Somebody's Daughter

Late one night the Frazier's have a knock at their door. The couple unassumingly thinks it must be another neighborhood kid there to sell magazines or candy, but much to Michael Frazier's surprise he opens the door to find his ex-wife, Erica, standing on his porch. Erica is in a state of frenzy, quickly blurting out that her daughter, Felicity, has gone missing and pleading with Michael to come with her on the search for Felicity. The previous couple hasn't spoken in many years, so Michael cannot fathom why Erica would come to him for help, that is until she reveals that Felicity is his daughter. Michael has no way of determining if Erica is telling the truth in that moment, but he knows he could never forgive himself for not going out show more to look for a missing nine-year-old girl. As the two depart, Michael leaves his wife, Angela, behind with more questions than answers.

Soon after Michael and Erica depart, Angela's world gets even stranger when another knock occurs at her door. This time it is the police and they are searching for Erica. It seems before Felicity disappeared Erica was paid a visit by child protective services and like in most missing children cases, the mother is suspect number one. Over the course of this night many truths will come to light and the past will return to haunt those involved. As the window gets smaller for finding Felicity the pressure is on. Can Michael find the child who might be his daughter or will Felicity be lost forever?

David Bell creates a heart-pounding thriller in SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER through the use of a shortened timeline and quick, easy-to-read chapters that alternate viewpoints between the various parties involved in the hunt for Felicity. The reader is able to ride along with Erica and Michael, Angela, and one of the detectives overseeing the case, Griffin. Over the course of one night and in to the next morning these three parties each attempt to find Felicity by interacted with a cast of secondary characters who have played some role in Erica or Felicity's lives. These secondary characters are instrumental in slowly providing the reader bits of information that lead to the ultimate truth of what has happened to Felicity. SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER is the perfect summer thriller read, especially for those hot days soaking up the sun at the beach. This was my first book by David Bell, but I think it's safe to say more of his work will be finding it's way to my bookshelves.

A special thank you to Get Red PR, Berkley Books, and David Bell for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review. show less

Goodbye reading funk. I was so deep in a funk, nothing was good, nothing kept my attention and then I picked up Somebody’s Daughter by David Bell and I devoured it. Every word, every paragraph, every page just flew out of the book and I couldn’t stop. I was invested in the twists and turns of the storyline, invested in the amazing realistic caring characters, and invested in the safety of a young girl who hadn’t been seen for hours.

The suspense in Somebody’s Daughter never lets up. There are so many twists, turns, and ups and downs. With each twist in the book, I wanted to find the missing girl. I wanted to know what had happened to her yet I was thrilled that the story was continuing and that the girl hadn’t been found yet. show more I was so into the story I wasn’t ready for it to end.

David Bell takes the reader in circles, introducing characters that all have some type of tie to Erica, the missing girl’s mother, or Felicity, the missing girl. There are times you are sure that you just met the kidnapper and then something else happens and you know that it isn’t quite right. I found it very easy to keep track of who the characters were, how they were connected to the main characters, and what they were doing to “help” find Felicity. I liked how he intertwined the characters that would never have met each other putting them in different situations where they were together and making them interact all in the name of saving a missing child.

Whether this is your first David Bell book or one of many, you will not be able to put it down. Pick up your copy now. show less

Michael Frazier is in for a shock when his ex-wife, Erica, shows up unexpectedly at his door one evening. They divorced 10 years ago, but she’s back to tell him that her nine-year old daughter, Felicity, is missing (surprise!) and that Felicity is Michael’s daughter too (bigger surprise!). Erica is desperate for his help. He has no time to wrap his mind around this revelation before he’s caught up in the mad search for Felicity too. Angela, his current wife, is none to thrilled with the situation, but what can she do? A child is missing…

SOMEBODY’S DAUGHTER is a gripping mix of suspense, mystery, police procedural, and family drama. The whole book takes place over one night, and the short chapters with alternating perspectives show more kept the pace flying along. Lots of intriguing characters are introduced, and whether they’re trustworthy or not is up in the air. Let’s just say that Erica wasn’t the only one with secrets.

My one quibble with the book is that it left me with some unanswered questions. One important story line ended abruptly without any further explanations. I had other questions too, about Erica and some supporting characters. Maybe the ending was just rushed?

Overall, I thought that SOMEBODY’S DAUGHTER was an exciting, entertaining, and emotional thriller, which you can always count on from David Bell.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. show less

This seat-of-your-pants thriller starts off with a bang and doesn't let go. It's a wild ride that takes place over the course of less than a full day. 400 pages, and not a dull one in the bunch. The author is skilled at cliffhanger chapter endings, suspenseful action, solid characters, and lots of twists and turns. This is the first I've read of this author and it's quite a lovely surprise. I'm not usually big on the child-abduction weeper, but this is really a refreshing and exciting entry. Loved it.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

When Michael finds out he might be the father of a missing girl, he immediately jumps into action, finding himself lost and confused on a road trip with his ex-wife. His ex-wife insists she knows who is responsible for kidnapping the little girl, but as the night progresses, Michael begins to question everything he thought he knew.

This was a suspenseful read, especially with the chapters alternating between Michael's journey and what was happening with his current wife at their home. I did see the final twist coming a few chapters before it happened, but I think that was the author's show more intention, to drop just enough clues so the reader could have a chance to figure it out. show less

I got this book as an ARC. I started this book this morning and just finished it. I loved it. So well written. Love the short chapter that ended in cliff hangers, which made you want to read just one more and then one more. Lots of twists. This story is about a missing girl that her mother shows up at her ex-husbands house saying “surprise you are a dad to a 10 year old you never met”. It was just such a great read. Go out and grab this one.

Michael's ex-wife, Erica, shows up at his porch claiming his nine year old daughter is missing. A daughter Michael never knew existed. So begins the crazy night of trying to find Felicity. The book took so many twists and turns I kept changing my mind on who was involved with the kidnapping of Felicity. At times I wondered if there even was a little girl or if it was all a ruse. Each chapter seemed to end with a little cliffhanger and I couldn't stop reading because I needed to know what was happening.

Of all of David Bell's books, this is one of my favorites. It was fast paced and kept me in suspense right until the end. I couldn't put it down. I loved the story line, characters and writing style. Yes, I did hate Erica. I know I should show more have felt bad for her with her daughter missing, but I just couldn't. I didn't believe anything that came out of her mouth.

I definitely recommend the book, especially if you are a fan of David Bell.

Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and the author, David Bell, for a free electronic ARC of this novel. show less