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

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