Your Son Is Alive

by James Scott Bell

Fifteen years ago their son was taken. Now somebody says they can have him back. Dylan and Erin Reeve have lived with a gaping emotional wound ever since their five-year-old son, Kyle, was kidnapped in broad daylight.

And never found.

Though the shadow of their loss hangs heavy, Dylan and Erin have managed to get on with their lives, even finding bits of happiness along the way.

Until one night when a crayon-scrawled note is slipped under Dylan Reeve's door.

All it says is, Your son is alive.

Could it be true?

Or is it a sick game played by somebody out for money? Or something else?

But what?

And why now?

As clues begin to emerge—both agonizing and expectant in their implications—Dylan and Erin Reeve know they have to play this out to the end. Because it's their last chance—and their only hope—to find the son they lost all those years ago.

You'll be blown away by this domestic thriller with twists and turns and the beating heart of parental love.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Christian Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Ebooks

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 28, 2018

About the author

Jim 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

Reviews

[Theresa Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books like this make dating seem much more dangerous than I’ve found it to actually be. Dylan lost his son fifteen years ago, and, like the majority of marriages in which a child goes missing or is murdered, his marriage to Erin collapsed. He thinks he’s getting a new start with Tabitha until the notes start showing up under his door saying his son is still alive and until Tabitha herself seems to go off the deep end, telling Dylan that he can see his son again if he does everything she says.

The short chapters do what suspense novels are supposed to do: They get you to wonder, uh-oh, how will he/she get out of this sticky situation? But the writing itself is uninspired.

I know this author for well-done how-to books on writing, so that might influence what I think of his actual fiction writing, but I found this to be a little write-a-novel-by-numbers. The prose is not memorable, the characters don’t come to life for me, and the motives of the bad guy/guys is questionable. I guess otherwise normal people can do some kooky stuff, but what happens in this book requires serious commitment to a stupid grudge.

For more reviews, please visit http://www.theresaalan.net/blog

[T.J. Wray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read some of the reviews and they were off the chart, talking about how brilliant this writer is. lol. He literally took the synopsis of an old black and white movie and changed the characters around a little and wrote a modern crime drama out of it....I was wondering how a guy could write 97 books in 20 years. This author is putting out a book every couple of months....first of all, this book has a million typing errors in it. I guess when you write a book every two months, there isn't a lot of time for editing. Apparently this author is playing the numbers game. (If I write 100 books surely someone will read them and I can retire on the royalty checks). I guess it's working , he got my two dollars this month...I would rather see a guy write ten really good books, than 100 so so books..I probably won't read his other 96 books.....TJ

[Randy Tramp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fifteen years ago their son was kidnapped.

Now, Dylan Reeve's gets a note. It says, "Your son is alive."

The story drew me in right from the start. I couldn't stop reading. Mystery after mystery presented itself, then solved.

What a story. Thrilling, exciting and heart-pumping good. Twists and turns made it one of the best reads. One I couldn't put down, with an ending that surprised me.

I'm going to read more of Bell's books. What a great author.

[Patricia Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your Son Is Alive is masterfully written. Bell does such a good job of drawing readers in and making them care for his characters. And the twists and turns! Wow. Most of them I never saw coming. One of the neatest characters in the book made only one appearance, but the eighty-year-old woman's words of wisdom were so on target. When Erin, the heroine, visited her in the hospital after accidentally knocking her down, the eighty-year-old asked if she'd prayed about her problem. Erin said she'd lit candles and the character's reply was her favorite prayers were: help, help, help and thank you, thank you, thank you. And that's going to be my mantra for now on. Thank you JSB for an awesome book.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific riveting stand alone thriller by James Scott Bell. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed several series by Mr. Bell, including the Mike Romeo, Ty Buchanan and Force of Habit books. Since I loved them all, I decided to move on to some of his stand alone novels and am very glad that I did. On to another.

