This was my first time reading anything by Luca Veste and I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, I found it hard to put down. Sarah is a therapist, counselling people with anxiety. She has a loving husband and two children and all seems well in her world. Then a new client called Ella arrives and confesses to a crime that Sarah knows she could not have committed because she is the culprit. Sarah has fled the UK to live in the U.S. so that her crime can never catch up with her. the only person she has ever told of her crime is her husband and that was ten years ago, so how can Ella know the details? Sarah knows she has to act before the life she has built for herself is destroyed. She will do anything to protect her children and her marriage. But all is very much not what it seems. Ella is not acting alone and Sarah finds herself threatened and attacked from several angles until the story reaches its dramatic conclusion. There are multiple twists in this story and I found myself generally guessing what they would be before they happened right to the end. However, I still enjoyed finding out if I was right! The only problem I have with this story is there are really no genuinely good characters so there was never going to be a feel good ending The story slightly lost plausibility towards the end but was nevertheless a very good read.

I really enjoyed this story, the twists and turns were extremely gripping and keep you guessing right to the end.

History comes back to haunt you but is it what actually happens. When someone finds out what Sara got up to years before and uses it against her the mystery starts, and the person behind the plan is shocking.

This is a well written story about what appears to be a normal family, until the truth comes out. It’s shocking in so many ways.

I love novels featuring unreliable therapists and this drew me into Trust In Me. Sara, is a therapist who has left the UK to make a life with her husband and two children in the US. When a new patient confesses to a crime that mirrors Sara's own experience Sara's life is thrown into turmoil.
This started off well and I found the first half to be a compelling and pacy read. Told primarily from Sara's point of view, she is an unreliable narrator and there is the sense throughout that she is hiding something. I did feel that after the first half the novel loses focus and pace and becomes a little ridiculous which was disappointing after the excellent start.
3.5 stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I did enjoy this novel. It's very readable and quite a page-turner, even if the entire convoluted plot stretches credibility. Still, if you're looking for an easy read that keeps you engaged, it does what it says on the tin.

I was expecting so much more but unfortunately it was a let down. I put down and picked up this book so many times I eventually just gave up 🤷‍♀️

I liked the premise of the novel, a British woman living in the USA, enjoying a comfortable family and professional life whilst hiding a dark secret from her past. However, the narrative pace was too slow, the characters dislikeable.and the plot predictable. An easy read but not for me.

Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Review - Trust In Me by Luca Veste

Trust In Me by Luca Veste
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Release date: 14 September 2023
Back cover blurb: THE THERAPIST. Sara seems to have it all - a thriving practice as a trauma counsellor, a comfortable home, a loving husband and two children. A world away from her troubled past. She's the only one who knows that her entire life is built on a lie. THE PATIENT. Until a new patient confesses to a crime that hits too close to home. Sara is thrown into a quest to hide the truth: from her family, her co-workers, and most importantly, the police. THE CONFESSION. How can this person know about Sara's past? And how can Sara silence her before it's too late? One thing is certain: she will do anything to keep her family safe.









I've been a Luca Veste fan since his debut, and I love how every time he releases a new novel he brings something different to the table.

Trust In Me is no exception.

What would you do if a patient of yours confessed to a crime that you committed? Something that happened so long ago that you should have put it out of your mind, and felt less guilt about by now.

But what if that crime was so terrible that you don't think you will ever not feel guilty about it, and believe you should be punished?

This is the position that Sara finds herself in.

When a new patient comes to see her in her role as therapist, Sara is left shaken following their session. For Ella has confessed to a crime that Sara herself committed years previously. A crime that Sara thought no one except those involved were aware of.

A situation that she wishes every day hadn't happened.

When the patient leaves the session abruptly without booking a follow up appointment, Sara knows that they must know who she is and what she has done. So now she needs to find out exactly what Ella knows, who she is, and what she wants.

Whatever her motive, Sara cannot let Ella tell anyone else about her crime or it will jeopardise her whole life. Sara now is wealthy, successful, happily married with two children. She cannot and will not go back to her previous life.

And she will do anything to keep her family safe.

Every time I thought I knew what was happening with this story something else happened to turn that completely on its head. You can trust no one and I really mean no one! But that just makes it even more thrilling.

I can't wait to see what Mr. Veste has in store for us next.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love a Luca Veste book, this one didn't disappoint. Plenty of twists and turns. Just how I like it. Recommended.

Sara, a therapist, is now happily married to Jack, with two children and living an affluent life in the US, a world away from her old life in the UK where secrets are buried and she's happy for them to stay that way, until a new client, Ella confesses to a crime that is far too close to home for Sara's liking, because the crime that she has just confessed to is Sara's, how could she know what happened all those years ago, thousands of miles away and what will Sara do to keep her secret and her family safe?

