What do you think?
Don't Leave Me
A guide written for the purpose of improving trial lawyers' tactics in presenting arguments to a jury.
338 pages, Paperback
First published January 9, 2013
About the author
James Scott Bell
133 books1,062 followersJim is a former trial lawyer who now writes and speaks full time. He is the bestselling author of Try Dying, No Legal Grounds, Presumed Guilty, Glimpses of Paradise, Breach of Promise and several other thrillers. He is a winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Inspirational Fiction, and was a fiction columnist for Writers Digest magazine. He has written two books in the Writers' Digest series, Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure and Revision & Self-Editing.
Jim has taught writing at Pepperdine University and numerous writers conferences. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where he studied writing with Raymond Carver.
Series:
* Shannon Saga (with Tracie Peterson)
* The Trials of Kit Shannon
* Ty Buchanan
Jim has taught writing at Pepperdine University and numerous writers conferences. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where he studied writing with Raymond Carver.
Series:
* Shannon Saga (with Tracie Peterson)
* The Trials of Kit Shannon
* Ty Buchanan
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
October 2, 2021
Very good thriller by James Scott Bell who is in my opinion is a much underappreciated writer.
March 29, 2013
"Don't Leave Me", does not disappoint but displays Bell's craft; his ability to write tight, suspenseful plots with interesting characters. Chuck is a chaplain who has returned from Afghanistan with his mind reeling from painful memories of an IED explosion. He remembers snatches but very little of what happened, including why he has a knife scar on his neck. He has been able to secure a teaching job where he loves both his work and the kids.
Never far from his memory is the death of his wife in an accident. Nor can he ever forget his responsibility to his ADHD afflicted younger brother. His younger brother lives with him, but holds down a job as a supermarket greeter.
The book illustrates the terrific difficulty returning service men have in getting the VA benefits they deserve and also the emotional fallout of war. A huge part of this is Chuck anger at God and struggle to even believe in God in the midst of just a terrible world.
Very early in the book a series of unexpected crises occur that have Chuck reeling and soon fleeing with his brother. A good read.
Never far from his memory is the death of his wife in an accident. Nor can he ever forget his responsibility to his ADHD afflicted younger brother. His younger brother lives with him, but holds down a job as a supermarket greeter.
The book illustrates the terrific difficulty returning service men have in getting the VA benefits they deserve and also the emotional fallout of war. A huge part of this is Chuck anger at God and struggle to even believe in God in the midst of just a terrible world.
Very early in the book a series of unexpected crises occur that have Chuck reeling and soon fleeing with his brother. A good read.
February 19, 2015
I've read several of James Scott Bell's writing advice books before (which I found were excellent) but for some reason didn't get round to reading his fiction before now. I picked up "Don't Leave Me" on a whim not really expecting a great deal. Being truthful, having read a lot I find a lot of current writing to be dull and lifeless, often filled with characters I can't sympathize with and plots that are dull and/or unbelievable. This is NOT the case with this book. Instead you are drawn in quickly and the action keeps up it's momentum from beginning to end. Definitely a "page turner" in the best sense. I look forward to trying more of the author's work very much.
June 19, 2013
This book is a winner! A thriller to the end -- keeps you guessing. Very well written. I was especially impressed with the author's portrayal of Stan, the autistic brother of the main character, Chuck. Several chapters are written from Stan's point of view and Bell does a marvelous job of getting into Stan's head.
July 2, 2015
Good mystery until near the end, which was a bit over told, wrapping up all the loose threads, some of which weren't necessary to the story. Overall, though, well written, engaging, fast paced.
May 28, 2015
Sketchy narrative and plot development
This book has promise. However it was a difficult read because the plot was poorly developed and usually unrealistic. As I read I found it difficult to follow the story because character interactions were unlikely or unclear. And the story line was hazy and twisting. There were common editing problems: missing words, misspellings, poor grammar. This book made me think of a rough draft that needs some serious work to clear up the plot and characters.
When I'm reading a good book, I'm not distracted by poor development or editing. A good book has a clear plot and realistic characters and interactions. This book didn't.
This book has promise. However it was a difficult read because the plot was poorly developed and usually unrealistic. As I read I found it difficult to follow the story because character interactions were unlikely or unclear. And the story line was hazy and twisting. There were common editing problems: missing words, misspellings, poor grammar. This book made me think of a rough draft that needs some serious work to clear up the plot and characters.
When I'm reading a good book, I'm not distracted by poor development or editing. A good book has a clear plot and realistic characters and interactions. This book didn't.
