The Forgotten Girl

In David Bell’s new novel, The Forgotten Girl, Jason Danvers has moved from New York City to Ednaville, Ohio, the small town where he grew up with his younger sister Hayden, and the last place he thought he would live as an adult. Hayden has long since left Ednaville, and she has broken all ties with Jason in exchange for a life of addiction. Jason and his wife, Nora, have settled into their jobs and the slower pace of Ednaville, and they’ve reconnected in a way that their lives in New York didn’t allow.

One night, Hayden arrives on Jason and Nora’s doorstep and asks that they let her teenage daughter, Sierra, stay with them while Hayden completes some unfinished business. Hayden looks healthy and sober, and despite an initial show more hesitance and a long history of being disappointed in his sister, Jason agrees to her terms.

What follows is a fast paced mystery that examines family dynamics, old friendships, addiction, parenting, marriage, and small town life.

David Bell does a great job capturing the surreal aspects of returning to old stomping grounds after a long absence. His characters are compelling, and readers will be rooting for some and hoping for a comeuppance for others. There were moments when I wondered why the hell a character would make a certain choice, and Bell almost always came through with a plausible explanation. As for those times when he didn’t offer an explanation, I’m reminded that life isn’t always that tidy outside of books either.

If you enjoy mysteries and suspense, I definitely recommend you read The Forgotten Girl. I also suggest you set aside a chunk of time to do so, because once you get started, it’s very hard to put it down. The book would also be a good one for book clubs. I imagine lively debates about parenting, addiction, family relationships, and the beauty and trials of returning home and reconnecting with the past.

My thanks for the publisher for an ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review. show less

When Jason Danvers loses his job in New York City, he and his wife, Nora, return to Ednaville, Ohio, the town where Jason grew up. Late one evening, Jason’s recovering alcoholic sister, Hayden, makes an unexpected visit; although it’s been five years since the siblings have seen each other, Hayden asks to leave her teenaged daughter, Sierra, with the couple for two days. They agree, but Hayden never returns. And, as Jason seeks answers to what might have happened to his sister, he finds himself steadily drawn deeper and deeper into a mystery that seems to be tied to his best friend from high school, Logan Shaw, who hasn’t been seen since the night of their high school graduation.

Where is Hayden? Is she harboring a secret or is she show more out partying with the town troublemakers? Or has she simply taken off, much as Logan did so many years ago?

Each of the characters in this intriguing, layered tale are flawed, but are well-developed and complex. Relationships are in the forefront of this story as each chapter deepens the mystery and compels the reader to turn the page. Danger lurks, long-held secrets are exposed, and the unanswered questions will keep the pages turning until the final reveal.

Highly recommended. show less

From Amazon:

The past has arrived uninvited at Jason Danvers’s door...and it’s his younger sister, Hayden, a former addict who severed all contact with her family as her life spiraled out of control. Now she’s clean and sober but in need of a desperate favor—she asks Jason and his wife to take care of her teenage daughter for forty-eight hours while she handles some business in town. But Hayden never returns and her disappearance brings up more unresolved problems from Jason’s past, including the abrupt departure of his best friend on their high school graduation night twenty-seven years earlier. When a body is discovered in the woods, the mysteries of his sister’s life—and possible death—deepen. And one by one these show more events will shatter every expectation Jason has ever had about families, about the awful truths that bind them and the secrets that should be taken to the grave.

My Thoughts:

Even though I really liked the book, the description makes it more exciting and sinister than it actually was. The mystery of where Hayden went, what she was doing, and where Logan went all those years earlier really drew me into the book. I thought the narrative was a bit lacking, as it had a lot of dialogue, and not much descriptors. Instead of showing us what everyone did, it mostly tells us. I thought the ending of the book and the answers to the mystery were a bit underwhelming. I enjoyed the book, but it wasn't my favorite. show less

Jason, Logan and Regan were the best of friends in high school. Then graduation happens, Logan and Jason have an argument regarding Regan and Logan takes off never to come home. Jason leaves the small town for NYC finds himself back some twenty some years later. He and his wife Nora have been living in Ednaville when Jason’s estranged young sister Hayden stops by and asks them if they can watch her daughter for 48 hours while she take care of something. Hayden was an addict and Jason wonders what’s up. But then Hayden disappears and his past comes back and the question of Logan’s whereabouts arises.

