Storm Warning by David Bell – a Review

Storm Warning by David Bell – a Review

 

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Description:
A man living on a Florida barrier island must protect his family from both an approaching hurricane and a relentless killer.

Jake Powell is racing to get off the island as a powerful hurricane approaches. When he finds his best friend Dallas, the building manager, dead from a blow to the skull, Jake realizes there’s more than the storm to fear. There’s a murderer on the island, maybe even still inside the nearly abandoned building.

Dallas had repeatedly run afoul of the wealthy owners of the building by complaining about code violations and the precarious state of the condos. But he’d also once told Jake that every resident had a secret they’d come to Florida to escape. Had one of them killed to conceal their sins? As a dozen people shelter together in hopes of surviving the deadly hurricane, a second murder makes it all too clear: one of them is a dangerous killer.

 

Review:

Storm Warning by David Bell is an exciting thriller, which kept my attention from start to finish.  Jake Powell, our hero, is living on an island in Florida, and with an approaching powerful hurricane, he makes plans to leave. The few residents in their decrepit building don’t want to leave, and the manager, Dallas watches over them.  When Jake hurries to leave, he finds Dallas dead from a blow to the head.  Jake is concerned, as he knows that there is a murderer within the building.  With the roads closed off, Jake decides he has to stay to protect those residents still there. 

Jake left his wife and daughter in Ohio, to escape temporarily in Florida, but to his surprise, his wife and daughter decided to visit Jake, just about getting into the building as the Category 3 hurricane begins to escalate on the small island. 

With the building slowly falling apart, Jake will convince other apartment dwellers to move into one of the bigger units, with them all staying close together; especially with a dangerous murderer still at large. When there is another murder, the residents are not sure who to trust, but Jake is determined to protect them all, as they are fighting for their lives. They are all completely cutoff from the mainland, while those in shelter together, keep their hopes in surviving the deadly hurricane, as well as a murderer. Some of the residents claim they saw a man inside the building, but is this their imagination, as they are on high alert.

Just when the eye of the hurricane gives the vibe of relative calm, Jake will let his wife, she is an expert on handling boats, and daughter take the boat to the mainland for help, praying they will survive.  During the time they were all together, we got to meet other residents, and their stories; even though there was some suspicion among them. I did like Jake, as the was a terrific leader, always trying to keep them all safe. 

Storm Warning was an exciting story that kept me glued to my kindle.  This was an interesting cast of characters, which were very good.  Storm Warning was very well written by David Bell.  I did think that the murderer was different than anyone would have guessed.   I enjoyed the book, and suggest if you like thrillers, you should read Storm Warning.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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Try Not to Breathe by David Bell – a Review

Try Not to Breathe by David Bell – a Review

 

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Description:
An ex-cop sets out to find her missing sister and discovers the horrifying truth about her family…

A traumatic experience in the line of duty forces thirty-year-old Avery Rogers to abandon both her relationship and her position as a Kentucky State Police officer. She retreats to a college town where she works an unfulfilling job as a security guard, breaking up fights between drunken frat boys.

But a frantic phone call turns Avery’s life upside down. Her father—a retired cop who never fails to convey his disappointment in Avery—says her half sister is missing and in danger. Avery is sure Anna’s just crashing with friends, but her father strong-arms her into searching for the sister she barely knows.

Anna Rogers is fed up with her family—a half sister who resents her existence and a domineering father who thinks it’s okay for cops to shoot unarmed civilians. She hits the road to attend a protest against police brutality, unaware of the danger that awaits her there.

Just after catching a glimpse of Avery at the protest, Anna receives a shocking text. Now she’s no longer road-tripping; she’s running, pursued by an older sister she doesn’t trust and a violent stranger who has been stalking her for weeks.

When Avery discovers Anna’s hiding place near a remote cave system, she risks everything to save her. Little do the sisters know that the past is catching up with them—including the explosive secret at the very heart of the Rogers family.

 

 

Review:

Try Not to Breathe by David Bell is a standalone exciting thriller.  Avery Rogers, our heroine, is a former cop, who came close to getting herself killed, and decides to walk away from her job. She gets a job to work at a college, as a security guard, which she felt was safer; her father, a former cop, constantly taunts her for leaving her job as a police officer.  Avery remains distant from her parents, as well as her two sisters.  She then gets a call from her father, that her sister, Anna, disappears from campus, and is missing.  

We meet Anna Rogers, who is also distant from her family, as she is fed up with her father, as well as her sister, Avery. Anna lives with a roommate at school, and she leaves school to attend a protest against police brutality, unaware that someone is following her.

Avery agrees to find Anna, especially now that her roommate was murdered, something Anna is not aware of. At the protest, Avery spots Anna, and tries to get her out of harm’s way; but with help from a former cop, everything falls apart, as the danger escalates, and people are injured.

Anna receives a message that changes everything, and she goes to meet someone to learn the truth about her life, with secrets and lies endangering both Anna and Avery.   Avery managed to find Anna, but when some secrets are exposed, can she save her, and will she survive?

What follows is a wild last half of the book, that will keep you unable to put the book down, with so much going on throughout. Desperately trying to convince Anna to leave with her, Avery puts her own life in danger. Avery manages to step up, using her strength to fight, and at the same time overcome her fears.  There are a lot of things going on in this story, such as family drama, parents, sisters, as well as family secrets that need to be revealed.

Try Not to Breath was very well written by David Bell, as it was intense and exciting. As we reach close to the end, the sisters will bond, and discover the explosive family secrets that are catching up with them. I suggest you read this book, as it will keep you engrossed throughout. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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