Contemporary Authors

• A Simple Favor: A Novel Harper (New York, NY), 2017

1. A simple favor : a novel LCCN 2016032303 Type of material Book Personal name Bell, Darcey, author. Main title A simple favor : a novel / Darcey Bell. Edition First edition. Published/Produced New York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2017] Description 298 pages ; 24 cm ISBN 9780062497772 (hardback) CALL NUMBER PS3602.E45255 S86 2017 CABIN BRANCH Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE

• Harper Collins Publishers - https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062497796/a-simple-favor

  Darcey Bell
  Darcey BellPhotograph by Christine Jean Chamber
  Biography
  Darcey Bell was born in 1981 and raised on a dairy farm in western Iowa. She is a preschool teacher in Chicago. A Simple Favor is her first novel.

• Washington Independent Review of Books - http://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/features/an-interview-with-darcey-bell

  Washington Independent review of books

  Author Q&A
  An Interview with Darcey Bell
  • By Joye Shepperd
  • April 4, 2017
  The debut novelist talks timing, compelling characters, and the myth of having it all.

  In A Simple Favor, Darcey Bell’s debut novel, moms Stephanie and Emily meet on the playground of their children’s school and strike up a friendship. But initial kindnesses soon fade as their families succumb to a series of awful events.
  How do you like the book cover? It’s so scary.
  The book cover is great! I think it really helps convey how tantalizing it is to look into the life someone else is living…but also how dangerous and terrifying it is to do so.
  One of your main characters, Stephanie, is a blogger whose writing voice becomes less reliable over time. Will A Simple Favor start a movement to make readers distrust bloggers?
  I wasn’t interested in starting a movement when I wrote the book, but I did want to create more suspense by showing how much of a performance having a blog — or any social-media presence, for that matter — can be. Stephanie, the mom blogger, and Stephanie, the best friend and lonely widow, are two very different people. I wanted to build and expose the tension not only between Stephanie, Emily, and Sean, but also between Stephanie and herself.
  Loneliness is a far more powerful force than most people realize, an odd catalyst. What do you think?
  Certainly! It is a powerful force — and I think books have always done a great job of showing us what loneliness can make people do. Of course, books are also great comfort against loneliness, too.
  Do you believe there may be something a little sinister lurking below the surface of ordinary folk?
  Maybe not always sinister, but I think everyone has something hidden or unknown. We live in a world that makes it seem like we can know anyone by typing names into Google and stalking social-media pages. No one is ever transparent — some are just better at hiding parts of themselves than others!
  Is Emily, your other main character, a new take on an old evil? Why was she compelling to you?
  Edgar Allan Poe wrote this story, “The Imp of the Perverse,” about this imp-demon that stands in for our impulse to do the wrong thing in a situation simply because it is the wrong thing to do. I’ve been haunted/obsessed by this idea (and Edgar Allan Poe in general!) since I read it. Emily was so compelling to me because she learned how to use the pleasure in this impulse to gain power — and look good doing it. But I also think her love for her son makes her more complicated than any old devil.
  How do you time the ideas in a story? When to let something slip?
  Timing is so important for creating suspense. You can’t give away the big secret in the first five pages, but you also can’t leave the reader totally in the dark until the final revealing moment. You have to drop crumbs along that way that smell a little fishy…I’m obsessed with Patricia Highsmith (as you know, she makes some appearances in my novel!), and I learned a lot from reading her work. I think it’s in The Talented Mr. Ripley where she writes, “Anticipation was more pleasant...than the experiencing.” The thrill in anticipation is a big part of writing suspense for me.
  Is there anything about this story that exists in your reality?
  Sort of! As a preschool teacher, I spend a lot of time talking with moms with young children who are often lonely, fiercely protective, and loving parents. To be honest, a lot of the mothers I meet are at least a little like Stephanie. Maybe every mother is, but some know how to hide it better than others! But no sapphire rings or cabins for me...
  A Simple Favor is told mostly from the perspectives of Stephanie and Emily, neither of whom necessarily inspires trust. Who would you be most inclined to trust, and why?
  I think you’ll have to read the book to find out!
  It’s funny that we still haven’t finished grappling with the issue of stay-at-home vs. working moms. I like “Captain Mom.” Did you coin this usage? I guess we all want to be captain of something.
  We do! Of course, we are still trying to figure out how to “have it all” and looking for models for how to be superwomen and supermoms. I think it’s natural to look to other women and mothers for guidance. But appearances are never what they seem…though they can certainly lead to some interesting stories!
  Joye Shepperd is senior features editor at the Washington Independent Review of Books.

9/16/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
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Print Marked Items
Bell, Darcey: A SIMPLE FAVOR
Kirkus Reviews.
(Jan. 15, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text: 
Bell, Darcey A SIMPLE FAVOR Harper/HarperCollins (Adult Fiction) $25.99 3, 21 ISBN: 978-0-06249777-2
An insecure woman with an edgy past insinuates herself into the lives of a narcissistic, glamorous couple and finds
herself in jeopardy.The formula is familiar: Bell's debut is a pale facsimile of The Girl on the Train. True to template,
the novel tells the same story from the differing and self-serving perspectives of three narrators. Stephanie is a blogger
who writes about mom issues. Recently widowed and raising small son Miles alone, she overshares all manner of
anxieties on her blog. Her husband and her half brother died together in a tragic auto crash, but later we learn the edgy
part: her husband had suspicions about her ongoing affair with her half brother. Stephanie forms a play-date friendship
with fellow Connecticut mom Emily, a busy publicist for a top Manhattan fashion designer. Certainly, Emily has an
unusual fondness for serial-killer movies and Patricia Highsmith novels--and, thanks to her high-powered job, is
always sticking Stephanie with the kids--but Stephanie thinks, and blogs, that she's finally found a true friend. The two
do share a common dysfunctional past: estrangement from Midwestern parents. After Emily disappears during a
business trip, however, the POV shifts to her, and we learn that she and her Wall Street trader husband, Sean (who's the
third narrator), planned to fake her death in order to cash in on a $2 million life insurance policy so they and their son,
Nicky, could escape the rat race. From here, the typical who's-playing-whom standoff between the three principals
unspools, and violence accelerates. There are plenty of rationalizations cited by Sean and Emily as to why their scam
makes sense, in spite of the likelihood that $2 million is a drop in Sean's annual bonus bucket, and, in any case, how
much time away from the rat race would it really buy? This is just one of many unconvincing motivations driving the
plot, which will amply satisfy readers' lowest expectations. More like "girl on a train wreck."
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Bell, Darcey: A SIMPLE FAVOR." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Jan. 2017. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA477242330&it=r&asid=bd29836181bf2732e49300f1bf7dbb3c.
Accessed 16 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A477242330

---

9/16/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1505590985572 2/4
A Simple Favor
Michele Leber
Booklist.
113.11 (Feb. 1, 2017): p27.
COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text: 
* A Simple Favor.
By Darcey Bell.
Mar. 2017. 304p. Harper, $25.99 (9780062497772).
Emily and Stephanie become best friends, despite their differences, after their five-year-old sons, Nicky and Miles,
bond in kindergarten. Emily--married to Sean, who works on Wall Street--handles public relations for a high-style
Manhattan designer, while Stephanie, a widow, is a stay-at-home mom who writes a blog for other moms. When Emily
has an emergency at work, she asks Stephanie for a simple favor: to pick up Nicky at school, along with Miles, and
take him home until she can get him later that evening. Except that Emily doesn't come home--not that night, or the
next day, or for weeks after. Sean is initially nonchalant, thinking Emily is traveling on business, until he, too, gets
worried. Stephanie's blog posts, asking other moms for assistance or advice, are interspersed with chapters from the
viewpoints of each of the three principal adults, as secrets are revealed, and the plot takes one twist after another to its
final pages. Debut-novelist Bell ramps up suspense with authority in this domestic thriller, in which actions seem as
inevitable as they are chilling. The audience that made Gone Girl a publishing sensation is likely to take to this one,
too.--Michele Leber
Leber, Michele
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
Leber, Michele. "A Simple Favor." Booklist, 1 Feb. 2017, p. 27. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA481244797&it=r&asid=9d7754352c0e51b029b494da4cf6fb27.
Accessed 16 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A481244797

