WOOHOO! A great storyline, a complete knockout! More, More, More of Frankie Elkin please! In my opinion, this is another winner.
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner, a propulsive thriller featuring an ordinary woman who will stop at nothing to find the missing people that the rest of the world has forgotten
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.
“In this rare standalone, the prolific Gardner has come up with one of the most original characters in recent crime fiction, a woman readers can care about even while not being entirely sure of what to make of her.”–Washington Post
“This book, the best-selling author’s first stand-alone novel in 20-years, is a sharply-written, tension-filled yarn full of twists readers are unlikely to see coming. The most compelling element, however, is the character of Frankie, a recovering alcoholic whose obsession with the missing is a penance of sorts for the burden of guilt and grief she carries over a past trauma that took the life of a man she loves.”–Associated Press
Named one of 2021’s Most Anticipated Books by “Good Morning America,” PopSugar,Bookpage, CrimeReads, and Mystery Tribune
“A masterpiece of post-modern noir….A riveting stunner of a tale where the rare appearance of the sun shines down on what is certain to be one of the best thrillers of 2021.”—Providence Journal
“[An] outstanding crime novel…. Gardner pulls no punches in this socially conscious standalone.”–Publishers Weekly (starred review)
I was really excited to read a copy of Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner. The smooth writing style and deep characterization of the passionate and driven Frankie Elkin made it an entertaining read from the start. Gardner is a prolific writer whose books are well-known for their complex twists and I couldn’t wait to get stuck in. Hands up those who have always wanted to help out with a missing person’s case? Me! I knew this was going to be just up my alley.
An ex-alcoholic, itching to have just one more drink, inserts herself into a cold crime case of a missing Haitian teenager. Angelique Badeau disappeared in the suburbs of Boston and has not been seen since. Living above a pub — a test to her self-control — Frankie finds a job as a waitress and settles into darkest Mattapan (Murderpan) a far cry from what she’s used to. She hardly welcome with the locals or the investigators of the local police department. But the job has to be done. Frankie is certain that what the police have failed to find, she will unearth by whatever means. This is what makes me want to root for her, but with all the challenges along the way, intuition assures me she’s the right woman for the job.
Taking on cases of missing persons is nothing new for Frankie. Out of fourteen investigations, she has managed to find everyone, even though all of them have so far been dead. With that type of success rate, the Badeau family open up to her humble personality and Frankie is able to make a profile of the missing teenager who, a keen scholar, has never gone missing before.
There have been sightings of Angelique, but nothing concrete and the more Frankie digs, the more dangerous her investigations become of two missing friends, one Summer Camp and a market for fake IDs. Stirring up a hornets nest bring new encounters, but Frankie braves each trial head-on.
This is the type of book you can really get your teeth into. A well thought-out plot with all the trappings of a compelling mystery. Although it’s a standalone, I’d love to see it as a series. You can’t help liking the middle-aged Frankie Elkin; an intuitive sleuth with a multi-layered personality and sense of humor to savor. She insists on seeking the truth and I was fully invested in her all the way.
Gardner writes believable female leads, an exceptional amateur sleuth who is pulled in unexpected directions. She is definitely one of the masters of her genre. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the privilege of reading this book.
About the Author
New York Times #1 bestselling crime novelist Lisa Gardner began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire numerous times, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she has parlayed her interest in police procedure, criminal minds and twisted plots into a streak of bestselling suspense novels. Her 2010 novel, THE NEIGHBOR, won Best Thriller from the International Thriller Writers. Most recently, she was honored with the Silver Bullet Award for her work with at-risk kids and homeless animals. Lisa loves to hike, travel the world, and yes, read, read, read!
Readers are invited to enter the annual “Kill a Friend, Maim a Buddy” Sweepstakes, where they can nominate the person of their choice to die in Lisa’s latest novel. People have nominated themselves, spouses, bosses. It’s cheaper than therapy and twice as much fun! For more details, visit Lisa’s website.
Lisa’s latest novel BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARED, is available January 19, 2021. Meet Frankie Elkin, an everyday average woman who specializes in finding missing people. When the locals have given up, when the media has never bothered to care, Frankie takes on the challenge. Her latest mission has brought her to Mattapan, Boston to find a missing Haitian teen. Eleven months later, Angelique Badeau’s disappearance remains a mystery. What happened to the quiet, studious teen? Frankie learns quickly the dangers of asking too many questions, but that won’t stop her from discovering the truth behind what happened BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARED.
More Books By Lisa Gardner
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