Trust No One by Caleb Crowe

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Trust No One by Caleb Crowe – A Twisty Obsession Thriller That Needed an Editor ✂️ (3⭐)

Okay, I went into this one completely blind… and honestly? That made it kind of fun. 😄
I had never even heard of Caleb Crowe before, but when he offered signed copies on Facebook, my curiosity was officially activated.

Zero expectations = sometimes the BEST reading experience.

And while Trust No One definitely kept me turning pages… it also tested my patience a bit. Let’s get into it 👇

⚠️ Trigger Warnings

  • Murder / violent death

  • Suicide

  • Mental illness (OCD, psychosis)

  • Emotional abuse

  • Stalking / obsession

  • Workplace harassment

  • Manipulation / gaslighting

🚨 Spoiler Warning – FULL Plot Breakdown Ahead

Like… FULL full. You’ve been warned. 👀

📚 Plot Summary (With Spoilers)

🩸 It Starts With a Death…

We open with a bang — literally.

A woman (later revealed to be Grace) pushes a man (Adam) through a window during an argument. He dies instantly. She panics and runs.

So right away, we’re like:
👉 okay… accidental?
👉 or are we dealing with something darker?

Hold that thought.

🏢 Meet Grace: Stressed, Struggling, and Spiraling

Grace Harper is an estate agent barely holding it together at work.

  • She accidentally injures a client (awkward 😬)

  • Said client turns out to be her new boss… who immediately puts her on thin ice

  • She’s forced into “executive coaching” with a guy named Oliver Smallwood

Already suspicious.

🧠 Meet Oliver: Walking Red Flag 🚩

Oliver is… not okay.

  • Obsessive rituals (locking doors repeatedly)

  • Deep guilt over a former client (Julia) who died by suicide

  • Socially isolated

  • Still emotionally stuck in childhood trauma

And here’s the kicker:
Grace realizes Oliver is “Sticky” Smallwood — a boy from her school who was bullied and humiliated.

You just know that’s going to matter later.

😬 Coaching… or Psychological Warfare?

Their sessions get intense FAST.

Grace:

  • Thinks he’s spying on her

  • Has zero support system

  • Is drowning in work and family stress

Oliver:

  • Becomes OBSESSED with “saving” her

  • Starts projecting Julia onto Grace

  • Decides Grace is his second chance

This is where things go from “hmm” to “uh oh.” 😅

🚗 First Murder: Problem… Removed

Grace’s boss (Justin) is making her life miserable.

So what does Oliver do?

He RUNS HIM OVER. 🚗💀

No hesitation. No remorse. Just:

“Obstacle removed.”

Sir?????

😳 Grace Benefits… Without Knowing Why

Justin dies in a hit-and-run → Grace gets promoted.

Coincidence?
Not even a little.

Oliver is now fully convinced:
👉 He is helping her
👉 He is fixing her life
👉 He is basically her guardian angel (if angels committed murder)

😵‍💫 Obsession Escalates

Grace tries to cut ties with Oliver… and that’s when things get scary.

He:

  • Bombards her with emails

  • Starts stalking her

  • Sabotages her life (fake calls, deliveries, financial issues)

  • Frames everything as “therapy”

He literally creates a “treatment plan” to destroy her life:

  • Destabilize

  • Isolate

  • Reveal

  • Rebuild

I mean… that’s not coaching, that’s a villain origin story.

🩸 Second Murder: Mentor Down

Oliver’s mentor, Maureen, realizes he’s losing it and tries to intervene.

So naturally…
He kills her too. 😬

And stages it as an accident.

Because of course he does.

💸 Grace Hits Rock Bottom

Meanwhile, Grace’s life is collapsing:

  • Coworkers sabotage her

  • She gets suspended

  • Her finances are mysteriously frozen

  • Her sister is trying to force a house sale

  • Her boyfriend Adam is… useless

Actually, scratch that.

😳 TWIST: Adam Is a Fraud

Adam has been pretending to be injured at work to avoid working.

AND he stole company money.

Grace confronts him… and in a heated moment:

👉 She pushes him
👉 He falls through a window
👉 He dies

Yes… this is the SAME scene from the prologue.

So now we know:

  • Grace did kill Adam

  • But it wasn’t premeditated

Still messy though. VERY messy.

🧠 Oliver Completely Loses It

Oliver witnesses Adam’s death and concludes:

Grace is a dangerous, destructive force who must be stopped.

Which is rich… coming from a literal serial killer.

🔨 Final Showdown

Oliver:

  • Tries to frame Grace for his crimes

  • Calls in tips to police

  • Tracks her down

They end up at a beach, where he attempts to kill her with a hammer.

But…

👉 Police arrive
👉 Oliver is tackled and arrested

Cue dramatic music 🎶

⚖️ Ending: Justice… Mostly

  • Oliver is charged with multiple murders

  • Police discredits Oliver's testimony that Grace killed Adam, instead, pins Adam's murder on Oliver

  • Grace gets her job back and moves forward

BUT…

She’s haunted by one truth:

👉 She killed Adam
👉 And no one knows

🧠 Final Twist (One Year Later)

Oliver is in a psychiatric facility.

And here’s the chilling part:

He believes he is a DOCTOR… not a patient.

That reality break?
Honestly one of the strongest parts of the book.

🤔 My Thoughts

👍 What Worked

  • Super gripping premise — I needed to know how it ended

  • Obsession storyline was genuinely compelling

  • Ending delivered (I love when justice actually shows up 🙌)

  • Oliver is deeply unsettling in a way that works

😬 What Didn’t Work

  • Too long — easily could’ve cut 30–50 pages

  • Some slow, draggy sections

  • The flow felt off at times (pacing + transitions were weird)

  • Certain parts felt repetitive

Basically:
Great idea… just needed tighter execution.

⭐ Final Rating: 3 Stars

A solid, twisty thriller that kept me hooked… but not quite polished enough to fully love.

Would I read this author again?
Honestly… yeah. There’s potential here.

📖 If You Liked This, Try These:

If you’ve read this one, I NEED to know—
👉 Did Oliver creep you out as much as he did me? 😅

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