You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard

You Can Trust Me is a con game gone crazy! You root for the crooks who are two lifelong scammers whose newest ruse turns into a stunningly horrible mess. Filled with unexpectedness, sadness and an incredibly exciting storyline this thriller will take over your life as you impatiently wait to find out the truth…who is really conning who?

Summer and Leo are nomads. That is the two women live off the grid in Summer’s Land Cruiser scamming anybody and everybody in order to pay their bills and survive. Summer is older than Leo and treats her like the younger sister she never had. She has taught Leo everything she has learned about ripping people off. Summer had a very unconventional upbringing whose mother was a wandering gypsy type. Summer not only never knew her father but didn’t even know her last name or her birthday. Her mother “released her” to the universe when she was very young, and Summer grew up fast and learning how to survive.

Leo ran away from home after her happy home-life turned tragic. When the two met they knew they were kindred spirits and have worked together for five years. But Leo is getting antsy and wants to take their work outside of California. Summer is not so sure as she doesn’t even have a Social Security card.

Enter IT billionaire Michael Forrester. Leo feels like she can create the ultimate con by making him fall for her and if he does there is no limit to the amount of money and items she can take from him. Summer is unsure and warns Leo this may be a bit over her head, but with Leo insisting, her only advice to her be careful.

So, Leo sets up an accidental meeting with Forrester who she finds not only nerdly handsome but sweet and kind who wants to give her the world on a silver platter. But when he invites her to his private island for the weekend because he has a business seminar going on and wants to be with her as well, she jumps at the chance. Without informing Summer she heads off to what she thinks will be the best weekend of her life.

And then Leo disappears.

When Summer doesn’t hear from Leo, she realizes that something has gone terribly wrong. As she retraces Leo’s steps, she discovers the plan to go to his private island. So, Summer takes it upon herself to con her way to the island to search for her friend. But right from the start something doesn’t feel right. Cell phones are taken away and there is no boat or air service back to the mainland until the end of the weekend. But most importantly, there is no sign of Leo.

As Summer begins to try and track her friend, she begins to see people are hiding information and lying. But why? When she finally finds proof that at some point Leo was on the island, unfortunately it’s too late. She’s been found out and must now use every tool in her arsenal to learn if Leo is still alive or has conned her and left for better swindles.

And that’s when You Can Trust Me becomes a rollercoaster ride gone wrong and the reader begins to anxiously await getting off the ride. With so many highs and lows and shocking revelations the pit in your stomach will not go away until you are finally off the island…I mean, the ride! Grab this exciting nail biter of a book as soon as you can. I’m not trying to con you!

Thank you #NetGalley #Bantam #WendyHeard #YouCanTrustMe for the advanced copy.