Ryan has a picture-perfect life, literally. He and his wife are not shy about posting pictures on social media of their little family, especially now that they have an adorable little boy. So when Ryan’s best friend from college shows up one night with news that could possible cause Ryan’s life to crumble, Ryan feels that he owes his friend this one last favor and he agrees to his “request.” I love David Bell’s books, but I have to say this wasn’t my favorite. Starting with the request and Ryan’s guilt trip for agreeing to it, to the subtle hints about how some folks need to be a bit more protective of what they put out into the social media sites, it all felt a like a bit of a stretch from the get-go. This won’t stop me from reading his books, though – not all of them can be winners.

2 Stars

NOTE: Special thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was hard to put a star amount to. At first it was 3* because it was slow going and any book that takes me 6 days to read usually doesn't hold my interest. You see Amanda and Ryan had this perfect life, along with their son, Henry. But then things started going wrong because of Ryan's friend, Blake. They were involved in a car accident in their college days that killed and maimed other people. Their friend Aaron went to jail for driving while drunk.

But then things changed, the real story was going to come out, so Ryan and Blake had to make sure no one found out. So then I changed my review to 4*. Because this was now so interesting and I could not figure anything out (I like to guess who is the culprit in books).

And then I had 25% more to go and David Bell stepped up the mystery, the danger and did a complete twist around in this story. I had to amp my review up to 5* because O.M.G I did not see this one coming. Thanks to #Netgalley for this ARC and to #DavidBell for writing another great book! Make sure to put it on your list, to be released June 30,2020.

I’ve been turning to my most trusted authors lately when I decide what to read next and I’ve been a fan of DB for awhile now because he writes the most entertaining, fast paced thrillers. I’m such a sucker for short chapters, they make for the best binge reads and The Request has all of that and more. I loved that this explored the power of social media and how it effects all of our lives, such a timely and relevant topic that we can all relate to. I always say DB is the best at putting very ordinary characters into complex and extraordinary situations and the protagonist here finds himself in quite the predicament but that’s all I’ll say 🤐 This one is out this June, but in the meantime two of my favorite DB books are Bring Her Home and Somebody’s Daughter if you’re in the mood for a pacey, fun thriller!

I started reading this book and didn't think it was something that I was very interested in reading. My opinion quickly changed and I couldn't read it fast enough. It was a great read and mystery that will keep you guessing. You won't be disappointed in this book. Thank you Net Galley for a chance to read this book for my opinions.

I began reading this novel at 11:00 pm. Several hours later I was able to put it down for the very good reason that I had finished it. The book was mesmerizing, completely compelling and one fantastic read.
Ryan Francis and his best friend Blake had a close relationship for many years taking them through college and than out into the business world. Ryan married Amanda and in due course the couple had a son they named Henry. Blake came to visit them and see the baby, but committed an error. Holding Henry up he allowed the child's head to be hit by a decoration causing a red mark. The protective Amanda was angered and practically threw Blake out of their house stating that he should not return there.
Rushing home as was normal one evening Ryan was called by Blake and asked to do a big favor for him. He asks that Ryan break into a girl's house and retrieve a packet of incriminating letters that Blake had allowed her to get while they were going together. During their college years Ryan had committed a crime when driving drunk and had killed a young girl. Blake, driving with him prevented Ryan from being arrested by changing the setup of the drivers in the than wrecked car and putting another man who was with them into the driver's seat. Blake indicates that he had been going with the girl and inadvertently given her letters outlining Ryan's crime during their relationship. Blake met another girl, fell in love and told girl #1 that he was leaving her to get married. He did not get the letters held back, for some reason could not reenter her house and convinced Ryan that it was in his interest to break in and get them.
Ryan had to agree, but when he entered the girl's home he found her dead on the floor, obviously a murder victim. Ryan flees the scene, realizes that he has probably set himself up as the murderer and makes the determination that it is up to him to find the real killer. Mr Bell in a fine piece of writing takes his readers through a series of events that will cause them to constantly change their minds about who the killer is, and arriving at a logical ending drained. I'm sure that readers of this book will be lined up like I am awaiting David Bell's next novel and just keep a pot of coffee boiling for that occasion.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review -
An accident that happened in college - a coverup-
Your friend holds it over your head making a request you don't want to do - but you do it -
And then you come upon the body - Life turns upside down.
A stalker at your home where your wife and child are alone -
A girl blackmailing you - Your friend on the run -
Where will it all end?
Has the past caught up with Blake and Ryan?
Grab this book for an ending you won't see coming!

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. This author has done it again! This book was absolutely amazing. If an author can write a story that takes place in just a few days in time and keep you interested, that is talent. This book has so many twists until the very end and all of the crazy things you find out about social media will make you want to delete all of your accounts,

Being the first book from the author I can't say it really drew me in. Short fast chapters which in like. But the story itself was just not very intriguing. Kept at it but not a book I would highly recommend.


Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book.

