KILL ALL YOUR DARLINGS by David Bell

 

A Most Anticipated Summer Read by SheReads * Frolic 
 
"Grabs you by the throat and never lets go...with a twist you’ll never see coming.” 
--Liv Constantine, bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish
 
"Sounds like Wonder Boys times Patricia Highsmith. Yes please!"--Crime Reads

When a student disappears and is presumed dead, her professor passes off her manuscript as his own—only to find out it implicates him in an unsolved murder in this new thriller from the USA Today bestselling author of The Request.   

After years of struggling to write following the deaths of his wife and son, English professor Connor Nye publishes his first novel, a thriller about the murder of a young woman.    

There’s just one problem: Connor didn’t write the book. His missing student did. And then she appears on his doorstep, alive and well, threatening to expose him.    

Connor’s problems escalate when the police insist details in the novel implicate him in an unsolved murder from two years ago. Soon Connor discovers the crime is part of a disturbing scandal on campus and faces an impossible dilemma—admit he didn’t write the book and lose his job or keep up the lie and risk everything. When another murder occurs, Connor must clear his name by unraveling the horrifying secrets buried in his student’s manuscript.  

This is a suspenseful, provocative novel about the sexual harassment that still runs rampant in academia—and the lengths those in power will go to cover it up.

MY THOUGHTS: 

This was my first David Bell book. It will not be my last. It's a fast paced book that will keep you turning the pages late into the night. A book that keeps you guessing and wondering what is going on.

Who is guilty and why did they do this.

A professor of English who teaches writing is at the center of a horrific thing. He is not completely innocent but he's not guilty of the horrors that happened either. He did steal but I mean what's the big deal right. Read and you will find out. There is a bit too much info in his book. There is a bit to much going on in his life all of a sudden. He goes from being a bit of a boring man who stays home most of the time to the center of it all. But things may not be as clear cut as they seem. Connor lost his family five years earlier and is alone. Just him and his dog, Grendel. He has a couple of friends who are also professors, but as a rule he seems to be a bit of a loner. 

As you get to know Connor you will like him. He's a pretty easy going man. He seems to care about his students. But he has secrets too. He has things that he doesn't share. He has a few quirks that make him very odd at times. When his student, Madeline, goes missing he steals her book and publishes it. That is when his life takes a big turn. But is it for the better. 

This book is told from three POVs. Connor, Madeline, and Rebecca. They each have something important to say. Each knows things that can either help or hurt the college professors. There are three professors to get to know also. Are they all caring when it comes to the students. Do they put the school first or their own lives. This book has a few twists and turns to keep you wanting more. There are some things going on that you just won't figure out until the end. You will have a few guesses along the way. 

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me wanting more. It kept me guessing. I did figure out part of it but only because I tend to do that. I read so many thrillers that I think maybe I have gotten good at figuring out a few things. But that never took away from this book. It's a real page turner from start to finish. Finding out what happened to the student and to her friend will keep you on edge. All the twists will have you catching your breath a few times. There is a lot going on but not so much that you can't keep track. It's a real who did what story. It also touches on sexual harassment in college so be warned. It's just a bit so not really a trigger. 

I think this book was great. It held my interest and had me cringing quite a few times. I liked some of the characters and despised a few. I felt sorry for a couple of them. They seemed to be victims of circumstances. Even Connor was in a way a victim. Although that was his choice to. 

Thank you to #NetGalley, #DavidBell, #Berkley for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

I give it 5/5 stars. It's a great read and I highly recommend it.