Review: Question of Trust by Laura Caldwell

Review: Question of Trust by Laura Caldwell

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

For back cover blurb and more information on this book visit Laura Caldwell's website here.

The continuing story of Izzy McNeil and her penchant for finding herself caught in the nastiest of webs.

This was my first foray into Caldwell’s books, and I have to say I’m impressed by her eye for detail. Leaving no stone unturned Caldwell is indeed masterful at building suspense. Though based on my research into Izzy McNeil’s previous tales, this poor gal can’t get a break.

For this round the person in trouble is not Izzy, but her new, exceedingly hot boyfriend, Theo. Just as the pair has decided to potentially take their relationship to the next step, Theo’s world comes crashing down around him. He’s indicted for fraud and Izzy must step up to represent him. Looking into his financial troubles, Izzy finds a sticky mess that involves Theo’s best friend, father, and potentially a Mexican drug family. She wants to believe Theo is innocent, but the evidence is stacked against him. The question is: can she trust a man she really doesn’t know?

I’m not a fan of suspense, but I’m always on the lookout to find one that will hook me. I’ve watched movies with a ton of suspense and usually fall pretty hard from some good ones. At least those that shock and surprise straight through to the finish. From this standpoint I thought this one might be one to do it for me, alas not so. While I admire the detail, the flawed characters, and rapidly paced setting of this story I couldn’t didn’t get the suspense rush I expected. There’s not a ton of surprise and I immediately could tell where the plot was leading, all that was needed was a few tiny pieces to put the information together.

Caldwell does a good job of capturing human flaws and how fragile trust can be. That fact alone kept me reading, but I don’t think this falls in the romance category at all. The story isn’t about romance, there’s no happily ever after. This is about the decline, fall, and rise of individuals challenged by greed, revenge, lust, and ultimately unhappiness. Izzy and Theo are just along for the ride, and fall prey to the negative feelings that can be bred from unfortunate circumstances.

If you’re a fan of the Caldwell’s previous novels with Izzy, then I doubt you’ll be disappointed in this latest release. If you’re looking for something suspenseful with a touch of mystery, where romance takes a back seat, then Question of Trust is also for you.