“Bell imagines a suburban world where no one really knows what’s happening behind all those drawn blinds. In Bell’s take, though, even the people inside don’t really know what’s happening. That’s where his brilliance, and the brilliance of Bring Her Home, rests.”—Providence JournalIn the breathtaking new thriller from David Bell, bestselling author of Since She Went Away and Somebody I Used to … Away and Somebody I Used to Know, the fate of two missing teenage girls becomes a father’s worst nightmare….
Just a year and a half after the tragic death of his wife, Bill Price’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Summer, and her best friend, Haley, disappear. Days later, the girls are found in a city park. Haley is dead at the scene, while Summer is left beaten beyond recognition and clinging to life.
As Bill holds vigil over Summer’s bandaged body, the only sound the unconscious girl can make is one cryptic and chilling word: No. And the more time Bill spends with Summer, the more he wonders what happened to her. Or if the injured girl in the hospital bed is really his daughter at all.
When troubling new questions about Summer’s life surface, Bill is not prepared for the aftershocks. He’ll soon discover that both the living and the dead have secrets. And that searching for the truth will tear open old wounds that pierce straight to the heart of his family…
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Being a small town, KY girl, I was excited to read this one – and I wasn’t disappointed! The story is well-written, the characters are interesting and plain-spoken (the way most of us are), and the plot was full of twists. The story is told from the perspective of main character, Bill Price. Bill is quick to anger and shows his temper often, which is understandable given the circumstances. There are a few things in the story that were a bit unrealistic, but they worked for keeping the suspense going. The book is lengthy, but very hard to put down. It’s gripping and the flow is such that you sit down with the intention of reading one or two chapters and before you realize it, you’ve read ten! Overall, this compelling thriller kept me turning pages and is one that I would easily recommend.
Bring Her Home
A novel by David Bell
Shiva must be smiling, Bill Price’s world has been destroyed twice over. Eighteen months ago his wife died from a fall in his kitchen. Today his daughter, Summer, after being missing for two days, has been found in a local park, She was severely beaten and is unconscious. So severe were her injuries that after the doctors finish her head and hands are completely covered in bandages. She is hurt and in critical condition, but alive. That is infinitely better than her friend Haley, who was lying dead beside her in the park. Strangely though, in the course of ’round the clock hospital vigils, questions emerge. The girl on the bed shrinks away from the familiar; her father, a much-loved stuffed Winnie the Pooh bear. Is the comatose body that of Summer? Who assaulted this girl and murdered Haley? Why are those boys hanging around? With each question answered others arise, and a confused and angry Bill Price is driven further afield to find answers.
“Bring Her Home,” has more twists and turns than a Kentucky back road, but in the main is not much of a mystery. If you don’t know who abducted Summer, and why, after reading the first ten chapters you are not sufficiently suspicious. It is true that the story moves along quite fast, and has some interesting twists to it so that’s a plus. Unfortunately, the main character, Bill Price, comes off as unsympathetic despite his woes; he is a bit of a jerk. Another minus is the preachy tone on the subjects of religion and child abuse.
Note to author: Avoid topics like religion, politics and child raising. People read books like this “mystery” for pleasure, not for indoctrination in Politically Correct attitudes.
“Bring Her Home” is one of those books that don’t deserve a recommendation or condemnation. I rate it at 2.5 stars. Read it if you can’t find better.
I received an advance galley of “Bring Her Home” from Berkley, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley in exchange for this review.
An Excellent tense Read! I am ready for the next one. This is the first book by this author I read…. I can’t wait to read another!
Another great page-turner by this author about a single father who experiences the unimaginable. Still grieving over the recent death of his wife, this story involves his fifteen-year-old daughter and her friend in a well-written, gripping mystery that twists and turns and keeps the pace right up to the end.
Bring Her Home by David Bell is a stand alone mystery about Bill Price and the disappearance of his daughter, Summer.
This was a story that kept me on the edge of my seat. There were mysteries within mysteries which I loved. It’s a story that portrays some of the feelings people go through when a loved one goes missing. The reason I gave this a three star review is the fact that religion is brought up in the book which did absolutely nothing for the story, in my opinion. There were also discrepancies throughout the book, such as the wrong character’s name being used, which will hopefully be caught in the final editing.
A great book! Keeps you guessing until the end. The are guiding questions at the end, so you could do a book study group with friends.
Outstanding book!!! Best book l’ve read since l don’t know when. Has some very surprising twists!
A small town where all is right with the world until two teenage girls go missing. Bill Price is going out of his mind with worry when his teenage daughter along with her friend go missing. Bill has already recently lost his wife, and now he can’t keep questioning why when the girls left his home he did not ask, “where are you going”? Then two girls are found in the park, both are beaten horribly to the extent you can longer identify their faces. One girl is alive and is identified. This begins the twists and turns along with the are you kidding moments that showcase this story. A wonderfully done suspense that you will guess who did it and be wrong only to guess again and be wrong or are you? Even if you think you know how that fateful day of the girl’s disappearance and brutal beating occurred, you will be surprised at the end.
This chilling and thrilling page turner kept me captivated and teetering on the edge of my seat from start to finish!! This was my introduction to Mr. Bell’s work, and I have to say it made one heck of a first impression, I will definitely be back for more in the very near future!! Loved every minute of it!!
I Highly recommend you get your hands on this book, it’s a thrilling literary ride that is packed with twists and turns that you will have you holding on for dear life… buckle up and hang on tight!!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.
The plot was good. The characters are okay. Lots of surprising twists and turns. Maybe a few too many. It seems the police and medical examiner are extremely incompetent to the point of either pure laziness or just stupidity.
Smooth, graceful, with a whiplash plot trajectory.
Bring Her Home by David Bell should be required reading for all novice writers. This is how it should be done. Even though the missing-child plot is not new or unique, it has seldom been carried off with such grace and skill and unrelenting action. The plot is highly complex and changes direction in just about every chapter. Just when readers will feel they have it all figured out, they should hold on and strap on their seat belts. The many turning points and end-of-chapter hooks guarantee that readers will find it hard not to go on to the next chapter. In addition, the author casts shade on almost every character, thus creating a dizzying array of suspects. Few will accurately project the ending.
The characters are all clearly drawn through realistic, differentiated dialogue and actions, NOT through tell, but through show. Because the author obviously has a clear idea of who his characters are, they are unique and become clear to readers. Again, this is how it should be done. In addition, Bell includes just the right amount of character backstory to round out all the actors including their weaknesses and flaws.
Bell creates a great sense of place via visual details that appear naturally and do not slow down the action. The actual geographical location makes no difference because readers can see and feel hospital rooms and bedrooms and kitchens and a body on a floor. Readers will believe they could find their way around the protagonist’s home.
Except, arguably, for a few too many participles, the text is flawless. Again, literary novices should read Bring Her Home to spark their creative abilities and learn how to carry off the stylistic elements most crucial to the creation of a great read. Those who do not write will be thrilled by how smoothly and clearly the text will flow through their minds, and will find a new appreciation for quality writing.
Rougeski
I was really disappointed in this book. The main character was awkward and stiff, it was repetitive and predictable and it went on about 200 pages too long. Would not recommend to thriller fans.
Really good. A lot of twists and turns. Kept me turning pages to see what happened next.
I received this arc from First to Read in exchange for an honest review. That being said… I enjoyed this book, but I did not love it. I guessed right away who the culprit was, which is unusual for me as I don’t like to try to guess. There were twists in it that were very well done but I would say this book was not my favorite. Definitely enjoyable but not my favorite.