This book had me all over the place. Not only did the story jump back and forth between characters but there seemed to be so much happening that didn't fit. It seemed like some of the pieces were being added to the storyline as it progressed without a real point. In the end, it seemed to come together but it left me feeling like there really wasn't a 'true' point to the story. Also, there were so many chapters, some with very few paragraphs and no need to have been a chapter.

Here I am totally hanging my head in shame as I admit this is my FIRST EVER David Bell book! The good news is, there are plenty for me to now go back and devour after loving this one! This was a buddy read with Amy (novelgossip) and I loved theorizing with her as we went. A bit of domestic suspense mixed with thriller makes for the perfect combination. When Michael and Angela's happy life is uprooted with the arrival of his ex wife, Erica, who's daughter has been kidnapped, tensions are high to say the least - oh and the daughter is Michael's - talk about a boiling point!

I found this fun, exciting and suspenseful - and I was honestly surprised in many of the twists, always something that makes a read more fun for me!

Thank you #NetGalley for an advanced copy of #SomebodysDaughter!

I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a quick read. I enjoyed the many different points of view coming from Michael, Angela, and Detective Griffin. Without giving anything away, the only negative I would have to say about this book is that there was one big storyline that was left completely unresolved. I guess by the end you could assume what the outcome was but it wasn't really confirmed... This may leave some people wondering/guessing about a big piece of the story. I'm the type of reader that wants to know the outcome of everything b the end and don't have to guess/assume what happened, but I'd still highly recommend this book!

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

This book was full of non-stop action as there are several groups of people searching for a missing child. Lots of misdirection and red herrings as the police and the parents search for the child and secret after secret is revealed.

At times, it seemed like there was just too much side plots going on which distracted from the main story but I was reading it non-stop to find out who took the girl and it was a surprise!

Only criticism is that there were things brought up and they were not really answered and you are left to assume from the epilogue whether Felicity was the stolen baby and who her real father turns out to be. I guess I like clear cut answers and not try to figure out from the vague clues!

Michael finds himself in an odd situation when his ex-wife, Erica, shows up unexpectedly in his life. She needs help finding her missing daughter, who she claims is his daughter too. His marriage to Erica ended 10 years ago, and they have had no contact with one another, so the surprise of a nine-year-old daughter is a big shock to him. Michael is a good guy though, so he wants to help find the little girl, whether she is his child or not. However, this does cause some problems with his current wife, Angela.

The story is told over about a day’s worth of time, but does include flashbacks to explain backstory. One important part of Michael’s life happened when he was a kid. A tragedy in his childhood greatly affected his life, along with the lives of his sister and parents.

The current day story is told from multiple viewpoints, so the reader is aware of the activities of Michael, Angela, and the detective on the case. The characters were not all likable, but they were believable. A lot of people were involved throughout the story, and some of the subplots were not as interesting, or really, even relevant.

Somebody’s Daughter is a suspenseful story full of family drama. A complex and gripping read.

Another good thriller from David Bell!!

Imagine you are spending a quiet night with your wife when the doorbell rings. You answer it and find your ex-wife, a woman you divorced almost a decade ago, standing there in a complete panic insisting that you have to help her. Her daughter was kidnapped that morning, and she is frantic that you come with her to help find the girl. "Why don't you let the police deal with this? Why are you here?" you ask. "Because she is your daughter" comes the reply. What would you do?

Michael Frazier decides that despite the shock of the situation, and unsure whether his ex-wife is telling the truth, he has to help, whether the child is his or not. Thus begins a fast-paced race against time to find the girl.

Bell delivers on every level; the storyline draws the reader in immediately, and the short chapters, each ending with a little cliff-hanger, keep the pages turning quickly. There is no shortage of suspects in the kidnapping of nine-year-old Felicity, and many secrets will be uncovered that will change the lives of most of the characters forever. There are twists and turns galore (I love it!) and unless you're quite the sleuth, the ending will come as quite a surprise.

A thoroughly enjoyable read!! I highly recommend it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I love a good domestic thriller, and I'm pleased to recommend David Bell's latest novel Somebody's Daughter to fans of this particular sub-genre of mystery novels. I honestly wasn't sure how I'd feel about it, since the only other book I've read by Mr. Bell didn't work well for me, but this one is surprisingly good.

Michael Frazier hardly thinks about his ex-wife Erica these days. He's happily married to his second wife, Angela, and the two of them are trying hard to conceive a child. Their marriage might lack some of the spontaneous passion he shared with Erica, but Angela is a stable, loving, responsible partner, everything Erica never was. So, it comes as quite a shock to Michael when a quiet evening at home with his wife is interrupted by a knock on the door, a knock that heralds the re-appearance of Erica into his orderly life.

