Today we're talking about J.P. Delaney's newest book, Believe Me.
I loved The Girl Before, and found Delaney's writing to be delightfully twisty then, this novel is so much more; and to be truthful, Delaney's writing style has hit a new high with Believe Me. (YAY for authors KILLING IT with their sophomore novels!!!)
A struggling actor, a Brit in America without a green card, Claire needs work and money to survive. Then she gets both. But nothing like she expected.
Claire agrees to become a decoy for a firm of divorce lawyers. Hired to entrap straying husbands, she must catch them on tape with their seductive propositions. The rules? Never hit on the mark directly. Make it clear you’re available, but he has to proposition you, not the other way around. The firm is after evidence, not coercion. The innocent have nothing to hide.
Then the game changes.
When the wife of one of Claire’s targets is violently murdered, the cops are sure the husband is to blame. Desperate to catch him before he kills again, they enlist Claire to lure him into a confession.
Claire can do this. She’s brilliant at assuming a voice and an identity. For a woman who’s mastered the art of manipulation, how difficult could it be to tempt a killer into a trap? But who is the decoy . . . and who is the prey?"
There is so much here I'm just going to dive in.
For starters, I did this on Audio and I have to say it enhanced my experience. Yes, I do A LOT of books on audio, that's how I get away with reading at work, but because of the stylized writing of Believe Me there really is another level added. Written from Claire's perspective, much of the story is told like a scene from a play or a movie, "interior, Kathrine Latham's Office," etc. which certainly helps the reader get inside Claire's head and gives you major Hitchcockian vibes.
WHICH CAN BE SUPER CONFUSING! As much as I loved how twisty and sexy this story is I had to re-listen to conversations between characters and even whole chapters because the story is constantly moving at a pace that makes you think you're caught up, but you're actually behind. Not the worst thing in the world, and I still loved the book, there were just a handful of times where it felt as though the plot had changed and I missed something. I wasn't missing anything, the plot just jumps, frequently, and Claire's scenes are the only way you get to stay on track.
Hands down this was a great follow up to The Girl Before and hands down you'll enjoy this novel, you'll just feel confused until the end and maybe a little turned on by a few of the scenes, and for the vanilla types just lean into it.
Until next time,
XoXo
BrainyHeroine
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