Reviewed by Alex
When you work on over 600 books every year, it’s hard to decide exactly what you want to read. And sometimes you know what you want to read, but there still aren’t enough hours in the day to actually get through all those pages. That was the story of me and Charlie Donlea’s books SUMMIT LAKE and THE GIRL WHO WAS TAKEN. I had heard from almost everyone I work with how absolutely fantastic Charlie’s writing is and how excellent his books are. So, finally, when the ARCs of DON’T BELIEVE IT arrived in my office, I knew it was the time to jump in. And once I jumped in, there was no stopping me…
Every day on the train, I would tear through as many pages as I could so that I could see what happened next, find out the true identity of the killer, see if justice would prevail. The writing was so lyrical, the imagery so expertly depicted—I knew why everyone had been recommending Charlie’s books for so long. I could see why they’d received so many wonderful reviews. Not only is the mystery expertly crafted, but the language is simultaneously beautiful and terrifying—taking you into the heart of a twisted killer.
DON’T BELIEVE IT is real edge-of-your-seat suspense, with a truly shocking ending that will stay with you…and if you’re anything like me, it will leave you angry, questioning everything, and so happy that you picked up a book by an author who would take a chance, turning thriller tropes and expectations on their heads. I love a book that doesn’t give you what you expect as a reader—an author who will leave you in disbelief. Charlie Donlea has done that with DON’T BELIEVE IT. Pick up your copy…don’t waste time waiting like I did! Read More
Don’t Believe It PRAISE
“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
“Riveting . . . fast-paced. . . . A risky late plot twist will frustrate some readers while thrilling others.” --Publishers Weekly
“You can’t blame Charlie Donlea if the ending of his novel makes your jaw drop. The title alone is fair warning that his characters are no more to be trusted than our initial impressions of them.” --The New York Times Book Review
Reviewed by Lulu
Like millions of people all across America I binge watch crime docudramas. I watched them all with obsession and curiosity, I stayed up late at night listening to the latest podcast about someone falsely accused of a crime, I’ve been late to appointments because I needed to watch just one more episode.
So when I heard that Charlie Donlea’s new book was a thriller that explores the dark side of docudramas I was hooked. I got my hands on the manuscript and read it in one weekend, and trust me, I didn’t see the end coming.
In Don’t Believe It we follow Sydney Ryan, a crime series TV producer, as she investigates the case of a young med student convicted of murdering her boyfriend while on vacation in Saint Lucia ten years earlier. Sydney’s TV show airs weekly, and she’s rushing to keep up with it, flying from New York to the scene of the murder on the island resort. But America is watching her documentary and public outcry leads officials to reopen the case. And as the show reaches its final episode Sydney receives a letter saying that she got it terrible wrong. Is Sydney working to free an innocent woman, or has she been drawn into a sinister game?
Now you see why I couldn’t put down the book. And if you are fan of shows like Evil Genius and The Keepers, or podcasts like In The Dark and Up & Vanished, you will love this book. Because Don’t Believe It by Charlie Donlea is filled with breathtaking twists and high tension – the perfect summer suspense. Read More
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