Trust Me by Gemma Metcalfe
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Read: 31st July 2018
Purchase: Amazon
★★★★★ 5 stars
OMG! This was a fantastic psychological thriller that I can't believe it was a debut! I finished it almost a week ago but I have been too busy to sit down and give the review the attention it deserves until now. I read it in two sittings, though I quite easily could have done it in one - bar for the fact I started it just before midnight and found myself dozing the first night that my Kindle hit my head a few times...hence why it took two sittings. But hey, don't let sleep get in the way of a good book! lol
The story begins with Lana, a single mum to six year old Amber, living in the sunny climes of Tenerife. With an overbearing boss breathing over her shoulder every few minutes - "why haven't you made a sale yet, Lana?" - she is a telemarketer desperately needing to sell a holiday or she will lose her job. With only hours left to make a sale, Lana didn't think her day could get any worse...until Liam answers the phone.
Hundreds of miles away in Manchester, Liam never intended to answer his phone - he was too busy thinking of the quickest and easiest way to kill himself. But he does. As Lana tries to make her pitch he absently tells Lana he won't be needing one of her holidays because in a few minutes he will be dead...then hangs up on her. Feeling that she needs to stop him, and without a thought or care for what her pigheaded boss thinks, Lana immediately calls him back. And while Liam believes she cannot possibly understand, he begins to think that by telling Lana his story then there will be someone left to retell it for him. So Liam begins his story...
Lana also has a secret that she hasn't told anyone. Running from Manchester about six months before from a terrible mistake she made, she finds herself a confidant in Liam. Hoping that by telling him her story he will begin to see that she does understand and that all is not lost; that there is hope. As time ticks away, with her boss still keeping tabs on her and how long she has been on her call ("This had better be a sale, Lana!"), Lana fights to keep Liam alive as they are drawn to each other and their secrets.
This enthralling and riveting thriller is narrated in the first person by both Lana and Liam as they retell their stories from the beginning, switching from the present day and the past. Each chapter is timestamped as each hour and minute counts down to Liam's deadline - to when "she" will be home. With each minute Lana struggles to convince Liam not to take his life, and with time running out Lana lays it all on the line to keep him alive - not caring who in her office can hear her. The entire book switches between Lana and Liam's stories, both past and present, and you feel like you are watching each of them play out. Both stories, equally heartbreaking, touch your heart as you devour every word, every page and live within those moments. I found Liam's story the most heartbreaking; the most cruel; the most intriging. Lana's was just as sad but on a different level, due to her circumstances. Liam's was something else entirely - engineered to hit where it hurts.
A well written poignant story, TRUST ME was edge of your seat from start to finish. It is incredibly easy to follow despite the different stories and timelines, and will have you gripped from the beginning. I found myself saying "Just one more chapter" after every chapter...that in the end I read until the early hours of the morning till I finished. And I was left...WOW! The Epilogue - brilliant. I love how it ended. It was like it had come full circle.
My only complaint was in Lana's story. She made mention a couple of times about one of her neighbours with a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and it was immediately made clear that it was dangerous, foaming at the mouth and the fact that it was called Princess was a "piss-take". I would have marked it down a star for that alone as a staffordshire lover and owner for years I know the breed is anything BUT the way it was portrayed in this book just as it is in the media, and it has more to do with the owners than the breed/dog itself. The other thing I didn't like was the killing of Lana and Amber's Jack Russell (a more aggressive dog than a Staffordshire, actually), though I understand why. And I saw that coming long before it actually happened. At least I was prepared...but I still found myself saying "No..no..no!" I hate it when dogs die in books or movies.
This thriller is so surprisingly good I can't believe it is a debut. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future. Totally recommend!
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