Nobody Has to Know

Nobody Has to Know
by Frank Nappi
published by author
2012
ISBN n/a
Why Read?: Review
Challenges: Mystery & Suspense

Frank Nappi once again shows off his prowess at writing with his newest work, Nobody Has to Know.  This also marks a departure for him from the historical fiction genre and into suspense.

Cameron Baldridge is a young English teacher who loves to enrich his student's classroom experience.  As is the case with most young high school teachers, many of his students have developed a crush on him.  This would not be a problem except Cam finds himself feeling the same way about one girl, Nikki.  The two start texting and eventually find themselves alone in a motel room while Cam's fiance, Haley, is out of town.  Unfortunately, Nikki winds up dead, and Cam runs away.  Cam thinks he has covered his tracks, but someone saw him...and that person is now blackmailing him as his life spins out of control.

Nappi does a remarkable job with characterization.  While Cam makes some remarkably ill-advised decisions, the reader still feels for him, empathizing with the panic he feels as the tension builds.  The story does start off a little slow, but this lets the reader get to know Cam and sets the stage for the escalating suspense. The ending is also one hell of a twist, and while I am not sure how I feel about the outcome, I applaud Nappi for his bold choice.  Normally I would not comment on grammar, but really the only problem with this novel is the lack of commas when addressing other characters.

Frank Nappi uses a lot of rich detail in his historical fiction, and he carries that talent over to Nobody Has to Know.  I hope Nappi has more suspense in store for his fans, both present and future.

Rating: 4/5