Author: Clare Donoghue
Publisher: Pan
Publication Date: 10th March 2016
Pages: 368
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon
Marriage is complicated. It doesn't always work out. Sometimes there are things you discover about yourself and each other which mean the marriage has to end. Sad, particularly when kids are involved - but all pretty normal.
Normal that is, until there's a murder.
DS Jane Bennett and DI Mike Lockyer are called in to investigate one of South London's most difficult and distressing cases yet - where family and friends come under scrutiny in the hardest of circumstances.
It doesn't seem all that long ago since I picked up the first in this series, Never Look Back, and here we are now at book three, Trust No One. This series by Clare Donoghue is the perfect mix of what I look for in a crime novel; real character-driven drama with two excellent main characters in DS Jane Bennett and DI Mike Lockyer, a true to life plot (you can easily imagine these stories occurring in real life) and a storyline that will keep you guessing and doubting yourself right up until the very end. Clare Donoghue is a brilliant storyteller and Never Look Back didn't disappoint.
Trust No One has a mysterious opening followed by that killer hook that meant I suffered from a very late night the first time I picked this book up, followed by an even later one the next night as I raced towards its conclusion. The book opens with a murder case which on paper could sound relatively normal (normal that is for crime fiction anyway) but which is essentially the beginning of the veritable can of worms being opened. Clare Donoghue weaves an addictive tale, where nothing and nobody is as they seem, and you are never sure of exactly who, or what, you should trust. The victim is the recently divorced Richard and his whole life is completely laid bare following the discovery of his body by his two children, who both go on to have conflicting stories of what went on.
My favourite type of crime fiction novels are those where the case is one you can really get involved in, where you feel a part of the investigation yourself. And, even when you aren't reading the book, your brain is constantly working and thinking about who might be responsible, as mine was for the whole day in between reading this novel. This is helped by the fact that there's such a good mix of suspects; friends, family, neighbours, everyone is under suspicion throughout. It is a complex and very well-thought out story, with numerous twists and turns, and developments that occur at just the right point to both confuse and surprise the reader. As said earlier, you are never sure of who to believe and as the story progresses, there are some surprising moments that I think the majority of readers will fail to see coming. Clare Donoghue is fast becoming another of my must-read authors and this series is one that I constantly recommend to those looking for a new crime series to get stuck into.
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