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Trust No One
JERRY GREY CAN TRUST NO ONE. LEAST OF ALL HIMSELF.
Most of the world knows Jerry Grey by his crime-writing pseudonym, Henry Cutter - a name that's been keeping readers at the edge of their seats for more than a decade. But now that he's been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's at the age of forty-nine, Jerry's career is coming to an abrupt end.
His twelve books tell stories of brutal murders, of a world out of balance, of victims finding the darkest forms of justice. As his dementia continues to break down the wall between his real life and the lives of his characters, Jerry confesses his most terrible secret: the stories are real. He committed the crimes himself. His friends, family, and caretakers insist that it's all in his head, just a side effect of the devastating disease - but is it?
One of the most talented and trailblazing suspense writers at work today, Edgar-nominated author Paul Cleave takes us down a dark and clever path to determine the fine line between simple fact and dangerous fiction.
Most of the world knows Jerry Grey by his crime-writing pseudonym, Henry Cutter - a name that's been keeping readers at the edge of their seats for more than a decade. But now that he's been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's at the age of forty-nine, Jerry's career is coming to an abrupt end.
His twelve books tell stories of brutal murders, of a world out of balance, of victims finding the darkest forms of justice. As his dementia continues to break down the wall between his real life and the lives of his characters, Jerry confesses his most terrible secret: the stories are real. He committed the crimes himself. His friends, family, and caretakers insist that it's all in his head, just a side effect of the devastating disease - but is it?
One of the most talented and trailblazing suspense writers at work today, Edgar-nominated author Paul Cleave takes us down a dark and clever path to determine the fine line between simple fact and dangerous fiction.
342 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2015
About the author
Paul Cleave
33 books786 followersPaul Cleave is an internationally bestselling author who is currently dividing his time between his home city of Christchurch, New Zealand, where all of his novels are set, and Europe, where none of his novels are set. His work has been translated into fifteen languages. He has won the Ngaio Marsh award for best crime novel in New Zealand, he won the Saint-Maur book festival's crime novel of the year in France, has been shortlisted for the Edgar Award and the Barry Award in the US, and shortlisted for the Ned Kelly award in Australia. When he's not writing, he spends his time swearing on a golf course, swearing on a tennis court, or trying to add to his list of 25 countries where he's thrown his Frisbee.
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August 29, 2015I am paralyzed. Paralyzed by ambivalence. I have never felt so conflicted over a book in my life. How do I rate this Paul Cleave novel? I was totally counting on the last 11% of the read to solidify my rating. Well, curse you, Paul Cleave—I was a fool to trust you to clear my head regarding your little creation! Now I am forced to trust myself to write this up and then see if I have a better idea as to whether this read rates 2 stars or 5 stars.
For inexplicable reasons this review page on Goodreads attracted quite a bit of traffic before I had even finished the book. I am astonished that my nonreview actually generated 12 likes and 83 comments with me doing nothing. I was feeling pretty smug, that this was the easiest review I never had to write. Well, I was clearly wrong.
Where do I begin with this? OK, how about what I didn’t like. So….
1) The beginning, the middle, and the end (the end end). If this hadn’t been a buddy read with one of my best Goodreads friends, I may have actually dnf’ed this one. The start was confusing and did not grab me at all. I like my murders to happen in the prologue! So I persevered. It started to pick up nicely, but then Mr. Cleave messes everything up by flipping into 2nd person narrative!! What? Talk about confusion!! My book buddy was the one who picked this book, so again, I persevered. So then, OK, I have to admit I got used to 2nd person narrative (used in the journal Jerry kept). And the end—I mean the end end. Waaah on that! 2 stars so far.
2) But, you know, I must say this book has a tremendous premise. So totally different, and I give lots of points for different!! Is demented crime writer Jerry murdering these characters that he has written about in his crime novels or is someone else to blame? What does Jerry think? This is a 5 star premise, folks.
3) Then again, being in the medical business for many years and having personal experience with dementia patients and nursing homes, I have to vehemently object to how Mr. Cleave portrays advanced Alzheimer’s disease and the rules and regulations that keep nursing home patients safe. Mr. Cleave misled me and really messed up my logic as I was trying to figure out who was killing whom by taking liberties with the facts of these subjects. Boy, did I get frustrated! A very generous 2 stars, Mr. Cleave.
4) But, gosh, this book was PERFECT for a buddy read. My buddy and I had a tremendous time working through the story, putting together our theories with great thought and diligence. We both took copious notes and considered all sorts of elaborate hypotheses. I also got to know my friend a lot better, and that was gold to me. 5 big stars!!
5) Yeah, but man, the answer to the mystery is really far-fetched. Come on, Mr. Cleave. Yes, it was very clever, but geez. Maybe I’m jealous as I only got the answer somewhat right while my buddy Stef nailed it. I’m proud of her. 2 stars for showing me up, Mr. Cleave.
6) And what about the jewelry count, Mr. Cleave? Was it 4 pieces or 2 pieces? I spent an hour trying to figure that one out. I never did, so that was an hour out of my life that I will never get back. I should give you one star for that, but I’m feeling generous. 2 stars.
7) Damn. I had so much fun reading this book. And I truly missed it when it was out of my hands. Plus, I was thinking about it all the time. In the shower, in the middle of the night, while I was painting shingles for my house. What a great little crime mystery this is and how it entertained me for days! Oh, and the humor in this story--Mr. Cleave your humor is my humor--I loved it! I’m really missing this book now that I'm finished. I must say that the joy and the entertainment value I get out of a novel carries A LOT of weight as I think about how to rate it. 5 star read!
8) See numbers 1, 3, 5, and 6 above. Gotta be 2 stars.
OK, I’m done. What a fool I was to trust myself to come to a conclusion on this dumb rating I have to give. The only thing I am left trusting about my opinion is this: This is NOT a one star read—that only happens when I am extremely disgruntled or terribly bored. It is also NOT a 3 star read—that’s “meh”, which this sure isn’t. It is NOT a 4 star read either--"very good”. Does the above look like a simple “very good”??? Noooo, not to me either.
My conclusion: My answer to “what is your rating?” is not a simple one-keystroke click on a picture of stars. None of these five choices in any way reflects how I feel about Trust No One. My answer is that this is an essay question. So see above. My rating is 2 stars. Or 5 stars. Read it for yourself. I am dying to know what you think!
Recommended somewhat highly. (-:
For inexplicable reasons this review page on Goodreads attracted quite a bit of traffic before I had even finished the book. I am astonished that my nonreview actually generated 12 likes and 83 comments with me doing nothing. I was feeling pretty smug, that this was the easiest review I never had to write. Well, I was clearly wrong.
Where do I begin with this? OK, how about what I didn’t like. So….
1) The beginning, the middle, and the end (the end end). If this hadn’t been a buddy read with one of my best Goodreads friends, I may have actually dnf’ed this one. The start was confusing and did not grab me at all. I like my murders to happen in the prologue! So I persevered. It started to pick up nicely, but then Mr. Cleave messes everything up by flipping into 2nd person narrative!! What? Talk about confusion!! My book buddy was the one who picked this book, so again, I persevered. So then, OK, I have to admit I got used to 2nd person narrative (used in the journal Jerry kept). And the end—I mean the end end. Waaah on that! 2 stars so far.
2) But, you know, I must say this book has a tremendous premise. So totally different, and I give lots of points for different!! Is demented crime writer Jerry murdering these characters that he has written about in his crime novels or is someone else to blame? What does Jerry think? This is a 5 star premise, folks.
3) Then again, being in the medical business for many years and having personal experience with dementia patients and nursing homes, I have to vehemently object to how Mr. Cleave portrays advanced Alzheimer’s disease and the rules and regulations that keep nursing home patients safe. Mr. Cleave misled me and really messed up my logic as I was trying to figure out who was killing whom by taking liberties with the facts of these subjects. Boy, did I get frustrated! A very generous 2 stars, Mr. Cleave.
4) But, gosh, this book was PERFECT for a buddy read. My buddy and I had a tremendous time working through the story, putting together our theories with great thought and diligence. We both took copious notes and considered all sorts of elaborate hypotheses. I also got to know my friend a lot better, and that was gold to me. 5 big stars!!
5) Yeah, but man, the answer to the mystery is really far-fetched. Come on, Mr. Cleave. Yes, it was very clever, but geez. Maybe I’m jealous as I only got the answer somewhat right while my buddy Stef nailed it. I’m proud of her. 2 stars for showing me up, Mr. Cleave.
6) And what about the jewelry count, Mr. Cleave? Was it 4 pieces or 2 pieces? I spent an hour trying to figure that one out. I never did, so that was an hour out of my life that I will never get back. I should give you one star for that, but I’m feeling generous. 2 stars.
7) Damn. I had so much fun reading this book. And I truly missed it when it was out of my hands. Plus, I was thinking about it all the time. In the shower, in the middle of the night, while I was painting shingles for my house. What a great little crime mystery this is and how it entertained me for days! Oh, and the humor in this story--Mr. Cleave your humor is my humor--I loved it! I’m really missing this book now that I'm finished. I must say that the joy and the entertainment value I get out of a novel carries A LOT of weight as I think about how to rate it. 5 star read!
8) See numbers 1, 3, 5, and 6 above. Gotta be 2 stars.
OK, I’m done. What a fool I was to trust myself to come to a conclusion on this dumb rating I have to give. The only thing I am left trusting about my opinion is this: This is NOT a one star read—that only happens when I am extremely disgruntled or terribly bored. It is also NOT a 3 star read—that’s “meh”, which this sure isn’t. It is NOT a 4 star read either--"very good”. Does the above look like a simple “very good”??? Noooo, not to me either.
My conclusion: My answer to “what is your rating?” is not a simple one-keystroke click on a picture of stars. None of these five choices in any way reflects how I feel about Trust No One. My answer is that this is an essay question. So see above. My rating is 2 stars. Or 5 stars. Read it for yourself. I am dying to know what you think!
Recommended somewhat highly. (-:
June 9, 2015
I was so lucky to win a copy of “Trust No One” by Paul Cleave, an international crime writer from Christchurch, New Zealand,through the Goodreads Giveaway Contest. When this novel was first listed, I was very interested in reading it, and when I found out I won a copy I was very excited. This is one of the best books I have read this year…there are a few so far.
“Trust No One” is psychological mystery suspense thriller, which crosses over many genres. It combines elements of the psychological terror of mental illness (Alzheimer’s-The Big A), suspense, crime,suspense and even humor. The title is very fitting for the plot.
“His name is Jerry Henry Cutter, his name is Cutter Grey and he is an author and this is a nursing home, and this is the real deal and he didn’t kill anybody even though he knows he did.”
Jerry Grey, a crime writer lived a good life with his wife , Sandra and daughter, Eve, until at the early age of forty-nine he is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s (the Big A as Jerry calls it), and his life will change for ever, and his crime writing days are numbered. He is known to the world by his crime writing pseudonym, “Henry Cutter”. That is how he keeps his two world separate. The author relates to Henry and his family life as Jerry. He has written twelve murder books plus number thirteen “The Man Goes Burning” is with his editor. His editor tells him, “Write what you know, and fake the rest.”
I love how Jerry’s doctor describes the disease as “Alzheimer’s erases things, it creates, it rewrites.” What a way to live…if you can call it living? Jerry has started writing in his “Madness Journal”, to record Jerry’s life for Future Jerry.
But then as his dementia gets worse, Jerry starts confessing to killing women, just like in his novels. He knows this because he committed the crimes. Those close to him, including the nurses at the nursing home where he now lives, insist that it is just part of this disease.
BUT DID HE KILL SOMEONE?