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did try with this and made it as far as 61% but the mistakes throughout just wore me down in the end. I just got cheesed off highlighting and noting them all.....
There are a lot of words dropped from sentences "No, Erin needs hear about it" or "When an umpire told Kyle return to his bench" and then we have them needlessly added, "He willed his own to heart to hold together" or "He had no doubt she had a self-inflicted a bruise on her arm."
Lost of times apostrophes are needed and missed off along with the odd dropped fullstop and comma. Even I know Wendall Holmes should be Wendell then he wrote they and not the. All pretty slapdash.
This passage just left me bewildered as I don't understand what one thing had to do with the other, "But then again, Kyle always squirmed. He wasn't ADHD, so they'd been reassured, But he didn't have the greatest attention span, either. Well, who did anymore ? Even among adults. Heck, they had cameras in cell phones now, for crying out loud. Parents were taking digital pictures all over the place." I didn't understand this sentence, either-"He went to routine by making an omelet" and neither this, "You know what let's do ?" and neither this, "Get to back to the main drag" and "It looked like family members supporters"......these sentences mean nothing, they're just senseless.
Kyle is always referred to as being kidnapped but there was never any ransom demand, which I always understood made it an abduction, instead.
The story was going along quite well and also has some amusing little remarks but sadly the mistakes were too tiresome. I got to this sentence and I'd had enough, "When she got to room she saw the woman....." I just deleted it at this stage.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young boy is kidnapped at age five. Fifteen years later his parents, now divorced, start receiving notes that seem to indicate he is still alive. There are a lot of twists in this novel. I had to keep reading.

[Deb Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. It really grabs the reader and holds interest to the very end. The ending is a bit far out but none the less good reading. I wouldn’t call this a Christian novel, just a good, clean thriller.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, what a ride! Fast paced thriller that will grab your attention from beginning to end, keeping you glued to the book into the wee hours of the morning! Just wow.

[DiAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful writing

I stepped into the lives of two people trapped in an incredible crime, and time stopped until the last word.

[John Turiano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five-year old Kyle Reeve is kidnapped in broad daylight, he is never found. Fifteen years later his father receives a note saying 'Your son is alive.' Dylan Reeve reunites with his now ex-wife, Erin, to deal with the pain brought on by the cruel letter. The letter is followed with more letters and phone calls, which they are helpless to ignore. If there is any chance Kyle is alive, they have to find out.

The domestic thriller moves along quickly as the suspense heats up. I had no idea where the plot was going and had a difficult time putting the book down. Just the right combination of suspense and creepiness. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would highly recommend it.

[Kate Joekel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply Moving

Having lost an 11 year old son to illness, I always felt the only thing worse would be to lose a child to kidnapping. This book reinforced that feeling.
It was hard to read, but I'm glad I did.

[Loraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have previously read James Scott Bell's novels and thoroughly enjoyed them. This is a Christian thriller/suspense, and it was just a bit too gritty for me.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrillah....

Your Son Is Alive by James Scott Bell, like most of his books, is set in Los Angeles. A five year old boy was kidnapped fifteen years ago and has been presumed dead...until Dylan, the father, gets a crayoned note stating simply, "Your son is alive." An exciting ride then starts and doesnt end until the last chapter. You just keep turning pages. While the book was an excellent read, it barely gave a nod to Christianity, and i mean BARELY. I personally like more faith in my characters. Other than that, i rate this book as a must read for readers who like a clean and thrilling book.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love his books, but just couldn't put it down. There were many weird twists and turns and an unique ending.

[Ajoyful1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

There'll be no sleeping till after the story is over." - (John Gilstrap, New York Times bestselling author)

I'd never heard of James Scott Bell. Stumbled upon this book. I liked the synopsis and downloaded the sample. Man oh man oh man oh man! This was a rollercoaster ride. I couldn't put it down. It sucks you in from word one and doesn't let you go until the last letter. Who writes like that? Read this one and live in a state of suspense. I was reading this while I walked through the house, while I was in the bathroom, while I ate my meals, while I cleaned my kitchen. Thanks James S Bell for a great read without gratuitous profanity and sex. A great plot with realistic characters carries it all the way in.

[Laura Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're an aspiring writer, you might have read James Scott Bell's nonfiction works, my favorite being PLOT AND STYLE. He's also a talented and polished author of fiction, and his deep dive into the domestic thriller genre is a rousing success. An estranged couple reunite over a single, disturbing message: YOUR SON IS ALIVE.

It's heartbreaking, honest, heartfelt, and full of surprises. Bell deftly handles the switches in POV and the nuanced exploration of a divorced couple's relationship to one another after their child (supposedly) dies. Pick this one up.

