Elizabeth McCullough Keenan and Greg Wands have created a wickedly delicious game of cat-and-mouse with dysfunctional families, an unreliable narrator, con artists, scheming, lies, scams, manipulation, and deceit in their latest twisty thriller, TRUST ISSUES.

Who will out-smart and outwit the other and be left standing with the MONEY?

About...

Hazel and Kagan are siblings and are not close. But when their mother dies under mysterious circumstances, the two suddenly realize that her greedy husband took off with their inheritance.

Along the way, they will team up with the con man's daughter (after all, she has learned from the master), but can they trust her? TRUST NO ONE!

What unfolds next is a twisted cat-and-mouse game in this tangled web of deceit, keeping you on the edge of your seat with unpredictable turns.

My thoughts...

HIGHLY ENTERTAINING!

Wow, TRUST ISSUES features a wild group of devious, greedy, dysfunctional adults behaving badly and a complex family. From Manhattan to Boca Raton (my backyard), from sibling rivalry and high-stakes deceit, it's an ingeniously crafted story of deception and betrayal that delves deep into the complexities of family dynamics, infused with wit and humor.

With its cast of unreliable characters and unexpected twists, the authors keep you in suspense, leading to an explosive ending that will leave you reeling.

Recs...

TRUST ISSUES is for fans of the author and Jim Thompson's The Grifters (movie/book) and those who enjoy complex families and domestic suspense; also for fans of Ashley Elston's The First Lie, Hank Phillippi Ryan and Kaira Rouda's The Kingsley series.

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

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Pub Date: Jan 28, 2025
My Rating: 4 Stars
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Sibling failures-to-launch Kagan and Hazel blow through their trust funds and become estranged from their mother. When she dies under mysterious circumstances they blame her husband who disappears soon after, taking her ten million dollar estate with him. The two set about finding him and the money, enlisting the aid of a surprising accomplice.

It’s an interesting premise. Pretty much every character is some level of unlikable with questionable, often conflicting motives. It’s tough to work together when you’re not sure who you can trust. The pacing was uneven, dragging in places, but the ending was surprising. Overall, not a bad read.

I received this Advanced Reader Copy of Trust Issues from Dutton Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Short synopsis: After the unexpected death of their mother, siblings Hazel and Kagan are high on the list of suspects. But they are determined to prove who the real culprit is.

My thoughts: Go into this blind. Trust me. I didn’t know anything going in and I thought it added such a fun element to the story.

Full of unlikable that I found myself rooting for, not ever knowing who to trust through the story. Such a fun quick read!

Read if you love:
* Con-man stories
* Inheritance drama
* Sibling rivalry
* Family drama

Thank you to NetGalley, Elizabeth McCullough Keenan, Greg Wands, and Penguin Group Dutton for providing the ebook. This story is emotional from the start, exploring family drama, loss, and the journey to uncover one’s true motives. When money enters the picture, people’s true natures are revealed—whether it’s the deceit of a stranger or betrayal from those closest to us. A compelling and thought-provoking read.

I liked the premise and how you never really knew who was trustworthy and since pretty much all of the characters are unlikable it’s easy to side eye them all. While there were some small surprises along the way the ending was really great for me and pretty unexpected. If you like con stories, domestic suspense, unlikable characters and vengeance thrillers try this!

A fun con story that will keep you wondering about who to trust! When Perry gets home from a trip, two detectives are waiting for him. They let him know his wife died and they suspect foul play. He’s suspicious of her two adult children - Hazel and Kagan - who immediately contact him to find out about their inheritance. However they also have reason to suspect Perry. This was a fun ride and a quick read! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free ebook to review.

It is the story of 3 grifters, all related by blood or by marriage, lumped together to bring down their dad/stepdad for his nefarious ways. I love a good grifter cat and mouse story where you can’t trust anyone and you never know what or who to believe. This was clever and while I knew a twist was coming, I may have still gasped. Lots of good social commentary and just a bumpy and fun ride with a slow build up.

Wow! This book was a trip! The con man/cat and mouse chase was well done and worth sitting through insufferable characters with shortage of dysfunctional family dynamics along the way. It was smartly done and I didn’t see the end coming at all.

This book is full of completely unlikable characters and I couldn't put it down. I'm not even sure what genre it fits into. There's family drama, mystery, humor, and more. The ending was perfect. I would definitely read thus author again.

On the surface it feels like a mystery about whether Janice was murdered. In reality it is a fascinating study on the personalities of the characters. Every time you think you know who Hazel and Kagan really are you learn something more. You aren't sure who you want to like and who you feel sorry for and whether you really should. It could be super heavy but doesn't really come across that heavy.