June 7, 2020
I must confess that I read so many books that I don't immediately review, and then I start reading an author. Thus, I know that if I finish a book that it must've met a need for me . I even buy a book, and get to page six and almost cry because I have read it already. Then I do a fast scan and it, thankfully, comes flooding back. I have loved to read since my Aunt Ella taught me to read the newspaper at five yrs. I'm 78 still love it. Now remember the book. It gave me thoughts of interest. Sorry I can't do better. I am still under the spell of Baldacci.
April 13, 2013
4 1/2 stars. Bell's back! I'd missed reading a full-length novel from this author, and Don't Leave Me didn't disappoint. I loved how there was more inspiration in this book than in some of Bell's more recent works, too. Kept me guessing and turning the pages. Recommended!
September 25, 2013
Outstanding read! I didn't want it to end! So many threads that weave so well together. The characters were very well developed and the story wove around them perfectly! Another James Scott Bell book to add to my favorites.
July 31, 2017
I've read a handful of other works by James Scott Bell, but those were about how to be a better writer. Now I see how qualified he is to be writing books like that. This is the first fiction book I've read by him, and I was very impressed.
I really liked his pacing and the suspense. Even though I didn't really think of it as a "thriller" at the beginning (I wasn't on the edge of my seat holding my breath or anything), every scene was still very interesting, and every scene ended in a way that made me think, "I just need to read one more before I go to bed..."
I liked the hero, Chuck, and appreciated all the issues he was struggling with. I liked that he was dealing with things - and not even running from them, but dealing with them - from every angle: PTSD from his time in Afghanistan, taking care of his autistic brother Stan, grief about his wife's death not even a year earlier - and all of that before the main thrust of the plot kicks in, in which he finds himself the target of some very violent men.
I also thought Bell wrote the character of Stan very well and I enjoyed seeing things from Stan's perspective. I also liked the way all of Chuck's backstory (well, I thought it was just backstory) turned out to be absolutely relevant in ways I wouldn't have expected.
I really enjoyed the LAPD Detective, Sandy Epperson, as a character. I liked her even more because she no longer expected anything good to come to her from "the system" but chose to do her job well anyway. There's a special kind of honor in that.
There were some things I didn't like about Don't Leave Me, though two of them are nitpicky.
The first nitpicky problem I had were the typos. I was very surprised at the number of typos in this book because it was so clearly professional in every other way. All along the way I kept on wondering how they got in there. It was more than I expected in a book with a great plotline, great writing, tight structure, a good cover, etc.
Second, and this is minor, several characters' initials were RH (Royce Horne, Ray Hunt, Rene Hayes). It took me a while to remember who was who. I had to keep flipping back and checking which character was which. By the end of the book I was good, but at the beginning it was quite confusing.
Now here's what really got me: a couple of the twists at the end were kind of too big of a stretch for me. One in particular, in which said twisty bad guy feels the need to explain himself too much, left me thinking, "Why would he want to say all that?" I felt like I might have believed it more if it had been relayed through a third party (like a member of law enforcement), because it would have made more sense.
But except for those twists at the end, all the other twists were great. I actually expressed my shock out loud in a quiet coffee shop a couple times while reading because they were that good.
Now I'm even more inclined to read Bell's other books on writing craft, because his twists and pacing are so good.
I really liked his pacing and the suspense. Even though I didn't really think of it as a "thriller" at the beginning (I wasn't on the edge of my seat holding my breath or anything), every scene was still very interesting, and every scene ended in a way that made me think, "I just need to read one more before I go to bed..."
I liked the hero, Chuck, and appreciated all the issues he was struggling with. I liked that he was dealing with things - and not even running from them, but dealing with them - from every angle: PTSD from his time in Afghanistan, taking care of his autistic brother Stan, grief about his wife's death not even a year earlier - and all of that before the main thrust of the plot kicks in, in which he finds himself the target of some very violent men.
I also thought Bell wrote the character of Stan very well and I enjoyed seeing things from Stan's perspective. I also liked the way all of Chuck's backstory (well, I thought it was just backstory) turned out to be absolutely relevant in ways I wouldn't have expected.
I really enjoyed the LAPD Detective, Sandy Epperson, as a character. I liked her even more because she no longer expected anything good to come to her from "the system" but chose to do her job well anyway. There's a special kind of honor in that.
There were some things I didn't like about Don't Leave Me, though two of them are nitpicky.
