
Member Reviews

Another fast-paced, gripping page turner by Susan Lewis, this one is the second in her Hindsight podcast series set in Bristol and featuring a range of relatable characters. I enjoyed this book despite its extremely far-fetched and unlikely nature. Susan is an excellent writer and this was a good escapist holiday read.

Really enjoyed this book it has me hooked from the start. Well written loved the characters. I would highly recommend reading this book.

Another great read
Second book in this series
A book with lots of twists and turns
Can’t wait to read the next in this series
Thanks Netgalley

Really good book which I will recommend to others.
Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

Now, this definitely started strong, Susan Lewis really knows how to pull you in! I was completely caught up in the mystery early on and flying through the pages.
This is a follow on from Nothing To See Here, which I haven’t read, but I didn’t find that a major issue. You get just enough backstory to keep up, although I imagine I’d have felt more connected to some of the characters if I’d read the first book.
The story follows podcasters Christy and Connor, who are approached by Sadie, a young woman living with her two wealthy aunts. Sadie was told her parents died in a car crash when she was a baby but now she’s convinced she was stolen. After finding what looks like a fictionalised story written by her late aunt, full of unsettling clues, she begins to question everything.
The format is really clever, switching between podcast script and prose, and it does help keep things moving. I also really liked how the book dives into complex relationships, family, loyalty, and the lengths people will go to protect those they love. The characterisation was well done, and the dynamics felt layered and real.
But as much as I was pulled in at the beginning, I found the second half started to lose pace. It became a bit overcomplicated, and I caught myself flipping back pages more than once just to keep track of who was where and what had happened. And the big twist? I saw it coming way before the reveal, which honestly took some of the fun out of it.
This was the first Susan Lewis that I’ve read, and although it wasn’t an absolute standout for me I liked her writing and would definitely pick up another of hers.

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot or the publisher's blurb!
I've read a lot of books by Susan Lewis, so was delighted to be invited to read this novel - I was not disappointed.
This novel features the "podcast team" from an earlier book - headed up by Cristy. Some of the same characters appear - including Cristy's ex-husband, her new beau and family, and of course the podcast team - with a couple of new additions.
This time, the cold case involves the disappearance of a a child many years ago. The plot is as twisty as you'd expect from Susan Lewis, and as usual, you don't know who to trust - let alone believe! There's a good mix of characters - some nice, some not so - and some nicely described settings as usual - including a jaunt across the Pond.
The team uncovers a lot of events that have been hidden for decades - and several characters seem to have a lot to lose. One person's entire life is fiction...can they be trusted?
I'm looking forward to reading more in this series - the characters develop more with each novel.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

We once again catch up with Christy, Connor and the rest of the hindsight team, this time we join them as Cristy is handed pages from a story told by Lottie Winters. Is there any truth in the words written on the page?
Sadie Winters has lived with her aunts for as long as she can remember. When Lottie died a few years ago, it left just Mia and Sadie. Sadie comes across some pages of what initially appear to be a story about finding a young girl on the beach and bringing her home. Is Sadie the little girl found on the beach? Who is her real parents? What happened to them
We follow hindsight team as they once again dig deep to investigate the mystery of their podcast titled who’s that girl the twists and turns that develop as the story unfolds leaves the podcast listeners wondering not only who’s that girl with a whole host of other questions.
I enjoyed this story. It kept me hooked. The continuation of the characters worked very well however this could also work as a standalone.
Thanks to netGalley for the opportunity to read this title

I’ve enjoyed many Susan Lewis books but this one didn’t really capture my interest, partly because it centred around a podcast. The story started really well but became a little drawn out to hold my interest.

An intriguing storyline continuing on the series featuring Cristy and Conner’s crime podcast set in Bristol. This book takes us back to the island of Guernsey and Susan also takes us to Naples, Florida. It’s a complex, well written book which I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend.

This was an intense read that had me gripped right away. Twisty, atmospheric, tense. I love Susan Lewis and this did not disappoint !

