Category Archives: David Bell

Review: Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell

Title: Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 415 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

When a student disappears and is presumed dead, her professor passes off her manuscript as his own—only to find out it implicates him in an unsolved murder in this new thriller from the USA Today bestselling author of The Request.

After years of struggling to write following the deaths of his wife and son, English professor Connor Nye publishes his first novel, a thriller about the murder of a young woman.

There’s just one problem: Connor didn’t write the book. His missing student did. And then she appears on his doorstep, alive and well, threatening to expose him.

Connor’s problems escalate when the police insist details in the novel implicate him in an unsolved murder from two years ago. Soon Connor discovers the crime is part of a disturbing scandal on campus and faces an impossible dilemma—admit he didn’t write the book and lose his job or keep up the lie and risk everything. When another murder occurs, Connor must clear his name by unraveling the horrifying secrets buried in his student’s manuscript.

This is a suspenseful, provocative novel about the sexual harassment that still runs rampant in academia—and the lengths those in power will go to cover it up.

Review:

Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell is a clever, attention-grabbing mystery.

Two years earlier, English Professor Connor Nye is still grieving the deaths of his wife and son. He continues teaching but he is drinking too much and he is easily distracted. Madeline O’Brien is his student and he is her thesis advisor. She has regrets after she turns in her thesis (novel), but Connor convinces her to let him read it first. But, as it turns out, Connor ends up being the last person to see Madeline before she vanishes. When the investigation into her disappearance turns up no viable leads, it soon goes cold.

In the present, Connor is celebrating his newly published novel when Madeline suddenly reappears and gives him an ultimatum. He is to either give her the proceeds from the book  or she will ruin his career by revealing he plagiarized her book. Connor does not have the money but he manages to buy some time. Unbeknownst to Connor, Madeline based the novel on a real-life event and the mystery’s publication is about to put him under the spotlight.  Detective Alicia Bowman  has a lot of questions for him in the still unsolved murder of Sophia Greenfield.

Connor is a bit clueless as he stumbles around trying to save himself. He does himself no favors by avoiding questions and not coming clean about the plagiarism. Detective Bowman is very persistent once she begins trying to build a case against him for Sophia’s murder.  Despite sensible advice from his lawyer, Connor avoids talking to Bowman once he grasps how much trouble he is in.

Connor is a sympathetic character whose grief over the loss of his family is palpable.  He appreciates how much his friend and boss Preston White has protected his career while Connor was in mourning. In the last few years, he has mostly succeeded in his efforts to get his life back on track. But during his current situation, Connor discovers things have changed and Preston cannot provide him much cover during the investigation. Since Connor’s future is on the line, there is a great deal of urgency surrounding his attempts to uncover the truth about Sophia’s murder and why Madeline disappeared when she did.

Kill All Your Darlings is a thoroughly riveting mystery with an innovative storyline. The majority of the characters are extremely well-drawn with realistic flaws. The narration rotates between different perspectives and the different voices are distinct. The plot is well-executed with plenty of tension that keeps the pages turning at a blistering pace. With ingenious plot twists, David Bell brings this timely mystery to a breathless conclusion.

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Filed under Berkley, Contemporary, David Bell, Kill All Your Darlings, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense

Review: The Request by David Bell

Title: The Request by David Bell
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Suspense
Length: 415 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

When a man agrees to do a favor for a friend, he gets more than he bargained for as he becomes embroiled in a woman’s murder in this new thriller from the USA Today bestselling author of Layover.

Ryan Francis has it all—great job, wonderful wife, beautiful child—and he loves posting photos of his perfect life on social media. Until the night his friend Blake asks him to break into a woman’s home to retrieve incriminating items that implicate Blake in an affair. Ryan refuses to help, but when Blake threatens to reveal Ryan’s darkest secret—which could jeopardize everything in Ryan’s life—Ryan has no choice but to honor Blake’s request.

