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Layover
In this high concept psychological suspense novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Somebody's Daughter, a chance meeting with a woman in an airport sends a man on a
pulse-pounding quest for the truth...
Joshua Fields takes the same flights every week for work. His life is a series of departures and arrivals, hotels and airports. During yet another layover, Joshua meets Morgan, a beautiful stranger with whom he feels an immediate connection. When it's time for their flights, Morgan gets up to leave, leans over and passionately kisses Joshua, lamenting that they'll never see each other again.
As Morgan slips away, Joshua is left feeling confused by what just happened between them. That's when he looks up and is shocked to see Morgan's face flashing on a nearby TV screen. He's even more shocked when he learns the reason why--Morgan is a missing person.
What follows is a whirlwind, fast-paced journey filled with lies, deceit, and secrets to discover the truth about why Morgan is on the run. But when he finally thinks every mystery is solved, another rears its head, and Joshua's worst enemy may be his own assumptions about those around him...
pulse-pounding quest for the truth...
Joshua Fields takes the same flights every week for work. His life is a series of departures and arrivals, hotels and airports. During yet another layover, Joshua meets Morgan, a beautiful stranger with whom he feels an immediate connection. When it's time for their flights, Morgan gets up to leave, leans over and passionately kisses Joshua, lamenting that they'll never see each other again.
As Morgan slips away, Joshua is left feeling confused by what just happened between them. That's when he looks up and is shocked to see Morgan's face flashing on a nearby TV screen. He's even more shocked when he learns the reason why--Morgan is a missing person.
What follows is a whirlwind, fast-paced journey filled with lies, deceit, and secrets to discover the truth about why Morgan is on the run. But when he finally thinks every mystery is solved, another rears its head, and Joshua's worst enemy may be his own assumptions about those around him...
407 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2019
474 people are currently reading
12284 people want to read
About the author
David Bell
31 books2,269 followersDavid Bell is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning suspense novelist. His most recent thriller from Berkley/Penguin is KILL ALL YOUR DARLINGS. His previous novels include THE REQUEST, LAYOVER, SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER, BRING HER HOME, SINCE SHE WENT AWAY, SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW, THE FORGOTTEN GIRL, NEVER COME BACK, THE HIDING PLACE, and CEMETERY GIRL. He is currently a Professor of English at Western Kentucky University and can be reached via his website at www.davidbellnovels.com, on Twitter at Twitter.com/davidbellnovels, and on Facebook at Facebook.com/davidbellnovels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 869 reviews
June 3, 2022
This is my first David Bell book and I plan to read more of his books in the future. Layover has college grad, mid twenties, Joshua on one of his weekly trips to another city where he conducts commercial developer deals for his father's company. Joshua's single dad did all he could to give Josh a secure life, as he grew up, and now into adulthood. I think his dad might have been a bit too helpful to Joshua because he is actually bored with his high paying, secure job, his longtime ex girlfriend (who he might get together with again if he can rise above his apathy for the relationship), and his very nice bland apartment in Chicago. Joshua seems to float through his travels, fueled with alcohol and Xanax due to his fear of flying. Overall, Joshua isn't really very happy with his life and it seems that he may be bored by how easy things are for him.
As the story starts, Joshua meets a beautiful young woman, Morgan, in the airport gift shop. Over drinks in an airport bar, Joshua falls in "lust' with Morgan and is despondent after one long passionate kiss, then Morgan running off, telling him they will never meet again. Joshua naturally ditches his job, changes flights to Morgan's flight and starts following her around and tracking her down when she gets away from him. All the while, Joshua is calling his dad to tell him what he's doing. I really liked Joshua's dad and felt for him because it's obvious he loves his son dearly and wants what is best for him, even if it means that Joshua leaves the company.
It's only at the very end of the book that we learn Morgan's story and reasons for running. There wasn't much to endear me to Morgan and learning her story just sealed the deal for me that she wasn't worth all the trouble that Joshua was going through to hook up with her. While I wanted to know how the story ended, I do wish it had a stronger ending and even a stronger plotline. Once again, the dad, a side character, was my favorite in this story and he did raise a good son, who needs a lot more skill when it comes to making decisions.
Thank you to Berkley/Penguin Publishing Group and Edelweiss for this ARC.
As the story starts, Joshua meets a beautiful young woman, Morgan, in the airport gift shop. Over drinks in an airport bar, Joshua falls in "lust' with Morgan and is despondent after one long passionate kiss, then Morgan running off, telling him they will never meet again. Joshua naturally ditches his job, changes flights to Morgan's flight and starts following her around and tracking her down when she gets away from him. All the while, Joshua is calling his dad to tell him what he's doing. I really liked Joshua's dad and felt for him because it's obvious he loves his son dearly and wants what is best for him, even if it means that Joshua leaves the company.
It's only at the very end of the book that we learn Morgan's story and reasons for running. There wasn't much to endear me to Morgan and learning her story just sealed the deal for me that she wasn't worth all the trouble that Joshua was going through to hook up with her. While I wanted to know how the story ended, I do wish it had a stronger ending and even a stronger plotline. Once again, the dad, a side character, was my favorite in this story and he did raise a good son, who needs a lot more skill when it comes to making decisions.
Thank you to Berkley/Penguin Publishing Group and Edelweiss for this ARC.
January 27, 2020
I’m quite sure I’ll find myself in the minority with this review... apparently I enjoyed it more than most others (including Susanne).
Joshua travels back and forth across the country for a living. A certified jet-setter! Knows every airport by heart and more importantly, every airport bar! See, poor Joshua has to toss a few back to summon the courage to board that next flight. But hold on…his luck seems about to change. During his layover in Atlanta a shockingly gorgeous woman sporting a huge hat and sunglasses sits down next to him. In less time than it takes to bat an eye, Joshua is completely smitten. I mean, over the top...like a love-struck teen. Ready to move mountains, even give up everything he holds dear in life, smitten!
This is the point I imagine most readers started rolling their eyes and gave up. Well, Not Me! The hopeless romantic in me settled in under my blanket and dug in! Savoring every twist and turn that David Bell sent my way!
Now I’m not going to say there weren’t a few situations I felt the story-line could have been stronger. And NO, this wasn’t my favorite David Bell novel.
But....
I was engaged in this read from page one right to the end. I really enjoy David Bell’s writing style.
I anxiously await his releases every year and I haven’t been disappointed yet. He has a new release The Request coming out in June 2020, so, ready when you are Mr. Bell! Bring it!!
A buddy read with Susanne that left us on opposite sides of the fence! Well... there is a first time for everything!😂
Thank you to Edelweiss, Berkley Publishing and David Bell for an ARC to read and review.
Joshua travels back and forth across the country for a living. A certified jet-setter! Knows every airport by heart and more importantly, every airport bar! See, poor Joshua has to toss a few back to summon the courage to board that next flight. But hold on…his luck seems about to change. During his layover in Atlanta a shockingly gorgeous woman sporting a huge hat and sunglasses sits down next to him. In less time than it takes to bat an eye, Joshua is completely smitten. I mean, over the top...like a love-struck teen. Ready to move mountains, even give up everything he holds dear in life, smitten!
This is the point I imagine most readers started rolling their eyes and gave up. Well, Not Me! The hopeless romantic in me settled in under my blanket and dug in! Savoring every twist and turn that David Bell sent my way!
Now I’m not going to say there weren’t a few situations I felt the story-line could have been stronger. And NO, this wasn’t my favorite David Bell novel.
But....
I was engaged in this read from page one right to the end. I really enjoy David Bell’s writing style.
I anxiously await his releases every year and I haven’t been disappointed yet. He has a new release The Request coming out in June 2020, so, ready when you are Mr. Bell! Bring it!!
A buddy read with Susanne that left us on opposite sides of the fence! Well... there is a first time for everything!😂
Thank you to Edelweiss, Berkley Publishing and David Bell for an ARC to read and review.
November 2, 2022
I've read another book by David Bell and liked his writing style. This book grabbed my attention from the start. I thought it was a clever premise...two strangers meet by chance in an airport and are intrigued with one another but all is not what it seems.
The first part of the book was good and I was fully engaged trying to figure out what was going on. It dragged a bit in the middle and I was not very satisfied by the ending. I expected something surprising. I think David Bell is a talented writer but I don't think this is one of his best books.
