4 Stars. Twisty, Confusing and at times I had no idea what was going on but then at some point it just came together and I was turning and flipping the pages.

It was a great read. I enjoyed The Girl Before so I’m so happy to have been able to receive an advance digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

A struggljng British actess in NY is caught up in the investigation when a wealthy woman is murdered. The characters fall flat in this covoluted plot.

Delaney follows The Girl Before with this roller coaster ride that will keep you guessing all the way through to the end. Twists, turns and a whole lot of unlikeable characters make it a perfect fast summer read.

Another exciting psychological thriller by JP Delaney! Thanks for the opportunity to read an advance copy!

I had a hard time putting down this book for the first 50% then it sort of changed with the whole psych ward situation but by this point I had to finish for pure curious reasons. The book is very dark and the characters aren't really likeable but they keep it interesting. You definitely need to read it until the very last page to find out how things end.

Wow! That is the only way to sum it up. I LOVED The Girl Before, but this surpasses it (bravo!).

You will second guess yourself all the way until the end. You think you know, but you have no idea. With no reliable or likeable characters, it makes this book intense, dark and sometimes horrifying. A fast paced thriller that can be devoured in one sitting.

I cannot wait to see what JP Delaney comes up with next!

Just don't understand all the rave reviews from other pre-release reviewers on this site. BELIEVE ME (pun intended) this was not my cup of tea, though I found myself needing a cup of camomile after a couple of these chapters.. This was difficult to stay with as I found the subject matter deplorable. I almost stopped at 30% into the novel. None of the characters were the least bit likable, and the reader is constantly wondering what is real, what is imagined and who the guilty party is. At one point I wasn't sure I cared. As it turns out I was right about who the murderer was, not that it made me feel any better about having read this unpleasant novel. I completed it as a sense of obligation to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance e-copy.

Admittedly, I did skim through some of the more disturbing parts. I am giving it a generous two stars for ingenuity, as that did take some strategizing and creative writing skills, but I just don't get all the accolades. Are that many readers into this sort of macabre stuff? Sorry, not for me.

What did I just read? This novel might just blow your mind. I loved The Girl Before so I had high expectations for this one too. It did not disappoint! Is protagonist Claire prey or predator? She's an actress and craves the attention as she was in foster care most of her life and never found unconditional love. Now she's not sure what love really is until she gets caught up in a murder investigation that skews all the "rules." Who can she trust and who is telling the truth? You won't know until the end and it's pretty shocking so prepare for an intense ride to the dark side of passion!

Well, this is twisty!

Don’t be surprised if you end up hating most of the characters. And don’t be surprised if you sometimes find you have absolutely no idea what’s going on.

But also – don’t be surprised if you find yourself reading at a fever pace, simply trying to figure it all out!

Truly, this is one of those books in which it’s hard, if not impossible, to find a character you can relate to. Some of these people do very bad things and are extremely egotistical and unlikable.

Yet, despite the fact that I kind of hated these people, I was simply dying to know what was happening. The author had me caught in this twisted and warped web.

The ending definitely surprised me…and it didn’t at the same time.

I would definitely recommend downloading a sample first. You’ll either hate the characters immediately and simply delete, or find yourself completely caught up in the suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced read in exchange for this review.

Brit is an undocumented immigrant attending an acting school. As a way to get by, she has been working as a decoy for married women to catch their husbands cheating. After an unsuccessful operation, Claire discovers that the wife has been murdered and she must now lure a confession out of the husband.

I thought this book had potential. It's filled with manipulation, guessing games, and unexpected plot lines. What bothered me was the operation that Claire finds herself in in order to catch the husband. Everything about it and what comes after did not feel believable to me. It is quite creative, in fact, it is too creative. I still enjoyed the drama of it, but the author does such a good job of making you wonder who is the manipulator and who is the victim, that you struggle to take sides. Still an entertaining read.

This is an excellent read! A struggling actress trying to make it in New York without a green card works for a lawyer entrapping married men cheating on their wives. All well and good until there’s a murder. Then she has a starring role trying to apprehend the killer. I’m not saying any more than that. Dark poetry. Stalkers. Who is her friend and who is trying to kill her. Loved it

A wonderfully executed "who-dunnit" because of protagonist/narrator Claire's unreliability. We are never quite sure who it was until the very end...As an aspiring actress, her scenes as seen in her head are a clever method of furthering the story. It DOES help to have a bit of an interest in 19th century French poet Baudelaire but it's not necessary to enjoy the story. Highly recommended.

A very intense thriller. Claire is a struggling actress who is hired by Henry to help in his investigations of possible infidelities. On one of these cases, Claire meets Patrick, who rebuffs her, which surprises and interests her. Then, Patrick's wife is killed, and Claire is questioned. Claire is called to help get the goods on Patrick, and in the process falls for him. I won't say anymore. Read it.

