Gets you from page one,couldn't put it down characters are well developed and the plot moves along nicely

Great novel by a favourite author. Full of suspense and many twists and turns, I couldn't put this fast paced book down.

There were many twists and turns in this story and the majority were welcomed and enjoyable to read. As for Summer and her friends predicament in the hospital...I've seen it before.

Wow! This was a great read. I couldn't put it down. I've neglected housework and laundry to read this book. The twist and turns. Just when you thought you had it all figured out, Wham, a new twist. I've never read any other books by this author but I will definitely look up another one to read. Looking forward to reading his next book. I highly recommend!!!

A very interesting novel. Enough twists to make it a good read. Bill is a little bit of a dork but a good father.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. At first, I was totally invested in this story. Very compelling and a great topic for a thriller. What I didn't get was Bill. Is he supposed to be likeable? I only got a half view of him. By the end I was dying to know what happened. How did these girls managed to disappear? It is a good, quick read, but with some flaws in my personal opinion.

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!!

Highly recommend you get your hands on this book, Mr. Bell's twists and turns will have you holding on for dear life, and take you one thrilling literary ride!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.

There was much I liked about this book and it kept my interest to the end. I particularly liked the twists, which I didn't anticipate. However, it seemed to me that the pacing was a bit off in some parts. There were sections where the same concepts were repeated over and over, so much that I had to check that the sentence that seemed so familiar to me had in fact appeared in almost the same words just a page or so before. On the other hand, it seemed to me that there were also great leaps at times, where it seemed to me that a character was coming to a conclusion based on scant information. All in all, though, an interesting read.

This book was tough to finish. It took me a long time because it was slow to read and I found myself putting it down to read something else. I only finished because I wanted to be able to leave an honest review. I found the plot to be quite predictable and the pacing of the book plodded and the characters were unlikable.

I love a great mystery. Three dimensional characters who I either identify with or who are so well-fleshed out that even if I don’t, I find them compelling and am invested in their outcome. I envy an intricate plot with a hint of foreshadowing (not too much because the surprise is the payoff) but just enough that I think, “Oh, why didn’t I see that coming?” I pride myself on solving these things early. Unfortunately, David Bell’s Bring Her Home is none of these things.

And I hate to be this negative, but reading this felt like an enormous waste of time. I requested this book from Netgalley in large part because I’ve seen David Bell’s name pop up often on Goodreads. His blurbs are compelling. His covers are eye-catching. His credentials are enviable, but I have to wonder how someone with so much education, someone working at the MFA level in English, can have gone so far off-track. Sentence structure, character, dialogue, and plot are all in need of some heavy redlining.

Let’s start with the set-up: two girls go missing, one of which is dead. The other is in ICU having barely survived a brutal beating. Enter her father, Bill, a man who by all rights should be thanking God it isn’t his daughter residing in the morgue, but who can’t seem to feel blessed about anything. He reacts to almost every situation with anger, at one point punching a glass window (injuring his hand) in front of a police officer (or security guard?) who doesn’t bat an eye at his attempted destruction of private property. I don’t like this character nor do I feel his plight. His reactions are disingenuine, and for lack of a better thing to call him, Bill is obsessed with pinning his daughter’s injuries on any and everyone, starting with a few fellow male classmates. Still, it isn’t his least redeeming quality in this troubled, formulaic plot.

Let me explain:

We’re dealing with a touch-and-go (life-and-death) medical situation and what could (should) be an emotionally impactful scenario. After all, Bill did only lose his wife a year ago. His daughter is all he has left, yet, I can’t help feeling Bill doesn’t deserve her. Early on the author gives away the first twist.

*spoiler alert.*

The girls are said to be twin-like, similar in hair coloring and build. They even wear each other’s clothes. From the outset I suspected the girl in the bed isn’t Bill’s daughter. Why Bill doesn’t know this is beyond me. I’m a parent of a young adult. I could find at least one childhood scar to pin his identity on in the event that he was otherwise unrecognizable. Even Bill’s sister recognizes that this isn’t who they think it is. She’s actually the one to pose the theory that the survivor is not Summer, but her friend Haley.

Bill is an emotional void.

