for me. Sorry, I DNF at 38%. I had a hard time connecting to the characters and the writing. It didn’t keep my attention and I was bored. I’m sure there is an audience for this book but it wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for approving my request.

There are 2 sides to every story! (And then there's the TRUTH!)

The aptly titled, "Who to Believe" had me guessing until the very last page! If you love books that are told by multiple characters and multiple perspectives, then this one is a must-read!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC audiobook!