Loved this book! It was fast paced and entertaining! I was excited about the story from page 1! I hope to grab another book from Michelle Medhat soon!

Thrilling read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It was well written and flowed well and was easy to read. One you won’t want to end

Well, we were certainly thrown in at the deep-end. Very happily married couple, husband a high flying diplomat but actually a very high flying spy and scientist, brilliant wife who had "an episode" in the kitchen early on which remained undisclosed although regularly brought up throughout. She finds out about his real job later on and is not happy. Massive terrorist group, with two hyped up beautiful-people leaders, who have more than grand ideas about world domination but not just by bombing etc, more a quiet acquisition of a great number of very poor, disenfranchised people. A paranoid President of the USA who also had an experience as a child but that, at least, is clearly related to an alien artefact and alien voyeur/meddler who's anywhere and everywhere throughout the story. Said President also plans to rule the world. There is quantum physics, nano technology, a modicum of gruesomeness, despicable politicians, double-crossing agents, confused readers, What more could one want? An ending perhaps. Such a cliff hanger is oh so annoying and that's mostly why it got a 3-star from me. It's essentially a blackmail to buy the next in the series. Wrong. I won't. The writing is fast-paced and good, the characters well portrayed so from those points of view it was a good read. Plenty to think about and plenty of parallels in our own universe. There are, however, quite a few minor characters that just seem to be there and we do have so much in this book I wonder whether the author's imagination will take her through more. Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Well what a ride this book is; the author calls it “a high-octane spy story”. I feel it is a no holds barred thriller pushing the boundaries of science and technology. To the point where advancement in gadgets and gizmos overtake the narrative. We all love it, Q in James Bond is always pushing that envelope. This though is 007 on acid and aliens thrown in for good measure to challenge almost all the laws of nature.
So we have Nano technology, Quantum compounds and energies, new drugs which are mind altering realities to place one’s fears into an imagined Room 101 and did I mention the aliens.
Being book one of a trilogy the ground work is needed to set the scene of good v evil and who’s side are the aliens on - bets still being taken. This is done a little clumsily at times and outside a linear time line. Did I mention that the aliens appear outside of time so they at least could follow along more easily.
However, despite the convoluted background stories it does all appear to come together.
It is about a MI6 operative whose wife thinks he’s a career diplomat rather than a high-tech killer. With deeply infiltrated double agents, disloyal civil servants and a President controlled by alien technology or just a bad speech writer we lament for world peace and civilisation. Especially when in the high stakes game of terrorist poker and world domination the baddies have all the high cards.
The president then pulls an ace from the pack and suddenly he feels his rise to power will make him the natural leader of the world. A mad president perhaps isn’t the hardest thing to believe in this expansive and futuristic novel set in our own timeframe . But that he can’t keep his party piece in his trousers makes the fiction seem almost believable.
Great writing, fun with serious implications regarding love and loyalty. Human values and black ops. Atrocities; condoned and allowed by government for a greater good but a sheepishness to torture and abuse human rights.
Set up well for further instalments, a series with an intent. Guess the author has included subliminal messages to read book 2 since it is at times both incredulous and all consuming.
Not a novel I’d be instinctively drawn to but the author’s passion and pursuit of this project overtakes the will and carries you with her for good or ill.

This is the first book in a series. In some ways I feel the author tried to get too much information in this first book. Background for too many people. The primes of the story is good. Nano technology is one of the main technologies of the story. Sam Noor works for MI6 and has been married for ten years with out his wife knowing what he did until now. They are dealing with an international terrorist organization that seems to be everywhere.

The Trusted nails readers attention Michelle Me that demonstrates an uncanny knack for exposition, introducing new characters and narrative possibilities with the confidence of an old pro...

I really wanted to like this one, but just never felt like I connected enough with any of the characters to care what was happening to them... (I feel like I've been starting a lot of reviews this way lately, and it's starting to get depressing.)

The blurb made this one sound right up my alley - spies, weird stuff, secrets, good v. evil - but the delivery was awkward,the characters oddly flat, the story line convoluted and the supernatural stuff vague and ancillary (at least as far as I got - which is about half-way) and I never seemed to connect with any of it. There's a cool core concept here, but the execution felt forced and didn't flow smoothly. There are multiple story lines and traumatic events that happen like a hit-and-run, shifting narrative perspectives that flow in parallel but never seem to overlap in a way that explains anything, and numerous characters that dance in and out of the action with so much fluidity I felt like I needed a flow chart to keep track...

This one just didn't work for me.

The Trusted (The Trusted Thriller Series Book 1)
by Michelle Medhat 

Kindle Edition, 283 pages
Published April 17th 2019 by Mindblowing Books Ltd



Goodreads synopsis:
Ellie Noor has created a thriving and successful life. She established a challenging and rewarding business. She lives in a stunning London apartment. And she shares it all with her gorgeous husband, Sam. 

