STORM WARNING

3.5 stars out of 5

After reading and enjoying three other books by this author, I was of course looking forward to this one. But while it's an interesting plot, overall it left me a bit disappointed. Set in the midst of a hurricane on a small island off the Florida coast, it's got an abundance of wind, rain and (gasp!) murder. But it's long on second-guessing and short on substance - and an ending that's not only abrupt but that absolutely screams for a more in-depth explanation.

Jake Powell, it seems, has been living on the island for about six months, trying to find himself after leaving his wife and teenage daughter back home on the mainland. There are very few residents on the island, most living in apartment buildings that are almost falling down around them - and a developer wants to finish them off and build anew. But now, Jake wants to go home; in a hurry to get across the short causeway before a big storm rolls in, he tells his plan to his landlord and friend, Dallas, and sets off to make sure the top-floor tenant - an elderly lady - is safe. When he returns to say his final goodbye to Dallas, he gets quite a shock; in the short time he was gone, someone has killed Dallas. But who?

Jake jumps in the car and barely makes it to the mainland with the intention of telling the police and then heading on to his wife and daughter. But when the police, who are well trained in disaster protocols, say they're helpless until the storm - now a certified hurricane - passes, Jake inexplicably decides to put friendship with those he's known for half a year ahead of concern for his famiily and heads back to the almost-wiped-out causeway. He makes it, of course, but now he's stuck on an island with people he doesn't know all that well - one of them most likely a murderer.

Gathering his little group of apartment dwellers together thinking there's safety in numbers, from that point on, it's mostly a matter of speculation of how bad the hurricane might get mixed with more speculation as to who that killer may be rather than finding any real evidence or clues. There's a surprise that complicates the situation a bit, but for the most part, that only leads to more second-guessing. At the end, readers get a peek at what the future holds, but only a peek. All told, though, it's a very readable book - I could have polished it off in a single day, I'm sure, had life not intervened (think chaise lounge on a sunny beach). And I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Storm Warning by David Bell (Berkley, June 2024); 448 pp.

LAYOVER

4 stars out of 5


There's a touch of edge-of-seatness in this book to be sure, but I'd describe it more as a coming of age character study than a spine-tingling thriller. And I admit it's a bit of a stretch when it comes to believability; but then again, this is a work of fiction - so whether it could happen in real life really doesn't count for much. The bottom line is how well it's written - and I have no real complaints on that score; had I been able to finish it in one sitting, I would have.

Joshua Fields is your average Joe - went to work for his father, spending his days (and not a few nights) on the road helping with real estate deals and making his dad proud. He's got a girlfriend, although they're not quite seeing eye-to-eye at the moment and are taking a break. He makes decent money and, for all intents and purposes, should be a happy man.

Except he isn't. He hates to fly - popping anxiety pills before every one of his frequent flights. He knows he should be grateful that he's got a steady job with a future, a parent who loves him and a somewhat satisfactory love life. But in fact, he sees his life as hum-drum at best; he's just going through motions that he really doesn't much enjoy.

All that changes when he meets a beautiful but mysterious woman named Morgan during a layover at the Atlanta airport while on his way to shore up a real estate deal in Tampa, Fla. When she tells him little more about her life except that she's on the run, he's fascinated. And when she gives him a big kiss before flying down the concourse to catch her plane, fascination turns into infatuation. On a spur-of-the-moment whim, Josh decides to throw caution to the wind, cancel his trip to Tampa and set out to find her again. Perhaps, he seems to think, he can save her and his boring life in one fell swoop.

But you know what they say about good intentions and best-laid plans; finding Morgan isn't quite as simple as Josh thinks. And, he learns, she may not be all that happy to be found. Although she reveals a few more details about her dire situation, she leaves out enough to make Josh even more curious.

Meanwhile, a detective named Kimberly Givens is working on the case of the missing Giles Caldwell - the head honcho of a successful company that develops apps. It appears his home was broken into, but the only thing missing is a very expensive woman's ring. Giles's brother is pestering the police to get on with the investigation, but for the most part Kimberly's leads aren't going anywhere. She sticks with it, of course, eventually unearthing clues that point in the missing Morgan's direction (no big surprise there).

It's fast-paced, with short chapters shifting to different characters' points of views. It didn't end the way I would have expected, although upon reflection it was a good fit (see the first sentence in my review). All in all, a very enjoyable read - thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to review an advance copy.

