Somebody I Used to Know

Lindas Book Obsession Reviews “Somebody I Used to Know” by David Bell, Berkley Press, December 31, 2018I would like to give everyone fair warning about reading David Bell’s , Author “Somebody I Used to Know” before going to bed. I couldn’t put “Somebody I Used to Know’ down after starting it, and as a result didn’t go to sleep. David Bell has written another thrilling, edgy, page-turning, intense, intriguing, captivating, riveting, suspenseful and thought-provoking novel. The Genres for this novel are Thriller, Mystery, Suspense and Fiction. The timeline within this novel goes back twenty years, when it pertains to the characters or events in the story, and is set in the present. David Bell describes his suspicious and quirky characters as complex and complicated.David Bell has an amazing style of writing some usual routine that turns into something mysterious and dangerous.. In “Somebody I Used to Know”, Nick Hansen, a typical single guy and main character stops to pick up some food to eat at the grocery store. Mind you, nothing exotic or extreme. Nick Hansen glimpses a young woman shopping who is a doppelgänger for his girlfriend,Marissa Minor that has been dead for 20 years in a fire. When Nick tries to talk to her she runs off.The next day, the police knock on Nick’s door , and question him about the woman he saw. The young woman had a note in her pocket with Nick’s name and address. Unfortunately the young woman is now dead.There are twists and turns, and ups and downs. Nick seeks out some friends that he can trust to find out while he himself seems to be considered a suspect. There are betrayals, attempted kidnappings, murder and danger. Many of his friends are not who he thinks. Many things are not what they appear to be.This Mass Market Paperback comes out December 31, 2018. I highly recommend this book for those readers who enjoy a suspenseful and thrilling novel. Only remember you have been warned, do not read this book before going to bed.

A suspenseful mystery that grabbed me with the first line and never let up. This is my first book by David Bell ( I don't know why I haven't read this author before - my loss) and he certainly has a new fan. I'm eager to read all of his books. He has a natural storytelling voice that pulls you into the plot. I like that his writing is concise and crisp, no purple prose or pages and pages of description of characters and setting - the stuff I usually skim or skip. He gives the reader just enough description and information when introducing a character or setting to orient us to place, person and time and that's a plus in my opinion. I truly could not put this book down. For two consecutive evenings I kept telling myself , one more chapter, okay just one more chapter and before I knew it , morning was just around the corner. His chapters and scenes are short which adds to the suspense and his chapter ending cliffhangers compell the reader to keep going.The story is told from the protagonist's first person point of view which allows us inside Nick's mind. I won't go into much detail about the plot as you can read the jacket cover for that, but Nick, is an ordinary, recently divorced man with a step -son. Prior to the opening Nick's ex called the police because he kept overstepping her boundaries by attempting contact with his former step - son. So, the lead detective in the case is already familiar with Nick and has a formed an opinion about the man. Nick'a girlfriend, Marissa died in a house fire twenty years ago and he's never gotten over her. The story begins with a chance encounter in a grocery store. Nick spots a young woman who eerily resembles Marissa. Soon after the woman is found dead, with Nick's name and address in her pocket. Nick quickly becomes a person of interest and his subsequent actions don't help his case with the police. Nick feels a connection to the young woman and he launches his own investigation into her death and sets out on a quest to find out just who the dead young girl was and why she was searching for him.This book is a real page turner, filled with mystery and suspense. The author provides just enough red herrings to throw Nick off, and plants his clues so that most of them are not blatenty obvious. I've read some of the reviews by readers complaining that they figured everything out and so they mystery was supposedly spoiled for them. I'll admit that it's not hard to figure out many of the reveals, but the author's talented storytelling and narrative makes you want to read on. This book is a combo mystery/suspense/thriller. It's obviously not a classic mystery " who dun it?" The suspense driving the story is not so much in the discovery of who, but in the final reveals of "why." I don't want to spoil anything so I will just say this: whether you see it coming or guess some of the plot twists or not , you will want to read on and the author keeps you guessing until the end about the why. They why - the motive(s) is this book create spellbinding suspense. In fact, I thought the author did an excellent job of leading the readers to suspect one thing - the inevitable ( can't reveal it here), but turning what we expected around and making it something just as believable, but not as predictable. He does a fabulous job of foreshadowing all of the events and is a master of suspense and twists. He writes unique, believable characters and makes the reader root for the protagonist.I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys crime fiction, suspense and thrillers. It's easy reading and fast paced. The main character faces many obstacles and roadblocks and the author delivers on set up, pay offs and reveals. The story never lags . I give it 4.5 stars and feel fortunate to have discovered a new favorite author.

Our main character, Nick, doesn't aspire to greatness: he has an average job, typical divorced family, stuck in the same town where he went to college, and enjoys hanging out with his dog while drinking a beer. And it's been this way for the last twenty years. Ever since his girlfriend died in a house fire on campus at college.What's he to think when he sees a girl in a grocery store who looks just like that girlfriend? He wants to know more. But the girl turns up dead with Nick's phone number in her pocket and he's automatically on the police's radar. And like all the crazy kids do these days, Nick does his own investigating to find out who the girl is and why the heck she had his number in her pocket in order to clear his own name. (How he doesn't get into trouble for this, I have no idea.)I liked the plot idea, but the story read a little slow for me. I felt like I was mentally three steps ahead of Nick the whole time. And then some of the extra twists and side stories just seemed illogical or implausible or forced? Honestly, I think the thing I loved most about the book was the fact that it was set in Ohio - aside from getting to meet the author of course.If you're looking for a quick mystery read and you aren't the type to get hung up on tiny annoyances, then I think you'd definitely enjoy this one.

Five star service arrived well on timegreat book.

Great read, had me from page 1

When Nick Hansen catches a glimpse of a girl in a grocery store who is the spitting image of his college sweetheart, he has no idea what a firestorm is to come. But his girlfriend Marissa died in a fire when her dormitory burned down twenty years ago. Nevertheless, Nick is certain he has seen Marissa with her long red hair and that particular way she pursed her lips. But when he tries to speak to her she runs from him appearing scared. So when a police detective comes to his door and advises him that a girl named Emily Russel has been found dead and his name and address appear on a piece of paper she was carrying with her the mystery begins. Emily Russel is the girl he saw in the grocery store.This is not a terribly long book but it contains just the right amount of twists to keep you turning the page. And you will be glad when you can't put it down and need to stay up late to finish it.I'm going now to see what else David Bell has written so I can hopefully find another book from him as good as this one.

A solid beach read.

One of the best books I have read for a long time.