Trust Me

By Peter Leonard

Book Overview

Peter Leonard showed remarkable maturity for a first-time novelist in his debut novel Quiver . In Trust Me , he reaches for new heights as he crafts a classic noir thriller loaded with double- and triple-crosses.The first mistake Karen Delaney made was entrusting $300,000 to her boyfriend, Samir, the head of an illegal bookmaking operation. The second was breaking up with him - because Samir holds a $300,000 grudge. A few months later, Karen sees a way to get her money back when two thieves break into her house in the middle of the night. She proposes a scheme to steal Samir's safe, but Karen soon realizes she's in way over her head as things begin to spin out of control. Trust Me moves at breakneck speed through the affluent suburbs of Detroit and Chicago as Karen is pursued by O'Clair, an ex-con/ex-cop who works for Samir and wants the money for his own retirement; by Ricky, Samir's nephew, who sees the money as a way to pay off his own escalating gambling debts; by the thieves who've been double-crossed; and by two ruthless hit men who view the money as their stake in the American dream.With relentless suspense, striking characters, and plot twists that will leave you white-knuckled, Trust Me marks the continuation of a powerful new voice in crime fiction and more than delivers on the promise of Peter Leonard's talent.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031237903X
• ISBN13: 9780312379032
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 290 Pages
• Weight: 1.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Trust The Author to Write a Great Thriller

Two thieves, Bobby and Lloyd, break into a house owned by the head of an illegal bookmaking operation expecting to come away with a large bundle of cash. What they do not expect is the proposition they receive from Karen Delaney, who lives in the home. She convinces the duo to help her get back the $300,000 of her money that ex-boyfriend and bookmaker Samir Fakir kept after their breakup. Seeing something worthwhile in the plan laid out by the beautiful redhead, Bobby and Lloyd agree to the heist. Although Samir has surrounded himself with a group of heavy-duty thugs, Karen gathers together a motley crew and manages to pull off the robbery, fatalities aside. Suddenly, Karen disappears with the goods. As she tries to stay ahead of those who are trying to locate her, she finds herself the most sought after redhead in town, as the thieves, thugs, ex-cons, Arab hit men, and cops all are in pursuit of Karen and each other through numerous Detroit neighborhoods. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish who is the most air-headed among them. The less than stellar thugs keep finding Karen, and she has to perform mini-miracles to get away once again. The chase continues with a number of bodies falling by the wayside. Trust Me is a worthy follow-up to Peter Leonard's debut novel, Quiver. The unconventional cast of characters in this noir thriller is at times as funny as they are determined hardened criminals bent on gaining control of a situation gone quickly and increasingly awry. Trust Me

Leonard Works Magic in TRUST ME

Being the offspring of an iconic figure is a mixed blessing at best. You spend half your time explaining who you are and the other half explaining who you are not. There may be times, late at night, when Peter Leonard lies awake in bed and contemplates how things might have been if he was picking away at a guitar instead of a word processor as a way of bringing home the daily bread. If that is the case, I hope he does not think too long or too hard about it. He made the right move, and trust me, his sophomore work conclusively demonstrates that. At the end of the day, TRUST ME is built upon a very basic series of propositions: girl meets boy; girl and boy start seeing each other (in the Biblical sense); girl gives boy $300,000 to invest; girl and boy break up; boy keeps money; and girl tries to get money back. You cannot imagine how much fun this truly is until you crack open the spine. The girl of the piece is Karen Delaney, a beautiful and talented young woman whose resume includes work as a high school drum majorette and professional model and cheerleader, and whose Achilles' heel is a talent for picking the worst man out of any random room full of them. The boy is Samir, a wealthy Detroit businessman involved in legal high-end markets, party stores and, oh yeah, illegal bookmaking. As the novel begins, Delaney has moved on (at least romantically), engaged (at least officially) to the owner of a chain of Detroit area restaurants. When two burglars ---one of whom is a little smarter than the other --- invade the domestic tranquility of the not-really-happy couple, Delaney has a proposition for them. As she puts it, she's not scamming them; she's been waiting for them. But as we soon learn, what Delaney tells them is only half-true. With an amusing if cold-blooded pragmatism, Delaney begins utilizing her not-too-shabby looks and various and assorted talents to get not only her money back but also some considerable vig, cutting her erstwhile business partners out of the deal. If Delaney has a tragic flaw, it is that she does not think too far ahead of herself. But that is also her talent, as her fancy footwork keeps her a step (well, sometimes a quarter-step) ahead of the bad guys who pursue her with great aplomb. What they don't take into account is Delaney's cold pragmatism, which holds her in good stead as she is pursued from one end of Detroit to another, and beyond. Leonard works magic in TRUST ME, making Delaney wholly sympathetic and believable --- this is a guy who knows women to their core --- even while she is manipulating everyone she encounters in order to get what is hers. As with any caper novel, the true test of its worth is the supporting cast of characters, and this one passes with flying colors --- from the hapless duo who uneasily partner up with Delaney in the beginning to Delaney's mother and sister. Leonard is his own man, and while he might mine the same mountain as his father, Elmore, he is fully capable of telling his

Burglary Gone Bad

Trust Me is a tale of a burglary gone bad. Time-honored motivations of money, ambition, revenge and, oh yeah - Money intertwine a horde of hoods in a rapid romp. Nary a dull moment as the competition is fierce and triumph is fleeting. A very enjoyable read.

Expect the Unexpected

At exactly that moment when the reader thinks they know what to expect in Trust Me, Peter Leonard gives us the unexpected. Trust Me is full of surprises, suspense and double entendre. It is a well crafted mystery with creepy but humorous characters who cross and double cross each other, lots of action and an ending that will surprise the reader as much as it does the heroine. Trust Me is a terrific read. Expect the unexpected from this great new author. I can hardly wait for Peter Leonard's next book.

Trust Me, by Peter Leonard

Peter Leonard has written a really teriffic read.....and it's hard to believe this is just his second book. There is no doubt he has a lot of success on his horizon. It is inevitable to want to compare Peter to his celebrated father, Elmore, but there are marked differences in their writing style, in my opinion....and I've read every Elmore Leonard book. Peter's characters seem universally human, though very unpredictable. And these characters seem to shift within the context of the story from likeable to despicable....and vice versa. I also enjoyed the unique plot and setting; not your garden variety action novel. Can't wait for the next book. I highly recommend Trust Me.