Member Reviews
I read so many thrillers and seem to gravitate towards psychological thrillers. This is not that. It's more of a mystery, suspense thriller, and I enjoyed the heck out of it. The brother and sister at the heart of this story are kind of unlikeable and entitled moneygrubbing jerks...but it is fascinating to watch their dynamics. The second third of the book brings in another character, who I really had an affinity for. She was a tough cookie, smart and conniving out of necessity. And, the ending of this book was perfection for me. It was exactly how I wanted it to end. If you are looking for a more thrillery type of thriller, grab this one up.
This story started off a bit slow but we get a little momentum at the 30% mark and it’s pretty consistent from there. This is more of a mystery of a conman than a thriller. The family dynamics and the relationship development with the stepsister kept me intrigued. It read a bit YA but I can see why some would love this one. It was simply average for me.
In Trust Issues, siblings Hazel and Kagan Bailey are forced into an uneasy partnership when their mother dies under mysterious circumstances, leaving her fortune vulnerable. Though they haven’t been close for years, they’re both determined to find the conman—once a trusted family member—whom they believe not only took their inheritance but may have had a hand in their mother’s death. As they work together to track him down, they’re drawn into a labyrinth of family secrets, betrayals, and unexpected allies, racing against time to uncover the truth before they lose everything.
The plot of Trust Issues is intriguing, but I found the siblings difficult to root for. Both Hazel and Kagan came across as spoiled, greedy adults who, despite their tragic circumstances, seemed more focused on the money than on any real sense of justice. While the husband’s sketchiness was obvious and provided a motive for their pursuit, I felt that none of the characters, siblings included, really deserved the inheritance. Although the story had its suspenseful moments, I was left wishing for more growth and maturity from the main characters.
I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. Dysfunction at its finest. I am torn on the ending, but I love the eulogy.
Hazel and Kagan’s mother died and their step father disappears with their inheritance. What follows is a cat and mouse chase. Trust Issues is a quick read that holds your interest.
This was a first time read for me by these authors. I thought the premise of the book was interesting, and it did make me want to keep reading, but I also felt it was long. Each interaction of the characters had a lot of detail about each one and what they were thinking or what the other was thinking about them, and at times it just got repetitive. I would read another book by either of these authors, and I really thought this one had some clever twists and turns, but again it just seemed long.
Kagan and Hazel learn that their mother has died and the police believe she was murdered. They think that their step father (Perry) is behind it. The siblings set out to destroy their step father and get their money back. They learn that Perry doesn't exist and realize he is a con man.
Perry believes he can outsmart and outwit anyone. This was a fun cat and mouse of who is outsmarting who and who will end up with the money in the end. They find Eva his daughter and team up with her.
Kagan and Hazel were some lazy, unlikeable characters.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.
When I first expressed interest in this book I thought it was going to be a physiological thriller but it’s more of a mystery/con artist story. That’s not really my thing but the book read quickly so I stuck with it. The story is good but there really wasn’t anything spectacular about it and the ending was just as I predicted.
This story beautifully captures the struggle of finding trust in a shattered family while delivering unexpected twists that keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s a gripping reminder of how love can be as complicated as it is powerful.
I thought this was a good premise for a book with it's shady characters and book divided into three sections but I found it a little hard to follow
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book
Well titled because as you move through each chapter, you’re unsure of who to trust. This well written book is split into three sections, and you learn the motives behind the murderous con. The novel morphs from a whodunit to how will justice be served? No spoilers here! Thank you to the author(s) and the publisher for this wonderful escape. Trust Issues held my attention and kept me guessing!
What a fascinating tale of conman and griffters. I love reading con stories, its really fascinating to me how some people can act with such a lack of conscious because I feel like mine is on hyperdrive. This book was a blend of mystery and suspense read, and it was a nice mash up. It was slower paced as I find mysteries to be, though it held me interest. This book was engaging and I couldn’t wait to figure out what was going to happen next. I didn’t see the twist at the end of the book coming and I loved that. The pacing was nice and fast, which also led to me staying engaged. The two main characters were not likable at all, they really kind of sucked. Reading about their lives filled me with anger, but it was the kind of anger that propelled me through the pages which was entertaining. I just found myself wanting to yell at them multiple times. Despite disliking them so very much, I still enjoyed the story and know the unlikeable characters were there to serve a purpose.
