David Bell Author Interview

Photo Content from David Bell

David Bell is the author of seven novels from Berkley/Penguin, including BRING HER HOME, SINCE SHE WENT AWAY, SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW, THE FORGOTTEN GIRL, NEVER COME BACK, THE HIDING PLACE, and CEMETERY GIRL. His work has been translated into numerous foreign languages, and in 2013, he won the prestigious Prix Polar International de Cognac for best crime novel by an international author. He is an associate professor of English at Western Kentucky University where he directs the MFA program in creative writing. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, he spends his free time rooting for the Reds and Bengals, watching movies, and walking in the cemetery near his house. He lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with his wife, writer Molly McCaffrey.

        

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing?
I would tell them to write the kind of book they would want to read, to write their own story instead of what they think someone else wants them to write. That’s the best way to move toward originality.

What were your inspirations for the character development?
That kind of inspiration come from many places. My own feelings and experiences. Things I observe in other people. Things I read about. People are complicated so it’s possible to create characters who can do just about anything.

Was there a particular event or time that you recognized that writing was not just a hobby.
When I got out of college and decided to be a writer, I realized it would require a lot of hard work and dedication. I knew I had to treat it as a job as much as anything else, so I guess that’s when it moved beyond a hobby. But, really, it always felt essential to me.

What was your unforgettable moment while writing BRING HER HOME?
As I reached the end of the book, some surprises came to mind that I hadn’t anticipated. I love when that happens.

Are there authors that you’re excited to engage/work with?
There are many, many authors I respect and admire. I’m fortunate that attending conferences and other events has allowed me to get to know some of them pretty well. And the internet and social media allow for those kinds of interactions as well.

What part of Bill did you enjoy writing the most?
I like that Bill is a deeply flawed and yet still admirable character. He will do anything to protect his daughter.

What was the most surprising thing you learned in creating Summer?
Again, as I reached the end of the book I realized that Summer had a big secret of her own, something she’d been carrying around with her for a long time. It was exciting to reveal that to the reader.

What are some of your current and future projects that you can share with us?
My next novel, SOMEBODY’S DAUGHTER, will be out in July 2018. It’s the story of a guy who has his past literally show up on his doorstep. What could be scarier?

Which character have you enjoyed getting to know while writing BRING HER HOME?
I really enjoyed writing about Bill’s sister, Paige. She played a big role in the story. She told uncomfortable truths that Bill didn’t want to hear. She discovered things that needed to be discovered. And she was Bill’s rock.

If you could introduce one of your characters to any character from another book, who would it be and why?
Maybe Summer needs to meet Caitlin from CEMETERY GIRL. They’d have a lot to talk about.

Tell me about your first kiss.
I seem to recall an awkward neighborhood game of Spin the Bottle when I was about ten.

What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a teenager?
Well I was one during the 80s. That was fun with lots of good music. Maybe the 90s because then I’d be ten years younger…

If you could go back in time to one point in your life, where would you go?
That’s a tough call. I wouldn’t mind going back to when my dad would have been alive. I wouldn’t mind going back to many things and getting them right…but that’s human nature, isn’t it?

What book would you recommend for others to read?
KILLER CHOICE by Tom Hunt, coming in January 2018

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?
What day is it?

Where can readers find you?
davidbellnovels.com. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: davidbellnovels

TEN WAYS YOU GET INSPIRED TO WRITE

• Have a deadline
• Drink caffeine
• Need money
• Observe something crazy
• Have a weird dream
• Wake up early
• Take a long walk
• Remember you’re going to die
• Read someone else’s great writing
• Read a weird story in the newspaper

In the breathtaking new thriller from David Bell, bestselling author of Since She Went Away and Somebody I Used to Know, the fate of two missing teenage girls becomes a father's worst nightmare....

Just a year and a half after the tragic death of his wife, Bill Price's fifteen-year-old daughter, Summer, and her best friend, Haley, disappear. Days later, the girls are found in a city park. Haley is dead at the scene, while Summer is left beaten beyond recognition and clinging to life.

As Bill holds vigil over Summer's bandaged body, the only sound the unconscious girl can make is one cryptic and chilling word: No. And the more time Bill spends with Summer, the more he wonders what happened to her. Or if the injured girl in the hospital bed is really his daughter at all.

When troubling new questions about Summer's life surface, Bill is not prepared for the aftershocks. He'll soon discover that both the living and the dead have secrets. And that searching for the truth will tear open old wounds that pierce straight to the heart of his family...