Don't Believe A Word is a truly gripping story that is full of twists and turns that I didn't see coming. While this is the second book that follows podcaster Cristy Ward, it can be read as a standalone, which is what I did. Once I figured out who certain characters were and their role in Cristy's life, the story started to flow a lot easier, and I found myself unable to put the book down.
I really liked how this story and the case were told, especially in the script format. We really got to delve into these character's lives and the mystery of Sadie's childhood. I found it so intriguing, learning snippets of her life, as well as her aunt's who raised her as pieces of evidence came into play and the pieces of the puzzle started to fit together.
I'm definitely interested in reading the first book that followed Cristy (Nothing To See Here) and diving into more books by Susan Lewis in the future!

They raised me. Nurtured me. And lied about everything.
Sadie’s childhood has always been shrouded in mystery.
But there are three things she knows.
She was raised by two aunts.
She never knew her parents.
She is convinced she was stolen.
Cristy Ward, podcast host, is gripped by Sadie’s story. It’s perfect for her next true-crime investigation. Yet Sadie's aunt claims it’s all a fantasy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction for giving me an advance copy.

So Initially I was invested in the mystery that surrounded this story the format worked well alternating between narrative and podcast script however at the half way point I had myself checking the percentage of reading left and it lost its appeal.
For me it became repetitive, drawn out and I disengaged with the plot and characters I just felt in was missing something and too drawn out.

Don’t Believe A Word by Susan Lewis and narrated by Kristin Atherton; Mark Meadows; Oliver Hembrough; Lucy Price-Lewis; and Catrin Walker-Booth, is the second book in the series featuring Cristy Ward and her podcast team, Sadly, it did take me awhile to listen to this audiobook as it was a slow burner but once I got into it I really enjoyed it.
All the narrators added an extra layer to the story, each of them delivered a fantastic production that really added to the layers of the story. If it was just 1 narrator I think I would have given up on it. So I am glad there was 5 narrators.
I was lucky to have the book as well to review, which I read and also listened to the audiobook which was great especially whilst I was sitting on the beach reading it.
Big thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio | HarperCollins for my Audiobook/ARC.

It is over twenty-five years ago that I first read a novel by Susan Lewis and I have continued to read her writing from time to time over the years. She is a prolific author, who writes across a broad range of genre, crime, thrillers, suspense and family drama.
'Don't Believe A Word' sees the return of podcasters from Nothing to See Here, Christy and Connor and their team with another mystery for 'Hindsight' their podcast. This time the company has been approached by Sadie, a young woman who believes they may have the ingenuity to investigate who she really is!
Once again great character portrayal from Susan Lewis and a substantial read that will certainly keep you guessing. I am delighted that the author decided to feature these characters in a second novel and was also pleased to learn that a third story in the series Never Look Back is due to be published towards the end of this year. The two novels published so far definitely stand alone however reading the series enhances the understanding of the relationships of the many characters. Highly recommended to anyone that enjoys a good mystery.
Thanks to Net Galley, Harper Collins UK and the author for the opportunity to read and review.

I generally love books by this author but there were so many characters in this one that I just could not keep up with the story line.
Sorry this one isnt for me
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review

This was a brilliant book!
As soon as I saw it listed I was hoping I would be accepted! Thank you for the ARC copy of this I really appreciate it!

Book 2 in the Cristy Ward podcast series and another cracker. I spent a lovely sunny day glued to this in the garden. David's daughter Anna asks Cristy to help her friend Sadie who has discovered a mystery around her early years. Brought up by two aunts, Sadie has never known her parents. Discovering papers within Aunt Lottie's paperwork after her death, she discovers she was left on a beach for the sisters to find. Who is her mother? Where did she come from? So begins another investigation as the latest series in the Hindsight True Crime podcast series gets underway. A truly shocking story but with some very humorous touches especially between Cristy, her ex Matthew and their children. I'd recommend reading the series in order to appreciate the relationships and nuances. #netgalley #dontbelieveaword

Susan Lewis is one of my favourite authors but I just couldnt get in to this book. I found the plot just too slow, and the number of characters just too hard to keep track of.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

True crime podcasters Cristy and Connor are keen to explore what happened to Sadie who has a mystery surrounding her childhood .set in Guernsey. This story is based on family ,betrayal and murder