Ryan Francis has the life everyone dreams of having. He’s got a great job, a loving wife, and a brand new baby boy. Ryan’s social media presence would lead anyone to believe he has it all, but what they don’t see is the secret he has kept hidden for years. The risk of having his secret exposed runs high as Blake, Ryan’s closest friend from college, suddenly appears one night. Blake says he needs a favor and Ryan has no choice but to help unless he wants his perfect life turned upside down. What Ryan doesn’t bank on is the chaos that is waiting for him if he complies with Blake’s request.

David Bell has become one of the authors who I eagerly wait for their new releases every year. I can always count on Bell to come up with a high octane and over-the-top story that is a thrill to read! Bell’s latest book, THE REQUEST, perfectly fits this mold with enough twists and turns to keep a reader flying through this story!

Social media has a way of allowing the world to showcase their best self. It’s a place to show all of the things you’re proud of and hide anything unseamly. Ryan Francis is thriving through social media, but what his friends and family don’t see is the stress and regret he carries with him every day. I love when authors choose to craft their main characters in a way that is easily relatable to the general public. While everyone may not live on social media to the extent Ryan does, the concept is still one familiar in today’s society.

Perhaps Bell’s most successful traits across all of his books is his ability to propel the story forward. Bell utilizes short chapters to drive the reader forward in the story by keeping tensions high. The reader follows along with Ryan as things spiral out of control at a rate that feels lightning fast. This structure makes the story flow quickly, allowing the book to become a binge worthy read.

THE REQUEST is perfect for summer reading beside the pool or at the beach. This is a fun story that can perhaps feel a bit over-the-top at times, but in the most enjoyable way possible! If you haven’t tried a David Bell book yet, what are you waiting for?

Ryan, the main character is a nice guy. Happily married with a new baby and a successful career and new business venture. Sadly, Ryan's life is not perfect. Guilty about a horrible mistake he made years ago, he tries to make amends...anonymously. By the end of the first chapter he's being blackmailed by not one but two people. One of the blackmailers wants money but the other one has a request. Of course, while fulfilling the request Ryan gets mixed up in a murder.

Sorry to say, I didn't love this book. I read a lot of thrillers so I'm used to suspending my disbelief but this book asked for too much. It would be different if I'd liked any of the characters but I just didn't connect with any of them.

It was a quick read and I can see it appealing to people who want a fast suspenseful read.

When a man agrees to do a favor for a friend, he gets more than he bargained for as he becomes embroiled in a woman’s murder in this new thriller from the USA Today bestselling author of Layover.
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I am so excited today to bring forth this amaziiiiiing book, THE REQUEST in collaboration with @davidbell @berkley
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RELEASE DATE: 30th June 2020

415 pages, 94 chapters- worth every minute spent reading it!

Genre: Mystery, Thriller.

A #whodunit FAST-PACED, keeping you on your toes kind-of novel!
AMAZING STORYTELLING!!
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KnOw YoUr AuThOr:

DAVID BELL is a USA Today Bestselling, AWARD-WINNING author whose Work Has Been Translated into Multiple Foreign Languages.

He’s currently an associate professor of English at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

He received an MA in creative writing from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a PhD in American literature and creative writing from the University of Cincinnati.

His previous novels include Layover, Somebody’s Daughter, Bring Her Home, Since She Went Away, The Forgotten Girl, Never Come Back, The Hiding Place, and Cemetery Girl.
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#blurb

Ryan Francis has it all—great job, wonderful wife, beautiful child—and he loves posting photos of his perfect life on social media. Until the night his friend Blake asks him to break into a woman’s home to retrieve incriminating items that implicate Blake in an affair. Ryan refuses to help, but when Blake threatens to reveal Ryan’s darkest secret—which could jeopardize everything in Ryan’s life—Ryan has no choice but to honor Blake’s request.

When he arrives at the woman's home, Ryan is shocked to find her dead—and just as shocked to realize he knows her. Then his phone chimes, revealing a Facebook friend request from the woman. With police sirens rapidly approaching, Ryan flees, wondering why his friend was setting him up for murder.
 
Determined to keep his life intact and to clear his name, Ryan must find the real murderer—but solving the crime may lead him closer to home than he ever could have imagined.
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How imp. is our virtual life from our real life❓
Is karma for real❓
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Read the book if;
You want to read a fast paced thriller,
a mystery where you cannot anticipate the end,
If you are a fan of superb narration, a perfect writing style,
If you want to read about friendship, about the need to say "no" sometimes, about being on social media all the time, about balance of virtual and real life and also....know, how a perfect life can be turned upside down with a single mistake.

Thoroughly enjoyed it, lengthy but nonetheless exciting and a page turner, with hair spiking plot.

💕Grateful to @netgalley for the arc.
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#noorthebookwormreviews

David Bell has a way of crafting an intriguing and compelling mystery. I read this book with rapt attention and didn't stop until I had finished it. It was a quick read and I mostly enjoyed it.

