By: Lisa Gardner
Narrator: Hillary Huber
Series: Frankie Elkin #3
ISBN: 978-1538765067
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: 03/12/2023
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
COVER REVEAL
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner comes a harrowing new thriller: Frankie Elkin is an expert at finding the missing persons that the rest of the world has forgotten, but even she couldn’t have anticipated this latest request—to locate the long-lost sister of a female serial killer facing execution in three weeks’ time.
No man truly fears a woman. Not even one who is her father’s daughter.
The case was sensational. Kaylee Pierson had confessed from the very beginning, waived all appeals. She had called herself “death,” but people called her the devil. Despite the media’s chronicling of her tragic circumstances—the childhood spent with a violent father—no one could find sympathy for “the Beautiful Butcher” who had led eighteen men home from bars before viciously slitting their throats.
Now, with only twenty-one days left to live, Pierson has finally received a lead on the whereabouts of the sister who was kidnapped over a decade ago, and she needs Frankie’s help to find her. The Beautiful Butcher’s offer:
When was the last time your search ended with finding the living?
Unable to resist the chance for a rescue, Frankie takes on Pierson’s request. Twelve years ago, five-year-old Leilani went missing in Hawaii. The main suspect? Pierson’s tech mogul ex-boyfriend, Sanders MacManus. Now, on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific—the site of MacManus’s latest vanity project—fresh evidence has appeared. To learn the truth and possibly save a young woman’s life, Frankie must go undercover at the isolated base camp. Her challenge: A dozen strangers. Countless dangerous secrets. Zero means of calling for help. And then the storm rolls in…
My Review
Master storyteller and queen of crime thrillers Lisa Gardner (favorite author) returns with her popular Frankie Elkin Series, following One Step Too Far #2 and Before She Disappeared #1 with #3, STILL SEE YOU EVERYWHERE. —A new mission: Three weeks to find a female serial killer's long-lost sister in this thrilling, atmospheric, action-packed suspense novel.
Frankie Elkin, an amateur investigator, sleuth, and recovering alcoholic. She takes cases, finding missing persons when the cops reach dead-end cold cases. After they have given up, when the public no longer remembers, when the media has never bothered to care, she starts looking. For no money, no recognition, and, most of the time, no help. She is not a computer hacker, she does not even own a smart phone. She is an observer and intelligent.
She is obsessed with finding missing persons, and by the end of this case, she may swear off working for serial killers. Frankie is on a mission to find a missing person who might still be alive —before her only sister meets her death.
This time around, in the third installment, she receives an inquiry from Kaylee Pierson, dubbed the "Beautiful Butcher" by the press. Pierson admitted to killing 18 men more than a decade ago after luring them home from nights out.
Her job is to track down the sister of this notorious death row inmate. Weeks before her execution, Frankie is to track down her younger sister, Leilani, who vanished twelve years ago at age five.
Unable to resist, Frankie takes on the case. She has been told that twelve years ago, five-year-old Leilani went missing in Hawaii. Pierson thinks that her tech mogul ex-boyfriend, Sanders MacManus, kidnapped the girl.
Frankie heads to the private, remote Hawaiian atoll where MacManus is building an eco-friendly resort. At her best, she goes undercover to befriend those close to MacManus. Frankie must go undercover at the isolated base camp to learn the truth and possibly save a young woman's life. Her challenge: A dozen strangers, countless dangerous secrets, and no way to call for help—and then a storm.
However, the more she learns, the less she is sure what is going on and who controls the situation —and pulls the strings.
Why was she sent to Hawaii?
A long-time favorite author and a huge fan of Lisa Gardner's standalone series DD Warren, Flora Dane, and Frankie Elkin. No one does crime suspense thrillers better—and never ceases to amaze. Each book in the Frankie Elin series features a different setting and a different cast of characters, each unique.
A pro, STILL SEE YOU EVERYWHERE is plot-driven and character-driven. Frankie is such an interesting character, and Gardner shines as she continually develops her character (as we see her growth and personality) and her past trauma, PTSD, grief from the past, and ongoing sobriety (recovering alcoholic).
Lisa is a master at combining suspense and sharp investigations, diving deep into the criminal mind. I enjoyed reading about the Pacific atoll of Palmyra which she visited on recent travel with vivid settings, rich in detail.
What makes #3 unique is the lush and mysterious locked-in island setting, depicting vividly this intriguing remote tropical off-the-grid island, which is like a character in itself. Lisa is a traveler and shares her experiences with her readers —where we are transported and get a front-row seat.
While STILL SEE YOU EVERYWHERE can be read as a stand-alone; however, why miss out on all the fun? I adored all the books in the series and hope we continue to see Frankie in different settings as she moves on to her next missing person case. I love her style! A fitting title.
Dark. Atmospheric. Twisty. Captivating. Spellbinding. Fascinating! One of my favorite authors, always a standing pre-order. I cannot wait to listen to the audiobook by one of my favorite narrators, Hillary Huber!
Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for a gifted digital ARC for an honest opinion.