Praise for BRING HER HOME

"Bell imagines a suburban world where no one really knows what’s happening behind all those drawn blinds. In Bell’s take, though, even the people inside don’t really know what’s happening. That’s where his brilliance, and the brilliance of Bring Her Home, rests.” —Providence Journal

“Taut, intelligent, and intense suspense that is deeply human.” —Mark Greaney, New York Times bestselling author of Gunmetal Gray

“Exciting and well-layered....David Bell is a master storyteller with a sure hand at crafting characters you feel for and stories you relish.” —Allen Eskens, USA Today bestselling author of The Life We Bury

“A tense and twisty suspense novel about the dark secrets that lie buried within a community and a father who can save his daughter only by uncovering them. Will leave parents wondering just how well they truly know their children.” —Hester Young, author of The Gates of Evangeline and The Shimmering Road

“A gripping, immersive tour-de-force full of twists and turns. Bring Her Home kept me flipping the pages late into the night. Don’t expect to sleep until you’ve finished reading this book. I could not put it down!” —A. J. Banner, bestselling author of The Good Neighbor and The Twilight Wife

“In David Bell’s riveting Bring Her Home, the unthinkable is only the beginning. From there, the story races through stunning twists all the way to its revelation, without letting its heart fall away in the action. Intense, emotional, and deeply satisfying. This one will keep you up late into the night. Don't miss it!” —Jamie Mason, author of Three Graves Full and Monday’s Lie

“Spellbinding and pulse-raising, Bring Her Home hooked me from the first sentence and surprised me until the final pages. Sharply written and richly observed, this book is about the secrets we keep, the mysteries that keep us, and the lengths a father will go to for the daughter he loves. David Bell is a masterful storyteller who has perfected the art of suspense in Bring Her Home.” —Sarah Domet, author of The Guineveres 

You can purchase Bring Her Home at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you DAVID BELL for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of Bring Her Home by David Bell.

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David Bell Author Interview

Photo Content from David Bell

David Bell is the author of seven novels from Berkley/Penguin, including BRING HER HOME, SINCE SHE WENT AWAY, SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW, THE FORGOTTEN GIRL, NEVER COME BACK, THE HIDING PLACE, and CEMETERY GIRL. His work has been translated into numerous foreign languages, and in 2013, he won the prestigious Prix Polar International de Cognac for best crime novel by an international author. He is an associate professor of English at Western Kentucky University where he directs the MFA program in creative writing. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, he spends his free time rooting for the Reds and Bengals, watching movies, and walking in the cemetery near his house. He lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with his wife, writer Molly McCaffrey.

        

Was there a defining moment during your youth when you realized you wanted to be a writer?
I can’t think of one defining moment. I always loved to read. My whole family loved to read. At some point, it made sense to take the leap from reader to writer. I know that at the end of my time as an undergraduate in college, I realized the gravy train was about to leave the station, and I had to hurry up and decide on a career path. I picked writer, which meant I spent a lot of time working as a bartender and a telemarketer.

What’s one thing that readers would be surprised to find out about you?
I’ll give you three: Charles Manson and I are from the same town. Cult leader Jim Jones and I attended the same university. And I once peed next to Norman Mailer.

What was the greatest thing you learned at school?
Learning to read. What else is there? I had a lot of great teachers who loved books and stories, and they cultivated that desire in me. I also learned that even the smallest, oldest nun can pull your hair until it hurts.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?
The greatest thing other authors have done for me is to simply believe in me. When hugely talented and experienced authors like Ed Gorman, Tom Monteleone, or John Lescroart say that they believe in me, it’s worth more than anything. Writers always need confidence boosts, especially when we’re young and just starting out. I can’t thank those authors enough for that.

In your new book; The Hiding Place, can you tell my Book Nerd community a little about it?
THE HIDING PLACE tells the story of a family that lost a child twenty-five years ago. As the anniversary of the boy’s death approaches, new questions arise about the case: Did the right man get convicted? Did the child really die? And who is the strange man who has come to town, claiming to know what really happened in the past?

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in Janet?
I knew she was tough and brave, but she kept surprising me with how tough and brave she was. She never backed down from a fight or a challenge, and I liked that about her a lot.

For those who are unfamiliar with Janet, how would you introduce her?
Janet is a single mom who has made a life for herself and her fifteen-year-old daughter, Ashleigh. But Janet is also haunted by the death of her brother when she was seven and he was four. Janet was supposed to be watching him the day he disappeared, and she’s really on a journey to try to understand what really happened that day—and hopefully find some peace of mind about it.