This cleaver twisted novel will walk a fine line between Fact and Fiction, with flashbacks from past and present. The POV switches between the main protagonist, Jerry and his other half Henry.
“TRUST NO ONE” is outstanding psychological suspense/crime mystery bestseller. Jerry is such a complex well developed character. Once you start this book, be prepared to devote your time solely to this novel. It was difficult to put down.
This was the first book that I have read from this author…but it won’t be the last. Thank you Paul for allowing me to read your novel!
“Trust No One” is psychological mystery suspense thriller, which crosses over many genres. It combines elements of the psychological terror of mental illness (Alzheimer’s-The Big A), suspense, crime,suspense and even humor. The title is very fitting for the plot.
“His name is Jerry Henry Cutter, his name is Cutter Grey and he is an author and this is a nursing home, and this is the real deal and he didn’t kill anybody even though he knows he did.”
Jerry Grey, a crime writer lived a good life with his wife , Sandra and daughter, Eve, until at the early age of forty-nine he is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s (the Big A as Jerry calls it), and his life will change for ever, and his crime writing days are numbered. He is known to the world by his crime writing pseudonym, “Henry Cutter”. That is how he keeps his two world separate. The author relates to Henry and his family life as Jerry. He has written twelve murder books plus number thirteen “The Man Goes Burning” is with his editor. His editor tells him, “Write what you know, and fake the rest.”
I love how Jerry’s doctor describes the disease as “Alzheimer’s erases things, it creates, it rewrites.” What a way to live…if you can call it living? Jerry has started writing in his “Madness Journal”, to record Jerry’s life for Future Jerry.
But then as his dementia gets worse, Jerry starts confessing to killing women, just like in his novels. He knows this because he committed the crimes. Those close to him, including the nurses at the nursing home where he now lives, insist that it is just part of this disease.
BUT DID HE KILL SOMEONE?
This cleaver twisted novel will walk a fine line between Fact and Fiction, with flashbacks from past and present. The POV switches between the main protagonist, Jerry and his other half Henry.
“TRUST NO ONE” is outstanding psychological suspense/crime mystery bestseller. Jerry is such a complex well developed character. Once you start this book, be prepared to devote your time solely to this novel. It was difficult to put down.
This was the first book that I have read from this author…but it won’t be the last. Thank you Paul for allowing me to read your novel!
September 15, 2015
My thanks to to Atria Books and the Goodreads giveaway program for providing this book in exchange for my honest review.
The Hook - trust n. 1, a reliance on the integrity, veracity, etc. of a person; confidence---New American Handy College Webster Dictionary
It’s all how you define the word.
The Line – "Write what you know and fake the rest.”
The Sinker – Trust No One
But you’ve got to trust someone.
Trust which of my GR friends? Should I trust the ones who gave this 5 stars or the ones who gave it 3?
Trust the unreliable narrator?
Trust the man with Alzheimer’s?
Trust Jerry, the man with Alzheimer’s who just happens to be an author?
Trust Henry Cutter, Jerry’s main character in his crime novels?
Trust the author, Paul Cleave?
Trust No One – In the end you’ll have to trust yourself to decide whether this is brilliant or if it’s bulls*** or if it’s bats*** county as Jerry calls it.
Author Jerry Grey, a good last name if you think of how this story is so not black and white, or how dismal and cloudy Jerry’s mind gets after he is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. Jerry’s a crime writer who is having difficulty deciding if he is a serial killer or worse the man who killed his wife or if the scenes he’s recalling are those that he has written in his novels. Scary stuff for a man who is quickly being robbed of his memory. Who can Jerry trust?
Many readers, including me felt conflicted about Trust No One. On the one hand it presents a super interesting premise. On the other, would a man suffering a quickly progressing dementia be as aware as Jerry? I had to suspend some belief and just roll with the story. I was able to do this where others were not. I think the author did this as well as he could and I genuinely liked the story. My four stars vs. 5 star rating comes more from the author’s choice to muddy the waters with too many suspicious characters than how he wrote the main character. In my estimation, throwing in the herrings wasn’t necessary. Jerry’s plight, in itself, was enough to keep me guessing whom to trust.
I really liked the chapter headings, a timeline that tries to give order where there is none. I liked the plot device of Jerry’s MadnessDiary Journal. I really liked how Jerry was able to look at himself as Future Jerry, Past Jerry, FJ, how he named his disease Captain A, and ended many chapters with Good News? Bad News scenarios?
In Jerry Grey, Paul Cleave has sketched a creative character, one that was equally sympathetic, depressing and sarcastically humorous. I hated to laugh but I did. I should have cried but Jerry wouldn’t let me. I wanted to tell Jerry whom to trust, but he was powerless to listen.
The Hook - trust n. 1, a reliance on the integrity, veracity, etc. of a person; confidence---New American Handy College Webster Dictionary
It’s all how you define the word.
The Line – "Write what you know and fake the rest.”
The Sinker – Trust No One
But you’ve got to trust someone.
Trust which of my GR friends? Should I trust the ones who gave this 5 stars or the ones who gave it 3?
Trust the unreliable narrator?
Trust the man with Alzheimer’s?
Trust Jerry, the man with Alzheimer’s who just happens to be an author?
Trust Henry Cutter, Jerry’s main character in his crime novels?
Trust the author, Paul Cleave?
Trust No One – In the end you’ll have to trust yourself to decide whether this is brilliant or if it’s bulls*** or if it’s bats*** county as Jerry calls it.
Author Jerry Grey, a good last name if you think of how this story is so not black and white, or how dismal and cloudy Jerry’s mind gets after he is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. Jerry’s a crime writer who is having difficulty deciding if he is a serial killer or worse the man who killed his wife or if the scenes he’s recalling are those that he has written in his novels. Scary stuff for a man who is quickly being robbed of his memory. Who can Jerry trust?
Many readers, including me felt conflicted about Trust No One. On the one hand it presents a super interesting premise. On the other, would a man suffering a quickly progressing dementia be as aware as Jerry? I had to suspend some belief and just roll with the story. I was able to do this where others were not. I think the author did this as well as he could and I genuinely liked the story. My four stars vs. 5 star rating comes more from the author’s choice to muddy the waters with too many suspicious characters than how he wrote the main character. In my estimation, throwing in the herrings wasn’t necessary. Jerry’s plight, in itself, was enough to keep me guessing whom to trust.
I really liked the chapter headings, a timeline that tries to give order where there is none. I liked the plot device of Jerry’s Madness
In Jerry Grey, Paul Cleave has sketched a creative character, one that was equally sympathetic, depressing and sarcastically humorous. I hated to laugh but I did. I should have cried but Jerry wouldn’t let me. I wanted to tell Jerry whom to trust, but he was powerless to listen.
November 2, 2021
3.5 stars
Jerry Grey, 49 years old, lives in Christchurch, New Zealand and writes popular mystery/crime novels under the pseudonym Henry Cutter. Jerry has a lovely wife Sandra and a beloved daughter Eva. He also has early onset Alzheimer's disease, a devastating illness that will soon steal away all Jerry's memories.
In an attempt to hold on to some bits of himself as his brain deteriorates Jerry keeps a journal, addressed to 'future Jerry', detailing aspects of his daily life. These include preparations for his daughter Eva's upcoming wedding, hiding bottles of gin - and a gun - from his wife Sandra, his conviction that Sandra is sleeping with every man she meets, anger at his illness, visits from old friends, and more.
As Jerry's Alzheimer's clouds his brain he begins to confuse his real life with the plots of his books. Thus, as the story opens Jerry knows he's in a police station and thinks he's being questioned by detectives.
In the interrogation room Jerry fantasizes about seducing the female detective and confesses to murdering a girl name Suzan.
As it turns out Jerry has escaped from his residential nursing home and the 'female detective' is his daughter Eva, come to take him back. Moreover, Jerry is taking credit for a crime committed in one of his books.
As it turns out, people ARE being killed in Christchurch. And the murders seem to occur on days when Jerry sneaks out of his nursing home. Before long, Jerry becomes a suspect. This is one of those books where anything said about the central plot is a spoiler so I'll say no more about the killings.
Aside from that though, the book provides (what seems like) a realistic picture of the toll of Alzheimer's Disease. Told in the first person, the story jumps back and forth in time, flits from one thought/observation to another, and demonstrates the confusion in Jerry's mind....and 'memories' that aren't true.
Jerry has frequent conversations with his alter ego Henry Cutter....
.....'wakes up' not knowing where he is, can't remember his escapes from the residential facility, doesn't recall where he lives, and so on. It's impossible not to feel bad for Jerry and to admire his struggles to leave behind some bits of himself in his journals.
There's an array of interesting characters in this page turner, and I was caught up in the story - wanting to know what was real and what was just in Jerry's mind, and anxious to discover what was going on in Christchurch.
A good psychological thriller, recommended to mystery fans.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
September 4, 2015
This book might appeal to people who can suspend their disbelief and get immersed in the story. The language is decent, there’s occasional humor, and there are many twists and turns. But this one just didn’t work for me.
The story is about a crime writer, Jerry, who gets Alzheimer’s and is accused of murders. Did he or didn’t he commit them, that is the question. The chapters alternate between his past (through his journal entries) and the present (through a third-person narrator). Sounds good on paper.
One problem is Jerry’s journal. First of all, his entries are way too detailed and cohesive for someone with dementia. Plus, Jerry addresses himself as "he," which sounds awkward and wrong. No one writes a journal in second person, especially not someone demented. Can you imagine writing a journal entry that says, “You went downstairs.” No, of course you’d say, “I went downstairs.”
And Jerry occasionally turns over his journal to his alter ego, Henry, a murderer from his crime novels. Jerry wouldn’t have the mental capacity to write from Henry’s point of view.
A bigger problem: The chapters told by the third-person narrator are mostly from Jerry’s point of view—we learn what he’s thinking. So this means the whole book is based on the viewpoint of a demented man. I like unreliable narrators, I really do, but I don’t want them to be demented. Neurotic? Sociopathic? Hell yes. But having a crime drama told completely from the point of view of someone demented—well, that goes beyond unreliable. How can anything be true? It discredits every single thing that happens, especially if there isn't a potentially reliable narrator anywhere in sight.
Everyone—wife, friends, cops—keeps asking Jerry questions as if he has a fully functional mind. The cops especially are mean and relentless. They know he has Alzheimer's, so why in hell do they treat him so badly? Obviously Jerry can't remember shit and they should know that. And Jerry’s responses sound thoughtful. Thoughtful and demented do not belong in the same sentence.
No, I just could not suspend my disbelief. Sure, there are twists and turns, but they don’t work if you don’t buy the premise. I found myself thinking, “He wouldn’t be able to think that! He wouldn’t be able to write that! He wouldn’t be able to figure out that!” For example, Jerry gets a SIM card for his phone so he can retrieve his contacts, which sounds a bit high-tech and complicated. And he sets up his email on someone else’s phone (this has to involve many steps)—huh? I don’t know if I can set up my email on someone else’s phone, and I’m not demented (yet, lol).
In the book, Jerry says you should write what you know, and fake the rest. It doesn’t look like Cleave took his own advice—it doesn’t seem like he knows enough about dementia. And the parts he tries to fake just don’t work for me.
My mother got dementia in her late 80s, so I got to see dementia up close and personal. The author definitely has some things right: the memory loss, the confusion, the inability to recognize people, and the desire to escape. But Jerry the demented person would not be able to write a cohesive story or carry on a conversation that made sense, no way.
The blurb and the positive reviews gave me high hopes that I’d enjoy this one, but I kept wincing, and waiting for it to be over.
For a decent mystery with a protagonist who has Alzheimer's, check out Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante.
