Charlie Donlea's Blog - Posts Tagged "st-lucia"
A New Book. A New Website.
A New Book. A New Website. A new thriller by Charlie Donlea.
A tropical island. A grisly murder.
And a documentary filmmaker looking for answers…
Dear Friends,
I’m excited to share the news with you about my third novel, Don’t Believe It , to be released on May 29, 2018. In the tradition of Serial and Making a Murderer, my latest thriller follows the journey of Sidney Ryan, a filmmaker who looks into a ten-year-old murder and creates a hit documentary around her findings. But as ratings soar and Sidney edges closer to the real heart of the story, she must decide if finding the truth is worth risking her newfound fame, her career . . . even her life.
Along with my new novel, I’m also eager to announce the launch of my new website and blog!
One of the best parts of writing Don’t Believe It, was deciding to place the setting on the beautiful island of St. Lucia, where I was lucky enough to visit while putting the final touches on the manuscript.
Now, my website allows me to share some of my experiences with readers. I will be including photos and stories about my adventure to Sugar Beach Resort, the site of the grisly crime in the novel, and offering some behind the scenes details about how this picturesque resort where Matt Damon flew his Hollywood friends to celebrate the renewal of his wedding vows ended up being the perfect location for murder. Read More
The Setting: Sugar Beach l St. Lucia Eastern Caribbean Jalousie Plantation
March 29, 2007 l A Murder
From the Author
Don’t Believe It might be my favorite novel out of the three I’ve written. I’m a True Crime junkie. I loved listening to the podcast Serial, got hooked on Making a Murderer, and I’m a sucker anytime 48 Hours or Dateline taunts me with a murder case that seems open-and-shut, but is really anything but. My gripe about some of the most popular True Crime documentaries is that the endings rarely satisfy. They tend to raise more questions than they answer. And that’s because the filmmakers are dealing with real life, they’re not making it up.
As I quote in Don’t Believe It
“In feature films, the director is God. In documentary films, God is the director.”
But rest assured, the ending of my fictional take on a True Crime documentary provides closure—and, I hope, some jaw-dropping surprises. I hope you love this one as much as I do!
Charlie Donlea
Check Out My New Website!
My New Book: DON'T BELIEVE IT Coming May 29, 2018 (US) April 30, 2018 (AU)
From acclaimed author, Charlie Donlea comes a twisting, impossible-to-put-down novel of suspense in which a filmmaker helps clear a woman convicted of murder—only to find she may be a puppet in a sinister game. Read More
Advance Praise
"Riveting"
—Publishers Weekly
“[A] timely thriller that builds into a shocking conclusion. Don’t Believe It is sure to appeal to fans of true crime docu-dramas, along with readers of Mary Kubica or Shari Lapena.”
—Library Journal
“Fast-paced, gripping and addictive, this one will feed your true crime obsession and then some."
—POPSUGAR Book Club: 5 of May's Best New Reads
“Donlea’s framing of the story as documentary research proves an effective device, and his work reads like the best nonfiction: clear, crisp, and fast-moving.”
—Booklist
“A perfectly executed and entirely satisfying read, Don’t Believe It is a gripping thriller that will blow readers away, from the first page right up to the very last words. Charlie Donlea’s best book yet!”
—Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl and Every Last Lie
“Chilling and suspenseful. I was gripped from the first page.”
—Candice Fox, bestselling author of Crimson Lake
“It’s easy to get hooked on the book’s heady cocktail of highly rated television and high-stakes subterfuge...a highly topical thriller." 5 Stars
—Foreword Reviews
Blog + News
Check out Charlie's New Blog. Become a Member.
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Unlock the Truth with Charlie Donlea
Unlock the Truth with Charlie Donlea.
Follow the Clues from 5/15-5/22 to discover a thrilling surprise.
Keep your eyes peeled!
Look for the image on my BLOG online below; from 5/15-5/22 and collect the clues each day to reveal a secret phrase. With five clues total it’s up to you to put them together.
On 5/22 you will have the chance to use your secret-phrase and enter to win a thrilling sweepstakes, and get an exclusive first look at Charlie Donlea’s DON’T BELIEVE IT.
