Find Her: An absolutely gripping thriller from the international bestselling author (Detective D.D. Warren Book 8)

So nailbiting, a real page-turner. I had to make myself slow down, when I was reading it. It was tempting to keep reading fast, as I was desperate to know what happened next, but also I didn’t want to finish it as I’m running out of D D Warren and Flora Dane stories! Fantastic read!

I had heard of Stockholm syndrome, but the Lisa Gardner syndrome is a new one, but it makes a good read. Flora is a survivor of a kidnapping and had lived in a wooden coffin for over a year before her freedom. After this several other girls go missing and we have a conundrum of whether Flora is a vigilante or victim, or indeed something else? The story is well told with a fast plot that is captivating and easy to read if not a tad incredible at times. ‘Find Her’ is a good outing for DD Warren who is a supporting character in many ways but also shows the determination of women to succeed and survive. I highly recommend this book.

Normally there is no question of whose side Sergeant Detective D.D. Warren of the Boston Police Department is firmly on. That is until she is called out to investigate the chilling death of Devon Goulding and meets his killer, Flora Dane, a woman who survived a 472 day incarceration inside a wooden coffin at the mercy of the depraved Jacob Ness and lived to tell the tale. Everything D.D. Warren holds central and her unswerving support for the victim is turned on its head. After all, just what is Flora Dane..? After having every shred of humanity removed at the hands of her captor, Flora seems to have spent her return to freedom making criminal behaviour her speciality. Is Flora the scariest prospect of all, a victim turned vixen, on her very own vigilante crusade? This is the question that faces D.D. and figuring out what is running through Flora's mind is no mean feat. Witnesses corroborate that Flora Dane spent the night dancing in a downtown Boston bar seemingly with another man, but when she emerges from the garage of Devon Goulding, naked and with hands tied she claims that she was the victim of an attempted abduction. On meeting D.D. Warren, Flora calmly comments on Goulding's likeness to the CCTV image of the abduction of another young female three-months previously and that she won't be his first victim. On searching Devon Goulding's home two drivers licenses of young woman both appear to represent trophies from his previous victims and D.D. and her team are faced with more questions surrounding their current whereabouts, The picture is further muddled by Flora calling her FBI victim specialist, Dr Samuel Keynes to escort her home..."He started the war" the girl stated clearly. "I simply ended it."Five years of freedom and the fourth time that Flora has placed a call to Keynes, the only man she has ever told her full story of the 472 day nightmare to. Prior to the Goulding fatality she has never killed or faced charges, deemed to have responded to any violence against her with an appropriate level of force. But is she going out looking for trouble deliberately, and what of her obsession with the girls that never return home? Why her specific interest in the case of the missing Stacey Summers? D.D. is dealing with an unknown quantity, an individual who sees value in saving the abstract girl but wilfully neglecting her own safety. Is D.D. dealing with a self-destructive woman who seems to see her duty as policing the world? Self-defence and security might have been the key to coping with the day to day battle of getting through life after her escape from Jacob Ness, but her efforts seem to border on obsessive. An already suspicious D.D. thinks that both Flora and Keynes aren't disclosing their full history to her and when Flora is once again discovered missing after this latest incident, D.D. has to decide if she has fled or once again been abducted? D.D. Is conflicted and confused. Is Flora attempting to bring Stacey Summers home and deliver the happy ending she never found and just how many lives is she placing in danger?Lisa Gardner combines the harrowing details of Flora's time in captivity with the escalating tension of the race against time facing D.D. and her team. D.D. isn't the only one feeling torn between suspicion and sympathy for Flora Dane, leaving readers in a state of flux about their own feelings. Lisa Gardner not only blurs the line but transgresses it as regards who is the most at fault, Flora or the men she takes down. Tackling topics such as the post captivity nightmare that follows the terror of an abduction and the difficulty of regaining some sense of self in the aftermath Find Her is at times an uncomfortable read. More harrowing than the systematic abuse which Flora was exposed to at the hands of Jacob Ness is what is left of her after, forever suspended between the two worlds. Lisa Gardner drills down into the core of Flora and the twisted reality of the truth when abductor Jacob Ness tells her, "I'm all you have left. You and me girl, till the end of time."After an enforced six-month break from the line of fire due to an avulsion fracture to her left arm, Sergeant Detective D.D. Warren is recently back doing what she does best for the Boston Police Department, albeit in a supervisory role and shackled by restricted duty and reams of paperwork. Not exactly how she would like it, and her irrational feelings surrounding the officer who replaced her on the team, Carol Manley aren't helping. Does Flora have a connection to Stacey Summers, or was she hoping that rescuing another girl would allow her to find happiness by association and help her see the light? Or was she simply seeking a fresh target and was Stacey's ordeal a by-product? D.D. is faced with a dilemma and due to being replaced on her team and lacking her trusty sidearm she feels vulnerable.This is the eighth D.D. Warren thriller and is an absolute stormer but crucially can be read as a standalone novel. Having read the preceding instalment, Fear Nothing, and being an unashamed admirer of the high-octane psychological suspense that Lisa Gardner weaves throughout I can confirm Find Her is a first rate thriller. Personally this is a case that touches D.D. particularly when considering the impact of an abduction not only Flora but her family network as D.D. understands only too well that her own home life has grounded her and husband, Alex and son, Jack are central to her world and sanity.Gardner delivers a captivating portrayal of the complexities in the captor and captive relationship and sheds light on the trauma bonding that can form between a victim when the man who puts you in the box is the same man with the very power to release you. Lisa Gardner once again displays her talent for researching the areas that she tackles and her complete mastery of an authentic execution of a fight to survive ensures Find Her is never anything other than gripping.Review written by Rachel Hall (@hallrachel)

