9780062658234
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A Simple Favor audiobook

  • By: Darcey Bell
  • Narrator: Andi Arndt
  • Category: Fiction, Suspense, Thrillers
  • Length: 8 hours 55 minutes
  • Publisher: HarperAudio
  • Publish date: March 21, 2017
  • Language: English
  • (42391 ratings)
(42391 ratings)
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A Simple Favor Audiobook Summary

Soon to be a major motion picture from Lionsgate starring Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively and Henry Golding, and directed by Paul Feig

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.

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A Simple Favor Audiobook Narrator

Andi Arndt is the narrator of A Simple Favor audiobook that was written by Darcey Bell

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.

About the Author(s) of A Simple Favor

Darcey Bell is the author of A Simple Favor

A Simple Favor Full Details

Narrator Andi Arndt
Length 8 hours 55 minutes
Author Darcey Bell
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date March 21, 2017
ISBN 9780062658234

Subjects

The publisher of the A Simple Favor is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Fiction, Suspense, Thrillers

Additional info

The publisher of the A Simple Favor is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062658234.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews

March 16, 2017

Mothers, Friends, Secrets....Stephanie and Emily were mothers, ​they were ​friends, and they both had secrets even though they thought they knew each other better than they knew themselves.A SIMPLE FAVOR begins when Stephanie keeps Emily's son, Nicky, after school because Emily is going to be late. But...after school turns into overnight, then after school turns ​into another day and ​another ​night, and then ​yet ​another day and another ​night with no Emily.Stephanie didn't know where to turn except to her "mommy blog." Stephanie waits and waits and writes and writes. Stephanie finally calls Emily's husband, Sean, who was in London to tell him his wife has disappeared and that she has been keeping Nicky. Sean didn’t even know who Stephanie was.Sean doesn't seem concerned since Emily said she was going on a business trip, but the problem is that Emily never returns from the business trip.Sean, Stephanie, and the two boys spend a lot of time with each other until they find out the truth that Emily is dead.As we read, Stephanie places her thoughts and emotions on her blog ​and also with Sean.A SIMPLE FAVOR keeps having secrets pop up about all of the characters both current and past.A SIMPLE FAVOR had a unique style with Stephanie's blog taking up most of the chapters ​and all the other chapters also being about Stephanie as she lives her daily life with her son and now Sean and Nicky.​ Chapters only about Stephanie change as the book continues, and the scare factor definitely moves up a few notches. ​My interest in the book was very high simply because of the wonderful writing and story line. The characters were authentic, but it was difficult to believe someone could act that way and think of ways to hurt others.I had my doubts about Stephanie's sanity and motives and about the life she lead. Stephanie was quite gullible and insecure.Emily was a difficult one to figure out, a character I didn't like, and a character I grew to hate. She was conniving and evil.Sean seemed like a nice enough guy that was caught in the middle of everything. ​​A SIMPLE FAVOR is an excellent psychological thriller that kept me guessing and wondering what really was going on in the lives of the characters. ​​Were they honest with each other, honest with themselves, or were they all just fakes?​ Can we really trust or truly believe anyone?The story line became quite intense and very good as the book continued.The wrap up is amazing. A brilliant debut. 5/5This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Amanda -

August 08, 2018

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.comHow can a simple favour of picking up your best friend’s son from school go so terribly wrong? This is the scenario debut novelist Darcey Bell explores in her pulse pounding psychological suspense novel, A Simple Favour.Touted as a Gone Girl/Girl on the Train offshoot, A Simple Favour stands out on its own. A Simple Favour is a dark and twisted psychological suspense tale. This one reeled me in from the very start and it did not release its strong hold over me until the final page was turned. A Simple Favour was a careful read for me, one I had no compulsion to skim as every word seemed vital in solving this puzzling mystery. It is a solid effort for a debut novelist and it does not surprise me that film rights have already been purchased for this slick and compulsive novel.A Simple Favour begins with the blog entries of one of the leading characters in this novel, Stephanie’s life. It gives us a preliminary insight into Stephanie’s world, as well as her intimate thoughts and feelings. The presence of the blog entries is quite strong in this book, it kick starts the early stages of the narrative and appears in other chunks throughout the progression of the novel. It was a good way to set the scene. As a mum and blogger I could relate.In addition to the blog entries as a form of storytelling, A Simple Favour is also told from the perspective of Stephanie, her best friend Emily, and Sean, Emily’s husband. Each of these narrators airs a scent of mistrust and we are ever quite sure which character’s version of the events is the truth. As the book travels along, we learn each of these characters has a background and history they would rather stayed hidden. Stephanie in particular has quite the sordid background. Emily’s back story is utterly disturbing. I grappled with the fact that a person could keep a whole part of their life so hidden from a spouse and best friend. I did guess one of the plot twists involving Emily and her background. Darcey Bell has devised a first time novel that is full of twists, uncertainty and darkness. It’s also how I love my psychological thrillers.It is a little difficult to discuss much more of this novel as I do not wish to spoil the enjoyment of A Simple Favour for prospective readers. I will say the narrative content, the characterisation and the writing style of A Simple Favour worked for me. I liked how the book questioned who we can trust and our intimate relationships. What worked for me with this book was that the catalyst event, where Emily asks Stephanie for a ‘simple favour’, is an occurrence I could easily see happening in my own life. A Simple Favour presents a realistic scenario, full of possibilities.All in all I enjoyed A Simple Favour. It is a jarring psychological suspense novel that has cemented debut novelist Darcey Bell on my list of authors to watch! Don’t miss out on this one!