What to Watch
We’ll help you get started with our game! On 5/15 our very first clue will be revealed in our Mystery & Thriller eNewsletter. Sign up to receive the eNewsletter here→ http://bit.ly/2Jsuoye
The remaining four clues will be revealed daily on one of the below sites. Be sure to stay tuned and keep watching each day to find them!
Charlie Donlea’s Facebook Page
Kensington’s Facebook Page
Kensington’s Twitter
Charlie Donlea’s Website
Kensington’s Instagram (Stories)
Don't Believe It Coming May 29, 2018
From acclaimed author, Charlie Donlea comes a twisting, impossible-to-put-down novel of suspense in which a filmmaker helps clear a woman convicted of murder—only to find she may be a puppet in a sinister game.
The Girl of Sugar Beach is the most watched documentary in television history—a riveting, true-life mystery that unfolds over twelve weeks and centers on a fascinating question: Did Grace Sebold murder her boyfriend, Julian, while on a Spring Break vacation, or is she a victim of circumstance and poor police work? Grace has spent the last ten years in a St. Lucian prison and reaches out to filmmaker Sidney Ryan in a last, desperate attempt to prove her innocence.
As Sidney begins researching, she uncovers startling evidence, additional suspects, and timeline issues that were all overlooked during the original investigation. Before the series even finishes filming, public outcry leads officials to reopen the case. But as the show surges towards its final episodes, Sidney receives a letter saying that she got it badly, terribly wrong.
Sidney has just convinced the world that Grace is innocent. Now she wonders if she has helped to free a ruthless killer. Delving into Grace’s past, she peels away layer after layer of deception. But as Sidney edges closer to the real heart of the story, she must decide if finding the truth is worth risking her newfound fame, her career … even her life.
Read More
Follow the Clues from 5/15-5/22 to discover a thrilling surprise.
Keep your eyes peeled!
Look for the image on my BLOG online below; from 5/15-5/22 and collect the clues each day to reveal a secret phrase. With five clues total it’s up to you to put them together.
On 5/22 you will have the chance to use your secret-phrase and enter to win a thrilling sweepstakes, and get an exclusive first look at Charlie Donlea’s DON’T BELIEVE IT.
What to Watch
We’ll help you get started with our game! On 5/15 our very first clue will be revealed in our Mystery & Thriller eNewsletter. Sign up to receive the eNewsletter here→ http://bit.ly/2Jsuoye
The remaining four clues will be revealed daily on one of the below sites. Be sure to stay tuned and keep watching each day to find them!
Charlie Donlea’s Facebook Page
Kensington’s Facebook Page
Kensington’s Twitter
Charlie Donlea’s Website
Kensington’s Instagram (Stories)
Don't Believe It Coming May 29, 2018
From acclaimed author, Charlie Donlea comes a twisting, impossible-to-put-down novel of suspense in which a filmmaker helps clear a woman convicted of murder—only to find she may be a puppet in a sinister game.
The Girl of Sugar Beach is the most watched documentary in television history—a riveting, true-life mystery that unfolds over twelve weeks and centers on a fascinating question: Did Grace Sebold murder her boyfriend, Julian, while on a Spring Break vacation, or is she a victim of circumstance and poor police work? Grace has spent the last ten years in a St. Lucian prison and reaches out to filmmaker Sidney Ryan in a last, desperate attempt to prove her innocence.
As Sidney begins researching, she uncovers startling evidence, additional suspects, and timeline issues that were all overlooked during the original investigation. Before the series even finishes filming, public outcry leads officials to reopen the case. But as the show surges towards its final episodes, Sidney receives a letter saying that she got it badly, terribly wrong.
Sidney has just convinced the world that Grace is innocent. Now she wonders if she has helped to free a ruthless killer. Delving into Grace’s past, she peels away layer after layer of deception. But as Sidney edges closer to the real heart of the story, she must decide if finding the truth is worth risking her newfound fame, her career … even her life.
Read More
Charlie Donlea: A Rising Suspense Writer Who Delivers What Your Favorite Podcasts Can’t
Charlie Donlea: A Rising Suspense Writer Who Delivers What Your Favorite Podcasts Can’t
REVIEW: LibraryJournal
Were you obsessed with Serial? How about Making A Murderer?
If so, you are not alone. Twenty-million people were hooked, including USA Today bestselling author—and rising suspense star—Charlie Donlea. The addictive true crime docu-dramas were the catalyst to crafting his third novel,Don't Believe It.
