Will be released tomorrow! 
Since She Went Away
Suspense/ Thriller
Setting – Kentucky
New American Library (June 21, 2016)
An Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
Trade Paperback: 432 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0451474216
E-Book ASIN: B0167WQUU8
From David Bell—bestselling author of Somebody I Used to Know
Three months earlier, Jenna Barton was supposed to meet her lifelong best friend Celia. But when Jenna arrived late, she found that Celia had disappeared—and hasn’t been seen again. Jenna has blamed herself for her friend’s disappearance every single day since then.
The only piece of evidence is a lone diamond earring found where Celia and Jenna were planning to meet, leading the national media to dub Celia “The Diamond Mom.” And even though Jenna has obsessively surfed message boards devoted to missing persons cases, she is no closer to finding any answers—or easing her guilt.
But when her son’s new girlfriend—who suddenly arrived in town without a past—disappears, a stricken Jenna begins to unwind the tangled truth behind Celia’s tragedy. And as long-buried secrets finally come to light, she discovers how completely lives can be shattered by a few simple lies.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Jenna Barton is tormented by her friend Celia’s disappearance. If only she had been on time for the meeting….could she have been able to change what happened? She can’t give up, she is determined to find her friend even as she knows she may only find her body.
David Bell grabs the reader from the start. Jenna Barton has been called to an old barn because a body has been found. The press alerted her… not the police. The way the press handles this story rings so true to me. I didn’t like it, but they dig and dig and report and release things to inform the public forgetting that people are struggling or grieving. I know the press has helped solve missing person cases so it is something the family and friends have to bear, but these journalists treated Jenna so awful it broke my heart.
The author introduces a second plot or subplot of Jenna’s son, Jared and his girlfriend, mostly told from Jared’s perspective. Teenagers, first love, only this time there are some twists that add to the main plot. Jenna, a single mom, works hard to provide for her son and tries to keep the lines of communication open with her son. This isn’t always easy with a 15 year old. Jared seems a little more mature in some ways but a little behind in others. Both story-lines are important and so well written. I liked these characters very much. Their actions were sometimes impulsive and put them in danger but understandable in the realm of the entire story.
The pacing was perfect for me. It started out really strong. Then real life continued in everyone’s life but the mystery was always in the forefront and there were some suspenseful moments. Then as the story was approaching the reveal the suspense rose to a high level again. When it ended I felt a bunch of different emotions.
I have read and reviewed all of David Bell’s books. His is a brilliant storyteller. I look forward to each new book he writes and when the book arrives I have to read it right away. My favorite is still The Forgotten Girl
You can find out more about David, his book and read a free excerpt of Since She Went Away
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I, too, read the ARC of Since She Went Away – Really enjoyed it. Stayed up til dawn to finish it.
Since She Went Away sounds like a great book, and I would enjoy reading a book where one of the characters shared my name!