Title: Touch & Go
Author: Lisa Gardner
Series: Tessa Leoni #2
Release Date: February 1, 2013
Length: 423 pages
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller
****My Review****
Touch & Go by Lisa Gardner
Everything in Justin and Libby’s life is perfect, like a clipping from a magazine. They have Ashlyn, their beautiful fifteen-year-old daughter, a big and beautiful house, a great marriage, and many friends who admire them.
But something terrible happens…
When Inspector Tessa Leoni arrives at the crime scene of their home, all she can see are drag marks on the floor and confetti. It appears that the family has been kidnapped.
There are no witnesses, no one is asking for money in return, and no one would have a motive. What Tessa knows better than anyone is that even the most perfect facades can hide the darkest secrets. Now she must find an answer to the question: Who would want to kidnap such a perfect little family?
Touch & Go by Lisa Gardner but I also have several slight remarks.
I’ll start with the remarks.
I don’t remember names, but in a book, they are very important to me, because like it or not – usually the first impression we get about a character is from their names. Besides, when the name corresponds to the character, I immediately get the impression that the author tried to package the character as best they could.
And I didn’t like the name, Justin. I couldn’t associate Justin with a physically strong man. Needless to say, it was extremely difficult to picture this character in my mind. Impossible, I’d say.
Second, I loved Tessa’s story. I know that she was not the main focus of this book, but I hoped that the author would treat us to more details about her life in the end. I wanted to know what happened to her family, I kind of missed that piece of the story. Reading the books in order might be a good idea, but I never do everything the way it was supposed.
We got a small, subtle glimpse of romance/attraction between Tessa and Wyatt, but I wanted more. And this is a completely subjective opinion, but who wants to wait until the next book to find out more? Isn’t it fair?
Apart from these and a few other minor remarks, I have nothing but praise for Touch & Go by Lisa Gardner. I liked the story and the course of events very much. It kept me in suspense, it even tired me from thinking so much.
I kept trying to connect the dots, to predict the events, but I failed. Some parts made me tap my fingers nervously. I imagined all kinds of scenarios in my head, so I was completely surprised when the whole situation started to be resolved.
This book definitely knows how to arouse emotions with its vicissitudes. From a lump in my throat, to hope… anger and resentment to empathy, I think I’ve experienced just about every emotion.
Like her previous books, it’s really hard to write a review without giving something away. However, Touch & Go by Lisa Gardner is a well-crafted story with an interesting plot and finely-dosed interactions and revelations, so the tension remains until the very end.
As you turn the pages, the perspective shifts between Tessa, the other investigators, and Libby Denbe. And just when you think you understand, there is a surprising twist that leaves you speechless. The whole story moves at a rapid pace from the first page to the last, which is perfect.
There were several beautiful thoughts, one of which stayed in my head: “It wasn’t that strangers couldn’t hurt you. It was simply that the people you loved could do it so much better.”
All in all, Touch & Go by Lisa Gardner is a great story that will check all the boxes when it comes to a truly riveting detective story.