Gone for Good

by David Bell

Elizabeth Hampton has not spoken to her mother in weeks when she gets the phone call. Her mother has been found dead under suspicious circumstances.

But who would want to kill a kind old woman who stayed at home to care for her son Ronnie's special needs? And why did her mother recently change her Will?

The police tell Elizabeth that this is not only a murder investigation - her brother Ronnie is the prime suspect.

Desperate to prove her brother's innocence, Elizabeth begins to unravel dark family secrets, double lives and the shocking truth behind her own identity.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Contemporary, Audiobook

432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

David Bell is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning suspense novelist. His most recent thriller from Berkley/Penguin is KILL ALL YOUR DARLINGS. His previous novels include THE REQUEST, LAYOVER, SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER, BRING HER HOME, SINCE SHE WENT AWAY, SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW, THE FORGOTTEN GIRL, NEVER COME BACK, THE HIDING PLACE, and CEMETERY GIRL. He is currently a Professor of English at Western Kentucky University and can be reached via his website at www.davidbellnovels.com, on Twitter at Twitter.com/davidbellnovels, and on Facebook at Facebook.com/davidbellnovels.

Reviews

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is always hard to review a book that I found so addicting I kept reading long after I should have gone to bed, yet I found a few things I just had a hard time overlooking.
Leslie's relationship with her boyfriend, all interactions between them seemed awkward, the conversations just didn't flow. Also many of the revelations were very easy to see, I just felt there were too many unbelievable circumstances, just too many strange occurrences.

What I did like were the main bones of the story, the plot and the way it was written, Leslie and David were very good characters. So this is a story that read so easily it seemed way shorter than the 448 pgs. it was, so I will just say good but flawed.

ARC from puublisher.

[Rhonda 🌒🌕🌘 🐈‍⬛ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 🌟 *rounded up
3/5 ❤️‍🩹
1/5 🥰
0/5 🌶️
3/5 🔎
3/5 😰A
2/5 🎭T
0/5 👻

⚠️⛔️TRIGGERS:⛔️⚠️

Murder
Death
Pedophilia

🗯️💬BOOK BLURB:💬🗯️

When her mother is murdered, a woman is propelled into a twisted world of danger and double lives in this gripping psychological thriller from the bestselling author of Somebody's Daughter and Cemetery Girl.

Leslie Hampton always cared for her troubled son Ronnie's special needs and assumed that her daughter Elizabeth would take him in when the time came. When Leslie dies unexpectedly, Elizabeth is consumed by grief. Then police discover that Leslie was strangled, and they immediately suspect that one of Ronnie's outbursts took a tragic turn. Elizabeth can't believe that her brother is capable of murder, but who else could have had a motive to kill their quiet, retired mother?

More questions arise when a stranger is named in Leslie's will: a woman also named Elizabeth. As the family's secrets unravel, a man from Leslie's past who claims to have all the answers shows up, but those answers might put Elizabeth and those she loves the most in mortal danger.

🌎📖OVERALL REVIEWS📖🌎
Courtesy of Storygraph

COMMUNITY REVIEWS
SUMMARY OF 117 REVIEWS

Moods
mysterious 100%
dark 66%
tense 66%
emotional 33%
sad 33%
Pace
fast 42%
slow 28%
medium 28%
Plot- or character-driven?
A mix: 50% | Character: 33% | Plot: 16%
Strong character development?
Yes: 42% | It's complicated: 28% | No: 28%
Loveable characters?
It's complicated: 42% | No: 42% | Yes: 14%
Diverse cast of characters?
Yes: 71% | No: 28%
Flaws of characters a main focus?
It's complicated: 28% | No: 28% | Yes: 28% | N/A: 14%
Average rating
3.57

🤔🧐🤯MY THOUGHTS:🤯🧐🤔

This is neither great nor appalling. It’s just kinda middle of the road. It was still a good story but I wasn’t able to really connect or become attached to any of the characters. It was just a time killer. It was even middle of the road as far as pacing. I hate to say this but this book and its characters are forgettable. Sorry to say that I’ve already forgotten our MFC’s name 😞. I had to force myself but it’s Liz.

RATING KEY:

🌟 Stars - based on the overall plot and theme or idea of the book
❤️‍🩹 Emotions - based on how emotional I got while reading
🥰 Romance - based on how well I got invested in the love story aspect
🌶️ Spice - based on how the sex scenes were portrayed and written as well as the number of sex scenes
🔎 Mystery - based on how well it kept me guessing who, how and why
😰 Scared/Anxious - based on how scared or anxious the book made me while reading
🎭 Comedy/Tragedy- based on if I laughed or if there was a tragic event and how it affected me. I will mark the Masks with either a C or T to indicate Comedy or Tragedy
👻 Spooky/Creepy -based on if this had any occult or paranormal themes and if those elements creeped me out or gave me anxiety!

