Title: Find Her (Detective D.D. Warren #8)
Author: Lisa Gardner
Publication: February 9, 2016
Publisher: Dutton
Genre: Mystery, Thriller and Suspense
Pages: 416
Source: Netgalley
SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
Flora Dane is a victim.
Seven years ago, carefree college student Flora was kidnapped while on spring break. For 472 days, Flora learned just how much one person can endure.
Flora Dane is a survivor.
Miraculously alive after her ordeal, Flora has spent the past five years reacquainting herself with the rhythms of normal life, working with her FBI victim advocate, Samuel Keynes. She has a mother who’s never stopped loving her, a brother who is scared of the person she’s become, and a bedroom wall covered with photos of other girls who’ve never made it home.
Flora Dane is reckless.
. . . or is she? When Boston detective D. D. Warren is called to the scene of a crime—a dead man and the bound, naked woman who killed him—she learns that Flora has tangled with three other suspects since her return to society. Is Flora a victim or a vigilante? And with her firsthand knowledge of criminal behavior, could she hold the key to rescuing a missing college student whose abduction has rocked Boston? When Flora herself disappears, D.D. realizes a far more sinister predator is out there. One who’s determined that this time, Flora Dane will never escape. And now it is all up to D. D. Warren to find her.
REVIEW:
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Best work yet! As an avid fan of Lisa Gardner’s work I have very high expectations for her books each time they come out. I have yet to be disappointed in one. With that being said, “Find Her” blew me away. This novel went above and beyond everything she has written before. There was also a much darker and more twisted vibe to this book that is new for Gardner… and that is saying something. It would seem Gardner just keeps getting better with every book.
I loved that “Find Her” followed multiple story lines. Not usually my cup of tea, but it was necessary in this story to tie everything together. It definitely helped build the characters and give an understanding to who they were… but more importantly WHY they were who they were. There is nothing worse than not understanding the motive or reasoning behind something in a book. You also got glimpses of Flora’s even darker (if possible) past. This gave a great comparison to better understand how someone can survive a tragic, horrifying ordeal like being kidnapped for over a year and make it home… only for it to feel like you died anyway. Flora was crazy, reckless, and brave all at the same time. D.D. is on the ball even being on restrictive duty from her injury from the last novel. I found myself cheering her on when everyone was telling her to sit down and do her paperwork.
Not only did this novel introduce another incredible story line, but we also got to see a new side to characters we have grown to love over the course of the D.D. Warren series. D.D. showed a new, more vulnerable side and we got to see her family and partners all grow with her. Gardner has a way she writes that draws you in, digs the claws in, and doesn’t let you go until the very last word. “Find Her” is a riveting story of recovery, retaliation, and closing old chapters in life so new ones can open. Oh.. and murder. Let’s not forget that.
If you have never read a Lisa Gardner book or you have, just not one of her D.D. Warren ones, you can still pick up “Find Her”. While there are names and situations from other books, it would easily be understood anyway. I promise! I cannot say enough about her impeccable writing, easily flowing story line, raw, bone chilling attention to details, and the overall greatness of her work. She’s definitely one of the few queen bees of her genre. Easily five stars!
Get your own copy of “Find Her” on February 9th on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or in a store near you. Make sure you add it to your To Reads list on Goodreads and leave your feedback for Gardener when you are done. You can also check out Lisa Gardner and all of her previous books online at LisaGardner.com.
