Try Not to Breathe
by David Bell
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: June 27, 2023
Reviewed by PJ
An ex-cop sets out to find her missing sister and discovers the shocking 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 a secret is catching up to them—a secret at the very heart of their family history.
PJ's Thoughts:
If high intensity suspense thrillers are your jam, do I have a book for you. Try Not to Breathe kept me flipping pages way into the night. It hits the ground running and never lets up. Twisty, compelling, a surprise around every corner, this one kept me guessing right up until the final, breath-stealing reveal.
Dysfunctional family dynamics are at the heart of this tale, threaded throughout both the mystery surrounding a murder and Anna's stalker, as well as the fraught sibling relationship between Anna and Avery. And that's not even taking into account the complexities of the relationships both women have with their hardline father.
If you're looking for a romance-centric thriller this may not be the book for you, but if you're in the mood for a danger-filled, action-packed, thought-provoking roller-coaster ride with a light romantic thread, give this one a try. I enjoyed it and will be looking for more books from this author.
Do you enjoy suspense thrillers?
What book last kept you reading late into the night?
Do you enjoy figuring out mysteries before the reveal or do you prefer to be surprised?
One randomly chosen person posting a comment before 11:00 PM, July 7 will receive a print copy of Try Not to Breathe.
*U.S. only
*Must be 18
I would love to read a copy
ReplyDeleteRose Ward
rmward92@yahoo.com
I love thrillers and suspense. I just finished Praying for Sleep by Jeffery Deaver - lots of twists and turns.Dean Koontz is another favorite and if you like some humor added Harlan Coben has some good ones just to name a few.
ReplyDeleteSuspense filled thrillers are captivating. I rarely figure out the end but enjoy surprises. A book that was amazing - Moving Day by Jonathan Stone.
ReplyDeleteMy PTSD prevents me from enjoying thrillers in books or films or TV shows anymore. Intensity gets to me, but I do love mysteries. I was up until 2 AM reading a Jude Deveraux - Mountain Laurel. It has some mystery in it, but not too much for me. I do like mysteries. And I can read any which do not have too much violence, especially against children and women. Thanks for this review. I do understand family issues and I think they make good story material.
ReplyDeleteI do love a good suspense thriller. I like to be surprised at the end of the book. But I REALLY like trying to figure it out first. This book sounds very interesting.
ReplyDeleteSounds exciting! TJ Newman's Drowning kept me up this week, but I knew I could trust her after loving Falling from last year.
ReplyDeleteSounds great! I really love his books. I love a good suspense and David Bell never disappoints!!
ReplyDeleteI love suspense thrillers. They were my first love in fiction and pretty much all I read before I discovered the romance genre.
ReplyDeleteHard to say what book kept me reading late since I am up late all the time. The last book I couldn't put down and kept reading when there were other things I needed to do, like sleep, was THE ROAD TO CHRISTMAS by Sheila Roberts.
I enjoy trying to figure out the mystery, but always enjoy and appreciate a book that keeps me guessing and surprises me.
I do read them sometimes--this sounds like quite a thrill ride! I'd love to be able to figure out the solution ahead of time, but I'm not always a careful enough reader or reasoner, LOL! As for most recent book to keep me up? A delicious ARC of Kimberly Kincaid's The Agent!
ReplyDelete--flchen1