Trust No ONe
- Judith D Collins
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
By: Caleb Crowe
ISBN: 9781837566464
Publisher: Inkubator Books
Publication Date: 11/02/2025
Format: 5 Stars
He knows her weaknesses… And just how to use them.
Grace Harper spends her days finding dream homes for strangers – but her office is a nightmare she can’t escape. Bullied by younger colleagues, and on a final warning from her boss, she hates her work, but desperately needs to keep earning so she can save enough to escape to university.
So when executive coach Oliver arrives to help the struggling team, Grace is keen to impress him by putting her best foot forward.
What she doesn’t realise is that Oliver is a deeply damaged individual who is prone to dark obsessions. And he sees something in Grace that makes her very, very special.
What begins as a series of coaching sessions soon warps into control, as Oliver positions himself as Grace’s secret guardian angel - one who knows what she needs better than she does.
And if Grace isn’t fully onboard with his plans? The price of refusing is darker than she could ever imagine.
As her career, relationships, and sanity begin to unravel, Grace realises she is being pushed to a place where she must answer one terrifying question – how far will she go to survive?
Trust No One - the shocking psychological thriller perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Liane Moriarty, and Sally Hepworth.
My Review
Caleb Crowe's latest dark, chilling, and gripping psychological thriller, TRUST NO ONE, plunges into the abyss of human obsession, exposing the sinister art of manipulation that unravels a woman’s life, career, relationships, and sanity in this heart-pounding tale of suspense that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
About...
Grace (Main Character):
Meet Grace Harper, a resilient 33-year-old navigating the treacherous waters of real estate at Lancaster & Lyle. With dreams of returning to university dashed by the overwhelming burden of caring for her dying parents alone, Grace now finds herself in a precarious financial situation. Her estranged sister remains distant, her live-in boyfriend faces a tragic accident, and a toxic workplace further compounds her struggles with relentless bullying. Just when she thinks her luck can't worsen, her insufferable boss delivers an ominous warning—losing her job is not an option.
The Arrival of Oliver:
Enter Oliver, an executive coach masquerading as a therapist—one who is entangled in his own therapy struggles. He is charismatic and dangerously persuasive, quickly capturing Grace’s attention. "He imagines himself like Clark Kent, unremarkable as far as she is concerned, while in secret, he is Superman."
Initially, she finds herself drawn to his seemingly insightful methods, but it soon dawns on her that this is not a coaching room; it’s a boxing ring, a battlefield of psychological warfare. Armed with determination, Grace resolves to keep dancing around his attempts to unearth her hidden traumas. He may view this as a chance to rewire her essence and expose her insecurities, but she has larger aspirations than being a pawn in his game.
UNTIL...
Unknown to Grace, Oliver harbors a chilling agenda and possesses a power she never anticipates, nor fully understands until much later.
Oliver's Dark Obsession:
Oliver is not merely troubled—he's an intricately damaged soul, becoming fixated on Grace. He positions himself as her "secret guardian angel," obsessively seeking to control every aspect of her life under the guise of support.
Manipulation and Unraveling:
His coaching sessions morph into a tapestry of dangerous psychological manipulation, unraveling the very fabric of Grace’s career, relationships, and mental health.
The Climax:
As the tension escalates, Grace finds herself engaged in a desperate battle for survival, slowly grasping the harrowing truth behind Oliver's intentions. Gaslighting infiltrates her reality, leading her to suspect an office colleague until a catastrophic incident involving her boss reopens old wounds, perpetuating a cycle of torment that threatens to dismantle her entire existence.
My Thoughts...
Holy Cannoli! Screenworthy, this novel is teeming with profoundly malevolent figures, and Crowe masterfully depicts the darkest corners of manipulation and obsession. His storytelling redefines the very essence of psychological turmoil.
Dark and Gritty! With wicked twists and relentless tension, TRUST NO ONE is a harrowing psychological thriller where Grace battles to escape a horrifying nightmare.
INTENSE! Told through the gripping perspectives of both Grace and Oliver, the narrative culminates in a heart-pounding resolution set a year later. We witness Oliver's descent into psychopathy, revealing his obsession’s sinister depth as Grace struggles fiercely to break free. His chilling sessions with therapist Maureen send shivers down the spine, punctuated by haunting flashbacks of former patient Julia's torment.
Oliver’s singular desire is to exert total psychological control over Grace, framing himself as an indispensable guide—her "guardian angel"—while escalating his demands. His manipulations become ever more perilous when he perceives any sign of rejection, triggering a vengeful response that only amplifies his dark motivations.
At the heart of Oliver's obsession lies a profound internal damage, cleverly directed toward Grace’s vulnerabilities, marking her as the perfect target. With cunning precision, he fabricates evidence and orchestrates scenarios designed to guarantee her dependence on him, showcasing the depths of his delusion.
Oliver’s psychological game aims to isolate Grace, positioning himself as the solitary figure on whom she can rely. His twisted savior complex drives him to believe he is liberating her from toxic circumstances, all while transferring the locus of control from her colleagues to himself.
Ultimately, his fixation is not about Grace's unique identity but rather about fulfilling his own pathological need for power and dominance over a victim he can manipulate at will.
MIND-BENDING! I can confidently say that Crowe possesses a remarkable talent for delving into the minds of his characters. This may be his wildest and most intense book yet!
Recommendations...
If you relish unsettling narratives that delve deep into the realms of obsession, manipulation, and madness, then TRUST NO ONE is unequivocally for you! Ideal for fans of Crowe and those who appreciate the works of Freida McFadden, Paul Cleave, John Marrs, Kaira Rouda, and Jennifer Hillier.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Nov 2, 2025
About the Author
Caleb Crowe is a British writer of psychological thrillers, and is fascinated by stories where extraordinary things happen to ordinary people, and the mundane is transformed into the menacing.
He’s afraid of the sea, fearful in the countryside, panicky in large open spaces and terrified of small, confined spaces. He finds eerily quiet villages and bustling impersonal cities equally unsettling. There’s nowhere, and no one, that doesn’t possess some kind of dark, brooding anxiety just waiting to have the lid prised open and turned into a twisty, suspenseful, nerve-shredding story.
He lives in Manchester with his partner, two children and two cats, who probably have their own mysterious agendas. Whether he's navigating the urban jungle or wrestling with the daily challenges of family life, Caleb draws inspiration from the unpredictability of everyday existence.