I'd like to thank Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this Advanced Reader Copy.
The first part of the book was good and I was fully engaged trying to figure out what was going on. It dragged a bit in the middle and I was not very satisfied by the ending. I expected something surprising. I think David Bell is a talented writer but I don't think this is one of his best books.
I'd like to thank Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this Advanced Reader Copy.
Read
June 24, 2019This was a struggle for me. I really enjoyed Bring Her Home and Somebody's Daughter by David Bell. I think they are fantastic and recommend them if you have not read one of his books before. But unfortunately, this book did not work for me. In all honesty, I read the first fifty percent of the book, skimmed through until the last two chapters which I did read in full. I just had a hard time connecting with this book. I almost dnf but wanted to skim through and read the ending to see how things ended.
Sometimes a book just isn't the right book for every reader. I believe this is the case here. This will not deter me from reading another of his books in the future. I think he is an extremely talented writer and I look forward to reading more of his work in the future.
* I am choosing not to give this book a rating as I did not read it all the way through in its entirety.
This was a traveling sister group read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. All the thought and opinions are my own.
Sometimes a book just isn't the right book for every reader. I believe this is the case here. This will not deter me from reading another of his books in the future. I think he is an extremely talented writer and I look forward to reading more of his work in the future.
* I am choosing not to give this book a rating as I did not read it all the way through in its entirety.
This was a traveling sister group read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. All the thought and opinions are my own.
May 21, 2019
I really enjoyed the first half or so of the book but my interest started to go downhill from that point on. For the most part though, I did like how the author chose to wrap the story up as I don't think he went the conventional route. The ending for me helped push this book back into the decent read category, although other readers might disagree.
Joshua Fields hates flying which is a bit of a problem considering his job forces him to travel by airplane all the time. A pre-flight routine of popping a Xanax and drinking an alcoholic beverage is the best solution he can come up with to dealing with his phobia. During a layover at the airport he meets a mysterious woman named Morgan. Joshua feels this instant connection to her and doesn't want this feeling to be lost forever when they both go on their separate ways. So he does something a little bit crazy, and well from that point on, he is involved in gigantic crazy mess.
From the get go some people might have a hard time believing the lengths Joshua went to which all started with a brief encounter with a stranger. While I could at least kinda understand Joshua's motivations in the beginning, after awhile it became too much and it was hard not to want to yell at him "what the hell are you doing?". It's always difficult for me when reading a thriller to still enjoy the book when I have lost faith in the main character. The second half was a bit of a struggle to get through but some of the last few chapters went a long way in redeeming the book in my eyes. Trying not to get into spoiler territory, but I am curious if the author had to fight with the publisher to write the ending he wanted rather than go in a more typical direction. Keep in mind though I'm not saying it is a spectacular ending, more I like how it felt oddly unique. I'm probably in the minority with that opinion though.
Overall, a decent thriller but it's not one I would say is a must read.
Thank you to First to Read for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy! I was under no obligation to post a review and all views expressed are my honest opinion.
Joshua Fields hates flying which is a bit of a problem considering his job forces him to travel by airplane all the time. A pre-flight routine of popping a Xanax and drinking an alcoholic beverage is the best solution he can come up with to dealing with his phobia. During a layover at the airport he meets a mysterious woman named Morgan. Joshua feels this instant connection to her and doesn't want this feeling to be lost forever when they both go on their separate ways. So he does something a little bit crazy, and well from that point on, he is involved in gigantic crazy mess.
From the get go some people might have a hard time believing the lengths Joshua went to which all started with a brief encounter with a stranger. While I could at least kinda understand Joshua's motivations in the beginning, after awhile it became too much and it was hard not to want to yell at him "what the hell are you doing?". It's always difficult for me when reading a thriller to still enjoy the book when I have lost faith in the main character. The second half was a bit of a struggle to get through but some of the last few chapters went a long way in redeeming the book in my eyes. Trying not to get into spoiler territory, but I am curious if the author had to fight with the publisher to write the ending he wanted rather than go in a more typical direction. Keep in mind though I'm not saying it is a spectacular ending, more I like how it felt oddly unique. I'm probably in the minority with that opinion though.
Overall, a decent thriller but it's not one I would say is a must read.
Thank you to First to Read for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy! I was under no obligation to post a review and all views expressed are my honest opinion.
December 22, 2019
3 stars
All 3 stars on this review are because it was readable, easy to follow, and kept my interest. I cannot stress enough, that is all the 3 stars are for - nothing more and nothing less!
Everything else about the book is kind of ridiculous. Nah, sorry, that's not right. Everything else is REALLY ridiculous. The story and all plot points are extremely far fetched and wildly unbelievable. They say with fiction you have to suspend disbelief. Well, to accept what happens in Layover, you have to completely retire it!
The characters are just silly. They are all caricatures with no depth or development. Everything they do is odd. No one responds appropriately to any situation. I didn't really care for any of the characters, I wasn't rooting for any of them, and, in the end I was apathetic about their fate.
So, while interesting enough to keep me into it through the end, I cannot recommend it for any actually depth, storytelling, or semblance of order. If you want to keep repeating to yourself "um, WHAT!?!?" every few minutes, this is the book for you!
All 3 stars on this review are because it was readable, easy to follow, and kept my interest. I cannot stress enough, that is all the 3 stars are for - nothing more and nothing less!
Everything else about the book is kind of ridiculous. Nah, sorry, that's not right. Everything else is REALLY ridiculous. The story and all plot points are extremely far fetched and wildly unbelievable. They say with fiction you have to suspend disbelief. Well, to accept what happens in Layover, you have to completely retire it!
The characters are just silly. They are all caricatures with no depth or development. Everything they do is odd. No one responds appropriately to any situation. I didn't really care for any of the characters, I wasn't rooting for any of them, and, in the end I was apathetic about their fate.
So, while interesting enough to keep me into it through the end, I cannot recommend it for any actually depth, storytelling, or semblance of order. If you want to keep repeating to yourself "um, WHAT!?!?" every few minutes, this is the book for you!
July 19, 2019
A chance encounter led to quite a ride, including last minute flight changes, an unconventional escape, small town sleuthing, and a pricey stolen item. It was quite a story and one that had a lot of interesting twists and turns!
About the Book
Every week Josh takes the same flights for work. But his routine changes when on a layover he encounters a mysterious, beautiful stranger. Josh and Morgan have an instant connection--he shares things about his life with Morgan he hasn’t shared with anyone else.
When Morgan slips away, telling Josh they will never see each other again, Josh is crushed. How can he let her go? Josh determines that it won’t be the last time he sees Morgan. It isn’t too late, not while they are on this layover.
And then Josh learns by chance that Morgan is actually a missing person. And her disappearance may be linked to another case, one that is being investigated by detective who is determined to put the puzzle together. In alternate story lines, we follow the mystery of Morgan and the link to another disappearance. What is the truth about Morgan?
Reflection
I found the premise for this book really interesting, and I definitely wanted to know how it would all turn out. There were a few twists that really surprised me. I found myself loving the chapters narrated by the detective. She was a great character and one who I wish had been a bit more prominent.
Josh and Morgan, on the other hand, I had a really hard time liking. Normally I am ok with an unlikable character, but these two were unlikable in a way that wasn’t fun. Morgan was really frustrating because she wouldn’t answer questions directly.
Josh was a huge mess. I did root for him to figure everything out, but I also didn't particularly like him. He moped about how alone he was, when actually he did have great people in his life. I loved the scenes with his dad and with another character Renee. In fact, Renee has a scene that I’m still thinking about two weeks after reading this. I would love a follow up book about Renee, even though she is a minor character. That is how you write a likable character—I am team Renee!
Despite all of that, I really did want to know what happened. The book started off really strong, but got a bit slow and drawn out at around the halfway point. But stick with it because the last quarter of the book is great! I really liked the ending scene as well, and a few other things that happen. There was also a character in the mid point of the book who works at a hotel that I thought was fascinating.
I’ve read a few books by David Bell and he has such a unique writing style. This book was very different in terms of the plot from the others I’ve read (much more thriller-like than usual), but the feel to his writing and characters are so consistent. I think a lot of people will have fun with this book, and certainly find it to be an engaging read with a strong conclusion!
