I have long since been a fan of David Bell, his stories are always centered around families and the lies and secrets that are kept within. I love this type of psychological thriller and David Bell is one of the best! When I see his name on a book I get excited because I automatically know I’ll love it, I don’t even need to read the blurb on the back. So imagine my thrilling surprise when Somebody I Used to Know became available on NetGalley, of course I instantly requested it and then crossed my fingers and toes hoping I’d be approved, luckily I was ?

Somebody I Used to Know centers on Nick, an average divorced dad in his early forties. When he sees a young woman at the grocery store who strongly resembles his girlfriend from college he can’t believe it. Not because this girl is so young but because his college girlfriend, Marissa died 20 years ago in a tragic house fire along with her roommates. Nick tries to approach her, thinking maybe she’s related to Marissa, but the girl takes one look at Nick & immediately runs out of the store looking terrified. Nick shrugs off the incident until the next day when the police show demanding answers. The girl Nick saw in the store has been murdered, what’s more disturbing is that she had a piece of paper in her pocket with Nick’s address written on it. While Nick attempts to clear himself from the investigation he’s drawn back into his past where he looks again at the events of 20 years ago. What is the connection between these two women? Why was his address in the pocket of a young woman he’s never met? And what really happened the night of the house fire 20 years ago?

David Bell wastes no time in sucking you into his story, Somebody I Used to Know starts off with an immediate bang that doesn’t let up until the story is over. I loved Nick and really wanted to see him get some sort of happy ending. He’s an all-around nice guy and I really felt for him each time he found himself in another difficult predicament. Lucky for him he still has a few wonderful and loyal friends whom he can trust. Laurel, who he’s known since college is now a cop and begins helping Nick investigate possible leads and connections between Marissa and the murdered young woman. I just adored Laurel and found it refreshing to see a platonic friendship work as well as it did here! Laurel and her husband are happily married and have recently had a baby. When Nick reaches out to her she immediately makes the necessary arrangements in her life so that she can offer Nick her undivided help, what’s even better is that her husband supports her in this decision! I loved that there wasn’t any jealousy, possible adultery or any other weird issues between these three characters.

I was really impressed with how much this story kept me guessing! There are twists and turns at every corner and while I admit I did figure a few things out along the way, the ending and constant revelations blew me away! This is where Bell really shins as a storyteller; he has this ability to lead readers in one direction by leaving little bread crumbs & making us feel confident that we’ve got it figured out when suddenly he switches gears and lays a bomb in your lap.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a twisty, fast paced psychological thriller with complex characters! This is a superb story full of secrets, lies, and deceit; Bell has outdone himself here and Somebody I Used to Know is now my favorite of his books. Don’t stop with this one though; The Hiding Place and Cemetery Girl are also fabulous reads!

Thank you to publishers, Penguin Group Berkley, NAL and to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary, advanced reading copy of this book!

This was my first book by David Bell and it won't be my last. After reading several "female" stories, I thought I would change direction and read a mystery. What a good choice. Point A finds a young college couple embracing their relationship and youth. The girl "Marissa" suddenly breaks off the relationship and within a few days she and 3 other students die in a house fire. Point B begins 20 years later and the long ago boyfriend has tried to move on, even marries another girl years later, but the memory of Marissa still haunts him and his marriage dissolves. It's a quiet weekend night and he visits the local grocery story to pick up his usual snack foods when he catches sight of a girl in the grocery who is the spitting image of Marissa, complete with mannerism and expression. He approaches her but his forwardness scares her and she runs out of the store and into the night. Point C begins the next day when the police arrive at the same man's door and asks how he knew the girl from the grocery store. She has been found murdered and his name and address are in her pocket. The only problem -- he never told her his name.

From there the story takes an addictive ride that is well worth the ride. I was hypnotized by the plot and thought I knew the direction it was headed. I found the real story behind Marissa and her family's sudden disappearance not as believable as my own theory, but the bits of clues uncovered along the way were just as intriguing and fascinating as any Sherlock Holmes story.

This was a good detour from my usual family relationship stories and a road I hope I visit more often. The author knows how to let a story flow at a pace that is easy, doesn't get stale and doesn't move to swiftly. I look forward to reading further writings from this author.