Ryan seems to have it all , perfect wife and kid and a great job. When his friend Blake asks Ryan for a favor ,Ryan is reluctant to oblige. Blake wants him to break into a woman's house and retrieve some evidence that will incriminate Blake in an affair. What happens next turns Ryan’s whole life upside down …

The Request by David Bell is an action packed thriller with flawed characters with some expected and some unexpected twists and turns that kept me entertained till the end

I would like to thank Berkley Publishing Group & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

Ryan Francis has a secret from his past that he wants to stay a secret. . There are a people making requests of him so that the secret won't come out. and this just leads to more lies and secrets. Now there is a dead body at his feet. Ryan is just an average guy and his life is suddenly spiraling out of control. David Bell once again takes his reader on a non-stop ride with protagonist Ryan proving once again that he is quite the master storyteller.

Note to self: The next time a publisher's blurb features any version of "(Protagonist's name) has it all . . . " AVOID THAT BOOK! It's nearly *always* a disappointment.

None of the characters who peopled this story went beyond a caricaturish, cardboard-cutout realm. And the way they spoke to one another wasn't at all natural -- the dialogue seemed to be used merely to set up the next plot point.

The plot itself was fine, but the way it was executed left a lot to be desired. I finished it, but only because NetGalley and the publisher gave me an advance readers copy, and I felt sorta obligated to do so.

When two best friends from college randomly meet, Blake asks Ryan to go to his ex's house (while she isn't home) to get something for him. Ryan reluctantly goes, but discovers the woman is dead. The concept of this story was good and it kept me reading, however, Ryan drove me crazy. For such a smart man, he made very stupid decisions. Constantly on his phone trying to call Blake or his wife Amanda. He was pulled in different directions, tells Amanda he is on his way to her, only to have Blake show up and "desperately" need help. There are a lot of pieces interwoven in this story. Overall, I didn't hate it, but it wasn't my favorite. Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and David Bell for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have come to the conclusion that David Bell is just not the author for me. I could not get into this book. I found all of the characters unlikable and so I didn't really care for them or what was happening to them. I think the portrayal of the dangers of social media was accurate but I still just didn't care. I also felt like the end of the book was a bit unrealistic. Overall this one was not for me.

Bestselling author David Bell creates characters who are ordinary people suddenly thrust into situations that spiral, In The Request, Ryan Francis is that ordinary guy. On the surface, his life is stable and happy, and he enjoys sharing the details on social media. To outside observers, it appears that Ryan has an idyllic family life and prosperous career -- but they have no idea, of course, that he has harbored a horrible secret for many years. Even his wife, Amanda, does not know about his past.

Ryan has spent years quietly trying to atone for a past mistake by making cash gifts anonymously to the family he harmed. Six weeks ago, the local newspaper ran a story about the family's unidentified benefactor, a presumed Good Samaritan who left money in their mailbox from time to time that they used to purchase medical and home supplies. But one morning, Ryan got caught by the family's oldest daughter. Now she is demanding a cut of Ryan's donations. Although she doesn't know the extent of Ryan's involvement in the incident that took the life of one of her sisters and permanently injured another, she has figured out that Ryan is motivated by guilt. And she threatens to go to the policy and reveal her suspicions if Ryan does not pay her.

Ryan's best friend from college, Blake, is the only person who knows the whole truth about what happened on that fateful night when they were college upperclassmen. Well, other than Aaron Knicely, the awkward kid who was with them that night. But neither of them have had any contact with Aaron since then. As the story opens, Ryan hasn't seen Blake for many months, either. But Blake suddenly resurfaces and threatens to destroy the life that Ryan has built and the family he loves if Ryan doesn't agree to sneak into the home of Jennifer Bates, the woman with whom Blake had an affair, and retrieve the letters Blake wrote her in which he confessed the truth. And she is refusing to return the letters. Blake threatens that if Ryan doesn't do what he is asking, everyone will learn the one thing Ryan doesn't want anyone to know.

So Blake's demand is the situation Bell employs to send Ryan's life spiraling out of control. The Request is a fast-paced, engrossing mystery. With everything he values on the line, Ryan has no choice but to accede to Blake's demand, but when he sneaks into Jen's house, he finds her bedroom has been ransacked, the letters are gone, and she is dead. In addition to dealing with his blackmailer, Ryan must find out who killed Jen. Was it Blake? Did he set Ryan up to take the rap for her murder? Or someone else? And if it was someone else, do they have the letters and what do they plan to do with them?

