Blog Tour: Somebody I Used to Know by David Bell

Title: Somebody I Used to Know
Author: David Bell
Publication Date: July 7, 2015
Publisher: NAL
Pages: 432
Source: Publisher
Format: E-ARC
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Mystery/Romance

        

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.

Nick Hansen is a handsome divorced man in his early forties. He has been through several emotional losses in his life. First, he lost the love of his life Marissa Minor in an apparent accidental fire in college. Second, he lost his marriage with Gina and his beloved step son Andrew. An d third, he recently lost the only connection that could possibly explain several questions he has had concerning Marissa and her untimely death over 20 years ago. The connection is a young lady named Emily Joy Russell who he meets in a grocery store who amazing not only looks a lot like Marissa, but also shares her same mannerisms. When Nick approaches Emily and asks her questions, she immediately runs away. And unfortunately the next morning the police show up at his apartment because Emily has been MURDERED and his name and number are found inside her pocket. Nick finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation that leaves him questioning everything and everyone around him.

Who is Emily Joy Russell, and why was she killed? Why does Emily look so much like Marissa? And most importantly; what really happened to Marissa 20 years ago? This is where Mr. Bell skillfully combines Nick’s current life experiences and situations with the painful memories he still carries of  Marissa. Through the painful memories, Nick is able to piece together past lies and truths with real concrete evidence. I highly enjoyed how I was unable to evidently piece together what really took place as the author truly used misleading clues and suspicious characters to keep the readers interest in high alert! 

Thoughts:

I feel in LOVE with the cover and the mysterious feel of the book. I believe Mr. Bell did a phenomenal job of illustrating a love story full of suspense, mystery, and pure adrenaline. I found myself staying up late several nights just to get up to speed with the characters and fully grasp the secrets behind this wonderful storyline. The book is full of twist and turns that will have you guessing the entire time. The pace of the storyline is excellent and the characters feel authentic and believable. This by far is an emotional read that will leave you breathless and I recommend this read to anyone looking for a great mystery love story.