Tag Archives: Lisa Gardner

Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner – a Review

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Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner – a Review

 

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Description:
Frankie Elkin is an expert at finding the missing persons that the rest of the world has forgotten, but even she couldn’t have anticipated this latest request—to locate the long-lost sister of a female serial killer facing execution in three weeks’ time.

She has called herself “death,” but people called her the devil.

The case was sensational. Kaylee Pierson had confessed from the very beginning, waived all appeals. Despite the media’s chronicling of her tragic circumstances—the childhood spent with a violent father—no one could find sympathy for “the Beautiful Butcher” who had led eighteen men home from bars before viciously slitting their throats. Now, with only twenty-one days left to live, Pierson has finally received a lead on the whereabouts of the sister who was kidnapped over a decade ago, and she needs Frankie’s help to find her. The Beautiful Butcher’s offer:

When was the last time your search ended with finding the living?

Unable to resist the chance for a rescue, Frankie takes on Pierson’s request. Twelve years ago, five-year-old Leilani went missing in Hawaii. The main suspect? Pierson’s tech mogul ex-boyfriend, Sanders MacManus. Now, on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific—the site of MacManus’s latest vanity project—fresh evidence has appeared. In order to learn the truth and possibly save a young woman’s life, Frankie must go undercover at the isolated base camp. Her challenge: A dozen strangers. Countless dangerous secrets. Zero means of calling for help. And then the storm rolls in…

 

 

Review:

Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner is the 3rd book in her Frankie Elkin series. I have read a number of books by Gardner, and I think she is one of the best authors who write suspense thrillers, as I have loved all her books. Frankie Elkin, our heroine, is the star of this series; she is a recovering alcoholic, who is an expert in find missing people that are cold cases. Over the years she has found 15 people, with the majority not found alive.

The prologue has Frankie visiting a prison, where a serial killer (The Beautiful Butcher) is on death row, having viciously killed eighteen men; with her execution scheduled in three weeks. Kaylee receives a letter from her long-lost sister, who disappeared many years ago.  She believes her sister (Lea) was kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend, and she wants Frankie to find her and help her escape.  She convinces Frankie to take the job, which is in a remote lodge on a Hawaiian Island owned by the ex-boyfriend. 

Frankie flies to the private island, and poses as a staff member, helping with cooking and cleaning rooms; she gets to know many of the staff, as she learns more about MacManus and his protégé, Lea. I really liked many of the staff members, especially the cooks Ann and Trudy; and slowly becomes closer to all of them (Vaughn, Ronin, Charlie, etc.). Frankie needs to know who she can trust, especially with MacManus arriving with his security team, and Lea.  She begins to suspect there is someone who is possibly sabotaging the resort.  

When Frankie meets Lea, she tries to question her, but finds her not fully cooperative, claiming she knows nothing about a letter to her sister, whom she has not seen in 12 years. Frankie then discovers that Kaylee has escaped from death row, which is why MacManus has added extra security.  They all suspect that Kaylee will be coming for them; and Frankie begins to suspect that Lea is also very much involved.

What follows is an amazing, action-packed and exciting thriller, where Frankie finds herself in a number of dangerous situations. The last half of the book was an extremely tense thriller that kept me glued to my kindle.  Especially in the last quarter of the book, with the tension escalating as everyone was fighting for survival. Still See You Everywhere is a gripping fast pace story that is filled with danger, drama, fear, and everyone’s lives on the line. As we get closer to the end, there are a number of surprises and twists.

Once again, Lisa Gardner gives us a fabulous intense exciting story, that was very well written. As noted previously, you can never go wrong reading Lisa Gardner, who always writes fantastic suspense psychological thrillers.  I suggest you read Still See You Everywhere, which was a fantastic story.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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One Step Too Far by Lisa Gardner – a Review

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One Step Too Far by Lisa Gardner – a Review

 

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Description:
Frankie Elkin, who readers first met in Before She Disappeared, learns of a young man who has gone missing in a national forest. Law enforcement has abandoned the search, but a crew of people led by the young man’s father are still looking. Sensing a father’s desperation, Frankie agrees to help–but soon sees that a missing person isn’t all that’s wrong here. And when more people start to vanish, Frankie realizes she’s up against something very dark–and she’s running out of time.

