David Bell | THE REQUEST

Plot (via Goodreads):

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 is another phenomenal story that is immersive and brilliantly paced. The thing I love about Bell's writing is that he features really likable characters that are in terrible positions and even for a thriller or suspense story, it is equally an entertaining thriller to get lost in, but it's also such a journey for the protagonist and the reader alike. I was introduced to Bell's writing with Cemetery Girl in 2012 and I have looked forward to a new Bell novel ever since. While there are a few that I have missed, Bell is one of those go-to authors that is worth every penny and someone that I look forward to reading every year.

This story was a little bit more lighter of an entertaining read. There was definitely a murder, but Bell steers clear of the gruesome details and keeps it more of a story about the key central characters. The pacing with this one was so good and combined with the short chapters, it was so easy to devour this one in one day. This one was reminiscent of the 90's thrillers with a dead beautiful woman, multiple red herrings, and one man trying to piece everything together before he too is in danger. The reveals were perfectly sprinkled throughout the story, making it even more compelling and hard to put down. I was completely satisfied with this read and again, am looking forward to the next summer when a new David Bell will come out.

If you're looking for an entertaining murder mystery with solid characters and a fast pacing, I highly recommend The Request and all of Bell's novels.

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

Rating: 4/5