The Ones You Trust by Caroline Overington
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
SPOILER ALERT!!
I was genuinely confused after finishing “The Ones You Trust”. It had so much potential to be a really gripping, on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller with a touch of mystery to boot. But the clumsy writing and the random twists and turns ruined any chance for me to take it seriously.
Some of the choices that were made with the creation of the characters were also a bit perplexing. Like the names – who names children Seal and Fox-Piper? Every time their names popped up, I was mad, especially when the book was being ironic and shamed a character for being called Denim.
Emma’s actions and motivations also got under my skin way before it was revealed that she was a huge part of the kidnapping. Some of the reasons (now revealed as excuses and lies) that she gave for Fox-Piper not being handed in to child services were pretty flaky at best. Now that I’ve read the ending, I know it was meant to be that way, but at the time I was shaking my head and calling her dumb repeatedly.
Another one of her silly choices was not coming clean about catching Brandon watching pornography on his laptop. Because she hesitated and lied to police, it would have implicated her from the start and any chance she had of flying under the radar would have been destroyed. And speaking of Brandon, he just disappeared at the end of the book, almost like he was a footnote.
I also wasn’t sure how realistic it was to make Maven such a dominating presence in Emma’s private life. Can a network executive really be responsible for planning weddings, and telling their employees when to start families and where to go on holidays? Maybe that’s showing my naivety about the business of television management and public relations.
Also, why the heck did the police release the Lindt Ball Man? He was in custody one minute and potentially harassing Cassie the next! No explanation.
However, whenever the story was told from the point of view of Franklin, his account of the situation was informative and reflective of what actions police officers take in crimes such as this one. I liked the methodical steps that had to be taken as soon as the kidnapping was reported, and how his skepticism of Emma and Brandon intertwined with said steps. I took this into account when rating it, and it ultimately was what made me decide to bump it up to three stars.
I was hooked for two-thirds just because I wanted to find out who the kidnapper was, and now I wish I hadn’t bothered. It was a laidback and easy read that tried so hard to be the next “Gone Girl” and fell flat on its face. I probably wouldn’t read it again.
What did you think of this one? Do you think it deserved the Women’s Weekly Book Club Award? Did you find it charming or authentic? Did you see the twists and turns coming? Love it or hate it, I’m interested to see what you think!
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