Book Review: Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner

Kiss Her Goodbye
Author: Lisa Gardner
Series: Frankie Elkin (Book 4)
Publication: Grand Central Publishing (August 12, 2025)

Description: #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner returns with the 4th installment in her bestselling Frankie Elkin series, in which Frankie is called to Tucson, Arizona, to find a missing Afghan refugee, whose friend suspects she is in grave danger—before it is too late.

A young mother haunted by war, determined to make a fresh start. But sometimes, the sins of the past aren't so easy to escape.

Recent Afghan refugee Sabera Ahmadi was last seen exiting her place of work three weeks ago. The local police have yet to open a case, while her older, domineering husband seems unconcerned. Sabera's closest friend, however, is convinced Sabera would never willingly leave her three‑year old daughter. At her insistence, missing persons expert Frankie Elkin agrees to take up the search through the broiling streets of Tucson. Just in time for a video of the young mother to surface—showing her walking away from the scene of a brutal double murder.

Frankie quickly notes there's much more to the Ahmadi family than meets the eye. The father Isaad is a brilliant mathematician, Sabera a gifted linguist, and their little girl Zahra has an uncanny ability to remember anything she sees. Which given everything that has happened during the girl's short life, may be a terrible curse. When Isaad also disappears under mysterious circumstances and an attempt is made on Zahra's life, Frankie realizes she must quickly crack the code of this family's horrific past.

Someone is coming for the Ahmadis. And violence is clearly an option. When everything is on the line, how far would you go to protect the ones you love?

Frankie is about to find out.

My Thoughts: The fourth Frankie Elkin mystery takes Frankie to Tucson to find a missing Afghan refugee. Sebera Ahmadi has gone missing. Her friend is sure that she wouldn't have left her four-year-old daughter behind if she had left by her own choice. 

Whenever Frankie comes to a new place, she needs to find a job and a place to live. This time she is hired to pet-sit for an eccentric tech billionaire and offered a place on the estate. Only the pets are a large iguana and snakes. A huge ball python and twelve baby pythons are her new charges. Frankie hates snakes and the idea of defrosting a rat to feed the big one is almost enough to make her look for another job. 

The job does come with perks including a car and driver and a somewhat unusual chef which does a lot to make up for the snakes. Besides, Bart the billionaire is out the door before Frankie can say she doesn't want the job. 

Frankie begins her investigation which is complicated by the fact that Sebera has lots of secrets and very real enemies after her. She's a genius and a polyglot who worked for British and US military intelligence for a while before she left Afghanistan when the Taliban invaded Kabul. 

This story, told from both Frankie and Sebera's points of view had a lot of information about the plight of political refugees and the horrors they faced trying to get to a place of safety. It was also a complex and engaging thriller. 

I bought this one October 1, 2025. You can buy your copy here.