I've read a few of David Bell's books and what he always does so very well is keep you hooked at the end of a chapter so that you just have to keep turning the pages to soak up all the suspense. He has done it again with his latest release, Kill All Your Darlings. If you love a campus novel then take note that this book will be right up your alley.

Set at a university in Kentucky the novel opens with Professor Connor Nye celebrating the publication of his first novel. The celebration takes a turn for the worse when Connor receives a visit from Madeline, a former student who disappeared two years previous. Madeline threatens to upend Connor's world as she is the true author of the novel Connor has just published. Adding more layers of plot complexity, the novel is eerily similar to the real life murder of Sophia Greenwood who was killed just months before Madeline disappeared.

Bell intricately brings all of these strands together for a powerful final reveal. Kill All Your Darlings released on July 6, 2021 so you can get your copy now from your favorite bookseller or library. Thank you to Berkley Books for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This story of a professor who passes off a student's manuscript as his own seems to be a fashionable concept lately. And while I didn't read The Plot (which has a very similar premise) I can say that David Bell's Kill All Your Darlings, was a thoroughly enjoyable, twisty novel that kept me guessing. I also really enjoyed the true crime aspect of the novel and the way Bell recognized the victimization of women in society and juxtaposed this with very strong, badass female characters. This was my first novel by Bell, but certainly will not be my last.

This twisty, multi-POV thriller had a fast pace and red herrings galore. While I guessed (correctly) the final twist, many more were unseen.

•Plot: “After years of struggling to write following the deaths of his wife and son, English professor Connor Nye publishes his first novel, a thriller about the murder of a young woman.

There’s just one problem: Connor didn’t write the book. His missing student did. And then she appears on his doorstep, alive and well, threatening to expose him.

Connor’s problems escalate when the police insist details in the novel implicate him in an unsolved murder from two years ago. Soon Connor discovers the crime is part of a disturbing scandal on campus and faces an impossible dilemma—admit he didn’t write the book and lose his job or keep up the lie and risk everything. When another murder occurs, Connor must clear his name by unraveling the horrifying secrets buried in his student’s manuscript.

This is a suspenseful, provocative novel about the sexual harassment that still runs rampant in academia—and the lengths those in power will go to cover it up.”

•Thoughts: I did enjoy reading this twisty thriller, but I did guess the final twist and I expect other genre stans will do the same. I also LOVE an unreliable narrator, and the reader definitely has one in Connor.

Definitely worth a read, but I’m not raving about this one.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.75 rounded to 4) I just feel so ambivalent about this even though I did enjoy reading it.

**Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.**

I kinda feel like I have this personal relationship with David Bell. Although we’ve never spoken or met, I always tend to give him a hard time when I review his books, so it makes me feel excited and special every time he has a new one out - just so I can harass one of my favorite people.
David’s books drive me nuts, they all have characters that could be the main culprits on DATELINE. You know, the ones that make the absolutely stupidest decisions and clearly live in some other world with the foolish crimes they commit. I usually shake my head the entire time when reading them saying “what the hell is wrong with these people?” But amazingly enough, these brainless dimwits are what makes his novels work, and I end up loving them.

But this time, KILL ALL YOUR DARLINGS his newest release on 7/6 by @berkleypub gave me a totally different vibe. This book had substance. It had a true plot, a murder that was difficult to solve, a serious conundrum the main character really had no good way out of, and a good pace with progression that really kept you invested. It truly was a page turner with unexpected twists and turns, and in keeping with my previous comments about his other books, the characters were extremely intelligent, most of them of likable, and not one of them made me say out loud “what the hell are you thinking you idiot!”
Truthfully, it made me feel bad for Keith Morrison more than anything, because I don’t think he’s going to get an episode like this from anyone. It’s just too darn good of a book. This is more movie material in my opinion, one I’d love to see made.

Well David, I guess my love-hate relationship with you is over, this latest release truly deserves to be considered one of summers most anticipated reads. I will miss the plethora of idiots that make bad decisions in your books, because it was always fun to see what craziness you could come up with next. But with Kill All Your Darlings you turned a page. I loved EVERYTHING about it, and it certainly gets a thumbs up from me. 5 stars. I hope you keep these ones coming.

Happy Reading & Be Nice

A smart page turner that kept me on my toes from start to finish.