Thank you to Berkley for my copy. Opinions are my own.
About the Book
Every week Josh takes the same flights for work. But his routine changes when on a layover he encounters a mysterious, beautiful stranger. Josh and Morgan have an instant connection--he shares things about his life with Morgan he hasn’t shared with anyone else.
When Morgan slips away, telling Josh they will never see each other again, Josh is crushed. How can he let her go? Josh determines that it won’t be the last time he sees Morgan. It isn’t too late, not while they are on this layover.
And then Josh learns by chance that Morgan is actually a missing person. And her disappearance may be linked to another case, one that is being investigated by detective who is determined to put the puzzle together. In alternate story lines, we follow the mystery of Morgan and the link to another disappearance. What is the truth about Morgan?
Reflection
I found the premise for this book really interesting, and I definitely wanted to know how it would all turn out. There were a few twists that really surprised me. I found myself loving the chapters narrated by the detective. She was a great character and one who I wish had been a bit more prominent.
Josh and Morgan, on the other hand, I had a really hard time liking. Normally I am ok with an unlikable character, but these two were unlikable in a way that wasn’t fun. Morgan was really frustrating because she wouldn’t answer questions directly.
Josh was a huge mess. I did root for him to figure everything out, but I also didn't particularly like him. He moped about how alone he was, when actually he did have great people in his life. I loved the scenes with his dad and with another character Renee. In fact, Renee has a scene that I’m still thinking about two weeks after reading this. I would love a follow up book about Renee, even though she is a minor character. That is how you write a likable character—I am team Renee!
Despite all of that, I really did want to know what happened. The book started off really strong, but got a bit slow and drawn out at around the halfway point. But stick with it because the last quarter of the book is great! I really liked the ending scene as well, and a few other things that happen. There was also a character in the mid point of the book who works at a hotel that I thought was fascinating.
I’ve read a few books by David Bell and he has such a unique writing style. This book was very different in terms of the plot from the others I’ve read (much more thriller-like than usual), but the feel to his writing and characters are so consistent. I think a lot of people will have fun with this book, and certainly find it to be an engaging read with a strong conclusion!
Thank you to Berkley for my copy. Opinions are my own.
November 2, 2022
One of the most unusual thrillers I have read so far. Joshua and Morgan meet in an airport bar and connect almost immediately. They part with a meaningful kiss with Morgan declaring they will never meet again. As the rest of the narrative unfolds we are unsure of Morgan's true motivation. We are also concerned that Joshua is on a path to disaster. Alongside Joshua's story, we follow the small-town detective who gets involved in the intrigue surrounding Morgan. I held my breath until the very end wondering how the story could be resolved. How did it end? I'll leave the answer for other readers to discover on their own.
This was my first read by David Bell and is still one of my favorites.
This was my first read by David Bell and is still one of my favorites.
June 30, 2019
Well...... I really struggled with this book and am having a hard time writing this review.
This was my first book by David Bell and unfortunately it really missed the mark for me. I have read my fair share of excellent thrillers in this genre and I have to say that I'm pretty hard to please. This... fell extremely flat for me.
I probably should have DNF this book but have heard nothing but great things about this author. The book started off ok for me and than it just was a bit of a hot mess. Joshua is a mess period. So, you meet a woman on your layover in the airport at a bar and she tells you not to follow her ever again... so what do you constantly follow her?!
NOOOOO thank you!
It was predictable and lacked suspense. I don't like writing negative reviews but I don't have much else to say that I enjoyed about this book.
2 stars for me on this one.
Thank you so much to Berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: 7/2/19
Published to GR: 6/30/19
This was my first book by David Bell and unfortunately it really missed the mark for me. I have read my fair share of excellent thrillers in this genre and I have to say that I'm pretty hard to please. This... fell extremely flat for me.
I probably should have DNF this book but have heard nothing but great things about this author. The book started off ok for me and than it just was a bit of a hot mess. Joshua is a mess period. So, you meet a woman on your layover in the airport at a bar and she tells you not to follow her ever again... so what do you constantly follow her?!
NOOOOO thank you!
It was predictable and lacked suspense. I don't like writing negative reviews but I don't have much else to say that I enjoyed about this book.
2 stars for me on this one.
Thank you so much to Berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: 7/2/19
Published to GR: 6/30/19
June 16, 2019
Joshua Fields takes the same flights every week for work. His life is a series of departures and arrivals, hotels and airports. During yet another layover, Joshua meets Morgan, a beautiful stranger with whom he feels an immediate connection. When it's time for their flights, Morgan gets up to leave, leans over and passionately kisses Joshua, lamenting that they'll never see each other again.
Joshua does not want to accept that. It was "love at first sight" for him. He is a young man in his twenties, and let's face it...at that age you can feel desperately in love...
Stunned, and not understanding why she would say this, he looks up at an airport TV and reads:
"HAVE YOU SEEN MORGAN? Missing person, Believed Endangered.
Morgan Reynolds, Age 25"
For the first half of the book, I was engaged in the story. As a person who travels for a living, David Bell captured the essence of airports, flights, airline employees, and hotels perfectly.
I was enjoying the premise, and the relationship developing between Joshua and Morgan, even willing to accept that people in their twenties don't always make the BEST decisions-often allowing emotions to override common sense or logic.
But then the plot was revealed-the reason that Morgan was on the run.
And, this whole "cat and mouse" game became EXTREMELY far fetched, and as any of you who have been following my reviews knows....I do NOT do well with implausible plots.
3 stars because I wasn't bored-but really, that might be a bit generous.
Will I seek out the next David Bell offering?
Yes! Although this wasn't his strongest work to date-I still enjoy his writing, and look forward to reading what he publishes next.
Joshua does not want to accept that. It was "love at first sight" for him. He is a young man in his twenties, and let's face it...at that age you can feel desperately in love...
Stunned, and not understanding why she would say this, he looks up at an airport TV and reads:
"HAVE YOU SEEN MORGAN? Missing person, Believed Endangered.
Morgan Reynolds, Age 25"
For the first half of the book, I was engaged in the story. As a person who travels for a living, David Bell captured the essence of airports, flights, airline employees, and hotels perfectly.
I was enjoying the premise, and the relationship developing between Joshua and Morgan, even willing to accept that people in their twenties don't always make the BEST decisions-often allowing emotions to override common sense or logic.
But then the plot was revealed-the reason that Morgan was on the run.
And, this whole "cat and mouse" game became EXTREMELY far fetched, and as any of you who have been following my reviews knows....I do NOT do well with implausible plots.
3 stars because I wasn't bored-but really, that might be a bit generous.
Will I seek out the next David Bell offering?
Yes! Although this wasn't his strongest work to date-I still enjoy his writing, and look forward to reading what he publishes next.
June 26, 2019
Say, 3.5 stars?
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, David Bell, and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Being an avid traveller and a great fan of thriller novels, I was sure that the latest David Bell story would pull me in and leave me wanting more. There are few as busy as Joshua Fields, who logs hundreds of thousands of miles in the air each year. With that type of lifestyle comes a great deal of time spent in airports. During one layover in Atlanta, Fields runs into a beautiful woman and they share a drink at an airport bar. With both of their flights soon to board, Fields and this mystery woman prepare to go their own ways, though a scintillating kiss has Fields wanting more. He rushes to find her and boards her plane to Nashville, only to be rebuffed. Unsure of what to do next, he tries to find out all about this Morgan Reynolds, only to discover that her friends have listed her as missing. It is then that some of the pieces fall into place for Fields, who wonders if Morgan is hiding from someone. Renting a car to find Morgan, Fields finds himself in a small Kentucky college town. Much is soon revealed and none of it is quite as it seems. The local police take an interest in Fields and tie-in a larger investigation to a missing businessman and a valuable item that is also nowhere to be found. Could Morgan Reynolds be a completely different woman from the one who shared a drink with Joshua Fields? This may be the kick in the pants that Fields needs to steer clear of others while between flights. An interesting thriller, though not as impactful as I would have liked. Perhaps a little turbulent, but not in a way that would have me tossing out recommendations at this time.
