Sidney Ryan is an upcoming true crime filmmaker whose documentary resulted in the release of two prisoners.She now is creating a series on Grace Sebold’s case who was arrested 10 years ago for murdering her boyfriend on St. Lucia islands.During her investigation she realizes early on that things don’t add up and Grace might be wrongly committed of the crime and starts trying to overturn the verdict that kept an innocent victim behind bars for so long.

Don’t believe it is an addictive psychological thriller which took me some time to get into. After almost 40% in the book I could not put it down. Edgy with lots of unexpected twists and turns this was one highly entertaining read and am definitely looking forward to what Charlie Donlea comes up with next.

I would like to thank Kensington Books & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

With all the hype of this book, I was excited to see that I was approved by NetGalley and the publisher for this book. Sidney wanted to write a documentary about an old friend, Grace Sebold who had been sent to prison for killing her fiancé, Julian Crist while in St. Lucia. Grace spent 10 years in prison for a crime she claims she did not commit and Sidney wanted to the world to know the “truth”. Lots of twists and turns throughout the book. It started off a little slow for me but at 40%, it picked up speed. I am in the minority for not giving this book 5 stars but I am giving it 4 stars. All opinions expressed are my own.

With only two books, Charlie Donlea has made it to the top of my personal favourites list. My first book I read from him was Summit Lake. It did not quite convince me at the time and I only awarded it with 3 stars. That was 2 years ago. But I have to admit that I still remember the story very well. I could retell it to the end. That's something I can not say about many books. "The Girl Who Was Taken" was a 5-star read for me and I really loved it. And now "Do not Believe It". This book also impressed me.

The story revolves around Sidney, a young filmmaker. She has built a reputation for true crime drama. She already helped 2 wrongfully convicted men to freedom. Now she has taken the case of a young woman who has been imprisoned for 10 years for the murder of her boyfriend. The murder happened while staying in St. Lucia and that's why the young woman, Grace, is in prison there. Sidney soon realizes that the investigation has adjusted the evidence to suspicion. She develops a documentary where she presents her current research every week. Every week, the audience knows as much as she has just found out. The show is a great success and Grace will be released. But as soon as Grace returns to the US, Sidney learns things that questions her investigation.

It takes a while for the story to get going. I'm more excited about the complexity and originality of the book than the execution. That is also the reason that I only give 4 stars. The tension is unfortunately very slow. The book is a little lengthy. At the beginning I was also irritated by the chapters dealing with Gus, a man in a hospital. It takes a while to figure out what he has to do with the story. I felt some things as something too long-winded. Sidney's work as a filmmaker is interesting, but often very sprawling. The work of the doctor, who helps Sidney, is explained in every detail. I am also not sure if Gus needed such an expanded storyline. A retired cop who gets bored would have done it. Personally, I would not have needed his long healing process after illness to such an extent. It does not contribute to the actual story. A big minus for me is also the end. After having had so much time for so many aspects of the story, everything suddenly goes very fast. I figured out some of the resolutions before. The conclusions for some of the characters are very carelessly and not completely explained.

Despite my criticisms, I liked the book very much and above all very unusual. The story will stay with me, I am sure of that. Charlie Donlea tells unusual and impressive stories. Very often, after a short time, I no longer remember the plot of many books that I read. Some I just read and forget quickly. This is not the case with Donlea's books. They remain in my memory for a long time. Maybe because of those things that I have criticized. He just writes very intense and memorable. He writes in his own way very impressive stories. Even though I have my points of criticism, "Do not Believe It" impressed me very much.

Charlie Donlea's novel The Girl Who Was Taken was one of my favourite reads of 2017 so my expectations were pretty high for his latest story ....... and he didn't disappoint - I think Don't Believe It is even better and more compelling!

From the beginning scenes where the murder of Julian is played out, though we don't know by whom, to the dramatic ending scenes, I was on the edge of my seat, totally hooked.

Sidney Ryan has already made two documentaries re-opening old murder cases and had succeeded in releasing innocent people, that's why Grace had written to her, in the hope that she could do the same for her.

What follows is Sidney's investigation, as a twelve week real-time show that gradually builds to a huge ratings monster, as she uncovers surprises week by week, interspersed with the actual incompetent police investigation, and the Jury's deliberations at the trial. I thought this was all so excellently done and it felt like I was actually in a court room watching while Sidney uncovers vital evidence that was suppessed at Grace's original trial.

