The Request

Bestselling author David Bell creates characters who are ordinary people suddenly thrust into situations that spiral, In The Request, Ryan Francis is that ordinary guy. On the surface, his life is stable and happy, and he enjoys sharing the details on social media. To outside observers, it appears that Ryan has an idyllic family life and prosperous career -- but they have no idea, of course, that he has harbored a horrible secret for many years. Even his wife, Amanda, does not know about his past.

Ryan has spent years quietly trying to atone for a past mistake by making cash gifts anonymously to the family he harmed. Six weeks ago, the local newspaper ran a story about the family's unidentified benefactor, a presumed Good Samaritan who left money in their mailbox from time to time that they used to purchase medical and home supplies. But one morning, Ryan got caught by the family's oldest daughter. Now she is demanding a cut of Ryan's donations. Although she doesn't know the extent of Ryan's involvement in the incident that took the life of one of her sisters and permanently injured another, she has figured out that Ryan is motivated by guilt. And she threatens to go to the policy and reveal her suspicions if Ryan does not pay her.

Ryan's best friend from college, Blake, is the only person who knows the whole truth about what happened on that fateful night when they were college upperclassmen. Well, other than Aaron Knicely, the awkward kid who was with them that night. But neither of them have had any contact with Aaron since then. As the story opens, Ryan hasn't seen Blake for many months, either. But Blake suddenly resurfaces and threatens to destroy the life that Ryan has built and the family he loves if Ryan doesn't agree to sneak into the home of Jennifer Bates, the woman with whom Blake had an affair, and retrieve the letters Blake wrote her in which he confessed the truth. And she is refusing to return the letters. Blake threatens that if Ryan doesn't do what he is asking, everyone will learn the one thing Ryan doesn't want anyone to know.

So Blake's demand is the situation Bell employs to send Ryan's life spiraling out of control. The Request is a fast-paced, engrossing mystery. With everything he values on the line, Ryan has no choice but to accede to Blake's demand, but when he sneaks into Jen's house, he finds her bedroom has been ransacked, the letters are gone, and she is dead. In addition to dealing with his blackmailer, Ryan must find out who killed Jen. Was it Blake? Did he set Ryan up to take the rap for her murder? Or someone else? And if it was someone else, do they have the letters and what do they plan to do with them?

The Request is populated with morally ambiguous characters. Ryan failed to do the right thing years ago. Rather, he moved on with his life. But he has never been free -- he has spent years being weighed down by guilt and trying to make amends in the only manner he found feasible. Because of Amanda's own family history, Ryan is certain that neither she nor her parents could ever forgive him for what he did. And he has his infant son, Henry, to consider. He wants to see Henry grow up and be the father to him that he never had. All of those considerations factor into Ryan's struggle. Each time he is tempted to let the truth surface and accept the inevitable consequences, he knows that he must forge ahead in an effort to find the murderer, pacify his blackmailer, and keep the past hidden.

In Bell's tautly-crafted story, several characters become suspects as their motivations are revealed. Especially Blake, whose drinking problem has wreaked havoc in his life over the years and interfered with his ability to establish a stable relationship with Sam. Amanda, still on leave from her job after giving birth to Henry, is frightened and confused by Ryan's behavior and the threats to her family she perceives. She takes refuge with her parents, who are protective and supportive. And Sam has wanted to marry Blake for years. They have broken up numerous times, but she insists that he has his drinking under control this time and is determined to proceed with the wedding.

As Ryan gets closer to learning the truth, Bell ramps up the story's pace and tension as Ryan frantically moves from his own home to his in-laws' and back again, looking for clues. His blackmailer intensifies her demands, Blake goes missing, and the police are closing in. After several shocking revelations and plot developments, Bell delivers a jaw-dropping conclusion.

The Request is an exploration of friendship and what happens when it is put to the test, manipulated, and exploited. Friendship offers Bell's characters the opportunity to be morally courageous at several junctures, and he explores the choices his characters make, their reasoning, and the resultant consequences with insight and compassion. Bell's writing evinces his affection for and unwillingness to judge his characters, especially as they make matters worse for themselves and those they love. Rather, he leaves that to his readers.

Through various inventive and effective plot developments, Bell injects wry observations about social media and its potentially far-reaching ramifications. No one knows what really goes on behind the facade of the perfect Instagram filter. Indeed, in the case of his characters in The Request, that proves to be true, particularly with respect to Ryan, who seeks the validation from his Instagram followers that he can't give himself because of his guilt and shame.

David Bell demonstrates again that he is a masterful storyteller. The Request is an entertaining, compelling story about, as Bell promises, ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances and an intriguing look at how they respond. It is one of 2020's best thrillers.

Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.