Back with yet another Gardner book review! Even though most of Gardner’s books are part of a series and can be read as a standalone; this one needs to be read after the previous book “Find Her” Otherwise you will feel as if something is missing from the story.
Here is the blurb.
One fine autumn day, four members of a family are gunned down inside their home. But the 16-year old daughter Roxanna is missing. The neighbors spotted her taking the dogs for a walk shortly before the shooting. The case catches the eye of Flora Dane, who is a survivor. D. D. Warren, the Boston PD’s Sergeant Detective is on the case. Warren and Flora reluctantly join hands to find the missing Roxanne while still trying to decide whether Roxanne is the suspect or a victim.
Like all Gardner books, this too was a fast paced, gripping crime thriller. It had its fair share of twists and turns. The prologue was the best part of the book. But unfortunately, the book was not about that particular incident. I would have loved to read more about the events that came after the prologue.
This book has a lot of grey characters. Nothing is black and white. There is no clear villain to hate and I definitely didn’t see the ending coming. I did not guess the killer till the very end and neither did I guess the motive. Even though this person turns out to be the killer, I found it hard to hate the character. It was quite heartbreaking to discover the motive.
It was a great read but I’ve come to expect a certain standard from Gardner’s books. This book did not live up to those set by her other books. There was also a bit of repetition here and there which could have been avoided. But it’s still good for a one time read.
My Rating: 4⭐/5.