The suspense was maintained throughout and, as the final scenes are played out, I thought the story was going in one direction when it suddenly changed course with totally unexpected shocks that really played with my mind!

Don't Believe It is a story that I won't forget in a hurry, it was totally absorbing and compelling.

At the beginning of this book, it was somewhat confusing as it switched back and forth between different times as well as insertions of the documentary script. I hope the initial confusion doesn't deter people from continuing this book because it gets better and better as it goes on.

The writing is excellent in building suspense and throwing out numerous red herrings. Every time I thought I had it figured out, something was thrown in there to make me question my theory. Nothing could have prepared me for the last few chapters though!!

I don't give spoilers. All I can say is - - read this book!!

Smart. Well written. Well developed. Totally engrossing. Totally enjoyable.

Recommended.

Grace and Julian are in St. Lucia attending a friend's wedding when Julian is murdered. Grace is accused, tried and found guilty of his murder. 10 years later she has asked Sidney, a documentary film maker, to take a look at the crime and the evidence that put her away... and to prove her innocence.

Sidney decides not only to take on this "case" but to create a television series in which viewers get to watch in "real time" what Sidney is uncovering. Most of which leads the viewer (and the reader) to believe that Grace is innocent - and has been wrongfully imprisoned for 10 years in a foreign country.

This sounds like a "run of the mill" mystery - except Charlie Donlea throws us a character who turns everything upside down (and honestly when you first start reading his chapters you wonder "how is this all going to be pulled together!?!"), plus he re-introduces us to Livia Cutty, a pathologist from The Girl Who Was Taken. If you've read that book, you'll know that Livia is a great, strong, female character - so it was so fun to have her back.

What makes this different from this genre of novel is that rather than uncover the evidence through the eyes of a detective, we are following a documentary filmmaker. She's smart, determined, and moves the story along at a great pace. This book doesn't drag - it makes sense from the beginning to the end, and comes together so perfectly.

Another solid Charlie Donlea read. I discovered him last summer thanks to Netgalley, and am so pleased that this book lived up to my expectations.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington for providing me with an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Totally recommend as a summer read, beach read, vacation read, don't feel like getting out of bed read ... this is addictive and will leave you wanting more.

This is the perfect group read: you'll have plenty to discuss, lots of theories to share, suspicions to talk about... and you're probably wrong on all of them. Don't Believe It cemented Charlie Donlea's place on my must-read list. It's laid out in a unique way, sharing details about the making of a documentary interspersed with scenes from the finished product. It reads like you're really there watching it unfold, which ups the tension and keeps you on your toes. Imagine a documentary series that airs each episode right after it's completed: the viewers find things out right after the cast and crew does. There's no such thing as spoilers. It would be a risky format, and this book shows exactly why! Expect the unexpected.

For ten years, Grace Sebold has been in jail for the murder of her boyfriend in St. Lucia. It was big news for awhile in the States, the med student couple with such promising futures on a vacation that went terribly wrong. After she was found guilty, she faded into the background. She isn't giving up on her freedom though. She just needs help. She needs Sidney Ryan. A rising filmmaker, Sidney has already freed a few people by casting doubt on their conviction and making a documentary about it. Can she do the same for Grace?

Soon, the med student turned prisoner has America watching and rooting for her. The case has definite problems, and everything is being dug up. Sidney finds plenty of reasons for the case to be opened again. Just when Grace is set free, Sidney receives correspondence that tells her she has it wrong. That Grace should be spending the rest of her life behind bars. That she's responsible for the release of a ruthless killer. Could she have gotten her wrong?

I practically squealed when Livia Cutty from The Girl Who Was Taken made an appearance, adding to an already strong list of characters. Completely absorbing, twisted, and shocking, this book comes highly recommended from me with 4.5 stars! When I participate in group reads, it's not uncommon for some people to just not be a fan of the book. With this one, we all were! (Hello, Traveling Sisters!)

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and Kensington Books, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

We were left shouting We Don’t Believe It Charlie Donlea you did it! You left us all in the Tongue-tied Coulee after reading your brilliantly plotted story!

Norma and I were lost in a Coulee reading Don’t Believe It with seven of our Traveling Sisters and we all ended up in the same Coulee. For only the second time ending up in the Tongue-tied Coulee doing nothing but dancing with enjoyment.