Love

May 08, 2019

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. I actually really enjoyed this. Wanted to watch the movie but of course, first read the book. And what a surprise, the book was better. Much better. Like they changed the story so much that I hated the movie.I liked the blog aspect of the book, thought it was a different way of telling the story. I figured out the "big reveal" before but it didn't prevent me from enjoying the book. The characters are awful human beings however, you can't always have angels in every book. I couldn't put this book down, loving the way Darcy Bell wrote the characters. When reading, I had a different voice for each character and was impressed by that. This is not a love story. It's disturbing and raw. And, since I enjoyed a disturbing and raw book... I wonder what that says about me... def that I have a dark side.

exploraDora

February 05, 2022

Honestly, I don't understand why this book has such a low rating here on Goodreads. I personally thought it was quite good and entertaining. But maybe that is because I knew the story already, since I watched and liked the movie a few years back. With a cast starring Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick and Henry Golding, you can't really go wrong ❤️The story is about an unlikely friendship between two very different women: Stephanie is a single mother of a 5 year old - she's the type who is very involved in her child's life, a supermom (or was it captain mom?) as she calls herself, while Emily - also mother of a 5 year old, is the cool mom, a career woman and also a poised fashionista and generally cool type of person. They become friends through their boys and one day Emily asks Stephanie for a simple favor: to pick up her son and take care of him for the day. For anyone who is not familiar with the plot, I don't want to spoil anything, I'll just say that what happens next was really fun to read about. There's a little mystery, there's suspense, there's murder and intrigue. I don't know, I enjoyed it.The only thing I could see as an being a reason why so many may have rated this so low is that (view spoiler)[Stephanie is a "brotherfucker", as Emily calls her (in the movie). She has been hooking up with her half brother ever since she was 18, knowing very well that they're related. That's beyond fucked up. But I knew this twist already, so the shock had passed for me. As messed up as the incest is, it didn't make the book a bad reading experience for me. It just made Stephanie a morally screwed up person and an unlikable character, which is something rather normal in this genre 🤷‍♀️ (hide spoiler)]

Cortney LaScola Hornyak -

January 26, 2019

I was a little nervous heading into this book because it had gotten such mixed reviews, but I really liked it! Part 1 (Stephanie) was kind of annoying, because she's kind of annoying (ugh, 'hi moms!'), but I thought the story was really great... twisted and definitely messed up with horribly flawed characters that I loved anyway. I had first heard about this book because of the movie (Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively are both amazing) so I had them in mind when I read it.Yesterday was my day off from the bookstore, so after I finished the book, I immediately rented the movie, which I loved! The ending was different, but I thought that it was awesome. This is one of the VERY few cases where I liked the movie better than the book *oooh, a pig just flew past the window*Whether you decide to do the book, the movie, or both, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Brittany

February 01, 2023

I recently enjoyed the movie, although the ending felt weird and rushed, and then I read it! Wow! SO MANY CHANGES! I would say that the essence of the characters was definitely the same. However, in the book, Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) is MUCH more jacked up, selfish, and crazy. We affectionately refer to her as (view spoiler)[ brother fucker (hide spoiler)].Emily is actually MUCH less of a villain in the book, she is still perfectly cast as Blake Lively, but she has much more depth to her personality. I enjoyed her book form a LOT more.Definitely a great hilarious, also messed up, Psych/thrillerish devious book. I enjoyed the ride.4/5 Stars

Fiona

September 16, 2019

I read this in one setting - I had already seen the film but was interested to see how the book compared. Fortunately I much preferred the book over the film - things were explained in more detail, the motives of the characters made more sense, and the shock twist was easier to 'believe and understand' than in the movie.Stephanie is a timid, uninteresting stay at home mum who's only solace is blogging online. She is befriended by glamourous and intelligent Emily when she discovers that their two sons are close friends at school. Emily is everything that Stephanie wants to be - classy, sharp, sophisticated with a gorgeous husband, a great job and a stunning home. Sooner or later the pair are thick as thieves, with Stephanie taking the boys for sleepovers at her house when Emily is working late, and diving in at short notice to save Emily's skin when she can't pick her son up on time. One day, Emily asks Stephanie for a simple favour - could she look after her son for a few hours while she handles a crisis at work? Stephanie of course agrees, but starts getting nervous when night comes and she hasn't heard anything. The next day dawns and Emily hasn't returned; she has simply disappeared, and no one knows where she is. Emily isn't the sort of person to just dump her life, her marriage and her son and take up a new one, is she?The book actually tied together some loose ends that confused me a bit in the film, which was much appreciated, and made me enjoy it even more. I couldn't help picturing Blake and Anna as the two leads when I was reading however, but I'm sure that's not a bad thing!!

Vera

August 03, 2017

3,5Vale pelo ritmo frenético da história e as personagens f***ed up que tanto admirohttp://verovsky-meninadospoliciais.bl...

Dora

November 12, 2018

A minha opinião em vídeo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRlT2...

Judy

September 09, 2018

I listened to A SIMPLE FAVOR audiobook last year, a debut thriller novel by Darcey Bell. At the time I had a lot going on and never had the time to write my review. I decided to go back and re-listen to the audiobook. (currently listening). I am looking forward to the movie coming out Sept 14, 2018 (my birthday)! Love the new book cover and movie-tie-in. Reminds me of Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding (loved). "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—now a major motion picture from Lionsgate starring Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, and Henry Golding, and directed by Paul Feig."Looks great. Check out the movie trailer.

DJ

May 09, 2018

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 the storylines, the callousness of the out of the ordinary and atrocious characters gave me pause - I cannot say that I was drawn to them or even 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.

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