Trust in Me is complex thriller told mainly from Sara's perspective, across a dual timeline of before and after. This is an intense read with some very dubious characters, Sara included and, regardless of the book title, I didn't feel that any of them could be trusted. It's a fast paced read with some intriguing twists that kept me invested in this sometimes far fetched tale and, although I guessed who was behind the drama this didn't, in any way, detract from my enjoyment of the story. It's a well crafted cat and mouse tale of suspense and intrigue which is definitely worth reading.

I'd like to thank Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads and Amazon.

Oh I do love a psychological thriller and Trust in Me is a cracker! Luca Veste uses all his psychology skills to produce a compelling portrait of a woman who will do anything to keep her family safe. From the outset we know that Sara is holding onto a huge secret; one that if revealed, could threaten everything she has worked so hard to achieve.

She’s married to Jack a successful American financier, has two wonderful children, a dream house and she has a fulfilling career as a psychological therapist. It’s a lifetime away from the young English woman who had so many reasons to escape her past.

While most things in Sara’s garden are rosy, she worries about Jack who is working long hours and she’s never really bonded with Jack’s sister, Stephanie, who looks after the kids when they’re out of school and Sara is working. Other than that though, she and Jack are happy and have everything they ever wanted.

Everything changes though, when a new client comes to the Sara’s practice, specifically asking to see Sara for a therapy session. Elle is a composed young woman and as she starts to tell Sara her story, Sara finds it very hard to believe what she is hearing, because Elle is narrating, almost word for word, the story that Sara has been keeping secret all these years. There’s no doubt about it – so who is Elle, what does she want and how did she know?

Trust In Me is told at a great pace which keeps the reader involved and on a bit of a rollercoaster as events unfurl with speed.

One of the great things about the way that Luca Veste has written this book is that as you learn more about both what went before and Sara’s actions now, you find yourself constantly questioning your feelings about Sara. She is obviously scared and clearly she adores her kids, but is her attempt to atone for her past sufficient to overcome the harm that she has done?

She is a very relatable character and as things progress she is put under ever increasing pressure her façade of the gentle loving mother and therapist does seem to start to crack.

Because you know where Sara’s guilt comes from, the threat emanating from Elle is very real and you really feel for Sara as she basically freaks out and puts her career in jeopardy. But Sara is stronger than she looks and she’s not prepared to be intimidated. She will fight tooth and nail for her family.

Luca Veste is adept at getting you to invest in his characters; he’s also plotted a course with this book that keeps you on your toes. There’s twists and misdirection that make you change your mind about what’s going on all the time. I love that kind of a read – one where the characters surprise you and challenge your perceptions of them.

Verdict: Great characters and a brilliantly twisty plot set around secrets and lies with many emotional highs and thrilling moments that keep the reader guessing all the way to the very end.

I have a chequered history with this author but, although I did have to suspend belief a tad along the way, I did quite enjoy this, his latest offering.
We start with Sara who has a pretty solid life. A good marriage, loving husband and a couple of children make up her private life. Her professional one is as a counsellor with a well respected and thriving practice. Until the day she welcomes a new patient, Ella. A patient that will tell her a story. A familiar story. Her own story. And it isn't a good one. How in the heck could Ella know what happened all those years ago. How could she know the secret that Sara has been hiding. But she does. And the more Ella says, the more details she gives, the more scared Sara becomes... And then Ella runs out of the consulting room and disappears...
And so begins a bit of a cat and mouse chain reaction of events that has Sara running around trying to track down Ella, to find out what exactly she knows and why, and how, she knows it and, more importantly, what she, or whoever, wants. Before her life comes crashing down around her.
I've already said I had to suspend belief a tad along the way. I also rolled my eyes on occasion. But, all that said, I did have a lot of fun along the way too. It does all get a bit convoluted and interconnected so you do have to have your wits about you throughout. And there are definitely plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing.
Characters are a bit hit and miss for me but I think you are not really supposed to like them and that's OK. It also means that they thoroughly deserve all that the author throws at them along the way!
And the ending, when it eventually came was worth the effort and satisfying, if a little eye-rolly! My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is a great psychological thriller.
Sara is a therapist and when a client tells her what is causing her problems, Sara is shocked to hear her speak about something she did when she was younger.
Sara is confused by her client but as she runs off straight after the session, she’s not sure what to do.
She tells her husband, who is aware of her past, and he tries to reassure her. Soon a man and a woman break into their home and for Sara, they have crossed the line as her children were upstairs.
Events take a few twists and turns and the whole situation comes to a nail biting face off.
I guessed some of the aspects of the story but this did not spoil it for me.
This is a gripping thriller that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Counsellor Sara’s life is turned upside down when Ella, a new patient, enters her office. Ella begins to tell her a story about a murder she committed and, instantly, Sara is troubled – this tale bears a remarkable similarity to a story from her own past. Just who is Ella and what is her agenda? Sara knows that if she is to keep the life she has made for herself, she must find out everything about Ella and how she knows so much.

