Review: Somebody's Daughter by David Bell

Published By: Berkley Books on July 10, 2018
Format Read: ARC Edition (418 pages)
Genre: Thriller/ Mystery/ Adult
Series: Stand Alone
Source: Giveaway Win
Rating: THREE POINT FIVE STARS

~Amazon~ 
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.

VERDICT:

 Content Warning: Suicide, Miscarriage, Graphic Violence, Pedophilia

REVIEW:

This books takes place over the course of a very long night into the next morning. Soon after Erica's daughter Felicity goes missing Micheal and Erica set out to find her daughter. Micheal is a very compassionate man who is haunted by family trauma, he's married to Angela. Angela and Micheal are struggling to start a family. Erica is Micheal's ex-wife, she is a free spirited woman who in desperation makes immature decisions while searching for her child. They story is told from Micheal's, Angela's, and Griffin's, a young detective assigned to the case, point of view.  I enjoyed slowly learning what each of them knew about Erica's missing daughter. I was hooked from the beginning because of short chapters and decent suspense about what's going to happen next.

"Erica seemed to feel more deeply than other people, to bend far but never break under the weight of emotion."

Felicity goes missing after Erica's leaves her in a car while she walks their dog. Felicity's relationships with other people and Erica's past decisions place clouds of suspicions on plenty of people who know Erica and Micheal intimately. The suspense was done well, but I had to suspend my disbelief at times. Characters in many instances chose to do unsafe things that created more suspense but didn't hold up as realistic.

The book included some surprising twists and turns and had a unique premise. Most of the characters in the book are described as dealing with trauma and regret in different ways. The inclusion of serious topics and flawed characters made it relatable for most people. This was a interesting domestic thriller but the ending didn't quite tie up all the lose ends.

Recommended for readers who
- enjoy domestic thrillers and mysteries
- likes short chapters and relateable characters
- can suspend their disbelief at times for the sake of suspense

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

David Bell is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning suspense novelist. His most recent thriller from Berkley/Penguin is SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER. His previous novels include BRING HER HOME, SINCE SHE WENT AWAY, SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW, THE FORGOTTEN GIRL, NEVER COME BACK, THE HIDING PLACE, and CEMETERY GIRL. He is currently an Associate Professor of English at Western Kentucky University.
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