Unfortunately for David Bell, I have a healthy amount of medical experience, to which I can say if you’re not savvy with the details, leave it to the pros or seek out the right information. The chest tube scene was iffy. The doctor wouldn’t have sterilized with alcohol. There’s undue attention given to a procedure the author doesn’t fully understand (or hasn’t seen from a clinical perspective). Later when “Summer” is transferred from ICU to rehab (unlikely since in a hospital there’s typically a step down from ICU to a regular hospital room and rehab as a final phase of recovery) in an unresponsive state! I’m sure I grunted. If this girl was beaten nearly to death, no hospital in its right mind is going to move her to rehab. Sometime later, when Summer’s mother’s death is discussed, the author claims an autopsy wasn’t performed because her death was so obviously an accident. I can’t believe for a second a healthy, middle age woman died in her home and an autopsy wouldn’t be done (regardless of how obvious cause of death might be). An investigation would have been done to confirm accident versus foul play.

While I’m discussing writing and things that bugged me, David Bell (maybe unintentionally) casts homosexuals in an unflattering light, talking about the location from where Summer and Haley disappeared as if it being a known gay pickup site makes it a foregone conclusion it’s also the kind of place where one might be murdered. Is the author homophobic? I don’t know, but it sure seems like it. This factors in later when *spoiler alert* the broken jaw incident is explained. To each their own, but this feels prejudicial and like an author intrusion rather than an integral part of the story.

The plot unfolds without a single surprise and *spoiler alert* Adam as a villain seemed likely. The convenience of his leaving a note and key in the event something happens to him is laughable, but that aside, the investigation (prior to his death) continues on an obvious trajectory toward an unsatisfying conclusion. A bunch of characters surface in the second half of this book as to serve as red herrings. At one point it’s almost plausible that Summer might’ve been involved in something shady, but that point is fleeting and never quite pulls me off –track as the reader. A shame, really, as I had high hopes. Despite the author’s backlist, credentials, and awards, doesn’t measure up to other bestsellers I’ve recently acquired. My reading of David Bell begins and ends with Bring Her Home. I thank the author and publisher, however, for offering me this advance copy through Netgalley.

I am struggling with writing this review because I was immediately enticed by this book, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I was really enjoying the character and relationship development (between Bill & Paige, Bill & Adam, Bill & Summer, Bill & Detective Hawkins, etc.) and the twists and turns in the first half. But then, something changed. About 70% in, the plot completely plateaued. The story didn’t make that much sense and the ending (which I was patiently waiting for) was not good at all. I waited for the story to tie together, but it never did so I finished this book very unsatisfied as I was expecting so much more. I only gave this book 3 stars because quite frankly, it left me disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for allowing me the opportunity to read this e-book in exchange for an honest review. Newly widowed Bill Press receives the news that his missing daughter Summer and her friend Haley have been found. Summer is badly beaten and clinging to life. Her friend Haley is dead. The book continues with some surprises that does keep it interesting. Although a good story I found it to be slow with pages and pages of descriptions and theories of what happened. This is my second book by David Bell and I had similar comments about the length in my previous read.

It’s going to be hard to write a review of David Bell’s latest novel, BRING HER HOME, while avoiding spoilers. In short, and without giving anything away, this is a novel that details a dad’s attempts to discover what exactly happened to his teen daughter after she and her best friend go missing on a winter day in Kentucky. Bill Price is the dad, and his daughter, Summer, has been missing for two days when he’s called to the hospital because Summer and the friend she was with when she disappeared have been found.

David Bell’s books always do a nice job of looking at the toll tragedy takes on family relationships, and BRING HER HOME is no exception. The best parts of this book are when Bell steps back from the action to look at Bill’s personal relationships with his deceased wife, his increasingly rebellious daughter, and his sister. The action in the story in non-stop, and although some of the plot twists are predictable, there are still plenty of surprises.

There is a lot to like about BRING HER HOME, but I definitely found Bill Price to be far from an agreeable character. I kept reminding myself that the man was under a LOT of stress… but I would have liked him to soften up a little more before the very end of the book. Many of his choices made me want to slap him upside the back of his head, and many of the liberties he took—and was allowed to take—in the course of the investigation were baffling. Fortunately, the action at the end of BRING HER HOME made me forget all of that as I raced to see if I was right in my assumptions (I was!), and in my hope for a happy ending for at least some of the characters (I won’t tell you if that happened).