You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your readers. What would it be?
Keep reading books! Buy books from your community bookstores. Go to readings and book signings. Spend time with other readers. Support your libraries. Keep books and reading alive!

If you could introduce one of your characters to any character from another book, who would it be and why?
What a wild question. What would happen if Caitlin, the girl from CEMETERY GIRL, and Ashleigh, the girl from THE HIDING PLACE, got together? Any two teenagers can start a lot of trouble, but those two…yikes!

When asked, what’s the one question you always answer with a lie?
How much hair do you have left on your head?

What’s your most missed memory?
Maybe being a kid and just having hours and hours to read on a sleepy afternoon. Nowhere to go. No job. No demands. Just reading. That’s tough to find as an adult.

What's the most mermorable summer job you've ever had?
I worked as a movie theatre projectionist one summer. I could have all the Mountain Dew I wanted, and I saw TOP GUN, THE COLOR OF MONEY, LEGAL EAGLES, and MANNEQUIN more times than I can count.

Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day?
That would have to be my wife, Molly.

When was the last time you told someone you loved them?
I tell my wife all the time. When they bring me good news about my writing career, I tell my agent or editor that I love them.

Do you remember your favorite teacher?
I’ve had many, many great teachers who encouraged me and shared my love of reading and writing. In recent years, some of the best have been Tom Monteleone, David Morrell, F. Paul Wilson, Jack Ketchum, and Richard Chizmar at the Borderlands Press Boot Camp for Writers.

When was the last time you cried?
Before I paid off my student loan, I cried every time I mailed a payment.

In all seriousness, my dad died two years ago. I cried like a baby.

Most horrifying dream you have ever had?
I have dreams of falling. Dreams of being chased. And, of course, the scariest thing of all—dreams of books not selling enough!

Sometimes it’s easier to believe a lie.

Twenty-five-years ago, the disappearance of four-year-old Justin Manning rocked the small town of Dove Point, Ohio. After his body was found in a shallow grave in the woods two months later, the repercussions were felt for years.… Janet Manning has been haunted by the murder since the day she lost sight of her brother in the park. Now, with the twenty-fifth anniversary of Justin’s death looming, a detective and a newspaper reporter have started to ask questions, opening old wounds and raising new suspicions. Could the man convicted of the murder—who spent more than two decades in prison—really be innocent? Janet’s childhood friend and high school crush, who was in the park with her that day, has returned to Dove Point, where he is wrestling with his own conflicted memories of the events. And a strange man appears at Janet’s door in the middle of the night, claiming to know the truth. Soon, years of deceit will be swept away, and the truth about what happened to Janet’s brother will be revealed. And the answers that Janet has sought may be found much closer to home than she ever could have imagined.

Praise for THE HIDING PLACE

"Bell follows his 2011 debut, Cemetery Girl, with an artfully constructed tale...a powerful, provocative novel." ―Publishers Weekly

David Bell’s highly engrossing novel, The Hiding Place, tells the story of the disappearance and murder of four-year-old Justin Manning and how it affected the small town of Dove Point, Ohio. Readers are introduced to his sister, Janet, who along with friends was the last one to see Justin alive. After almost twenty-five years later, a newspaper reporter and detected are digging into the case that is nurturing new doubts and could prove the man convicted for the murder innocent. Plenty of twists unfold as a mysterious man claiming to know the truth makes himself known. After years of accepting what was to believe, Janet is suddenly looming closer to the truth but is shocked when it is leaning closer to home.

The loss of Janet’s brother and its affects towards her life and family are clearly depicted with rich textured details. Just like Cemetery Girl, the author’s first novel, it is enthralling from beginning to end. David has a knack for getting readers hooked from the very first page. The mixture of murder, mystery, secrets, and memories served as the perfect ingredients for a truly absorbing story. It will keep interest levels high as it builds up the tension, but only to have it fold creating a wicked twist in the storyline. The action and dialogue were plenty and kept the plot moving along well. The Hiding Place is an amazing and riveting police procedural that also tells a touching story about human emotions. David Bell has struck another homerun with this one and I certainly cannot wait for what he is going to pitch to us next.