The Request is populated with morally ambiguous characters. Ryan failed to do the right thing years ago. Rather, he moved on with his life. But he has never been free -- he has spent years being weighed down by guilt and trying to make amends in the only manner he found feasible. Because of Amanda's own family history, Ryan is certain that neither she nor her parents could ever forgive him for what he did. And he has his infant son, Henry, to consider. He wants to see Henry grow up and be the father to him that he never had. All of those considerations factor into Ryan's struggle. Each time he is tempted to let the truth surface and accept the inevitable consequences, he knows that he must forge ahead in an effort to find the murderer, pacify his blackmailer, and keep the past hidden.

In Bell's tautly-crafted story, several characters become suspects as their motivations are revealed. Especially Blake, whose drinking problem has wreaked havoc in his life over the years and interfered with his ability to establish a stable relationship with Sam. Amanda, still on leave from her job after giving birth to Henry, is frightened and confused by Ryan's behavior and the threats to her family she perceives. She takes refuge with her parents, who are protective and supportive. And Sam has wanted to marry Blake for years. They have broken up numerous times, but she insists that he has his drinking under control this time and is determined to proceed with the wedding.

As Ryan gets closer to learning the truth, Bell ramps up the story's pace and tension as Ryan frantically moves from his own home to his in-laws' and back again, looking for clues. His blackmailer intensifies her demands, Blake goes missing, and the police are closing in. After several shocking revelations and plot developments, Bell delivers a jaw-dropping conclusion.

The Request is an exploration of friendship and what happens when it is put to the test, manipulated, and exploited. Friendship offers Bell's characters the opportunity to be morally courageous at several junctures, and he explores the choices his characters make, their reasoning, and the resultant consequences with insight and compassion. Bell's writing evinces his affection for and unwillingness to judge his characters, especially as they make matters worse for themselves and those they love. Rather, he leaves that to his readers.

Through various inventive and effective plot developments, Bell injects wry observations about social media and its potentially far-reaching ramifications. No one knows what really goes on behind the facade of the perfect Instagram filter. Indeed, in the case of his characters in The Request, that proves to be true, particularly with respect to Ryan, who seeks the validation from his Instagram followers that he can't give himself because of his guilt and shame.

David Bell demonstrates again that he is a masterful storyteller. The Request is an entertaining, compelling story about, as Bell promises, ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances and an intriguing look at how they respond. It is one of 2020's best thrillers.

This was a quick, easy read. The book tried to focus on how the public's obsession with social media can negatively influence our lives, but the point was repeatedly reiterated instead of organically developed, and so it seemed trite and forced. I had a hard time with the characters as well. They were constantly making questionable decisions, like driving over to someone else's house to talk to him/her instead of just using the phone, when the reader just knew as soon as they house was left unattended someone would break in. And then the "big mystery" alluded to in the beginning of the book was kind of left floundering and then a quick solution seemed tacked on at the the end. This book disappointed me because it could have been much better. I don't think I would recommend it.

David Bell’s latest thriller is about a man who has made a picture-perfect life for himself with a loving wife and baby son. Unfortunately, sins from his past come back to haunt him and the results are deadly.

I found this to be frenetically paved and highly entertaining. The short chapters, along with a lot of movement on the part of the protagonist. kept the pace brisk. There were a couple of fun twists at the end.

I received a free ARC copy. I voluntarily reviewing.
I loved the Request. I wanted to keep reading, found it hard to put down. If you enjoy a good thriller mystery, you might enjoy the Request.

What would you do for your best friend? How far are you willing to go for the ones you love? What would you do to keep your past secret? Do you really know those you think you do?
Ryan and Amanda Francis, Sam and Blake, Aaron, Kyle, Jennifer, Bill & Karen, and Officer Rountree must grapple and discover the answer to.these questions unraveling mysteries, lies, the past, and who killed Jennifer and why.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview THE REQUEST by David Bell. David Bell is one of those authors that when I see he has a new book, it is a MUST read for me.
The Request is one of his best - and I could not put this one down.
Ryan has everything - a wife, new born son, a great job, friends - all you need or want - he has it. But Ryan has a secret that he has been harboring for some time. Ryan and his best friend, Blake, did something really bad to someone back in college. They have gotten away with it too. But the past begins to rear its ugly head when Blake makes a sudden request of Ryan - a dangerous request, a request that could jeopardize Ryan's life, but a request that he cannot refuse. If he doesn't do it, life as he knows it will be gone - everything will change for the worse. So Ryan reluctantly does what Blake asks and suddenly Ryan is caught up in a nightmare that he cannot escape. And life as he knows it is no longer the same.
Excellent read - 5 stars.

This is the third book Ive read of David's and I look forward to the next one!! His books just suck you in and you think you know how its going to end -- but he gets me every time. I loved the premise of this book and the title. One request leads to another and another. The absolute best things about his books are his short chapter. He leaves you saying -- just one more and before you know it you are reading for two more hours!!