The first nitpicky problem I had were the typos. I was very surprised at the number of typos in this book because it was so clearly professional in every other way. All along the way I kept on wondering how they got in there. It was more than I expected in a book with a great plotline, great writing, tight structure, a good cover, etc.
Second, and this is minor, several characters' initials were RH (Royce Horne, Ray Hunt, Rene Hayes). It took me a while to remember who was who. I had to keep flipping back and checking which character was which. By the end of the book I was good, but at the beginning it was quite confusing.
Now here's what really got me: a couple of the twists at the end were kind of too big of a stretch for me. One in particular, in which said twisty bad guy feels the need to explain himself too much, left me thinking, "Why would he want to say all that?" I felt like I might have believed it more if it had been relayed through a third party (like a member of law enforcement), because it would have made more sense.
But except for those twists at the end, all the other twists were great. I actually expressed my shock out loud in a quiet coffee shop a couple times while reading because they were that good.
Now I'm even more inclined to read Bell's other books on writing craft, because his twists and pacing are so good.
May 4, 2018
This bright and fast-paced cop story will both entertain and frustrate you! As I began reading, my initial review would have been an easy four stars, and it methodically lumbered its way down to a bare three. So here’s why.
First the good stuff. The story is fun; it moves along. The So Cal ambience is really good. The relationship between the main character and his mildly disabled brother is sweet and authentic. All the cop details sound legitimate.
Here are the three negatives. The story does get rather frantic and silly toward the end; it has all the lurching and over-the-top plot points of a not-so-good James Bond movie. People are being thrown out of cars, tossed off cliffs, and still surviving. I kept going: “Huh? I thought he was in the back of a police van, handcuffs all around. How’d he get onto this surf board?”
Just so readers will know, the Christian element is really, really tiny. There’s a bit of Jesus and God tucked into the corners, but all the rest is blazing bullets and slashing knives and guys being kicked in, ahem, the family jewels. It has that kind of gritty, almost tawdry feel to it. I’m a big boy – both in my own writing and reading – and can handle it, but just know that this story is rated PG-13 and almost R.
But here’s the killer. The boo-boos are many and they do jump off the page. Missing commas, missing words, misspelled words. I’m sorry, but any guy who claims to be a writing instructor ought to know the difference between a hippie and a “hippy.” The first is a pot-smoking dude from Haight-Ashbury who says “far out” a lot. The second . . . well, it’s not even a noun; it’s an adjective, and it inelegantly describes a person with a really big butt.
First the good stuff. The story is fun; it moves along. The So Cal ambience is really good. The relationship between the main character and his mildly disabled brother is sweet and authentic. All the cop details sound legitimate.
Here are the three negatives. The story does get rather frantic and silly toward the end; it has all the lurching and over-the-top plot points of a not-so-good James Bond movie. People are being thrown out of cars, tossed off cliffs, and still surviving. I kept going: “Huh? I thought he was in the back of a police van, handcuffs all around. How’d he get onto this surf board?”
Just so readers will know, the Christian element is really, really tiny. There’s a bit of Jesus and God tucked into the corners, but all the rest is blazing bullets and slashing knives and guys being kicked in, ahem, the family jewels. It has that kind of gritty, almost tawdry feel to it. I’m a big boy – both in my own writing and reading – and can handle it, but just know that this story is rated PG-13 and almost R.
But here’s the killer. The boo-boos are many and they do jump off the page. Missing commas, missing words, misspelled words. I’m sorry, but any guy who claims to be a writing instructor ought to know the difference between a hippie and a “hippy.” The first is a pot-smoking dude from Haight-Ashbury who says “far out” a lot. The second . . . well, it’s not even a noun; it’s an adjective, and it inelegantly describes a person with a really big butt.
December 27, 2017
Great Mystery
This is a great book. If you're looking for something that will hold your interest right up to the surprising end, Don't Leave Me is the book for you.
Chuck Samson's routine morning started spiraling out of control soon after he and his brother Stan backed out of their driveway. Chuck glanced at a man he didn't recognize as he drove down the street. A minute later Chuck is trying to stop his car from rear ending a vehicle that cut in front of him and suddenly stopped. The driver jumps out of his car and demands to know why Chuck was looking at him. All Chuck wants to do is exchange information and get his brother and himself to work on time. The situation gets crazier when Chuck sees the guy has a knife.
The action that starts the book with a slam bang (pardon the pun, I couldn't resist) continues throughout this exciting story. Nothing is what it seems to be on the surface. There are lies and secrets that confuse Chuck characterizations trigger his PTSD. This reader was intrigued by thinking one way and then finding out one of the missing pieces to see it another way. The plot was excellent and the characterizations, both good and evil, rounded out the story to a pleasing end. I highly recommend this writer and book.