When he arrives at the woman’s home, Ryan is shocked to find her dead—and just as shocked to realize he knows her. Then his phone chimes, revealing a Facebook friend request from the woman. With police sirens rapidly approaching, Ryan flees, wondering why his friend was setting him up for murder.

Determined to keep his life intact and to clear his name, Ryan must find the real murderer—but solving the crime may lead him closer to home than he ever could have imagined.

Review:

The Request by David Bell tension-filled domestic mystery.

Ryan Francis is happily married to Amanda and father to infant son Henry. He also has a lucrative career and a stake in a local bar. Needless to say, he has an awful lot to lose when his college friend Blake Norton asks him a favor. The two men have been on the outs for the past six months, so Ryan is surprised by Blake’s news. He is also dismayed and very much against going through with Blake’s request. But determined to keep his secret from being revealed, Ryan very reluctantly agrees.  And he quickly regrets his decision when he discovers a dead body. Nor can he locate what Blake sent him to find. With Detective Rountree asking a lot of uncomfortable questions, Ryan needs to locate Blake and get answers to some very important questions.

By all appearances, Ryan is an upright man who loves his wife and son. He made his share of poor decisions in college and one in particular haunts him. He does his best to attempt to right the wrong, so he is determined to ensure his secret remains hidden. Ryan’s biggest fear is Amanda will uncover the truth about what happened his senior year in college.

Blake is gregarious, friendly and always  the life of the party. So the first surprising bit of information he reveals is his recent sobriety. Another disclosure is a shocker that sends waves of fear through Ryan. Although his explanation for why Ryan is the only person who can help him is unsatisfactory, his old friend really has no choice but to agree to the request.

Over just a few days, Ryan attempts to stay one step ahead of Detective Rountree as he searches for Blake, who has inexplicably disappeared. He also tries to avoid giving away too much to Amanda who knows her husband well enough to realize he is being somewhat evasive. There is also a hint of danger hanging over the Francis household due to some nerve-wracking incidents that have recently occurred. Despite his anger at Blake, Ryan cannot say no when his friend summons him for a mysterious meeting. Is Ryan fully prepared for the stunning revelations that await him?

The Request is an engrossing mystery that is also quite intriguing. Although none of the characters are easy to like, it is easy to become invested in unmasking a killer. The short chapters add a sense of urgency to the an already suspenseful  storyline.  With clever red herrings and misdirects,  David Bell brings this fast-moving mystery to a twist-filled denouement.

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Filed under Berkley, Contemporary, David Bell, Domestic Mystery, Rated B, Review, Suspense, The Request

Review: Layover by David Bell

Title: Layover by David Bell
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 414 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

In this high concept psychological suspense novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Somebody’s Daughter, a chance meeting with a woman in an airport sends a man on a pulse-pounding quest for the truth.

Joshua Fields takes the same flights every week for work, his life a series of departures and arrivals, hotels and airports. During yet another layover, he meets Morgan, a beautiful stranger with whom he feels an immediate connection. When it’s time for their respective flights, Morgan kisses Joshua passionately, lamenting that they’ll never see each other again.

As soon as Morgan disappears in the crowd, Joshua is shocked to see her face on a nearby TV. The reason: Morgan is a missing person.

What follows is a whirlwind, fast-paced journey filled with lies, deceit, and secrets as Joshua tries to discover why Morgan has vanished from her own life. Every time he thinks one mystery is solved, another rears its head—and his worst enemy might be his own assumptions about those around him.

Review:

Layover by David Bell is an entertaining (yet somewhat improbable) mystery.

