Goodreads: Somebody's Daughter by David Bell
Rating: Very Good
Source: Publisher
Description: When Michael Frazier's ex-wife, Erica, shows up on his doorstep pleading for help, she drops a bombshell that threatens to rip his family apart: Erica's nine-year-old daughter is missing--and Michael is the father. Unable to quickly determine if Erica is telling the truth, and unwilling to leave the little girl's fate to chance, Michael has no choice but to follow the elusive trail of the child he has always wanted and never knew he had.
But finding Felicity comes at a price--the closer Michael gets to the truth, the further into jeopardy his marriage falls and the faster his family begins to unravel. As lies that span a decade bubble to the surface and the window for Felicity's safe return closes, Michael will have just a few short days to decide who can be trusted and who is hiding the truth.
Genre: Mystery - Thriller
Why I Picked This Book: I've been wanting to try Bell's mysteries for awhile so I jumped at the chance to review this one.
My Impression: To be honest I was a little nervous going into this because it violates one of my major rules for fiction enjoyment - no children in places of danger. However, while the whole book is about finding Felicity it really isn't ABOUT Felicity. We don't see her scared or vulnerable or any of the things that make my rule so necessary for my being able to sleep without having to actually visibly see my son. The focus is more on what is going on with the adults and figuring out just what is a lie and what is the truth and I'm all about that.
With the exception of a tiny epilogue the book itself takes place over the course of one evening through three POVs. We see what's happening through the perspective of Michael and his ex-wife Erica, Angela, and the police. Each perspective is different and compelling and I was equally fascinated by all of them and felt that each really fleshed out the investigation.
The pacing is brilliant. The chapters are fairly short and frequently end on small cliffhangers so I need to keep reading "just a little bit more" to see what happens next. With each chapter I felt like I learned a little bit more or had the start of new theory and the progress I was making really kept me engaged and reading. I was surprised to see that the book is listed as having 432 pages because I flew through it in just a couple of days. Each change of POV is accompanied by a time stamp and I thought it added a bit to the feel of urgency but never got out of control where too much action is crammed in a short space (like in the TV show 24 where the main character has solved an international crisis, rescued a child from a dangerous car jacking, and beat up 4 terrorists all in two hours).
My only issue is that I wanted just a little bit more. While the ending is resolved satisfactorily I did feel like there are some questions raised that aren't fully answered. Enough is answered that I wasn't frustrated and I feel like I have enough that I can guess how it all ends but I like it nice and spelled out.
This was a compelling fast paced read that kept me turning pages late into the night. It had that perfect thriller balance where the tension holding my breath but wasn't so disturbing that it had me double checking the locks! I'm already looking for Bell's previous books and I'll be looking for his next one.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
Would I Recommend this Book? Definitely! I think even non-thriller lovers would enjoy this one.
I started reading a David Bell book not long ago and couldn't really get into it. This one sounds like it might be better than the one I tried. I'll have to give it a go!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds something I would like very much. Getting two different perspectives is always a good read in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI loved this one. I enjoyed another book I read by David Bell, too, but I liked this one even better. It had me turning the pages late into the night.
ReplyDeleteI have read a couple of books by David Bell. One I loved and another I liked. I was so tempted to grab this one but I didn't think that I would realistically be able to fit it into my reading schedule. Sounds like I need to get a copy from the library!
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to read this book, too, especially since I enjoyed the previous book, Bring Her Home. I also love the writing style of short chapters with little cliffhangers. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI love short, punchy chapters and the fact that it takes place all in one night sounds kinda cool. It sounds kind of intense too- glad it was good!
ReplyDeleteGood to hear you got a thriller that held you. It is clever on the part of the author to write in a way that makes a reader say to themself "Just another page!"
ReplyDeleteWell when its a thriller and holds your interest throughout, whats not to like.
ReplyDeleteI've just started branching into mystery and thriller territory again. Although this one wouldn't be my thing I might see what else the author has written.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you addressed an issue that I find a problem, especially in contemporary fiction - I don't like reading of children in distress or in harm's way. Like you, I keep thinking of family members and while I know it happens - I don't want to spend my downtime thinking about it... Great review, Katherine and I'm glad this one turned out so well for you:)
ReplyDeleteOh wow, I've been looking for reviews of this and yours is the first I've read -- I am so surprised it takes place over one evening, but that makes me even more curious about the pacing! Wonderful review!
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