Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,
Before She Disappeared is Lisa Gardner's twenty-sixth thriller. It is published by Dutton Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. In this first novel in her new series, Gardner introduces us to Frankie Elkin. Elkin, an alcoholic since her teens, has ridden the addiction train into oblivion on several occasions. All culminating in the death of a loved one. She is dusted off and ready to make her part of the world better. Over ten missing persons cases later, she has found every one of them. Traveling with the bare minimum of personal possessions, she goes from town to town looking for those the police have given up on. Her latest case has her headed to Boston and the area of Mattapan. A local Haitian teen, Angelique Badeau, remains missing after a year. This does not sit well with Frankie.
She enters the predominately Haitian neighborhood only to be met with caution and criticism. But Frankie knows that the best way to get information is to be as familiar and unassuming as possible. To achieve this, Frankie tends the bar at Stoney's Bar as she searches for missing people. Who better to trust than the local bartender? Taking a room above Stoney's, she uses her latest employment to gain the interest of the local police, namely Detective Dan Lotham, the lead on the Badeau case. Together they begin to clash as he disagrees with his case being overturned by a civilian. Frankie knows that the statistics are against her. She knows that the police do not like outsiders sniffing into their cases. She also knows that she can bring Angelique back to her family.
Before She Disappeared is one of the most solidly written books Lisa Gardner has published. Presented in the first person, Gardner delves deep into the mind of addiction. Her ability to show Frankie Elkin's scars and determination is realistic and often heartbreaking. It only took two chapters for me to be fully ensconced in the life of this amazing woman. Page after page I was entered into a world that I found rich with world-building and excellent character development. The case of Angelique Badeau is one that I wanted to solve as desperately as Frankie. The amazing side characters added depth to the narrative, with the Badeau family tugging at my heart on numerous occasions. The pain and hope that Angelique's family held were visceral and tangible. Presenting this from Frankie's point of view gave the reader the insight to understand her motivations and perseverance. Once the finale arrived, I did not want to continue because I knew the book would end. And what an amazing finale it was.
Before She Disappeared was fortunate to have Hillary Huber as its narrator for the audiobook. Huber's work has amazed me before and this reading was no different. She is one of the voice actresses that I look for when choosing an audio presentation. She never fails to deliver a performance that pulls you in and does not let go. I hope she reads more Frankie Elkin books.
Five Stars later, this novel still resonates with me. The human story of prejudices within communities is an all-to-real part of society in 2023 and is a relevant addition to the thriller genre.
Let me know in the comments below what you are reading.
If you wish to donate to my publishing fund at Venmo. All donations are appreciated.
Also please follow me on my social media platforms and enjoy shopping with me at eBay and Mercari.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS AT LINKTREE
Because there is always time to read, Xepherus3
All written content (c) Copyright 2023 by Thomas Bahr II
Top logo designed by Xepherus Studios
The book cover is Copyright by the publisher
.png)
Comments
Post a Comment