I did have the feeling of wanting to smack the main character a couple of times because I was over it with the secrets and his impulsive decisions. Another thing that led to me only giving the book three stars was I kind of predicted who the suspect was and why some events occurred. It was a little obvious to be honest, and that took a little away from my completely loving this book.
The plot and mystery were done very well and I appreciated the originality behind it.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this digital arc!

Fast paced, tense, and addictive. David Bell writes stories that completely suck me in, have me feeling anxious, and on the edge of my seat. Ryan and Amanda appear to have the perfect life. A Beautiful home, an adorable baby, and a happy marriage. BUT Ryan has a dark secret he’s been hiding for years. AND he is being blackmailed by not only one but two people to keep it. All this subterfuge leads to Ryan Breaking into a woman’s house to retrieve letters instead finding her dead body and then discovering that he knows the murder victim. To make everything even more complicated and chilling as he looks down at the women’s dead body he receives a Facebook friend request from her on his phone. Of course I reach this point of the book just as I think I’m about to go to sleep... didn’t happen. There were so many pulse pounding moments in this book as Ryan gets himself into one sticky situation after another. Ryan is a likable kind family Man who you really do want things to work out for. Ryan however seems to lack any common sense throughout the story. This is a book that will make you look over your shoulder the next time you’re walking down the street and think twice the next time before you post something on Facebook. A compulsive story with a satisfying end.

This book in emojis 📱 ✉️ 👶🏼 👰🏼 💰 💻

*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Thank you Netgalley, Berkley Publishing Group and David Bell.
I always look forward to David Bell new books and this one did not disappoint.
Fast paced, full of twist and turns. Could not put this book down.
Full of secrets and deception. Short chapters which I love.
Highly recommend.
4 stars

I am not exaggerating when I say that I could not stop thinking about this book. I needed to make sure these characters were OK. twisty, and page turning. David Bell keeps getting better and better!

I liked this book a lot, but I didn’t love it because the characters were more annoying than they were likable. Okay, so Blake coerced Ryan into breaking and entering. I had a problem with that picture because I was really into Ryan telling Blake “not gonna happen.” But, because of a past incident that could upend Ryan’s life if it were known, Ryan follows through, discovers the occupant of the home dead and then proceeds to try to finagle his way out of trouble by lying to various and sundry people, including his wife and the police. The premise of the book is a good one and I think that author did a great job of coming up with an original and imaginative story line. However, there were parts of the book that just fell flat for me, so I wanted to just skip to the end. I persevered with my reading and enjoyed getting to know how social media can be so deceptive and dangerous and how Ryan’s portrayal of his life was nothing like what he was hiding. I felt bad for Ryan’s wife because she suspected a lot but knew very little. So much for honesty with your spouse! Ryan sets out to solve the murder by himself so that he can prove himself innocent and in so doing makes a lot of trouble for himself along the way. And Blake was the man that no one wants to have for a friend, much less a fiancé since he was a womanizer who lied about everything, and besides, he got Ryan into this mess to begin with. Like I said, I liked the book, but I didn’t love it. It was a mystery/suspense/kind of police procedural that was entertaining but I didn’t find it totally engrossing.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I think all the characters in this book did some really dumb things, and made stupid decisions over and over, so it was very frustrating to read.

Ryan was the main character that was involved in a drunk driving incident back in college that killed 1 person and injured another. He never told his wife what happened, and his reasoning was because her sister was the victim of a drunk driver. Now the sister of the girl that was killed is blackmailing him or she is going to tell his secret, plus his friend Blake makes a "request" of Ryan or he is going to tell.

It was hard to like any of these characters and I was not surprised at all by the ending. Fortunately, David Bell writes a very good story and even with my frustrations and dislikes in this book, I was hooked until the end!

Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and David Bell for the opportunity to read and review his latest thriller - another intriguing 4.5 star read by this author!

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive as the old saying goes. And no one in this book is being truthful! An accident during college changed many lives forever. Friends Ryan and Blake were involved with another student in a drunk-driving accident that killed one girl and permanently disabled another. But they weren't being truthful about who was driving. Now, Blake comes to Ryan with one request - he needs to break into an ex's house to retrieve some letters Blake wrote telling the truth about that night. When Ryan grudgingly goes to the house and uses the alarm code Blake provides, he finds the girl dead. And so it begins.

I love the way he writes in short chapters so I'm always pushing to read just one more before I have to put the book down. Even though the book is over 400 pages, you're turning the pages so quickly that time flies. Lots of twists and turns in this one and I dare you to figure them all out!

