David Bell | SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER

Plot (via Goodreads):

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.

Review:

David Bell is extraordinary. I've read a few of his books and they just keep getting better. Bell has this amazing ability to take a simple story and turn it into a domestic thriller with heart and soul. This novel is no exception and in my opinion is his best to date.

What I really found to be enjoyable with this novel and its intricate plot is how Bell takes something that is seemingly one dimensional and turns it into something that is complex and beautiful and absolutely thrilling. There are so many plots that are reasonably similar to his; missing girls, death, disaster, etc., but Bell takes it to a whole other level and really places his mark on domestic suspense. The picturesque beauty in his novels is another thing that I admire most. A small town full of warm people, beautiful houses, and white picket fences can be turned upside down with heinous crimes that shatter the perfection of these characters lives and his ability to allow his readers to watch those characters grow, change, and go through something so horrible is just utter brilliance. His characters are written with honesty, value, and remarkable characterization that take his writing capabilities beyond expectations and create a timeline that is a realistic portrayal. I love his work. 

With this novel, having it set and take place all in one day was something that I really wrapped my head around and was able to enjoy. Sometimes when a novel takes place over days, weeks, years, it's hard to fully grasp what characters have gone through "in between the pages", and by that I mean the time spent where your reader doesn't get to read what is happening in that time. With this, Bell takes you with these characters, buckles you in, and doesn't stop the ride until every single piece of the puzzle is solved and you are left with characters that will stick with you for an endless amount of time, and a novel that will be a go-to recommendation. His work is immersive and my favorite example of a David Bell novel is this: the physical book is intimidating when it's in your hands because of the page count and size and then you open the first page and find that the first time you set it down, you're halfway through because you just can't stop! I will always, always check out his new books and eagerly await the day I get a copy in the mail. David Bell is an author you should get to know, because he is fantastic and remarkably talented. 

I did have one fallback with this one and it may be a bit selfish, but I wanted a little bit more with the ending. Once we got to the bottom of the mystery of this one, I just felt like I wanted to read more details about what happened and how we got there. Don't get me wrong, all of my questions were answered, but maybe I just wasn't ready for it to end. I was still satisfied with the ending, although I found there could've been a bit more regarding some of the details as to what happened. I did however, love the very last chapter that was a heartfelt and wonderful conclusion that wrapped up everything.

Special thanks to Berkley Publishing for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5