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."

How trusting are you? Do you normally trust until someone gives you a reason not to? Or do you have your walls up and slowly bring them down as time passes? Siblings Hazel and Kegan have every reason to have their walls up. Their father was a cruel man. The entire family breathed a sigh of relief the night he had a heart attack. Their mother has since remarried. They do not know him very well. Hazel has not seen her mom for two years and Kegan makes appearances. They both know that their new stepfather has been putting nonsense into their mother's ear about them. Until their mom ended up dead at the bottom of a cliff they had no idea why. Now they do, their inheritance. Their mom has left them nothing. As more information becomes known the siblings are more determined to get to the bottom of what happened to their mother and to get their inheritance back.

This book is filled with unlikable characters that had me yelling at them. It is hard to imagine that Kegan and Hazel are pushing forty. I kept imagining mid-twenties. Yet this is what made the book messy and believable that their mom cut them off. I loved the entire premise that their mother married another horrible man. Posing as someone who is at one with nature. When really all he wanted was her money. I was entertained and if I ever come into any money I will not be marrying. Thank you to Elizabeth McCullough Keenan and Dutton for my gifted read.

"Trust Issues" delivers a riveting blend of suspense and family drama as estranged siblings Hazel and Kagan Bailey are forced to confront their shared past. After their mother’s mysterious death and the disappearance of the family fortune, the Baileys embark on a tense hunt for answers—and a con artist they once called “family.”

The story’s fast-paced twists and layered revelations pull readers into a tangled web of lies, betrayal, and long-buried secrets. As Hazel and Kagan race against time, they not only chase justice but also face the painful truths about their fractured relationship. This gripping novel keeps you hooked until the last page with its emotional depth and masterful suspense.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced ARC in exchange for my honest review

Murder? Theft? This is a tale of a long con game by Perry who was married to Janice when she, ahem, died, Perry thinks he's safe after stealing the inheritance of his step children Hazel and Bailey but he didn't count on the fact that his own daughter Ava would join forces with them. This has some nice twists (and some you might see coming) and some not so nice characters. I gotta say- Hazel and Bailey convey as much younger than they are meant to be and they're a little whiny. However, they're also clever and that's what will keep you reading this cat and mouse game novel. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. No spoilers from me!

Thank you so much NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in advance in exchange for an honest review! This was a quick, fast paced book, that was a true page turner! 3.75 stars

3.5 rounded up!

Kagan and Hazel haven't been close since becoming adults, but when their mother dies in a suspicious manner and their names rocket to the top of the suspect list, they have to set aside their issues and come together. Neither of them were ever particularly close to their stepfather, but the further the siblings dig, the more things start coming up "conman." They'll do anything to get their inheritance back and out his endgame.

TRUST ISSUES by Elizabeth McCullough Keenan and Greg Wands is a cat and mouse thriller full of lavish lifestyles, sibling rivalries, and rich women getting conned.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book and the amateur sleuthing was such a hit for me! The beginning of the story is also set in New York (and the Cloisters!), which is always a fun thing to see.

Despite this story having some of my favorite things, the characters were extremely immature for being in their late 30s and the slow pacing didn't have a payoff that felt worth the arduous journey.

A cool cover with an interesting plot, but the execution just wasn't fully there for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the early copies for review!

Publication Date: January 28

Thank you so much to Dutton for my gifted copy!

Trust Issues is one hell of an intelligent thriller. This is the type of book you stay up late to finish. I could not put it down.

We meet this cast of truly unlikeable characters, except for our Gray Hat Hacker, Ava. She was a relief to experience after my last disaster of a read. I love a strong female lead, unable to be swayed or manipulated.

The craziest part of this story is that aspects of it were taken from the author duo’s friends’ experiences (Jeez, that’s a mouthful, sorry). I am eternally paranoid after working in finance, and seeing financial elder abuse first hand, but this book proves that truth is stranger than fiction. Some people are so damn diabolical. It makes you wonder how much more improved the world would be if that kind of cunning intelligence was used for good.

All of that said, this was a book I have been looking forward to for a very long time, and it did not disappoint. I absolutely loved it and all of its twenty-five cent words. Chefs kiss.

I really enjoyed this novel. Crazy great characters that kept me up late into the night. This was so easy to fall into and get lost in. Lots of twists and turns that left me gobsmacked.
Thank you NetGalley, Elizabeth Keenan, Greg Wands and Dutton Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book

Trust Issues by Elizabeth McCullough Keenan; Greg Wands was gripping and so hard to put down.
There are some good twists in the story and it kept me engaged, wanting to know what would happen next.
I really enjoyed reading this book, it was very intriguing. It gripped me from the start and I read it in two sittings. It was well written and very descriptive.
The storyline was great and I flew through this book in one sitting. Kept me turning the pages late into the night.
The authors manages to keep the writing compelling and full of suspense.

Thank You NetGalley and Dutton for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Dutton for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I did enjoy this book and read it in one day.. But I felt like it moved a little slow in some spots. I would still recommend this book.

I’m sorry, this did not work for me (to the point where I’m not sure why I finished it). The synopsis made it sound like it would be an exciting story - two siblings tracking down the man who betrayed them and enacting revenge? Secret not-dead daughters? Murder?! Great premise! Seems like a thrilling ride! The book jacket literally contains the phrase “pulse pounding!”