Ryan Francis has a secret. There are a people making requests of him so that the secret won't come out. That is leading to lies and more secrets. . .and now there is a dead body at his feet. As with "The Layover," we have an average guy whose life is spiraling out of control. The people around him are cast in a new light. The police are questioning him. The stress is through the roof and we are along for the ride. In this timely thriller, social media is also on the hot seat. Just by doing what they do, the likes of Facebook, Insta, Twitter, and Messenger are adding to the chaos. When is it time to pull the plug? I have awarded high marks to Bell on this one for the timely nuances regarding social media and the many twists and turns. Those 400+ pages just zipped by.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. David Bell's The Request is a convoluted story of blackmail, deceit, murder, suspicion, social media, and mystery. When a college friend Blake, asks Ryan to break in someones' home and retrieve some letters he has written to this woman, Ryan is definitely against this request. However, Blake is determined to get his way and uses blackmail to accomplish his goals. But Ryan finds Blake's ex dead on the bedroom floor and the letters nowhere to be found. This story spins out of control from there. Very suspenseful contemporary fiction. Would definitely recommend.

Fast moving thriller with many twists and so many threads and motives that get more and more unbelievable and contrived as the story goes on.

The Request by David Bell is another outstanding thriller to add to his long list of novels. Bell is the best at putting an everyman into a nightmare situation and then spending the rest of the book upending their life. He is a master at this. Every book that I’ve read of his gets better and better. In fact, I hate to finish his books because then it’s over.
In The Request, we meet Ryan Francis. He is in his late 20s, happily married with a new baby, a great career in PR and has opened a popular bar with some of his friends. One night when he is leaving his bar someone calls his name out from the shadows. It is his old college friend Blake. Blake says he desperately needs Ryan’s help. Blake is getting ready to marry Samantha the love of his life. When Blake and Samantha broke up several months ago, Blake dated another woman named Jennifer. It seems he wrote her love letters that incriminate him. Jennifer is not happy about Blake getting married and breaking up with her. She has threatened to expose him. He begs Ryan to go to her house at night, when she’s not home, and use her security code to get into her house. Then he wants Ryan to take those letters and bring them to him. Ryan refuses but then Blake tells him there is incriminating info on Ryan in the letters, something about their past from college that Ryan has kept hidden from everyone in his life. When Ryan goes to Jennifer’s that night to steal the letters back, instead of the house being empty, he finds her dead. She has been murdered. While he is standing there he gets a friend request on Facebook from Jennifer. Needless to say, Ryan freaks out and runs from the house as he hears sirens coming near the house. What happens next is a house of mirrors and a twisted tail. I couldn’t read this book fast enough yet at the same time I didn’t want to finish it. I highly recommend all of David Bell’s books. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a good read. There are a lot of flaw,s from the start. It’s obvious the main character makes bad decisions constantly. It continues throughout the book. Everyone seems to make bad decisions and that is frustrating. There are so many unbelievable parts to this. I don’t want to give any spoilers but everyone makes bad choices and I felt little empathy or sympathy for the wrong doers.There was also an underlying warning about social media and how much of our privacy we give up when we share details of out lives. It was a long walk for a short drink of water. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.. All opinions expressed are my own.

To the world, it appears Ryan Francis has the perfect life.....a new home, beautiful wife, they just had a baby boy a few months ago, he has a great job and he also is part owner in a bar. Their life is recorded for all to see on their social media accounts in glowing detail. Then one night as he is fixing to head home to his lovely wife and child he is stopped in the parking lot by an old friend. Someone he hasn't seen in years.....and someone he has a secret with. When Blake tells him there is something he needs to do in order to keep that secret from being revealed to the world, Ryan has no choice but to go along with it. When Ryan gets implicated in a murder because of it and Blake goes on the run, Ryan needs to decide whether to spill the secret and face the consequences or find Blake, and possibly the murderer.
I could not put this book down. It was so good. It had so many twists and turns that it kept me guessing until the very end. It also really made me think about all that people put out there on social media for anyone to see, and just how easy it could be for the wrong person to get access to it. If you like mystery & suspense then you have to read this one. You will regret it if you don't.

Good book! Different for me due to not liking books written in first person, but persevered. The story line was a bit far fetched in my opinion but overall had me guessing who the culprit was. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley publishing for a copy of this book.
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Blackmails. Yes, more than one. Those blackmails are the central theme of the book "The Request." Ryan's friend Blake shows up and makes a request. If Ryan doesn't comply, people will find out.

Four women: Dawn, Amanda, Jennifer, Sam. Short chapters: ninety-four! This was a quick read, and enjoyable just like Bell's other books.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Berkely/Penguin for inviting me to read The Request.

Bell’s new book is a fast paced thriller with each chapter ending in a cliff hanger that has the reader flipping pages faster and faster. When Ryan meets up with his old friend Blake, Blake has a request. He wants Ryan to get some letters back for him, some letters that are detrimental to Ryan. How can he say no? When he enters the house that is suppose to be empty he finds a body instead. From there the book takes off at breakneck speed and there are suspects galore. Was Ryan being set up and where is Blake? This one will keep you up until you reach the final page!

The Request is a clever, intricately-plotted thriller that plays more like a movie in the reader's mind than a story on a page. Fast paced and intense, the writing is smart, the characters are well developed, and I found myself flipping through the pages faster than I could actually devour them. A non-stop ride, the tension escalated as the story progressed, and the conclusion pulled everything together perfectly. I highly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys twisty, engrossing, action-packed thrillers.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest, unbiased opinion.