Trust Me When I Lie by Benjamin Stevenson is a chilling mystery that is quite suspenseful.

True crime producer Jack Quick revisits the murder conviction of vineyard owner Curtis Wade for his debut television documentary. He sifts through the questionable evidence that led to the conviction and begins to believe Curtis was wrongly convicted. Just as Jack is wrapping up edits, he makes a surprising discovery and he makes a fateful choice that could come back to haunt him. The documentary leads to Curtis's conviction being overturned and he is released from prison. A shocking murder leaves Jack guilt-ridden and questioning his actions that led to Wade being set free. With growing certainty that he made a terrible mistake, Jack begins investigating both murders in hopes of unmasking the killer.

Jack is a deeply flawed character who is determined to right a possible wrong. He is not always truthful with himself or those around him but he genuinely wants to uncover the truth. The first thing Jack needs to find out is whether or not one person is responsible for both murders or if he dealing with a copycat killer. So he sets off for the small town where the original murder occurred. The townspeople band together and try to get rid of him but Jack refuses to leave. He remains deeply troubled by the decision he made during edits of Wade's documentary but Jack knows he has to follow wherever the evidence takes him.

Jack is unable to escape the ghosts of his past during his investigation. Although both Curtis and his younger sister Lauren are surprisingly co-operative, he is frustrated by his lack of progress. He must tread lightly around his only police source as he tries to get copies of the current victim's autopsy report. Do the answers he is seeking lie within this report? Are Jack's past mistakes giving him tunnel vision as he continues to second guess himself? Realizing he is running out time, will Jack make a fateful decision that could cost him his life?

Trust Me When I Lie is a cleverly written mystery that is set in Australia. The characters are well-developed but not always easy to like. The small wine-making town where the majority of the story takes springs vibrantly to life. With stunning twists and brilliant turns, Benjamin Stevenson keeps readers on the edge of their seats as this dazzling mystery comes to an unpredictable and completely shocking conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this thrilling debut to fans of the genre.
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Could Have Used Some Editing/Trimming
Review of the Sourcebooks paperback (2019) of the Australian original "Greenlight" (2018)

Rounded up from [1.5]
This had a very timely and intriguing premise. With the increased prevalence of true-crime podcasts, audiobooks and TV-mini-series examining cold-cases and/or cases that have been solved but with unsatisfactory results. In Trust Me When I Lie (confusingly also marketed as "Greenlight" or "She Lies in the Vines" in other editions), podcast and later TV producer Jack Quick uncovers what seems to have been a botched murder investigation and the possible unjust imprisonment of the prosecuted suspect. His TV-series results in a re-trial and subsequent prison release. But what if the suspect really did it?

The results were just too drawn out over what seemed a too lengthy amateur investigation by a not very likeable lead character. There was an odd piling on of character quirks and backstory which seemed completely unnecessary to the plot. In the end a twist ending reversed most of what we had been led to believe along the way. It just left you feeling disappointed. ( )

Trust Me When I Lie by Benjamin Stevenson is a highly recommended mystery set in Australia.

Jack Quick produces a true crime TV series on the murder of Eliza Dacey, an English backpacker working as an itinerant grape-picker whose body was found on the land of Curtis Wade. Curtis was quickly charged and convicted for the crime. Jack's documentary is slanted to show that circumstantial evidence and police bias were responsible for his conviction. Jack's series results in the retrial of Curtis and he is set free four years after his conviction. Although Jack has private doubts about Curtis's innocence, he keeps quiet about his concerns. When another murder occurs after Curtis's release that seems to be an imitation of the first, Jack is conflicted. Is it a copycat murder or is Jack back killing again after his release?

Jack Quick is a well-developed complicated character with moral conflicts and more than his fair share of secrets and regrets. He travels back to the small town that was the scene of the first crime, essentially placing himself and Curtis in close proximity after the second murder. The prejudicial, insular, and isolated setting of the small Australian wine town becomes another character and plays an integral role in the plot as Jack searches for the truth.

The writing is straight forward, but there are twist embedded within that you won't notice - until you do. The tension increases incrementally and gradually, building to a climax in this novel. I will admit that it was slow going for a while and I had to purposefully keep focused on the plot until it picked up. Then it became clear that no one could really be trusted. The ending surprised me.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Sourcebooks.

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