I love the dual timeline. The intensity. Basically everything about it.

College English professor Connor Nye publishes a book that's an instant success. This is a huge accomplishment for him - he's been in a serious writing slump since the death of his wife and son. The issue is that Conner didn't actually write this book. The true author is Madeline, who was a student of Conner's. Two year ago, Madeline submitted the book as a thesis to Conner, then disappeared without a trace. Most everyone assumed that Madeline was dead, but then she shows up at Conner's house after the book published and wants what is owed to her. Things get progressively worse for Conner when an eerie connection is made between events in the book and an unsolved murder. Another murder occurs and further suspicion is cast on Conner, who maintains his innocence. As Conner performs his own investigation in order to clear his name, he begins to realize that nothing is as it seems.

This one was fast-paced and kept me reading to see how it would end - there were some great twists and turns! It had multiple POVs, which is something I always enjoy. I like reading about the perspective of other characters. I've only read one other book prior to this by David Bell and I'll definitely be checking out more! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

So true story. I am a self-admitted spoiler and review whore. I rarely EVER go into a book without re-reading the synopsis, searching through reviews, and perhaps looking for tiny spoilers. And, also admittedly, it tends to mess with my enjoyment of a story and perhaps color my judgment. But, I can't seem to stop. In this case, a nasty storm that blew threw over the weekend obliterated our cable and our internet, which left me with not a lot to do other than read, and if I wanted to look at something on the internet do so only through a crappy 3G signal on my phone. Needless to say, I just read a lot, without a lot of gratuitous online hunting, and the experience was so damn amazing!

I was consumed by this story. It was unique and refreshing and immersive. I tore through the pages and was up until the wee hours of the morning convincing myself "just one more chapter". I loved the complexity of both the plot and the characters and was just drawn to Connor. He was flawed, yet so real and most of the time I just wanted to wrap him up in a big hug. So much went wrong so quickly for him and while what he did that set the wheels in motion, I could completely understand how and why he got there.

If you like flawed humans, bad choices, plagiarism, murder and lots of deception, jump on in!

This was a super fast-paced read and I really enjoyed it. It was told through multiple POVs and they were all intriguing characters to me. This was mainly a murder mystery, but I really appreciated the the take on addressing sexual harassment in collegiate settings. I loved how high the tension was for me while reading this book, and I had a hard time putting it down to go to bed at night. If you're into thrillers, I would definitely recommend this one!

English professor Connor Nye is basking in the success of publishing a thriller novel. After a book event, he comes home and is confronted by a former student. Meredith disappeared two years ago and everyone pretty much assumed she was dead. Right before she disappeared she left her thesis, a handwritten murder mystery, on Connor’s desk. Knowing he has to publish a novel to keep his job, he passes the book off as his own when Meredith never returns. But now that the book is out and Meredith is back, Connor starts getting accused by the police for a murder of a young woman that suspiciously mirrors the one described in the book.

This was a pretty interesting premise that had me guessing up to almost the very end! Thank you to Berkley Books for my copy.

<b>A Winner! After finishing two books that were very similar, I’ve decided this one came out a bit ahead! This awesome thriller was hard-to-put-down! My first read by David Bell won’t be my last. </b>

Professor Connor Nye has been living a lonely existence with his dog—Grendel—since his wife and son were killed in a tragic accident. He hasn’t been able to write anything in years and he needs to publish something to hang on to his job and receive tenure. So two years after his student—Madeline—disappears and is presumed dead, Connor decides to publish her thesis as his own. It’s a great story and the book is a hit.

Life seems to be looking up until he comes home to a strange woman waiting for him in his home one evening. That strange woman turns out to be Madeline, who has been hiding since she disappeared. Connor’s life is turned upside down when he finds out the murder in his “fiction” book is too similar to that of a real murder that took place just before Madeline disappeared. Now he is a suspect and Madeline wants the money she is rightly due.

Thank you to NeGalley, Berkley Books and David Bell for this digital ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion!

<b>My Rating: </b> 5 ⭐️’s
<b>Published:</b> July 6th 2021
<b>Pages:</b> 416
<b>Recommend:</b> YES!