At first, Michael is tempted to order Erica to go away, but she's obviously upset and Michael could never resist her tears, so, of course, he asks her what's wrong. She explains that her nine-year-old daughter Felicity has gone missing, and she begs Michael to help her find the little girl. Michael is understandably baffled by this request. He and Erica haven't been in touch for years, so it makes no sense that he could be of any help at all in this particular situation. When he questions her further, Erica admits that Felicity is actually Michael's daughter, conceived just before the two of them got divorced nearly a decade earlier. Michael isn't sure Erica is telling the truth, but he's afraid not to go with her. What if Felicity really is his child and he did nothing to help bring her home?

Angela can't believe her husband has left with Erica. Sure, she knew he'd been married before, but never had she imagined this kind of disruption to the life she and Michael have built together. Suddenly, everything she thought she knew about Michael, their marriage, and their future is called into question, and Angela begins to fear she's on the verge of losing the man she loves.

The story gets a lot more complex as it progresses, but I'll leave the details for you to discover on your own. I'll just say that everyone in the book seems to have something to hide, and part of the thrill of the read comes from trying to figure out whom to trust. This isn't at all uncommon in a book like this, but Mr. Bell is particularly adept at creating a multi-layered plot that is sure to keep readers guessing up until the very last page.

The story is told in alternating chapters from both Michael's and Angela's point of view. At first, I worried Michael's chapters would contain the bulk of  the action, leaving those from Angela's perspective kind of flat, but this turned out not to be the case at all because the action is pretty evenly distributed throughout the novel. While Michael and Erica are out searching for Felicity, Angela begins digging into the lives of Michael and his family in an effort to understand more about the situation she now finds herself in. She learns some pretty shocking things, and there were times I actually enjoyed her chapters more than Michael's.

I would have liked to award Somebody's Daughter a higher grade, but the ending didn't quite ring true for me. The identity of Felicity's kidnapper felt realistic, but the way things were wrapped up kind of niggled at me. I felt like Mr. Bell almost ran out of steam toward the end of the book and just cobbled together a neat, tidy ending to appease readers. It wasn't enough to spoil my overall enjoyment of the story, but it did knock my final grade down a smidgen. Still, if you're willing to suspend your disbelief a little bit and just go with the flow of this twisty tale, you're sure to find a lot to love.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

4.5!

Here I am totally hanging my head in shame as I admit this is my FIRST EVER [author:David Bell|800195] book! The good news is, there are plenty for me to now go back and devour after loving this one! This was a buddy read with Amy (novelgossip) and I loved theorizing with her as we went. A bit of domestic suspense mixed with thriller makes for the perfect combination. When Michael and Angela's happy life is uprooted with the arrival of his ex wife, Erica, who's daughter has been kidnapped, tensions are high to say the least - oh and the daughter is Michael's - talk about a boiling point!

I found this fun, exciting and suspenseful - and I was honestly surprised in many of the twists, always something that makes a read more fun for me!

Thank you to Berkley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own!

Somebody's Daughter is my 1st novel by David Bell.
Told with multiple points of view his writing kept my interest, especially his ability to leave you hanging at the end of each chapter. This made it very difficult to stop at any given point.
A missing child and a frantic search, made this novel a page-turner.
Late one night Michael opens the front door to find his ex-wife in a panic, telling him that he has a daughter and she is missing. Unwilling to do nothing, Michael is then taken on a whirlwind of twists and turns, secrets and lies.
An enjoyable mystery and I look forward to reading more of David Bell's novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Books for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I am a fan of this author's. I enjoy reading Mr. Bell's books. Thus I was very excited to read this latest offering from Mr. Bell.

The overall story is good. Not as tight a level of high intensity that I have come to expect from Mr. Bell's books but again I did enjoy this book. The characters Michael, Erica, and Angela were all personable. Although, the star for me is Angela. She felt the strongest. I kind of found it hard for me to believe that Michael didn't wise up more when facts were not adding up with Erica's story. Yet, I did like how the story did all come together in the end. Here is to the next book from Mr. Bell.

This is my 3rd book I’ve read by David Bell. I loved his other 2 books I read and was excited to see he had a brand new book out. I felt that this book dragged around the middle in spots. I just felt like it took forever to get to the end, maybe because it was all told over a 24 hr time period? It kept me interested but I THOUGHT I had guessed the ending at about 35% - but nope, a big twist at the end!! The ending shocked me! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this book for my honest opinion.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

David Bell has yet to disappoint me. There is a reason he has become one of my favorite authors.

