Darcey Bell Books in Order

Where to Start with Darcey Bell

If you are new to Darcey Bell, the absolute best place to start is her sensational debut, A Simple Favor (2017). This is the book that put her on the literary map and inspired the hit 2018 film starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively. It perfectly showcases her signature style: multiple unreliable narrators, twisted domestic dynamics, and a fast-paced plot where nobody is exactly who they claim to be.

Because all of Darcey Bell's novels are standalone thrillers, you can read them in any order you choose. However, reading them in publication order is highly recommended. It allows you to see how her writing evolved from suburban domestic drama to gothic suspense and academic psychological revenge.

Darcey Bell Books in Publication Order

Darcey Bell has published four standalone novels. Here is the chronological list of her books by release date:

1. A Simple Favor (2017)
2. Something She's Not Telling Us (2020)
3. All I Want (2022)
4. Woman of the Year (2023)

1. A Simple Favor (2017)

This debut novel centers on Stephanie, a lonely mommy blogger in Connecticut, and Emily, a glamorous public relations executive. When Emily asks Stephanie for a "simple favor"—picking up her son from school—and subsequently vanishes, Stephanie is pulled into a dark web of secrets, grief, and betrayal. The story is told through the shifting perspectives of Stephanie, Emily, and Emily's husband, Sean. It is a masterful, twist-filled look at the masks we wear in friendships and marriages.

2. Something She's Not Telling Us (2020)

In her second book, Bell shifts the focus to sibling relationships and maternal anxiety. Charlotte has a beautiful life in New York with her family, but everything changes when her brother Rocco introduces his new girlfriend, Ruth. Charlotte immediately senses that something is off with Ruth, especially as Ruth becomes increasingly obsessed with Charlotte's young daughter, Daisy. When Daisy is kidnapped, Charlotte's worst fears are realized. Shifting between Charlotte and Ruth's perspectives, the novel keeps readers guessing about who is telling the truth.

3. All I Want (2022)

This novel moves into the realm of gothic thriller and isolation. Emma and Ben decide to leave their cramped Manhattan apartment to raise their unborn child in a sprawling, historic Victorian mansion in upstate New York. However, the mansion has a creepy history as a recovery estate for the wealthy, and Emma begins to experience strange occurrences. After finding a child's diary in the attic and suspecting Ben of keeping secrets, Emma's isolation turns into paranoia. It is a slow-burn mystery about trust, isolation, and the fears of impending motherhood.

4. Woman of the Year (2023)

Bell's fourth book is a sharp, bitter tale of female rivalry and long-overdue revenge. Lorelei Green and Holly Snopes Serpenta were once close friends and students in a college psychology seminar. Decades later, Holly is a successful public figure about to receive a "Woman of the Year" award, partly due to a memoir highlighting her survival story. Lorelei, who has spent twenty years harborng resentment over a betrayal that ruined her life, plans to use the award ceremony to expose Holly. However, she soon discovers she isn't the only one obsessed with Holly's downfall, leading to a deadly game of cat and mouse.

What to Know Before You Start

Before diving into Darcey Bell's bibliography, here are a few practical tips to help guide your reading experience:

• No Shared Universes: Each book is set in its own separate reality. There are no recurring characters, crossover locations, or connected storylines. You can read them in whichever order appeals to you most.
• The Movie Adaptation vs. Book: The 2018 film adaptation of A Simple Favor is highly entertaining but features a significantly different ending and tone compared to the book. The movie leans more into dark comedy, while the novel is a darker, more cynical psychological thriller.
• Is there a book sequel to A Simple Favor? No. While a film sequel titled Another Simple Favor was announced for release on streaming services, it is a cinematic sequel written for the screen. Darcey Bell has not written a sequel novel to her debut.
• The Preschool Teacher Influence: Bell worked as a preschool teacher in Chicago prior to her writing career. This background heavily influences her novels, which frequently explore parenting anxieties, preschool-aged children, and the delicate dynamics between mothers and school communities.