Joshua Fields is on his latest business trip when an enigmatic woman catches his attention. Both are waiting for their flights when the two travelers bump into another not once, but twice. Joshua accepts her invitation to join her for a drink where their conversation is the most honest discussion he has participated in quite some time. Before leaving to board her flight, beautiful Morgan Reynolds lays a passionate kiss on Joshua before mysteriously proclaiming they will never meet again. Well, needless to say, Joshua cannot get Morgan out of his mind, and he impetuously switches flights in hopes of spending more time with the lovely stranger. Much to his dismay, she is not at all receptive to his invitation to chat during their flight and when the plane lands in Nashville, TN, Joshua is ready to resume his normal, unsatisfying life. That is until he catches sight of a news story about Morgan who has been reported missing. Joshua dutifully reports what he knows about her to the police but making yet another rash decision, he sets off to Wyckoff, Kentucky where he hopes to help locate his mystery woman.

Joshua is a dutiful son who has obediently (and unhappily) followed the path laid out for him by his father. Now in his mid-twenties and working for his father’s company, he spends more time in airports and hotels then he does his Chicago apartment. So it is not completely unexpected when Joshua makes a few reckless decisions after meeting the inscrutable Morgan. But, well, with common sense thrown out the window, Joshua quickly finds himself in way over his head as he tries to find Morgan.

In nearby Laurel Falls, Kentucky, Detective Kimberly Givens is investigating the disappearance of local businessman Giles Caldwell. His house has been ransacked but with only one missing item, Givens rules out robbery as a motive for whatever has happened to Caldwell. As she digs deeper into his background, she learns some very disturbing information about Giles that she suspects might have something to do with whatever has happened to him.  The trail leads Kimberly in a very unexpected direction but will she discover his whereabouts? And more importantly, if Giles is the victim of foul play, will Givens figure out who is involved in the crime and why he was targeted?

Layover is an interesting mystery with a unique storyline.  Joshua’s discontent is understandable, but his pursuit of Morgan has a decidedly stalkerish vibe. Morgan gives off mixed signals and Joshua quickly falls victim to her hard luck story. Is Morgan a victim of circumstance? Or is she a master manipulator?  Pick up a copy of David Bell’s clever mystery to out the answers to these compelling questions!

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Filed under Berkley, Contemporary, David Bell, Layover, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Suspense

Review: Somebody’s Daughter by David Bell

Title: Somebody’s Daughter by David Bell
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 432 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

In this pulse-pounding novel of psychological suspense from the USA Today bestselling author of Bring Her Home and Since She Went Away, a man must save the life of a little girl who just might be his daughter….

When Michael Frazier’s ex-wife, Erica, unexpectedly shows up on his doorstep, she drops a bombshell that threatens to rip his family apart: Her ten-year-old daughter is missing–and Michael is the father. Unsure whether this is the truth but unwilling to leave the girl’s fate to chance, Michael has no choice but to follow the elusive trail of the child he has always wanted but never knew he had.

After Michael departs, his wife, Angela, learns shocking news about Erica and fears for the safety of both her husband and the endangered girl. When a stranger, a man who claims a connection to Erica and her missing daughter, knocks on the door, Angela is drawn out into the night–and deep into the tangled web of Michael’s past….

Over the course of one night, lies that span a decade come bubbling to the surface, putting Michael, his wife, and his whole family in jeopardy. And as the window for a little girl’s safe return closes, Michael will have to decide who can be trusted and who is hiding the truth….

Review:

Spanning twelve tense hours, Somebody’s Daughter by David Bell is an engrossing and suspense-laden mystery.

Michael Frazier is enjoying a quiet evening with his wife, Angela, when their doorbell rings. Opening the door to see his ex-wife Erica standing there is just the first of many surprises awaiting him. Erica pleads with him to help her find her missing nine year old daughter Felicity.  Right on the heels of this shocking announcement is her jaw-dropping revelation that Michael is Felicity’s father.

Much to Angela’s dismay, Michael immediately leaves with Erica to see if they can locate the missing girl. Underlying Michael and Angela’s fears for Felicity’s safety is the very intriguing question: is Michael Felicity’s father? If so, why has Erica kept this information from him? And most important of all, where is Felicity?

