Don't Trust her

by Stacy Claflin

Am I losing my mind, or does someone want me to think I am?

After a traumatic childhood shadowed by an institutionalized brother, I've finally created a picture-perfect life with my doting husband and four beautiful children. But behind the white picket fence, darkness looms.

Strangers claim to see me in places I wasn’t, doing things I would never do. Can I even trust my own mind with a family history of mental instability? As I race for answers, my life spirals out of control.

I suspect someone is plotting to steal my very identity. Then a shocking family secret points to a cruel deception that could shatter everything I know.

Who is behind this relentless game of deceit? The truth could destroy all I've built.
I must confront the sinister forces threatening my family, whatever the cost might be... even if it means my sanity.

Or my life itself.

Genres: Suspense, Thriller, Mystery, Psychological Thriller

262 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 4, 2023

About the author

Stacy Claflin writes about complex women overcoming incredible odds. Whether it's her Gone trilogy of psychological thrillers, her ongoing Transformed paranormal saga, or her Seaside Hunters sweet romance series, Stacy's three-dimensional heroines shine through.

Decades after she wrote her first stories on construction paper and years after typing on an inherited green screen computer that weighed half a ton, Stacy realized her dream of becoming a full-time author.

When she's not busy writing or educating her kids from home, Stacy enjoys watching TV shows like Supernatural, Pretty Little Liars, and Once Upon a Time.

Join Stacy's newsletter to get free books: http://stacyclaflin.com/newsletter/

Reviews

[Ella Atwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hold on for a wild and twisty ride in this one. This is a riveting phycological thriller I loved that kept me glued to the pages while reading it. The book has split points of view, which are important, but they don't bounce back and forth. It's so well laid out and put together. I didn't want to miss a single thing that happened. In an unusual twist, I wasn't totally sure what was going to happen by the end, it wasn't completely predictable because there were so many ways it could turn out! Bravo and well done indeed! More please!

[vivya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it 🤍🤍

[B · Rating 1 out of 5]

This went balls to walls crazy so quickly. Who are all of you that gave this four and five stars? Blink twice if she threatened you.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisting

This was a very twisty, scary story. After all, coming from a family with sociopathic tendencies is bad enough. But when people see you places and you don't remember, that is very concerning. Until you figure it out and set up an intricate plot to catch the person responsible for trying to ruin your life.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG I can't even imagine how Angelina feels when people tell her they've seen her in places she's sure she hasn't been. It must be a Doppelgänger or is she slowly losing her mind like her brother and dad? The worst part is that people don't believe her so how to prove that she's perfectly sane and what does her Doppelgänger want?

This story followed me when dreaming at night because when I read I become the main character so I felt as helpless as Angelina feels when even her husband doesn't seem to believe her.

It's the perfect mix of suspense to keep you reading and to crossing your fingers for a happy end. If that's even possible?!

This was an unexpected ARC and I'm grateful I could read it. Thank you so much Stacy!

[Melanie Robertson-King · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabbed me and wouldn't let go until I turned the final virtual page! Is Angelina losing her mind? People have seen her where she knows she hasn't been. Doppelganger? That's the only logical explanation. After all, everyone supposedly has one.

The story had plenty of twists to keep me guessing right until the point of the author's reveal. I had an inkling, but my idea didn't spoil the mystery and suspense.

I think this book has to be Stacy's best so far! I look forward to more from this talented writer.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stacy Claflin kept me on my toes while reading this new story. Psychological thrillers are a fairly new genre for me and this one drew me in from the very beginning. We live in a world where identity theft is far too common, but this time it isn’t just stealing your credit card information or creating an online account in your name. Angelina is facing a larger problem – someone who looks just like her is trying to take over her life.

The author lets you think you have figured out what is happening, but then pulls the proverbial rug right out from under you. We do learn who is responsible for the odd things that are happening, but there is so much more to the story. I’d hate to give away any secrets and spoil your reading pleasure, so will simply give my enthusiastic endorsement of this story.

Thank you to author Stacy Claflin for providing me with an advanced copy of “Don’t Trust Her.” No promise was made of a positive review, but I can whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller. Any opinion given here is strictly my own.

[Carol Keen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book! Oh my, this book is a whole new level for Claftin and I've been reading this author's books for a while now. Angelina had plenty of stress. The children, all four of them, her husband, her physical condition, her fake friends, her difficult family, and her dad's mental and physical health declines are some examples. Even so, she's been trying to keep her head held high and soldier on, but things are happening that make her wonder if she's losing her mind! It's the little things, but bigger ones too and her friends are acting weird and so is Peter. What is happening? What is going on?

This book has split points of view, which are important, but they don't bounce back and forth. It's so well laid out and put together. I didn't want to miss a single thing that happened. In an unusual twist, I wasn't totally sure what was going to happen by the end, it wasn't completely predictable because there were so many ways it could turn out! Bravo and well done indeed! More please!

My digital copy is a review copy. This review is my own. A positive review is never required.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Persecuted or paranoid? Good, twisting suspense😧

In true psychological thriller style, Don't Trust Her had me perplexed and doubting lead character Angelina's sanity right from the beginning.

I thought the author was clever in splitting the story into distinct parts with different points of view rather than alternating the POV throughout the book.