Thank you, NetGalley, for sending me a copy.
The story is about a crime writer, Jerry, who gets Alzheimer’s and is accused of murders. Did he or didn’t he commit them, that is the question. The chapters alternate between his past (through his journal entries) and the present (through a third-person narrator). Sounds good on paper.
One problem is Jerry’s journal. First of all, his entries are way too detailed and cohesive for someone with dementia. Plus, Jerry addresses himself as "he," which sounds awkward and wrong. No one writes a journal in second person, especially not someone demented. Can you imagine writing a journal entry that says, “You went downstairs.” No, of course you’d say, “I went downstairs.”
And Jerry occasionally turns over his journal to his alter ego, Henry, a murderer from his crime novels. Jerry wouldn’t have the mental capacity to write from Henry’s point of view.
A bigger problem: The chapters told by the third-person narrator are mostly from Jerry’s point of view—we learn what he’s thinking. So this means the whole book is based on the viewpoint of a demented man. I like unreliable narrators, I really do, but I don’t want them to be demented. Neurotic? Sociopathic? Hell yes. But having a crime drama told completely from the point of view of someone demented—well, that goes beyond unreliable. How can anything be true? It discredits every single thing that happens, especially if there isn't a potentially reliable narrator anywhere in sight.
Everyone—wife, friends, cops—keeps asking Jerry questions as if he has a fully functional mind. The cops especially are mean and relentless. They know he has Alzheimer's, so why in hell do they treat him so badly? Obviously Jerry can't remember shit and they should know that. And Jerry’s responses sound thoughtful. Thoughtful and demented do not belong in the same sentence.
No, I just could not suspend my disbelief. Sure, there are twists and turns, but they don’t work if you don’t buy the premise. I found myself thinking, “He wouldn’t be able to think that! He wouldn’t be able to write that! He wouldn’t be able to figure out that!” For example, Jerry gets a SIM card for his phone so he can retrieve his contacts, which sounds a bit high-tech and complicated. And he sets up his email on someone else’s phone (this has to involve many steps)—huh? I don’t know if I can set up my email on someone else’s phone, and I’m not demented (yet, lol).
In the book, Jerry says you should write what you know, and fake the rest. It doesn’t look like Cleave took his own advice—it doesn’t seem like he knows enough about dementia. And the parts he tries to fake just don’t work for me.
My mother got dementia in her late 80s, so I got to see dementia up close and personal. The author definitely has some things right: the memory loss, the confusion, the inability to recognize people, and the desire to escape. But Jerry the demented person would not be able to write a cohesive story or carry on a conversation that made sense, no way.
The blurb and the positive reviews gave me high hopes that I’d enjoy this one, but I kept wincing, and waiting for it to be over.
For a decent mystery with a protagonist who has Alzheimer's, check out Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante.
Thank you, NetGalley, for sending me a copy.
November 22, 2015
Of all the books I have read over the past few years, this is the one that has scared me the most.
I am a horror aficionado. I love Stephen Kings works and those of Peter Straub. But all the time I am reading them, I know it is not real. It is not going to happen to me.
But in Trust No One, you know that it could. Jerry's story could be your story. Because we have all done it. Mislaid things. Put things away safely so that we don't lose them, then can't remember where we put them. We have forgotten names and faces (listen to Jack Johnson's "No Good With Faces"), and dates, and appointments. We have all, at some point, joked about losing our minds.
That is what we do, we joke about the things that terrify us most.
"Day One. Your name is Jerry Grey, and you are scared. ...You lost your phone yesterday, and last week you lost your car, and recently you forgot Sandra's name."
And so begins Jerry's descent into the maze that is Alzheimers. For at the age of forty-nine, Jerry Grey has been diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimers. Jerry is (was) an author. One of books detailing brutal murders by bad men. But now Jerry is confessing to those murders.
Did Jerry write his books based on crimes he has committed, or is the Alzheimer's twisting his declining grasp on reality?
This book is a must read. 4 1/2 stars from me.
I am a horror aficionado. I love Stephen Kings works and those of Peter Straub. But all the time I am reading them, I know it is not real. It is not going to happen to me.
But in Trust No One, you know that it could. Jerry's story could be your story. Because we have all done it. Mislaid things. Put things away safely so that we don't lose them, then can't remember where we put them. We have forgotten names and faces (listen to Jack Johnson's "No Good With Faces"), and dates, and appointments. We have all, at some point, joked about losing our minds.
That is what we do, we joke about the things that terrify us most.
"Day One. Your name is Jerry Grey, and you are scared. ...You lost your phone yesterday, and last week you lost your car, and recently you forgot Sandra's name."
And so begins Jerry's descent into the maze that is Alzheimers. For at the age of forty-nine, Jerry Grey has been diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimers. Jerry is (was) an author. One of books detailing brutal murders by bad men. But now Jerry is confessing to those murders.
Did Jerry write his books based on crimes he has committed, or is the Alzheimer's twisting his declining grasp on reality?
This book is a must read. 4 1/2 stars from me.
June 19, 2015
"Trust No One"......
"Trust No One".....
"Trust No One".....
What can you trust????
That Jerry Grey has Alzheimer's?
That he is living in a nursing home?
That he is a New Zealand novelist?
That he has written 13 thrillers?
That he goes by the pseudonym name Henry Cutter?
That he has a wife Eva....
That his wife Sandra is divorcing him?
That it's very possible Jerry Grey not only wrote crime novels.... But that he actually committed those crimes for real?
At the start of this story....we learn about Jerry's early onset with Dementia... In the same way we did in Lisa Geneva's book, 'Still Alice". (Both characters being 49 years old).... But where in "Still Alice", we get a direct experience of Alice's decline into full-blown Alzheimer's.... Followed by reactions from her family members and whether or not they may inherit the disease......
"In Trust No One", we also witness the full browned disease: THE BIG *A*, but instead of focusing on Jerry Grey's daughter, Eve's reaction and concerns, for herself regarding inheriting her father's disease......
Paul Cleave has us face alzheimer's disease 'organically' from the inside out, keeping us on purpose with our implausible narrator. I like the way that the author kept his foot on the gas pedal the entire time. It allowed me to take another look at this degenerative disease directly without being distracted by family members worrying for themselves..... but actually get inside
the mind of one man living .....
As a man...
As a successful crime drama author
As a man with a disease
This is a very tricky- twisty- plot..... You just don't know what is fact and what is fiction with
ANYTHING!!!
I trusted 'nothing' .... I was completely suspicious about 10% into the story. I started to question if Jerry Gray even had Alzheimer's disease let alone murdered anybody..... Or if some other crime wasn't right underneath the surface. The reader is constantly trying to figure the story out....yet underneath the story there's a shadow of sadness because we don't forget where the story is coming from ....unless we can't trust 'the disease' either. And how can we???
A few times the character Jerry Grey, ( love this character by the way), reminder me of another
character in a novel called "Jack of Spades", by Joyce Carol Oates.
Both characters as successful crime novelist.....(suspense, secrets, mystery, unbeknownst to us, family and friends).
So, Who do you trust, when you can't trust even yourself?
"Trust No One"
Thank You to Atria Publishing, Netgalley, and Paul Cleave! Terrific Read!!
"Trust No One".....
"Trust No One".....
What can you trust????
That Jerry Grey has Alzheimer's?
That he is living in a nursing home?
That he is a New Zealand novelist?
That he has written 13 thrillers?
That he goes by the pseudonym name Henry Cutter?
That he has a wife Eva....
That his wife Sandra is divorcing him?
That it's very possible Jerry Grey not only wrote crime novels.... But that he actually committed those crimes for real?
At the start of this story....we learn about Jerry's early onset with Dementia... In the same way we did in Lisa Geneva's book, 'Still Alice". (Both characters being 49 years old).... But where in "Still Alice", we get a direct experience of Alice's decline into full-blown Alzheimer's.... Followed by reactions from her family members and whether or not they may inherit the disease......
"In Trust No One", we also witness the full browned disease: THE BIG *A*, but instead of focusing on Jerry Grey's daughter, Eve's reaction and concerns, for herself regarding inheriting her father's disease......
Paul Cleave has us face alzheimer's disease 'organically' from the inside out, keeping us on purpose with our implausible narrator. I like the way that the author kept his foot on the gas pedal the entire time. It allowed me to take another look at this degenerative disease directly without being distracted by family members worrying for themselves..... but actually get inside
the mind of one man living .....
As a man...
As a successful crime drama author
As a man with a disease
This is a very tricky- twisty- plot..... You just don't know what is fact and what is fiction with
ANYTHING!!!
I trusted 'nothing' .... I was completely suspicious about 10% into the story. I started to question if Jerry Gray even had Alzheimer's disease let alone murdered anybody..... Or if some other crime wasn't right underneath the surface. The reader is constantly trying to figure the story out....yet underneath the story there's a shadow of sadness because we don't forget where the story is coming from ....unless we can't trust 'the disease' either. And how can we???
A few times the character Jerry Grey, ( love this character by the way), reminder me of another
character in a novel called "Jack of Spades", by Joyce Carol Oates.
Both characters as successful crime novelist.....(suspense, secrets, mystery, unbeknownst to us, family and friends).
So, Who do you trust, when you can't trust even yourself?
"Trust No One"
Thank You to Atria Publishing, Netgalley, and Paul Cleave! Terrific Read!!
September 20, 2015
Every once in awhile, a book comes along that is devious and mind-boggling, and this book is one of them. Totally, totally mind-boggling. First off, the premise from the blurb caught my attention. A crime writer with Alzheimer's confesses to crimes, but are they real or from his books? Then the first chapter pulled me in and there was no stopping. This is a book to read slowly, savor the words, study the story, get everything straight in your head. Then Paul Cleaves will turn everything sideways. I constantly had to remind myself why something couldn't be true, but what if that other thing isn't true, either? When I started having to look back to check some "facts," I started keeping notes. That helped immensely. The nearer the end came, the more often I wavered between two possibilities. And now that I've finished, I had to think why things ended that way. Everything made perfect sense. Very devious, I tell you.
July 5, 2015
If you can check your sense of reality at the door and just go along for the ride, this might be a good read. Really, what a great idea for a book! A crime writer, recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's is quickly being unable to distinguish what is real. As people he knows start turning up dead, is he the killer from his books, or an innocent pawn?
The main problem I had was not having a reliable narrator until half way through the book. The crime writer, Jerry Grey, also known by pen name of Henry Cutter, are involved in dialogue, mainly through a journal Jerry starts the day he is diagnosed. Henry is often telling Jerry things he's forgotten, and Jerry wonders if he is Henry, or just losing his mind. A lot of the time I was also confused as to time and place. The narrative took me back and forth through time, but without clear distinctions. I have to say, there were moments where I did enjoy the thrill of "what's going on!"
By the second half a new character arrives. An old friend of Jerry's, one who is trying to help him solve these crimes. I was happy that this new character does provide a narrator, and also becomes part of the mystery. However, in the end, this story is very convoluted, even repetitive at times. The ending does bring satisfaction, but one that I saw coming for quite some time.
A big thanks to NetGalley!
The main problem I had was not having a reliable narrator until half way through the book. The crime writer, Jerry Grey, also known by pen name of Henry Cutter, are involved in dialogue, mainly through a journal Jerry starts the day he is diagnosed. Henry is often telling Jerry things he's forgotten, and Jerry wonders if he is Henry, or just losing his mind. A lot of the time I was also confused as to time and place. The narrative took me back and forth through time, but without clear distinctions. I have to say, there were moments where I did enjoy the thrill of "what's going on!"