Anxiously waiting for news from her husband, Angela is not surprised when two detectives show up asking questions. Detective Erin Griffin and her partner Jim Twitchell are just a little curious about both her and Michael’s whereabouts around the time Felicity went missing. Since Angela has nothing to hide, she answers their questions and does not hesitate to give them access to their computers. Unbeknownst to Angela, Michael has changed the passwords to both his Facebook and email accounts. Angela is troubled by this realization but there are more unexpected discoveries that blindside her as the investigation continues.

With short chapters ending on dramatic cliffhangers, Somebody’s Daughter is an absolutely riveting mystery. Each of the characters that are central to the investigation have something to hide, but do any of these secrets have anything to do with Felicity’s disappearance? With plenty of twists, turns and astonishing disclosures,  David Bell brings this mesmerizing novel to a spectacular conclusion that completely wraps up all of the story’s dangling threads.Fans of the genre are sure to enjoy this engrossing thriller.

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Filed under Berkley, Contemporary, David Bell, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Somebody's Daughter, Suspense

Review: Bring Her Home by David Bell

Title: Bring Her Home by David Bell
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 458 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

In the breathtaking new thriller from David Bell, bestselling author of Since She Went Away and Somebody I Used to Know, the fate of two missing teenage girls becomes a father’s worst nightmare…. 

Just a year and a half after the tragic death of his wife, Bill Price’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Summer, and her best friend, Haley, disappear. Days later, the girls are found in a city park. Haley is dead at the scene, while Summer is left beaten beyond recognition and clinging to life.

As Bill holds vigil over Summer’s bandaged body, the only sound the unconscious girl can make is one cryptic and chilling word: No. And the more time Bill spends with Summer, the more he wonders what happened to her. Or if the injured girl in the hospital bed is really his daughter at all.

When troubling new questions about Summer’s life surface, Bill is not prepared for the aftershocks. He’ll soon discover that both the living and the dead have secrets. And that searching for the truth will tear open old wounds that pierce straight to the heart of his family…

Review:

Bring Her Home by David Bell is a suspenseful mystery about a missing teenager.

Widower Bill Price’s fifteen year old daughter Summer and her best friend Haley Rodgers have been missing for two days when they are discovered in a local park.  Summer is severely injured while sadly, Haley  succumbed to her injuries.  The police are at a loss as to what happened to the girls but Bill is convinced three of the girls’ classmates are somehow responsible after disturbing information comes to light about their activities. A shocking discovery then turns Bill’s world upside down and he immerses himself in the ongoing investigation.

Bill is still grieving the death of his wife, Julie, eighteen months after her death. His relationship with Summer is somewhat troubled and in order to preserve the peace, he takes a very hands off approach to parenting. After her disappearance, he beats himself up over his lack of involvement in life and for not asking more questions about her activities. Bill is prone to angry outbursts and he also has definite impulse control issues as he rushes headlong into rash decisions without thinking through the possible consequences for his actions. While his worry and concern for his daughter and his need to find the person or persons responsible for hurting her are understandable, Bill is not exactly a sympathetic character due to his over the top reactions and poor decisions.

The mystery surrounding what happened to Summer and Haley is quite intriguing but astute readers will most figure likely zero in on the correct suspect almost right away.  It is also relatively easy to guess that another incident involving Bill’s family is not what it appears which raises suspicions that the two events might be connected. One of the earlier plot twists is not completely unexpected but there are few unforeseen surprises that will catch readers off guard. Bill is a loose cannon whose impatience with the police eventually becomes a little repetitious and somewhat annoying. A few of the scenes and some of the dialogue fall flat and parts of the storyline are rather formulaic.

Despite a few flaws and a somewhat slow paced first half, Bring Her Home is a compelling mystery.  With a few well-paced red herrings and some interesting twists and turns, David Bell brings the novel to an exciting conclusion which neatly ties up all of the loose ends.

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Filed under Berkley, Bring Her Home, Contemporary, David Bell, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Suspense