I enjoy newly discovered authors, particularly when they have a collection of books from which to choose. This was my first David Bell novel, an author who comes with many recommendations from those whose opinions I value greatly. Joshua Fields proves to be an interesting, if not somewhat flimsy, character. While he is master of the skies, he seems oddly drawn to a random woman and races to learn more about her. Perhaps I ought to have used this as a yardstick for how he would develop for the rest of the novel, as he thrives on naïveté and silly choices. Juggling his work life and this obsession, Fields seems to have turned himself into an amateur sleuth, while still making some silly choices. Contrast that with Morgan Reynolds, who is always one step ahead of everyone and whose actions have repercussions that few could have foreseen. While I was no more attached to her as a character, I suppose I valued her journey a little more. With a handful of other characters, including a detective who seeks to juggle work and home responsibilities, the story moved forward and came to some expected resolution. There was nothing inherently wrong with this piece, though I was hard pressed to find that spark that left me dying to flip the page or hope for another novel in the series. David Bell is capable at his craft, keeping the chapters short and the cliffhangers coming. I may have to try some of his other work, which has received many accolades, before making a final opinion of this author.
Kudos, Mr. Bell, for entertaining your readers. Like the title, this book is likely best read to kill some time while travelling this summer.
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A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, David Bell, and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Being an avid traveller and a great fan of thriller novels, I was sure that the latest David Bell story would pull me in and leave me wanting more. There are few as busy as Joshua Fields, who logs hundreds of thousands of miles in the air each year. With that type of lifestyle comes a great deal of time spent in airports. During one layover in Atlanta, Fields runs into a beautiful woman and they share a drink at an airport bar. With both of their flights soon to board, Fields and this mystery woman prepare to go their own ways, though a scintillating kiss has Fields wanting more. He rushes to find her and boards her plane to Nashville, only to be rebuffed. Unsure of what to do next, he tries to find out all about this Morgan Reynolds, only to discover that her friends have listed her as missing. It is then that some of the pieces fall into place for Fields, who wonders if Morgan is hiding from someone. Renting a car to find Morgan, Fields finds himself in a small Kentucky college town. Much is soon revealed and none of it is quite as it seems. The local police take an interest in Fields and tie-in a larger investigation to a missing businessman and a valuable item that is also nowhere to be found. Could Morgan Reynolds be a completely different woman from the one who shared a drink with Joshua Fields? This may be the kick in the pants that Fields needs to steer clear of others while between flights. An interesting thriller, though not as impactful as I would have liked. Perhaps a little turbulent, but not in a way that would have me tossing out recommendations at this time.
I enjoy newly discovered authors, particularly when they have a collection of books from which to choose. This was my first David Bell novel, an author who comes with many recommendations from those whose opinions I value greatly. Joshua Fields proves to be an interesting, if not somewhat flimsy, character. While he is master of the skies, he seems oddly drawn to a random woman and races to learn more about her. Perhaps I ought to have used this as a yardstick for how he would develop for the rest of the novel, as he thrives on naïveté and silly choices. Juggling his work life and this obsession, Fields seems to have turned himself into an amateur sleuth, while still making some silly choices. Contrast that with Morgan Reynolds, who is always one step ahead of everyone and whose actions have repercussions that few could have foreseen. While I was no more attached to her as a character, I suppose I valued her journey a little more. With a handful of other characters, including a detective who seeks to juggle work and home responsibilities, the story moved forward and came to some expected resolution. There was nothing inherently wrong with this piece, though I was hard pressed to find that spark that left me dying to flip the page or hope for another novel in the series. David Bell is capable at his craft, keeping the chapters short and the cliffhangers coming. I may have to try some of his other work, which has received many accolades, before making a final opinion of this author.
Kudos, Mr. Bell, for entertaining your readers. Like the title, this book is likely best read to kill some time while travelling this summer.
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January 25, 2020
Layover started out alright even though the premise was far fetched. Thereafter, it just kind of went off the rails. I have had that experience with all of David Bell’s novels. After having given this a lot of thought, I think I am simply the wrong reader for this author’s novels and think it’s time for me to part ways with his books. I think I am the outlier here and that lots of other readers and reviewers like this author’s novels and hope everyone else will give him a chance.
July 11, 2019
An airport, a chance meeting, an unforgettable, secretive woman, a woman who is actually missing, tells lies, and doesn’t care who she involves or hurts.
Joshua saw a woman in the bar and knew she needed some help just by the way she was acting so he canceled his plans with his father to follow Morgan.
Is she really worth helping? After their meeting, Joshua thinks so.
Meanwhile, Morgan’s boss is also missing and not too long after Morgan had been visiting him to try to straighten out the reason she didn’t get a raise after making an app that made the company a lot of money.
LAYOVER moves along quickly, and I wanted to tell Joshua to stop being a good guy and stay away from Morgan who he never knew before this chance meeting.
Every time they would find each other and Morgan would leave it had me wondering why in the world Joshua was being so irresponsible....just get back to your life, but he wasn’t listening to me. :)
More characters, and I mean people who don’t think, come on the scene and each one has some connection to Morgan, but the only connection they all have in common is that no one knows where Morgan is or where her boss, Giles, is.
LAYOVER kept me in suspense, kept my blood pressure up, and had me shaking my head at the stupidity of Joshua. Why go to these lengths and ruin your life? Maybe he didn’t think he was ruining his life?
Mr. Bell has written another tense thriller with a very manipulative, not nice main character.
Are you intrigued?
ENJOY if you read LAYOVER!! 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher in print and NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review.
Joshua saw a woman in the bar and knew she needed some help just by the way she was acting so he canceled his plans with his father to follow Morgan.
Is she really worth helping? After their meeting, Joshua thinks so.
Meanwhile, Morgan’s boss is also missing and not too long after Morgan had been visiting him to try to straighten out the reason she didn’t get a raise after making an app that made the company a lot of money.
LAYOVER moves along quickly, and I wanted to tell Joshua to stop being a good guy and stay away from Morgan who he never knew before this chance meeting.
Every time they would find each other and Morgan would leave it had me wondering why in the world Joshua was being so irresponsible....just get back to your life, but he wasn’t listening to me. :)
More characters, and I mean people who don’t think, come on the scene and each one has some connection to Morgan, but the only connection they all have in common is that no one knows where Morgan is or where her boss, Giles, is.
LAYOVER kept me in suspense, kept my blood pressure up, and had me shaking my head at the stupidity of Joshua. Why go to these lengths and ruin your life? Maybe he didn’t think he was ruining his life?
Mr. Bell has written another tense thriller with a very manipulative, not nice main character.
Are you intrigued?
ENJOY if you read LAYOVER!! 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher in print and NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review.
June 24, 2019
Having travelled a fair bit, with lots of lengthy boring layovers at different international airports, I was very intrigued about the premise of this novel. It is true that strange intimacies can occur between travellers during those dislocated moments, and we may confide things to a complete stranger we might otherwise never consider talking about, with the knowledge that our paths will never cross again. It sounded like such a great idea for a novel! Of course this type of airport meeting was also the start of one of my all-time favourite thrillers, THE KIND WORTH KILLING by Peter Swanson, so I had high hopes for this one!
Sadly the premise is where my enjoyment ended and I concede that this book was not for me. Firstly, the characters: Joshua, who may be in his mid-twenties with a career and a history of travelling regularly for work, which in my mind makes him a character who has some level of life skill. But no, he meets a random stranger at the airport and impulsively decides to change his travel plans on a whim, jump on a completely different plane and basically stalk her. Which frankly made him a bit creepy! I soon came to realise that Joshua was in the habit of acting like a pimply hormonal twelve year old, and I soon gave up trying to predict rational decisions on his part (of which there were few).
Then there was the female lead, Morgan. A woman who wears a hat and sunglasses inside an airport and uses a fake identity. I am sure that these days this would attract a fair share of attention, given the strict security at airports where they are ready to cart you off with two armed guards for having a 200ml tube of toothpaste in your hand luggage rather than the allowed 150ml (I am speaking from experience, not one of my proudest moments). She was also a decidedly irritating, unlikeable character for me, even making allowances for being stalked by a strange creepy adult male with a teenager’s hormonal urges who followed her onto a plane and tracking her down in a hotel room. Of course the reason for her subterfuge is a deep dark secret that forms the heart of this very far-fetched “mystery”, which – to put it bluntly – was rather lame.
