Convince Me: A Novel

Nina Sadowsky

$27.00

Publication Date: August 4th, 2020

Publisher:

Ballantine Books

ISBN:

9780525619901

Pages:

288

Description

A charismatic man’s death exposes the secrets he kept, revealing him to family and friends as an unrepentant pathological liar in this explosive thriller from film producer and author Nina Sadowsky.

“Convince Me will keep readers guessing until the very end.”—New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter

Justin Childs is handsome, likeable, smart. A devoted son to his mother, Carol; a loving husband to his wife, Annie; and a sure-footed, savvy business partner to his best friend from college, Will. To so many, the perfect man.

He’s also a liar. And now he’s dead.

When Justin’s body is retrieved from the wreckage of a car accident, his death leaves his loved ones with more questions than answers. In life, his charm and easygoing nature inspired trust, making him friends wherever he went. Now that he’s gone, the cracks begin to show: disturbing discrepancies in his company’s financials, unaccounted-for absences, a medical record that appears to be entirely fabricated.

As the secrets and betrayals pile up, Annie, Carol, and Will realize their beloved Justin was not the man they thought he was. And why was he found dead with Valium in his system when he notoriously detested drugs? Was the crash that killed him really an accident—or did Justin finally get caught in something he couldn’t lie his way out of?

Convince Me is a chilling look at what makes a sociopath in an age of untruth—and a high-octane, surprising read to its very last page.

About the Author

Nina Sadowsky has written numerous original screenplays and adaptations for such companies as The Walt Disney Company, Working Title Films, and Lifetime Television. She was the executive producer of The Wedding Planner, has produced many other films, and was president of Meg Ryan’s Prufrock Pictures. Sadowsky is the Los Angeles program director for New York University's Global Programs initiative, serving the Tisch, Steinhardt, Stern, and Gallatin schools. This is her fourth novel, following Just Fall, The Burial Society, and The Empty Bed.

Praise for Convince Me: A Novel

“When a seemingly perfect husband, son, and friend is tragically killed, his house-of-cards life comes crashing down, exposing the twisted secrets and lies he’s been hiding for years. Nina Sadowsky is a master storyteller. From the very first page, the story flies, giving life to the characters and plot until all has been revealed. Convince Me is one hell of a read!”—Wendy Walker, New York Times bestselling author of All Is Not Forgotten

“One of the cleverest psychological suspense novels I’ve read in years . . . tense, gripping, and fast-paced. . . lies piled upon lies and an entire cast of unreliable narrators that will have you wondering if anyone is telling the truth. . . I raced through this wickedly deceptive thriller in one sitting—highly recommended!”—Karen Dionne, #1 internationally bestselling author of The Marsh King’s Daughter and The Wicked Sister

“A propulsive thriller that starts with a bang and never lets up until its final shocking reveal . . . In Convince Me, Nina Sadowsky’s brisk, energetic prose spills across the page, tightening the noose around the central terrifying question: How far would you go to learn the truth about the people you love?”—Carla Buckley, author of The Liar’s Child

“This thriller tells a story that couldn't be more timely for this ‘post-truth’ age. It concerns liars and the damage they cause, with the stakes of manipulation, gaslighting, and all-around deception drawn out on the ‘small stage’ of domestic suspense. It’s my favorite kind of book, because it all felt personal. I was constantly asking myself, What would you do in that situation? even while I was trying to solve the mystery. But when the solution finally arrived, I never saw it coming. This book felt like a Roman candle. You watch it take off, then it just keeps climbing with one twist after another until it finally goes boom.”—Lee McIntyre, author of Post-Truth

“This thriller tells a story that couldn't be more timely for this "post-truth" age. It concerns liars and the damage they cause, but here the stakes of manipulation, gaslighting, and all-around deception are drawn out on the "small stage" of domestic suspense. It's my favorite kind of book, because it all felt personal. I was constantly asking myself "what would you do in that situation?" even while I was trying to solve the mystery at the heart of it. But when it finally arrived, I never saw it coming. This book felt like a Roman candle. You watch it take off, then it just keeps climbing with one twist after another, until it finally goes BOOM.”—Lee McIntyre, author of Post Truth