So much going in a small town, and the characters interact so well with one another, you can’t help wonder what the secret is and show more where the hell is Logan? You wonder about Reagn and Jason. What is Hayden up to? I really got into the story and thought two things (one was true, the other not) and had to keep reading to seek the truth. The ending is not what I expected and was surprised. The story is dialogue heavy but well written. I enjoyed it. show less

The Forgotten Girl by David Bell is a highly recommended novel that explores past secrets and the bonds between family and friends.

In The Forgotten Girl, Jason Danvers and his wife, Nora, have relocated to his home town of Ednaville, Ohio, after he lost his job in NYC. Jason left Ednaville after he graduated from high school 27 years earlier when he and his best friend Logan, had a fist fight over a mutual friend, Regan. Logan disappeared that night, everyone presumed he left town since he had been threatening to do that for years. Jason was grilled by the police as a suspect in his disappearance, but nothing came of that.

Much to Jason and Nora's surprise Hayden, Jason's sister, appears unexpectedly at their front door, profusely show more apologizing for her past behavior. They haven't seen Hayden for five years, but with her history of alcoholism and creating drama and problems over the years, Jason has every right to be leery of her contacting him. Hayden claims she's clean and sober now, and asks them to watch her daughter, 17 yr. old Sierra, for just a couple days while Hayden takes care of some unfinished business.

Soon it becomes clear that the unfinished business Hayden is dealing with may be much more dangerous than she let on, and her daughter Sierra is very concerned after Hayden sent her what appears to be a good-bye text. Adding to the mystery is the sighting of Hayden with a local ne'er-do-well-very-bad-boy. Circumstances eventually lead to the police being called in and it becomes clear that whatever Hayden is trying to do may be connected to events that happened years earlier.

The Forgotten Girl is more of a slowly revealed explanation of what happened years ago. Although it isn't necessarily a thriller, it does uncover a mystery while examining old friendships and family ties as well as parenting, alcoholism, and living in a small town. The big reveal is fairly predictable, but Bell is a skilled writer and will keep you glued to the pages to the final conclusion. A great airplane book choice.

Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of the Penguin Group for review purposes. show less

I picked up this book because I wanted escape reading. It worked for that purpose.

It's a long mystery/thriller that features at its heart the friendship of two boys. The protagonist is Jason Danvers, now in his forties and living in his childhood town with his wife, Nora. Jason works as a graphic designer in a small company. He is approached by a former school mate, a few years older, Colton, now a lawyer. Colton tells him that Jason's high school friend's father is dying. And that friend, Logan Shaw, has been missing since their high school graduation night. Jason remembers the night well, because he and Logan fought over a girl and that was the last he'd seen of him.

But then the complications set in. Jason's sister Hayden shows up show more with her teenage daughter, Sierra, in tow. Now clean, Hayden has a history of alcohol abuse. She is making amends. She asked Jason and Nora to watch Sierra for two days while she tries to clear up a problem.

And that's where the story hangs. What is Hayden doing? Why does she not return after two days? What's this we hear about her hanging with a "bad boy" from her past? Oh, and Sierra's dad comes into the picture, although he hasn't been for a while.

Jason pursues leads and tracks down one bit of info after another. Often going on instinct, he tries to save Hayden as well as her daughter, possibly from themselves.

To me, the winding around, the questions, the stories, didn't fill in all that much. It was like a lot of spinning without wheels and without real suspense. Then one revelation after another. It got a little old after a while and not all that surprising to me. show less

This was a first reads giveaway - so let me say thanks! I've never read any of David Bell's previous books, now I think I should.

I'd categorize this as a suspense novel - it spends more than the first half setting everything up. You might think you know where its going, but you're probably wrong. I was - several times. Then I just gave up and enjoyed the ride. Once I finished the book, I realized I wasn't entirely certain who the forgotten girl actually was....

Its a well crafted, suspenseful tale that will get your attention pretty quickly.