If you’re a fan of David Bell (and you should be), and if you like a good mystery/suspense novel, then be sure to pick this one up. As always, I’m happy I read this one, and I look forward to Bell’s next offering.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

I had to work really, really hard to finish this book. (Thank god it's hockey playoffs or I never, ever would have finished it.) This is not the kind of book I usually read, mostly because I find them so boring and poorly written. However, if you like James Patterson, or David Baldacci, you will probably like this book.

A father is called to the hospital and told that his missing daughter has been found barely alive. He becomes determined to hunt down her attackers, especially since his wife died several years earlier. If he loses his daughter he will have nothing left, which I guess is why he acts like a lunatic throughout the whole book. There were so many twists and turns that it became amusing after awhile, but since they didn't pack any punch (and many of them didn't even make sense) I can barely remember what order they came in. I've already forgotten the names of the main characters and I only finished reading this a day ago.

This was given to me by the publisher because I have liked books like I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh. Sorry, but I HATED this book, almost from the first sentence.

I had never heard of this author before, but when I read what the book was about I had to check it out. Two girls go missing, and then are found in the woods, one dead and the other beaten beyond recognition. From there it goes into a wild roller coaster ride that will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend this book, as well as the author. I know that I plan to check out the other books he has written!

David Bell's latest novel of psychological suspense kept me intrigued, though I did figure out a few of the plot twists early on. The author does a good job in his exploration of characters pushed to the brink in very traumatic situations. The dialogue is believable and flows well and the novel is well paced to keep the reader turning the pages. The main character did behave in ways that had me scratching me head at times, but since I've not been in the same situation, I cannot truly say I wouldn't do the same. A satisfying conclusion wraps up the novel, with some very strained relationships restored. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to my readers of this genre.

Still grieving the loss of his wife Julia only 18 months earlier, Bill Price is shocked when his 15 year old daughter Summer goes missing along with her best friend Haley. Several days later, two badly beaten girls are found in the park, with one barely clinging to life. At first glance, it appears that Summer has survived, though she is so battered and bandaged that it’s impossible to tell exactly who this girl is. Haley’s family makes funeral arrangements, and the entire town comes out to show their love and support for the family.

And…any further summary would fall under the heading of “Spoiler.” Until the end of Part One, things went along pretty much as I had expected. After that, no. There are several threads woven through, things that seem simple but are surprisingly important, but it’s difficult to tell what’s what until close to the ending. I really enjoyed this story and I appreciated that I was kept guessing throughout.

I’ve heard great things about this author and I couldn’t wait to read one of his books. Bring Her Home was a great thriller and I loved all the twists and turns. Every time I thought I had figured everything out, something new would pop up and surprise me. I’m excited to read more David Bell novels in the future.

After reading all the wonderful reviews of Bring Her Home (and I usually love a good mystery) I expected to be shouting from the rooftops about how great this book is, but the best I can do is whisper. Ironically, David Bell's The Forgotten Girl is one of my favorite books, but Bring Her Home is one I'd rather forget. The problem is the plot gets pulled in several directions, with too much time devoted to "secondary" characters and not enough to the ones who really matter. Bring Her Home does have some clever and unexpected twists, but they don't deliver the emotional impact you hope for. With short chapters and plenty of dialogue Bring Her Home should be a quick read-but it drags in some places and the ending feels abrupt and forced. Other readers love it, but Bring Her Home was just "ok" for me.

This is the second book by David Bell that I have read, and just like the first one - Since She Went Away - I loved this one. Bell brilliantly describes the desperation, anger, insanity, and unpredictability of a father to a missing teen daughter. Bell adds layer upon layer to the plot and provides several breathtaking twists and turns along the way without making the story of an ordinary man in an extraordinary situation unbelievable.
Bell has no problem taking on touchy and uncomfortable matters such as sex among young teenagers, rape, and graphic descriptions of violence, but he never makes them take derail the story. He had me gripped from cover to cover, and I made me root for Bill Price - despite all his shortcomings and less than thoughtful actions throughout the story. Five big stars!