By the second half a new character arrives. An old friend of Jerry's, one who is trying to help him solve these crimes. I was happy that this new character does provide a narrator, and also becomes part of the mystery. However, in the end, this story is very convoluted, even repetitive at times. The ending does bring satisfaction, but one that I saw coming for quite some time.
A big thanks to NetGalley!
July 31, 2017
Top 50 Books of 2015 "Best Clever Character Development, Twisted Dark Humor, and Best Male Protagonist
Christchurch, New Zealand, international bestseller crime author, Paul Cleave delivers TRUST NO ONE, a deliciously clever, witty, and wickedly evil psychological mystery suspense thriller-- when the horror of mental illness--Alzheimer’s, takes over a crime writer’s brain, blurring the lines between fact and fiction. A potent blend of suspense, paranoia, reality, and pure creepiness.
A haunting tale, which could almost be ripped from today’s headlines, where we read of older adults with dementia unwittingly committing crimes like theft or trespassing, sexual acts, losing blocks of time, or worse, more serious ones such as murder with no recollection of events. For a small number--it can be the first sign of their mental decline, as studies reveal.
While Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s can provoke a neural dysfunction that affects the patient’s behavior, leading to criminality—Cleave accelerates the complexity tenfold, by adding a bestselling crime author and its characters, to the mix.
Henry Cutter (the cutting man) is the pseudonym for the bestselling author, Jerry Grey, a successful crime writer. Grey’s twelve books have earned him much success, delivery murder mysteries for years satisfying readers and fans, worldwide.
Married for twenty-four years, Sandra, his wife, forty-eight years old—he can barely now remember, and a daughter, Eva which he recalls as ten years old, not the twentysomething woman? They have a life. They have a future. He does not.
At the early age of forty-nine, the evil disease, the monster of Alzheimer’s has taken over his life. Doctor Goodstory gave him the news of the Big A, Captain A-- on the Big F (Friday). After all, dementia (Big D) is uncommon in persons under sixty-five. As he approaches age fifty, bad days are coming. Dark days are coming. Madness is approaching.
Some days Jerry is in control, and the next minute without any notice, he goes into dark mode; he has lost his car, his phone, his family, his thoughts, and his mind. Worst of all, he recalls killings; murders. Is he a killer, or is he thinking through the mind of his characters? What is real?
He now resides in an old nursing home and for some odd reason, he recalls Suzan with a “z” - always on his mind. How he felt when he killed her, back before he wrote about it. Why is his daughter acting strange? He goes back as he embraces the darkness. Who is Suzan?
Did he write thirteen books, an unlucky number? However, his thirteenth book is not a diary, but his Madness Journal. A journal for his future. Maybe one day there will be a pill to make the Big A go away. The Big A, a time bomb, tick, ticking . . . Will he be able to look back through the pages to figure out what he missed. However, now there is a mystery to solve. The present. People are being murdered.
“The devil is in the details.” Back then the devil was him and those days, those details are hard to hang on to. His mind is wandering, it is continually doing that thing it does that he hates. “Dignity is only one of the things the Big A has taken away from him.” He is losing his marbles. Every author has the last book—however, he had no clue it would be a stupid journal. His descent into madness!
“My name is Jerry Grey and it’s been five days since I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Hi Jerry. And it’s been two days since I last forgot something. Well done, Jerry.”
Flashing back from the past to present, Jerry begins writing in his journal, he discovers creepy things. There was a gun. There are items hidden, possibly mementos from victims, money, the hiding place, a knife, the spray paint, and the items hidden in a floorboard? There is crazy Jerry mode and there are stages. Present, The Past, and Future Jerry. Where is the journal now?
Stage one–denial, Stage two–anger, Stage three–bargaining, Stage four–grief? Acceptance–never!
Good news, if he cannot recall how his books go, he can read them if new. It would be great if he could tap into the dementia patient market—they buy his books, forget they’ve read them, and buy them again! Dementia has an awful way of rewriting your past. It is making stories from his novels feel like real life. “Write what you know. Fake the rest.”
Presently, there are new murders, and Jerry is always close by. How did he escape the nursing home? He cannot remember. Is he being set up? Made to look crazy, or is he crazy? Jerry or Henry, which one is the murderer? Or possibly neither one? Who can he trust?
Suspects: What about Nurse Hamilton from the nursing home, Hans, his best friend, who brings his gin, his wife, Sandra, his daughter, Eva; Rick his son-in-law-- the wedding, the video, the florist? The lawyer, Nicholas, the neighbor, Mrs. Smith, the orderly, or Terrace, the fan, want- to- be- writer who has purchased his old home? What happened to his house? Where is his wife? Did he kill her too? What happens when he escapes the nursing home? How does he escape? The sense he has killed somebody is too real. Whodunit? If he gets arrested, how will he use his crime-writing skills to figure out what happened?
Is he picking up his character’s dirty habits, from each of his novels, or his own evil thoughts, or actions? He has to solve this mystery. The universe is punishing him. For what? Did he happen to base his character on a live real person? Is he a convicted killer?
WOW what a ride! Cleave takes readers into the mind, fears, and darkness of his troubled confused character, Jerry—as his life unravels and spirals into a nightmare from hell. Brilliantly crafted, TRUST NO ONE is hilarious, maddening, and chilling. Unpredictable!
Even though I have read other books about Alzheimer’s, and other books about crime writers taking on identities of their characters; however, this is the first book I have read, which takes a real illness, Alzheimer’s— paired with a crime writer character, seamlessly creating a psychological horror world of madness, combining the two with a gripping day-by-day account from sanity to insanity, from past to present; Deliciously evil!
I was swooning when discovering award-winning Paul Cleave, last year after reading FIVE MINUTES ALONE, landing on my Top 30 Books for 2014 and Thriller Authors to Watch.
TRUST NO ONE is outstanding, another bestseller. Would make a fabulous movie (my prediction)… Now, the dilemma, please hurry and get all his back list on audio, (in English) as dying to read them all. I hear they are coming, so anxiously awaiting.
When I read this book back in April (holding off on the review until closer to pub date), I had to tweet Cleave, about the difficulty of writing this complex book. It had to to be a total bear to write, getting into the mind of his complex character. Cleave pulls it off masterfully; with his ferocious storytelling of the highest order, with corkscrew twists and turns, holding your breath, as the evil secrets unfold. As I mentioned, to the author, if he ever gets the Big A, he can always be a stand-up comedian, proven he can handle the task. Please do not give up your day job, yet.
Psychological suspense, and crime mystery thriller fans will find this cleverly twisted tale difficult to put down while laughing out loud for endless hours of entertainment. You will be left with a feeling of madness by the time you get to the twisted ending, sending you racing out the door to a medical specialist, to be tested for the lurking monster, Cleave calls the Big A.
A special thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. As always, Atria delivers "winners!
JDCMustReadBooks
Christchurch, New Zealand, international bestseller crime author, Paul Cleave delivers TRUST NO ONE, a deliciously clever, witty, and wickedly evil psychological mystery suspense thriller-- when the horror of mental illness--Alzheimer’s, takes over a crime writer’s brain, blurring the lines between fact and fiction. A potent blend of suspense, paranoia, reality, and pure creepiness.
A haunting tale, which could almost be ripped from today’s headlines, where we read of older adults with dementia unwittingly committing crimes like theft or trespassing, sexual acts, losing blocks of time, or worse, more serious ones such as murder with no recollection of events. For a small number--it can be the first sign of their mental decline, as studies reveal.
While Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s can provoke a neural dysfunction that affects the patient’s behavior, leading to criminality—Cleave accelerates the complexity tenfold, by adding a bestselling crime author and its characters, to the mix.
Henry Cutter (the cutting man) is the pseudonym for the bestselling author, Jerry Grey, a successful crime writer. Grey’s twelve books have earned him much success, delivery murder mysteries for years satisfying readers and fans, worldwide.
Married for twenty-four years, Sandra, his wife, forty-eight years old—he can barely now remember, and a daughter, Eva which he recalls as ten years old, not the twentysomething woman? They have a life. They have a future. He does not.
At the early age of forty-nine, the evil disease, the monster of Alzheimer’s has taken over his life. Doctor Goodstory gave him the news of the Big A, Captain A-- on the Big F (Friday). After all, dementia (Big D) is uncommon in persons under sixty-five. As he approaches age fifty, bad days are coming. Dark days are coming. Madness is approaching.
Some days Jerry is in control, and the next minute without any notice, he goes into dark mode; he has lost his car, his phone, his family, his thoughts, and his mind. Worst of all, he recalls killings; murders. Is he a killer, or is he thinking through the mind of his characters? What is real?
He now resides in an old nursing home and for some odd reason, he recalls Suzan with a “z” - always on his mind. How he felt when he killed her, back before he wrote about it. Why is his daughter acting strange? He goes back as he embraces the darkness. Who is Suzan?
Did he write thirteen books, an unlucky number? However, his thirteenth book is not a diary, but his Madness Journal. A journal for his future. Maybe one day there will be a pill to make the Big A go away. The Big A, a time bomb, tick, ticking . . . Will he be able to look back through the pages to figure out what he missed. However, now there is a mystery to solve. The present. People are being murdered.
“The devil is in the details.” Back then the devil was him and those days, those details are hard to hang on to. His mind is wandering, it is continually doing that thing it does that he hates. “Dignity is only one of the things the Big A has taken away from him.” He is losing his marbles. Every author has the last book—however, he had no clue it would be a stupid journal. His descent into madness!
“My name is Jerry Grey and it’s been five days since I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Hi Jerry. And it’s been two days since I last forgot something. Well done, Jerry.”
Flashing back from the past to present, Jerry begins writing in his journal, he discovers creepy things. There was a gun. There are items hidden, possibly mementos from victims, money, the hiding place, a knife, the spray paint, and the items hidden in a floorboard? There is crazy Jerry mode and there are stages. Present, The Past, and Future Jerry. Where is the journal now?
Stage one–denial, Stage two–anger, Stage three–bargaining, Stage four–grief? Acceptance–never!
Good news, if he cannot recall how his books go, he can read them if new. It would be great if he could tap into the dementia patient market—they buy his books, forget they’ve read them, and buy them again! Dementia has an awful way of rewriting your past. It is making stories from his novels feel like real life. “Write what you know. Fake the rest.”
Presently, there are new murders, and Jerry is always close by. How did he escape the nursing home? He cannot remember. Is he being set up? Made to look crazy, or is he crazy? Jerry or Henry, which one is the murderer? Or possibly neither one? Who can he trust?
Suspects: What about Nurse Hamilton from the nursing home, Hans, his best friend, who brings his gin, his wife, Sandra, his daughter, Eva; Rick his son-in-law-- the wedding, the video, the florist? The lawyer, Nicholas, the neighbor, Mrs. Smith, the orderly, or Terrace, the fan, want- to- be- writer who has purchased his old home? What happened to his house? Where is his wife? Did he kill her too? What happens when he escapes the nursing home? How does he escape? The sense he has killed somebody is too real. Whodunit? If he gets arrested, how will he use his crime-writing skills to figure out what happened?
Is he picking up his character’s dirty habits, from each of his novels, or his own evil thoughts, or actions? He has to solve this mystery. The universe is punishing him. For what? Did he happen to base his character on a live real person? Is he a convicted killer?
WOW what a ride! Cleave takes readers into the mind, fears, and darkness of his troubled confused character, Jerry—as his life unravels and spirals into a nightmare from hell. Brilliantly crafted, TRUST NO ONE is hilarious, maddening, and chilling. Unpredictable!
Even though I have read other books about Alzheimer’s, and other books about crime writers taking on identities of their characters; however, this is the first book I have read, which takes a real illness, Alzheimer’s— paired with a crime writer character, seamlessly creating a psychological horror world of madness, combining the two with a gripping day-by-day account from sanity to insanity, from past to present; Deliciously evil!