---

9/16/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1505590985572 3/4
A Simple Favor
Publishers Weekly.
264.2 (Jan. 9, 2017): p43.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text: 
A Simple Favor
Darcey Bell. Harper, $25.99 (304p)
ISBN 978-0-06-249777-2
In Bell's convoluted debut, widowed mommy-blogger Stephanie Ward receives a call from her best friend, Emily
Nelson, asking her to pick up Emily's five-year-old son, Nicky, from school. There's an emergency at work, Emily
explains, but she'll be by to get Nicky no later than 9 p.m. Nicky is best friends with Stephanie's son, Miles, and the
boys attend the same suburban Connecticut kindergarten, so Stephanie agrees. Days pass and Emily never appears,
leading Stephanie to fear the worst. Emily's husband, Sean, returns home from his European business trip and calls the
police, who assume that Emily has simply run away--until her body washes up at her family's lake house in Michigan.
Stephanie initially seeks to comfort Sean, but when questions arise surrounding Emily's death, she's left wondering
what is true and whom to trust. While Stephanie, Emily, and Sean share the narrative, Stephanie is the primary pointof-view
character, and her vacuity and naivete undercut the story's tension and heft. Bell further squanders an
intriguing setup with ill-defined stakes and tired, telegraphed plot twists. Agent: Denise Shannon, Denise Shannon
Literary Agency. (Mar.)
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
"A Simple Favor." Publishers Weekly, 9 Jan. 2017, p. 43. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA477339277&it=r&asid=a9682ae37556a91c4f35bdc5609901d8.
Accessed 16 Sept. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A477339277

"Bell, Darcey: A SIMPLE FAVOR." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Jan. 2017. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA477242330&it=r. Accessed 16 Sept. 2017. Leber, Michele. "A Simple Favor." Booklist, 1 Feb. 2017, p. 27. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA481244797&it=r. Accessed 16 Sept. 2017. "A Simple Favor." Publishers Weekly, 9 Jan. 2017, p. 43. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA477339277&it=r. Accessed 16 Sept. 2017.

• Woman Around Town
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  Home » Sections » Reading Around » Nothing Is Simple in Darcey Bell’s A Simple Favor
  Nothing Is Simple in Darcey Bell’s A Simple Favor
  Posted on March 21, 2017 by Charlene Giannetti in Reading Around

  16 16 0 961
  The publishing industry and the movie industry are lemmings, following popular trends rather than thinking outside the box to come up with something exciting and different. When a new book or film does break out – The Hunger Games (first book, then film) – everyone rushes to replicate that success. So we have had a whole series of dystopian novels and films ad nauseam, none as great as the one which started the trend.

  We can say the same about Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn’s psychological thriller which was a bestseller and went on to become a film starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Girl on a Train by Paula Hawkins also became a film, this one with Emily Blunt. So we can imagine all those intrepid editors at publishing houses going through slush piles trying to find the next thriller featuring a slightly crazed female protagonist and coming up with A Simple Favor by first time novelist Darcey Bell.

  Like its predecessors, A Simple Favor follows a similar pattern. The woman at the center of the plot is narcissistic and unbalanced, but, like so many people with these characteristics, she can skillfully manipulate others to play along with anything she cooks up. The problem with this set up is that the protagonist and everyone around her become unsympathetic and unlikeable. (That was certainly the case with Gone Girl. Did anyone like Affleck’s character, even though he was the victim?) And without someone to latch onto, root for, the characters become annoying and the plot frustrating.

  In A Simple Favor, Emily is in the driver’s seat. She seems to have it all – good looks, an attractive husband, Sean, who is British and works in finance, an adorable son, Nicky, a gorgeous home in suburban Connecticut, and a high-profile job working for a famous fashion designer, Dennis Nylon. She also seems nice, befriending odd duck Stephanie, a widow with a son, Miles, who spends her time writing a mommy blog. Stephanie is so needy that when Emily throws her a lifeline she grabs it with a vengeance. Soon the two are inseparable, spending afternoons stretched out on Emily’s huge sofa, drinking white wine, while their two sons enjoy a playdate. When Emily asks that her friend pick up Nicky after school, Stephanie is only too happy to help. But then Emily disappears and Stephanie is frantic that something has happened to her friend.

  Stephanie tells part of her story in her blog, part in straight narrative. While Bell nails the tone and substance of a mommy blog, these passages are irritating. The condescending, cheerful content begins to grate, although this might be intentional on Bell’s part. After Emily’s disappearance, Stephanie uses the blog to enlist support to help find her friend (since she says her readers come from all part of the country, this seems a stretch). When it appears Emily is dead, she continues to keep everyone updated on Sean and Nicky.

  There are many revelations and Bell skillfully doles them out. Truth be told, Bell has produced a page turner, even though the characters – Emily, Stephanie, and Sean – continue to act in ways that are off-putting and exasperating. By the end of the book, not one of the trio is anyone a normal person would want to spend time with. But we will be spending more time with them. A Simple Favor will soon be a feature film from Fox.

  A Simple Favor
  Darcey Bell

  Top photo: Bigstock

  A Simple Favor
  Ben Affleck
  Charlene Giannetti
  Darcey Bell
  Gillian Flynn
  Girl on a Train
  Gone Girl
  Paula Hawkins
  Rosamund Pike
  The Hunger Games
  16 16 0 961

  About Charlene Giannetti (809 Articles)

  Charlene Giannetti, editor of Woman Around Town, is the recipient of seven awards from the New York Press Club for articles that have appeared on the website. A graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Charlene began her career working for a newspaper in Pennsylvania, then wrote for several publications in Washington covering environment and energy policy. In New York, she was an editor at Business Week magazine and her articles have appeared in many newspapers and magazines including the New York Times. She is the author of 12 non-fiction books, eight for parents of young adolescents written with Margaret Sagarese, including "The Roller-Coaster Years," "Cliques," and "Boy Crazy." She and Margaret have been keynote speakers at many events and have appeared on the Today Show, CBS Morning, FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and many others. Her new book, "The Plantations of Virginia," written with Jai Williams, was published by Globe Pequot Press in February, 2017. Charlene divides her time between homes in Manhattan and Alexandria, Virginia.
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  Home » Sections » Reading Around » Nothing Is Simple in Darcey Bell’s A Simple Favor
  Nothing Is Simple in Darcey Bell’s A Simple Favor
  Posted on March 21, 2017 by Charlene Giannetti in Reading Around

  16 16 0 961
  The publishing industry and the movie industry are lemmings, following popular trends rather than thinking outside the box to come up with something exciting and different. When a new book or film does break out – The Hunger Games (first book, then film) – everyone rushes to replicate that success. So we have had a whole series of dystopian novels and films ad nauseam, none as great as the one which started the trend.

  We can say the same about Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn’s psychological thriller which was a bestseller and went on to become a film starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Girl on a Train by Paula Hawkins also became a film, this one with Emily Blunt. So we can imagine all those intrepid editors at publishing houses going through slush piles trying to find the next thriller featuring a slightly crazed female protagonist and coming up with A Simple Favor by first time novelist Darcey Bell.

  Like its predecessors, A Simple Favor follows a similar pattern. The woman at the center of the plot is narcissistic and unbalanced, but, like so many people with these characteristics, she can skillfully manipulate others to play along with anything she cooks up. The problem with this set up is that the protagonist and everyone around her become unsympathetic and unlikeable. (That was certainly the case with Gone Girl. Did anyone like Affleck’s character, even though he was the victim?) And without someone to latch onto, root for, the characters become annoying and the plot frustrating.

  In A Simple Favor, Emily is in the driver’s seat. She seems to have it all – good looks, an attractive husband, Sean, who is British and works in finance, an adorable son, Nicky, a gorgeous home in suburban Connecticut, and a high-profile job working for a famous fashion designer, Dennis Nylon. She also seems nice, befriending odd duck Stephanie, a widow with a son, Miles, who spends her time writing a mommy blog. Stephanie is so needy that when Emily throws her a lifeline she grabs it with a vengeance. Soon the two are inseparable, spending afternoons stretched out on Emily’s huge sofa, drinking white wine, while their two sons enjoy a playdate. When Emily asks that her friend pick up Nicky after school, Stephanie is only too happy to help. But then Emily disappears and Stephanie is frantic that something has happened to her friend.

  Stephanie tells part of her story in her blog, part in straight narrative. While Bell nails the tone and substance of a mommy blog, these passages are irritating. The condescending, cheerful content begins to grate, although this might be intentional on Bell’s part. After Emily’s disappearance, Stephanie uses the blog to enlist support to help find her friend (since she says her readers come from all part of the country, this seems a stretch). When it appears Emily is dead, she continues to keep everyone updated on Sean and Nicky.