But in reality this was a total snooze fest. Nothing twisty or shocking happens. All of the characters are one dimensional and deeply unlikable (and not in an interesting, let’s-read-about-bad-people-doing-bad-things way - they just sucked). And how the writing style just constantly info-dumped on the reader was aggravating. All in all, not for me.

Thank you to Dutton Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. If you’d like to form your own opinion, Trust Issues is out 1/28

2.5 stars that I’ll bump to 3. I liked the beginning but unfortunately the mid to end was lackluster. The writing was clever so I would read this author again. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a rollercoaster. I had no idea what to expect other than a con artist and murder. It delivered on that front, but the ending left me wanting more.
I absolutely loved the character dynamics in this book. Siblings Kagan and Hazel truly got on like brother and sister, and their interactions were so entertaining.
The introduction of Ava was interesting. She was a mysterious character added to the mix later on in the story, and her purpose seemed to be to progress the story. I liked her, but I felt like we could have gotten some more depth to her like we did Kagan and Hazel.
Perry is a whole other can of worms. He is the con artist, and the book ends up following the siblings on their chase to find him and end his con artist ways. They basically want revenge on him for all the terrible things he has done - like kill some of their family members.
The ending of this book was very underwhelming. I was expecting some big thing to happen or blow up in someone's face, but we didn't get that. It was kind of a let down, to be honest.
I'm not really sure what genre I would classify this as. This was a very character driven novel and was entertaining for the most part. It had the revenge theme and leaned into the mystery of Perry, but I don't think I would classify this as a thriller. Mystery seems like the obvious genre, but there's just something about this book that gives me pause to classify it as that.
Overall, entertaining read but falls flat at the end. If you're looking for a purely character driven novel with a side of mystery and a need for revenge, this book is for you.

The characters in this were quite immature and super unlikable. It took me a bit to get through this one, and I didn’t end up loving it

A sudden death turns into a murder investigation by two siblings who believe their mom has brushed against a con artist.

It intros with the death and it's pretty shocking. The kids are told individually and they instantly reach out to each other and start to game plan. Both of them have been cut of from their mom and her supply of money for months now - and they blame that disconnect on this new guy her mom met, had a very fast whirlwind love affair with, then married. They blame their current poor financial situation on him, Perry, the husband. Now, with their mom gone, they stand to finally get their hands on their inheritance and to better their lives.

But imagine their surprised when both the police and the husband seem to hint that they wonder if the kids had something to do with it - shocking and enraging both of them.

Part 1 is all about the kids and their current life and then their investigation. Part 2 is when they find someone to help them. I really liked the addition to Ava. The kids were hard to like - selfish, money-hungry, and overly-competitive with each other, Ava was a nice calm to their chaos. Part 3 wrapped it all up and I loved the nice twists at the end. It is every time I feel good about an ending but this one was just like having your cake and eating it, too. Everyone got their just desserts.

It was a quick read, easy to jump right into and follow the line. It wasn't a huge page-turner but I felt compelled to know how it all ended. It kept me entertained, I liked it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

The blurb was interesting, and as a former Estate Paralegal, any book that deals with estate matters is catnip to me. This is the first book by this author, so since I tend to stay in my rut this should be interesting. This is a multi-layered mystery that is slow to give up its' secrets. I loved the path that the authors led me on, although I really didn't like any character in this book. It made it really tough to slog through it when they were such nasty people.

Kagan, Hazel are deeply flawed siblings tied together by the tragic death of their mother, Janice. Throw into this volatile family situation is Perry, Janice's husband. But as divergent as the sibling's life paths, they are united in seeing that their mother's death is avenged. Perry, Janice's husband, is a con man who excels in the long game, and he thinks Kagan and Hazel are no match for him. He would be right, at least until Kagan and Hazel hook up with Perry's estranged daughter, Ava. Ava is one really smart reformed hacker. She has her own reasons to want revenge on Perry and is willing to put up with the bickering siblings to get it.

My thanks to the Publisher, and Author, for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

This book was an enjoyable and thrilling journey. While the twists were fairly easy to predict, I still had a great time reading it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the advanced reader's copy!

What would you do if your mother was found dead and you discovered the newer husband wasn't who he portrayed to be?

This was an intriguing tale about a con man and how siblings sought to bring him down. However, it was not without effort because the situation was way above their heads, and the help they enlisted had more knowledge and experience with him than they did. It is also about family, and discovering that despite differences, it is best to band together with family to resolve issues.

Hazel and Kagan are unlikable. They are spoiled brats who have never really worked for much in their life. It is a shame that their mother didn't expect more from them. Or maybe she did, which is why she cut them out of her will. They had trust funds but managed to blow through that in no time, long before their mother was found dead. However, the help they enlist from Ava, who is the most interesting character in the whole book, at least to me. She has a fascinating past and computer skills that I sometimes wish I had!

I liked how the book ended. I can't tell you more, or it will spoil the story, but I will say that, all things considered, everything is resolved in the best way possible.

We give this book 3 1/2 paws.

Siblings come together in this thrilling ride to figure out who their ‘father’ really is. After their mom died, all they want is their money, but reality hits them hard, and they finally see who their mother was in love with. I’m indifferent when it comes to the two siblings, they are great characters, but are really annoying at times.