Publishers Weekly
02/26/2024
Bestseller Gardner’s far-fetched third outing for Frankie Elkin (after A Step Too Far) sees the amateur investigator and recovering alcoholic tracking down the sister of a notorious death row inmate. Frankie, who’s made an “unusual hobby” of reopening cold missing persons cases, can hardly believe it when 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. Now, weeks before her execution, she wants Frankie to track down her younger sister, Leilani, who vanished 12 years ago at age five. Pierson believes that her tech mogul ex-boyfriend, Sanders MacManus, kidnapped the girl, so Frankie heads to the private Hawaiian atoll where MacManus is constructing an eco-friendly resort. There, she goes undercover to befriend people close to MacManus, but the more she learns about him and Leilani, the less sure she becomes about who’s pulling the strings—or why she was sent to Hawaii in the first place. The convoluted plot takes too long to get moving, and when it does, Gardner generates more head-scratching questions than gratifying answers. Readers willing to suspend their disbelief will be treated to some pulpy action and armchair tourism, but for the most part, this misses the mark. Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
Praise for STILL SEE YOU EVERYWHERE: "Follow my new favorite series character, Frankie Elkin, to the stunning and terrifying remote Pacific Islands as she unravels the mystery around a serial killer’s missing sister. Still See You Everywhere is frightening, full of twists, and completely satisfying. Lisa Gardner is a master storyteller."—Karin Slaughter, New York Times and #1 International bestselling author
"Lisa Gardner does it again! Still See You Everywhere is the very definition of the word 'unputdownable' and Gardner's name on a book is a guarantee of a thrilling read!"—Tess Gerritsen, New York Times and Internationally bestselling author
“I love Lisa Gardner’s fantastic series starring Frankie Elkin, a kickass female heroine who works missing-persons cases with heart, humor, and straight-up bravery. I would follow Frankie anywhere, and in Still See You Everywhere, she’s heading to a remote Hawaiian atoll to find the long-lost sister of her most compelling client yet - a serial killer. The cold case superheats when Frankie takes it on, and this thriller has enough twists and turns to make you dizzy. If you haven’t read Frankie Elkin yet, start now!”—Lisa Scottoline, #1 bestselling author
“A high-octane thriller set in the most remote location I have yet to come across, Frankie Elkin’s latest mission is a twisty ride you won't want to miss.”—Stacy Willingham, New York Times bestselling author of Only If You’re Lucky
"If you’ve heard for years about how twisty and turny and terrific Lisa Gardner’s thrillers are but haven’t yet picked one up, Still See You Everywhere is a perfect jumping on point. A serial killer on death row, Kaylee Pierson (aka “The Beautiful Butcher”) summons Frankie Elkin, finder of lost souls, to locate a long missing younger sister. From the first sentence of the prologue, this book is a rocket. It had me upside down and inside out.—Gregg Hurwitz, New York Times bestselling author of Orphan X
“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)
Library Journal
★ 04/05/2024
Gardner's third Frankie Elkin novel (after One Step Too Far) is powerful and darkly menacing, set on a coral islet that's equally beautiful and deadly. Frankie, finder of the forgotten missing, usually chooses her own cases, but when death row serial killer Kaylee Pierson, a.k.a. "the Beautiful Butcher," asks her to locate her little sister Leilani just weeks before the date of her execution, Frankie is enticed. Kaylee believes her sister was kidnapped 12 years ago by Sanders MacManus, Kaylee's abusive ex-boyfriend-turned-billionaire who is now building an eco-friendly resort on a remote Pacific island. Frankie goes undercover on the isolated atoll with a dozen or more of MacManus's staff in an attempt to locate the now 17-year-old Lea. Gardner's narrative is a sensual mix of edgy and conversational, and her meticulous research of everything from native flora and fauna to law enforcement procedures shines. The cast of misfit characters are well portrayed, and the villain is absolutely diabolical. Best of all is Frankie, a beaten-down, antihero misfit out to save the world because there's no saving herself. VERDICT Fans of twisted cat-and-mouse thrillers, unconventional underdog protagonists, fiendish evil-doers, and surprise "holy cow" endings will devour this unputdownable novel.—Debbie Haupt
MARCH 2024 - AudioFile
Thriller fans will be delighted that Hillary Huber continues her successful run as narrator of the Frankie Elkin series. In the third installment, Huber brings out the sassy charm of Frankie, an unconventional cold case investigator. She's hired by a serial killer on death row to locate her little sister, who disappeared in Hawaii. Huber impeccably pronounces the audiobook's ubiquitous Hawaiian words as Frankie goes undercover at a remote island eco lodge being developed by the suspected kidnapper, a tech billionaire. Huber, always gifted at affecting believable regional accents, smoothly shifts her vocal performance to reflect the lodge's international workers. Huber's quick pacing adds to the rising tension as a severe storm rolls in and Frankie realizes she's trapped on the Pacific atoll with an unidentified murderer. J.T. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