After reading JP Delaney’s previous book and loving it I was super excited to see this next endeavor. I really enjoyed the first part of the book, the character Claire, and the unique story. My biggest complaint was how dark the book got towards the middle and end. The story will keep you guessing until the last few pages, re- reading sections and second guessing every character.

Claire Wright is a British actress in the U.S who is struggling to find jobs. She wants to get her Green Card and takes on a job that promises to gain her that document. But, the job turns out more dangerous than she thought. She is working for a lawyer who sets her up as a decoy to find cheating husbands. Her last assignment ends badly when the man’s wife is found murdered. Claire was one of the last people to see her alive. She agrees to work for the police in trying to get the man, Professor Patrick Fogler, to confess. Using all her acting skills, she inserts herself into this man’s life. Things get way more complicated than she bargained for though.

It’s hard to tell who is deceiving who is this complex story. First, the reader thinks it’s Patrick, then Claire. The plot is well-woven and the reader is drawn into the mystery. But, there is also a certain darkness to the novel that will probably repel some readers. A lot of it deals with psychological perversions and really “out there” stuff. If you don’t want to read about these things, I would avoid this book. The characters are deeply involved in this subculture surrounding the violent poetry of Baudelaire.

I found it difficult to get into to the writing style in the book. The main character is an actress and often imagines her dialog in her head in a form that reads like a written script. I am not really a fan of live performances, and would have preferred a more standard narrative form to the writing. But, the author uses this as a gimmick because the main character is an actress, and there is a play in the last half of the book as well. I can see how this style is fitting with the theme, but it was difficult for me to read.

The storyline itself was convoluted. At one point, Claire is sent to a mental hospital, which I found somewhat misplaced. It seemed like that whole section could have been left out. Except for the fact that Patrick has to rescue her from the situation, that whole part of the novel didn’t seem to have a real purpose to me. It probably served to let the reader know that Claire was doubting her own sanity, but I didn’t think the novel needed that scene.

Honestly, I liked the first book by this author a lot more than this one. I just couldn’t get into this one because I was put off by the counterculture stuff and the seeming unnecessary parts to the plot. The ending was interesting, but seemed contrived to me. It was pretty far from reality, in my opinion.

I can’t really give this book a full five stars. I think this author has done better work. I give this one 3 out of 5 stars.

This might be the weirdest book I've ever read. I was drawn to the initial premise of a down on her luck actress who must take on nontraditional roles to make money, but ish got weird fast. A turn on every page like a telenovela.
*Thanks toNetgalley, the author, and the publisher for anARC in exchange for an honestreview*

This book is a must read. It kept my attention from start to finish, with great characters, and lots of questions till the very end. Beware though, there is some weirdness to contend with in this title, so if you are easily turned off by the psychology and psychological issues of other people, don't read this one. Claire Wright is a 25 year old woman from England, who comes to New York to work on her acting career when things went south for her in her career at home. She is currently a student of acting through a prestigious program, and does some side work to make ends meet. Due to unforeseen circumstances, this gets tougher for her, but her agent is able to point her in the right direction to an acting job that helps. The job is not your standard job for an unemployed actress, as she also does not have a green card, which makes her somewhat unemployable. She is instead working undercover for a lawyer in town who does a lot of divorce work. Claire is good at her job, and does well at this job, until the last client she works for is murdered. She also was the last person to see the husband of the deceased before the wife was murdered. It appears that as a result, she is once again tapped for an interesting job. One that may finally give her a green card in the end. If she can survive.... and if she is not guilty.... and if.... Well? What are you waiting for... you really need to read this book. It is well worth it!

This is a dazzler of a psychological thriller filled with unreliable narrators and delicious twists and turns. Claire is a British actress who has tanked her career and is attempting to start anew in America, but she lacks a Green Card and cash. She is, however, a talented actress, and that's where the plot lies. Claire works part time for a law firm, presenting herself as a high priced prostitute to married men, videotaping her verbal contract with them, and then providing the evidence to the wives. An unusual case in which the wife is murdered casts suspicion on Claire until the police hire her to go undercover to investigate the husband of the murdered woman whom they believe is a serial killer. The fun starts when Claire falls in love him. From there the twists keep coming. Great read!

I really liked this book and highly recommend it, Just when I thought I knew how the book was going to end and who the murderer was JP Delaney throws a twist into the story and I was wrong. I like the actress Claire, she was such a good actress it was hard to tell if she was acting or not and if she was capable of being the murderer.

This is the second book I have read of JP Delaney's and even though THe Girl Before was a very good book I think this one is even better. A new favorite author.

This book will be released on July 24, 2018. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher ofr the advanced copy for my review.

Nickie
Pos

Unfortunately I found this premise to be completely unbelievable. To have the reader believe she was hired by the police (and be given details of an open murder case) is just novice work by the author. The first few pages started out intriguing but then it just went downhill fast.