Trust No One

 

Trust No One by James Rollins
2/24/26; 432 pages
HarperCollins 

Trust No One by James Rollins is a very highly recommended stand-alone thriller of international intrigue. It opens with a treacherous event which will immediately grab your attention and pull you into the story.

Sharyn Karr is an American student in a postgraduate program covering the history of witchcraft, folklore, and spiritualism at the University of Exeter in England. Shortly before his death when the two meet in the school's library, Professor Julian Wright entrusts her with a valuable and historically significant ancient book, the locked and encrypted journal from the Count of Saint-Germain, an 18th-century alchemist. He instructs her to never open it, keep it safe and, trust no one. He also gives her a number to contact if she needs help. Events quickly force Sharyn to confide in her two roommates along with Duncan Maxwell and his friend. 

The five university students are being chased by a lethal cabal and law enforcement while being blamed for murder. They flee, following instructions via their unknown contact, but are followed at their every move and pursued across England, France, and into the Italian Alps by their deadly pursuers. They learn from Malick Laurent, a guardian of the book who joins them in their flight, that Confrérie des Illuminés is the group after them.

As expected, this is an extremely well-written, fast-paced thriller that grabs your attention from the start and never lets it go. The plot is compelling and the menacing group hunting for the students as they are on the run keeps the tension very high throughout the novel. Their enemies always see just a few steps behind them. At the same time the group needs to solve the puzzles in the ancient text while always just a few paces ahead of death. Rollins does his usual mixing historical facts and places with fiction and includes a note afterword about what is real and what he took liberties with in the plot. The narrative also includes illustrations and maps.

The characters are all fully realized individuals and you will care about what happens to them. Sharyn has a very specific background and hidden skill set which brings a lot to bear on the plot. The rest of the characters also add their own special abilities that assist the group in their mission and hope for survival. I would personally follow another outing of this group should a series be a possibility. 

Trust No One is a perfect choice for everyone who enjoys a fast-paced well-written thriller.  Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.