I was swooning when discovering award-winning Paul Cleave, last year after reading FIVE MINUTES ALONE, landing on my Top 30 Books for 2014 and Thriller Authors to Watch.
TRUST NO ONE is outstanding, another bestseller. Would make a fabulous movie (my prediction)… Now, the dilemma, please hurry and get all his back list on audio, (in English) as dying to read them all. I hear they are coming, so anxiously awaiting.
When I read this book back in April (holding off on the review until closer to pub date), I had to tweet Cleave, about the difficulty of writing this complex book. It had to to be a total bear to write, getting into the mind of his complex character. Cleave pulls it off masterfully; with his ferocious storytelling of the highest order, with corkscrew twists and turns, holding your breath, as the evil secrets unfold. As I mentioned, to the author, if he ever gets the Big A, he can always be a stand-up comedian, proven he can handle the task. Please do not give up your day job, yet.
Psychological suspense, and crime mystery thriller fans will find this cleverly twisted tale difficult to put down while laughing out loud for endless hours of entertainment. You will be left with a feeling of madness by the time you get to the twisted ending, sending you racing out the door to a medical specialist, to be tested for the lurking monster, Cleave calls the Big A.
A special thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. As always, Atria delivers "winners!
JDCMustReadBooks
May 22, 2016
So I read Grain Brain recently which is all about how sugar and wheat lead to diabetes, dementia, and Alzheimer's....
Then, I read this book about a relatively young guy with dementia so after having a minor panic attack about getting older I continued.
Our buddy, Jerry, is narrating a story through journals, etc. and he may or may not have killed a bunch of people, but who knows, right? You know, with the dementia, and all? Who can you trust?
No one, obviously.
The book is a complete mess in a good way. You have a very unreliable narrator who forgets things all the time. He gets information from family and friends about some crazy stuff, plus he has this journal he keeps to remind himself of important stuff, too. And, man, it's just a hot mess. I liked the structure and how the book really does toy with your mind and drop in little clues. There are plenty of plot twists along the way, too. It's your typical fast-paced mystery suspense thriller whatever book.
I was really into it in the beginning, hung with it through the middle, and was a little underwhelmed by the ending. Don't let that keep you from reading it because you may love the ending as others have. I just found it too quick and not that exciting. I still found myself flying through the book though so it definitely has that going for it.
Fun read, three solid stars, good murder mystery. Good way to spend a weekend, but not something that is going to leave a lasting impression on your life.
I enjoyed it, but like the protagonist, I might forget about it down the road.
Then, I read this book about a relatively young guy with dementia so after having a minor panic attack about getting older I continued.
Our buddy, Jerry, is narrating a story through journals, etc. and he may or may not have killed a bunch of people, but who knows, right? You know, with the dementia, and all? Who can you trust?
No one, obviously.
The book is a complete mess in a good way. You have a very unreliable narrator who forgets things all the time. He gets information from family and friends about some crazy stuff, plus he has this journal he keeps to remind himself of important stuff, too. And, man, it's just a hot mess. I liked the structure and how the book really does toy with your mind and drop in little clues. There are plenty of plot twists along the way, too. It's your typical fast-paced mystery suspense thriller whatever book.
I was really into it in the beginning, hung with it through the middle, and was a little underwhelmed by the ending. Don't let that keep you from reading it because you may love the ending as others have. I just found it too quick and not that exciting. I still found myself flying through the book though so it definitely has that going for it.
Fun read, three solid stars, good murder mystery. Good way to spend a weekend, but not something that is going to leave a lasting impression on your life.
I enjoyed it, but like the protagonist, I might forget about it down the road.
August 5, 2015
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
This book was very different than anything else that I have read. I know that there are other books out there that have characters with Alzheimer's Disease but I just have not read any of them yet. This was completely uncharted territory for me. A mystery thriller told from the point of view of an Alzheimer's patient was a unique twist that caught my interest. I just had to see this idea in its execution.
I have been lucky enough that I have not had any loved ones close to me affected by Alzheimer's Disease. I have been around a few more distant relatives dealing the the disease but my experience is very limited. I really cannot say how accurately the disease is represented in this book but it seemed to me that some sections would ring true while other parts were incredibly far fetched.
I think that the change in Jerry's personality seemed authentic and the most powerful aspect of the story. The change in the relationship between Jerry and his wife, Sandra, was heartbreaking. The change in roles from equal partner to caretaker would have to have a dramatic effect on the relationship which I think was well represented. Jerry's frustration with his limitations were so easy to empathize with.
I thought that a lot of the mystery in this book was far fetched. I am sorry but I just don't believe that Jerry would have been able to do some of the things that he does at the end of the story at his stage in the disease. I do understand that some days can be much better than others but it was just too much of a jump for me. Unfortunately, I also guessed one of the big twists pretty early on which really lessened my overall enjoyment of the story. The way that the story was told really made it easy to guess quite a few of the big moments.
I did find some humor in this story which I did enjoy. Each chapter in the book was told from more than one point in time which actually worked well. The sections from the journal showed the progression of the disease while the present day made it obvious that there was a lot that had changed. The overall mystery was not only what was happening to Jerry during the present day but also what happened during the time in between.
I would recommend this book to mystery readers looking for something different. I found it to be a very entertaining book even thought it was somewhat easy to set down. This was the first book by Paul Cleave that I have read and I would definitely read other works by this author in the future.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Atria Book via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
Initial Thoughts
This was definitely different. I can't say that I have ever read another book told from the point of view of someone with Alzheimer's Disease. Unfortunately, I was able to predict some of the big twists and I found the story to be incredibly unrealistic.
This book was very different than anything else that I have read. I know that there are other books out there that have characters with Alzheimer's Disease but I just have not read any of them yet. This was completely uncharted territory for me. A mystery thriller told from the point of view of an Alzheimer's patient was a unique twist that caught my interest. I just had to see this idea in its execution.
I have been lucky enough that I have not had any loved ones close to me affected by Alzheimer's Disease. I have been around a few more distant relatives dealing the the disease but my experience is very limited. I really cannot say how accurately the disease is represented in this book but it seemed to me that some sections would ring true while other parts were incredibly far fetched.
I think that the change in Jerry's personality seemed authentic and the most powerful aspect of the story. The change in the relationship between Jerry and his wife, Sandra, was heartbreaking. The change in roles from equal partner to caretaker would have to have a dramatic effect on the relationship which I think was well represented. Jerry's frustration with his limitations were so easy to empathize with.
I thought that a lot of the mystery in this book was far fetched. I am sorry but I just don't believe that Jerry would have been able to do some of the things that he does at the end of the story at his stage in the disease. I do understand that some days can be much better than others but it was just too much of a jump for me. Unfortunately, I also guessed one of the big twists pretty early on which really lessened my overall enjoyment of the story. The way that the story was told really made it easy to guess quite a few of the big moments.
I did find some humor in this story which I did enjoy. Each chapter in the book was told from more than one point in time which actually worked well. The sections from the journal showed the progression of the disease while the present day made it obvious that there was a lot that had changed. The overall mystery was not only what was happening to Jerry during the present day but also what happened during the time in between.
I would recommend this book to mystery readers looking for something different. I found it to be a very entertaining book even thought it was somewhat easy to set down. This was the first book by Paul Cleave that I have read and I would definitely read other works by this author in the future.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Atria Book via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
Initial Thoughts
This was definitely different. I can't say that I have ever read another book told from the point of view of someone with Alzheimer's Disease. Unfortunately, I was able to predict some of the big twists and I found the story to be incredibly unrealistic.
March 27, 2017
Check out all of my reviews at: http://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
Jerry Grey is a fictional crime writer who uses the pseudonym of Henry Cutter for his novels and has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's at the age of 49. He begins to keep a Madness Journal to follow his own progression, but you never know what are truly real or false memories caused by his disease as he confesses to crimes he has written about in his published novels. At first, no one believes his confessions that they perceive to be caused by the dementia progressing in his mind, but dead bodies are turning up and evidence is mounting against him.
Paul Cleave has written a new thriller that makes you question everything you read and question all the characters' motives. You cannot make any conclusions due to the unreliability of the protagonist as storyteller and yet the plot progresses forward at a faster and faster pace. If you love this book as much as I did, wait until you read the ending. I believe it is perfect for the story, but your emotions are going to be all over the place.
Thank you so much to Atria Books and Net Galley for allowing me to read a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. It was truly my pleasure and I am looking forward to reading Paul Cleave's other novels.
Jerry Grey is a fictional crime writer who uses the pseudonym of Henry Cutter for his novels and has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's at the age of 49. He begins to keep a Madness Journal to follow his own progression, but you never know what are truly real or false memories caused by his disease as he confesses to crimes he has written about in his published novels. At first, no one believes his confessions that they perceive to be caused by the dementia progressing in his mind, but dead bodies are turning up and evidence is mounting against him.
Paul Cleave has written a new thriller that makes you question everything you read and question all the characters' motives. You cannot make any conclusions due to the unreliability of the protagonist as storyteller and yet the plot progresses forward at a faster and faster pace. If you love this book as much as I did, wait until you read the ending. I believe it is perfect for the story, but your emotions are going to be all over the place.
Thank you so much to Atria Books and Net Galley for allowing me to read a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. It was truly my pleasure and I am looking forward to reading Paul Cleave's other novels.
August 31, 2015
Rating 3.5
Well, I must say that this was certainly a tough book to rate, not to mention review. There were moments during the reading that if the book was taken from me at that moment I would have easily given it 4 stars. There were moments at the beginning where I said to myself "Oh no, I voted on the wrong book for a buddy read, this isn't going well ". Then there were moments at the end where I wanted to shake the book and say " You almost had it! The premise was great!! But the ending... Well, I guess you have to read it to find out what I mean about that.
So like many avid Goodreads users, after thinking about my star rating throughout my reading, and not having a clear answer, I sat with it for awhile and even went so far to look back at other books I've rated to see where I fell with this one. I came up with 3.5.
For me that means this book held my attention throughout (that it certainly did). The premise was amazing and extremely unique: A renowned crime writer who gets Alzheimers and begins to confess to murder after murder. Is he confessing to the murders in his books? Simply getting confused? Or did the disease lower his inhibitions; his impulse control, and on the days he is found wandering in town, he's actually committing the gruesome rape murders of innocent women????
I had such fun trying to figure this one out with my buddy. And I will allow for the fact (as one of my closest goodreads friends has also pointed out) that buddy reads call for a more scrutinized and intense reading of the material. Therefore, aspects of the book that drove me mad through this reading I may have been able to overlook if I was reading it solo.
One of the main detractors for me was the amount of "wiggle-room" (lack of a better word after just waking up LOL) the author came himself with the Alzheimer's diagnosis and the lackadaisical nature of the Nursing Home security. There were moments when Jerry (who disease had advanced very rapidly, a man who didn't know his name half of the week) could put pieces of a puzzle together and think more clearly than I could on a good day. Although I haven't worked hand in hand with patients suffering from this dreadful disease, I have been involved in study on the disease on the research side of things. In my mind, if you are going to use an illness/disease in a book you have to be as accurate as possible as many of your readers may have in-depth (even far more than me) knowledge on the subject.
Jerry who
The eventual unveiling of the baddie also led to a major disappointment. I did guess who was behind it, and I didn't have a problem with that. My problem was
Sorry for those who haven't read the book but my dislikes are things one must read to fully appreciate and I would be wrong to give them away here without hiding them from view.