  There are many revelations and Bell skillfully doles them out. Truth be told, Bell has produced a page turner, even though the characters – Emily, Stephanie, and Sean – continue to act in ways that are off-putting and exasperating. By the end of the book, not one of the trio is anyone a normal person would want to spend time with. But we will be spending more time with them. A Simple Favor will soon be a feature film from Fox.

  A Simple Favor
  Darcey Bell

  Top photo: Bigstock

  A Simple Favor
  Ben Affleck
  Charlene Giannetti
  Darcey Bell
  Gillian Flynn
  Girl on a Train
  Gone Girl
  Paula Hawkins
  Rosamund Pike
  The Hunger Games
  16 16 0 961

  About Charlene Giannetti (809 Articles)

  Charlene Giannetti, editor of Woman Around Town, is the recipient of seven awards from the New York Press Club for articles that have appeared on the website. A graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Charlene began her career working for a newspaper in Pennsylvania, then wrote for several publications in Washington covering environment and energy policy. In New York, she was an editor at Business Week magazine and her articles have appeared in many newspapers and magazines including the New York Times. She is the author of 12 non-fiction books, eight for parents of young adolescents written with Margaret Sagarese, including "The Roller-Coaster Years," "Cliques," and "Boy Crazy." She and Margaret have been keynote speakers at many events and have appeared on the Today Show, CBS Morning, FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and many others. Her new book, "The Plantations of Virginia," written with Jai Williams, was published by Globe Pequot Press in February, 2017. Charlene divides her time between homes in Manhattan and Alexandria, Virginia.
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  SaveShareThis Copy and PasteLogin HOME WOMAN AROUND TOWN PLAYING AROUND LIVING AROUND SHOPPING AROUND DINING AROUND READING AROUND Home » Sections » Reading Around » Nothing Is Simple in Darcey Bell’s A Simple Favor Nothing Is Simple in Darcey Bell’s A Simple Favor Posted on March 21, 2017 by Charlene Giannetti in Reading Around 16 16 0 961 The publishing industry and the movie industry are lemmings, following popular trends rather than thinking outside the box to come up with something exciting and different. When a new book or film does break out – The Hunger Games (first book, then film) – everyone rushes to replicate that success. So we have had a whole series of dystopian novels and films ad nauseam, none as great as the one which started the trend. We can say the same about Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn’s psychological thriller which was a bestseller and went on to become a film starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Girl on a Train by Paula Hawkins also became a film, this one with Emily Blunt. So we can imagine all those intrepid editors at publishing houses going through slush piles trying to find the next thriller featuring a slightly crazed female protagonist and coming up with A Simple Favor by first time novelist Darcey Bell. Like its predecessors, A Simple Favor follows a similar pattern. The woman at the center of the plot is narcissistic and unbalanced, but, like so many people with these characteristics, she can skillfully manipulate others to play along with anything she cooks up. The problem with this set up is that the protagonist and everyone around her become unsympathetic and unlikeable. (That was certainly the case with Gone Girl. Did anyone like Affleck’s character, even though he was the victim?) And without someone to latch onto, root for, the characters become annoying and the plot frustrating. In A Simple Favor, Emily is in the driver’s seat. She seems to have it all – good looks, an attractive husband, Sean, who is British and works in finance, an adorable son, Nicky, a gorgeous home in suburban Connecticut, and a high-profile job working for a famous fashion designer, Dennis Nylon. She also seems nice, befriending odd duck Stephanie, a widow with a son, Miles, who spends her time writing a mommy blog. Stephanie is so needy that when Emily throws her a lifeline she grabs it with a vengeance. Soon the two are inseparable, spending afternoons stretched out on Emily’s huge sofa, drinking white wine, while their two sons enjoy a playdate. When Emily asks that her friend pick up Nicky after school, Stephanie is only too happy to help. But then Emily disappears and Stephanie is frantic that something has happened to her friend. Stephanie tells part of her story in her blog, part in straight narrative. While Bell nails the tone and substance of a mommy blog, these passages are irritating. The condescending, cheerful content begins to grate, although this might be intentional on Bell’s part. After Emily’s disappearance, Stephanie uses the blog to enlist support to help find her friend (since she says her readers come from all part of the country, this seems a stretch). When it appears Emily is dead, she continues to keep everyone updated on Sean and Nicky. There are many revelations and Bell skillfully doles them out. Truth be told, Bell has produced a page turner, even though the characters – Emily, Stephanie, and Sean – continue to act in ways that are off-putting and exasperating. By the end of the book, not one of the trio is anyone a normal person would want to spend time with. But we will be spending more time with them. A Simple Favor will soon be a feature film from Fox. A Simple Favor Darcey Bell Top photo: Bigstock A Simple Favor Ben Affleck Charlene Giannetti Darcey Bell Gillian Flynn Girl on a Train Gone Girl Paula Hawkins Rosamund Pike The Hunger Games 16 16 0 961 About Charlene Giannetti (809 Articles) Charlene Giannetti, editor of Woman Around Town, is the recipient of seven awards from the New York Press Club for articles that have appeared on the website. A graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Charlene began her career working for a newspaper in Pennsylvania, then wrote for several publications in Washington covering environment and energy policy. In New York, she was an editor at Business Week magazine and her articles have appeared in many newspapers and magazines including the New York Times. She is the author of 12 non-fiction books, eight for parents of young adolescents written with Margaret Sagarese, including "The Roller-Coaster Years," "Cliques," and "Boy Crazy." She and Margaret have been keynote speakers at many events and have appeared on the Today Show, CBS Morning, FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and many others. Her new book, "The Plantations of Virginia," written with Jai Williams, was published by Globe Pequot Press in February, 2017. Charlene divides her time between homes in Manhattan and Alexandria, Virginia. ← Previous articleNext article → Recent Stories Katy Tur’s Unbelievable Is (Unfortunately) Believable September 16, 2017 Donald Trump’s disparaging comments to and about women have not deterred a growing number of women journalists covering, first his [...] The Eight Senses: Chic, Minimal, Multipurpose Beauty, Ancient Traditions and Snow Monkeys in Japan The Dowager’s Diary – Week One Hundred and Thirty-Three 19 Daniel Highway Focuses on the Opioid/Heroin Epidemic Loveless Texas – Not Sue Grafton’s Y Is for Yesterday First Look: Velvet Shoes Categories Articles (21) Contributed (15) Dining Around (409) Living Around (1,087) New York (6) Playing Around (1,743) Reading Around (462) Sections (1) Shopping Around (276) Sponsored Content (15) Washington DC (2) Woman Around Town (487) Find It Join Our Mailing List Sign up for our Free E-mails and receive news about upcoming events and promotions Name* Email* Join the Conversation About Advertise Contact Contributors Policies & Disclaimers © 2017 Woman Around Town. All Rights Reserved. Save Login HOME WOMAN AROUND TOWN PLAYING AROUND LIVING AROUND SHOPPING AROUND DINING AROUND READING AROUND Home » Sections » Reading Around » Nothing Is Simple in Darcey Bell’s A Simple Favor Nothing Is Simple in Darcey Bell’s A Simple Favor Posted on March 21, 2017 by Charlene Giannetti in Reading Around 16 16 0 961 The publishing industry and the movie industry are lemmings, following popular trends rather than thinking outside the box to come up with something exciting and different. When a new book or film does break out – The Hunger Games (first book, then film) – everyone rushes to replicate that success. So we have had a whole series of dystopian novels and films ad nauseam, none as great as the one which started the trend. We can say the same about Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn’s psychological thriller which was a bestseller and went on to become a film starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Girl on a Train by Paula Hawkins also became a film, this one with Emily Blunt. So we can imagine all those intrepid editors at publishing houses going through slush piles trying to find the next thriller featuring a slightly crazed female protagonist and coming up with A Simple Favor by first time novelist Darcey Bell. Like its predecessors, A Simple Favor follows a similar pattern. The woman at the center of the plot is narcissistic and unbalanced, but, like so many people with these characteristics, she can skillfully manipulate others to play along with anything she cooks up. The problem with this set up is that the protagonist and everyone around her become unsympathetic and unlikeable. (That was certainly the case with Gone Girl. Did anyone like Affleck’s character, even though he was the victim?) And without someone to latch onto, root for, the characters become annoying and the plot frustrating. In A Simple Favor, Emily is in the driver’s seat. She seems to have it all – good looks, an attractive husband, Sean, who is British and works in finance, an adorable son, Nicky, a gorgeous home in suburban Connecticut, and a high-profile job working for a famous fashion designer, Dennis Nylon. She also seems nice, befriending odd duck Stephanie, a widow with a son, Miles, who spends her time writing a mommy blog. Stephanie is so needy that when Emily throws her a lifeline she grabs it with a vengeance. Soon the two are inseparable, spending afternoons stretched out on Emily’s huge sofa, drinking white wine, while their two sons enjoy a playdate. When Emily asks that her friend pick up Nicky after school, Stephanie is only too happy to help. But then Emily disappears and Stephanie is frantic that something has happened to her friend. Stephanie tells part of her story in her blog, part in straight narrative. While Bell nails the tone and substance of a mommy blog, these passages are irritating. The condescending, cheerful content begins to grate, although this might be intentional on Bell’s part. After Emily’s disappearance, Stephanie uses the blog to enlist support to help find her friend (since she says her readers come from all part of the country, this seems a stretch). When it appears Emily is dead, she continues to keep everyone updated on Sean and Nicky. There are many revelations and Bell skillfully doles them out. Truth be told, Bell has produced a page turner, even though the characters – Emily, Stephanie, and Sean – continue to act in ways that are off-putting and exasperating. By the end of the book, not one of the trio is anyone a normal person would want to spend time with. But we will be spending more time with them. A Simple Favor will soon be a feature film from Fox. A Simple Favor Darcey Bell Top photo: Bigstock A Simple Favor Ben Affleck Charlene Giannetti Darcey Bell Gillian Flynn Girl on a Train Gone Girl Paula Hawkins Rosamund Pike The Hunger Games 16 16 0 961 About Charlene Giannetti (809 Articles) Charlene Giannetti, editor of Woman Around Town, is the recipient of seven awards from the New York Press Club for articles that have appeared on the website. A graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Charlene began her career working for a newspaper in Pennsylvania, then wrote for several publications in Washington covering environment and energy policy. In New York, she was an editor at Business Week magazine and her articles have appeared in many newspapers and magazines including the New York Times. She is the author of 12 non-fiction books, eight for parents of young adolescents written with Margaret Sagarese, including "The Roller-Coaster Years," "Cliques," and "Boy Crazy." She and Margaret have been keynote speakers at many events and have appeared on the Today Show, CBS Morning, FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and many others. Her new book, "The Plantations of Virginia," written with Jai Williams, was published by Globe Pequot Press in February, 2017. Charlene divides her time between homes in Manhattan and Alexandria, Virginia. ← Previous articleNext article → Recent Stories Katy Tur’s Unbelievable Is (Unfortunately) Believable September 16, 2017 Donald Trump’s disparaging comments to and about women have not deterred a growing number of women journalists covering, first his [...] The Eight Senses: Chic, Minimal, Multipurpose Beauty, Ancient Traditions and Snow Monkeys in Japan The Dowager’s Diary – Week One Hundred and Thirty-Three 19 Daniel Highway Focuses on the Opioid/Heroin Epidemic Loveless Texas – Not Sue Grafton’s Y Is for Yesterday First Look: Velvet Shoes Categories Articles (21) Contributed (15) Dining Around (409) Living Around (1,087) New York (6) Playing Around (1,743) Reading Around (462) Sections (1) Shopping Around (276) Sponsored Content (15) Washington DC (2) Woman Around Town (487) Find It Join Our Mailing List Sign up for our Free E-mails and receive news about upcoming events and promotions Name* Email* Join the Conversation About Advertise Contact Contributors Policies & Disclaimers © 2017 Woman Around Town. All Rights Reserved. SaveShareThis Copy and Paste