INTERVIEW Check out my #AuthorElevatorSeries Interview with Lisa and Before She Disappeared (2021)— The inspiration behind the mysterious Frankie Elkin #1, the book, and the author.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Mar 12, 2024
Read My Reviews
FRANKIE ELKIN SERIES
"Hilary Swank To Star In & EP ‘Before She Disappeared’ Series Adaptation From eOne. EXCLUSIVE: Entertainment One has acquired the rights to bestselling author Lisa Gardner’s novel Before She Disappeared with Oscar winner Hillary Swank set to star and executive produce via her Film Bandits banner. READ MORE
Praise
“Gardner skillfully weaves threats into this pitch-perfect variation of the locked-room mystery, pitting 'missing person finder' Frankie Elkin against an untamed tropical environment, a raging serial killer, a diabolical saboteur, and her own misleading tunnel vision… Gardner's Frankie Elkin series gets more magnetizing with each installment.” ―Booklist
“A wild and crazy, action-packed ride.”
―Mystery & Suspense Magazine
Praise for Lisa Gardner
“A master of the psychological thriller.”
―Associated Press, Praise for Right Behind You
“For years Lisa Gardner has been one of the best in the thriller business.”
―Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author of I Will Find You, Praise for Find Her
“Lisa Gardner is one of my favorite authors. Her fast-paced and exciting novels twist when you expect a turn and turn when you expect a twist.”
―Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of After that Night
Praise for the Frankie Elkin series:
BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARED
"Gardner has come up with one of the most original characters in recent crime fiction, a woman readers can care about even while not being entirely sure of what to make of her.”
―Washington Post
“To read Lisa Gardner is to put yourself in the hands of a master storyteller . . . I loved the damaged, determined Frankie Elkin. You will, too.”―Riley Sager, bestselling author of Home Before Dark
“Gardner is a pro at writing tough-as-nails, wiseass, broken-yet-steely female characters, and Frankie does not disappoint . . . Fans of Gardner’s Tessa Leoni, D.D. Warren, and Flora Dane will embrace her new heroine's grit and empathy.”
―Kirkus
"Frankie Elkins is a heroine for the ages.”
―Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of Listen to Me
"Frankie is a troubled, complicated woman determined to do the right thing while also recognizing that she doesn’t have all the answers and is in no place to dictate the affairs of others. She’s a wonderful heroine for our turbulent times."
―Criminal Element
ONE STEP TOO FAR
“Gardner’s latest series continues to excel; instinctual, tragedy-driven Frankie is one of crime fiction’s most intriguing new sleuths.”
―Booklist (starred review)
"An authentic Wyoming setting, a tantalizing mystery, and a Labrador named Daisy. What’s not to like?"
―C. J. Box, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dark Sky
"Master storyteller and avid hiker Lisa Gardner has written the book she was meant to write, an immersive, propulsive, utterly chilling, and yet deeply moving wilderness thriller in which her intimate knowledge of and love for the rugged Wyoming backcountry shines through on every terrifying page. Without a doubt, the best book I’ve read all year.”
―Karen Dionne, author of The Marsh King’s Daughter
“You’ll root for Frankie (and for a diligent cadaver dog named Daisy) on every page of this tense, crackling read.”
―People
“A hybrid combination of C. J. Box and Nevada Barr at their level best . . . this is thriller writing of the absolute highest order, as great a novel as it is a page-turner.”
―Providence Journal
“Beyond brilliant . . . A mix of beautiful prose and ingenious, intense, edgy dialogue . . . Perfect for fans of unputdownable, gritty cat-and-mouse mysteries, compassionate underdog protagonists with self-deprecating senses of humor, ruthless killers, and ‘didn’t see it coming, OMG’ endings.”
―Library Journal (starred review)
About the Author
Lisa Gardner, a #1 New York Times bestselling thriller novelist, began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire numerous times, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she has transformed her interest in police procedure and criminal minds into a streak of internationally acclaimed novels, published across 30 countries.
She’s also had four books become TV movies (At the Midnight Hour; The Perfect Husband; The Survivors Club; Hide) and has made personal appearances on TruTV and CNN.
Lisa’s books have received awards from across the globe. Her novel, The Neighbor, won Best Hardcover Novel from the International Thriller Writers, while also receiving the Grand Prix des Lectrices de Elle in France. She was also recognized with the Daphne du Maurier Award in 2000 for The Other Daughter. Finally, Lisa received the Silver Bullet Award from the International Thriller Writers in 2017 for her work on behalf of at-risk children and the Humane Society.
For a bit of fun, Lisa invites her readers to enter the annual “Kill a Friend, Maim a Buddy” Sweepstakes at LisaGardner.com. Every year, one Lucky Stiff is selected to meet a grand end in Lisa’s latest novel. Past winners have nominated spouses, best friends and even themselves.
Lisa lives in New Hampshire where she spends her time with an assortment of canine companions. When not writing, she loves to hike, garden, snowshoe and play cribbage. WEBSITE
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