Try Not to Breathe by David Bell is a thriller that takes place in rural Kentucky. I have read several books by this author and this was one of his best. Avery, an ex-copy, is trying to track down her 21 year old sister, Anna, who has gone off the radar. Has Anna just run away or is something more sinister afoot? As Avery is searching for Anna, the entire family is forced to deal with past secrets, their relationships with each other, and their own personal demons.

The intrigue starts from page one while the backstories are unveiled. Some of the twists you can see coming, while others catch you off guard. An easy entertaining read that Bell fans will not want to miss.

I am a huge thriller addict so I was excited to get this one. I was intrigued by Anna from the start as her first night home and someone is waiting for her in the dark. That was creepy and made me wonder who was after her and why? I liked all the weird family drama with parents meddling into her business and estranged relationship with sisters. This family is highly dysfunctional and no one knows how to have healthy boundaries or communicate clearly. There was so much going on with everyone and I was sure her dad was hiding something I just wasn't prepared for how big of a secret it was.

Anna has so much to deal with from her roommate being killed, figuring out what she wants to do with her life and how to be part of the family. She realizes that she has been lied to and is hurt that her life was built on lies.

There is just so much going on to keep you engaged and wondering what will happen next. Avery and her inner strength she showed and the power to get over her fear and save people and bond with her sister was emotionally raw.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this book.

This was my second David Bell novel, and while I liked it, it wasn’t my favorite of the two. Billed as a thriller, I thought it was more of a domestic suspense or domestic mystery. As an avid thriller reader, it lacked the near-constant action or suspense needed to really place it solidly in the realm of a psychological or domestic thriller.

I really liked the mystery about why someone was trying to find Anna, Avery’s traumatic backstory, and the whole rural Kentucky mystery. I thought the evolution of Anna and Avery’s relationship was relatable with so many sibling relationships. And Charlie? Oh, I just adored him. He was hands down the best character in the book.

Parts that I didn’t love were that all three girls were named weirdly confusing “A” names, the clues were all only vaguely related, the ending felt rushed (while the first 85% read much slower than I prefer), and the dad was a generally unlikeable character. Like really, really unlikeable.

The final twist was good, though I saw it coming early.

Overall, not my favorite but I’d predict this one will get great reviews from so many others. Would also make an amazing movie.

At first, it just seems like a spoiled kid, throwing a tantrum, evading, her parents’ phone calls, and then you realize there is so much more to the story than just that. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I didn’t see the twist coming. But I also felt like David Bell left the story a little bit unfinished with not sharing how everything turned out. Perhaps there will be a part two? There was a good amount of cursing in the book if that bothers you just be aware. Despite that, Im still a big fan of his books!

...𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭. 𝐎𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧.

After nearly dying in the line of duty, Avery Rogers essentially walks away from her life, leaving her career and the boyfriend who saved her life. She chooses the anonymity of a college town where she works an unfulfilling yet safe job as a security guard, usually relegated to breaking up fights between drunken frat boys.

But one phone call changes everything. Her father, a respected retired police officer injured in the line of duty, says her half sister is missing and in danger. Avery is sure Anna is just enjoying her college experience and isn't concerned--after all, the two aren't close, but Avery's father guilts her into saying yes. Turns out Anna isn't enjoying her college experience. She's embarrassed that her father trained some officers who shot an unarmed civilian. She's tired of feeling like she doesn't belong, and she needs an outlet for her anger, so she attends a protest against police brutality. Turns out that she's caught the eye of some very dangerous people, and Anna will find herself in for the fight of her life.

There is A LOT going on in this book...aging parents, unfulfilled dreams, loss, family drama, and of course the whole police brutality issue. The themes of family and all that entails was beautifully done, but I would have liked a deeper exploration into the police brutality issues. It was mentioned several times, and the protest was a key event in the book, but it was almost an afterthought. However, the last 20% of the book was so thrilling and engaging that it made up for that minor flaw.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this early copy. TRY NOT TO BREATHE will publish June 27, 2023.

Avery left the police after a traumatic event and her father, a retired cop (injured on the job) has never let her forget it. Working as a security guard at a local college in Kentucky causes her to face a variety of difficult situations. When her half sister disappears from campus, Avery has no choice but to try and track her down. What she finds out as she tracks down Anna however, threatens her world view and her entire family. What will she do?

Set in the contemporary times of BLM protests and situations of police brutality, this is a book that shows rather than tells. I enjoyed it immensely and you will too! If you like college stories, police style procedurals with a dash of crooked cop thrown in or just love a story of a woman finding her way, Try Not To Breath is for you! #Berkley #DavidBell #TryNotToBreathe

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

Decent to read, with an interesting premise and rather easy-flowing prose. However, it was just not that memorable to me; a few things were predictable and clichéd. I'll keep reading books by this author, though, as they are engaging enough to keep me interested.

I see the potential with this book but overall I was underwhelmed. I never did care for any of the characters and they all had similar names which was confusing. I just found this story rather slow and hard to get into. It just wasn’t for me.

David Bell is fast becoming one of my favorite mystery writers. His story captivates and pulls you in and keeps you guessing until the very end.