The only character I liked – the policewoman, featured only marginally in the background and didn’t manage to redeem the story for me, though had she been the lead it may have made for a more enjoyable read. I battled on reading with the same enthusiasm as sitting down for a root canal, hoping that it would get better or at least less painful, but this never eventuated for me.
All in all, I accept full responsibility for obviously being too old and jaded to find Joshua’s stalking behaviour sweet and endearing, and to overlook the plot holes to make this a worthwhile read. However, I can see that it may make for some light and entertaining reading for readers less disillusioned with farfetched plot lines and unlikeable characters than me.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
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Sadly the premise is where my enjoyment ended and I concede that this book was not for me. Firstly, the characters: Joshua, who may be in his mid-twenties with a career and a history of travelling regularly for work, which in my mind makes him a character who has some level of life skill. But no, he meets a random stranger at the airport and impulsively decides to change his travel plans on a whim, jump on a completely different plane and basically stalk her. Which frankly made him a bit creepy! I soon came to realise that Joshua was in the habit of acting like a pimply hormonal twelve year old, and I soon gave up trying to predict rational decisions on his part (of which there were few).
Then there was the female lead, Morgan. A woman who wears a hat and sunglasses inside an airport and uses a fake identity. I am sure that these days this would attract a fair share of attention, given the strict security at airports where they are ready to cart you off with two armed guards for having a 200ml tube of toothpaste in your hand luggage rather than the allowed 150ml (I am speaking from experience, not one of my proudest moments). She was also a decidedly irritating, unlikeable character for me, even making allowances for being stalked by a strange creepy adult male with a teenager’s hormonal urges who followed her onto a plane and tracking her down in a hotel room. Of course the reason for her subterfuge is a deep dark secret that forms the heart of this very far-fetched “mystery”, which – to put it bluntly – was rather lame.
The only character I liked – the policewoman, featured only marginally in the background and didn’t manage to redeem the story for me, though had she been the lead it may have made for a more enjoyable read. I battled on reading with the same enthusiasm as sitting down for a root canal, hoping that it would get better or at least less painful, but this never eventuated for me.
All in all, I accept full responsibility for obviously being too old and jaded to find Joshua’s stalking behaviour sweet and endearing, and to overlook the plot holes to make this a worthwhile read. However, I can see that it may make for some light and entertaining reading for readers less disillusioned with farfetched plot lines and unlikeable characters than me.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
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August 10, 2019
Strangers just being strange........
David Bell slides this one into an airport setting in Atlanta heading for Tampa. The crowded concourses are alive with the bustle of people short on time and short on patience.
Joshua Fields finds himself in a gift shop not far from his departure gate. He's clocked quite the flight hours while working for a company owned by his father. This makes another notch on the ol' aerial belt. He stands in line ready to pay for a spy novel sure to lull him to sleep on the long flight. Joshua's eyes are caught in a vision of a young woman trying to make herself less conspicuous with a pulled down fabric hat, sunglasses, and collar turned up. This is not the last time that Morgan will appear in Joshua's field of vision.
Joshua bumps into Morgan a little later and invites her to an airport bar while they wait for their flights. He's confessed to her that he needs to imbibe in a few to relax before flying. Morgan begins to tell him a few things about herself and then seals their quickened friendship with a passionate kiss as she takes off. Joshua should have sealed the cabin door on this one and run madly for his departure gate. But alas, dear Joshua begins to track down Morgan who doesn't want to be found.
Layover starts out well, but then it turns into a cardboard sandwich. It's all in the presentation of characters. Joshua, we will come to like. Morgan, not hardly enough. And that's what is lacking here. As readers, we have to have the willingness to crawl down the rabbit hole for an elusive character. It just seemed to be too much effort towards the end to push onward. It's my hope that David Bell will send forth a more Joshua-type character in his next novel and dip him in some storyline sizzle with a can't-put-down storyline.
I received a copy of Layover through Giveaways on Goodreads. My thanks to Random House and to David Bell for the opportunity.
David Bell slides this one into an airport setting in Atlanta heading for Tampa. The crowded concourses are alive with the bustle of people short on time and short on patience.
Joshua Fields finds himself in a gift shop not far from his departure gate. He's clocked quite the flight hours while working for a company owned by his father. This makes another notch on the ol' aerial belt. He stands in line ready to pay for a spy novel sure to lull him to sleep on the long flight. Joshua's eyes are caught in a vision of a young woman trying to make herself less conspicuous with a pulled down fabric hat, sunglasses, and collar turned up. This is not the last time that Morgan will appear in Joshua's field of vision.
Joshua bumps into Morgan a little later and invites her to an airport bar while they wait for their flights. He's confessed to her that he needs to imbibe in a few to relax before flying. Morgan begins to tell him a few things about herself and then seals their quickened friendship with a passionate kiss as she takes off. Joshua should have sealed the cabin door on this one and run madly for his departure gate. But alas, dear Joshua begins to track down Morgan who doesn't want to be found.
Layover starts out well, but then it turns into a cardboard sandwich. It's all in the presentation of characters. Joshua, we will come to like. Morgan, not hardly enough. And that's what is lacking here. As readers, we have to have the willingness to crawl down the rabbit hole for an elusive character. It just seemed to be too much effort towards the end to push onward. It's my hope that David Bell will send forth a more Joshua-type character in his next novel and dip him in some storyline sizzle with a can't-put-down storyline.
I received a copy of Layover through Giveaways on Goodreads. My thanks to Random House and to David Bell for the opportunity.
August 17, 2019
Layover is the second book I've read by David Bell and both times I have been fully engrossed in the plot and the characters until halfway through the book. At that point, Bell loses me. For someone who reads as much as I do, I know that often there is a lull in the story line midway through, however, with Bell it generally revolves around the plot itself or the actual character. In Layover, the primary character "accidentally" meets a girl, a stranger, with whom he shares an instant connection and ultimately a kiss. She then tells him to forget he ever met it. Rather than going about his normal life, he pursues the woman and ends up in the middle of murder and mayhem. It was here that I lost interest. Following a woman through an airport is one thing. Following bread crumbs to her town, to her family in search of... what!? Who knows and then allowing oneself to become in their drama, including murder, is quite another thing entirely. I found it completely unbelievable. I finished it, barely, and would not have if it hadn't been for review.
July 21, 2019
Layover opens on an ingenious setup: a chance, romantic meeting in an airport with a woman who turns out to be missing. Bell starts with a bang then dials up the suspense to full-throttle, lobbing twist after twist that will test Joshua and his conflicting loyalties. Smart and highly addictive, this one should come with a warning: don’t start until you’re prepared to read straight through.
January 28, 2019
In the hands of a master in suspense like Bell, a chance flirtation at an airport leads to a fast-paced novel filled with turbulence. Make sure your belt is fastened and enjoy! Bell is at his best.
February 26, 2021
I am honestly shocked that this was described as a high concept thriller in the blurb. It's not even close to high concept. It's not even thrilling, for that matter.
Perhaps I'm smoking something different than the rest, but I found this book to be amateurish and annoying.
The hero - for one - is a complete dumb bunny. He has absolutely no drive or ambition, just takes handouts from his father and whines about having to work in commercial real estate development (he's so deep - he needs a job with meaning). At a time when most people his age are struggling to find work, the guy is rolling in cash and living in the beautiful city of Chicago, with a perfectly nice girlfriend and a supportive Dad. I mean, c'mon guy, you're SET FOR LIFE. I understand wanting to find some sort of value in what you do, but perhaps count your blessings and look for that value outside of work? Volunteer? Read a book? Learn to bake? Take a fucking walk? Anything.
So he's on one of his boring work trips, forced to fly across country to make yet another million, when he meets a "mysterious" woman named Morgan in an airport bar. I put mysterious in quotation marks because she's wearing sunglasses indoors, so this dumb shit thinks that means she's an International spy or something. They have multiple drinks (it's like 9am at this point) and they get into some faux-deep philosophy about their lives and choices. Morgan has absolutely nothing of interest to say, but she's thin and pretty and seems frightened, which produces a boner in him that just won't quit. Seriously, the thing is made of titanium. Because when she tells him she never wants to see him again and gets on a plane, what does he do?
HE FOLLOWS HER.
When she tells him she never wants to see him again, AGAIN, what does he do?
HE CONTINUES TO FOLLOW HER.
When she leaves him high and dry in a hotel room, what does he do?