[Maggie61 · Rating 5 out of 5]

David bell is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. I had seen months ago that this one was coming out and I waited impatiently for it to hit the shelves.
His mysteries, this one included are so hard to put down, I found I wanted to just call in sick and read it from cover to cover. Alas that didn't happen, but I wanted to read it every chance I could.
Elizabeth's mother Leslie's whole life was dedicated to Elizabeth's brother Ronnie who had syndrome, often to the neglect of Elizabeth. As far as Elizabeth knew, her uncle Paul was to be guardian of Ronnie if anything happened to her. When Leslie asks Elizabeth to take care of her brother, they fight and before they can mend fences, Elizabeth's mother is murdered. When the will is read, Elizabeth is named guardian and her estate is divided into three equal parts; Elizabeth, Ronnie and someone else named Elizabeth, someone no one knows. More and more family secrets are slowly revealed while Ronnie confesses to the murder and Elizabeth receives a call saying Ronnie tried to kill himself. I don't want to give too much away. There are some surprises, some things not so surprising and in this authors style, things are not always what they seem, there are little twists.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes those books you just want to devour to the end.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book I have read by this author, and it was a bit better than the other two, in that I felt more interested in the plot and the outcome. Each blurb sounded interesting as far as the premise goes, but the writing is just ok-a bit flat. It seems like the bones to the story are all there, but the execution is just so-so.

[Christa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a hard one to rate for me. It read very quickly, and the pace was really good, but sometimes in the middle of reading certain parts, I'd almost have to stop and ask myself, "Really?

Here's the gist. A young woman is shocked when her wouldn't-hurt-a-fly mother is found murdered and her special-needs brother is fingered as suspect #1. Elizabeth is convinced Ronnie couldn't have done it, and as she tries to dig deeper into what really happened, she learns some quite unsettling truths about the family she thought she knew.

The pros: I was interested in what was going to happen, and the writing made it really easy to get involved in the story. It was just simple, no-frills writing. And a lot of times when I'm reading after work, I want something that doesn't feel like a chore.

The cons: Some of the characters were a bit insufferable. Gordon was completely terrible from the very first time he was introduced, so there was no development there. He was just pretty much a caricature of awful. The narrator, too, was pretty annoying. One reason for this, I think, was she kind of seemed not-so-authentically female. The writer's male, obviously, and a lot of times writers are able to really get into the mind of the opposite gender, but Elizabeth seemed flat....and a bit off. Maybe that's why?

One more thing on the topic of insufferable. This book really lends itself quite well to a certain drinking game. Let me tell you, if you were to take a drink every time Elizabeth mentioned that she was a "grad student" or in "graduate school," you'd be under the table by Chapter 2. I'm not sure why this had to be hammered home so much, but it got really, really annoying.

The twists weren't completely surprising, but I think I'd give the writer another shot, because I really liked the ease of which he tells a story.

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

When David Bell writes a book, he puts so much detail in it you feel like you’re right there in the story. This is another great book by this great author!! I recommend reading all of his books!!

[Mickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

"But over time, we all started to recognize the differences in our lives. If siblings grew up in very different circumstances, in very different times, and for all intents and purposes in very different families, are they still siblings? Can they ever feel the way other siblings feel?"

A slow start, despite opening with Elizabeth finding out her mother had died and it was a suspected homicide. A lot of the first part of the story was her and her older brother Ronnie dealing with her death and the funeral. But soon Ronnie, an adult with Down Syndrome is under investigation for the murder of his mother. Very quickly we start to see that things are not as they seem. Elizabeth goes in search of answers and soon finds her mother had some secrets of her own. Once this happens, the story picks up and it was full steam ahead right to the ending. The ending was slightly predictable, I had figured out the "who" but hadn't been certain on the "why".
A great read and I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge David Bell fan and will always COME BACK to David Bell's books.

Although "NEVER COME BACK" was not my favorite David Bell book -- it did not disappoint. David Bell's books are always well-written and fast-paced; featuring compelling plots with strong character development. David Bell is a master of suspense and his books are impossible to put down and this book was no exception.

This book was not as emotionally traumatizing as David Bell's other books and that is why it did not earn 5 stars from me. Also, I was able to guess the ending of this book and I usually like books with surprise endings.