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  A Simple Favor
  by Darcey Bell
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  You are going to be hearing a lot about A SIMPLE FAVOR. Debut author Darcey Bell manages to cram a lot of living, if you will, into a standard-length novel with some extremely contemporary, “right-now” elements and enough sordid episodes and surprises to fill a couple of books. Bell also infuses her story with a cinematic narrative, so it’s no surprise that the book was optioned for film development even before it was published.

  A SIMPLE FAVOR is told in three parts from three different, occasionally alternating viewpoints. Chief among them is that of Stephanie, a widowed suburban mom who writes a mommy blog, of which many of the entries form a part of the book’s narrative. The blog posts provide a nice counterpoint to Stephanie’s own narration, which goes a bit deeper, and with more accuracy, into what is really occurring in her life. The plot is simple enough, at first. Stephanie’s son, Miles, is best friends with his kindergarten classmate, Nicky. When Stephanie meets Nicky’s mom, Emily, the two women become best friends. Emily seemingly has it all: a beautiful home, a glamorous job in New York, and Sean, her highly successful British husband.

  "Debut author Darcey Bell manages to cram a lot of living, if you will, into a standard-length novel with some extremely contemporary, 'right-now' elements and enough sordid episodes and surprises to fill a couple of books."
  Naturally, everything isn’t quite as it appears, and as Stephanie and Emily gradually bond, they tell each other some very closely held secrets. It develops that Emily’s life isn’t entirely perfect and that Stephanie has an extremely interesting past. The two moms also take turns hosting sleepovers for their children and even have keys to each other’s homes. Bell sets things up nicely. You know these women, or ones similar to them. You may even be one of them, up to a point.

  Things change drastically when one day Emily asks Stephanie to pick Nicky up from school because she has to work late in the city and Sean is out of the country on business. She promises Stephanie that she will pick him up that evening. Stephanie is happy to do what she describes as a simple favor for a friend. Emily, however, never shows up to retrieve Nicky. Worse, she is not answering any phone calls or texts. She also has told different people conflicting stories about what she would be doing or how long she would be gone. Stephanie manages to convince herself that she possibly misunderstood her friend.

  When Emily fails to appear after a couple of days and still does not answer any messages, Stephanie is afraid that the worst has happened. She asks her blog followers for assistance, but it is not until Sean comes home that the search for Emily truly begins. Absent any evidence of foul play, the police are inclined to believe that Emily simply decided to take a sabbatical from her life. That theory is shattered, though, when what is identified as Emily’s body is discovered in a lake close to a cabin owned by her family. Stephanie and Sean are devastated by their respective losses and gravitate towards each other. Then everything changes with a simple phone call, and the story turns upside down. You will come to doubt everything you know before the book reaches its conclusion.

  While it is tough to predict such things, it is a good bet that you will be seeing Bell’s novel stuffed in a lot of beach bags this summer. It is engrossing, fascinating in parts, and very real-world in spots, enough so that someone reading it may hesitate to let a new person into their world, or bare their soul to him or her should they do it. A SIMPLE FAVOR is an entertainment, for sure, but is also a cautionary tale that urges the reader to keep oneself to oneself.

  Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub on April 7, 2017

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  A Simple Favor
  by Darcey Bell

  Publication Date: March 21, 2017
  Genres: Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller
  Hardcover: 304 pages
  Publisher: Harper
  ISBN-10: 0062497774
  ISBN-13: 9780062497772

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  Review: A Simple Favor by Darcey BellA Simple Favor by Darcey Bell
  Published by HarperCollins on March 21, 2017
  Genres: Fiction, Psychological, Suspense, Thrillers
  Pages: 304
  Format: eARC
  Stephanie is a widowed mother of five-year-old Miles. A stay-at-home mommy blogger, she didn't have any close friends. The other mothers in their suburban Connecticut home had no interest in befriending her. One rainy morning, however, fate brought her together with Emily, a PR executive who worked in Manhattan. It was as if their friendship was meant to be; their boys were classmates and best friends. The two quickly forged a friendship, so when Emily asks Stephanie to pick up her son, Nicky, after school, she readily agrees. This isn't the first time Emily's asked for a favor; her job often requires her to work long hours.

  Except this time Emily doesn't come home. She doesn't respond to Stephanie's texts or calls. Emily's coworkers don't seem at all concerned with her disappearance. She reaches out to her blog readers for help. Desperate, she calls Emily's husband, traveling overseas, and shares her concerns. Finally, he reaches out to the police, who immediately launch an investigation. Days later, their worst fears are realized. Emily's body is found in the lake near her parents' cabin.

  Just when they think the nightmare of the unknown has ended, their lives are once again upended. Stephanie soon realizes that nothing is as simple as it seems...
  I wanted to love this book; I did. I’m a huge fan of psychological suspense. The build up was pretty fantastic until about 3/4 of the way through…and it just got clumsy and messy.