Layover by David Bell (Berkley, July 2019); 414 pp.

SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER

4 stars out of 5


For sure, this book held my attention all the way through. In fact, it latched on so tightly that our dinner got put on hold for a little over an hour while I plowed through to the final page. But that said, I really never really "connected" with any of the characters (more on that in a bit). Besides that, thoughts of same concept, different author kept niggling at the back of my brain as I turned the pages.

Here's the deal: Michael Frazier is living the good life with his second wife, Angela, in Cottonsville, Kentucky; that they're trying, so far unsuccessfully, to have a baby is frustrating, but they're hanging in there. His first marriage to a kooky sort named Erica didn't make it much past a year, and they went their separate ways.

Until now. Suddenly, Erica appears at Michael's door, begging him to help find her missing 9-year-old daughter Felicity. Why Michael, after all these years? Well, Erica tells him, because you're Felicity's father. To put it mildly, Michael is stunned - and questions whether it's even true. Nonetheless, he just can't find it in his heart not to help, even when Angela - who's just as stunned as Michael, if not more - tells him he should stay home and let the police handle things. But Erica insists she must take matters into her own hands because the police aren't taking her daughter's disappearance seriously (after all, it's been most of a day and they haven't found her).

So off he goes. It is at this early point, I must add, that I wrote Michael off. Sure, I "get" (well, sort of) his concern over a missing child that might be his and his reluctance to leave an ex-wife in the lurch even though he thinks she's nuts; on the other hand, I just can't work up sympathy for people who totally ignore common sense. But then, of course, there'd be no story. So there we are.

Everything and everyone moves along quickly from then on, bringing a few surprises as chapters follow the progress and setbacks of Michael and Erica, Angela, Michael's sister Lynn and their mother, and the two primary cops working the case. Little by little, readers learn that every character comes with issues - some more related to the child's disappearance than others - and broken trust becomes a common theme among them all.

Most important, though, is whether or not they'll find the child (and the kidnapper) in time to save her. That, in fact, overshadows all else, adding an edge-of-the-seat tension that doesn't quit till the end. Overall, it's quite an enjoyable ride, reinforcing what I already believe: Given excellent writing, it's not necessary to fall in love with the characters to be happy that you've read a book. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with an advance review copy.

Somebody's Daughter by David Bell (Berkley, July 2018); 432 pp.

BRING HER HOME

4 stars out of 5

Bill Price and his teenage daughter, Summer, are still trying to cope with the sudden loss of their wife and mother, Julia, who fell to her death about a year and a half earlier. Not wanting to alienate Summer as she continues to grieve, Bill gives her a bit more rein than usual - not forcing the issue if she stays out a bit later or sulks around the house. That leeway comes into serious question, though, when Summer and her best friend Haley go missing. 

Days later, they're found in a city park; Haley is dead, and Summer has been beaten to an unrecognizable pulp but is still clinging to life. In the hospital ICU, she begins the slow process of healing - her father and his sister, Paige, by her side almost every minute. Once in a while, she tries to speak - and the word she utters seems to be "no." She also knocks the stuffed animal Bill brought to comfort her - the one she refuses to sleep without at home - on the floor every time he places it in the bed with her. What, Bill wonders, is up with that?

Bill also questions the efforts of the local police, who he's convinced aren't doing enough to find out who did this to his precious daughter. For solace, he turns to Paige and his ever-so-slick friend and next-door neighbor, Adam. But mostly, he rants, yells, cajoles and berates the lead police detective on the case (that is, when he's not running off to badger someone he suspects is the culprit). Each time he gets himself in trouble for sticking his nose into police business, he apologizes - and then turns around and does it again when a new suspect (to his mind) turns up. 

As the investigation continues, new information is unearthed on almost every page (clearly not fast enough for Bill, but it seemed plenty fast for me). Much of it sheds new light on Summer, leading Bill to reflect on how much he and his late wife really knew their precious daughter.

Especially given that at least one major twist happens near the beginning, that's about all I can say without giving away too much. The story is interesting and straightforward (the chapters don't shift back and forth among characters and/or time period, thank you very much), the action moves along quickly and the loose ends are pretty well tied up in the end - making for a very enjoyable experience overall. Many thanks to the publisher (via NetGalley) for the opportunity to read an advance review copy.

Bring Her Home by David Bell (Berkley, July 2017); 464 pp.