So do I recommend this book? Actually I do. A close buddy who read the book prior to me and my book buddy loved this book and didn't see the aspects of the book that I had problems with as problems. Therefore, readers, you may love this one! I can say that I wanted to read late into the night, I was certainly hooked. So yes, if this is on your list ..I say go for it.
Much thanks to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster, Inc, and author Paul Cleave for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Well, I must say that this was certainly a tough book to rate, not to mention review. There were moments during the reading that if the book was taken from me at that moment I would have easily given it 4 stars. There were moments at the beginning where I said to myself "Oh no, I voted on the wrong book for a buddy read, this isn't going well ". Then there were moments at the end where I wanted to shake the book and say " You almost had it! The premise was great!! But the ending... Well, I guess you have to read it to find out what I mean about that.
So like many avid Goodreads users, after thinking about my star rating throughout my reading, and not having a clear answer, I sat with it for awhile and even went so far to look back at other books I've rated to see where I fell with this one. I came up with 3.5.
For me that means this book held my attention throughout (that it certainly did). The premise was amazing and extremely unique: A renowned crime writer who gets Alzheimers and begins to confess to murder after murder. Is he confessing to the murders in his books? Simply getting confused? Or did the disease lower his inhibitions; his impulse control, and on the days he is found wandering in town, he's actually committing the gruesome rape murders of innocent women????
I had such fun trying to figure this one out with my buddy. And I will allow for the fact (as one of my closest goodreads friends has also pointed out) that buddy reads call for a more scrutinized and intense reading of the material. Therefore, aspects of the book that drove me mad through this reading I may have been able to overlook if I was reading it solo.
One of the main detractors for me was the amount of "wiggle-room" (lack of a better word after just waking up LOL) the author came himself with the Alzheimer's diagnosis and the lackadaisical nature of the Nursing Home security. There were moments when Jerry (who disease had advanced very rapidly, a man who didn't know his name half of the week) could put pieces of a puzzle together and think more clearly than I could on a good day. Although I haven't worked hand in hand with patients suffering from this dreadful disease, I have been involved in study on the disease on the research side of things. In my mind, if you are going to use an illness/disease in a book you have to be as accurate as possible as many of your readers may have in-depth (even far more than me) knowledge on the subject.
Jerry who
The eventual unveiling of the baddie also led to a major disappointment. I did guess who was behind it, and I didn't have a problem with that. My problem was
Sorry for those who haven't read the book but my dislikes are things one must read to fully appreciate and I would be wrong to give them away here without hiding them from view.
So do I recommend this book? Actually I do. A close buddy who read the book prior to me and my book buddy loved this book and didn't see the aspects of the book that I had problems with as problems. Therefore, readers, you may love this one! I can say that I wanted to read late into the night, I was certainly hooked. So yes, if this is on your list ..I say go for it.
Much thanks to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster, Inc, and author Paul Cleave for the opportunity to read and review this book.
January 26, 2022
No conocía a este autor de novela negra aunque tiene varios títulos traducidos al español (y a 18 idiomas más) y está considerado un Best-seller .
Le encontré buscando autores de las Islas del Pacífico (sí lo se, hay categorías del Pop Sugar que telita…) y un autor nuevo para mi de novela negra siempre es bienvenido en mis lecturas.
La verdad es que no he terminado de conectar con esta historia. El argumento me parece bueno y todo es más que correcto, pero ha habido trozos en los que me he aburrido y he adivinado gran parte de la trama final. Y el toque final con el que termina el libro, la verdad es que no me ha gustado nada.
El libro en general es un poco confuso, y esto por un lado me resultó tedioso y me desenganchaba de la historia, pero a su vez en un momento dado, me dí cuenta de que quizás el autor quería hacernos sentir un poco lo que una persona con Alzheimer puede sentir: confusión, no saber que es real y qué no, olvidar quién es quién… Esto lo hace una obra maestra por un lado y por otro un truño. ¿Con qué nos quedamos?.
Os resumo el argumento principal para que os hagáis una idea de lo que hablo:
“Jerry Grey más conocido por su pseudónimo Henry Cutter es un escritor de éxito de novela negra que con tan solo 49 años es diagnosticado de Alzheimer prematuro. A medida que el “Capitán A” va tomando el poder de su mente, comienza a mezclar realidad con ficción y comienza a confesar crímenes contándolos con pelos y señales tal y como están descritos en sus novelas”.
El libro está narrado de varias formas, tenemos un narrador omnisciente, tenemos textos en primera persona y tenemos un diario, digo una crónica narrada en 2ª persona (Al protagonista le molesta mucho que lo llamen diario). Me ha gustado mucho la crónica de la locura que escribe Jerry para su yo del futuro. En ella le va contando cosas de su presente y su pasado para cuando su mente haya borrado parte de estos recuerdos. De esta manera también conocemos un poco más la vida de Jerry y su familia. No se si es un recurso que se utilice habitualmente en este tipo de pacientes, pero sin duda una crónica/diario me parece muy sanador para muchas cosas.
Y bueno tras todo esto y mucho meditar, entre las 2* que le pondría en algunas cosas y las 4* que le pondría en otras, lo dejo en 3* y quizás algún día me anime a leer otro de sus libros.
Le encontré buscando autores de las Islas del Pacífico (sí lo se, hay categorías del Pop Sugar que telita…) y un autor nuevo para mi de novela negra siempre es bienvenido en mis lecturas.
La verdad es que no he terminado de conectar con esta historia. El argumento me parece bueno y todo es más que correcto, pero ha habido trozos en los que me he aburrido y he adivinado gran parte de la trama final. Y el toque final con el que termina el libro, la verdad es que no me ha gustado nada.
El libro en general es un poco confuso, y esto por un lado me resultó tedioso y me desenganchaba de la historia, pero a su vez en un momento dado, me dí cuenta de que quizás el autor quería hacernos sentir un poco lo que una persona con Alzheimer puede sentir: confusión, no saber que es real y qué no, olvidar quién es quién… Esto lo hace una obra maestra por un lado y por otro un truño. ¿Con qué nos quedamos?.
Os resumo el argumento principal para que os hagáis una idea de lo que hablo:
“Jerry Grey más conocido por su pseudónimo Henry Cutter es un escritor de éxito de novela negra que con tan solo 49 años es diagnosticado de Alzheimer prematuro. A medida que el “Capitán A” va tomando el poder de su mente, comienza a mezclar realidad con ficción y comienza a confesar crímenes contándolos con pelos y señales tal y como están descritos en sus novelas”.
El libro está narrado de varias formas, tenemos un narrador omnisciente, tenemos textos en primera persona y tenemos un diario, digo una crónica narrada en 2ª persona (Al protagonista le molesta mucho que lo llamen diario). Me ha gustado mucho la crónica de la locura que escribe Jerry para su yo del futuro. En ella le va contando cosas de su presente y su pasado para cuando su mente haya borrado parte de estos recuerdos. De esta manera también conocemos un poco más la vida de Jerry y su familia. No se si es un recurso que se utilice habitualmente en este tipo de pacientes, pero sin duda una crónica/diario me parece muy sanador para muchas cosas.
Y bueno tras todo esto y mucho meditar, entre las 2* que le pondría en algunas cosas y las 4* que le pondría en otras, lo dejo en 3* y quizás algún día me anime a leer otro de sus libros.
August 8, 2020
This was a tough 1 to rate.. I mean I was really enjoying it. For about 3/4’s I was already thinking about what I was going to write in my glowing 5 star review. The narrator was hysterical. I mean the author did an exceptional job with Jerry’s character & his descent into “madness.” It made me laugh out loud but it was also absolutely terrifying! What could be scarier than something so realistic, & so entirely possible? Just really heartbreaking.. But again, more than enough (dark) humor to keep you hooked. Then I got to about 80%.. & for me, it was all downhill from there. All of a sudden it was blatantly obvious what the Hell was going on. & then to throw some salt in, I hated the ending. I’m sure that’s just a matter of personal taste.. I mean it’s not like the quality of writing changed. (I don’t think.) No alien abduction or anything. I just didn’t like it. Sooo.. Now for recommendations! That’s another tough 1! So much of the book was really good.. I mean with this author you know you’re gonna get something different, a fresh take.. & that’s true here too. Just that last 20% dammit! I just don’t know.. What I do know though is that I’m eagerly awaiting another 1 from this guy.. Even after our extreme difference of “opinion” here, I’m still an absolute fan!
October 13, 2015
The premise is fantastic: a crime fiction writer get’s early onset Alzheimer’s and begins confusing his life with his fiction; he thinks he actually killed the characters in his novels. He begins confessing to these murders that are from his novels. Were those real crimes?
Because of the title, “TRUST NO ONE”, this reader goes in with the idea that Jerry, the writer, is being set up, otherwise the title would be different. With that in mind, this reader spent time reading trying to figure out who is duping Jerry; who is using Jerry; who should Jerry not trust? I will confess, I figured it out right away. I thought it was pretty obvious.
That said, it was a great book to read. I didn’t feel “duped” myself. I enjoyed reading it because it is a great read. For me, it wasn’t “who done it” or “who should Jerry not trust”, it was more like “what else can Paul Cleave come up with?”
Paul Cleave is a skilled author. He has great ideas and penned a great story. This is one of the few times I guessed who were the bad guys early; yet, I still loved the novel. I recommend it as a fast, entertaining thriller read.
Because of the title, “TRUST NO ONE”, this reader goes in with the idea that Jerry, the writer, is being set up, otherwise the title would be different. With that in mind, this reader spent time reading trying to figure out who is duping Jerry; who is using Jerry; who should Jerry not trust? I will confess, I figured it out right away. I thought it was pretty obvious.
That said, it was a great book to read. I didn’t feel “duped” myself. I enjoyed reading it because it is a great read. For me, it wasn’t “who done it” or “who should Jerry not trust”, it was more like “what else can Paul Cleave come up with?”
Paul Cleave is a skilled author. He has great ideas and penned a great story. This is one of the few times I guessed who were the bad guys early; yet, I still loved the novel. I recommend it as a fast, entertaining thriller read.
May 8, 2016
Confusing, confusing, confusing.
If it was to make a point on how Alzheimer's manifests, he did a superb job.
It just didn't work for me, it goes from current situation, to the past through a journal, than back again. I got lost several times.
Also, how can an Alzheimer's patient be so detailed and thorough in his journal?
dnf
My notes say at the 50% mark, but I think it was a typo. Read through 18% and skimmed till 30%. Probably.
If it was to make a point on how Alzheimer's manifests, he did a superb job.
It just didn't work for me, it goes from current situation, to the past through a journal, than back again. I got lost several times.
Also, how can an Alzheimer's patient be so detailed and thorough in his journal?
dnf
My notes say at the 50% mark, but I think it was a typo. Read through 18% and skimmed till 30%. Probably.
February 17, 2016
'Write about what you know, fake the rest'....
And with these words you are plunged into a 'did he or didn't he' non-stop suspenseful page turner.
The storyline hooked me from the get go: famous author diagnosed with Alzheimer's starts confessing to killing women, just like in his novels. Is it the disease talking or did he really commit the crimes? Told in past and present timelines this story unfolds with great characters and plenty of twists I didn't see coming. This was my first read from this author and I'll most definitely be checking out some of his other work.
*****ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review*****
And with these words you are plunged into a 'did he or didn't he' non-stop suspenseful page turner.
The storyline hooked me from the get go: famous author diagnosed with Alzheimer's starts confessing to killing women, just like in his novels. Is it the disease talking or did he really commit the crimes? Told in past and present timelines this story unfolds with great characters and plenty of twists I didn't see coming. This was my first read from this author and I'll most definitely be checking out some of his other work.
