Author: Lisa Gardner
Series: D. D. Warren (Book 9)
Publication: Dutton (February 6, 2018)
Description: In #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner's latest twisty thrill ride, Detective D. D. Warren and Find Her's Flora Dane return in a race against the clock to either save a young girl's life . . . or bring her to justice.
The home of a family of five is now a crime scene: four of them savagely murdered, one—a sixteen-year-old girl—missing. Was she lucky to have escaped? Or is her absence evidence of something sinister? Detective D. D. Warren is on the case—but so is survivor-turned-avenger Flora Dane. Seeking different types of justice, they must make sense of the clues left behind by a young woman who, whether as victim or suspect, is silently pleading, Look for me.
My Thoughts: This excellent mystery tells the story of a murder of a family. Juanita Baez, her two kids Lola and Manny, and her live-in boyfriend Charlie are shot to death in a home invasion. The only survivor is sixteen-year-old Roxy. The question is was she lucky to escape or is she the killer? And, in any case, where is she?
Sergeant Detective D. D. Warren is hoping for a quiet family day with her husband and five-year-old when she gets the call. A day that should include choosing a new family dog now includes a brutal murder and a mystery.
Flora Dane survived 472 days as the captive of a serial killer and now is trying to find a way to survive in the real world. She has become a sort of vigilante looking for other kidnappers, rapists, and predators which caused her to run into D. D. Flora has also started an online support group for other survivors and life-altering trauma. Sarah, one of the other members of the group, meets Roxy and sees she has a problem. Roxy is a new member of the support group. When she goes missing, Flora gets involved. She wants to rescue her.
Roxy Baez is also a viewpoint character through her Eleventh Grade essays about the perfect family. She tells of the horrors of foster care that she and her sister Lola endured at ages 11 and 8 when her alcoholic mother loses custody of her kids. Her tale of neglect, abuse and brutality plants the seeds of these events which happen six years later.
Together, these three viewpoints weave a story that is filled with mystery and suspense and crimes from murder to child pornography. All of the viewpoint characters are survivors and all have wonderful, hopeful stories to tell.
This is my first D. D. Warren mystery but it won't be my last. I am also eager to read FIND HER which tells more of Flora Dane's story.
Favorite Quote:
"You started holding meetings? As in, like, you're a leader? Peter Pan with your own group of lost boys? Or Robin Hood with his merry band of thieves?"I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.
"Or a support group, where we try to figure out this whole business of living in the real world again."
I've read, and loved, all the Lisa Gardner books! I started with her first suspense, The Perfect Husband, waaaay back when.
ReplyDeleteThis book and the previous one feature a young vigilante woman, who was a victim. I'm not sure if she will be a continuing character. It changes the dynamics of the series arc to include her. Glad you liked it!