Review: Somebody I Used to Know by David Bell (audio)

Title: Somebody I Used to Know

Author: David Bell

Narrator: Andy Paris

Published: Audio – July 2015, Recorded Books / Mass Market Paperback – December 2018, Berkley

Length: 10 hours 51 minutes / 464 pages

Source: Audio – Personal copy via Audible / Print – Paperback via GetRed PR

Summary: 

The bestselling author of Somebody’s Daughter and Cemetery Girl, “one of the brightest and best crime fiction writers of our time” (Suspense Magazine) delivers a pulse-pounding thriller about a man who is haunted by a face from his past… When
Nick Hansen sees the young woman at the grocery store, his heart stops.
She’s the spitting image of his college girlfriend, Marissa Minor, who
died in a campus house fire twenty years earlier. But when Nick tries to
speak to her, she acts skittish and rushes off.

The next morning
the police arrive at Nick’s house and show him a photo of the woman
from the store. She’s been found dead, murdered in a local motel, with
Nick’s name and address on a piece of paper in her pocket.

Convinced
there’s a connection between the two women, Nick enlists the help of
his college friend Laurel Davidson to investigate the events leading up
to the night of Marissa’s death. But the young woman’s murder is only
the beginning…and the truths Nick uncovers may make him wish he never
doubted the lies.

My thoughts:  David Bell is definitely becoming that author that I just have to read…whether it’s a new book he has coming out or, as in the case of this book, an older book that is being re-released in paperback, and I just haven’t had the chance to read yet…you can guarantee I am going to be picking it up. His books are addicting and thrilling, with dynamic characters and completely engaging plots.

Right away I was pulled into the mystery of this book – I loved that it is filled with such emotion as well as being quite a puzzle. And the twists really keep you on your feet, with some of them throwing you off track if you are not paying close enough attention. This is a book that will really test your detective skills and I loved every bit of it.

This is the type of book that as you get further into it, and more details are revealed, you find yourself with more questions than answers. It’s what really pulls you in and makes the book so addicting. Why does this young girl, who looks so much like Nick’s college girlfriend who died in a fire during college, in his local grocery store? And why, when she is found dead the next morning, does she have Nick’s contact information on her? These are the questions that spur Nick into a journey back into time to find out just what happened that night of the fire and what has been going on since. 

As much as I tried to put the pieces together as they came at me, I couldn’t. There was just too much that I didn’t see…which isn’t a bad thing. I like being surprised at the end and boy was I ever! This book really kept me on edge as the suspense built, slowly but steadily as Nick and his friends figured out just what really was going on.

Once again David Bell has given us a multi-layered story filled with unexpected twists that will keep you guessing right up until the end. It was definitely an addicting, thrilling, binge-worthy read and I cannot wait til his next book comes out!





Audio thoughts: This was a great book to listen to on audio – it really kept me engaged the entire time and I thought Andy Paris did a great job with the narration. He gave each of the characters their own distinct voice and his pacing and intonation were spot on. I ended up listening to this book in just two days because I was so addicted to the story, I just couldn’t stop listening!