"...the ending of this novel makes your jaw drop."
—The New York Times
Available Now
“A perfectly executed and entirely satisfying read,
Don’t Believe It is a gripping thriller that will blow readers away, from the first page right up to the very last words.
Charlie Donlea’s
best book yet!”
—Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl and Every Last Lie
#DontBelieveIt
"Riveting"
—Publishers Weekly
From acclaimed author, Charlie Donlea comes a twisting, impossible-to-put-down novel of suspense in which a filmmaker helps clear a woman convicted of murder—only to find she may be a puppet in a sinister game.
Large Print
(AU) Aug 2018
Mass Market Paperback (US)
26 Mar 2019
Trust No One
(BR) Aug 2018
Available Now
Book Details
Pub Date: May 29, 2018
304 Pages
Formats:
-
e-book
-
Hardcover
-
Audio
ISBN-10: 149671380X
ISBN-13: 978-1496713803
ASIN: B075CBLSDX
Publisher: Kensington
Sold by Penguin Random House
Language: English
PRESS KIT
Don't Believe It
Tags: #Thriller #Suspense #Mystery #Psychological #SaintLucia #Crime #Caribbean #Kensington
#Charliedonlea
@CharlieDonlea #Pitons #Documentary #islands #SugarBeach
#PoliceProcedural #Fiction #summerreads #Literature #crimethriller #beachreads
#copprocedural #DontBelieveIt #charliedonleabooks #murder
As Seen in
Entertainment
Weekly
S U M M A R Y
From the author of the bestselling The Girl Who Was Taken comes another novel of suspense chocked full of breathtaking twists, and a haunting, surprise ending Donlea’s novels are known to deliver…
The Girl of Sugar Beach is about to become the most watched documentary in television history. The ten-part true-crime serial centers on the burning question: Did Grace Sebold murder her boyfriend while on Spring Break vacation, or is she the victim of a shocking miscarriage of justice? Grace has spent the last ten years in a St. Lucian prison, and now she’s reaching out to filmmaker Sidney Ryan in a final, desperate attempt to prove her innocence.
As Sidney begins researching the story, she is shocked by what she finds. And when the first episodes go to air, exposing startling new evidence and additional suspects, the series quickly becomes a ratings juggernaut — and makes Sidney a celebrity in her own right —as millions tune in each week to find out what new clues have been discovered about the mysterious woman at the center of a grisly crime. As Sidney rushes to stay one episode ahead of her television show’s weekly airings, jetting from network meetings in New York to the scene of the murder at a luxurious resort on the island of St. Lucia, to the prison where Grace Sebold waits for exoneration, a troubling picture of the truth unfolds.
With each new episode, public outcry grows louder for officials to reopen the case. But as the show surges towards its final episodes, and Sidney dives deeper into Grace’s past, she uncovers layer after layer of deception that makes her wonder if she’s helping an innocent woman or actually working to free a ruthless killer. And as she edges closer to the real heart of the story, Sidney must decide if finding the truth is worth risking her newfound fame, her career . . . even her life.
DON'T BELIEVE IT
In the News
As Seen in The New York Times
Praise for Don't Believe It
"[Y]ou can’t blame Charlie Donlea if the ending of his novel makes your jaw drop. The title alone — DON’T BELIEVE IT — is fair warning that his characters are no more to be trusted than are our initial impressions of them." —The New York Times
“Donlea’s framing of the story as documentary research proves an effective device, and his work reads like the best nonfiction: clear, crisp, and fast-moving.”
—Booklist
I'm
"[N]ew York producer Sidney Ryan, the heroine of this riveting…novel from Donlea, is producing a documentary TV series. Donlea splices Sidney’s investigation with excerpted scenes from the documentary and jury room, creating a fast-paced narration. A risky late plot twist will frustrate some readers while thrilling others."
—Publishers Weekly
“It’s easy to get hooked on the book’s heady cocktail of highly rated television and high-stakes subterfuge...a highly topical thriller."
—Foreword Reviews
5 Stars
"[The protagonist] is persistent and courageous, but the story takes a dark, treacherous turn, not revealing its truths until the last page.”
—Criminal Element
"5 of May's Best New Reads."
—POPSUGAR
“[A] timely thriller that builds into a shocking conclusion. Don’t Believe It is sure to appeal to fans of true crime docu-dramas, along with readers of Mary Kubica or Shari Lapena.”
—Library Journal
"This novel is a page-turner, and that accolade carries to the very last page and the very last line of the story.”
—New York Journal of Books
"[I]mmediately compelling. Don't Believe It isn't your average police or detective procedural. [I]t focuses on the creation of a true crime documentary series...a lot of the appeal is of the verisimilitude that Donlea manages to pull off."
—RT Book Reviews
“As timely as it is compelling, Don’t Believe It is a wonderfully crafted mystery. Donlea unfurls the story at a perfect pace while delivering all the twists, turns, and surprises a reader could ask for. Highly recommended."
—James Hankins, USA Today bestselling author of The Prettiest One
AU
Available Now
"[N]othing prepared me for that ending."
—Booktopia
“Fast-paced, gripping and addictive, this one will feed your true crime obsession and then some."
—POPSUGAR Book Club: 5 of May's Best New Reads
AN INNOCENT GIRL
DENIED HER FREEDOM?
Or a calculating killer
with nothing to lose?
“Chilling and suspenseful. I was gripped from the first page.”
—Candice Fox,
bestselling author of Crimson Lake
"The tension is constant and it is another great, page-turning thriller from Donlea.”
