Find Her by Lisa Gardner

Title: Find Her

Author: Lisa Gardner

Series: Detective D.D. Warren #9

Release Date: February 9, 2016

Length: 416 pages

Genre: Mystery / Thriller

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Although I consider myself quite a skilled researcher of the fictional world, somehow I have not read a book by this author until now. Without any doubt, I was truly surprised to discover that.

After seeing several posts in my favorite reading group, I decided it was high time to explore the world of Boston detective D. D. Warren. One superb decision, but the timing was not so great…

To start reading a book at 11 p.m… not a smart idea at all. Especially if the book is a riveting thriller from the masterful Lisa Gardner! I discovered that the next morning, when my naughty toddler decided to wake me up, and woke the baby, too at 6.30 a.m.

Now, that is a common occurrence since I became a mother of three…

**** My Review****

In the beginning we meet Flora, a girl who went through an unimaginable hell. Being abducted, and subjected to monstrous sufferings that lead to Stockholm syndrome is a true nightmare. A nightmare that lasted 472 days.

Imprisoned in a wooden chest made of pine wood, starved, raped, and beaten, Flora was finally rescued after more than a year. Yet, she was a different person. Quite understandable, right?

Flora became unhealthily obsessed with unsolved missing person cases, she tries to find an outlet for her pain. Blinded by revenge and pain, she puts herself in risky situations.

When she ends up naked and tied up in a garage, at the hands of yet another monster, Flora’s resourcefulness comes to the fore.

But when Flora goes missing a second time, Detective DD Warren takes the reins on Flora’s case, but soon discovers that things aren’t quite what they seem. Can she trust Flora? Is her kidnapping somehow connected to other kidnappings around Boston?

Find Her by Lisa Gardner is a fantastic psychological thriller with touches of crime drama. It’s different from the rest of Gardner’s – unsettling, dark, and tense.

What makes this story different from the others is Flora’s insecurities. In one period she is a victim, in another, we no longer know what she is. A fighter for justice or, simply, a vengeful criminal.

Flora seeks justice to the point that she puts herself in dangerous situations without caring about anything. We soon meet another Flora, a Flora that opens up many questions for us to discuss.

Lisa Gardner builds a picture with a complex main character, whose past traumas manifest in very real ways.

The author explores this concept quite successfully in my opinion. Flora is both a damaged and brave girl. Find Her by Lisa Gardner may be fictional, but Flora herself is real and exists in the world.

Flora’s character is beautifully captured, her thoughts are so palpable, and her actions are meant to make the reader contemplate everything. This is a book that will be remembered for a long time. It moves all the brain cells with its twists and turns and raises the adrenaline to the maximum.

Gardner keeps you on your toes till the very end. I discovered myself eagerly turning the pages and following the small glimpses trying to discover the truth about Flora’s time as an abductee.

Undoubtedly, Flora’s past is perfectly connected, with her present and through the pages, the readers manage to understand Flora’s vulnerability and fears.

Despite all the horrors that young Flora experiences, in the end, the spark of hope, the desire for a better life, and a brighter future shines victoriously.

All in all, Find Her by Lisa Gardner a compelling mystery thriller. A bit dramatic, and psychological, with a dash of crime mysteries, this book is a must-read for every reader.