I am a big fan of Luca Veste’s writing and he has, again, written a page turner that had me gripped from the very beginning. We discover quite early on that Sara has a past that she would prefer to keep hidden yet despite what had happened, I found myself having great sympathy for her and willed her to get to the bottom of this intriguing mystery. We meet several characters throughout Trust in Me, most of them with very few redeeming qualities. This, for me, only strengthened my like for Sara as I did not want to see any of the others come out on top!

The plot is fast-paced with many twists that keep you guessing as to what is going to happen next. There was one aspect of the story that I successfully predicted would happen but the majority of the book kept me on my toes as I wondered how on earth Sara was going to get herself out of the problematic situation she found herself in.

If you are looking for a fast-paced, easy-to-read psychological thriller with a great twisty plot, then I can definitely recommend Trust in Me.

A good read overall. However JG did loose me halfway through. But stick with it as the ending is good.

For a book that barely contain one likeable character, this was a quick and compelling read which I whizzed through in a couple of days.
I’ve read other books by this author and he certainly knows how to spin a good yarn-this book was no exception to that rule!
Sara is a therapist, married to Jack for 15 years with two young children. She is English but now living with her American husband in the US.
When a patient enters her office one day and tells her a story about a terrible deed from her past, Sara knows she has a problem. Ella, the patient is actually describing something she herself did, many years earlier.
As the book progresses, Sara begins to panic at what Ella knows although she cannot trace her. Sara’s perfect life starts to spiral out of control and she realises that she has a lot to lose.
I didn’t much like Sara, she’s done a terrible thing but compartmentalised it and gotten on with her life. Although she obviously feels remorse and has chosen a caring career as a counsellor, it doesn’t negate the fact that she’s behaved appallingly.
I did feel some sympathy for her in the course of the novel but ultimately felt she deserved everything she got.
However most of the other characters were not pleasant with apart from her young children and one of her other patients who only had a minor role in the plot.
Definitely not a pleasant read but it was difficult to put down and I raced through it at top speed. I just wish there had bend one nice person in the book!!!
If you like dark psychological thrillers with several twists you will enjoy this.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

I have read this author before and remembered his style of writing as powerful and page turning!

This book gripped me at the beginning but it lost me mid way through, finally ending on a high in the last 50 pages! Some of the characters were more believable than others and think thats why I lost interest a little! A good 3 star read!

I really liked the blurb in this book but felt slightly disappointed when I started reading. I failed to like any of the characters, especially Sara who is a therapist. There was some action at times but the book slowed right down in the middle and I almost stopped reading. You really have to suspend belief at times as it is very far fetched but it's a quick, easy read for summer holidays! Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

As Sara comes face to face with someone who discovers her secret, just how far will she go to protect herself and her family? Who is this woman she has never met before, and how does she know she killed a man?

This is a well written psychological thriller that will keep you guessing. A solid 4 stars, only dropping a star because I found the middle just a little slow for me. However, the last 10% was brutal! Some utterly jaw dropping WTF moments had me turning the pages quicker than my heart was racing! This book certainly got my adrenaline pumping, and I felt like I was right there with Sara, fighting alongside her.

Three words to describe this book… EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.

Will definitely be reading more from Luca Veste. Massive thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for my advanced copy.

Sara is a therapist who leads a lavish lifestyle in America. Suddenly Ella turns up and at her practice and tells a terrible story that sounds very familiar; it sounds like her own story. Sara needs to find out how Ella can know so much about what happened all those years ago and how she can keep her secret safe.

This was a compelling read with plenty of twists and turns. The story slowly builds up suspense, with some action packed scenes. Although I enjoyed the premise of the plot and the writing style, I did find that it took me quite a long while to get into the story and found it dragged somewhat in the middle. The main character I found quite unlikeable so I never felt as though I was rooting for her and it does end up needing some suspension of belief. Overall this is definitely an entertaining, thrilling read once the story gets going. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this copy in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this. A complex psychological thriller centred around Sara a British woman who moved to the USA with wealthy Jack, who she subsequently married and had two children. She is now working as a therapist and they live a very comfortable life. Told largely from Sara’s POV, who is at best an unreliable narrator, and not the most likeable of people. To be fair the whole book is littered with unlikeable characters! The book starts with Sara and then boyfriend Dan killing someone and disposing of the body. Well written and well constructed this is a pretty fast paced novel apart from a section near the middle where I found it a bit slow going but it soon moved up apace with a thrilling and quite shocking ending.

Briefly, when Sara has a new client, Ella, she is shocked when the client confesses to murder, because her confession is virtually a description of the events of the murder Sara was involved with. Sara has to decide what to do next as there are clearly going to be consequences.

You need to suspend belief at some of the goings on in the story, particularly when two hired ‘thugs’ join the plot, but it’s fiction, it’s ok if it’s a bit far fetched! It was a good enjoyable read with a few red herrings, a few twists, including one pretty huge one. Very cat and mouse with Sara chasing Elle and everyone chasing Sara and throw another client of Sara’s who happens to be a police detective and it almost becomes a bit of a Brian Rix type farce. Personally, I thought it was a really good entertaining read.
4.5⭐️