This is a great book. If you're looking for something that will hold your interest right up to the surprising end, Don't Leave Me is the book for you.
Chuck Samson's routine morning started spiraling out of control soon after he and his brother Stan backed out of their driveway. Chuck glanced at a man he didn't recognize as he drove down the street. A minute later Chuck is trying to stop his car from rear ending a vehicle that cut in front of him and suddenly stopped. The driver jumps out of his car and demands to know why Chuck was looking at him. All Chuck wants to do is exchange information and get his brother and himself to work on time. The situation gets crazier when Chuck sees the guy has a knife.
The action that starts the book with a slam bang (pardon the pun, I couldn't resist) continues throughout this exciting story. Nothing is what it seems to be on the surface. There are lies and secrets that confuse Chuck characterizations trigger his PTSD. This reader was intrigued by thinking one way and then finding out one of the missing pieces to see it another way. The plot was excellent and the characterizations, both good and evil, rounded out the story to a pleasing end. I highly recommend this writer and book.
August 16, 2017
Once upon a time there was a Christian author who wrote some great Christian legal thrillers. I devoured everything he wrote, and enjoyed everything he wrote. Then he started writing secular books that were still clean, but pretty much devoid of anything Christian..... but still clean.
A while back, I read a trilogy of short e-books by Bell, and was disappointed. The language wasn't too great in them, and they were decidedly not Christian. Then I ran onto this book, and it sounded promising....... but I was disappointed. There were multiple uses of damn and dammit, and hell used as a curse word. The main character had been a military chaplain, but you wouldn't have known it by his language and actions. The plot was decent, and I liked how the main character took care of his younger autistic brother..... but I miss the Christian books Bell used to write. If this is the kind of stuff he now writes, I am done reading his books. I wish I had not bought this one.
A while back, I read a trilogy of short e-books by Bell, and was disappointed. The language wasn't too great in them, and they were decidedly not Christian. Then I ran onto this book, and it sounded promising....... but I was disappointed. There were multiple uses of damn and dammit, and hell used as a curse word. The main character had been a military chaplain, but you wouldn't have known it by his language and actions. The plot was decent, and I liked how the main character took care of his younger autistic brother..... but I miss the Christian books Bell used to write. If this is the kind of stuff he now writes, I am done reading his books. I wish I had not bought this one.
June 22, 2021
Spoiler at the end. Fast-paced. Uneven editing. One character's hair changed from blonde to brown with no explanation. Holes in the plot. Pretty out there events. I thought the portrayal of the autistic brother was good. The "code" at the end was too convoluted for me.
*******************************************************************************
Spoiler. There's an implication that a character is shot in the face, but he ends up not dead. I think that was too pat of a plot device. But no big deal in the scheme of things.
*******************************************************************************
Spoiler. There's an implication that a character is shot in the face, but he ends up not dead. I think that was too pat of a plot device. But no big deal in the scheme of things.
January 18, 2018
Thriller deluxe
At first I struggled to get into this, but after a few chapters, I was hooked. It kept me on the edge trying to figure out the who's and whys. I especially loved the brother relationship between Chuck and Stan. I fell in love with Stan and thought the author did a good job of portraying the lovable quirks of Stan's condition. And the surprise about the wife, Julia, caught me off guard.
At first I struggled to get into this, but after a few chapters, I was hooked. It kept me on the edge trying to figure out the who's and whys. I especially loved the brother relationship between Chuck and Stan. I fell in love with Stan and thought the author did a good job of portraying the lovable quirks of Stan's condition. And the surprise about the wife, Julia, caught me off guard.
June 23, 2020
Chuck Samson, a former Navy chaplain, comes home to take care of his autistic brother, Stan. PTSD threatens to overtake Chuck. Only the fifth graders he teaches give him the reason to hope for the future. But when an unseen enemy takes aim at Chuck, he finds himself running. A buried secret could save him. Can he unearth it?
Great read. The tension-filled plot kept me reading all the way to the end. Multi-leveled characters were interesting.
Great read. The tension-filled plot kept me reading all the way to the end. Multi-leveled characters were interesting.
February 19, 2018
Thrilling suspense!
"Don't Leave Me" was a little hard to follow at first, but it all came together about half way through. This book was not boring. It kept you wondering what would happen next. It had some big surprises before the end. I loved the characters of Chuck and Stan and the bond between them.