Having read the author’s previous book, Layover, I was looking forward to The Request, but this was a disappointment. The dialogue seems a little off and immature. Not much suspense, and the book lags in too many places to have any flow. Not even the ending, which is so ridiculous I’m still shaking my head, can save this story. Sorry, just didn’t enjoy it. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gripping and Unputdownable!

Bell is a fantastic author. Somehow he has a way with words that is unmatched. His plot twists cannot be beat. I couldn't put this book down and I couldn't stop myself from reading.. even when it was 2 in the morning, I must confess. However, those are the best kinds of books!

Bell creates characters that you want to read about, while also creating plot twists that you won't see coming. His psychological thrillers are so well done because they are meaty. They aren't just fluff. I enjoy reading about the characters while also being 100% plot-invested. This was an excellent psychological thriller in which I'll be recommending to many, many people!

Ryan lives the picture perfect life on social media - beautiful wife, adorable baby, successful PR firm, and a part owner of a small local brewery. And really, things are good. But, when Ryan's old college frat brother appears one night out of the blue to as a favor, Ryan's past mistakes come back to haunt him in a big way. One request will change his life forever.

Full of twists and turns (some you see coming, some you don't), this one is a page-turner that I had a hard time putting down. My frustration was that the characters keep making poor choices that compound their dangerous situations. In the end, the resolution was believable and the character's decisions, though often stupid, were no more unrealistic or unbelievable than in any other fiction book. The writing is good and the dialog flows well. My only real complaint is that there is some social commentary on our culture's obsession with social media that feels thrown in and a bit awkward to me (true, but awkward).

Overall I enjoyed this read. If you like fast-paced thrillers, give this one try! 3.5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is my 9th book by David Bell and I am always excited when he comes out with a new book. When I got approved from NetGalley to get this book, I was even more excited to get started reading! This book kept me on the edge of my seat with a few twists and turns throughout. Wow, what an ending!!!! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review

David Bell is a pretty good thriller writer and a generally nice guy to boot. Subsequently I’ve read just about all of his books. The quality is somewhat uneven, sometimes a lot uneven, but usually it’s decent enough to be worth the time. So much so, I requested The Request without even reading a plot summary, checking page count and all those things I normally do prior to trying a book off of Netgalley. And this is when the uneven thing comes in, because this one was definitely the bottom of Bell’s barrel quality wise. A sort of a book one writes for money. Bland, trite, uninspired with a barely there plot and predictable plot twists. And too long on top of it all. And easy read, for sure, not just because it isn’t challenging intellectually in any way, but also basic structure of it all, short words, short sentences, short chapters with something of a soap opera like ta da at the end of each chapter trying to make this seem like a way more exciting story than it actually is. Time for some specifics…specifically the plot, the wartime soup of a plot as in barely any substance severely watered down sort of thing. Meet your protagonist, a basically nice guy with a guilty conscience. Pushing 30, nice life, nice wife, nice kid, nice job. Too much at stake to throw away if the truth about why his conscience has been so heavy for the last six years was to suddenly come out. Meet his old college buddy, a superficially charming fellow who’s finally ready to settle down, but wants to sweep a few past mistakes under the proverbial rug before he ties the knot. The buddy has just one request, to steal some letters from an old flame, but the flame turns out dead and things spiral out. Not too much spiraling, because it isn’t that clever of a story and it only has a couple of days to wrap itself up. Just enough so that everyone makes much ado about something and spins their wheels and stretches out the silly see through thin suspense for enough pages to make it seem like a proper book. Frustratingly basic really, the fruit on this one is practically reclining in the soil below the tree while still somehow attached to the branches. This book might pay author’s bills, but that’s about all it’s good for. All the more so because it’s written by someone who has demonstrated himself to have much more potential and talent than this. For how many of similar types of books are out there, this isn’t even worthy of a notice. Maybe for someone with really low expectations and really indiscriminate tastes. Otherwise it’s almost insulting to the readers’ intelligence how lame this plot is. Disappointing, so very disappointing. And to think I was excited to read this too, tried to stay away from these ever ubiquitous thrillers until something promising showed up and this one certainly didn’t do the trick. Don’t let it put you off Bell’s other books and don’t judge his work based on this one. Just call a dud a dud and pass. At least it read quickly. Thanks Netgalley.

Ryan Francis has a seemingly perfect life....but one request from a friend turns his life upside down...

This book follows Ryan, a man whose social media presence leads us to believe he has the picture-perfect life. But he also has a dark secret that he’ll do anything to protect. Enter his college buddy, Blake, who requests that Ryan does him a favor. If he refuses, his secret will be exposed.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book and I did find it very entertaining throughout. It definitely kept my attention and made me want to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. My main issue with this book is that I found it hard to care about any of the characters. I didn’t find anyone particularly likeable or interesting so I honestly didn’t care what happened to any of them in the end.

There was also a side-story that related to Ryan’s past that I found unnecessary. In my opinion, it added nothing to the story and, at the end, was “tied up” in the weirdest way that honestly made no sense to me.