You can purchase The Hiding Place at the following Retailers:
          

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you DAVID BELL for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of The Hiding Place by David J. Bell.

jbnpastinterviews

Read More

David Bell Author Interview

Photo Content from David Bell

David Bell is the author of seven novels from Berkley/Penguin, including BRING HER HOME, SINCE SHE WENT AWAY, SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW, THE FORGOTTEN GIRL, NEVER COME BACK, THE HIDING PLACE, and CEMETERY GIRL. His work has been translated into numerous foreign languages, and in 2013, he won the prestigious Prix Polar International de Cognac for best crime novel by an international author. He is an associate professor of English at Western Kentucky University where he directs the MFA program in creative writing. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, he spends his free time rooting for the Reds and Bengals, watching movies, and walking in the cemetery near his house. He lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with his wife, writer Molly McCaffrey.

        

Where are you from? 

I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN CINCINNATI, OHIO.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grow up?

FIRST, I WANTED TO PLAY FOR THE CINCINNATI REDS. WHEN I REALIZED THE LIMITS OF MY ATHLETIC ABILITY--THIS HAPPENED ABOUT THE AGE OF TWELVE--I SHIFTED MY FOCUS TO BOOKS AND READING. AT SOME POINT, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE COOL TO TRY TO WRITE MY OWN STORY SO THAT I COULD BE LIKE THE AUTHORS I ENJOYED READING SO MUCH. IF I'D KNOWN HOW MUCH TIME IT WOULD TAKE, I MIGHT HAVE RECONSIDERED MY CAREER CHOICE AND GONE BACK TO BASEBALL. 

What inspired you to pen your first novel? 

MY FIRST NOVEL--WHICH REMAINS UNPUBLISHED, NOW AND FOREVER--WAS TOTALLY AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL AND SO INSPIRED BY MY OWN LIFE. I MADE THE MISTAKE OF 1. THINKING JUST ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED TO ME WAS INTERESTING AND 2. I TRIED TO WRITE ABOUT MY LIFE AS IT WAS HAPPENING. I HAD TO GROW UP A LITTLE AND REALIZE THAT I COULDN'T JUST SIT DOWN AND WRITE ABOUT MY LIFE. I HAD TO SHAPE IT INTO FICTION--COMPLETE WITH CONFLICTS AND PLOTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 

How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing? 

I GREW UP IN THE MIDWEST AND SO I WRITE A LOT ABOUT THE MIDWEST. I THINK IT'S A PLACE THAT SEEMS "TYPICAL" AND "TRADITIONAL" TO SO MANY PEOPLE, EVEN PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE. BUT EVEN THE MOST TYPICAL PLACE IS FULL OF GREAT STORIES. ALSO, I GREW UP CATHOLIC, WHICH IS A VIOLENT, COLORFUL RELIGION. I THINK MY CATHOLIC UPBRINGING WARPED ME AND CAUSED ME TO LOOK AT THE WORLD IN A UNIQUE WAY, ONE THAT COMES OUT IN MY WRITING QUITE A BIT. 

How does your family and/or friends feel about your book or writing venture in general? 

MY FAMILY IS SUPPORTIVE, ALTHOUGH I'M NOT SURE THEY ALWAYS UNDERSTAND THE LIFE OF A WRITER. I WOUDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT THEM BECAUSE I GREW UP IN A HOUSE FULL OF BOOKS. MY PARENTS TOOK ME TO THE LIBRARY AND BOOKSTORE ALL THE TIME. MY LOVE OF READING DEVELOPED WITH THEM, AND I OWE THEM A GREAT DEAL FOR THAT. 

What genre are you most comfortable writing? 

I THINK OF MYSELF AS A SUSPENSE WRITER. OF COURSE, I THINK ALL BOOKS SHOULD BE SUSPENSEFUL AND THRILLING--BUT I LOVE A STORY ABOUT ORDINARY PEOPLE FACING EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES. AND THOSE ARE THE STORIES I TRY TO WRITE. 

How did you come up with the title for your book? 

SOME OF THE ACTION OF THE BOOK TAKES PLACE IN A CEMETERY NEAR THE PROTAGONIST'S HOUSE. IT'S BASED ON A REAL PARK AND CEMETERY WHERE I LIVE IN BOWLING GREEN, KY. IN THE BOOK, A YOUNG GIRL DISAPPEARS FROM THE PARK AND CEMETERY, AND THAT SETTING LENT THE MOOD TO THE BOOK. THE TITLE WAS A NATURAL FIT. 

Who designed the cover of your book? 

A WOMAN NAMED MIMI BARK WHO WORKS FOR NAL/PENGUIN. I HAVE TO SAY SHE DID AN AMAZING JOB--AND I THINK THE COVER REALLY HELPS DRAW READERS IN TO THE BOOK. I FEEL VERY LUCKY. 