  What started out as a well-crafted mystery quickly became an attempt to combine too many story-arcs into one book. I felt the main plot-line was enough to sustain the book on it’s own. Instead, spin-off story arcs about Stephanie’s past through the momentum and pacing off and it was all downhill from there. An added “too similar to Gone Girl trope” completely forced me to lose interest.

  Additionally, these multiple story arcs made the characters feel flat and under-developed. They didn’t feel like genuine characters to me and honestly, the only characters I cared about where the children. Had the author focused on one storyline and developed the characters instead of focusing on “easy” and overly used tropes, I think this would have been a more enjoyable read.

  Gone Girl was popular because it was unique and twisty and made readers feel ALL of the emotions. Replicating that doesn’t make a good book for it’s nearly impossible to replicate that genuinely. Rather, it’s important for writers to find their own voices, their own stories, rather than mimicking.

  Unfortunately, I find it difficult to recommend this title.

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  One Response to “Review: A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell”

  Nesta
  June 6th, 2017
  I have to agree with the above review. I bought this book because I too am a fan of psychological mysteries. I found it difficult at times to continue reading. I became slightly hopeful that things were “picking up” during the last one-fourth of the book, but in the end it bombed.

  LLRJL

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  Book review: A Simple Favour by Darcey Bell
  Sunday, March 12, 2017 Permalink
  This book opens with a series of blog posts by Stephanie, one of our leads. She’s one of those pesky ‘mommy’ bloggers we read about. (And yes, I’m being sarcastic!) Though she does have the annoying habit of using the word ‘mom’ more than any sane adult would, opening each blog post with ‘Hi moms!’ and addressing her readers as ‘moms’ rather than ‘you’ or anything else… just in case a non-mom was to read it.

  That aside, her posts set the scene for what’s to come and Stephanie soon finds herself with less time to blog as her life becomes complicated following the disappearance of her best friend Emily.

  Book review: A Simple Favour by Darcey BellA Simple Favour
  by Darcey Bell
  Published by Pan Macmillan
  on March 9th 2017
  Source: PanMacmillan
  Buy on Amazon
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  Genres: Psychological Thriller
  ISBN: 9781509834761
  Pages: 352
  three-half-stars
  Goodreads
  It starts with a simple favour - an ordinary kindness mothers do for one another.

  When her best friend, Emily, asks Stephanie to pick up her son from school she happily says yes.Their children are classmates and best friends. And five-year-olds love being together - just like she and Emily. As a widow and stay-at-home blogger mum living in suburban Connecticut, Stephanie was lonely until she met Emily, a glamorous and successful PR executive.

  The trouble is that Emily doesn't come back. No matter what the police say, Stephanie knows that she would never leave her son. Terrified, she reaches out to her fellow mummy bloggers.
  And she also reaches out to Emily's husband - just to offer her support.

  What Stephanie hasn't shared is the secrets buried in a murky past.

  Stephanie mostly annoyed me in the early stages of this book. I enjoyed it more when we switched from her blog to her own narrative… and people disillusioned with social media and online lives will appreciate the fact Stephanie admits she is – at times – not completely honest on her blog. Her blogging diminishes but Bell cleverly uses her blog as a tool, giving us the chance to better understand Stephanie, her secrets and how she communicates.

  When Emily first goes missing her husband Sean is overseas, which is a good thing for him as he becomes an obvious suspect. And Stephanie does a 180 on her own perception of her best friend’s husband. Who – bizarrely – she barely knows. I’m probably offering up some spoilers, but she goes from assuming the worst to finding herself attracted to Sean and feeling guilty about that very fact.

  We learn that Stephanie’s Stepford Mom routine isn’t entirely the case, as she’s got a few sordid secrets… ones she’s shared with no one but Emily; and though Emily seemed to have the perfect life, it’s not until after her disappearance that Stephanie discovers her friend may not have been as squeaky clean as she’d thought.

  There’s a Gone Girl-ish element as this book as we wonder if Emily’s disappearance was merely a case of a woman needing a break, or something more sinister. Or – of course – some bizarre combination of the two.

  I mostly guessed one of the twists in this book though Bell draws it out pretty well, and there are a few surprise twists. And a few more added for good measure… seemingly delighting in catching we readers off-guard.

  I’m not sure I was ultimately satisfied with the way things worked out (or the way we assume they’ll work out!) but it’s one of those frustratingly clever endings that plays on a reader’s mind for days after they close the book.

  A Simple Favour by Darcey Bell was published in Australia by Pan Macmillan and available now.

  I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.

  Booktopia

  three-half-stars
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  Review: A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell
  April 18, 2017 By StephTheBookworm

  Title: A Simple Favorsimple favor
  Author: Darcey Bell
  Genre/Audience: Fiction, thriller, adult
  Publication: Harper, 2017
  Source: For review, TLC Book Tours

  A Simple Favor is a gripping psychological thriller full of crazy characters and twists and turns akin to one of my favorites, Gone Girl.

  Stephanie is a single mother, widow, and mom blogger who befriends the cool and stylish Emily, mother of one of her son’s classmates. Often staying late at work with a husband out of town on business, Emily frequently calls on Stephanie to pick up her son after school and keep an eye on him until she gets home. Stephanie doesn’t mind these simple favors until one day… Emily doesn’t come back. Soon enough, Stephanie is teaming up with the usually absent husband, Sean, to try and find the missing Emily. Much to their surprise, her body is found a short while later. Though the news is heartbreaking, they can finally rest knowing what really happened… or can they?

  This is a suspenseful novel with a unique concept. I was immediately drawn to it because of the blogging aspect as well as the disappearance. I’m always drawn to missing persons cases both in real life and in fiction, and one of my favorite shows ever is Disappeared. Something about not knowing what happened to someone intrigues the hell out of me, and this book was no exception.

  From the start, you are immediately suspect of nearly everyone, as each one of the main players here seem a bit off and with possible motive. No one can be trusted and every last one of them is unreliable. Each one — Stephanie, Emily, and Sean — have secrets that the others are not privy to and you have no idea who is telling the truth and when. In fact, none of them are particularly easy to like, either.

  Comparisons were drawn between this book and Gone Girl, and I can certainly see why. If you like the twists and turns present in Gone Girl, I think you’ll appreciate this one too. Secret after secret is revealed and shocking revelations about each character eventually come to the surface. Now, I can’t say this is as shocking or quite as well done as Gone Girl, but it satisfied my appreciation for the dark and twisty.

  I will say, I have a small bone to pick with the blogging aspect, as someone who has been blogging for nearly a decade. The blog entries seemed highly unrealistic and corny to me — really long, drawn out, and over the top. However, they did help to move the story along, no matter how annoying Stephanie was with her “hi moms!” over and over again.

  All in all, I enjoyed the story and found it equally compelling and hard to put down. I was shocked quite a bit and loved hating these crazy characters.

  My Rating: 4/5

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  Filed Under: adult, fiction, reviews, thriller
  8 Comments
  Comments

  Elyse @ JustMurrayed says
  April 18, 2017 at 8:02 am

  I LOVE a good psychological thriller. This will be added to my TBR list, stat! Thanks for the recommend. I’m always looking for a good thriller.

  Reply
  Audrey says
  April 18, 2017 at 10:12 am

  Sounds super interesting. I didn’t read Gone Girl and thrillers are typically my cup of tea, but I’m ALWAYS curious about the story lines and what happens!

  Reply
  Akaleistar says
  April 18, 2017 at 4:17 pm

  I’ve been liking thrillers lately, and this sounds really good!

  Reply
  Nadine says
  April 19, 2017 at 7:54 am

  This sounds really interesting!!! I like the blogging aspect of it and sometimes I am in the mood for a book just like this. I will have to add it to the list!

  Reply
  Laurali Star says
  April 19, 2017 at 2:11 pm

  I will be adding this to my list of must-reads, Steph. Sounds like a really cool read! i love these mystery styled stories. Great review, by the way 🙂

  ~Laurali Star

  http://www.lauralistarxo.com

  Reply
  Alexandra says
  April 20, 2017 at 9:48 am

  This sounds crazy! I haven’t been reading hardly any thrillers, but I would like to in the next few months! This one sounds good! XO – Alexandra

  Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things

  Reply
  Heather J @ TLC Book Tours says
  April 23, 2017 at 6:16 pm

  Dark and twisty seem like excellent words to describe this book – very disturbing!

  Thanks for being a part of the tour.