This story introduces us to Michael Frazier and his wife Angela. They have been trying desperately to have a child. Just as they are about to go to bed there is a knock on the door. Michael’s ex-wife Erica has come to beg his help in finding her daughter. Claiming the police are not doing enough, that she has no one else to turn to and then claiming that the girl is his daughter, he doesn’t know if he believes her but feels he has no choice but to go with her and search.

Angela is beside herself with worry and that only escalates when a strange man arrives at her door telling her his connection to Erica and her daughter. He convinces her to go with him to find her husband, his ex, and the lost 10-year-old.

Everyone’s life could change within the next few hours. Micheal knows he needs to find the truth but first, he needs to find that little girl. She IS Somebody’s Daughter.

Secrets, secrets, secrets! So many people keeping secrets and as each one is revealed the story takes another twist. Michael life has not been easy. A tragic event from his past has truly shaped the life he has lived since. In just one night he learns so many things he didn’t know. His quest to find the truth and this girl puts his life at risk as well as others, people he loves and people trying to help him.

Mr. Bell has a writing style that makes it virtually impossible to put the book down. The story is told from various points of view, which for me was very enjoyable. His short chapters that leave you hanging at each ending set a very brisk pace and an urgency to keep reading. I made the mistake of beginning this book on July 3. I read until I couldn’t hold my eyes open any longer. I took it with me to a family get together on the 4th hoping I would be able to keep reading, but that didn’t happen. As soon as we got home, I dashed to the bedroom to read and stayed up until I finished in the early morning hours on July 5. I had a heck of a book hangover when I got up, but it was so worth it. (This seems to happen to me a lot when reading books by this author.)

Bell also knows how to deliver that last final twist that caught me totally by surprise. Then he tied everything up nicely for me too. He even gives us a glimpse into the character’s future.

This book does not disappoint. The reader is taken on a journey that focuses on the disappearance of a child and whether or not Michael is her biological father, an emotional issue that is colored by his family’s past.
The well written narrative presents the distinct perspectives of Michael, his current wife, and one of the police officers involved in the search. These characters were especially well developed, making it easy to identify with what they were going through. The plot was interesting and well paced, and the writer’s use of short chapters made it even harder for me to put this book down. The temptation to read just one more, and then another, kept those pages turning.
The only negative for me was that the ending felt a bit abrupt, leaving one plot question not fully addressed. Nonetheless, if you enjoy mystery and suspense, this is definitely a book to add to your TBR list.

This was yet another intense read from David Bell. The characters were well developed and the story pulled me through making me want to find out what happens next. This is a great book for mystery and thriller lovers.

David pulls you into this mystery from the very first line of the book and continues to have you question "Who done it?" through each page! When unexpected secrets resurface, your heart will be racing, along with the clock, trying to figure out what is a lie and what is the truth!

Somebody’s Daughter starts off with a ring at the door that will change Michael and his wife Angela’s life forever. Michael’s ex-wife Erica is there after ten years of their divorce and tells him that he has a daughter that he never knew about and that she is missing and needs his help. He is stunned and doesn’t know what to think of all this but being a good guy decides to go and help Erica find her daughter.

What happens next is a series of twists and turns and so many characters that are there to tell the story of finding Felicity, as to who took her and why. I don't want to spoil anything but this story is about finding a missing girl but it's also about so much more. The questions are mounting as to who Felicity's father is and her mother is under questioning about her past. Also if she is in real danger or is there something else going on with her disappearance. Everyone is a suspect and there are good reasons for each one, that’s why I loved this story. With each person, we met there is a valid reason why they could be behind Felicity being gone but slowly the web is untangled and when it's revealed what really happened I was generally surprised. I love a book that keeps me engaged and I love when I’m caught by surprise and can't figure it out right away. This is a great novel with mystery and suspense but it also has an element of family which is really relatable. This is one book that is a summer must have!

To be honest I was a little nervous going into this because it violates one of my major rules for fiction enjoyment - no children in places of danger. However, while the whole book is about finding Felicity it really isn't ABOUT Felicity. We don't see her scared or vulnerable or any of the things that make my rule so necessary for my being able to sleep without having to actually visibly see my son. The focus is more on what is going on with the adults and figuring out just what is a lie and what is the truth and I'm all about that.

With the exception of a tiny epilogue the book itself takes place over the course of one evening through three POVs. We see what's happening through the perspective of Michael and his ex-wife Erica, Angela, and the police. Each perspective is different and compelling and I was equally fascinated by all of them and felt that each really fleshed out the investigation.