If you gave some of your characters an opportunity to speak for themselves, what would they say? 

I THINK ALL OF MY CHARACTERS--EVEN THE ONES WHOSE MOTIVES WE QUESTION--ARE TRYING TO DO THEIR BEST. I HOPE THE BOOK ITSELF SAYS, "LISTEN TO ME. LISTEN TO MY STORY." I THINK THAT'S ALL ANY OF US REALLY WANTS--A CHANCE TO BE HEARD, AND I THINK MY CHARACTERS WOULD ASK FOR THE SAME THING. 

Why do you feel you had to tell this story? 

I WAS FASCINATED BY THE FAMILY DYNAMIC IN THE STORY, THE IDEA THAT THESE PEOPLE COULD LIVE IN SUCH CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER AND STILL NOT BE REALLY CERTAIN THAT THEY KNEW OR TRUSTED EACH OTHER. IT CREATED A LOT OF TENSION. 

Are your works based on someone you know or events in your life? 

NOT DIRECTLY, OF COURSE. I THINK OF THEM AS BEING EMOTIONALLY AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL. I'M A MEMBER OF MORE THAN ONE FAMILY, SO I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THE ROLE FAMILY PLAYS IN OUR LIVES. IN THAT WAY, THE STORY IS UNIVERSAL--WE ALL HAVE CONNECTIONS TO FAMILY--BUT IT GREW OUT OF MY OWN MUSINGS ABOUT FAMILIES AND THE ROLES THEY PLAY IN OUR LIVES. 

What was your favorite chapter to write and why? 

I LIKE DIFFERENT ONES FOR DIFFERENT REASONS, OF COURSE. BUT THE FINAL CHAPTER STICKS WITH ME. IT'S A GREAT FEELING WHEN THINGS COME TOGETHER--AND I THINK THE READER WILL BE MOVED BY IT AS WELL. 

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in writing Cemetery Girl? 

I REALLY ENJOYED WRITING ABOUT COMPLICATED CHARACTERS WHO MAKE DIFFICULT CHOICES. I KNEW THAT SOMETIMES TOM, THE PROTAGONIST, WAS DOING THINGS THAT WOULD MAKE READERS MAD AT HIM. SOMETIMES I GOT MAD AT HIM. BUT I ALSO BELIEVED THAT WOULD MAKE FOR A BETTER STORY IN THE END. 

What question are you never asked in interviews but wish you were? 

HMMMM. WHO DO YOU THINK WILL WIN THE SUPER BOWL OR WORLD SERIES? HOW DID YOU GET TO BE SO DARN HANDSOME AND SMART? 

Has a review or profile ever changed your perspective on your work? 

NOT REALLY. I'VE TAKEN A LOT OF CREATIVE WRITING CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS AND THAT KIND OF CRITICISM HELPS A LOT. BUT REVIEWS HAVE A DIFFERENT PURPOSE. A VERY IMPORTANT PURPOSE, BUT THEY'RE WRITTEN MORE FOR THE READER THAN THE WRITER. 

Do you have any fun Halloween experiences you can tell us? 

I LOVED HALLOWEEN BECAUSE IT WAS A HOLIDAY I SPENT WITH MY FRIENDS AND NOT MY FAMILY. I ALWAYS FELT LIBERATED ON HALLOWEEN BECAUSE WE COULD RUN AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOODS AFTER DARK--AND END UP WITH A BIG BAG OF CANDY AS WELL. I WISH I COULD STILL DO THAT, BUT I THINK PEOPLE WOULD LOOK AT ME FUNNY. 

What was the first horror book/story you remember reading? 

STEPHEN KING'S STORY COLLECTION NIGHT SHIFT. ONE OF THE BEST HORROR COLLECTIONS EVER. IT FREAKED ME OUT, BUT I REMEMBER BEING THRILLED THAT SOMEONE WAS WRITING STORIES LIKE THAT, STORIES ABOUT KILLER RATS AND SERIAL KILLERS. ALL THE CRAZY STUFF I THOUGHT ABOUT WAS IN THAT BOOK. 

Are there any tips you would give a book club to better navigate their discussion of your book? 

I THINK TO FOCUS ON THAT ISSUE OF FAMILY AS WELL AS THE CHOICES THE CHARACTERS MAKE IN THE BOOK. I HOPE THE BOOK DOESN'T LEND ITSELF TO EASY ANSWERS AND THEREFORE COULD CREATE SOME GREAT DISCUSSIONS. I ALREADY KNOW OF SEVERAL BOOK CLUBS THAT ARE GOING TO READ IT. I LOVE TO HEAR FROM THEM. 