But unlike those series, Donlea made it his mission to finally provide the satisfaction millions missed from those docu-dramas—and he is just the writer to do it.
Charlie Donlea is a writer on a meteoric rise.
It takes years for writers to achieve the level of acclaim he is experiencing. Most suspense and thriller authors must publish for years until they gain enough traction to hit a bestseller list; Donlea landed on the IndieBound bestseller list with his debut novel, Summit Lake (2016) and hit the USA Today bestseller list with his second, The Girl Who Was Taken(2017).
Donlea’s first two books established him as an author who delivers high-concept suspense with timely premises, and his novels always deliver shocking plot-twists and explosive endings.
In addition, he creates strong female leads—not the typical detective or main protagonist usually found in a book about murder investigations.
His latest novel Don't Believe It is no exception. The female protagonist, Sidney Ryan, is a no-nonsense TV producer of the hit true crime docu-series “The Girl of Sugar Beach”—which has become the most-watched documentary in television history.
The show is a riveting, true-life mystery that asks the fascinating question: Did Grace Sebold murder her boyfriend while on vacation, or is she merely a victim of poor police work, circumstantial evidence, and ultimately, failed justice?
Unlike your favorite murder podcast, in Don’t Believe It, you will get an answer.
Donlea says, “My biggest complaint about these shows is the endings rarely satisfy, they tend to raise more questions than they answer. So I decided that a story about a documentarian who’s investigating and making one of those shows not only provided a great premise for a timely novel, but also gave me the ability to create as wild an ending as my imagination could conceive.”
Reading like a juicy behind-the-scenes exposé of the crime shows or podcasts millions of us binge upon, Don’t Believe It is sure to appeal to fans of true crime docu-dramas, along with readers of Mary Kubica or Shari Lapena.
It certainly does not hurt that the murder is set in an exotic location that much like the main character, you will want to return to again and again. Even Donlea found himself lured by the pull of the Caribbean Sea.
He said, “The setting is a tropical resort in St. Lucia called Sugar Beach Resort my wife and I discovered on Spring Break vacation with our kids. I thought it would make the perfect location for my novel. So much so that my wife and I returned to Sugar Beach the following year to celebrate our anniversary and do some much-needed research.”
Merging high-concept suspense with all the binge-worthy intrigue of true crime docu-dramas, Don’t Believe It is a timely thriller that builds into a shocking conclusion you will never see coming, plus it comes with a satisfying ending most of us only wish we could get from true crime TV and podcasts.
In the hands of other suspense writers, this might be a tall order, but with whip-smart writing and strong female leads, acclaimed author Charlie Donlea has proven he lives up to the hype… that you can believe.
Read More
—Visit
Charlie Donlea's Blog
Interview with Author Charlie Donlea
Interview with Author Charlie Donlea
1) Some authors like to make an argument or address an issue when they write. Is there an issue that you're addressing with your book? If so, what is it?
My novels are meant for pure escapism reading, so I don’t see them as tackling social issues in any grand form. However, a common theme between all three of my novels is society’s obsession with missing person cases and unsolved murders.
Pop-culture magazines frequently feature on their covers missing girls, some of whom have been found after being missing for years. The common questions include how they were taken, why they didn’t escape sooner, and how they are readjusting to freedom.
My first novel, Summit Lake, dealt with a father’s attempt to keep his murdered daughter out of the tabloids as a tenacious investigative reporter arrives in the small town where the murder took place to look for answers.
The Girl Who Was Taken tells the story of two abducted girls, one who returns and another who does not. The girl who makes it home goes on to write a bestselling memoir that thrusts her into the public’s eye and draws attention to parts of her story she wants to keep secret.
My latest novel, Don't Believe It, taps into the public’s obsession with true crime documentaries and tells the story of a filmmaker creating a weekly-serialized documentary that delves into the grisly details of a decade-old murder that took place in the Caribbean, and which explores the enigmatic woman who has been convicted of the crime.
A common thread among all three stories is the public’s unquenchable thirst for the morbid details of disturbing stories.
2) What gave you the idea for your book?