The pacing is brilliant. The chapters are fairly short and frequently end on small cliffhangers so I need to keep reading "just a little bit more" to see what happens next. With each chapter I felt like I learned a little bit more or had the start of new theory and the progress I was making really kept me engaged and reading. I was surprised to see that the book is listed as having 432 pages because I flew through it in just a couple of days. Each change of POV is accompanied by a time stamp and I thought it added a bit to the feel of urgency but never got out of control where too much action is crammed in a short space (like in the TV show 24 where the main character has solved an international crisis, rescued a child from a dangerous car jacking, and beat up 4 terrorists all in two hours).

My only issue is that I wanted just a little bit more. While the ending is resolved satisfactorily I did feel like there are some questions raised that aren't fully answered. Enough is answered that I wasn't frustrated and I feel like I have enough that I can guess how it all ends but I like it nice and spelled out.

This was a compelling fast paced read that kept me turning pages late into the night. It had that perfect thriller balance where the tension holding my breath but wasn't so disturbing that it had me double checking the locks! I'm already looking for Bell's previous books and I'll be looking for his next one.

Goodbye reading funk. I was so deep in a funk, nothing was good, nothing kept my attention and then I picked up Somebody’s Daughter by David Bell and I devoured it. Every word, every paragraph, every page just flew out of the book and I couldn’t stop. I was invested in the twists and turns of the storyline, invested in the amazing realistic caring characters, and invested in the safety of a young girl who hadn’t been seen for hours.

The suspense in Somebody’s Daughter never lets up. There are so many twists, turns, and ups and downs. With each twist in the book, I wanted to find the missing girl. I wanted to know what had happened to her yet I was thrilled that the story was continuing and that the girl hadn’t been found yet. I was so into the story I wasn’t ready for it to end.

David Bell takes the reader in circles, introducing characters that all have some type of tie to Erica, the missing girl’s mother, or Felicity, the missing girl. There are times you are sure that you just met the kidnapper and then something else happens and you know that it isn’t quite right. I found it very easy to keep track of who the characters were, how they were connected to the main characters, and what they were doing to “help” find Felicity. I liked how he intertwined the characters that would never have met each other putting them in different situations where they were together and making them interact all in the name of saving a missing child.

Whether this is your first David Bell book or one of many, you will not be able to put it down. Pick up your copy now.

4-4.25 STARS

"Somebody's Daughter by author, David Bell, was an enjoyable novel overall, but it ultimately lacked any true suspense, as I had the true culprit pegged quite early on. Still, I was captivated enough to keep reading, eager to discover how it would eventually all play out.

Boasting a unique and intriguing premise, I was excited to delve between the pages of this latest suspense novel by an author whose other books I have previously enjoyed. It’s the story of Michael Frazier, whose ex-wife (Erica) shows up on his doorstep, seeking his help in locating the missing daughter he never knew he’d fathered. To complicate matters further, Michael is remarried, and running off with his ex, could jeopardize Michael’s relationship with his new wife, Angela.

While Michael has his doubts regarding the paternity of the missing girl, Felicity, as long as the possibility exists that he could be the young girl’s father, Michael feels compelled to join Erica in her search. Expecting to be gone for just a few hours at best, Michael soon finds himself engaged in a more in depth journey, walking a path that is paved with twists and turns in the search for his would-be daughter.

This engrossing story draws the reader in right from the very start, but along the way it starts to fall a bit flat. But most notably, there are threads woven into the storyline that remain dangling and unresolved—leaving me to wonder why they were even there to start with. Yet, despite its imperfections, once I started this book, I was hard-pressed to put it down. That, in and of itself, is quite telling, and a testament to the artful storytelling of David Bell.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Books, and David Bell for the ARC to review. This is not the first David Bell book that I have read. The first David Bell book I read, which I received from NetGalley, was "Bring Her Home" and I loved it. I even neglected by housework to finish reading it. When I review a book, I do not analyze the entire book. I give a review of the book in its entirety. Is it a good read? Does it keep your attention? I was thrilled to receive this second book by David Bell, from NetGalley, and it did not disappoint. I was hooked from the start. Mr. Bell leaves you hanging in suspense at the end of each chapter. Anytime you think you have it all figured out, he throws you a curve ball and then BAM, you are hit with an ending you didn't expect. I highly recommend this book and if you have never read "Bring Her Home,' I suggest you read that as well. I can say I am a big David Bell fan. I'd read one of his books any day.