*****ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review*****
April 18, 2016
Release Aug. 4 2015
Review: TRUST NO ONE by Paul Cleave
TRUST NO ONE is a total rollercoaster of a novel. When I say "non-stop," I mean that quite literally. I read its 352 pages in one afternoon and evening; I couldn't look away. Reading it was like riding a runaway freight train into insanity. Everything about this book is so vivid, reading it is to live inside the minds of the characters. I was reminded of Hemingway--the prose is so sparse, yet so literary. There are multiple denouement, and each unfolds into new revelations. I kind of half-guessed at a couple of those, yet even then, the author continued to surprise me. His treatment of the protagonist' s Alzheimer's disease made me "feel" it. It also gave me deeper comprehension for instances I'd encountered in the past--more understanding and greater empathy.
I declare TRUST NO ONE of Best of 2015.
Review: TRUST NO ONE by Paul Cleave
TRUST NO ONE is a total rollercoaster of a novel. When I say "non-stop," I mean that quite literally. I read its 352 pages in one afternoon and evening; I couldn't look away. Reading it was like riding a runaway freight train into insanity. Everything about this book is so vivid, reading it is to live inside the minds of the characters. I was reminded of Hemingway--the prose is so sparse, yet so literary. There are multiple denouement, and each unfolds into new revelations. I kind of half-guessed at a couple of those, yet even then, the author continued to surprise me. His treatment of the protagonist' s Alzheimer's disease made me "feel" it. It also gave me deeper comprehension for instances I'd encountered in the past--more understanding and greater empathy.
I declare TRUST NO ONE of Best of 2015.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2015
Trust No One by Paul Cleave
Published 2015, Atria
Stars: ★★★★☆
Review also posted at: Slapdash & Sundry
Netgalley provided me with a copy of this book for reading and review purposes. My review is unbiased and based strictly upon my opinion of the quality of the work.
After much pondering since I finished yesterday, I've settled on some feelings. For most of this book, I was entirely certain it would be a five star read. The concept was awesome, the cover was gorgeous, the writing was convincing -- seriously convincing. Alzheimer's is a scary disease. It eats away at who you are, slowly killing you while leaving you alive. This book does an amazing job of providing some level of feeling that people who have this terrible sickness must go through. Sure, it's probably not all medically accurate... but it's a thriller. And it really works for the narrative. It allows us to question as much as the protagonist does, while knowing bits and pieces more than he does because we remember things from his journal entries that he no longer can recall.
I guess what killed that fifth star for me was the ending. An understandable but heartwrenching twist totally irked me. Everything had built up just the way I was anticipating... and those last few pages just ripped my proverbial feet out from under me. The ending made sense, and was almost necessary... but it tore my heart out.
Published 2015, Atria
Stars: ★★★★☆
Review also posted at: Slapdash & Sundry
Netgalley provided me with a copy of this book for reading and review purposes. My review is unbiased and based strictly upon my opinion of the quality of the work.
After much pondering since I finished yesterday, I've settled on some feelings. For most of this book, I was entirely certain it would be a five star read. The concept was awesome, the cover was gorgeous, the writing was convincing -- seriously convincing. Alzheimer's is a scary disease. It eats away at who you are, slowly killing you while leaving you alive. This book does an amazing job of providing some level of feeling that people who have this terrible sickness must go through. Sure, it's probably not all medically accurate... but it's a thriller. And it really works for the narrative. It allows us to question as much as the protagonist does, while knowing bits and pieces more than he does because we remember things from his journal entries that he no longer can recall.
I guess what killed that fifth star for me was the ending. An understandable but heartwrenching twist totally irked me. Everything had built up just the way I was anticipating... and those last few pages just ripped my proverbial feet out from under me. The ending made sense, and was almost necessary... but it tore my heart out.
August 3, 2015
Acclaimed thriller author Jerry Grey is given some devastating news: at the ripe age of forty nine, he’s been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. Not knowing how to cope with his newfound illness, Jerry begins a project dubbed “The Madness Journal”, a guide for him to refer to when the disease ravages his brain.
I received an advanced copy from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review.
Trust No One feels like two stories inside one novel. Using alternating chapters, one will feature excerpts from Jerry’s madness journal – written in the first person – while the next will be following present day Jerry – written through a narrative style. Over the past year or so, I’ve grown to like this approach to storytelling, after being resistant to it for so long. I feel like it works best with a story like Trust No One, a unique situation where the main character is essentially presented as two different people.
Through the beginning stages of the Madness Journal, past-Jerry has his wits about him, but as time rolls on, you can slowly see him falling victim to the disease, suffering from relentles confusion and paranoia. Skipping ahead to present day Jerry is especially heartbreaking. He has no idea where he is, often forgetting important moments in his life, and is constantly convinced people are either lying or manipulating him.
I found that some of the scenes tended to feel a bit repetitive as the novel wore on. Having to listen to other characters tell Jerry – or have Jerry suddenly remember – important events and people over and over again cooled the story down during points where the action was beginning to heat up. That being said, there are enough twists, turns and misdirections that kept me guessing the outcome right to the very end.
Trust No One is an interesting novel unlike any murder mystery I’ve read. It could have worked a little better had it been a little shorter, but that’s my preference.
Trust No One hits shelves tomorrow, August 04th, 2015.
I received an advanced copy from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review.
Trust No One feels like two stories inside one novel. Using alternating chapters, one will feature excerpts from Jerry’s madness journal – written in the first person – while the next will be following present day Jerry – written through a narrative style. Over the past year or so, I’ve grown to like this approach to storytelling, after being resistant to it for so long. I feel like it works best with a story like Trust No One, a unique situation where the main character is essentially presented as two different people.
Through the beginning stages of the Madness Journal, past-Jerry has his wits about him, but as time rolls on, you can slowly see him falling victim to the disease, suffering from relentles confusion and paranoia. Skipping ahead to present day Jerry is especially heartbreaking. He has no idea where he is, often forgetting important moments in his life, and is constantly convinced people are either lying or manipulating him.
I found that some of the scenes tended to feel a bit repetitive as the novel wore on. Having to listen to other characters tell Jerry – or have Jerry suddenly remember – important events and people over and over again cooled the story down during points where the action was beginning to heat up. That being said, there are enough twists, turns and misdirections that kept me guessing the outcome right to the very end.
Trust No One is an interesting novel unlike any murder mystery I’ve read. It could have worked a little better had it been a little shorter, but that’s my preference.
Trust No One hits shelves tomorrow, August 04th, 2015.
July 2, 2015
TRUST NO ONE is an intense psycho-thriller with a deft twist of tragedy.
Jerry Gray is a successful crime novelist with a devoted wife and a beautiful, talented daughter whose contented life is turned upside down when he is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. Fearing the inevitable, Gray starts a journal as a therapeutic way to come to terms with his illness, and to help preserve his precious memories. But, as his condition deteriorates, Gray finds it increasingly difficult to separate reality from the dark fiction he has created. He begins to believe that his stories may be based on violent crimes he has actually committed...and when new murders take place, he must struggle with the possibility that there is a monstrous side to his personality that is trying to take control.
In TRUST NO ONE, Paul Cleave has crafted a superb novel of suspense which skillfully balances a clever mystery with the tragic story of a man tormented by an insidious illness. Paul Cleave is an exceptionally talented writer and I enjoyed TRUST NO ONE immensely. I very much look forward to reading Mr. Cleave's other novels!
*Free ARC from NetGalley*
Jerry Gray is a successful crime novelist with a devoted wife and a beautiful, talented daughter whose contented life is turned upside down when he is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. Fearing the inevitable, Gray starts a journal as a therapeutic way to come to terms with his illness, and to help preserve his precious memories. But, as his condition deteriorates, Gray finds it increasingly difficult to separate reality from the dark fiction he has created. He begins to believe that his stories may be based on violent crimes he has actually committed...and when new murders take place, he must struggle with the possibility that there is a monstrous side to his personality that is trying to take control.
In TRUST NO ONE, Paul Cleave has crafted a superb novel of suspense which skillfully balances a clever mystery with the tragic story of a man tormented by an insidious illness. Paul Cleave is an exceptionally talented writer and I enjoyed TRUST NO ONE immensely. I very much look forward to reading Mr. Cleave's other novels!
*Free ARC from NetGalley*
June 2, 2017
3.5 stars for me . After all that buildup I felt the finish was rushed , and I didn't get a satisfactory ending but then again that might be just my preference. The first 3/4 of the book was awesome , you never guess what could happen but I get that at the last 1/4 of the book the author ran out of original ideas because you could see the end coming from a mile off. It was a good book , recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery but be prepared for an anticlimactic ending .... but then again that might be just me .
May 30, 2019
“You’re still trying to get used to the idea of what’s happening. You have another appointment later in the week … with a counsellor who is going to give you an idea of what to expect. They’ll no doubt tell you about the seven stages of grief – wait, no, it’s seven deadly sins, seven dwarfs, seven reindeer – grief only has five stages. Denial, Anger, Blitzen, Dopey and Bargaining.”
Trust No One is the ninth novel by award-winning New Zealand author, Paul Cleave. Jerry Grey is a crime writer. He’s written eleven really good crime thrillers; the twelfth wasn’t as good, and the thirteenth, his editor says, has quite a lot of mistakes. That’s because, at age forty-nine, Jerry has developed Alzheimer’s dementia.
When he was diagnosed, the counsellor warned that he might well be in a nursing home within months. And it is indeed this nursing home resident who has found his (obviously very determined) way into the city where he is at the Police Station confessing to an attractive young female detective a murder he committed thirty years before. Trouble is, no one will believe him. The woman keeps telling him the victim, Suzan (with a z) is not real.
Finally, she pulls out a crime novel written by Henry Cutter and shows him the back-cover blurb: the plot is exactly what Jerry is describing. Henry Cutter is Jerry’s pseudonym: “Henry Cutter is who he would become when he wrote, because that way he could be Henry for the bad times and Jerry for the good.” Jerry accepts this, and memories slowly stir, solidify: the attractive young woman is actually his daughter, Eva.
But when Jerry finally returns to his nursing home room, he finds an item in his pocket that he recognises from the afternoon TV news broadcast: if only he could remember where he has been and what he has done, and how he has acquired it. Jerry begins to wonder, can he trust his carers? His friends? Himself?
Following his diagnosis, almost a year earlier, Jerry began writing a journal for Future Jerry “It was a way of reminding my future self of who I was.” Unfortunately it also meant that, in his lucid moments, he would be acutely aware of what he had lost. Journal writer Jerry recorded events and experiences with wit and humour. Sometimes Henry, not such a nice guy, but good at figuring things out, contributed to it.
Cleave gives the reader an original plot that is cleverly constructed with little clues, hints and red herrings. Initially the pace is measured, but the first clue will have the reader hooked and the pages turning right up to the dramatic climax. Cleave certainly keeps the reader guessing: is Jerry not just writing crime, but actually committing it? Or is his alter-ego, Henry Cutter doing the deeds? Perhaps someone around him is taking advantage of his mental state to handily despatch a rival while Jerry takes the blame? Or is there something even more sinister going on?
Jerry, both when lucid and confused, is guileless, the ultimate unreliable narrator. When Captain A (his Alzheimer’s) is in charge of his mind, Jerry comes out with some laugh-out-loud stuff, statements that amply illustrate he has lost touch with reason and reality, and perhaps descended into a slight paranoia.
Jerry seems to be mired in the ‘bargaining” stage: “I know why I have Alzheimer’s. It’s because the Universe is punishing me for the bad things I’ve done. I hurt somebody, maybe even more than one person. The only hope I have of the Universe returning my memories is if I confess to my crimes. I have to go to the police.”
