This fast-paced thriller was so juicy and well written that I inhaled it! I loved The Request, so I’m glad I was not disappointed with this one. I really loved the depth and relatability of Connor and Madeline. I recommend this. It’s going to be a hit.

Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell

Rating: 4 stars

Summary: A small college in Kentucky a missing student returns to her professors house and claims he stole the idea for her book now published and living off of. The mystery unfolds as to why she disappeared and who really wrote the now well selling novel.

Comments: Bell is a master suspense writer. He does well in having the classic page turner. This will be a great summer read for the vacations you have planned. Absorbing and propulsive. Enjoy.

https://www.amazon.com/Kill-Your-Darlings-David-Bell-ebook/dp/B08MBPPXC3

A missing college student. A murder of a local young woman. A professor's novel published with a similar murder as it's plot with details only the killer would know. The question is who is the killer?Campus life in a small Kentucky town is examined. Socializing between staff and students and what's crossing the line including sexual harassment. Women in a university setting. All of these issues are covered in a suspenseful manner with a few twists. I love the title and the KY setting.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

I always enjoy David Bell's books, and this was one of my favorites. Loved the premise of a professor desperately caught in the academic "publish or perish" syndrome during a creative dry spell following a family tragedy. When a student he was advising on her thesis, a novel she gave him to read, disappears and is presumed dead, he publishes the manuscript as his own work. Not only does she return to demand he pay her the book earnings she's due, but even worse, the book contains details never revealed to the public of a recent murder, making him a suspect. Does he confess to the plagiarism and lose his job, or does he take the risk that his silence implicates him in the murder? It goes on from there with many more levels of intrigue, with chapters concentrating on various characters and covering different time periods. A book has to really capture my attention for me to hold the Kindle while walking on the treadmill and not even notice an hour passing, and this book did just that. I'm not quite sure the title works, but otherwise I think it was an excellent book. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book.

This story grabbed my interest right away and was a great weekend read. The story was intriguing, twisty, and very suspenseful. Highly recommend.

Thank you Netgalley, Berkley, and David Bell for allowing me to read this ARC of Kill All Your Darlings. This is the first novel I have read by David Bell. I will be looking forward to reading more of his books because I enjoyed this one. I thought the writing was great!
The story was so intriguing. Luckily, my memory is so bad these days that I forget the book blurb before I even read the book, so Madeline’s appearance was a surprise! I found the timelines to be a little confusing, as far as I could tell, they were present, two years ago, and two years, six months ago. Could not really understand the difference between two years ago and two years, six months ago, I just found it distracting.
I never really connected to any of the characters, they were all unlikable to me.
Three and half stars rounded up to four

Whoa! I liked this original concept! Mr. Bell constructed a delicious dilemma and created a quiet fascinating thriller story centered on this true catch 22 of a college professor: admitting the plagiarism he’d involved or getting convicted for brutal murders he had nothing to do with.

Connor Nye is a popular English professor who has good connections with his students, especially with Madeline who is ambitious one, has so much potential to be aspiring future writer. Connor supports her pursue her dreams but after receiving her thesis, he finds out Madeline is vaporized into thin air. Nobody hears from her.

Connor still struggles the loss of his wife and kid, trying to focus on writing a book but his profession takes too much of his energy and his delicate mind suffering from grief creates an ugly writer’s block to prevent him create something substantial. After his student’s loss, he is just captivated by the idea to turn the thesis into a thriller novel and his inner demon whispered to his ear: “What harm can he cause? His student is already MIA!

He listens his inner demons and publishes his book and his dear student decides to come back to demand her share!

In the meantime the police officers knock his door to question him about the details mentioned in his book which are similar with a murder that occurred before Madeline’s disappearance!

Oh, no! You should have thought harder to steal someone’s work, dear professor! Could that thesis be based on real experiences of Madeline?

Well, it seems like Madeline will get away with murder she is truly connected with! In the meantime all the fingers point at the professor who is under the pressure to decide what to tell the police! If tells the truth, his entire career and reputation will be ruined and if he doesn’t confess, he may find himself behind the bars!

It was smart, riveting, twisty, great concept and Connor was truly easy to sympathize! He was suffering from grief, trying to find a way out and making bad decisions to start from fresh! Now he needs to find a good way to come clean, leaving this entire mess behind!

Well earned four mysterious, plagiarism, writer’s block, grief, whodunnit stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing For Sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

It’s hard writing a novel. The main character in this book is a professor who basically steals a book, but when the person that wrote it returns and the book contains the plot of a real murder...he’s in a world of trouble. Fast paced taut thriller that keeps you guessing. I love Bell’s work and this is no exception.

David Bell has done it again! What a thrilling ride this book was and it may be his best yet! Thankful to NetGalley for allowing me to read this title.

I have been so excited to pick up a David Bell book, so I was so thankful when Berkley Publishing sent me an ARC. Right off the bat, this book sounds similar to The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz which I am also excited to read.

Kill All Your Darlings was about Connor, an English professor who loves his job. Connor lost his wife and son, and throws himself into his work as a distraction. He is close to his students, specifically Madeline, who is working with him on her senior thesis. When Madeline disappears, Conner takes her theses- a thriller- and publishes it as his own to keep his job. Two years later, Madeline returns and wants credit for her work.

Conner isn’t sure what to do, but then the police show up because the book is almost identical to a crime committed right before Madeline disappeared. The book makes it look like Conner has intimate details of the murder, and he isn’t sure if he should admit he stole the book or risk being arrested for murder.

Thoughts: This book had an interesting premise, but really spelled out what they wanted to you feel. There was no room for the reader to imagine what is happening, as the book just said each and every thing that happened. I liked the character of Connor, but he wasn’t very complex. He had potential for a rich and interesting backstory, but was basically just a one dimensional character. All the other characters also had potential, but they were a bit bland and straightforward.

I didn’t feel that there was much build up. The book explained what was happening step by step and tried to pack a lot of action into a pretty basic story. There were so many things that were over the top and didn’t really make sense to happen. If you were a murder suspect, would you go to the house of the murder victim’s husband? If you could clear everything up with the police, would you instead run away and drive around for no reason?

There were just small things that didn't feel authentic and for that reason I couldn’t get into the book. I have heard amazing things about David Bell, and I will be reading another of his books for sure. I was disappointed because I felt that this book had a lot of potential, but in the end, it was about 3-stars.

Connor Nye is an English professor that has dreamed of writing the Great American Novel. So far, that hasn’t come to fruition. Then one of his students turns in a story that’ so good, so amazing, he almost doesn’t feel guilty submitting the work as his own after she disappears. The book, a thriller about a missing young woman is a smash; then the girl who wrote it turns up on his doorstep. His troubles have only just begun, as the police, using the book, link him to an unsolved murder. He’s faced with an impossible choice, admit he plagiarized the book or face blame for the murder. When a second murder takes place, all eyes are on the good professor. Is he a killer, or a liar? Bell reinvents himself with each new book, making every story fresh and exciting