I listened to the book's audio version and the narration was superb.

I look forward to David Bell's future titles.

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally after an extensive often frustrating search I found the exact sort of literary domestic thriller that I like so much. There is always Coben, but that's once a year. It's tough to find a mystery that doesn't skimp of character development or writing, but this is it. David Bell originally impressed me with a short story of his (not a mystery actually but horror, which he publishes under David Jack Bell) in a Shock Totem anthology. Impressed me so much that I figured out the trick with his double/triple name and found more of his work. Never Come Back is a thoroughly excellent domestic drama with a murder mystery or vice versa, it works as both and works very well. There is even a Coben like twist at the end. Bell seems to have a firm understanding of the importance of creating complex, interesting, sympathetic characters that drive the narrative forward and allow the reader to really get emotionally involved with the story. Even his 20something year olds aren't annoying, which is an impressive feat in itself. Terrific pacing as well, the story moved along like a bullet train, very quick read for 400 some pages. Anyone who likes their mysteries literary or their literature mysterious would enjoy this book. Highly recommended.

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elizabeth's mom is found murdered and her down's syndrome brother is the person the police are looking at as to who committed the crime. Lots of family secrets in this book. It was interesting enough that I couldn't put it down today. I did feel at times it was rushed and several surprises along the way to the point where I felt as if they were forced.

I was given an advance copy for an honest review.

[Christopher Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific novel filled with great twists and turns, as well as characters to root for, and villains you want to hide from!

[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was attracted to this book by not only the cover but the blurb. I'm glad I was able to read and have the privilege reviewing it.

At the start of the story we learn that Elizabeth Hampton have been called by a Detective to meet her at her Mother's home.

On arrival there are police and the author lays the foundation through Elizabeth's eyes how she feels and what she sees around her.

She hadn't spoken to her Mother in several years, they had fallen out. She left home at an early age and now she is 26 yrs old, a mature young lady.

She has a brother who has Down's syndrome, he is a little older than her. She then realizes, where is he, where is Ronnie her brother. She is assured he is fine and sat in his bedroom chatting to a police officer.

When she was told by the Detective there was a problem and to get over to her Mother's house right away, she thought it may have been about her brother, alas, its about her Mother. She is dead. And they say, she has been murdered. In her own home.

The descriptive way the author has in writing draws you in, its like Elizabeth is actually narrating the story to you, telling you how she feels, what's she's thinking, what thoughts she has about the present, past and future. I found it very well told between dialogue. Once you have read this, you will understand what I mean.


Quote:

I looked around the small familiar living room I grew up in. The house I lived in until I was 18 years old and left home for College. Everything was neat and orderly as always. Vacuumed and dusted. No clutter on the entertainment center. It never changed. Next to Mom's chair sat one of her books, crossword puzzle, a pen, reading glasses. Next to the chair, a shelf with family pictures.

Unquote:

David Bell the author of this remarkable read sets the setting well, so well, you can envision everything in the room. Not only that, he is giving clues. I found from that setting the Mom was orderly, clean, tidy. Organised.

The author has a way of setting you right in the middle of where the action is. It really is cleverly done to transport you into the pages.

I thought this story was going to be mostly about a "who done it" boy was I so wrong.

The person of course in the frame was her brother Ronnie.

We met Paul who was her Mother's brother. He has a heart problem.
He became the person she would attach herself too, also to a long standing friend who is a friend with benefits.

There were 'shockers' in this read. Its certainly NOT straight forward. Its got hidden conjectives in this story which take you to many avenues, many roads to go down and some are not pleasant.

Hidden secrets, lies, shame, and utter brainstormingly wonderfulness from this author.

Just as I thought this was what the story was about, it lead somewhere else. I've traveled many roads in this read, never boring ones, never diverse ones, never humps in the road that leave you feeling bumpy, but certainly breathtaking.
Never a dead end or a cul-de-sac, it kept moving at a pace that kept you screaming "what the hell is going to come up now"!!!

I don't know where this author got the idea for this story, but I am oh so glad he wrote it down for us to share. I loved this book, I am just wondering now, are his other books as brilliant as this? Because I would recommend this read to everyone who loves this genre, mind you, I would say, even if you don't usually go for a book in this genre, give it a go because you are going to be pleasantly surprised.