 

 

Review:

One Step Too Far by Lisa Gardner is the 2nd book in her Frankie Elkin series.  I have read a few series by Gardner, and I think she is one of the best authors who write suspense thrillers, as I have loved all her books. 

Frankie Elkin, our heroine, is the star of this series; she is a recovering alcoholic, who devotes all of her time to find missing people that are cold cases. Over the years she has found 15 people, with the majority not found alive.  When she reads about a woman who is dying, and wants to be buried next to her presumed dead son, Tim, who disappeared 5 years ago; she learns that a group is planning to do another search, and Frankie decides to join them.  The experienced group consists of the missing boy’s father, the four boys who went camping together 5 years ago, a woman and her cadaver dog, the local wilderness expert, and a bigfoot expert.   When Frankie approaches them, at first, they do not want her, even if one tells them she does find missing people; but one of the boys gets sick, they allow Frankie to become part of the search.

The difficult trek into the woods has them all exhausted, but Martin, the father, pushes them to keep going.  In a short time, things change, as overnight they are being sabotaged (food stolen, camp in disarray, etc.); and they realized that someone is out to stop them from continuing the journey. The story was set in the Shoshone National Forest, which became creepy each passing day, especially after they learn many more people were missing over the years. 

I loved Daisy, who was the perfect search and rescue dog, and her handler, Luciana; with Frankie becoming closer to them.  Frankie is a great heroine, as she is tough, street savvy, smart and tenacious. She makes sure to talk and question all the other members of the group, to get her feel of what really happened, as well as being concerned by who is now hunting them.   

The last half of the book was a tense, scary, exciting thriller that kept me glued to my kindle, especially with everyone fighting for survival, and the danger escalates as slowly one by one they fall.  Who will survive?  Who is the villain?

What follows is an amazing, action-packed, exciting & intense thriller, where Frankie finds herself in some dangerous situations, as she desperately tries to survive in the wilderness. As we get closer to the end, there are a number of surprises and twists, which had me on the edge of my seat.  

Once again, Lisa Gardner gives us a fabulous intense exciting story, that was very well written. As noted previously, you can never go wrong reading Lisa Gardner, who always writes fantastic suspense psychological thrillers.  I suggest you read One Step Too Far, which was a fantastic story.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner -a Review

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Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner -a Review

 

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Description:
Frankie Elkin is an average middle-aged woman, a recovering alcoholic with more regrets than belongings. But she spends her life doing what no one else will–searching for missing people the world has stopped looking for. When the police have given up, when the public no longer remembers, when the media has never paid attention, Frankie starts looking.

A new case brings her to Mattapan, a Boston neighborhood with a rough reputation. She is searching for Angelique Badeau, a Haitian teenager who vanished from her high school months earlier. Resistance from the Boston PD and the victim’s wary family tells Frankie she’s on her own–and she soon learns she’s asking questions someone doesn’t want answered. But Frankie will stop at nothing to discover the truth, even if it means the next person to go missing could be her.

 

 

 

Review:

Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner is her first standalone novel in about 20 years.  I have read and loved a few of Gardner’s series, as she is a master at creating wonderful thriller series.  In Before She Disappeared, Frankie Elkin is our heroine, and a different kind of lead character, that actually turned into a fantastic one.

Frankie is a recovering alcoholic, who is a loner, having suffered some tragedies in the past; now she devotes all of her time to finding missing people that are no longer being looked for. Frankie moves around a lot, picking her cases, never staying anywhere for a long period; as over the years, Frankie has found 14 missing people, but none of them found alive.  After finishing up a case, she decides to go to Boston, as another missing case intrigued her. 