@DavidBellNovels @BerkleyPub @NetGalley

#NetGalley #KillAllYourDarlings #DavidBell #Thriller #BerkleyBooks #StolenManuscript #MustRead

Kill All Your Darlings has an interesting plot, it just didn't grip me, didn't hold my attention as well as I like for a thriller to do. I think if there were more twists and turns, it would have been more satisfying. I just found the main character to be too much of a downer and just an outright not so relatable or likable character which may have been the point, I just didn't enjoy it. All-in-all, just an okay read for me.

Enjoyable read. Multiple twists both predictable and unpredictable. A little too long and info-dumpy at the end. But with the story was unfolded in a compelling way with multiple points of view and timelines.

"Kill All Your Darlings" is a super thrilling book. I was afraid it would fall flat like "You" did for me because the synopsis just reminded me of that book for some reason. "Kill All Your Darlings" never did fall flat for me. I also know of The Plot which came out recently that has a similar premise. I know that one fell flat for a lot of readers. I have not read it, but it it did not measure up to this book by David Bell, I wouldn't want to read it.

I thought the multiple POV and timeline jumping was done so well in this book. Thrillers told from multiple perspectives are so much more engaging if done correctly, and I thought Bell did this well. I did not predict the ending as easily as I was expecting. Everything kept getting worse just when you thought it couldn't. Maybe my mind is twisted, but I loved this about the book. We never ran out of surprises in the book.

This was good, but it didn't knock my socks off. The characters weren't that likeable. But I don't think they're meant to be. All of the characters are up to something (except maybe Rebecca who I did actually like) and you just know that they are all going to get what's coming to them in the end.

Wow. Wow that's what I call a great read! A huge fan of this author and this didn't disappoint. I must say that it was a slow build up but the ending was explosive! Definitely a book that any mystery loved will enjoy!

“… you have a doctorate, right?”
“Yes.”
“Is it in stupidity? Is that what you studied?”

———————-

Have I read two books about people who stole the plot of a book this summer? 

Yes, yes I have. 

The first one messed a lot of elements for me. This one is exactly what I was looking for.

Have you ever done something really stupid, but you knew would come back to haunt you later but you just couldn’t resist. The chance that if you did everything exactly right, that you could pull it off? Well, that’s what happens to Conner in Kill All Your Darlings. He has stolen someone else’s work, published it as his own and gotten away with it.

Or has he?! Conner is a professor in a small town university, his career is barely floating and he can’t get tenure without a publication. He decides to use the thesis of one of his students who has gone missing. As the book becomes a blockbuster she resurfaces demanding her fair share. But why did she disappear in the first place? Could it have something to do with her book? A book that mirrors a murder that happened in town?
As a story and rivals you begin to wonder which characters you should actually feel sorry for and which ones are wolves in sheep‘s clothing. I’ll admit I figured out the real culprit pretty early, but that doesn’t detract from me enjoying the other characters figuring it out.

If you enjoyed The Plot, I’d suggest you check this one out. I think it was a better execution of a similar premise. 
Thanks to Berkeley Books for a copy of this novel. All opinions above are my own.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

In this David Bell thriller English professor Connor Nye is still grieving the loss of his wife and child while the college is pushing the “publish or perish” mantra. A couple of years ago one of his students disappeared right after turning in her novel thesis. The man clearly was not thinking rationally when he submitted the student’s book for publication as his own. Then he gets a major surprise after the book is released – the student has returned and she gives him an ultimatum. If he doesn’t give her what she wants she vows to expose him and blow up his life. Then things get worse when the police arrive at his door questioning him about an unsolved murder that happened exactly like the murder in his book. So he has a huge decision, out himself, admitting he didn’t write the book and face unemployment or stick to the lie and try to convince the police of his innocence. As he ponders his decision another person is murdered and he starts to dig into the deaths himself and uncovers some surprising connections that all seem to lead back to the college.

Each year I anxiously await David Bell’s next book and as always he has created a very complicated mystery.

Again he introduces readers to some very interesting characters. I really wanted to like Connor Nye and pull for him. I understand the sudden loss of a loved one and losing two people you love has to be twice as hard, but he made a horrible decision. A decision that truly had me questioning his intelligence. It was bad enough to submit that novel as his own but was crazy stupid to submit that novel without changing a single word. Change some names. Change some locations. Make even just a little bit of effort just to give yourself a chance. Even if had not been ripped from an actual murder, even a much less educated person would have changed something.