  Reply
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  April 23, 2017 at 6:15 pm
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  A Simple Favor: A Novel

  Image of A Simple Favor: A Novel
  Author(s):
  Darcey Bell
  Release Date:
  March 20, 2017
  Publisher/Imprint:
  Harper
  Pages:
  304
  Buy on Amazon

  Reviewed by:
  Nancy Carty Lepri
  Stephanie, the author of a Mommy blog, writes to connect with other women to help her overcome her loneliness and recover from the death of her husband Davis, and half brother, Chris from a car wreck three years ago. Fortunately, her five-year-old son Miles is a distraction for her grief and the center of her existence.

  Emily, a chic and sophisticated woman with a high-powered job at a design firm in Manhattan, befriends Stephanie. Emily's son Nicky is Miles' best friend, and Stephanie is thrilled to finally be part of a tight female relationship.

  Though the two women are as close as sisters, they do not disclose everything about their pasts or their current lives. Stephanie often takes Nicky home from school with Miles, or he stays at Stephanie's if Emily needs to work late. Stephanie adores Nicky as if he was her own child and is happy the boys get along so well together.

  One day Emily asks Stephanie to do her a small favor by taking Nicky home with her and Miles until she can fetch him later that night. Of course, Stephanie complies, expecting Emily to phone when she is due to be there. Always in constant touch with each other, when Emily doesn't show up or respond to any texts or calls, Stephanie begins to panic. Emily always contacts her and not just when it's about Nicky. Could she have been in an accident? Abducted? Where is she?

  Stephanie doesn't want to worry Emily's husband Sean who is in London for business, but when another day passes with no word from Emily, her concerns escalate. Sean believes Emily is away for work, but Stephanie envisions all kinds of devious scenarios.

  It is here where Stephanie uses her blog to seek advice. Though she never divulges personal information, she feels compelled to do so now.

  "Hi Moms!

  "This is going to be different from any post so far. Not more important, since all the things that happen with our kids, their frowns and smiles, their first steps and first words, are the most important things in the world.

  "Let's just say this post is . . . MORE URGENT. WAY more urgent.

  "My best friend has disappeared. She's been gone for two days. Her name is Emily Nelson. As you know, I don't ever name friends on my blog. But now, for reasons you'll soon understand, I'm (temporarily) suspending my strict anonymity policy."

  Through her correspondence, Stephanie unburdens her uncertainties hoping for solace or answers. Then when Sean returns, Stephanie convinces him she is not just another hysterical mom. An investigation commences with the police notified, but they put Emily took off. Stephanie knows better. Emily loves her son and would never leave him. Something is terribly wrong.

  The days pass, and Stephanie's blogs grow more passionate from her fright about Emily and her paranoia about foul play. United in their loss, she works hard to comfort Nicky and Sean. She and Sean become close, though Stephanie senses he is withholding things from her.

  Stephanie becomes more concerned and does some investigating of her own. What she finds out about her friend is upsetting, leaving her to distrust the woman she thought she knew so well.

  Penned in the first person voices of both Stephanie, Emily, with input from Sean, as well as the blog posts establishes Darcy Bell's debut novel of psychological suspense as an intense, captivating, and astonishing thriller ending in an unforeseen and surprise ending; the premise: Be careful who you trust.

  Nancy Carty Lepri is the author of a children’s chapter book, Tiny Angel, and is an illustrator and freelance editor. She has edited more than 20 books for national small publishers in various genres.

  Buy on Amazon

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  A Simple Favor: A Novel

  Image of A Simple Favor: A Novel
  Author(s):
  Darcey Bell
  Release Date:
  March 20, 2017
  Publisher/Imprint:
  Harper
  Pages:
  304
  Buy on Amazon

  Reviewed by:
  Nancy Carty Lepri
  Stephanie, the author of a Mommy blog, writes to connect with other women to help her overcome her loneliness and recover from the death of her husband Davis, and half brother, Chris from a car wreck three years ago. Fortunately, her five-year-old son Miles is a distraction for her grief and the center of her existence.

  Emily, a chic and sophisticated woman with a high-powered job at a design firm in Manhattan, befriends Stephanie. Emily's son Nicky is Miles' best friend, and Stephanie is thrilled to finally be part of a tight female relationship.

  Though the two women are as close as sisters, they do not disclose everything about their pasts or their current lives. Stephanie often takes Nicky home from school with Miles, or he stays at Stephanie's if Emily needs to work late. Stephanie adores Nicky as if he was her own child and is happy the boys get along so well together.

  One day Emily asks Stephanie to do her a small favor by taking Nicky home with her and Miles until she can fetch him later that night. Of course, Stephanie complies, expecting Emily to phone when she is due to be there. Always in constant touch with each other, when Emily doesn't show up or respond to any texts or calls, Stephanie begins to panic. Emily always contacts her and not just when it's about Nicky. Could she have been in an accident? Abducted? Where is she?

  Stephanie doesn't want to worry Emily's husband Sean who is in London for business, but when another day passes with no word from Emily, her concerns escalate. Sean believes Emily is away for work, but Stephanie envisions all kinds of devious scenarios.

  It is here where Stephanie uses her blog to seek advice. Though she never divulges personal information, she feels compelled to do so now.

  "Hi Moms!

  "This is going to be different from any post so far. Not more important, since all the things that happen with our kids, their frowns and smiles, their first steps and first words, are the most important things in the world.

  "Let's just say this post is . . . MORE URGENT. WAY more urgent.

  "My best friend has disappeared. She's been gone for two days. Her name is Emily Nelson. As you know, I don't ever name friends on my blog. But now, for reasons you'll soon understand, I'm (temporarily) suspending my strict anonymity policy."

  Through her correspondence, Stephanie unburdens her uncertainties hoping for solace or answers. Then when Sean returns, Stephanie convinces him she is not just another hysterical mom. An investigation commences with the police notified, but they put Emily took off. Stephanie knows better. Emily loves her son and would never leave him. Something is terribly wrong.

  The days pass, and Stephanie's blogs grow more passionate from her fright about Emily and her paranoia about foul play. United in their loss, she works hard to comfort Nicky and Sean. She and Sean become close, though Stephanie senses he is withholding things from her.

  Stephanie becomes more concerned and does some investigating of her own. What she finds out about her friend is upsetting, leaving her to distrust the woman she thought she knew so well.

  Penned in the first person voices of both Stephanie, Emily, with input from Sean, as well as the blog posts establishes Darcy Bell's debut novel of psychological suspense as an intense, captivating, and astonishing thriller ending in an unforeseen and surprise ending; the premise: Be careful who you trust.

  Nancy Carty Lepri is the author of a children’s chapter book, Tiny Angel, and is an illustrator and freelance editor. She has edited more than 20 books for national small publishers in various genres.