I’m a true crime junkie. The podcast Serial hooked me and Making a Murderer gave me an affliction. Since then, I’ve binge-watched just about every true crime documentary on Netflix. My biggest complaint about these films is that they tend to raise more questions than they answer. So I decided the story of a documentary filmmaker uncovering the secrets of ten-year-old murder not only provided a great premise for a timely novel but also gave me the ability to create as wild an ending as my imagination could conceive.
I hope readers feel that the finish of Don’t Believe It not only ties up loose ends in a way real documentaries seldom do but also provides a shocking ending that will have them ripping back through the pages to see how they missed it.
3) What are the most important things about you that you would want prospective readers to know?
I am a true believer that in order for a novel to be successful, it has to call a reader back to it after they put it down. If a book is easy to put down and hard to pick up, most readers (including myself) will give up on it. I’m hyper-aware of this fact when I write. I know there is fierce competition out there from other books, television, movies, and more. So, I try to make it hard for readers to put my books down. And I make damn sure to include in the pages enough reasons for readers to pick them up again after they do.
4) Are there other things you'd like readers to know about you or your book?
The setting of Don’t Believe It is a tropical resort in St. Lucia called Sugar Beach Resort. It’s a resort on the Jalousie Plantation that Matt Damon commandeered to renew his wedding vows. My wife and I discovered the resort while visiting the island on Spring Break with our kids. I thought it would make the perfect location for my novel. So much so that my wife and I returned to Sugar Beach the following year to celebrate our anniversary and do some much-needed research to boot.
My Matt Damon connection comes from a St. Lucian guide who worked for Sugar Beach. I hired him to take my wife and me on a tour of the island for my research. We asked if he drove Matt Damon or any celebrities around the island. No, he told us. But he did transport Damon’s photographer back to the airport after the vow renewal. Close enough.
5) What’s the craziest/funniest/most enjoyable thing you’ve ever done in the name of research?
My most enjoyable bit of research was visiting Sugar Beach Resort for Don’t Believe It. My craziest was visiting a morgue to view an autopsy for The Girl Who Was Taken. Let’s just say that noodled legs and a fuzzy head made the experience less than stellar.
Read More Chalie Donlea Blog
1) Some authors like to make an argument or address an issue when they write. Is there an issue that you're addressing with your book? If so, what is it?
My novels are meant for pure escapism reading, so I don’t see them as tackling social issues in any grand form. However, a common theme between all three of my novels is society’s obsession with missing person cases and unsolved murders.
Pop-culture magazines frequently feature on their covers missing girls, some of whom have been found after being missing for years. The common questions include how they were taken, why they didn’t escape sooner, and how they are readjusting to freedom.
My first novel, Summit Lake, dealt with a father’s attempt to keep his murdered daughter out of the tabloids as a tenacious investigative reporter arrives in the small town where the murder took place to look for answers.
The Girl Who Was Taken tells the story of two abducted girls, one who returns and another who does not. The girl who makes it home goes on to write a bestselling memoir that thrusts her into the public’s eye and draws attention to parts of her story she wants to keep secret.
My latest novel, Don't Believe It, taps into the public’s obsession with true crime documentaries and tells the story of a filmmaker creating a weekly-serialized documentary that delves into the grisly details of a decade-old murder that took place in the Caribbean, and which explores the enigmatic woman who has been convicted of the crime.
A common thread among all three stories is the public’s unquenchable thirst for the morbid details of disturbing stories.
2) What gave you the idea for your book?
I’m a true crime junkie. The podcast Serial hooked me and Making a Murderer gave me an affliction. Since then, I’ve binge-watched just about every true crime documentary on Netflix. My biggest complaint about these films is that they tend to raise more questions than they answer. So I decided the story of a documentary filmmaker uncovering the secrets of ten-year-old murder not only provided a great premise for a timely novel but also gave me the ability to create as wild an ending as my imagination could conceive.
I hope readers feel that the finish of Don’t Believe It not only ties up loose ends in a way real documentaries seldom do but also provides a shocking ending that will have them ripping back through the pages to see how they missed it.
3) What are the most important things about you that you would want prospective readers to know?
I am a true believer that in order for a novel to be successful, it has to call a reader back to it after they put it down. If a book is easy to put down and hard to pick up, most readers (including myself) will give up on it. I’m hyper-aware of this fact when I write. I know there is fierce competition out there from other books, television, movies, and more. So, I try to make it hard for readers to put my books down. And I make damn sure to include in the pages enough reasons for readers to pick them up again after they do.