I did feel for Madeleine almost immediately because I knew there was more to her story. She was so close to graduating when she disappeared. I really needed to know her involvement in the traumatic events that happened in her book especially when we learned it pertained to an actual murder. Was she responsible or did she just see something she shouldn’t? Was it a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time or was she actively investigating the murder?

Telling the story from each of the character’s points of view and going back and forth in time really gave the story depth and the pages rapidly turning. Another student enters the narrative later as events start to get even more disturbing. Because of the way the author presented the book, there are some repetitive passages but it didn’t really detract too much from the flow.

This mystery really takes a real warped journey before it wraps up. As Connor continues to struggle he continues to make bad decisions. Bell has always used supporting characters to move the story along and he does that here in a compelling way. He also shines a light on the pains and pressure of academia and the ways it pushes both professors and students and the ugly underbelly that can arise when stress takes over.

Kill All Your Darlings was a thriller that kept me entertained and had me physically moving to the edge of my seat a couple of times. David Bell continues to be one of my favorite authors in this genre. I am excited to see what he will bring his readers next summer.

If there is one thing I know, it’s that I will read a book by David Bell each summer, love it and want to share my opinion about it with the world!

“Kill All Your Darlings” is yet another novel written by David Bell that began my summer with the sizzling temptation to flip the pages because I had to know the answers to his wicked mind tricks, keeping me up late until the night.

This is a truly incendiary storyline with a constant rousing of suspicion that I could actually feel my blood heat up!

The whodunit was rattling me! The wanting a certain someone to be innocent was so powerful! The Dog comforting the protagonist!! This was an inspiring recipe for success!

I couldn’t recommend this book more. Make your summer A DAVID BELL SUMMER!

I received a copy of this book from Berkley Books via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

One thing I love about David Bell is that his books are never dull or slow, and that is definitely the case with Kill All Your Darlings. This book was basically nonstop action from the first page, and it was very timely indeed since it talks about sexual harassment, especially in academia. At first, I thought I was reading another version of The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz because they had a bit of the same storyline (hello theft of the plot of a book), but it is nowhere close to being the same story. For one, the first half didn't make me want to fall asleep, and really the only thing they had in common is struggling teachers stealing their student's work after said student goes missing. There are quite a few twists and turns, and just when you think you know everything Bell comes at you with more. My heart broke for Connor and the loss of his wife and child, and even though he took his student's story, you are still able to feel plenty of empathy for him. I quite liked him as a character and he still had a lot of good traits.

I did listen to the audiobook since that's what I do, and it is narrated by the very talented Jon Lindstrom. I have listened to quite a few books that he narrates now, and he never disappoints. He is so easy to listen to and has a great voice, plus he knows EXACTLY how to voice an audiobook. I never have issues with anything weird happening and that was just as true with the audio for Kill All Your Darlings. I know this book would be just as good reading it, but if you are an audio fan you can trust you won't be disappointed if you choose to listen instead of reading with your eyes. This is such a quick read thanks to all the action and is just the fast-paced novel I needed in my life right now. Bell has quickly become one of my favorite authors and is now my go-to when I am in the need of a book with these traits. It was really hard to put down especially at the ends of chapters, and he is excellent at giving you those kinda cliffhanger chapter ends that make you want to keep reading. Another winner for me and a book I will be highly recommending to my thriller-loving friends!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Every summer I look forward to the latest book by one of my favorite authors. And once again David Bell delivers a fantastic thriller I devoured over the long weekend.

Professor Connor Nye is desperate. He lives in the academic world of publish or perish. And after struggling for years he realizes his time is running out.

Madeline, one of Professor Nye’s very talented students, submits her thesis and vanishes the next day… Connor sees no harm in submitting it to a publisher as his own. I mean… no one will know he didn’t write it… except maybe Madeline! But she’s missing…right?

Oh Connor! You should have known better. It all comes crashing in on him when the premise of the book details an open murder investigation. Now the detectives are knocking on his door.

Can Conner come clean? It would mean losing everything.

As always David Bell writes an exciting thriller that will keep you turning the pages and pointing your finger at everyone.

Though I had a hard time warming up to Connor I enjoyed watching him squirm as his world started to crumble. (Lol! I’m really not that mean!)😂

Already looking forward to next year’s book by David Bell.

Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss and Berkley Publishing.