I'll give you a guess but do you even need one?
All this is wrapped around a "mystery" that is so exhaustively boring it defies description. Clearly Ms. Indoor Sunglasses is on the run from something, but it never materializes into anything shocking or creepy. There's also a female cop, who provides a modicum of relief from Joshua's reeking sense of male entitlement but she's also one-note and concerned either with her upcoming promotion or the lack of time she spends with her teenage daughter. Nice!
I don't even remember the ending and I read it like 2 days ago. So. That's about it?
Oh wait, one last note to Joshua. When a woman tells you "no", believe her. Do not follow her onto a plane and then act put-out when she's not thrilled to see your unwelcome ass. You're not a nice guy, you're gross, and it's time you knew it. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. As you can tell, I took that literally and will continue to do so! It's always nice to have the the chance to read books, even if they don't turn out to be ones I enjoy. Long live authors!
Perhaps I'm smoking something different than the rest, but I found this book to be amateurish and annoying.
The hero - for one - is a complete dumb bunny. He has absolutely no drive or ambition, just takes handouts from his father and whines about having to work in commercial real estate development (he's so deep - he needs a job with meaning). At a time when most people his age are struggling to find work, the guy is rolling in cash and living in the beautiful city of Chicago, with a perfectly nice girlfriend and a supportive Dad. I mean, c'mon guy, you're SET FOR LIFE. I understand wanting to find some sort of value in what you do, but perhaps count your blessings and look for that value outside of work? Volunteer? Read a book? Learn to bake? Take a fucking walk? Anything.
So he's on one of his boring work trips, forced to fly across country to make yet another million, when he meets a "mysterious" woman named Morgan in an airport bar. I put mysterious in quotation marks because she's wearing sunglasses indoors, so this dumb shit thinks that means she's an International spy or something. They have multiple drinks (it's like 9am at this point) and they get into some faux-deep philosophy about their lives and choices. Morgan has absolutely nothing of interest to say, but she's thin and pretty and seems frightened, which produces a boner in him that just won't quit. Seriously, the thing is made of titanium. Because when she tells him she never wants to see him again and gets on a plane, what does he do?
HE FOLLOWS HER.
When she tells him she never wants to see him again, AGAIN, what does he do?
HE CONTINUES TO FOLLOW HER.
When she leaves him high and dry in a hotel room, what does he do?
I'll give you a guess but do you even need one?
All this is wrapped around a "mystery" that is so exhaustively boring it defies description. Clearly Ms. Indoor Sunglasses is on the run from something, but it never materializes into anything shocking or creepy. There's also a female cop, who provides a modicum of relief from Joshua's reeking sense of male entitlement but she's also one-note and concerned either with her upcoming promotion or the lack of time she spends with her teenage daughter. Nice!
I don't even remember the ending and I read it like 2 days ago. So. That's about it?
Oh wait, one last note to Joshua. When a woman tells you "no", believe her. Do not follow her onto a plane and then act put-out when she's not thrilled to see your unwelcome ass. You're not a nice guy, you're gross, and it's time you knew it. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. As you can tell, I took that literally and will continue to do so! It's always nice to have the the chance to read books, even if they don't turn out to be ones I enjoy. Long live authors!
August 10, 2021
This psychological thriller is perfect to read on a long flight!
Would you cancel everything to follow someone you just met in an airport bar? That’s what Joshua does after having a few drinks and a chat with a gorgeous woman. The conversation was intimate and Morgan was very mysterious. Joshua gets the feeling that she needs help, and after the way she ended the conversation, he needs to find out more about her.
Joshua works for his father, and flying is a big part of his job. He is on the way to a business meeting in Tampa, but decides to change his destination to follow Morgan. This isn’t like him at all. He’s not spontaneous and he never disappoints his father. So his dad is worried about this choice. He is afraid he’s being taken advantage of, by a manipulative woman. But Joshua insists that isn’t the situation.
When Joshua catches up to Morgan, she lets him down numerous times, but he’s determined to help her. Yes, I wanted to shake him several times and tell him to quit being such a sap! He ends up entangled in more trouble than he imagined. But he believes in Morgan, and insists on helping her clean up her messes. OMG, give up on her already!
This was my second read by David Bell. He is an excellent writer, but I was blown away by my first read, Kill All Your Darlings . This one had some tough competition and, unfortunately, there was no comparison.
Sincere thanks to Edelweiss and Berkley/Penguin Audio. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
My Rating: 3.5 ⭐️’s
Published: July 2, 2019
Audio: 11 hours 51 minutes
Recommend: Yes
#Layover #Edelweiss #DavidBell #BookReviewer #InExchangeForReview #ARC #JustFinished #PsychologicalThriller #NoRulesJustThrills #AudioBook
After publication my reviews can be found at Amazon, Twitter, GoodReads, Barnes and Noble, BookBub, NetGalley, and Edelweiss
@DavidBellNovels @BerkleyPub @PRHAudio
@edelweiss_squad
Would you cancel everything to follow someone you just met in an airport bar? That’s what Joshua does after having a few drinks and a chat with a gorgeous woman. The conversation was intimate and Morgan was very mysterious. Joshua gets the feeling that she needs help, and after the way she ended the conversation, he needs to find out more about her.
Joshua works for his father, and flying is a big part of his job. He is on the way to a business meeting in Tampa, but decides to change his destination to follow Morgan. This isn’t like him at all. He’s not spontaneous and he never disappoints his father. So his dad is worried about this choice. He is afraid he’s being taken advantage of, by a manipulative woman. But Joshua insists that isn’t the situation.
When Joshua catches up to Morgan, she lets him down numerous times, but he’s determined to help her. Yes, I wanted to shake him several times and tell him to quit being such a sap! He ends up entangled in more trouble than he imagined. But he believes in Morgan, and insists on helping her clean up her messes. OMG, give up on her already!
This was my second read by David Bell. He is an excellent writer, but I was blown away by my first read, Kill All Your Darlings . This one had some tough competition and, unfortunately, there was no comparison.
Sincere thanks to Edelweiss and Berkley/Penguin Audio. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
My Rating: 3.5 ⭐️’s
Published: July 2, 2019
Audio: 11 hours 51 minutes
Recommend: Yes
#Layover #Edelweiss #DavidBell #BookReviewer #InExchangeForReview #ARC #JustFinished #PsychologicalThriller #NoRulesJustThrills #AudioBook
After publication my reviews can be found at Amazon, Twitter, GoodReads, Barnes and Noble, BookBub, NetGalley, and Edelweiss
@DavidBellNovels @BerkleyPub @PRHAudio
@edelweiss_squad
June 28, 2019
During a layover, Joshua meets Morgan. He feels an instant attraction to her, and alters his travel plans to follow her. Only, she doesn't want to be followed. Joshua ends up in a whirlwind of a mystery.
Told with the alternating points of view of Joshua and Detective Kimberly Givens. Joshua doesn't enjoy his work, has a (sort of) girlfriend, and he really hates flying, which he does a lot of. He seems like a decent guy who is not sure what he wants in life. When he meets Morgan, he is drawn to her, and thinks she feels the same about him. Turn out, she's got some secrets and getting involved with her only leads to trouble for him. Detective Givens is working hard on a missing person case of a local business man. Eventually, Joshua and the detective cross paths.
A slow-building suspense. For avid readers of thrillers, this one may fall flat. I found the idea of a stranger getting so involved in the mystery a bit unbelievable, but it was entertaining to read. My biggest quibble is Joshua following Morgan. He should have backed off when Morgan told him to. He's not doing either of them any favors by staying involved. One thing I really enjoyed was Joshua's relationship with his father. It was great to see a good father-son relationship.
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Told with the alternating points of view of Joshua and Detective Kimberly Givens. Joshua doesn't enjoy his work, has a (sort of) girlfriend, and he really hates flying, which he does a lot of. He seems like a decent guy who is not sure what he wants in life. When he meets Morgan, he is drawn to her, and thinks she feels the same about him. Turn out, she's got some secrets and getting involved with her only leads to trouble for him. Detective Givens is working hard on a missing person case of a local business man. Eventually, Joshua and the detective cross paths.