How many hours a day or a week do you spend on social media? Do you have the perfect profile and pages? Do you envy others who seem to have the perfect life?

This book combines great mystery thriller writing with the addition of social media and how that can impact both or our romantic relationships and friendships. Ryan has the perfect life or so it seems via social media, he has wife, son and not one but two great jobs. He has had a friend Blake since college and they have held onto a secret for just as long. This secret could destroy a lot of things, so Ryan will do just about anything to keep it.

With extremely short chapters and a pacing that is ridiculous, I read this book in one day between three different sittings. Each time I opened it, I couldn't put it down without consuming 100 pages!

The characters in this story were great. Each one felt so full and interesting. No one was so unreliable that they felt ridiculous and out of place. When each chapter ended I had a hard time putting it down and instead wanted to continue on to see where this story would end and ultimately find out who was at fault for all the things.

My only critique of the book and its so small it seems silly to mention. Ryan did a lot of driving in the book and was going here and there and a few times it felt unnatural for him to not stay put, but I could understand a few of them were needed to get certain plot points to happen, I would have just reworked a few of those moments.

After finishing this book, I went to go figure out how many of David Bell's books I have read and was surprised to see I had only read two, but had rated both 5 out of 5 stars, so going to prioritize getting deep into his backlist.

I am very critical about mundane repetitive stories I have read before. This book had twists and flowed. Bell is a very good writer who can tell a story without getting lost in details that can tend to drag a story out. I felt I was there with the protagonist throughout the story. The tension ratchets up to a climatic ending as red herrings abound. I have never been more surprised at an ending, what an explosive and satisfying conclusion this book has.

I cannot remember when the last time was that I stayed up most of the night just to finish a book like I did last night. The author has the knack of placing ordinary people on a path with evil. That's what makes them so unsettling. This book has a fantastic story line and well developed characters.

I have given this book a four star rating because the plot and characters were original, and I thoroughly enjoyed this exciting and fast paced read, I highly recommend this book to those who love thrillers, red herrings, surprise endings, and an original plot. This is the first of Mr. Bell's novels that I have read and it was very enjoyable. What a true gift for story telling, with a really twisted imagination. I really liked it and can't wait to read another, I am thinking The Layover. Well done Sir...Put this book on your To Be Read List.

This was a quick read that is easy to get into and keeps you interested enough to want to finish the book. It was somewhat predictable and not very original.

I have enjoyed Bell's other novels so I was excited to read this one. The pace right off was fast and intriguing, and I was hooked! Throughout the story, though I kept feeling a sense of repetition in the storyline. The main character had phone calls from the same person requesting similar things, a wife who calls him to come home several times. I was wanting to scream Don't answer the phone anymore!!
Overall, it was a good read, not great. Thanks to Netgalley for the advance ebook.

Ryan has a great life. A good job and a beautiful family. It might even be said that Ryan has a perfect life. Until he doesn’t. It starts to unravel when his friend, Blake, makes an odd request. He wants Ryan to retrieve incriminating items from a woman’s home. When Ryan refuses to commit the crime, Blake threatens to reveal his dark secret. When given no choice, Ryan agrees, breaks into the woman’s home, only to find her dead. And, now it would appear that Ryan has been set up for the murder.

David Bell leads his readers on a roller coaster ride as Ryan attempts to clear his name and keep his family safe. There is plenty of suspense, crazy twists, and non-stop action. The pace never lets up and many find themselves reading far into the night. The Request is the definition of a page turner. Well done, Mr Bell.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Just one request. That's what Blake tells his old friend Ryan. Murder, blackmail and phishing all keep you on the edge of your seat as you race through this story. A thriller that you solve and then re-solve as the story develops. Secrets and lies tie people together and leads you every which way until the truth unfolds. Hidden in all the mystery is a truth about the power of social media and its hold on our lives.

4-5 stars, because while I think Bell really knows how to write a thriller in a way that just keeps you hooked, this one wasn’t quite as original as his normally are. You’ll get your suspense throughout, with some great twists & turns, thrills, and chills! As I mentioned it seems to be a bit familiar in storyline, but that’s sort of common among thrillers these days, but not so much you cannot enjoy this one and get some real shocks! I highly recommend if you are a fan of David Bell or thrillers and even more so if you’re new to the genre, as you’ll definitely get those us thrill addicts yearn!

If you like Harlan Coben thrillers, you will like this book. Hidden secrets and a sense of duty create quite a nightmare for Ryan. It’s a thriller about trust and loyalty along with the influence of social media.

I like David Bell and his writing style. He always keeps you guessing. This was an intriguing, fast read. While some parts were predictable, I was still engaged and wanted to follow the twists & turns to see the outcome. This story touches on the dangers on social media & putting all your life out there for people to see. Good read, would recommend.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.