Trust No One: A Thriller – A Treacherous Hunt Across Europe to Unlock the Secret to Immortality
From the #1 New York Times bestselling master of international intrigue comes a shocking new stand-alone thriller that thrusts a group of university students, falsely accused of murder, into a treacherous hunt across Europe, all to unlock the secrets buried within a centuries-old book that could change humankind forever.
Knowledge can be magic—until it falls into the wrong hands.
The ritualistic murder of a British professor at the University of Exeter points to a startling cast of suspects: his own students. All are enrolled in a postgraduate program covering the history of witchcraft, folklore, and spiritualism.
All evidence points to Sharyn Karr—an American student. Prior to the professor’s death, he had thrust a centuries-old book upon her. It appears to be the handwritten and encrypted diary of an eighteenth-century mystic and occultist, the Comte de Saint-Germain. The professor begged her to keep the text safe, ending with a warning: Trust no one.
Such a responsibility forces her into cooperation with Duncan Maxwell, a fellow postgrad and the sixteenth in line to the British Crown. Already, Duncan has proven himself a savant with encryptions. Unfortunately, the pair clash at every level, but they both need one another. Especially when they discover the book’s opening words: Herein lies the secret to my immortality. Come find me, if you dare.
As dark forces close upon the pair, she and her friends are forced to flee, pursued by law enforcement and hunted by a powerful cabal. In an explosive chase across Europe—from the Tower of London to Parisian chateaus to a fortress in the Italian Alps—Sharyn must learn the true secret hidden in Saint-Germain’s text. It will send her and the others across history and deep into the heart of one of the world’s greatest mysteries, a secret buried at the roots of Western Civilization, a discovery that could topple empires and change humanity forever.
For what lies at the end of Saint-Germain’s diary is as shocking as its opening words.
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by Neville Townsend
James Rollins blends history and fiction in a seamless blend. Sharing is given a historic book by her professor and is told trust no one the same evening he is killed. Sharyn is on the run with some other students who help her. A full throttle that kept me reading, I couldn’t put it down. Full of good characters plenty of action in this stand alone thriller.
by Louise Mahrra
I’ve been a devoted fan of James Rollins for years, and I eagerly anticipated this latest release. His books are usually an immersive experience for me — rich, fast-paced, and masterfully woven together with that unique blend of science, history, and high-stakes adventure that only he seems to deliver so effortlessly.
Sadly, this one didn’t live up to the standard I’ve come to expect. The narrative felt clunky at times and lacked the smooth flow and cinematic energy that normally pulls me in from the first chapter. Instead of racing through the pages, I found myself more aware of the mechanics of the writing, which disrupted the magic.
I was also distracted by the repeated — and often seemingly unnecessary — use of the word “bastard.” Its frequency felt out of place and, at times, oddly jarring, pulling me out of the story rather than adding to it.
I finished the book, as I always do with his work, but instead of the usual post-read high, I was left feeling somewhat deflated. Typically, when I close a James Rollins novel, I need a few days to come down from the adventure — there’s almost a genuine sense of loss, as though I’m saying goodbye to friends. This time, I didn’t feel that lingering connection.
I’ll always look forward to his next release, but this one, unfortunately, didn’t leave the lasting impression his stories so often do.