[Joni Truex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book

James Scott Bell proves once again that he is the Master of the legal thriller. More twists and turns than a corkscrew that will keep you reading and guessing until the very end. Really likeable characters for you to root for and the evil villians to root against have depth and surprises galore. Definitely worth the read.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, a LOT of suspense, that's for sure. While God is kind of acknowledged, it's not a Christian book, and isn't promoted as such. I got it because I've enjoyed some of his other books which did have Christian content. So if you don't mind that it's basically secular, you'll probably enjoy it. It certainly grabs your attention and keeps you reading!

[Debra McLean · Rating 2 out of 5]

No no no

This got 2 stars only because I wanted to find out how this played out and I was able to get to the end but I flipped a lot of pages unread and don’t feel like I missed a thing. Lots of things brought in that had such a lame explanation like William. This story played out over 30+ years. The only consistent thread was cruelty.

[Carlana Lane · Rating 1 out of 5]

not his best

This is the most convoluted story with very few redeeming qualities. I am so disappointed and hope the next will be back to Bell’s old page turners.
This is not a page turner except that you just want it to end. And the plot is just too fantastic to even be believable

[Theodora Vanyar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as part of the Cloak and Dagger Challenge 2019!
Overview:
Blurb: It starts with a note that tells Dylan Reeve the son that he and his now ex-wife Erin lost to kidnapping fifteen years ago is alive. This single note, written in crayon, drags him into a world of deadly games, ghosts from the past, and the hope that their son truly is still alive.
Trigger Warnings:
Ableism, Blood, Bullying, Child Abuse, Death, Drug Use (Illicit), Drug Use (Non-Consensual), Emotional Abuse, Food, Gun Violence, Mental Abuse, Mental Illness, Murder, Non-Consensual Touching, Physical Abuse, Poor Coping Mechanisms, Self-Injury, Stockholm Syndrome, Suicide, Toxic Masculinity, Unsafe Lifestyle, Violence, Violent Imagery,
Body Count: 2
The Specs:
• Genre
o Technical Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Suspense Thriller
o Theo Genre: Murder Mystery; Thriller; Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense
• Page count: 339 Pages/1963 KB
• POV: Unlimited 3rd
• Publication information:
o Paperback page count:
o Publisher: Compendium Press
o Language: English
o ISBN-13: 9780910355391
o ASIN: B07CRC52VH
Other Fun Stuff:
To Read or Not To Read (Again):
Donated
Rating out of five: 4.0 out of 5
Representation, Morality, and Sexism Tests:
• Bechdel–Wallace Test:
o Purpose: to establish actual female characters that act independently of male characters in a story.
 Do two female characters talk about something other than a male character? Yes
o Pass or Fail: Pass
• DuVernay Test:
o Purpose: to establish characters of color in a story.
 Are there fully actualized characters of color? Yes
o Pass or Fail: Pass
• Ellen Willis Test:
o Purpose: to show balance in characters regardless of gender.
 Would two related characters still work to carry the story if their genders were reversed? Yes
o Pass or Fail: Pass
• Hays Code Test:
o Purpose: to ignore outdated and queer-degrading/punishing standards that once were the standard for produced mass media.
o Part One: outdated moral guidelines
 Are there any outdated "moral content" rules gloriously kicked in the teeth by this story? Yes
 Are there people of color allowed a happy ending? Yes
 Is there an interracial couple? No
 Is there profanity used at all? No
 Is there one or more homicidal acts and/or murder? Yes
o Part Two: queer representation
 Are there queer characters that get a happy ending? No
 Is there an illegal or otherwise distasteful age gap between characters, queer or otherwise? No
 Do the queer characters die tragically, violently, or at all? No
o Pass or Fail: Half-Pass
• Mako Mori Test:
o Purpose: to assure that in the story there is at least one female character independent of a male character's story.
 Is there a female character? Yes
 Does she get her own arc? Yes
 Does it do anything other than serve to support a man’s story? Sort of?
o Pass or Fail: Half-Pass
• Sexy Lamp Test:
o Purpose: to assure that a female character in the story serves as an active protagonist, not just a device to be used by the male main character.
 Would the plot fall apart if the female character was replaced by a sexy looking lamp? Absolutely
o Post-It Note Caveat:
 Would the character be able to be replaced by a Sexy Lamp with a sticky note on it for information conveyance? Not at all
o Pass or Fail: Pass
• Tauriel Test:
o Purpose: to help support the existence of competent, independent female characters regardless of a romantic sub-plot.
 Is there at least one woman in the story? Yes
 Is this woman competent in her chosen occupation and not immediately shown up by a newcomer male character? Yes
 If she has or develops a love interest during the story, either implied or explicitly stated, does she suddenly abandon her job and/or chosen path to support or pursue said love interest? Nope!
o Pass or Fail: Pass
• Vito Russo Test:
o Purpose: to establish more characters that are on the SAGA (Sexuality And Gender Acceptance), QTPOC (Queer and Trans People of Color) or LGBTQIAP+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual/Biromantic/Bigender, Transgender, Queer/Genderqueer, Intersex, Asexual/Aromantic/Agender, Pansexual/Panromantic, and others not listed here) spectrum.
 Is there a character on the queer spectrum? Not specified
 Are they a character beyond their orientation? No
 Do they actually affect the plot? No
 Is the character something beyond a punchline? No
o Pass or Fail: Fail
Overall review:
Thoughts: That the villain was so indicative of the issues with masculine culture right now and very white-knight, a fedora and a m'lady away from the toxic jerks parading about these days was very relatable. I felt for Dylan and Erin almost like they were friends of mine dealing with this loss.
The pacing of the story was pretty good! There was a decent hook and while I wouldn't re-read this particular volume, I would recommend it to others. And I would absolutely read more by this particular author.
Was it engaging?
Yes
Favorite Character:
Gadget!


