Hey friends,
Today I have a mystery novel that I'm reviewing. Along with my thoughts on the book, check out my Q&A with the author, David Bell. While you're here, enter to win a copy of Somebody I Used to Know for yourself! I really enjoyed this novel, so read on to find out why I recommend it.
Today I have a mystery novel that I'm reviewing. Along with my thoughts on the book, check out my Q&A with the author, David Bell. While you're here, enter to win a copy of Somebody I Used to Know for yourself! I really enjoyed this novel, so read on to find out why I recommend it.
Publisher: NAL
Release Date: July 7, 2015
Format: Paperback
Pages: 432
Source: Publisher
Genre: Mystery, Adult Fiction
Review Date: July 7, 2015
Rating: 4 bookmarks
Synopsis: When Nick Hansen sees the young woman at the grocery store, his heart stops. She is 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.
Disclaimer: This book was given to me courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: July 7, 2015
Format: Paperback
Pages: 432
Source: Publisher
Genre: Mystery, Adult Fiction
Review Date: July 7, 2015
Rating: 4 bookmarks
Synopsis: When Nick Hansen sees the young woman at the grocery store, his heart stops. She is 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.
Disclaimer: This book was given to me courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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Before I jump into the review, I wanted to give you a little ambience to set the mood. I was compelled, yes - compelled to add this piece of music to this post. Every time I picked up the book I started singing this song, for obvious reasons. Ironically the song actually fits the tone of the book. Check out this cover of Somebody That I Used To Know, performed by Penotonix,
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Somebody I Used to Know is a well written, well timed, steady paced mystery. Even though the protagonist isn't a cop, I'd probably throw this into the crime fiction category as well. While this is an adult read with serious content, there isn't any gore, or anything to vulgar, violent, or even scary. While the story is interesting and enjoyable, I found that it didn't really evoke any strong emotion from me. No highs or lows, everything was on an even keel. No jaw dropping shocking moments, no total surprises. That and that alone kept me from giving 5 bookmarks. What can I say? I love my jaw dropping moments.
The protagonist Nick sees a young woman in a store one night that reminds him of his college ex-girlfriend, basically this girl was a dead ringer. That girl later turns up dead and his whole world changes from that point. This novel is told from Nick's point of view and we get to experience his anxiety and borderline obsession with finding out what happened to Marissa. While I find Nick's character believable, I also think he's really sad. To hold onto a girl that dumped you 20 years ago is indeed sad. It's clear he loved her and still loves her, almost to the point that it doesn't make logical sense. The fact that Marissa died young surely was a part of the reason that he held on to the past so tightly. I liked Nick, his character was definitely likeable, relatable and I found myself hoping that he'd get this figured out just so that the man could move on once and for all.
I found that I enjoyed the several of the secondary characters as much as I did Nick, especially his good friend Laurel who helped him dig into the past. Laurel really added some balance to Nick's personality. She's the voice of reason and is able to get him to calm down and think when he needs to the most.
In dredging up the past, there are a lot of hard to uncover details. Getting to the bottom of the rabbit hole was a difficult task for Nick. At every turn he would question himself. Is he reading too much into it? Should he stop looking for answers? He was a big flip flopper for almost the book. Methodically, things started to come together and it became pretty clear to me what happened. I even suspected a thing or two that actually came to pass in the story.
I always appreciate a realistic ending. so I liked that Bell left us with an ending that allows us to draw your own conclusion. The situation was far from perfect, so the realists of us can think what we want, as can the optimists. This is a perfect novel for those that enjoy a good mystery but don't want the gore and shock value that some other books in this genre have.
The protagonist Nick sees a young woman in a store one night that reminds him of his college ex-girlfriend, basically this girl was a dead ringer. That girl later turns up dead and his whole world changes from that point. This novel is told from Nick's point of view and we get to experience his anxiety and borderline obsession with finding out what happened to Marissa. While I find Nick's character believable, I also think he's really sad. To hold onto a girl that dumped you 20 years ago is indeed sad. It's clear he loved her and still loves her, almost to the point that it doesn't make logical sense. The fact that Marissa died young surely was a part of the reason that he held on to the past so tightly. I liked Nick, his character was definitely likeable, relatable and I found myself hoping that he'd get this figured out just so that the man could move on once and for all.
I found that I enjoyed the several of the secondary characters as much as I did Nick, especially his good friend Laurel who helped him dig into the past. Laurel really added some balance to Nick's personality. She's the voice of reason and is able to get him to calm down and think when he needs to the most.
In dredging up the past, there are a lot of hard to uncover details. Getting to the bottom of the rabbit hole was a difficult task for Nick. At every turn he would question himself. Is he reading too much into it? Should he stop looking for answers? He was a big flip flopper for almost the book. Methodically, things started to come together and it became pretty clear to me what happened. I even suspected a thing or two that actually came to pass in the story.
I always appreciate a realistic ending. so I liked that Bell left us with an ending that allows us to draw your own conclusion. The situation was far from perfect, so the realists of us can think what we want, as can the optimists. This is a perfect novel for those that enjoy a good mystery but don't want the gore and shock value that some other books in this genre have.
Somebody I Used to Know goes on sale today, Tuesday, July 7th. Be sure to pick up your copy.
Get it for your Kindle here: Somebody I Used to Know
Get it for your shelf here: Somebody I Used to Know
Get the Audible version here: Somebody I Used to Know
David Bell Q&A
Giveaway Time
Made it to the bottom of the post?! Awesome, be sure to enter the giveaway before you leave. This giveaway is courtesy of the publisher, so per their terms, this is a US only giveaway. Everyone get one free entry. There are more options if you'd like to earn more entries. Increase your chances even more by tweeting every day!
Be sure to share this giveaway with your bookish friends!.
Good luck and happy reading,
~Tamara
Be sure to share this giveaway with your bookish friends!.
Good luck and happy reading,
~Tamara
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Shelf Addiction Giveaway TERMS & CONDITIONS
-You MUST be at least 18 years old to enter or have parental permission. -This giveaway is US ONLY. -The winner will be notified via the contact email provided on the contact form. -All entries will be verified. -The winner will have 2 business days to claim the prize or another winner will be chosen. -Amazon gift cards are issued via email. (When applicable.) DISCLOSURE: This giveaway is sponsored by the publisher. |