Their marriage is built on a strong foundation of trust and affection. But when a bizarre metaphysical experience shakes their peaceful home, Sam’s impulsive actions change Ellie’s view of him forever. The surreal event triggers a spiral of consequences. Ellie must adapt to survive the jolt to their domestic bliss. 

But can she adjust to the shock of one simple realisation? 
Her husband is not the man she thought he was. 

When a relationship is built on truth, what happens when a decade-old lie is uncovered? 

Sam Noor has learned to compartmentalise his complex life. Balancing an idyllic home and a lethal career, his routine is split between loving husband and trained killer. But with accumulating pressure, his carefully separated worlds fiercely collide. His oldest friend is in danger, his colleagues are untrustworthy and his wife feels betrayed. 

Sam is the strongest in his field. But everyone has a limit. 
How much can he stand before he breaks? 

Sabena Sanantoni and Salim Al Douri are the world’s hottest celebrities. But their beautiful faces and charismatic personalities disguise a dark reality. They are the leaders of an international terrorist collective: Al Nadir. In a modern era of superstar terrorism, world leaders are at a loss. The rule book is meaningless. Experience is useless. Salim and Sabena have corrupted every corner of the globe. 

With Al Nadir always one step ahead, it will take a miracle leap to level the playing field. 

Jonathan Treeborne has the answer. He has discovered a weapon of infinitely complex physics. But can a man control a force beyond his comprehension? In the right hands, it could destroy Al Nadir. In the wrong hands, it could destroy nations. 

Treeborne has mastered the art of manipulation, permitting a prosperous political career. But are his choices really his own? Treeborne’s manipulative skills are matched by one other. Aswa-da is a sly observer from the realm of Kudamun. Indifferent to human political power play, his goal is far greater than earthly downfall. His dark plans will alter the very fabric of the Universe. 

As overlapping gameplays cosmically connect, everyone is thrown into an abyss of chaos. 

Who will survive in a world where no one can be trusted? 

***

3.5 Stars

There is a lot going on in this book. Lots of characters. It is convoluted and you will definitely need a score card to keep up. While reading, I thought it was a political thriller then got to Chapter 17 and … there were aliens! I was shocked to say the least. It just felt out of place in this book. But it does work, although weirdly so.

It was hard to know who was the star in this story. There were so many points of view that I thought it was over kill. I think just staying in Sam’s POV would have been enough.

Something happened to Ellie, Sam’s wife, near the start that I never quite grasped even at the end. Plus, there were people kidnapped and tortured at the beginning but didn’t know who Al Nadir was trying to manipulate by this action. Happily it finally came around in the end the answer to my question but long after I ceased to care about the tortured family.

If you are looking for a resolution of any sort at this end of this book prepare to be disappointed. This is just a gigantic cliffhanger waiting to happen. It is the first book in an ongoing saga. Not happy about that. I like some payoff after reading nearly 300 pages.

Not sure I am invested enough to continue into book 2. But we’ll see.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

I have no words to say about this book and story because it combines perfectly so many great things that I’m looking forward in my books.
I enjoyed this story about power play over the world and love and lost and everything else that’s in between.
The love between our hero and his wife has no limits and even if his profession is one of the most dangerous in the world, he’s there for her at every possible moment.
Trying to save the world from a terrorism group and even from a unknown organisation with unrealistic resources and mass destruction weapons, our MI6 agent goes through a lot in this gripping thriller that kept me on the edge at all times.
Can’t wait to read the next books and discover more intrigues and speechless situations that will keep me awake all night.

This is my first book by this author, but it won't be my last. I really enjoyed the story and The characters. I also loved that it alternated points of view.

This is the first in a series, and I will be getting the sequels.

Thanks net galley for an advanced copy

Thoroughly enjoyed this thriller. Sam is amazing, talented and completely invested in both of his lives. When his wife Ellie becomes aware of his dual identity and his two worlds collide it tips his balance. I read this from start to finish in one setting, Kept me on the edge of my seat and up late finishing, Looking forward to the next novel in this series. Extremely well written and love the paranormal edge. Great book.

Never read anything by this author.............So when this book become available I requested it.

The Trusted by Michelle Medhat is the first book in this new series and I loved it. It's full of twists and turns that will have you hooked from the very first few pages.

Highly recommend this new book by Michelle Medhat

Big Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for letting me review this new book in this series for an honest review.

I liked the summary of this book but I had a hard time getting into it. Maybe it was because the author was new to me. I had just read a thriller by an author I love and then tried to go straight into this book. I will try to read it again at a later date and see if my response is different.

The author wrote a thriller that started with a bang and just kept going! The twists kept coming, so I couldn't put it down. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. It was full of action/adventure. It was my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.