Review format updated 5 March 2019

[Donne · Rating 2 out of 5]

For me, domestic/family dramas can be a hit or miss, unfortunately, mostly misses. Not even sure why this one even appealed to me other than I often enjoy stories where children (usually adopted) are reunited with their parents. It’s for this notion that chose to read the book.

The book summary lays out the premise to the story so I'm not going to repeat it here. What isn’t clear is that, like a lot of marriages that experience a severely traumatic event, the marriage doesn’t survive and the couple divorces (after five years). They remain friendly with each other and will often provide emotional support, over the following 10yrs, for each other in their respective efforts to move on with their lives, just separately.

First off, I want to preface my statements with the fact that I am not a parent so I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like to have a child kidnapped and never heard or seen from again. It’s absolutely unimaginable. However, the way this couple behaves and the nonsense that they engage in just seems absolutely stupid! Just saying.

I won’t get into the nitty gritty details or any spoiler alerts, but this couple is simply not thinking clearly. Perhaps, that’s typical for parents who think that some stranger, who shows up out the blue, after 15yrs, actually knows where their missing child is. Who knows? Like I said, I’m not a parent so I can’t possibly know what hearing that would do to me. However, having said that, I seriously don’t think I would engage in the stupid crap that this couple did. JMHO.

Shortly into the second half of the story, a character is introduced that pretty much is a huge clue as to how this story is going to end. The author spends probably two thirds of the story running this couple from one stupid incident after another. Crap that lands them in a police station (more than once) being questioned for various crimes, crimes that actually lands one of them in jail.

At several points in the story, I’m rolling my eyes at this couple’s ignorance and stupidity and contemplating DNFing the book. I’m constantly reminding myself that these are parents that simply are willing to do ANYTHING for the possibility of seeing their son again. This is the only thing that kept me engaged in the book as long as I was.

Unfortunately though, around the 65-70%, I’d had enough of this couple; I simply did not like them. I even put the book aside for a couple of days before deciding that I was DONE with this story. So I’m rating it on the part of the book that I’ve read.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid thriller with some rough edges

This was an educational read. I came to JSB’s fiction from his nonfiction books on writing craft. He’s a hybrid author—traditionally and self-published—and a major champion of self publishing as an avenue for success, provided authors are willing to model the work ethic of mid 20th Century pulp authors.
So “Your Son is Alive” functioned as a fine exhibit of how self-publishing can work well, where edges are likely to be rough (check your typos by hand, don’t trust Grammarly to do the heavy lifting) and how to avoid some of the same pitfalls.
The story was decent. The pace did more of the heavy lifting, in terms of keeping me interested. That trick of putting cliffhangers at the end of chapters—even minor cliffhangers—is more effective than I would have thought. Some elements of the story didn’t gel for me. I didn’t quite believe in the antagonists, and the villain reveal fell a little flat. But the conflict was visceral enough, and the MCs likable enough, that I remained with them on their journey.
I would have liked some of the elements fleshed out more. Who was the dirty cop turned PI? What was his story? The antagonist also might have registered more strongly if the seeds of his presence were sown earlier in the story. I think it came up halfway, and it was kind of thrown out there with an almost “who cares” level of insignificance.
But overall the book was a solid work of entertainment.

