For all my Indiana Jones lovers, if you’ve been searching for an entrancing historical mystery/fantasy – this is it. I can’t remember the last time I read a book that had me doing research on the side. This is a book that made me feel smarter after reading!
Summary
Memphis “M” Engel is stubborn to a fault, graced with an almost absurd knowledge of long lost languages and cultures, and a heck of an opponent in a fight. In short: she’s awesome.
Ashwin “Ash” Sood is a little too posh for M’s tastes, a little too good looking, and has way too many secrets. He desperately wants the ancient map M inherited from her archeologist father, believing it will lead him to a relic with the power to destroy the world. M obviously can’t trust him.
Equally desperate to find the relic for reasons of her own, M forms an uneasy partnership with Ash. From the catacombs of Paris, to a sacred forest in Norway, to the ruins of a submerged temple in Egypt, together they crisscross the globe in their search. But through it all, M can never be sure: Is she traveling with a friend or enemy?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this free book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I Do Not Trust You is a book that, from the title alone, delivers layers of mystery. M’s whole journey is about trust. On multiple layers, M has to discern what the truth is and what people’s motivations are about. On other layers, she has to realize that she can’t really ‘trust’ the signs to point to what they should. There’s different interpretations and twists abound.
Throughout the book, M has to figure out who she can trust and, even, what feelings she can trust. But while all of these issues and questions are being played out thematically, M has to solve all these puzzles that span civilizations and mythologies. It’s truly captivating.
You kind of feel like you’ve been let into this special club while reading. And I want a primer of all the history and myths in full form because it really makes you want to keep learning! Something that bridges this gap between myths and truth, is this idea that stories are based on truths. It’s repeated a few different times, but it’s a line that really stuck with me.
I was so surprised by Ash’s character. He was this sort of hidden figure, because you don’t really know what his deal is. But what I loved about Ash’s character, and the interplay between him and M, is that Ash makes M question what she ‘trusts’ about the world. And at the same time, M helps Ash questions what he believes in. It’s a journey that really makes both of them explore what they believe about the world, and each other (It’s also told in alternating perspectives of Ash and M).
You can find I Do Not Trust You on Goodreads, Amazon, BookDepository, and Indiebound.