A slow-building suspense. For avid readers of thrillers, this one may fall flat. I found the idea of a stranger getting so involved in the mystery a bit unbelievable, but it was entertaining to read. My biggest quibble is Joshua following Morgan. He should have backed off when Morgan told him to. He's not doing either of them any favors by staying involved. One thing I really enjoyed was Joshua's relationship with his father. It was great to see a good father-son relationship.
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2019
There's a touch of edge-of-seatness in this book to be sure, but I'd describe it more as a coming of age character study than a spine-tingling thriller. And I admit it's a bit of a stretch when it comes to believability; but then again, this is a work of fiction - so whether it could happen in real life really doesn't count for much. The bottom line is how well it's written - and I have no real complaints on that score; had I been able to finish it in one sitting, I would have.
Joshua Fields is your average Joe - went to work for his father, spending his days (and not a few nights) on the road helping with real estate deals and making his dad proud. He's got a girlfriend, although they're not quite seeing eye-to-eye at the moment and are taking a break. He makes decent money and, for all intents and purposes, should be a happy man.
Except he isn't. He hates to fly - popping anxiety pills before every one of his frequent flights. He knows he should be grateful that he's got a steady job with a future, a parent who loves him and a somewhat satisfactory love life. But in fact, he sees his life as hum-drum at best; he's just going through motions that he really doesn't much enjoy.
All that changes when he meets a beautiful but mysterious woman named Morgan during a layover at the Atlanta airport while on his way to shore up a real estate deal in Tampa, Fla. When she tells him little more about her life except that she's on the run, he's fascinated. And when she gives him a big kiss before flying down the concourse to catch her plane, fascination turns into infatuation. On a spur-of-the-moment whim, Josh decides to throw caution to the wind, cancel his trip to Tampa and set out to find her again. Perhaps, he seems to think, he can save her and his boring life in one fell swoop.
But you know what they say about good intentions and best-laid plans; finding Morgan isn't quite as simple as Josh thinks. And, he learns, she may not be all that happy to be found. Although she reveals a few more details about her dire situation, she leaves out enough to make Josh even more curious.
Meanwhile, a detective named Kimberly Givens is working on the case of the missing Giles Caldwell - the head honcho of a successful company that develops apps. It appears his home was broken into, but the only thing missing is a very expensive woman's ring. Giles's brother is pestering the police to get on with the investigation, but for the most part Kimberly's leads aren't going anywhere. She sticks with it, of course, eventually unearthing clues that point in the missing Morgan's direction (no big surprise there).
It's fast-paced, with short chapters shifting to different characters' points of views. It didn't end the way I would have expected, although upon reflection it was a good fit (see the first sentence in my review). All in all, a very enjoyable read - thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to review an advance copy.
Joshua Fields is your average Joe - went to work for his father, spending his days (and not a few nights) on the road helping with real estate deals and making his dad proud. He's got a girlfriend, although they're not quite seeing eye-to-eye at the moment and are taking a break. He makes decent money and, for all intents and purposes, should be a happy man.
Except he isn't. He hates to fly - popping anxiety pills before every one of his frequent flights. He knows he should be grateful that he's got a steady job with a future, a parent who loves him and a somewhat satisfactory love life. But in fact, he sees his life as hum-drum at best; he's just going through motions that he really doesn't much enjoy.
All that changes when he meets a beautiful but mysterious woman named Morgan during a layover at the Atlanta airport while on his way to shore up a real estate deal in Tampa, Fla. When she tells him little more about her life except that she's on the run, he's fascinated. And when she gives him a big kiss before flying down the concourse to catch her plane, fascination turns into infatuation. On a spur-of-the-moment whim, Josh decides to throw caution to the wind, cancel his trip to Tampa and set out to find her again. Perhaps, he seems to think, he can save her and his boring life in one fell swoop.
But you know what they say about good intentions and best-laid plans; finding Morgan isn't quite as simple as Josh thinks. And, he learns, she may not be all that happy to be found. Although she reveals a few more details about her dire situation, she leaves out enough to make Josh even more curious.
Meanwhile, a detective named Kimberly Givens is working on the case of the missing Giles Caldwell - the head honcho of a successful company that develops apps. It appears his home was broken into, but the only thing missing is a very expensive woman's ring. Giles's brother is pestering the police to get on with the investigation, but for the most part Kimberly's leads aren't going anywhere. She sticks with it, of course, eventually unearthing clues that point in the missing Morgan's direction (no big surprise there).
It's fast-paced, with short chapters shifting to different characters' points of views. It didn't end the way I would have expected, although upon reflection it was a good fit (see the first sentence in my review). All in all, a very enjoyable read - thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to review an advance copy.
July 4, 2019
Crafty, complex, and unpredictable!
Layover is a character-driven whodunit featuring the reckless and determined Joshua Fields as he throws caution to the wind and leaves his ordinary life behind to do whatever it takes to find the missing, enigmatic Morgan Reynolds who seems to have vanished into thin air after sweeping him off his feet in a bar at the Atlanta airport.
The writing is crisp and clear. The characters are impulsive, irrational, and troubled. And the plot told from two different perspectives is a menacing tale of life, love, obsession, deception, familial dynamics, desperation, violence, and murder.
I have to admit this was a really tough one for me, as even though there is no doubt that Bell can write a creative, mysterious story that some readers will absolutely love, unfortunately for me the plot was a bit too unrealistic, and the characters were a little too hard to connect to for me to enjoy Layover as much as I would have liked.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing, through NetGalley, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Layover is a character-driven whodunit featuring the reckless and determined Joshua Fields as he throws caution to the wind and leaves his ordinary life behind to do whatever it takes to find the missing, enigmatic Morgan Reynolds who seems to have vanished into thin air after sweeping him off his feet in a bar at the Atlanta airport.
The writing is crisp and clear. The characters are impulsive, irrational, and troubled. And the plot told from two different perspectives is a menacing tale of life, love, obsession, deception, familial dynamics, desperation, violence, and murder.
I have to admit this was a really tough one for me, as even though there is no doubt that Bell can write a creative, mysterious story that some readers will absolutely love, unfortunately for me the plot was a bit too unrealistic, and the characters were a little too hard to connect to for me to enjoy Layover as much as I would have liked.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing, through NetGalley, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 23, 2020
Not what I was expecting at al. Bit slow and drawn out in parts and unrealistic in others. Was hoping for more
July 3, 2019
The premise behind David Bell's Layover is sexy and exciting. A young business man shares a kiss with a beautiful stranger. She seems to be hiding something, running away from somebody. Her mysterious nature intrigues him. His infatuation leads him to abandon his job and track her down. Can he save her? Or is he putting his own life in jeopardy? Normally a page turner like this one would garner 4/5 stars but there were a few things that I had a problem with. The biggest was that I do not believe an experienced detective would reveal so much of their case to witnesses and potential suspects. Perhaps this was a writing device to further the plot but it didn't work for me.
July 8, 2019
You can read this and all of my reviews at Lit·Wit·Wine·Dine.
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY ON MY INSTA ACCOUNT.
Greetings, fellow readers! It’s great to be back from my hiatus with a blog tour stop and giveaway for Layover by David Bell. I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit this but, for whatever reason, I hadn’t read any of his previous books. On the brighter side, that only made me more excited to read this one so I could see for myself what all the fuss is about. And see, I do!
We start off with our main man, Joshua Fields, having a chance encounter with a beautiful woman during a layover in Atlanta. He’s not thrilled with his current job. She seems to be in some sort of emotional distress. They share a kiss and she tells him they’ll never see each other again. End of story, right? NOT! But is she the bad penny that keeps coming back? Or is she a victim of circumstance? Misunderstood martyr or manipulative murderess? Does missing Morgan have anything to do with another missing persons case being investigated in a town in which she once lived? Or are the two cases an unrelated coincidence?
This fast-paced game of cat and mouse plays out in short chapters with many little bombs being dropped along the way. I found myself finishing the last half of the book in one sitting, laundry be damned.
At times, I admittedly wanted to slap Joshua Fields. I was frustrated with his being smitten to the point of losing his good sense over a woman he’d met only once. At the same time, I found his naivete somewhat charming despite it requiring me to suspend disbelief a bit more than I’d normally go for. As for the femme fatale of this tale, I really didn’t know what to make of her until very end.
Overall, I enjoyed this book very much. I’d definitely read David Bell’s past or future books.