Any recent appearances that you would like to share with us about/any upcoming ones? 

I'VE BEEN TOURING FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS AND HAVING A GREAT TIME MEETING READERS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. VISIT MY WEBSITE >>>>HERE<<<< TO SEE UPCOMING DATES. 

What books have most influenced your life? 

KING ARTHUR AND HIS KNIGHTS BY MABEL LOUISE ROBINSON, WHERE I'M CALLING FROM BY RAYMOND CARVER, THE SUN ALSO RISES BY ERNEST HEMINGWAY, NIGHT SHIFT AND 'SALEM'S LOT BY STEPHEN KING, RUM PUNCH BY ELMORE LEONARD. 

What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing? 

CHARACTERS MAKING TOUGH CHOICES WITH REAL CONSEQUENCES. CLEAN, CRISP SENTENCES THAT EVOKE A MOOD WITHOUT GETTING IN THE WAY OF THE READER'S INTERACTION WITH THE STORY. REAL EMOTION. 

Are you working on any books/projects that you would like to share with us? 

I'M HARD AT WORK ON A NEW NOVEL CALLED THE UNKNOWN CHILD WHICH IS ABOUT A FAMILY DEALING WITH THE LONG-TERM AFTEREFFECTS OF THE MURDER OF THEIR CHILD. AND NEW QUESTIONS ARE BEING RAISED IN THE PRESENT DAY ABOUT THAT MURDER AND WHETHER OR NOT IT HAPPENED THE WAY EVERYONE THINKS IT DID. 

What are you reading now? 

I, ROBOT BY ISAAC ASIMOV. I'VE ONLY RECENTLY STARTED READING ASIMOV AND I LOVE HIS STUFF. VERY SMART AND VERY FUN

Four years after Tom and Abby's 12-year-old daughter vanishes, she is found alive but strangely calm. When the teen refuses to testify against the man connected to her disappearance, Tom decides to investigate the traumatizing case on his own. Nothing can prepare him for what he is about to discover.

Praise for CEMETERY GIRL

“Cemetery Girl grabbed me by the throat on page one and never let up. An intense, unrelenting powerhouse of a book, and the work of a master.” —#1 New York Times bestselling author John Lescroart

“An utterly compelling thriller...an absolutely riveting, absorbing read not to be missed.” —New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger

“Trust me: you have never read a missing persons story like this one....A fast, mean head trip of a thriller that reads like a collaboration between Michael Connelly and the gothic fiction of Joyce Carol Oates, Cemetery Girl is one of those novels that you cannot shake after it's over. A winner on every level.” —New York Times bestselling author Will Lavender

“Cemetery Girl is a smasher. It twists and turns and never lets go.” —New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard

“A tense and terrifying journey that brims with emotional authenticity. Bell manages not only to build suspense effectively but also tell a story that goes way beyond simple thrills.” —Booklist

“Disturbing, brilliantly engaging, and a must read for thriller fans.” —Suspense Magazine

David Bell’s thriller debut, Cemetery Girl, is the story of the disappearance of 12 year old Caitlin Stuart and how her parents, Tom and Abby, coped with her being gone. Bell starts the story four years earlier after Caitlin’s disappearance. Frantic and besieged, Tom vowed to never give up the hope that she is still alive and will come back home. However, Abby has given up and decides it is time to move on. She planned a memorial service and ordered a headstone as she felt the marriage ended when Caitlin disappeared.

When Caitlin was found alive, she does not discuss the details of the events leading up to her disappearance and anything in between. Happy that his daughter has returned home safe, Tom is now on a mission to learn about her disappearance.

The book is told from the perspective of Tom, which Bell did an excellent job getting the readers intrigued and fulfilled. His writing style made a sensitive issue easy to comprehend. The aftermath of Caitlin’s disappearance tested the marriage of Tom and Abby and Bell’s efforts to describe the different aspects and reactions of people were fantastically written.

Cemetery Girl is a riveting and powerful novel, maintaining the reader on their toes until the end. Mesmerizing and full with torment, this captivating story shows to be a page-turner. It is a forceful ride, coiling through psychological territory and pulling the reader into emotional suffering. It is worth the read as the book is truly thought-aggravating.

You can purchase Cemetery Girl at these following retailers.

        

And now, The Giveaways. 

Thank you DAVID BELL for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive one copy of Cemetery Girl by David Bell.

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