Charlie Donlea boldly writes a well layered entertaining fun story here with well-plotted twists and turns and he knows when to introduce characters just at the right time. We really liked the idea of the documentary being part of the story however for some of us it did overshadow the mystery for us and felt at times we lost some focus to the mystery but this did not take away from any dancing enjoyment of the story at all.

Some of us who read The Girl Who Was Taken were very happy to see a character from that story cross over to this one and loved how they fit into this story. Such a clever way to really pull us into the characters.

Charlie Donlea lead us down many different paths in a Coulee as the suspense grew with each one. We started branching off in different directions with our suspicious and guesses to what was going on. As we neared the end we found our way back together with some us picking up on different clues along the way till those last twists that some of us suspected and another that brought us all together dancing in the Tongue-tied Coulee. We highly recommend not to miss this one or you will be saying I Don’t Believe I didn’t read it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Kensington Books and Charlie Donlea for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review!

Review written and posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley.

Happy publication day to Charlie Donlea! This was a Traveling Sisters group read and we definitely all enjoyed this fabulous book.

Just when you think that all new avenues of thrillers have been exhausted, an author comes out with a new format and blows it out of the water.

This was a super entertaining whodunnit centered around a cold case which is being reopened for a documentary in the likes of Serial.

This book gave me major Amanda Knox/Dangerous Girls vibes - these are all fascinating crime stories and the curiosity will definitely peak your interest in this case as well - what really happened? Is she really guilty? Are the forensics accurate?

The author took some bold moves in his plotting (which I will not mention because, spoilers!) and I have to applaud him. Other readers in our group also loved how he tied in characters from some of his other works, it's always fun when favorite characters make a reappearance. This is my first book by Donlea, but I will certainly be back for more after reading this fabulous, twisty tale!

Thanks for a fun group read, Traveling Sisters! 4.5 stars

Thank you to Charlie Donlea and Kensington for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you are a fan of Serial and Making a Murder you will enjoy this book. The main character Sydney Ryan is a tv producer and she works on getting people released from prison that are inoccent. She gets a new case in St. Lucia where a young medical student is accused of killing her boyfriend.
The story is a little slow at first but then just rolls with twists. I really enjoyed this book.

4.5 stars! Oh wow - this was good!!!

This story follows Sidney Ryan, an up and coming filmmaker who specializes in true crime documentaries revolving around old murder cases. She takes on the case of Grace Sebold, an acquaintance from school who was convicted of murdering her fiancé while on vacation ten years prior. Grace has been sitting in a St. Lucian prison for the last decade claiming her innocence. Sidney is determined to uncover all details relating to the case and present them in a ten episode documentary series, similar to the Netflix special Making A Murderer.

This novel will have you flying through the pages, shocking you with twists and turns, making you scratch your head with frustration in guessing what actually happened. The characters are real, the suspense is addictive, the pace is perfect! I loved how the story was presented to include various interview segments, sections from the developing TV documentary episodes along with courtroom trial tidbits. It kept the story fresh and interesting throughout.

I loved Charlie Donlea’s previous novel, The Girl Who Was Taken. I am excited to say this follow up novel was fantastic and equally thrilling. I look forward to reading more from Donlea! I am a huge fan!

A big thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books and Charlie Donlea for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Looking for your next beach read? I think I've found it for you: Charlie Donlea's Don't Believe It. A unique storytelling style, full of twists and turns and surprises, this one will keep even the most jaded of thriller readers guessing at least a little bit.

Ten years ago, medical student Grace Sebold and her boyfriend Julian Crist were in St. Lucia, celebrating the wedding of two of Grace's closest friends. After being apart for most of their relationship, Grace and Julian were finally going to be in the same place, as they were both matched to the same residency program. But one night, Julian was murdered, and Grace was the prime suspect.

There was both physical and circumstantial evidence pointing to Grace as Julian's murderer, and it didn't take long for a jury in St. Lucia to convict her. Grace has spent 10 years in jail, pursuing every avenue to get the verdict overturned, all to no avail. But then her pleas pique the curiosity of Sidney Ryan, an up-and-coming documentary filmmaker whose previous work helped exonerate three criminals.

Even though Sidney remembered watching Grace's trial as it unfolded in the media and there seemed to be a preponderance of evidence, she feels there's more to Grace's pleas of innocence than simply wanting out of jail. The documentary she begins producing, The Girl of Sugar Beach, promises to explore the murder from all angles, and within a few weeks, after some eye-opening discoveries, it becomes the most watched documentary in television history.