[Paula Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story begins with the abduction of a 5year old boy -- which over the
next 15 years was believed to be dead. Until a mysterious note scribbled in
crayon states - Your son is alive

Dylan was a prisoner. For a murder he had not committed. For a murder
he was set up for.

His ex wife had been thrown against a wall by a Dectective- only to wake up
later strapped in a room -- unable to figure out where she was,or why

This is a nightmare -- Why is this happening? What's the Brownie got to do with anything?

This is a great story-- leaving the reader breathless as we find ourselves
in dark mysterious, dangerous places. Unable to figure out
who is behind all of this chaos. Its more then a classic "who done it"?
This story brings the reader face to face with a man bent on destroying
people he perceives as a threat to his fantasy-- intent to pay back debts
he imagine he was owed, to right the wrongs he believes have been made.
Intent on having the one person he felt he deserved.
This writer will keep your attention , bend your mind, and leave you wanting more.
A very good read.

[Caitlin Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I liked the premise of this book and I liked the characters. I found the writing to be a bit flowery and schmaltzy though so it's hard for me to give it a really high number of stars.

I will say that the plot being essentially the plot of a silent thriller movie was different to me and I do love a good revenge story. I think Petrie's plan was genius although completely off the charts crazy haha.

My main complaint was some of the unfinished business or random dead-end plot points. For example, the protector Dylan made in jail was just kind of a throwaway detail until the end where (I assume) he killed Petrie. I would have liked to see the protection aspect played out a little bit more though I understand that Dylan really wasn't in jail that long in order for it to have a really big section of the book. It just seemed to me that there should have been more than just a brownie and an autographed Lakers photo to warrant protection. And we never even know if the inmate received his autographed photo! For some reason that point really bothered me.

I absolutely loved Gadge but I found it hard to believe that he was able to walk all over the cops' crime scene and question Petrie in the squad car with no objections.

All in all a fun read!

[Candi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I so wanted to like this book more, but it just didn't quite do it for me. The storyline originally caught my attention....son abducted at age 5, and 15 years later a note shows up saying their child is alive. It was a thriller, but at the same time I felt like it lacked some originality. Good vs bad, and similar storylines to some old movies. The ending is what disappointed me the most. It all felt very rushed compared to the rest of the book. It's like the writer decided they were done, and just hurried to wrap up what was an okay book up until then. And then the ending with them facing their son in a jail meeting room....that's it? I would have like better closure of it all. I would have liked to hear what the lawyer was doing to help get him released, whether he followed through with the counseling plan, did he make any kind of mental recovery, or was their son lost to them forever due to the trauma he had experienced in the past 15 years? But the wrap up read more like a child writing, 'they found out the truth, it was their son, the end.'

[Mary Enck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is made up of moments that take you to the deepest anxiety of what it would be like to lose a child. It's so amazing in the way it portrays how it would feel as the realization sets in of what had taken place right before your eyes. Self-chastisement over the idea that you did not do the right thing to prevent such a tragedy.

The story moves forward with those who have suffered. They become lifted up and beyond the reality that life must go on along with the pain. Then things begin to turn after a long time and it takes giant strides of courage to deal with what seems to be impossible. There is a myriad of mysteries in this thriller. When they are solved in the end, it left me wondering if it could have been different. It left me with questions and I suppose reading the next book, if this is a series, will be necessary to get the answers. I for one would like some.

This is a captivating novel. I would recommend it to those who enjoy thrillers.

[CMT-Michigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning intrigued me- a boy kidnapped at age 5. Fifteen years without a single clue as to what happened.

Dylan and Erin have moved on the best they could from the kidnapping of their son, when a note shows up at Dylan's house that says "your son is alive."

My first thought was, why now? If you kidnapped a 5 yr old, why wait 15 years to taunt the parents? And why? Without saying too much, this convoluted story involves several bitter characters who feel they deserve more (and I don't mean money) and somehow think that they will get what they want through this crime. I just felt annoyed about the reasoning behind any of this- although I guess I could never imagine why you would kidnap a child.

A good start, a mediocre ending, and okay writing. If you're into thrillers without overthinking the "why" like I do, than you will like it!