  Buy on Amazon

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  ShareThis Copy and Pastenew york journal of books Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Home Recent Reviews Fiction NonFiction About Us Enter your keywords A Simple Favor: A Novel Author(s): Darcey Bell Release Date: March 20, 2017 Publisher/Imprint: Harper Pages: 304 Buy on Amazon Reviewed by: Nancy Carty Lepri Stephanie, the author of a Mommy blog, writes to connect with other women to help her overcome her loneliness and recover from the death of her husband Davis, and half brother, Chris from a car wreck three years ago. Fortunately, her five-year-old son Miles is a distraction for her grief and the center of her existence. Emily, a chic and sophisticated woman with a high-powered job at a design firm in Manhattan, befriends Stephanie. Emily's son Nicky is Miles' best friend, and Stephanie is thrilled to finally be part of a tight female relationship. Though the two women are as close as sisters, they do not disclose everything about their pasts or their current lives. Stephanie often takes Nicky home from school with Miles, or he stays at Stephanie's if Emily needs to work late. Stephanie adores Nicky as if he was her own child and is happy the boys get along so well together. One day Emily asks Stephanie to do her a small favor by taking Nicky home with her and Miles until she can fetch him later that night. Of course, Stephanie complies, expecting Emily to phone when she is due to be there. Always in constant touch with each other, when Emily doesn't show up or respond to any texts or calls, Stephanie begins to panic. Emily always contacts her and not just when it's about Nicky. Could she have been in an accident? Abducted? Where is she? Stephanie doesn't want to worry Emily's husband Sean who is in London for business, but when another day passes with no word from Emily, her concerns escalate. Sean believes Emily is away for work, but Stephanie envisions all kinds of devious scenarios. It is here where Stephanie uses her blog to seek advice. Though she never divulges personal information, she feels compelled to do so now. "Hi Moms! "This is going to be different from any post so far. Not more important, since all the things that happen with our kids, their frowns and smiles, their first steps and first words, are the most important things in the world. "Let's just say this post is . . . MORE URGENT. WAY more urgent. "My best friend has disappeared. She's been gone for two days. Her name is Emily Nelson. As you know, I don't ever name friends on my blog. But now, for reasons you'll soon understand, I'm (temporarily) suspending my strict anonymity policy." Through her correspondence, Stephanie unburdens her uncertainties hoping for solace or answers. Then when Sean returns, Stephanie convinces him she is not just another hysterical mom. An investigation commences with the police notified, but they put Emily took off. Stephanie knows better. Emily loves her son and would never leave him. Something is terribly wrong. The days pass, and Stephanie's blogs grow more passionate from her fright about Emily and her paranoia about foul play. United in their loss, she works hard to comfort Nicky and Sean. She and Sean become close, though Stephanie senses he is withholding things from her. Stephanie becomes more concerned and does some investigating of her own. What she finds out about her friend is upsetting, leaving her to distrust the woman she thought she knew so well. Penned in the first person voices of both Stephanie, Emily, with input from Sean, as well as the blog posts establishes Darcy Bell's debut novel of psychological suspense as an intense, captivating, and astonishing thriller ending in an unforeseen and surprise ending; the premise: Be careful who you trust. Nancy Carty Lepri is the author of a children’s chapter book, Tiny Angel, and is an illustrator and freelance editor. She has edited more than 20 books for national small publishers in various genres. Buy on Amazon Home Home Recent Reviews Fiction NonFiction About Us Sitemap Terms of Use Privacy Policy Contact Us NYJB Editing Services Review Requests Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn new york journal of books Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Home Recent Reviews Fiction NonFiction About Us Enter your keywords A Simple Favor: A Novel Author(s): Darcey Bell Release Date: March 20, 2017 Publisher/Imprint: Harper Pages: 304 Buy on Amazon Reviewed by: Nancy Carty Lepri Stephanie, the author of a Mommy blog, writes to connect with other women to help her overcome her loneliness and recover from the death of her husband Davis, and half brother, Chris from a car wreck three years ago. Fortunately, her five-year-old son Miles is a distraction for her grief and the center of her existence. Emily, a chic and sophisticated woman with a high-powered job at a design firm in Manhattan, befriends Stephanie. Emily's son Nicky is Miles' best friend, and Stephanie is thrilled to finally be part of a tight female relationship. Though the two women are as close as sisters, they do not disclose everything about their pasts or their current lives. Stephanie often takes Nicky home from school with Miles, or he stays at Stephanie's if Emily needs to work late. Stephanie adores Nicky as if he was her own child and is happy the boys get along so well together. One day Emily asks Stephanie to do her a small favor by taking Nicky home with her and Miles until she can fetch him later that night. Of course, Stephanie complies, expecting Emily to phone when she is due to be there. Always in constant touch with each other, when Emily doesn't show up or respond to any texts or calls, Stephanie begins to panic. Emily always contacts her and not just when it's about Nicky. Could she have been in an accident? Abducted? Where is she? Stephanie doesn't want to worry Emily's husband Sean who is in London for business, but when another day passes with no word from Emily, her concerns escalate. Sean believes Emily is away for work, but Stephanie envisions all kinds of devious scenarios. It is here where Stephanie uses her blog to seek advice. Though she never divulges personal information, she feels compelled to do so now. "Hi Moms! "This is going to be different from any post so far. Not more important, since all the things that happen with our kids, their frowns and smiles, their first steps and first words, are the most important things in the world. "Let's just say this post is . . . MORE URGENT. WAY more urgent. "My best friend has disappeared. She's been gone for two days. Her name is Emily Nelson. As you know, I don't ever name friends on my blog. But now, for reasons you'll soon understand, I'm (temporarily) suspending my strict anonymity policy." Through her correspondence, Stephanie unburdens her uncertainties hoping for solace or answers. Then when Sean returns, Stephanie convinces him she is not just another hysterical mom. An investigation commences with the police notified, but they put Emily took off. Stephanie knows better. Emily loves her son and would never leave him. Something is terribly wrong. The days pass, and Stephanie's blogs grow more passionate from her fright about Emily and her paranoia about foul play. United in their loss, she works hard to comfort Nicky and Sean. She and Sean become close, though Stephanie senses he is withholding things from her. Stephanie becomes more concerned and does some investigating of her own. What she finds out about her friend is upsetting, leaving her to distrust the woman she thought she knew so well. Penned in the first person voices of both Stephanie, Emily, with input from Sean, as well as the blog posts establishes Darcy Bell's debut novel of psychological suspense as an intense, captivating, and astonishing thriller ending in an unforeseen and surprise ending; the premise: Be careful who you trust. Nancy Carty Lepri is the author of a children’s chapter book, Tiny Angel, and is an illustrator and freelance editor. She has edited more than 20 books for national small publishers in various genres. Buy on Amazon Home Home Recent Reviews Fiction NonFiction About Us Sitemap Terms of Use Privacy Policy Contact Us NYJB Editing Services Review Requests Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn ShareThis Copy and Paste

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  Book Review: A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell 1
  18 Apr 2017 | Book Reviews
  A Simple Favor
  by Darcey Bell

  HarperCollins
  Amazon
  Barnes & Noble

  Hardcover: 304 pages
  Publisher: Harper (March 21, 2017)

  “Riveting and brilliantly structured, A Simple Favor is an edge-of-your-seat domestic thriller about a missing wife and mother that relies on a rotating cast of unreliable narrators to ingeniously examine the cost of competitive mom-friends, the toll of ordinary marital discontent and the fallacy of the picture-perfect, suburban family.”—Kimberly McCreight, New York Times bestselling author
  She’s your best friend.

  She knows all your secrets.

  That’s why she’s so dangerous.

  A single mother’s life is turned upside down when her best friend vanishes in this chilling debut thriller in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.

  It starts with a simple favor—an ordinary kindness mothers do for one another. When her best friend, Emily, asks Stephanie to pick up her son Nicky after school, she happily says yes. Nicky and her son, Miles, are classmates and best friends, and the five-year-olds love being together—just like she and Emily. A widow and stay-at-home mommy blogger living in woodsy suburban Connecticut, Stephanie was lonely until she met Emily, a sophisticated PR executive whose job in Manhattan demands so much of her time.

  But Emily doesn’t come back. She doesn’t answer calls or return texts. Stephanie knows something is terribly wrong—Emily would never leave Nicky, no matter what the police say. Terrified, she reaches out to her blog readers for help. She also reaches out to Emily’s husband, the handsome, reticent Sean, offering emotional support. It’s the least she can do for her best friend. Then, she and Sean receive shocking news. Emily is dead. The nightmare of her disappearance is over.

  Or is it? Because soon, Stephanie will begin to see that nothing—not friendship, love, or even an ordinary favor—is as simple as it seems.

  A Simple Favor is a remarkable tale of psychological suspense—a clever and twisting free-fall of a ride filled with betrayals and reversals, twists and turns, secrets and revelations, love and loyalty, murder and revenge. Darcey Bell masterfully ratchets up the tension in a taut, unsettling, and completely absorbing story that holds you in its grip until the final page.

  My Rating:

  Favorite Quotes:

  She always wears the diamond and sapphire ring that Sean gave her when they got engaged. And because she moves her hands a lot when she talks, I think of the ring as a sparkling creature with a life of its own, like Tinker Bell flying out in front of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys.

  I remember wondering: What counts as an “emergency” in the fashion business? The buttonholes are too small? Someone sewed a zipper in backward?

  The company sent up a busload of fashion interns, and for an entire day, our town was swarming with underweight androgynous young people, all with asymmetrical haircuts and skinny suits, carrying armloads of flyers, staple guns for the telephone poles, and double-sided tape for shop windows.

  This was the worst thing I’d ever done. By far. And the weird thing was: it felt so liberating. As if I were being absolved for all the bad things I’d done by doing something so much worse.

  My Review:

  A Simple Favor provided an intriguing, warped, and heinous cast of characters who were part repulsive, yet continually fascinating in their pathology. Each main character had a trunk full of secrets. While I was curious, absorbed, and entertained by the suspense and twisted nature of storyline, the callousness of the out of the ordinary and atrocious characters gave me pause – I cannot say that I was drawn to them or ever liked them, yet I could not stop reading and couldn’t decide whose narrative I enjoyed more. I did feel pity for poor Sean as he may have started out with a clear heart but had been so taken by his diabolical wife that he allowed himself to be emotionally blackmailed, to his ruination. The premise was interesting but patience was required as the plot developed and unwound at a maddeningly slow pace, yet I could not put my kindle down. All in all, A Simple Favor was an outstanding effort for a debut author. I received a review copy of this intriguing book from Harper Collins and TLC Book Tours.