So many people don't trust or believe Angelina and the fact that her father and brother have serious mental issues seems to support their attitude. The tension builds nicely as Angelina gets more frantic trying to understand what's happening and protect her family.
Claflin certainly kept me confused, then had me thinking I understood, then turned things on their head for a surprising finish. I liked the way the story kept the uncertainty high throughout.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are old enough to have liked Alfred Hitchcock stories, you may love this one! By the time I read almost half of this book I was feeling quite frustrated, because it was so repetitive and seemed too convoluted. But I pushed through it and read on. It turns out that I’m glad I did, as it progressed quickly from there with some twists along with even more new angles to the story. It went back and forth - I couldn’t be sure which way it would go, and I realized it had pulled me in to where I really wanted to read on. Then came a big twist at the end that I did not see coming at all, just like Hitchcock’s stories had often done. This book has been released in time to rev up for a spooky Halloween. It was a good story, but Claflin’s ‘Hotel’s Secret’ series is, so far, my favorite. I am an ARC and this is my honest opinion.

[K C · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was excited by the premise of this book, and the opening few pages felt promising laying some good groundwork for the upcoming mystery. That's kind of where it peaked. What followed after was a predictable, almost manic seeming plot. Everything just fell flat, with the characters appearing one dimensional. The writing felt like a constant stream of "And then" making the entirety of the book feel rushed. Typically these sort of books keep the twists going throughout, and really ramp them up towards the end, which is formulaic and therefore expected - but it just felt like this book took that to the max. With everything barely falling together with the energy of it being written 15 minutes before submission deadline.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good physiological thriller and this one blew my mind! The author cleverly weaves her spell and draws us in with twist and turns, surprises, suspense and mystery and has you gripping the edge of your seat. Angelina Our fmc feels as though she is losing her mind as questions are raised about where she has been and what she has been up to and she has no memory of anything happening. It’s tense, it’s dark and it’s quite frankly scary as the plot thickens and then there’s an ending I definitely did not see coming! Thrills and chills in this intriguing and intricate read and I just couldn’t stop reading it!

[Tonya Bryant Gillon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story by Stacy Claflin. This story had me guessing all the way through every twist and turn. Angelina was going crazy with so many sightings of a doppelgänger in her small town. People questioning her every move. Her life was far from perfect and having a blended family and her sociopath of a brother and her father with early onset dementia, would make me question my sanity at times. Then her doting husband Peter that was a nice addition to her life for sure.

I don’t want to spoil anything so suffice it to say this is a great read and you will be guessing right until the end.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stacy once again supplies the right amount of suspense (and angst to go with it), to make You think you are going Crazy.
Suburban housewife Angelina's life is starting to un-ravel and she is afraid of going "nuts" like her brother who has been instituted almost his whole life and her father is suffering "severe dementia."

Without a lot to go on and lots of friends and family who don't believe that she isn't just making things up, Angelina, cracks what is her personal case of "mistaken identity"

[Kathy Brenzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this very twisted plot. Everyone has claimed to have seen Angelina in places she has never been and she starts to doubt her own sanity. Her father has early onset dementia and her brother is an institutionalised sociopath, so no-one could blame her for thinking that she was going crazy. However, a secret revealed to her by her mother sets her mind at ease a little. At the same time, someone is impersonating her, but who and why? You will never see the end coming.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fast paced, easy to read with short chapters! I finished it in one sitting. It had me hooked pretty quickly, and I just HAD to know what was going on!! There were several twists, but some of them seemed stupid or too far fetched. But then they made sense in the end. Overall it was a good book!!

[Tammy Northington · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy for an honest review. I usually like stories by Stacy Claflin, but I just couldn't get in to this story. I didn't read the entire thing, but I'm reviewing based on what I did read. The characters are well-developed, and the storyline is interesting, but it just didn't grab my attention. I plan on trying to finish this and will update my review once it's finished.

[Anne G. Kasaba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, quite a ride! The book had me on edge from the start. The story was engrossing and the characters were well developed. I knew this was good psychological suspense when I was uncomfortable through most of the book. Not is a negative way, more like what’s next. Definitely don’t miss this book.

I received an arc of this book and voluntarily provided a review.

[Kirstie Ibrahim · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG this hooked me from the very first page! I absolutely loved this and all the mystery, suspense and then the twists, seriously this had me totally engrossed. Don't trust her.....this will have you wondering who the heck to trust, not just her!!

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is she losing her mind? One suspenseful book with twists and turns and secrets I didn't see coming. I did wonder how on earth people were so easily fooled. The ending was something else as well as the ending ending - a little unsettling.

[Juanita E. Arp · Rating 5 out of 5]

One suspenseful book with twists and turns and secrets I didn't see coming. I'm not a fan of suspense, but I do like Stacy Claflin books. I can't wait read more from this author. I received this book as a free ARC copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good story from Stacy. Not sure how she comes up with her ideas for her books, but she picks really good plots which hold the reader's interest. This book is not part of any of her series so all the characters are new. I enjoyed the book. It was a relatively fast read.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure which way was up at the beginning of this book, up until about chapter 7. Jane is a clever little minx, who did her homework on Angelina as well as her family.
Peter had me worried for a bit, amazing hubby and father, but believable and trusting, or a good actor?

[Cyndi Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was intense! So many twists and turns that kept me guessing. I had many theories about why I thought was happening, and was glad that I was not even close! Highly recommend. And make sure to read all the way to the end!

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stacy Claflin does not disappoint. Another intriguing and suspenseful story and you would never imagine all the twists and turns. Great story! I couldn’t put it down trying to keep everything straight.

[Primadonna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea

[Fiestymomof5kids · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book the characters and the storyline are amazing. This author is very talented. The characters are amazing. I recommend everyone to read this book.

[Denise Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great storyline! It keeps you guessing all the way through. It also has an ending you don't see coming! Highly recommend!

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riviting

Wow, amazingly realistic characters and scary premise. Shocking twists and turns throughout the story including the ending. That I did not see coming! Couldn’t put it down.

[Mathapelo Mtee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was a page turner with soooo much suspense...

The ending however felt veeery rushed!!!!... I still have sooooo many questions.