Overall, the pacing of the story was really good and I read through this book really quickly! There were definitely a few twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Who needs enemies when you have friends try to ruin your life and set you up with murder?

Ryan seems like having a dreamy life, perfect job, perfect wife and a perfect new born. Even though he carries a big secret that gnawing at him, he tries his best to atone his sins and literally pay his dues by sending money to the people acting like Good Samaritan to help them after he got involved in an accident resulted with one girl’s death and other girl’s disability.

At first chapter, we witness Ryan helps a family secretly because of an accident he got involved when he was young and stupid. (We’re informed that he wasn’t the driver!) And now he is still stupid because he got caught when he was sending money. Now he is blackmailed by the family’s eldest daughter who finds out the source of the money they get and she wants her own cut.

And when we move on to the next chapter, we’re introduced to Blake who needs a favor and if he doesn’t accept his offer, he kindly threatens him to spill beans about their secret: (one more time: it is about bloody car accident). So Ryan patiently listens his friend who he is about to get marry (but not kind enough to invite them to the ceremony!) but he’s afraid that he had an affair with woman named Jen and wrote her letters to share their common secret (Yes, I agree! Blake is not only douchebag but he is also moron douchebag!) Now he wants his letters back and tells Ryan trespass to get them from Jen’s apartment.

Ryan reluctantly agrees but as soon as he gets into the apartment he finds out Jen is gone! (No, she didn’t go to visit her parents. I wish she did) She is lying in blood pool on the floor. And there is no letters around her house. And wait for it! He knows her. Jen contacted with him online before. They wrote each other several times and he thought she has romantic interest about him. At the very same time Ryan realizes he gets FB friend request from Jen as he stands at her apartment, looking at her corpse. What the hell? Who killed her and did Blake do it and plan to frame him?

Then the story takes a real dark turn and all the hell breaks loose.

Strengths; This is great criticism of voyeurism of social media and its dark, dangerous effects on people’s faked lives. Nothing as it seems and no couple is perfect. As lies and secrets emerge, no photoshop or any adobe creative clouds can save you! It’s quick pacing, easy to read and gripping story!

Weaknesses: I didn’t like any of the characters and I couldn’t care any less about the shit storm they’re dealing with. Especially the final revelation scene was a little over rated and unrealistic.

Overall: It’s a 3.25 starred reading, just a little better from I didn’t like it but I also didn’t hate it- let meet in the middle reading. (I mean Switzerland reading!) Some parts are so predictable and the characters are mostly annoying but it has great approach to the danger of social media and over sharing your life with strangers and I never get bored or yawned during my reading. Pacing was intriguing and fast. I can understand why so many of my reader friends like it so much. And I still want to read more works of the author.

Special Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this interesting ARC in exchange my honest review.

What do you do when you agree to do a favor for a friend and it turns out to be more that you bargained for?

Ryan Francis seems to have everything he could need - a nice job, wonderful family and fun posting about it on social media sites to everyone with photos. One night his friend, Blake, asks him to go in to a woman's house and get items that could prove of an affair on him. At first Ryan refuses ... that is until Blake blackmails him in to doing it with a dark secret that he knows and will reveal about Ryan. When Ryan goes to the house he finds the woman dead. At a distance he hears police coming and he runs. Did his friend set him up for the murder? Why would he do that? Now, Ryan has to find the real killer and clear his name ... but how and at what cost? I wasn't really in love with any of the characters but that was minor for me because the book kept me reading for answers.

Overall, this was a gripping thriller that was a fun ride even though I figured out a few twists early on in the book. Well written and proves that social media is not just about being friendly and social.

For me, this one was a bit of a slow burn to start. In the first few chapters, the characters' motivations were a bit muddy. I rode it out though, assuming the necessary actions would propel the characters to where they needed to be. I'm glad I hung in there. Once the story took off, it read like a fast-paced action film (in a good way). The character development was satisfactory, but the ride was zippy and great fun, and the writing was strong.

Two nights in Ryan Francis's life changed him forever -- and both of them are connected to his best friend Blake. The Request opens with Blake confiding in best friend and new family-man, Ryan, noting that he needs help retrieving letters he sent to a woman he was involved with while he and his fiancee were on a break. Hesitant to lie to his wife, Ryan reluctantly agrees; Ryan could never have imagined that he'd go snooping through an "empty house" only to find a recently murdered woman inside. This incident and the ramifications of it, combined with what Ryan and Blake went through in college, colors their behavior once Ryan discovers the body. It's full of unexpected twists and turns that I, an avid mystery and thriller reader, didn't predict.

Another great book by David Bell. He is a fantastic author and I found this book to be suspenseful - I could not put it down. I cannot wait to recommend this novel. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copu.

The Request by David Bell. Well written, suspenseful, complex thriller highlighting the influence of social media in bringing to light past regrets and choices and the true meaning of friendship. With friends like Blake, who needs enemies?

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.