Title: Whatever Happened to Betsy Blake?
Author: David B. Lyons
Genre: Thriller
Format: Ebook
Date of Publication: March 28th 2019
Publisher: Self-Published
ASIN: B07PZSXXF4
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If your daughter went missing, how many years would it take for you to admit she’s never coming home?
Betsy Blake was only four years old when she vanished outside her family home in Dublin.
Her father – wracked with guilt for the past seventeen years – still can’t bring himself to admit the search is over, despite the fact his wife has moved on and police have closed off the investigation.
When he is informed he must undergo major heart surgery that he only has a fifty percent chance of surviving, Gordon Blake hires a local PI to give the investigation one last try.
But surely rookie PI Lenny Moon – who has little or no experience in such high-profile investigating – doesn’t have what it takes to make a breakthrough in this case before Gordon is put to sleep
.…or does he?
The clock is ticking…
One of my favourite authors of 2018 and the winner of Promising Author in my Rubina Reads Awards is back with another book and is absolutely living up to his promise.
When the author, David B. Lyons, contacted me regarding his next book, I said yes IMMEDIATELY! Who was I to say no after reading his mind blowing debut novel Midday last year? I have to confess, though, I was nervous reading this book. I didn’t want to be disappointed. I didn’t want the author’s second book to change my feelings for the first book and my trust on the author’s skills. And you know what? I was COMPLETELY wrong! Whatever Happened to Betsy Blake? is equal to, if not more amazing than, Midday!
I couldn’t fathom the fact that David just wrote another mind blowing book! I was on the edge the whole time, reading and thinking and trying to piece it together but I failed so miserably and I AM HAPPY ABOUT IT! Every chapter is charged with tension, and the last sentences of each of them are such great read-on prompts. I was glued to my kindle for two complete days. I couldn’t help myself but continue reading it.
I was tormented and sweaty thinking what and how Gordon and Lenny will find the answers. And the supporting characters did their best to keep me worried throughout.
At one point I thought I got the answer and the author immediately debunked it, as if he could read my mind! Then I was presented with a conclusion I wasn’t satisfied with. And with just a couple of chapters left, I couldn’t help but wonder how the book will end. What happened to Betsy? Lenny did all this for nothing? I read all this for nothing?
What I forgot was David B. Lyons is the author of Midday, my favourite book of 2018, one that blew my mind. And blow my mind he did! The final reveal just threw me off the cliff. I thought I might need to get myself admitted. I had to read the last couple of chapters twice to make myself believe what I just read. And then I started laughing like a hysterical woman. I am still having a hard time coming back to the reality around me.
I have told this to David and I’ll write it here again. The effect this book has given me is other-worldly. And there are only VERY few books that have that effect on me – And Then There Were None by my first love Agatha Christie, Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer, Stalker by Lars Kepler, Afterlife by Marcus Sakey, Jack Jordan did with two of his books – My Girl and Before Her Eyes and now I add David, too, to this list, with both his books – Midday and What Happened to Betsy Blake?
The writing – amazing! The pace – amazing! The structure – amazing! The characters – amazing! The twists and turns – amazing! The final reveal – amazing! The intelligence behind writing this book – AMAZING!
Whatever Happened to Betsy Blake? is a heart-racing, ticking-bomb thriller that will play with your brains and leave you numb, wanting for more.
And with that, I ask – David, when is your next book coming? Just curious. 😊
Final Verdict: Need I say this? Ok, if you wish.
Whatever Happened to Betsy Blake? by David. B Lyons gets 5 out of 5 stars from me.
Thank you to author David B. Lyons for providing me with the e-book.
If you want to read my reviews to the other David B. Lyons books you can click the following:
About the Author:
David B. Lyons is an award-winning journalist, turned-author. He is a writer of psychological thrillers, the first of which – Midday – was lauded by Mail on Sunday as “a gripping and high-octane page turner that keeps you guessing right until the end.”
He grew up in Dublin – the city his novels are set – but currently spends his time between Birmingham in the UK and the Irish capital. He is married to a Brummie, Kerry, and they have one daughter, Lola.
He has also lectured in Creative Writing in colleges and universities in both Ireland and in the UK and teaches people how to write with free tutorials at TheOpenAuthor.com.
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