I would like to thank Penguin Books (UK) via Net Galley for allowing me the pleasure of reading this authors work

[Samantha Strasser-Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never come back is the second book I have read from David Bell, the first being cemetery girl. Never come back centers around Elizabeth Hampton, graduate student at local college, and the sudden death of her mother. As if her mothers murder wasn't enough to deal with, Elizabeth's adult brother who suffers from Down's syndrome is the prime suspect.
David Bell does not waste any time getting into the action. He hooks you in from the first chapter, and then keeps you hooked. Over the course of the book Elizabeth learns that she did not know her mother as well as she thought. She is left wading through her mothers secrets. Trying to figure out truth from fiction, who's is lying who is telling the truth. I quite enjoyed trying to solve the multiple mysteries that are revealed throughout the book. At times I found my self screaming at Elizabeth in my head! There are few things I would of liked a little different. I wish we could of gotten to know Elizabeth's brother Ronnie a little better, it was hard to get a real idea if he could have done what he was accused of. I also feel that some of the resolution at the end was a bit rushed. Over all though it was a great read that I would recommend. I really enjoy David Bell's unique voice in his books, and would recommend them to anyone looking for something a bit different.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of Mr. Bell's books. When I found myself looking for my next read, I grabbed this book. It has been sitting on my TBR pile for a while but I meant to grab it a long time ago. Although, I did like this book, it did not grab me with as strong a intensity as the more recent books by Mr. Bell. However, the characters did stick with me.

Elizabeth grew stronger as the story progressed. In fact, she was mainly the voice of the story. The rest of the characters played second string. I would have liked them to have had stronger voices as well. This is what I did miss the most...intensity. When secrets were revealed there wasn't this big "ah ha" moment but more like a whisper. Overall, I did like this book but didn't "love" it.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good suspense novel! You get pulled in right off the bat and can't stop reading as each little chapter seems to reveal something new. You, like the main character, are totally in the dark, but get snippets of clues. I did figure it out right away but I had no idea why and then I thought I was wrong several times and then it all became clear in the end, but wow what a ride!

[Robin Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in goodreads giveaway. Thank you for this opportunity. I enjoyed this fast paced mystery. It hooked me in from the beginning, with a big crescendo at the end. I have read Cemetery Girl and now I would like to read The Hiding Place.

[Catherine Pinkett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did. Great plot, great female protagonist and a well written suspenseful novel. I am certainly going to read more by this author

[Alyssa Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never Come Back is a story about a young woman who finds out her mother has been murdered and her brother who has Down’s Syndrome is the prime suspect, so she tries to do everything she can to help solve the mystery of her mother’s murder and protect her brother.

What I most enjoyed was reading about was Elizabeth’s struggle with discovering that her mother wasn’t at all who she thought she was. I really enjoyed having Elizabeth’s description of her mother completely flipped as she learns more about her mother’s past. It was also nice to see Elizabeth really struggling–unlike some main characters in thrillers, she doesn’t very easily just solve the mystery, but she has A LOT to deal with, which makes for a much more interesting read.

There were a few twists that got me, but overall I thought it was fairly predictable. However, that didn’t keep me from being completely enthralled. I was interested to see if I was right with my guesses, and Bell crafted the story to keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. The reveals are well placed and I was never disappointed by any of the twists or reveals. The story as a whole flowed together nicely.

With that said, for me this was an okay read. It was enjoyable, but it didn’t have anything to really grab or wow me.

Also posted on Purple People Readers.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the family dynamics and interpersonal relationships in this tense page-turner about a twenty-something woman named Elizabeth, whose mother dies in the first chapter.

One of the more interesting conflicts in this novel is that Elizabeth—who has created a life for herself away from her family—is suddenly forced to care for her older brother, Ronnie, who suffers from Down Syndrome. Not only is Elizabeth thrust into the caretaker role, she is also his sole defender against the accusations of the police.

***SPOILER ALERT***

And when Elizabeth goes to the reading of her mother's will, she is also faced with another difficult reality: her mother has left a third of her estate to an unknown woman who has the same first name she does. While trying to uncover what happened to her mother, defend Ronnie, and figure out who this woman was to her mother, Elizabeth must also face her own shortcomings and prejudices.

***END OF SPOILER***

What I admire most about this book is that it deals with the way that we, as a society, treat those who are different—whether they have Down Syndrome or some other disability.

This book is a MUST-READ for those who love page-turners with strong characterization.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Elizabeth learns that her mother has died unexpectedly- more horror is yet to come. Her brother, who has Downs Syndrome is accused of her murder. She had argued with her mother weeks before after being asked to be his guardian and feels guilt that their last words were harsh ones.

She doesn't believe that her brother is guilty despite evidence seeming to mount up against him. She investigates and starts to uncover things she could never have imagined and puts herself in danger- her brother also seems to be in danger in the hospital.