Every week, the world is held in thrall by the documentary. As Sidney starts uncovering mishandled evidence, additional suspects, and what amounted to a conspiracy to convict Grace quickly all those years ago, she also finds some anomalies she can't quite explain. While the success of The Girl of Sugar Beach will allow Sidney to dictate the path of her career, she has to make a crucial decision: does she pursue ratings, or the truth? Will pursuing the former obscure the latter, and could it result in Julian's killer going (or continuing to go) free?

You can get more of a plot synopsis on Goodreads, Amazon, and other sites, but I'm going to stop now. I went into Don't Believe It almost completely blind to what the book was about, and I feel that was a pretty terrific decision.

This book grabbed me from the very first page. I had suspicions about would happen (I'm one of those thriller readers who suspects every character in a book), but Donlea kept flipping the script little by little, so I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. Even as new characters were being introduced, I wondered what the outcome would be, and while I don't know that I was completely satisfied, I like the premise that was hinted at.

I have never read any of Donlea's previous books, so I was really impressed with his storytelling. He took you into to the production of the documentary, and you watched information unfold as Sidney and her crew did. The narration shifted between the past and the present, between a few different characters—some you're not even sure who is narrating.

I will say that there were a few plot threads that were introduced that didn't get explored, and I don't know if Donlea was purposely throwing in some red herrings to confuse the reader or if they just didn't get picked up. That was a little frustrating for me, because there were a few points I didn't understand.

Beyond that, I devoured Don't Believe It pretty quickly. I anticipate seeing lots of people doing the same this summer, whether on the beach, on the plane, or elsewhere. It's definitely a thriller worth diving into!

NetGalley and Kensington Books provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

“They decided early on that Grace Sebold was guilty, and then set out to prove it. Tried to make everything fit that narrative.”

Holy moly! This book was an intense and addictive read! I struggled to put it down and ended up reading it in one sitting!

Donlea’s writing was very engaging, and the story was easy to follow. The characters were very well written, and you could get a sense of who they were, I felt invested in, and cared about, their stories.

I can’t say too much more about this book, lest I give away important details, but I can say that the twists and turns had me guessing, and while I suspected some aspects, the reasons why and the reveal towards the end was very surprising!

A great read for those who enjoy crime and mystery novels and I’ve already recommended it to some friends to keep an eye out for this one.

Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The beginning of the book drew me in, and I definitely wanted to find out more about the person who killed Julian by hitting him in the back of the head with a weapon, and then used a foot to push his body over a bluff. I was also curious about the secrets he was keeping, what mystery object was in his pocket, and who was he meeting—was it the person who killed him?

Because it is a psychological mystery, the story takes some twists and turns just as I expected; that’s why I like them so much. This one is set up like a 60 minutes show where you learn a little at a time until the end. While it was well written, it did drag on at times, but overall it was good with a very surprising ending.

For the first 30% on my kindle, there weren’t any curse words. Then, the author had the characters, who spoke well up to that point, start cursing. If you are enjoying the book, and hate swear words as much as I do, you’ll be very disappointed that this book takes such a turn saturating the sentences with f this and that, as well as using the Lord’s name in vain. Sad.

Overall it was a good book.

From acclaimed bestselling international 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.

Plus, what could be more exciting than the lush, exotic Caribbean setting (St. Lucia) and the famous Gros Piton and Petit Pitons? A murder mystery with tons and tons of twists! (what an ending).

True life real crime genre is all the rave, especially in film and TV. (hint, DON’T BELIEVE IT is prime for the small or big screen). From Making a Murderer, Serial, The Thin Blue Line, OJ, and others. True crime documentary. Who doesn’t stream a good crime documentary? From Netflix to Amazon Prime, we all have our favorites. From murder, death, justice, truth, lies. Behind the scenes.

A fan of Charlie Donlea's from his sensational debut – Summit Lake and his strong follow-up, The Girl Who Was Taken —With his third novel, DON'T BELIEVE IT — he knocks it out of the park! Plus a return from one of his favorite characters from TGWWT, forensic expert Dr. Livia Cutty.