  Purchase Links
  HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

  About Darcey Bell
  Darcey Bell was born in 1981 and raised on a dairy farm in western Iowa. She is a preschool teacher in Chicago. ASimple Favor is her first novel.

  Follow Darcey on Twitter.

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  Home Drinks with Reads About Us & Review Policies Book Club Favorites Storyteller Playground Fiction by Deborah Lacy
  Tuesday, April 4, 2017
  Book Review: A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell

  A Simple Favor the debut suspense novel by Darcey Bell released on March 21st by Harper Collins. Fox 2000 made a preemptive acquisition for feature film development within 36 hours of the book’s submission and foreign rights have already been sold in 24 countries and territories. Sharon Long is here to tell us more.

  We all have that best friend, whom we tell everything even things we have not shared with our spouse or our family. We think we know everything about that person as well but that may not be the case. This is true for Stephanie, a widowed stay at home mom who takes care of her son, Miles and writes mom blogs. She believes she knows everything about her friend, Emily, the perfectly dressed, always in control professional career woman. It is natural they are friends because their sons, Miles and Nicky, are best friends in kindergarten. The four spend afternoons together with the boys playing and the women drinking wine and talking. The boys have sleepovers and spend much of their time at Stephanie’s home in a rustic Connecticut town.
  Stephanie’s life seems fulfilled with her son, her blogs, and Emily; until A Simple Favor. She receives a text from Emily to pick Nicky up after school and Emily will pick him up by 9 p.m. The boys play and have dinner but hours later Emily has still not arrived. Stephanie puts the boys to bed and then frantically starts calling and texting Emily but no answer. The next morning still no word from Emily and Stephanie takes the boys to school trying to act normal. She returns home panicked and decides to contact Emily’s husband. Stephanie calls his office but he is out of the country for a few days. She begs for his cell phone number and calls him explaining the situation; however, Sean is not worried saying Emily is out of town for 4 days. Stephanie hangs up thinking that cannot be, why did Emily not tell her. She looks back at the text from Emily but there is no mention of being gone for a few days. She decides to take care of the boys and wait until Sean comes home.
  Sean returns 6 days later and comes to Stephanie’s house, but still no Emily. Now he is alarmed and calls the police. They begin their investigation and discover Emily was seen at the airport saying goodbye to Sean when he left for London and she was booked on a flight to San Francisco. But Emily never made that flight, instead she rented a car and after 200 miles on the Pennsylvania turnpike her GSP signal was lost. Sean and Stephanie do not know what to think but try to still calm for Nicky and Miles. Stephanie later learns there is a $2 Million life insurance policy on Emily which Sean took out only a couple of months before. Stephanie now starts to wonder what is really going on. Suddenly, the story takes a chilling, sinister turn.
  I was immediately drawn to this book which was hard to put down. The characters are amazingly realistic. We all know that perfect mom who cooks, cleans, and is always home and also know the in charge professional woman who has it all – family, home and career. Much of this story is told through Stephanie’s mom blog where the reader learns her thoughts and feelings. I loved the simple, innocent story which all at once turns eerie and thrilling. I highly recommend this novel and am looking forward to the next Darcy Bell story. As A Simple Favor points out, we all have secrets which we do not tell our friends, family or even ourselves.

  This book was provided by the publisher. This is a fair and independent review.
  Posted by Deborah Lacy at 5:00 AM
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  http://www.read-love-blog.com/2017/04/13/a-simple-favor-by-darcey-bell-review-tour-stop/
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  A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell….Review Tour Stop
  April 13, 2017 · By Jilly · 3 Comments
  About A Simple Favor
  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Harper (March 21, 2017)
  “Riveting and brilliantly structured, A Simple Favor is an edge-of-your seat domestic thriller about a missing wife and mother that relies on a rotating cast of unreliable narrators to ingeniously examine the cost of competitive mom-friends, the toll of ordinary marital discontent and the fallacy of the picture-perfect, suburban family.”—Kimberly McCreight, New York Times bestselling author
  She’s your best friend.
  She knows all your secrets.
  That’s why she’s so dangerous.
  A single mother’s life is turned upside down when her best friend vanishes in this chilling debut thriller in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.
  It starts with a simple favor—an ordinary kindness mothers do for one another. When her best friend, Emily, asks Stephanie to pick up her son Nicky after school, she happily says yes. Nicky and her son, Miles, are classmates and best friends, and the five-year-olds love being together—just like she and Emily. A widow and stay-at-home mommy blogger living in woodsy suburban Connecticut, Stephanie was lonely until she met Emily, a sophisticated PR executive whose job in Manhattan demands so much of her time.
  But Emily doesn’t come back. She doesn’t answer calls or return texts. Stephanie knows something is terribly wrong—Emily would never leave Nicky, no matter what the police say. Terrified, she reaches out to her blog readers for help. She also reaches out to Emily’s husband, the handsome, reticent Sean, offering emotional support. It’s the least she can do for her best friend. Then, she and Sean receive shocking news. Emily is dead. The nightmare of her disappearance is over.
  Or is it? Because soon, Stephanie will begin to see that nothing—not friendship, love, or even an ordinary favor—is as simple as it seems.
  A Simple Favor is a remarkable tale of psychological suspense—a clever and twisting free-fall of a ride filled with betrayals and reversals, twists and turns, secrets and revelations, love and loyalty, murder and revenge. Darcey Bell masterfully ratchets up the tension in a taut, unsettling, and completely absorbing story that holds you in its grip until the final page.
  My Review:
  A Simple Favor is the freshman work from author Darcey Bell, and after reading this book, I have no doubt we will see great things from this author as this was one of the most chilling and incredible thrillers I have read to date. I loved every twist and every turn!
  It’s always a little difficult for me to write reviews in this genre. I never want to give anything away but I also want to make sure to get my thoughts across…so here goes!
  From the very beginning of this book I just knew it was going to be intense, and I was not disappointed. A theme repeated within the story is that everyone has secrets. We never truly know a person. Boy oh boy, was that ever true when it came to both of the women in this story. These two characters both have dark moments in their pasts and when a tragedy strikes, the layers of those dark moments begin to be revealed. Layers peppered with adultery, lies, murder, suicide, and so much more. Making situations even more intense is that all of these layers are being revealed while a mystery is building. I know all of that probably sounds vague, but you’ll have to trust me when I tell you it was all deliciously dark and wonderfully well written.
  The author did s fabulous job in leaving clues along the way, never fully revealing a character’s true nature until the very end. Oh, and speaking of the end? Holy moly, it was AMAZING with a twist I never saw coming.
  My mind is still running in circles after finishing this book! If you’re looking for a mind-bending read, packed wth twists and turns, you must pick up a copy of A Simple Favor!

  Five Loves

  Purchase Links
  HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

  About Darcey Bell
  Darcey Bell was born in 1981 and raised on a dairy farm in western Iowa. She is a preschool teacher in Chicago. ASimple Favor is her first novel.
  Follow Darcey on Twitter.
  Tour Stops
  Wednesday, March 22nd: she treads softly
  Tuesday, March 28th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
  Wednesday, March 29th: A Bookish Way of Life
  Friday, March 31st: A Bookworm’s World
  Monday, April 3rd: Art Books Coffee
  Tuesday, April 4th: Ms. Nose in a Book
  Tuesday, April 4th: Tina Says…
  Wednesday, April 5th: Kahakai Kitchen
  Thursday, April 6th: Literary Lindsey
  Monday, April 10th: I Wish I Lived in a Library
  Tuesday, April 11th: Stranded in Chaos
  Wednesday, April 12th: Books and Bindings
  Thursday, April 13th: Read-Love-Blog
  Friday, April 14th: Booked on a Feeling
  Tuesday, April 18th: StephTheBookworm

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  Comments

  Kathy Valentine says:
  April 13, 2017 at 4:36 pm
  Sunds so good!!! Great review jillian!! ,shared on all my socials!!

  Reply
  Heather J. @ TLC says:
  April 17, 2017 at 9:39 pm
  Thanks for being a part of the tour!

  Reply
  Trackbacks

  Darcey Bell, author of A Simple Favor, on tour March/April 2017 | TLC Book Tours says:
  April 23, 2017 at 7:14 pm
  […] Thursday, April 13th: Read-Love-Blog […]

  Reply
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