Publication Date: June 27, 2023
An ex-cop sets out to find her missing sister and discovers the shocking truth about her family…
A traumatic experience in the line of duty forces thirty-year-old Avery Rogers to abandon both her relationship and her position as a Kentucky State Police officer. She retreats to a college town where she works an unfulfilling job as a security guard, breaking up fights between drunken frat boys.
But a frantic phone call turns Avery’s life upside down. Her father—a retired cop who never fails to convey his disappointment in Avery—says her half sister is missing and in danger. Avery is sure Anna’s just crashing with friends, but her father strong-arms her into searching for the sister she barely knows.
Anna Rogers is fed up with her family—a half sister who resents her existence and a domineering father who thinks it’s okay for cops to shoot unarmed civilians. She hits the road to attend a protest against police brutality, unaware of the danger that awaits her there.
Just after catching a glimpse of Avery at the protest, Anna receives a shocking text. Now she’s no longer road-tripping; she’s running, pursued by an older sister she doesn’t trust and a violent stranger who has been stalking her for weeks.
When Avery discovers Anna’s hiding place near a remote cave system, she risks everything to save her. Little do the sisters know that a secret is catching up to them—a secret at the very heart of their family history.
Anna Rogers enjoys the party atmosphere at college and doesn’t think twice about dodging her family’s efforts to reach her. When she abruptly takes off to Louisville to visit a friend, she has no idea of the chaos left in her wake.
What starts off as a story about complicated family relationships soon takes a sinister twist as Anna’s roommate is found dead by Avery, Anna’s oldest sister and former cop.
Author David Bell weaves a psychological thriller in Try Not to Breathe. Not only is the Rogers family and their tangled relationships on display, but someone outside of the family is trying to find Anna.
Toss in an anti-police protest, which is the last place the daughter of a decorated cop is expected to be, along with the possibility someone is tracking Anna to get back at her father, and there’s plenty of high-energy activity.
In addition to the primary storyline, the author devotes time to character development. This helps readers understand why Avery left her career and why she and Anna aren’t close. Having this perspective is key to understanding why the characters make certain decisions.
Try Not to Breathe takes readers on a roller coaster ride full of diversions leading to a stunning conclusion.
David Bell is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling, award-winning author whose work has been translated into multiple languages. He’s currently a professor of English at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