As Charlie references in his recent Q&A when asked about his inspiration for his books and DBI:

“A common thread among all three stories is the public’s unquenchable thirst for the morbid details of disturbing stories.” Read More


How true. Everyone wants details. What are the hidden motives? What occurred that one day to cause someone to murder someone and get away with it, or not?

The ten-part true-crime serial centers on a crucial question: Did Grace Sebold murder her boyfriend, Julian Crist (a young medical student), while on Spring Break vacation at the famed Sugar Beach Resort (Jalousie Plantation) in St. Lucia, or is she the victim of a shocking injustice?

Initially believing it had to be an accidental fall from one of the St. Lucia’s legendary Twin Pitons, detectives quickly began to suspect foul play. Crist’s fellow medical student and girlfriend, Grace Sebold was taken into St. Lucian custody and charged with Julian’s murder. When found guilty for on the count of first-degree murder she would be held at the Bordelais Correctional Facility to await sentencing.

Ten years later there is the successful thirty-six-year-old, Sidney Ryan, a documentary filmmaker who has followed Grace’s case. Can Sidney help prove Grace’s innocence? Sidney needed proof the case was mishandled. Evidence that the St. Lucian government had pinned a crime on Grace that she did not commit. Had it cost an innocent woman her freedom?

As Sidney becomes convinced of Grace’s innocence, fans of her show, The Girl of Sugar Beach, pressure authorities to exonerate Grace. America knew her as the girl stuck in a foreign land, accused of a murder she claimed not to commit. Grace had fallen under the eye of the Innocence Project, a watchdog group that worked to overturn convictions of those they feel were wrongfully accused and unfairly sentenced. But their efforts had failed.

Can Sidney figure out the real killer, or does she get caught in the crossfires?

Besides, wait until you meet the other intriguing characters: Grace’s brother Marshall, Dr Livia Cutty, Ellie (Grace’s friend), and retired detective Gus Morelli (which I loved).

Edgy and twisty, Donlea keeps you glued to the pages, unexpected twists, keeping you guessing while building suspense and revealing long-buried secrets. Best of all, he does not leave you hanging. A satisfying conclusion. Cleverly crafted, fast-paced, gripping and addictive. Move Don’t Believe It to the top of your reading list. (a perfect title).

If your dad is a true crime junkie, and happens to be a fan of Making a Murderer and podcasts like Serial, this riveting suspense thriller will be assured to please the mystery-loving dad (and mom). Of course, dad may not be able to pry himself away from the novel long enough to enjoy Father’s Day brunch with the family. A perfect gift for dad, arriving just in time for Dad’s special day.

Don’t forget to add this one to your beach bag – A perfect summer read. #JDC May Top 20 Books . Looking forward to seeing what’s coming next!

JDCMustReadBooks

A special thank you to #Kensington, #NetGalley, and the author for an early reading copy. Also pre-ordered the audiobook narrated by Nina Alvamar.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Filmmaker Sidney Ryan feels she has found the perfect subject for her new documentary. Grace Sebold has been in prison in St. Lucia for the past 10 years. Found guilty of killing her boyfriend while on Spring Break. A crime she says she didn’t commit. She had reached out to Grace to tell her story and hopefully prove she didn’t kill anyone.

Sidney starts investigating and quickly sees many inconsistencies in the previous investigation. She sells the story to television, pitching a 10 episode series that she will do almost in real time as she digs into the case.

The series premiers with good ratings and grows with each episode. A public outcry gets the attention of the U.S. government and they realize one of its citizens may be in prison in a foreign country for a crime she didn’t commit. At the same time, Sidney receives a letter telling her that her docudrama is wrong and that Grace has to be guilty. Before she can put together the final episodes she takes her investigation in a different direction and by doing that she risks everything.

This story could be ripped from the headlines. True Crime dramas are hot right now. They are all over television, even have channels dedicated to this type of program. This one also delves into the police procedures and the courts in St. Lucia, an island where tourists are their bed and butter.

Most of the story is told from Sidney Ryan’s point of view and she plans and investigates. Interspersed between are interviews Sidney has with people connected to the case. The fact that she was creating the episodes almost in real time, sometimes just a day or two before it aired, including all the behind the scenes drama was so interesting. It kept the pace of the story at a high level.

The author does an excellent job of giving us readers an intense story. I was sucked in right from the start. The story has twists that changed my thinking several times. Was Grace really innocent? If she was, who killed Julian? I had a clear thought of another suspect and then another and then back to Grace. I don’t want to say too much to ruin the story but the ending took a turn I never imagined.