This one was a real page turner and I couldn't wait to find out what family secrets were going to be upturned next- and just who was responsible.

I must look out for more by this author.

Many thanks to Carina Uk and Net Galley for a copy of this book.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic story from Mr. Bell. His work rings loud and clear for me every time i read it. I enjoy the style, and tension he builds. I enjoy every page. One of my favorite authors for sure. The story is an incredible twist of fates about a family that could be in any town. Just when the ending was near and I thought it was all square, there is a jut in the road. Not because there has to be, but because it is better with it in there. Read David Bell. Tell everyone you know, what I already know. I think he is a fantastic writer. The story centers on family. The delicate balance all families are set on and the myth that you really know what you know are central points of debate in this book. Take the ride that is a Bell book.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my full review: http://bit.ly/1iAZ9hv

My opinion: To date, this is my favorite David Bell book. Mr. Bell writes a mystery, with an engrossing plot and mysterious characters, that kept me engaged with a storyline that could have ended in several different ways and kept me guessing until the end.

I love when a book flows so well that one hates to see a story end. This is quite a feat in an almost 500 page book, but Mr. Bell has accomplished this. Secrets are revealed masterfully and with perfect timing.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason I didn't give this book a 5-star rating is that I found one of the major character's behavior/reasoning/motivations as explained in the book personally unconvincing. Of course, since people can and do behave not only irrationally at times but also in ways that are truly incomprehensible, this may reflect less upon the author's tale than on my own experiences.

OK, that out of the way, I found this to be one of the better page-turners I've encountered lately.

While the fact of the murder central to the story is clear, the reasons behind it and the consequent developments it sets off, are anything but, and therein lies "the tale."

The principal character in this novel is a young woman -- Elizabeth -- who has returned to visit her mother in her hometown after a long period of self-willed absence as she sought to find her own way. However, before she can even begin to get caught up, she arrives to find that her mother has been murdered, strangled, in her own house.

Suspicion quickly settles on her younger brother who suffers from Down syndrome and, as the police tell Elizabeth, his behavior had in recent weeks turned more troublesome, revealing a potentially violent streak. Not surprisingly, police suspicions quickly settle on him as the likely murderer.

Then, however, two mysterious persons appear to completely unsettle matters further: an older woman claiming to be her sister long thought to be dead and an old, unsettling man who claims to be her father!

So the rest of the novel not only continues to worry the issue of just who murdered the mother but also to resolve the truth or falsehood behind the claims of these other two figures, each of whom has a somewhat shadowy past.

Admittedly, the story-line is likely more than a little more complicated than most of our life stories and, one hopes, our family lives, too!

Recommended that you read this in a relatively short time if only to be able to more clearly keep track of the novel's many twists and turns, one very critical one I should mention that takes place near the very end of the book.

[Laura]

I read this author's The Hiding Place but this is BETTER. It seems a cliche and dishonor that the son of the victim who has a developmental disability is accused of "the crime". He wouldn't know the consequence of his actions so that part bothered me; however, I enjoyed this book very much. And I am not saying the accused was the evil one!

[Heidi Marvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is better than a 3 but not quite a 4, I would give this a 3.5. I did like it and it was a very quick read for me but I feel like it need more depth. I did enjoy it but the character Elizabeth needed something more for me, she seemed a bit underdeveloped and immature. The character of Beth seemed rushed.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story started off slow, mom dies, brother with Down Syndrome is prime suspect. Then things start to happen. Makes you wonder what you really know about your parents, your family. Are they really the people they seem? Do you know what they did in the past? I did figure out part of the ending, but not all of it- thanks to that last minute plot twist! I knew I had to finish this today. I *had* to know the whole story.

[Beth Lechman · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Elizabeth Hampton's mother is found dead in her home at first she thought it was natural causes. When the Detective's tell her it is being ruled a homicide it leaves her with more questions than answers. As Elizabeth starts looking into who might have killed her mother she finds she didn't know her mother at all. So many lies were told to her and a lot of secrets that she struggles to find the answers to.
Not at all what I was expecting and I honestly am not sure how I felt about the book.

[Tgordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will write a more in-depth review layer as I’m ver crazy busy but this is a must read!!!! Great book full of who done it and sad at points. I wished the ending was happier but you know how it goes with books you love sometimes they do not end the way you want or expect.

[Emmaleigh Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good book, it has some plot twists that I didn't see coming. There isn't much foreshadowing, so you truly see the events and plot twists as the main character does.

[Mtm66]

3.5