Cleave paints a realistic picture of how the Alzheimer’s brain functions to produce seemingly inexplicable behaviour. The scene where Jerry wakes in his nursing home room, a little hungover after the previous night’s excesses (he thinks), certain that he is in a German Hotel room, on a book tour, is both blackly funny and heart-breakingly real. This is brilliant crime fiction that neatly demonstrates how the concepts of truth, innocence and guilt are altered when the memory is flawed. Topical, thought-provoking and filled with dark humour
Trust No One is the ninth novel by award-winning New Zealand author, Paul Cleave. Jerry Grey is a crime writer. He’s written eleven really good crime thrillers; the twelfth wasn’t as good, and the thirteenth, his editor says, has quite a lot of mistakes. That’s because, at age forty-nine, Jerry has developed Alzheimer’s dementia.
When he was diagnosed, the counsellor warned that he might well be in a nursing home within months. And it is indeed this nursing home resident who has found his (obviously very determined) way into the city where he is at the Police Station confessing to an attractive young female detective a murder he committed thirty years before. Trouble is, no one will believe him. The woman keeps telling him the victim, Suzan (with a z) is not real.
Finally, she pulls out a crime novel written by Henry Cutter and shows him the back-cover blurb: the plot is exactly what Jerry is describing. Henry Cutter is Jerry’s pseudonym: “Henry Cutter is who he would become when he wrote, because that way he could be Henry for the bad times and Jerry for the good.” Jerry accepts this, and memories slowly stir, solidify: the attractive young woman is actually his daughter, Eva.
But when Jerry finally returns to his nursing home room, he finds an item in his pocket that he recognises from the afternoon TV news broadcast: if only he could remember where he has been and what he has done, and how he has acquired it. Jerry begins to wonder, can he trust his carers? His friends? Himself?
Following his diagnosis, almost a year earlier, Jerry began writing a journal for Future Jerry “It was a way of reminding my future self of who I was.” Unfortunately it also meant that, in his lucid moments, he would be acutely aware of what he had lost. Journal writer Jerry recorded events and experiences with wit and humour. Sometimes Henry, not such a nice guy, but good at figuring things out, contributed to it.
Cleave gives the reader an original plot that is cleverly constructed with little clues, hints and red herrings. Initially the pace is measured, but the first clue will have the reader hooked and the pages turning right up to the dramatic climax. Cleave certainly keeps the reader guessing: is Jerry not just writing crime, but actually committing it? Or is his alter-ego, Henry Cutter doing the deeds? Perhaps someone around him is taking advantage of his mental state to handily despatch a rival while Jerry takes the blame? Or is there something even more sinister going on?
Jerry, both when lucid and confused, is guileless, the ultimate unreliable narrator. When Captain A (his Alzheimer’s) is in charge of his mind, Jerry comes out with some laugh-out-loud stuff, statements that amply illustrate he has lost touch with reason and reality, and perhaps descended into a slight paranoia.
Jerry seems to be mired in the ‘bargaining” stage: “I know why I have Alzheimer’s. It’s because the Universe is punishing me for the bad things I’ve done. I hurt somebody, maybe even more than one person. The only hope I have of the Universe returning my memories is if I confess to my crimes. I have to go to the police.”
Cleave paints a realistic picture of how the Alzheimer’s brain functions to produce seemingly inexplicable behaviour. The scene where Jerry wakes in his nursing home room, a little hungover after the previous night’s excesses (he thinks), certain that he is in a German Hotel room, on a book tour, is both blackly funny and heart-breakingly real. This is brilliant crime fiction that neatly demonstrates how the concepts of truth, innocence and guilt are altered when the memory is flawed. Topical, thought-provoking and filled with dark humour
January 20, 2022
Wow, Paul Cleave has really upped his game with this novel. As much as I have loved his other books, this one is a whole new level of excellence. I think it is his best work to date and it will be interesting to see where he takes his writing from here. If you have read Paul's books before then you will be in for a surprise. Trust No One is totally different. Written in a different style with a completely different voice, although there is that wonderful streak of black humour that I Love.
Jerry Grey is a best selling crime author, writing under the pseudonym of Henry Cutter. When Jerry is diagnosed with early stages of Alzheimer's, his world starts to unravel and he finds it hard to distinguish between the real world and the world of his books. He is sure he has killed someone but the crimes he admits to are plots from his novels. I spent a great deal of time trying to work out if he was guilty and all my theories went out the window with the break neck ending.
This novel is going to be huge, if it gets the right publicity and it would make a fantastic movie. Read it and recommend it to everyone!
Jerry Grey is a best selling crime author, writing under the pseudonym of Henry Cutter. When Jerry is diagnosed with early stages of Alzheimer's, his world starts to unravel and he finds it hard to distinguish between the real world and the world of his books. He is sure he has killed someone but the crimes he admits to are plots from his novels. I spent a great deal of time trying to work out if he was guilty and all my theories went out the window with the break neck ending.
This novel is going to be huge, if it gets the right publicity and it would make a fantastic movie. Read it and recommend it to everyone!
August 19, 2016
His name is Jerry Grey and he's a crime writer and none of this is real, none of this is real.
Blood on Jerry's hands.
His name is Henry Cutter and he's a crime writer and none of this is real, and even he's not real, he's a figment of Jerry Grey's imagination. Jerry uses him to make money. Jerry uses him to tell stories.
Blood on Jerry's shirt.
His name is Jerry Henry and he is a dementia patient and this is a dementia dream, a dementia attack, and none of this is real, he's in a nursing home and everything is okay.
Except that everything is not okay. Successful crime writer Jerry Grey is no longer in control. His Alzheimer's has him admitting to crimes that are the story lines in his books. Is he just a poor soul disoriented by his dementia or a psychopath that so far has been able to get away with the perfect murder? Paul Cleave's Trust No One is a psychological suspense novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out just how sick Jerry Grey really is.
Blood on Jerry's hands.
His name is Henry Cutter and he's a crime writer and none of this is real, and even he's not real, he's a figment of Jerry Grey's imagination. Jerry uses him to make money. Jerry uses him to tell stories.
Blood on Jerry's shirt.
His name is Jerry Henry and he is a dementia patient and this is a dementia dream, a dementia attack, and none of this is real, he's in a nursing home and everything is okay.
Except that everything is not okay. Successful crime writer Jerry Grey is no longer in control. His Alzheimer's has him admitting to crimes that are the story lines in his books. Is he just a poor soul disoriented by his dementia or a psychopath that so far has been able to get away with the perfect murder? Paul Cleave's Trust No One is a psychological suspense novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out just how sick Jerry Grey really is.
March 20, 2022
Desde luego de quién no me fío es de Paul Clave. Ha tenido el dudoso honor de hacerme sentir el más absoluto desconcierto leyendo un libro. Me he perdido tantas veces que todavía no me he encontrado. O mis pocas neuronas están de huelga o soy lelo perdido, no me he enterado de nada. Le doy 2 estrellas sin saber porque no le doy 1,3,4 o 5.😳
October 11, 2021
Este libro me ha gustado mucho. Es un libro policíaco 'al uso' pero narrado de forma distinta: desde el propio asesino. ¿O no? El hecho de que comience directamente con el asesino confesando mientras nadie le cree porque tiene demencia ya es algo muy distinto. Pero contar un libro desde la mente de un personaje que unos días se acuerda de todo y otros días no sabe ni dónde vive es, a mi parecer, toda una hazaña. Y un poco caótico, a veces.
Me ha mantenido en vilo gran parte del tiempo, aunque adiviné ciertas cosas. Me gusta que tenga el seudónimo de Henry Catter porque es una pieza más para el puzzle: ¿tendrá doble personalidad? ¿Será Henry otra persona?
Me gustó el final.
🔔Spoilers desde aquí 🔔
1️⃣Primero, lo peor:
Me ha dado mucha pena el final. Pensaba que la vecina iba a poder declarar que Jerry no era el malo y resulta que se muere. Y como la "confesión" está ahí, todos creen que fue Jerry. Incluso el propio Jerry. ¡No, Jerry! ¡Tú no fuiste! 😣
2️⃣ Cuando leí lo de que todos piensan que un autor de novela negra sabrá matar sin que lo pillen pero que Jerry piensa que si alguien pudiera matar sin que lo pillaran ese sería Hans, pensé 'pues ya está'. Y estaba. ¡Maldito Hans! 🤬😡
3️⃣La vecina no es pesá... ¡Señora, demasiado han tardado en matarla! ¡Deje de darse paseos con el palo de golf en la mano en su próxima vida! ¡¡Y no se meta en las casas de la gente!! 🙄🤭
4️⃣Me parece que Sandra es demasiado dura con Jerry cuando dice que es una puta. Al hombre se le está yendo la cabeza, no sé, tampoco es para tanto que se ponga a decir cosas. Peor sería que se pusiera a pegarle a la gente porque no sabe dónde está.
Me ha mantenido en vilo gran parte del tiempo, aunque adiviné ciertas cosas. Me gusta que tenga el seudónimo de Henry Catter porque es una pieza más para el puzzle: ¿tendrá doble personalidad? ¿Será Henry otra persona?
Me gustó el final.
🔔Spoilers desde aquí 🔔
1️⃣Primero, lo peor:
Me ha dado mucha pena el final. Pensaba que la vecina iba a poder declarar que Jerry no era el malo y resulta que se muere. Y como la "confesión" está ahí, todos creen que fue Jerry. Incluso el propio Jerry. ¡No, Jerry! ¡Tú no fuiste! 😣
2️⃣ Cuando leí lo de que todos piensan que un autor de novela negra sabrá matar sin que lo pillen pero que Jerry piensa que si alguien pudiera matar sin que lo pillaran ese sería Hans, pensé 'pues ya está'. Y estaba. ¡Maldito Hans! 🤬😡
3️⃣La vecina no es pesá... ¡Señora, demasiado han tardado en matarla! ¡Deje de darse paseos con el palo de golf en la mano en su próxima vida! ¡¡Y no se meta en las casas de la gente!! 🙄🤭
4️⃣Me parece que Sandra es demasiado dura con Jerry cuando dice que es una puta. Al hombre se le está yendo la cabeza, no sé, tampoco es para tanto que se ponga a decir cosas. Peor sería que se pusiera a pegarle a la gente porque no sabe dónde está.
July 11, 2015
4.5 STARS!!! I was so excited when I saw that my request on Net Galley had been approved. I've read several of Paul Cleave's books and I remember they are good. However, when I first started reading this one, I was shaking my head. This isn't the books I remember him writing. And then about two chapters later, all hell broke loose. He finally got down to the nitty, gritty and believe me, it wasn't shitty!!
I think the beginning is so off because he's letting the reader know the truth about Captain A, and of course, that would mean this book would have to start a different way. He couldn't just go into it writing about someone's murder. So, while it started a little slow, it did not end that way. All the puzzle pieces came together and made an awesome story. I truly did not like the undeserved ending, but there were so many things leaning towards him, it could not be helped.
I thoroughly recommend this book and wish to thank Atria books and Net Galley for providing me with this free e-galley in exchange for an honest review. It was VERY entertaining and a lot of sad at the end.
I think the beginning is so off because he's letting the reader know the truth about Captain A, and of course, that would mean this book would have to start a different way. He couldn't just go into it writing about someone's murder. So, while it started a little slow, it did not end that way. All the puzzle pieces came together and made an awesome story. I truly did not like the undeserved ending, but there were so many things leaning towards him, it could not be helped.
I thoroughly recommend this book and wish to thank Atria books and Net Galley for providing me with this free e-galley in exchange for an honest review. It was VERY entertaining and a lot of sad at the end.
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