Preview

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

A Simple Favor

By: Darcey Bell
Narrated by: Andi Arndt, Xe Sands, Matthew Waterson
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $22.49

Buy for $22.49

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

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's 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 freefall 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 minute.

©2017 Seven Acres, LLC (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Featured Article: The Best Women Narrators to Listen to Right Now


One of the biggest questions listeners have when it comes to approaching a new audiobook is whether or not they'll enjoy the narration style. This is understandable, as audiobooks are at least a few hours long (with many clocking in at 20 hours long—or more!), and sticking with one person's voice for that time period can feel like a big commitment. We rounded up some of the best female narrators with a robust list of audiobooks under their belts.

What listeners say about A Simple Favor

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,981
  • 4 Stars
    1,463
  • 3 Stars
    1,190
  • 2 Stars
    489
  • 1 Stars
    272
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,500
  • 4 Stars
    1,321
  • 3 Stars
    644
  • 2 Stars
    255
  • 1 Stars
    127
Story
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,601
  • 4 Stars
    1,218
  • 3 Stars
    1,077
  • 2 Stars
    549
  • 1 Stars
    389

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Unfinished with Lots of Potential

This story had so much potential for a mind-blowing ending. I loved the insight from each main character. By the end, none had any redeaming qualities, which made for a good story of double-cross. Unfortunately, the ending left me as unsatisfied as finding that an amazing smelling pizza in the oven was made without cheese. Unless there is a sequel, there needed to be better closure, a better ending. Sadly, there was no ending.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Kept waiting for it to get good

I had high hopes for this but was ultimately disappointed. I loved the Mommy Blogger voice of the narrator, spot on! Her male voice, when speaking as Sean, was terrible.

But, the storyline fell flat for me. The characters felt contrived and not at all relatable. I prefer non-fiction and after listening to this, I'm going back. Fiction characters shaped poorly just aren't three dimensional. As the end neared, I just hoped to get it over with. The set up was better than the ending.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Just meh

It feels like either the twist happened too early (like 3 hours before the end!) or the author forgot to put one at the end. It wasn't horrible, but I don't think I'll listen to it again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

fantastic!

absolutely loved this! pulled me in from the beginning and I couldn't stop listening. Completely took me by surprise.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good Read

It took me a bit to get into the book but I had heard good things so stuck with it. I am so glad I did! There were twists and turns all the way up until the last sentence.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Didnt like the ending

You get all of that and then boom. I would have loved for Stephanie to finally have some common fucking sense.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

This was quite the book...I only wish that the movie was more like it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

headline

I'm so not happy with the ending I need to know what happens this wasn't enough

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

strangely demented

Each of the characters bring a very strange piece to the book. I did listen to the entire book but was very disappointed in the ending. A little too far fetched for me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

I didn’t like the ending

I had some of the story figured out pretty early. I was not a big fan of the ending. I wasn’t a fan of the British guy voice.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!