The missing girl, Angelique Badeau, a high school student, disappeared 11 months ago, and Frankie gets a job in a local bar, in the Haitian neighborhood of Mattapan.  She convinces the bar owner, that even though she is white, in this rough area, she will work 5 days a week, in exchange for renting the upstairs apartment. The fun part of her renting the room, is the other resident, who shares it; Piper the wild crazy cat. LOL In her off hours, she meets with resistance from the detective who was in charge of the case, as well the missing girl’s family, and others she meets along the way.  But in a short time, Frankie gains the respect from many of the local Haitian people; of course, there are dangerous people who do not want her to continue to investigate.

Frankie manages to convince Angelique’s aunt and brother to let her look around, and ask questions; which in time, the brother will be helpful.  She starts finding questionable clues that need answers, and Detective Lotham begins to trust her, and they made a great team. The chemistry between them became hot, though there was no future.   I really liked the bar owner, Stoney, the cook, Viv and some other people who befriended her; the brother was also a very good character. We also get to learn more about a tragedy from Frankie’s past, that gives her nightmares.

What follows is an exciting & intense mystery, where Frankie finds herself in some dangerous situations, with someone following her, even on occasion hearing gun shots. Another disappearance of a young student, changes the game, with Frankie and Lotham exploring why these girls have been kidnapped.  Will Frankie find Angelique?  Will she break the trend and find her alive?

Before She Disappeared was an amazing exciting, action-packed thriller, with many twists and turns that kept me unable to put the book down.  Once again, Lisa Gardner gives us a fabulous story, which though it is supposedly a standalone novel, can very well become a new series.  I suggest you read Before She Disappeared, which was so very well written by Lisa Gardner. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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When You See Me by Lisa Gardner – a Review

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When You See Me by Lisa Gardner – a Review

 

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Description:
FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy and Sergeant Detective DD Warren have built a task force to follow the digital bread crumbs left behind by deceased serial kidnapper Jacob Ness. And when a disturbing piece of evidence comes to light, they decide to bring in Flora Dane who has personal experience of being imprisoned by Ness.

Their investigations take them to a small town deep in the hills of Georgia where something seems to be deeply wrong.

What at first seems like a Gothic eeriness soon hardens into something much more sinister as they discover that for all the evil Jacob committed while alive, his worst secret is still to be revealed.

Quincy and DD must summon their considerable skills and experience to crack the most disturbing case of their careers – and Flora must face her own past directly in the hope of saving others.

 

 

Review:

When You See Me by Lisa Gardner is the 11th book in her Detective D.D. Warren series.  I have not read the previous books in this series, but this read very well as a standalone.  I loved When You See Me and upon completing this book, I have to find time to go back and read this series.  All I can say is “WOW’, this was an intense, exciting and fantastic thriller that was nonstop action and I could not put the book down; not to mention it was so very well written by Lisa Gardner. 

The story starts off with a bang, as two hikers discover human bones, and when findings discover that the remains were approximately 15 years old, and could be another victim of deceased predator, Jacob Ness, a task force is sent to Appalachian Niche in Georgia.  The task force consists of previous heroines of Gardner’s other series; FBI Special Agent, Kimberly Quincy, who will lead the investigation.  Kimberly calls in Boston Detective DD Warren, and survivor, Flora Dane, who have been involved in other Ness cases.  Flora was imprisoned by Ness for a year, and ended up killing him, but she continues to have nightmares, 7 years later.  She uses her horrific experiences to work alongside DD to help solve other kidnappings. Keith, who is a computer guru and Flora’s friend, also helps.

When You See Me is a non-stop intense thriller from start to finish.  Just when the task force thinks they have everything, more bodies are discovered, and suspicions arise that these may not be the victims of Jacob Ness, as some of the findings are fresher; bringing in more forensic teams.  When a woman supposedly commits suicide, DD investigates with the sheriff, and she notices a young maid, who cannot talk and acts terrorized.  DD will try to question the maid, who plays a big part in this story, as she is haunted by the ‘bad monster’, and using her hands as clues, which will help DD will gather information from Bonita (the maid) that something sinister is going on in this small town.  DD, Kimberly, Flora and Keith, will protect the young girl, and work together to find out what is happening.