I read "Trust Issues" on NetGalley. Hazel & Kagan are sister & brother who are thrown into shock when their mother is murdered. At first suspects themselves they soon realize that their mother was "conned" by her current husband and they have no inheritance. This book shows how deceitful family can be and follows them on the search for their mother's killer.

“It’s hard to spot red flags when you’re wearing rose-colored glasses.”

What a twisted web of lies and deceit within a family and the con artist that infiltrates them. A wild ride indeed!

If you enjoy stories about sibling rivalries, non likable characters that you kind of want to root for anyway, con artists, family drama, inheritance issues and just unadulterated messiness then read this book. It has a little something for everyone!

Thank you to Netgalley, Dutton Books, and the author for the gifted ARC.

I loved the morally grey characters, siblings you love to hate, the messy family dynamics, the superb writing and the unpredictable ending.

This is a 3 1/2 star read for me. I think because the characters of Hazel and Kagan were so horrible. They were so horrible because their mother was an enabler and would always give them money when they asked even though they had scrounged through their trust funds. But their poor mother, Janice was lured into a relationship with a con artist/serial killer. Perry (who he called himself when he was with Janice), liked to find women with money and then get the women to fall head over heels in love with him, put their money in a joint account and then they would meet an unfortunate accident and die and he would inherit all their money. So this happened to Hazel and Kagan where they had lost their inheritance and everything of value that was their mother's. They were devastated and decided to find out more about Perry. That is when the book takes off. They uncover some of his past and that he has a daughter. The daughter decides to help them get their money back from Perry. He had used her from the time she was little to help scam people. She knew his tricks and she was also a good computer hacker. It definitely is a different book than what I am used to but it did keep my interest. There is a great twist in the end that leaves you shaking your head but in a good way.
Thanks to #netgalley, #duttonbooks and @lizandgregwrite for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

A page-turning book that keeps you on your toes with its suspenseful writing and one twist after another. The siblings were obnoxious. I found myself rooting for the character of Ava. She was resilient, intelligent, and managed to rebuild her life after a tumultuous beginning. The author’s storytelling style was strong throughout the narrative and kept the readers attention.

This review is entirely voluntary, and all opinions expressed reflect my personal views.

Thank you Netgalley & Dutton for an eARC ♥️

This was my first time reading this author duo, and I have to say, I'm hooked. The way they weave together a complex web of secrets, lies, and double-crosses is pure magic.
The story follows Hazel and Kagan Bailey, two adult siblings who are forced to team up and track down the person responsible for their mother's mysterious death and the theft of their family's fortune. I loved how the authors explored the complexities of family dynamics, making the characters feel relatable and real.
As I turned the pages, I found myself getting more and more invested in the story.🤩
What I appreciated most about Trust Issues was its unique take on the classic conman chase novel. The addition of the sibling dynamic added an extra layer of complexity to the story, making it feel fresh and exciting.
If you're a fan of twisty, turny stories with complex characters and pulse-pounding suspense, then Trust Issues is the book for you. And if you're new to this author duo like I was, then get ready to discover your new favorite writers!♥️

I was pulled into this book from the start and it had me guessing all the way until the end! It is filled with a great cast of characters, family relationships, and deception. This was a twisty ride- be careful of cons out there!

This was very intriguing, kept me guessing all the way through the book, i thought some part could have been written a bit simplier but overall the book was amazing!

Definitely recommend!

At the heart of this book is an unforgettable cat-and-mouse chase, featuring a cast of characters you can never quite decide if you like or not. The authors did a phenomenal job striking the perfect balance between character-driven depth and fast-paced, plot-driven action.

The story unfolds as two siblings race against time to prevent another unsuspecting woman from suffering the same tragic fate as their mother at the hands of her deceptive husband. The pacing is exhilarating, keeping me on edge as I tried to piece together who was truly guilty.

If you’re looking for a suspenseful, well-paced read with an ending that makes you reflect on the power of karma, this book is a must-read!

"...each of those smaller issues now feels like the drop in the bucket that finally causes the whole mess to overflow. It could almost be funny, if it weren't so tragic."

Everyone in this story has trust issues. And everyone needs someone to trust them. As the mystery of Janice's death winds and unwinds, each character's story spins into view. And with four main characters, each as sketchy as the others, it's truly a flood of untrustworthy proportions. Though the story starts slow, it reaches hurricane force by the end! What a whirlwind.

"[Hazel] hoped the internet would do what it did best and storm the virtual castle."