"Don't Leave Me" was a little hard to follow at first, but it all came together about half way through. This book was not boring. It kept you wondering what would happen next. It had some big surprises before the end. I loved the characters of Chuck and Stan and the bond between them.
February 19, 2018
Kept my interest
I really enjoyed this book. It had a multitude of characters that cleanly come together at the end, an end where the good guys come out on top. The 4 star rating is simply because my Kindle edition was missing several pages. The pages were simply blank but the writing and storyline was good enough to keep it going.
I really enjoyed this book. It had a multitude of characters that cleanly come together at the end, an end where the good guys come out on top. The 4 star rating is simply because my Kindle edition was missing several pages. The pages were simply blank but the writing and storyline was good enough to keep it going.
April 23, 2022
A good suspense action story in which veteran and widower Chuck and his developmentally disabled brother Stan fight for their lives against religious fanatics drug traffickers who have set out to unravel the secrets that Chuck doesn't even know he holds -- even at the expense of other's lives. Great twist at the end.
May 8, 2022
They want to know what he knows but does he remember
A full of adventure crime and hurt story will keep you turning the page chuck and his brother Stan and a police woman that has a gut feeling who is on his side who are his friends and how can he keep Stan safe. And who will survive. A great book that you won't want to put down
A full of adventure crime and hurt story will keep you turning the page chuck and his brother Stan and a police woman that has a gut feeling who is on his side who are his friends and how can he keep Stan safe. And who will survive. A great book that you won't want to put down
February 19, 2023
fabulous. 10 stars!
Really good writing, full on excellent plot, an amazing array of characters written about with intelligence and understanding. Completely clean except for some brutal murders, that are not gruesomely detailed, thankfully. Fast paced, touching, engaging, a fantastic read, I can highly recommend. So we’ll written. Ok. You get the idea.
Really good writing, full on excellent plot, an amazing array of characters written about with intelligence and understanding. Completely clean except for some brutal murders, that are not gruesomely detailed, thankfully. Fast paced, touching, engaging, a fantastic read, I can highly recommend. So we’ll written. Ok. You get the idea.
January 31, 2018
WOW!
From the very beginning, this story grabs you and won't let you go. But that is a good thing, because it twists and turns and you feel you might fly off, but if won't let you go until it's done.
From the very beginning, this story grabs you and won't let you go. But that is a good thing, because it twists and turns and you feel you might fly off, but if won't let you go until it's done.
February 5, 2018
Excellent novel
A great suspense read that kept me captivated from start to finish. All the characters in Chuck's life are a big part of the novel. Keeps you on your toes right to the last chapter. I would recommend this to book and I intend on reading more of Jame's novels.
A great suspense read that kept me captivated from start to finish. All the characters in Chuck's life are a big part of the novel. Keeps you on your toes right to the last chapter. I would recommend this to book and I intend on reading more of Jame's novels.
January 8, 2019
Chuck Sampson is a former Navy Chaplain with PTSD.
He has a memory loss of the IED incident (he was serving with Marines at the time)
He is also suffering from the death of his wife
He is being targeted by thugs and can't remember why.
He has a memory loss of the IED incident (he was serving with Marines at the time)
He is also suffering from the death of his wife
He is being targeted by thugs and can't remember why.
February 28, 2019
Packed full of good
The story grabbed my attention at the start and held me in its grasp to the end the way a novel should. Several surprises highlighted the suspense. Great job Mr. Bell.
The story grabbed my attention at the start and held me in its grasp to the end the way a novel should. Several surprises highlighted the suspense. Great job Mr. Bell.
November 22, 2021
Super story. Another winner for Mr. Bell.
This story has murder, intrigue, sensitivity, romance and so much more. Was another book that kept me guessing. I would never have expected the ending.
This story has murder, intrigue, sensitivity, romance and so much more. Was another book that kept me guessing. I would never have expected the ending.
August 4, 2017
JSB is one of my favorite authors, however this book fell short of his others.
December 28, 2017
Intense
I read this book in one setting. The characters are incredible and the plot suspenseful. I love the relationship between the brothers!
I read this book in one setting. The characters are incredible and the plot suspenseful. I love the relationship between the brothers!
December 31, 2017
Don't Leave Me
This book was filled with twists and turns, mystery, deception and intrigue. It keeps you guessing even to the very end.
This book was filled with twists and turns, mystery, deception and intrigue. It keeps you guessing even to the very end.
January 2, 2018
A good book; the protagonist wasn't typically heroic, but more realistic. I rate it 4.4 stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews