The Request

This book wasn't too bad, but it has some flaws. I will say that it was pretty fast-paced & did not drag or bore you with filler like many other books do. My main complaint is that it's very predictable. How could Ryan not have any clue who the "bad guy" was when it was glaringly obvious. Amanda sort of got on my nerves sometimes, too. This book was better than some of his others, though, and I did finish it within a day.

The Request by David Bell tension-filled domestic mystery. Ryan Francis is happily married to Amanda and father to infant son Henry. He also has a lucrative career and a stake in a local bar. Needless to say, he has an awful lot to lose when his college friend Blake Norton asks him a favor. The two men have been on the outs for the past six months, so Ryan is surprised by Blake’s news. He is also dismayed and very much against going through with Blake’s request. But determined to keep his secret from being revealed, Ryan very reluctantly agrees. And he quickly regrets his decision when he discovers a dead body. Nor can he locate what Blake sent him to find. With Detective Rountree asking a lot of uncomfortable questions, Ryan needs to locate Blake and get answers to some very important questions. By all appearances, Ryan is an upright man who loves his wife and son. He made his share of poor decisions in college and one in particular haunts him. He does his best to attempt to right the wrong, so he is determined to ensure his secret remains hidden. Ryan’s biggest fear is Amanda will uncover the truth about what happened his senior year in college. Blake is gregarious, friendly and always the life of the party. So the first surprising bit of information he reveals is his recent sobriety. Another disclosure is a shocker that sends waves of fear through Ryan. Although his explanation for why Ryan is the only person who can help him is unsatisfactory, his old friend really has no choice but to agree to the request. Over just a few days, Ryan attempts to stay one step ahead of Detective Rountree as he searches for Blake, who has inexplicably disappeared. He also tries to avoid giving away too much to Amanda who knows her husband well enough to realize he is being somewhat evasive. There is also a hint of danger hanging over the Francis household due to some nerve-wracking incidents that have recently occurred. Despite his anger at Blake, Ryan cannot say no when his friend summons him for a mysterious meeting. Is Ryan fully prepared for the stunning revelations that await him? The Request is an engrossing mystery that is also quite intriguing. Although none of the characters are easy to like, it is easy to become invested in unmasking a killer. The short chapters add a sense of urgency to the an already suspenseful storyline. With clever red herrings and misdirects, David Bell brings this fast-moving mystery to a twist-filled denouement. I received a complimentary copy for review.

You know that expression 'dumbest smart person I know?' That is exactly what kept going through my mind almost from the beginning of this book. Ryan is a great example of piling one mistake atop the next and getting deeper and deeper into a mess he can't get out of. Granted, he's not the only one making mistakes and doing foolish things. Of course, not everything is quite as it seems, and there are plenty of twists as Ryan acts and reacts, and I really, really wanted to reach into the book and give him a good shake. So, yes, it's safe to say that Ryan frustrated the daylights out of me, but he's not the only one. The Request had a few frustrating characters, although Ryan takes the prize. In a lot of cases, that would get on my nerves, and things do sometimes seem disjointed, but David Bell does bring it all together and it works for this story. As I mentioned, there are plenty of twists, some that were quite predictable and some that I didn't see coming at all. Predictable or not, Ryan and company kept me turning the pages all the way to the final twist because here's the thing: no matter how frustrating the characters are, they're intriguing characters. I wanted to see if and how Ryan's secret would come out. I wanted to know if his marriage would be okay. I wanted to see if Blake was up to more than what was on the surface. What it all comes down to is The Request is a well written, fast-paced thriller. It's loaded with unreliable characters, a protagonist who is all too dependent on social media, and the assurance that no matter how big our secrets, they will inevitably come out. I certainly enjoyed it and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes the genre.