Such a good story! I wasn’t sure after the first couple of pages where this one was going but for some reason I kept with it. I’m glad I did! Great characters and plot. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
"Trust Issues" is an intriguing novel that features an unexpected conclusion. While the story starts off a bit slow, it soon gains momentum. The narrative revolves around Kagan and Hazel, a brother and sister grappling with the mysterious death of their affluent mother, who bequeathed her fortune to her new husband. Kagan and Hazel are not particularly endearing characters, as they navigate their feelings towards their stepfather and uncover the existence of a stepsister along the way. The book is filled with surprising twists that enhance the reading experience, ultimately making it a compelling choice for readers.
Two kids just find out their mother has passed away and she left all her money to her new husband. Something isn't adding up and the kids are going to find out what and why.
Hazel and Kagan both work to find out what really happened to their mother and where did their stepfather disappear with all their money. Along the way they discover they have a step sister and hope that she can spread some light on who their step father really is and how to catch him.
This book has an interesting plot and the speed of the book works well to keep your attention throughout. The ending was not what I was completely expecting and it was nice to see that little twist. The only issue I had with this book is that I didn't like the two main characters, Hazel and Kagan. They were spoiled and greedy adults that have always gotten their way until now. I do understand that was the authors point and tried to look past that, but it was hard to read in parts when I just wanted to smack the characters and yell at them to grow up.
Overall it was a good read and I would definitely read something from this author again. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for an ARC in return for an honest review.
Such a good book, and as the title states, it involved lots and lots of trust issues. This book is about a woman’s death and figuring out exactly what happened. Did she fall or was pushed off of a cliff? Lots of thrills and twists and turns
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
Trust Issues definitely speaks of trust issues. I enjoyed the perplexing mystery of schemes and more deception s than you can count while rooting for the true inheritance seekers however dead they might be. Wow it was an exhilarating novel that kept me anticipating the outcome to the final curtain.
This is a fascinating look at a woman's death and all the events leading up to it. In the prologue a woman leaps to her death off a cliff--or is she pushed? When husband, Perry returns from a business trip he discovers the tragedy and meets her brother and sister--Hazel and Kagan--for the first time and assumes they only want the fortune she left behind. But the duo knows that Janice had a fear of heights so they're really confused as to why she would be walking alone at night. But they have their own issues as Hazel is addicted to her social media channel and Kagan is addicted to alcohol so can they be trusted? It's a wonderfully convoluted novel about the choices we make, the identities we adopt, and the lengths we may go to in ensuring we get what we want--or deserve!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Trust Issues.
I enjoy con man stories and revenge tales so I was excited to read this.
Sadly, I found the plot formulaic, the characters boring and trite, and the writing was dull, all tell, no show.
First and foremost, I had issues with the writing; the narrative is written in an info dump style or expositional. It was like reading a textbook of what was going on.
The characters tell us what they're feeling, thinking, why they're angry. Some chapters are just summaries of what the characters are planning or thinking, lots of inner monologuing.
Also, people don't speak like this in real life; talk in paragraph form and say "i see" constantly which is what the detective Calabrese says all the time.
The characters are unlikable, Hazel and Kagan are privileged, entitled middle-aged brats who vow vengeance not because Perry had their mother killed but made off with their inheritance.
With kids like these, who needs enemies?
Perry's daughter was the only interesting character, but she's poorly developed since she's written in a term paper kind of way as well.
This type of writing drags the narrative down, the pacing is slow and tedious, and lacks suspense and excitement.
This was an interesting read. You have a shady con man Perry that steals the inheritance of Hazel and Kagan after marrying their mother and having her killed. The siblings will do whatever it takes to get their money. Some unlikeable characters and several twists. I liked how it brought the siblings together too.