Title: Somebody I Used To Know

Author: David Bell

Publisher: New American Library

Synopsis:

The breakout author of The Forgotten Girl and Cemetery Girl, “one of the brightest and best crime fiction writers of our time” (Suspense Magazine) delivers a new novel about a man who is haunted by a face from his past….

When Nick Hansen sees the young woman at the grocery store, his heart stops. She is the spitting image of his college girlfriend, Marissa Minor, who died in a campus house fire twenty years earlier. But when Nick tries to speak to her, she acts skittish and rushes off.

The next morning the police arrive at Nick’s house and show him a photo of the woman from the store. She’s been found dead, murdered in a local motel, with Nick’s name and address on a piece of paper in her pocket.

Convinced there’s a connection between the two women, Nick enlists the help of his college friend Laurel Davidson to investigate the events leading up to the night of Marissa’s death. But the young woman’s murder is only the beginning… and the truths Nick uncovers may make him wish he never doubted the lies.

***

We all know that feeling when you pick up a book, you read all night and then finish it at school or work. That is exactly what happened to me. I just clicked the read now button, and a minute later, I was reading it. I love good thrillers.

I can summarise this book in two words: crazily twisted; in all the meanings of twisted. The author is telling the story of two college students, Marissa and Nick, who met and fell in love. However, Marissa is killed and Nick cannot get over it.

It has been a while since I have been so hooked up by a book so I literally couldn’t put it down. This page-turner has incredible characters and flawless writing. You know, some things don’t make sense and then it all adds up. Having said that, this is not a novel for those searching fast-paced read. The slow-burn built up to the end is simply genius and unblemished, though it could be irritating if you like everything to be revealed in the first chapters. The deeper I dived into the story and the characters, the more I refused to put it down.

Nick’s character is so relatable. He feels like a human being; he is not perfect as many characters are portrayed. He has his problems, but overall he is a good guy, living in the past to some extent, though it’s understandable considering his feelings for Marissa. They had so many plans together that were ruined.

In short, Somebody I Used To Know is a thrilling read with many twists and turns which keeps you guessing until the end just to prove your assumptions wrong.

 

Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Highly Recommended Read

Disclaimer: I received a free advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.