The last third of the book was so intense and exciting, as with Bonita’s help, they will find themselves all in dangerous situations against a madman, and surprise townsfolks who were determined to stop the FBI from discovering their secrets.  Both Kimberly, DD and Flora suffered attacks that had us worried if they would survive.  I held my breath through every twist and turn.

Lisa Gardner did such a fantastic job writing this fabulous thriller, and created some wonderful female heroines who had to step up to survive and resolve the murders. If you enjoy thrillers, suspense, mystery, and fantastic leading characters, look no further then When You See Me.   I need to be reading more of Lisa Gardner, and her fabulous heroines, D.D. Warren, Kimberly Quincy and Flora Dane.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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The Family Secrets Trilogy by Lisa Gardner (writing as Alicia Scott)-Promotion and Giveaway

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The Family Secrets Trilogy by Lisa Gardner (Writing as Alicia Scott)- promotion and giveaway

The Family Secrets banner

BACK IN PRINT AND NEWLY REVISED, THREE OF LISA GARDNER’S EARLIEST NOVELS—THE FAMILY SECRETS TRILOGY, WRITTEN AS ALICIA SCOTT

The Family Secrets

 

Fans of Lisa Gardner have come to expect incredibly smart, engaging romantic suspense as evidenced by her bestselling novels including Say Goodbye, Gone, and Touch & Go. Gardner knows how to tell a story well, and keep readers excited for the next chapter in whatever series she has penned, from the FBI Profiler series to Detective D. D. Warren.

Now, Signet is thrilled to introduce a new side of Lisa Gardner to her fans, with the re-release of the Family Secrets Trilogy, originally written under her pseudonym Alicia Scott during the 1990s.  Completely repackaged and revised (and also available for the first time in eBook) are three of these early novels:

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Maggie's man

Release Date:  August 6, 2013

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MAGGIE’S MAN introduces readers to the shy Maggie Ferringer, who having been called for jury duty, is kidnapped by an escaped convict disguised as a prison guard bent on revenge against the people who put him behind bars. As his hostage, and learning his story as they are on the run, Maggie becomes invested, and sympathetic, to his past. Her attraction to him is undeniable, and she decides to help him fight for justice for himself, and a possible future for them both.

 

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MacNamara's Woman

Release Date: October 1, 2013

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In MACNAMARA’S WOMAN, a beautiful woman who lost her family and only has herself to rely on finds that she might be in over head in seeking justice against the man who wronged her. Tamara Allistair collides with C. J. MacNamara, a sexy and tough ex-marine with his own troubled past, but is determined to protect Tamara and help her right a wrong ten years in the making.

 

 

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Brandon's Bride

Release Date:  December 3, 2013

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The final chapter of the trilogy, BRANDON’S BRIDE, Brandon Ferringer rents a room at a local ranch while searching to solve the mysterious disappearance of his father, and discovers more than he bargained for. Impossible to ignore the attraction to the ranch’s owner Victoria Meese, Brandon’s search for answers into his family mystery, and Victoria’s life, are in danger with each new discovery the deeper he gets.

 

 

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About the Author Black and Orange

Lisa Gardner alicia ScottLisa Gardner is the New York Times bestselling author of fifteen previous novels, including her most recent, Touch & Go.  Her Detective D.D. Warren novels include Catch Me, Love You More, and the International Thriller of Year award-winning novel, The Neighbor.  Her FBI profiler novels include Say Goodbye, Gone, The Killing Hour, The Next Accident, and The Third Victim.  She lives with her family in New England, where she is at work on her next novel, Fear Nothing (Dutton, January 2014).  Visit Lisa online at www.lisagardner.com, www.facebook.com/LisaGardnerBks, and www.twitter.com/LisaGardnerBks

Giveaway-Black:Gold

The Penguin Group and Lisa Gardner are offering a copy of MAGGIE’S MAN to five (5) lucky readers at The Reading Cafe. That’s correct -5 winners in total.

1. Please register using the log-in at the top of the page side bar or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email with your comment.

3. Giveaway is open to US only.

4. Giveaway runs from September 4 to 11, 2013

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