I stayed up far too late finishing this book because I was totally engaged and had, at no point, any idea what was going to happen next. I have always admired Lisa Gardner's suspense novels because I think that she really gets into motivation and writes gloriously human and rather flawed characters - this is definitely one of her best.The story is told from two points of view in alternating chapters. Firstly there is the voice of Flora Dane. Flora had been the victim of a sexual predator who had held her for over a year. This was five years ago and now Flora is isolated, with an inability to relate to her family and looking for rapists everywhere, Her narrative tells the story in the present day but also relates back to her original kidnapping and reveals the true horror of her experiences. The second aspect of the book is that of the author's series detective DD Warren. DD has returned to work after her injury but is supposed to be on restricted duties. She gets involved when Flora attacks and kills a bartender who has taken her back to his home with a view to raping her. There is the possibility that another young woman has been abducted by the same offender so the police need to investigate - they also have to determine if Flora is a victim or vigilante.The way in which this story is told is excellent. It builds up the tension as we move from Flora's experience to that of DD. The author doesn't give too much away - all the information is revealed as we go along and just when you think you know what is happening she twists it around again. Even when you suspect that you know who the perpetrator is you still don't know how all the events connect and if anyone will emerge from the story unscathed.The novel is fast paced and full of action. The police conduct a proper investigation and no one is a maverick - well, not much anyway. The author does not under estimate the issues involved in recovering from what has happened to Flora in the past and some of the most touching parts of the novel concern Flora's relationship with her mother. Some of this is gruelling and much of it is touching, The investigation moves the story along but, for me, the heart of the story is Flora and her recovery - survival is only the beginning.Compelling and totally engaging.

My interest was piqued by the sample that was delivered to my Kindle, and I did find this book a pacey and interesting read. I dont know this authors other work, so I cant make any assumptions as a body of work however, her writing is often disjointed. She does not seem to know who the protagonist is, and although she seems to like writing her characters I feel like the ( main ? ) character in the book Flora Dane could be developed into a another stand alone book. I'm not sure I like how the author portrays women, as the writing feels really black and white. Saying that, not much room for nuances in this kind of genre. The writer does present us with a very good if completely implausible yarn, with some surprising originality. A good winters night read, but a little low on literary calories. TBH, I'd wait to the price comes down a bit.

Another great Srgt. Detective DD Warren book. I couldn’t stop reading this. Felt like I was right there with Flora and the monster Jacob created. But she wasn’t. She was a survivor. She did what needed to be done to stay alive and survive.Ms Gardner you are an inspirational, creative and mysterious writer. You give awesome details. Keep us on our seats just waiting to get to the next chapter.I hope whoever reads this book especially (I’ve been reading all your books) that this brings closure for some and a way to move on from such trauma. Cuz we’re not all MONSTERS!!!

El pedido llegó antes de lo esperado y en perfectas condiciones

Loved the character Flora so much I read the second

Comme toujours Lisa Gardner nous tient en haleine jusqu au bout, multipliant les fausses pistes pour mieux rebondir.J aime aussi retrouver DD et son histoire propre.

Super Lektüre.