After reading The Girl Who Was Taken last summer, I did not even read the synopsis for this book before reading it. I just knew it was written by Charlie Donlea and I had to read it. I am glad I did that. This is a book you just need to jump into and let it take you away. This story is well written, very detailed, and much more than it originally seems. A totally entertaining story that I had a hard time putting down.

Don't Believe It by Charlie Donlea made for terrific reading.  With short, sharp and highly addictive chapters this was one of those books I battled to put down and it had me guessing and second guessing whodunnit right to the end.

Sidney Ryan's career as a documentary maker is on the rise.      She's had astounding success with her recent true crime shows which have indirectly been responsible for the exoneration of three incorrectly convicted prisoners.   She now has her sights set on Grace Sebold's story.   Ten years ago Grace Sebold was set to commence her neurosurgery residency in New York but during  a family holiday in St Lucia she was charged and convicted with the murder of her boyfriend.    She's been behind bars ever since but has always maintained her innocence. 

Sid's embarked on a whole new concept for revealing Grace's story and is creating a documentary in real time.    She's presenting the information to her viewers as it comes to hand.  Ten episodes over ten weeks.     The concept is popular and seven weeks in the show's a runaway success.   Holes have been found in the original evidence and the public, even the upper echelon of the US Government, is questioning how and why Grace was convicted.    Everything is working out perfectly for Grace's release  and Sid's career is set to soar.     At least it was until one last piece of evidence is uncovered raising suspicions in Sid's mind about Grace's innocence, but how she should handle this delicate matter?

There was so much to like about this book.    I enjoyed the unique format which felt like a mix of police procedural and a behind the scenes look at tv documentary making.   As the plot continued to thicken the author kept me on my toes and the ending took me completely by surprise.  It was an excellent book which I highly recommend.

Congratulations to Charlie Donlea for delivering a fabulous story, and sincere thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review which it was my pleasure to provide.

Ten years ago, Grace was convicted of killing her boyfriend on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. Sidney, a reporter who has gained the reputation for getting convictions overturned, decides to film a documentary on the case and travels to St. Lucia for research. It looks like Grace might be innocent, but when new information comes to light, which is more important? The ratings or the truth?

Sidney’s story on the making of the documentary is interspersed with scenes from her documentary. As Sidney herself pitches it to her network: “The episodes will be a retelling of events, as I understand them. A mix of reenactments as well as live footage of my investigation. The audience will discover what I discover as I discover it.” This format gives the narrative urgency, as Sidney is on a deadline each week to come up with the material for the next episode. The author uses multiple viewpoints to tell the story; some (like the taxi driver’s) are totally unnecessary. Unfortunately, there is also a bit of head-hopping in some scenes. The ending takes the story in a different direction to what I was expecting and, while the story is complete, it is open to the possibility of a sequel.

An engrossing read.

There have been many cases of people being wrongfully convicted of crimes. This book focuses on the case of Grace Sebold, a woman accused of murdering her boyfriend on their vacation. When the book starts she has been in prison for ten years, maintaining her innocence despite evidence to the contrary. Documentary filmmaker Sidney Ryan decides to hear Grace's side of the story and ends up digging deeper into the case. Did the authorities make a mistake? Did they ignore key evidence to wrap the case up quickly? She eventually gets Grace a new trial and believes she has helped free a innocent woman. But when evidence from a past case linked to Grace comes to light, Sidney starts to wonder. Is Grace really innocent? The twists in the book definitely make it an interesting read.

A filmmaker helps clear a woman convicted of murder, only to find she may be a pawn in a sinister game.

Sidney Ryan is a documentary producer. She finds inmates who are wrongly accused of crimes. She has received many letters from Grace Sebold and Grace's best friend Ellie, that Grace is innocent. Grace has been accused of killing her boyfriend and has been in jail since being convicted ten years ago. Sidney's documentary will feature over twelve weeks. She brings in top experts to try and get through all the evidence. Will the truth come out in the end?

Reading this book is like reading the script for a TV documentary. We are behind the scenes as the shows recorded and how they gather the evidence. The story is told mostly by Sidney's point of view. The story is set in St. Lucia. This is a well written and researched book. There is plenty of red herrings to keep the reader on their toes. A gripping read you won't want to put down.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Kensington Books and the author Charlie Donlea for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.