4.25/5 glasses of wine
Many thanks to Berkley and Get Red PR for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY ON MY INSTA ACCOUNT.
Greetings, fellow readers! It’s great to be back from my hiatus with a blog tour stop and giveaway for Layover by David Bell. I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit this but, for whatever reason, I hadn’t read any of his previous books. On the brighter side, that only made me more excited to read this one so I could see for myself what all the fuss is about. And see, I do!
We start off with our main man, Joshua Fields, having a chance encounter with a beautiful woman during a layover in Atlanta. He’s not thrilled with his current job. She seems to be in some sort of emotional distress. They share a kiss and she tells him they’ll never see each other again. End of story, right? NOT! But is she the bad penny that keeps coming back? Or is she a victim of circumstance? Misunderstood martyr or manipulative murderess? Does missing Morgan have anything to do with another missing persons case being investigated in a town in which she once lived? Or are the two cases an unrelated coincidence?
This fast-paced game of cat and mouse plays out in short chapters with many little bombs being dropped along the way. I found myself finishing the last half of the book in one sitting, laundry be damned.
At times, I admittedly wanted to slap Joshua Fields. I was frustrated with his being smitten to the point of losing his good sense over a woman he’d met only once. At the same time, I found his naivete somewhat charming despite it requiring me to suspend disbelief a bit more than I’d normally go for. As for the femme fatale of this tale, I really didn’t know what to make of her until very end.
Overall, I enjoyed this book very much. I’d definitely read David Bell’s past or future books.
4.25/5 glasses of wine
Many thanks to Berkley and Get Red PR for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 21, 2019
Another great thriller by David Bell! Loved it.
June 28, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5 rounded down
Sigh, I really, REALLY wanted to love Layover by David Bell but unfortunately that was not the case. I still really enjoyed it, but it was nowhere near the love I was hoping to feel for this book.
What it's about: Joshua Fields has his life down to a routine. He works for his father's company and spends most of his time in airports, hotels, and different states. But a chance meeting in an airport with a beautiful stranger named Morgan is about to change everything. After they share a kiss in the airport and she leaves telling him they will never see each other again, he finds out that she is a missing person. What follows is Joshua's journey to find Morgan and figure out what is going on with her. But what he finds out isn't quite what he was expecting.
I lie a little bit in my summery about Layover only being about Joshua's quest to find Morgan, because at the same time there is also a detective named Kimberly who is trying to solve a different missing person's case. The book actually jumps between Joshua and Kimberly's perspectives the entire time which also made this book a bit of a police procedural.
The biggest issue for me with this book was that I just didn't think the suspense was there, and the ending really wasn't a surprise to me. The fact that the ending let me down so much is why I got stuck on a 3.5 for Layover. I kept waiting for a shocking conclusion that just didn't come. That being said, this book was definitely enjoyable, don't get me wrong. I read it in 4.5 hours and with it being 399 pages that is really saying something about the pacing.
I also want to point out that a 3/3.5 for me is GOOD, I still really enjoyed this novel and the only reason it didn't get a higher rating from me is because I wasn't really surprised at any of the twists. This was my first time reading a book by Bell and I can definitely see what people love about him. His writing was fantastic, and the book was super readable which are both things I loved about Layover.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Follow You Down by Gin Blossoms
Final Thought: I feel like Layover is one of those books that a lot of people are going to love. Maybe I'm just getting jaded by the number of thrillers I've read, but for someone that can't guess the twists on most of the books I read, I just don't know what it was about this one. However, I am already looking forward to reading more of Bell's novels and knowing that I like his writing style just makes me that much more excited. And I am definitely still going to be recommending this book to the right readers!
Thank you to Get Red PR and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Sigh, I really, REALLY wanted to love Layover by David Bell but unfortunately that was not the case. I still really enjoyed it, but it was nowhere near the love I was hoping to feel for this book.
What it's about: Joshua Fields has his life down to a routine. He works for his father's company and spends most of his time in airports, hotels, and different states. But a chance meeting in an airport with a beautiful stranger named Morgan is about to change everything. After they share a kiss in the airport and she leaves telling him they will never see each other again, he finds out that she is a missing person. What follows is Joshua's journey to find Morgan and figure out what is going on with her. But what he finds out isn't quite what he was expecting.
I lie a little bit in my summery about Layover only being about Joshua's quest to find Morgan, because at the same time there is also a detective named Kimberly who is trying to solve a different missing person's case. The book actually jumps between Joshua and Kimberly's perspectives the entire time which also made this book a bit of a police procedural.
The biggest issue for me with this book was that I just didn't think the suspense was there, and the ending really wasn't a surprise to me. The fact that the ending let me down so much is why I got stuck on a 3.5 for Layover. I kept waiting for a shocking conclusion that just didn't come. That being said, this book was definitely enjoyable, don't get me wrong. I read it in 4.5 hours and with it being 399 pages that is really saying something about the pacing.
I also want to point out that a 3/3.5 for me is GOOD, I still really enjoyed this novel and the only reason it didn't get a higher rating from me is because I wasn't really surprised at any of the twists. This was my first time reading a book by Bell and I can definitely see what people love about him. His writing was fantastic, and the book was super readable which are both things I loved about Layover.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Follow You Down by Gin Blossoms
Final Thought: I feel like Layover is one of those books that a lot of people are going to love. Maybe I'm just getting jaded by the number of thrillers I've read, but for someone that can't guess the twists on most of the books I read, I just don't know what it was about this one. However, I am already looking forward to reading more of Bell's novels and knowing that I like his writing style just makes me that much more excited. And I am definitely still going to be recommending this book to the right readers!
Thank you to Get Red PR and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
July 11, 2019
3 stars to this thriller
Joshua is a young man who works with his father in a real estate business and has to travel quite a bit. He’s grown weary of the work (and hates to fly) but doesn’t know how to come clean to his Dad. He meets Morgan at an airport bar and instantly connects to the stranger. He shares deep thoughts with her, but she tells him they’ll never meet again.
I had to suspend belief a bit as Joshua makes an impulsive decision to follow Morgan and figure out just why she’s being so mysterious. The rest of the book is a crazy pursuit with the police mixed in and secrets galore. Why is Morgan on the run? Who can be trusted?
This was good for an airplane read, but not the best thriller. I found it to be predictable and the characters made unbelievable choices. I’ve read other David Bell books that are better, so he’s still on my list of authors. This one was disappointing however.
Thank you to Edelweiss, Berkley, and David Bell for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book.
Joshua is a young man who works with his father in a real estate business and has to travel quite a bit. He’s grown weary of the work (and hates to fly) but doesn’t know how to come clean to his Dad. He meets Morgan at an airport bar and instantly connects to the stranger. He shares deep thoughts with her, but she tells him they’ll never meet again.
I had to suspend belief a bit as Joshua makes an impulsive decision to follow Morgan and figure out just why she’s being so mysterious. The rest of the book is a crazy pursuit with the police mixed in and secrets galore. Why is Morgan on the run? Who can be trusted?
This was good for an airplane read, but not the best thriller. I found it to be predictable and the characters made unbelievable choices. I’ve read other David Bell books that are better, so he’s still on my list of authors. This one was disappointing however.
Thank you to Edelweiss, Berkley, and David Bell for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book.
April 29, 2019
A suspense-filled, fast-paced book that had me flipping the pages to find out what was going to happen. Layover is entertaining storytelling at its best!
The book switches smoothly between Joshua Fields, an All-American guy working in a job he hates, flying on planes he’s terrified of, and Detective Kimberly Givens, a single mom doing her best to be there for her daughter while trying to find a local businessman who’s gone missing. These two stories intersect seamlessly in a way that not only builds tension, but also made me root for each of the characters.
A smart, tantalizingly tense thriller that you’ll want to read all in one go—perfect, unsurprisingly, for while you’re on an airplane.
The book switches smoothly between Joshua Fields, an All-American guy working in a job he hates, flying on planes he’s terrified of, and Detective Kimberly Givens, a single mom doing her best to be there for her daughter while trying to find a local businessman who’s gone missing. These two stories intersect seamlessly in a way that not only builds tension, but also made me root for each of the characters.
A smart, tantalizingly tense thriller that you’ll want to read all in one go—perfect, unsurprisingly, for while you’re on an airplane.
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