4) Are there other things you'd like readers to know about you or your book?
The setting of Don’t Believe It is a tropical resort in St. Lucia called Sugar Beach Resort. It’s a resort on the Jalousie Plantation that Matt Damon commandeered to renew his wedding vows. My wife and I discovered the resort while visiting the island on Spring Break with our kids. I thought it would make the perfect location for my novel. So much so that my wife and I returned to Sugar Beach the following year to celebrate our anniversary and do some much-needed research to boot.
My Matt Damon connection comes from a St. Lucian guide who worked for Sugar Beach. I hired him to take my wife and me on a tour of the island for my research. We asked if he drove Matt Damon or any celebrities around the island. No, he told us. But he did transport Damon’s photographer back to the airport after the vow renewal. Close enough.
5) What’s the craziest/funniest/most enjoyable thing you’ve ever done in the name of research?
My most enjoyable bit of research was visiting Sugar Beach Resort for Don’t Believe It. My craziest was visiting a morgue to view an autopsy for The Girl Who Was Taken. Let’s just say that noodled legs and a fuzzy head made the experience less than stellar.
Read More Chalie Donlea Blog
Dangerous Disappearing Acts, With Killers in Pursuit. NYT Book Review
Dangerous Disappearing Acts, With Killers in Pursuit. New York Times Book Review CRIME. Roundups of crime novels by Marilyn Stasio in The New York Times Book Review.
A version of this article appears in print on June 10, 2018, on Page 9 of the Sunday Book Review with the headline: No Safe Haven
You can’t blame Charlie Donlea if the ending of his novel makes your jaw drop.
The title alone — Don't Believe It (Kensington, $26) — is fair warning that his characters are no more to be trusted than are our initial impressions of them.
This much we do know:
In 2007, a vacationing medical student named Julian Crist was pushed to his death from the top of Gros Piton on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. Julian’s girlfriend, Grace Sebold, has spent 10 years in prison for the murder when Sidney Ryan gets the green light to make a TV series about her called “The Girl of Sugar Beach.”
Now here comes the twist:
Sidney’s documentary will follow in real time her personal investigation of the murder and will end, she hopes, in Grace’s exoneration. But by the eighth installment of the show, which has been wildly successful, Sidney is beginning to suspect she’s been deceived, and that her great coup was actually a con job. On the one hand, her career could be mud; on the other hand, you can’t argue with those ratings.
Learn more about Charlie Donlea's DON'T BELIEVE IT. Available NOW in Hardcover, Paperback, and audio format. US and AU editions. Website
Other Books Included: John Connolly The Woman in the Woods, Charlton Pettus Exit Strategy, and Pamela Wechsler The Fens.
Read More
Add Don't Believe It to Your Goodreads List.
—Charlie Donlea
June 10, 2018
A version of this article appears in print on June 10, 2018, on Page 9 of the Sunday Book Review with the headline: No Safe Haven
You can’t blame Charlie Donlea if the ending of his novel makes your jaw drop.
The title alone — Don't Believe It (Kensington, $26) — is fair warning that his characters are no more to be trusted than are our initial impressions of them.
This much we do know:
In 2007, a vacationing medical student named Julian Crist was pushed to his death from the top of Gros Piton on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. Julian’s girlfriend, Grace Sebold, has spent 10 years in prison for the murder when Sidney Ryan gets the green light to make a TV series about her called “The Girl of Sugar Beach.”
Now here comes the twist:
Sidney’s documentary will follow in real time her personal investigation of the murder and will end, she hopes, in Grace’s exoneration. But by the eighth installment of the show, which has been wildly successful, Sidney is beginning to suspect she’s been deceived, and that her great coup was actually a con job. On the one hand, her career could be mud; on the other hand, you can’t argue with those ratings.
Learn more about Charlie Donlea's DON'T BELIEVE IT. Available NOW in Hardcover, Paperback, and audio format. US and AU editions. Website
Other Books Included: John Connolly The Woman in the Woods, Charlton Pettus Exit Strategy, and Pamela Wechsler The Fens.
Read More
Add Don't Believe It to Your Goodreads List.
—Charlie Donlea
June 10, 2018
