First Sentence: A year
later, what Sarah remembered most was waking up to the sound of giggling.
Flora
Dane is a survivor. Now she finds other
survivors and helps them regain control of their own lives. A family of four has been brutally murdered
in their home. But where is Roxanne, the
16-year-old daughter? Is she the killer? Or did she escape? Det. Sgt. D.D. Warren is out for answers
either way.
Here's
an opening which captures one's attention.
Horrible and grim, it nonetheless compels one to continue reading;
something Gardner does very well.
Gardner also raises an excellent point about survivors of trauma—"Being
a survivor didn't just mean being strong.
It meant being lonely. Honestly,
truly lonely."
There
are truths here—"If there is one thing I've learned these past few years,
it's that there's not one right way to deal with trauma. Each of you will have to find your tricks,
just like I did. And some days will be
so impossible, you'll wonder how you can go on.
… we are all just trying to find the light."
Gardner
has created such strong characters.
These are not people one would necessarily want in one's life, but they
are characters one will remember long after the final page. Flora Dane returns from the previous book
"Find Me" yet those who did not read that book won't feel the miss of
it. Flora is a dynamic
character—"It takes a villain to make a hero. And it took a monster to make me."—with
an anything but normal past. D.D. is a
wonderful balance to her; a wife, a mother, a cop who is dedicated to her job
but able to keep an open mind rather than take things at face value. The inclusion of the missing Roxanne's
"Personal Narrative; What is the Perfect Family" provides her
background, one intriguing bit at a time.
Initially,
the switch of POVs can be confusing trying to keep track of who is who. Fortunately, that does become clearer as one
reads on. The other point is that the
sense of place isn't very strong. Other
than the occasional mention, the story could have been set almost
anywhere. The references are there, but
one needs to pay attention.
The
story does bog down a bit in the middle, but everything is important, and the pace
does pick back up. Gardner's description
of the impact the opioid epidemic has had on the demand for foster care is
depressing and frightening when one thinks of the impact on the children.
"Look for Me" has
an excellent plot filled with twists and surprises. There are some books you sit down
and read straight through. This is
one such book.
LOOK
FOR ME (Susp/Pol Proc-Det. Sgt. D.D. Warren -Boston-Contemp) – G+
Gardner,
Lisa – 9th in series
Dutton – February 2018
Interesting that this one's focus is on survivors of trauma as well as on catching a killer. It sounds as though the characters are well-drawn, too. Glad you enjoyed it.
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