Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner (2021) This was the third of three thrillers we read in rapid fire succession......(the other problematic two being "Perfect Guests" and "People Like Her"....)
Unlike the other two books, overwritten and indifferently paced, we knew a real master of suspenseful twists, Lisa Gardner would not let us down.
And she didn't, starting with an unforgettable sleuth. Frankie Elkin's a damaged soul struggling with alcoholism and a gut wrenching past tragedy that's left her with an enormous burden of guilt.
She's chosen a dangerous, lonely and sad quest to pursue, travelling around the country as a purely amateur detective tracking down missing persons. Even though police resent her and stricken families question her purpose, she's dogged and relentless in bringing closure, one way or the other to grieving loved ones of those who've disappeared.
Her new case, that of a missing teen Haitian girl, plunges her into the rough Boston neighborhood of Mattapan, where she's a very unwanted fish out of water.......not that even slows her down for a minute.
You'll find not only twists and turns here to make turn the pages faster, but a sharp perceptive commentary on virtually every torment in the headlines......the plight of immigrants,, the scourges of human trafficking and gang warfare and destruction of families living in grinding poverty.
And you'll fear for Frankie Elkin more than she does for herself.
Thriller fans, put this one right at the top of your list. 4 stars (****).
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