Book Review: Touch and Go by Lisa Gardner

 

 

ISBN-13: 9780525953074

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)

Publication date: 2/5/2013

 

Synopsis:

This is my family:  Vanished without a trace…

Justin and Libby Denbe have the kind of life that looks good in the pages of a glossy magazine. A beautiful fifteen-year old daughter, Ashlyn. A gorgeous brownstone on a tree-lined street in Boston’s elite Back Bay neighborhood. A great marriage, admired by friends and family.  A perfect life.

 

This is what I know:  Pain has a flavor…

When investigator Tessa Leoni arrives at the crime scene in the Denbes’ home, she finds scuff marks on the floor and Taser confetti in the foyer.  The family appears to have been abducted, with only a pile of their most personal possessions remaining behind.  No witnesses, no ransom demands, no motive.  Just an entire family, vanished without a trace.

 

This is what I fear:  The worst is yet to come…

Tessa knows better than anyone that even the most perfect façades can hide the darkest secrets.  Now she must race against the clock to uncover the Denbes’ innermost dealings, a complex tangle of friendships and betrayal, big business and small sacrifices.  Who would want to kidnap such a perfect little family?  And how far would such a person be willing to go?

 

This is the truth:  Love, safety, family…it is all touch and go.

Normally when I write a review, I like to write it as soon after reading the book as I can. That way it’s all fresh in my mind.

However, I’ve waited a couple days to write this review because I wanted to let it all sink in. And really, I’m disturbed. Not because I didn’t like the book. I did, very much. But this book was definitely more suspense than romance. And by definition, romance novels have a happily ever after. And I can’t say that this one did, which is why I am disturbed, and why this book received 4 1/2 stars instead of 5.

I hate blog posts with spoilers, so I hate to even say that much about the book. But I want you to know what to expect if you pick up a copy.

This story is about the kidnapping of an entire family. Part of the book is told in third person, and part in first person. It was an interesting mix. The author basically takes us through the dissolution of a family structure and shows us what happens when an already unstable unit gets put through the ringer.

There were parts of this book that made my chest hurt because I felt such empathy for the character. Of course I have never been through what she was going through. But I found myself thinking that if I were going through that, that is exactly how I would feel. The author uses simple, non-dramatic language that allows the emotions of the characters make a direct hit. And I was never bored, the plot kept me reading till the wee hours of the morning.

Again, I want to talk about what happened, but I don’t want to ruin it for you! I did guess who the “bad person” was, but not until very late in the story. And even then, the author had laid enough ground work with other possibilities that I wasn’t entirely sure. Ahhhhh, I wish I could say more. But I won’t. All I will say is, if you like a good suspense story, go buy this book!

If you are looking for something to read this weekend, check it out here:

Touch and Go

Book Review: The Next Accident by Lisa Gardner

ISBN-13: 9780553578690

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Publication date: 4/30/2002

Series: FBI Profiler Series , #3

What do you do when a killer targets the people you love the most? When he knows how to make them vulnerable? When he knows the same about you?

These are the questions that haunt FBI Special Agent Pierce Quincy. The police say his daughter’s death was an accident. Quincy will risk everything to learn the truth—and there’s only one person willing to help. Ex-cop Rainie Connor had once been paired professionally—and personally—with the brilliant FBI profiler. He helped her through the darkest days of her life.

Now it’s time for Rainie to return the favor. But this killer is like none these two hard-boiled pros have ever encountered. This twisted psychopath has an insatiable hunger for revenge...and for fear. As the clock ticks down to one unspeakably intimate act of vengeance, the only way Rainie can unmask this killer is to step directly in his murderous path. She will become a murder waiting to happen. She will be...the next accident.

This is my first book by this author and I really liked it.  She is definitely more of a crime/suspense author than a romance writer.  But her romance between these characters was very believable. 
They obviously started their relationship in a previous book, and I wish I had read that one first, but it didn't take away from the relationship between them in this book.

Her plot twists and turns were really interesting.  I was never bored, which after the last few books I've read, that's saying a lot.  I remained in the story the entire time.  I liked that her characters were flawed, but heroic at the same time.  It made them feel very real.

She had a few one liners that made me laugh to myself and she had a couple emotional scenes that made my eyes mist up.  It wasn't an overly funny or sad or emotional book, but it was interesting and a good read.  At midnight last night I realized I had several more chapters to go and I really struggled to put it down.  If I hadn't had meeting the next morning, I would have finished.  I have read books that I would stay up till two or three no matter what, but I was able to put this down.  So, take that for what it's worth.

I will be reading more by this author for sure. 

Have you read anything by Lisa Gardner, or have a favorite romantic suspense author?  I would love to hear your thoughts on who I should read next!  Leave comments here, or stop by my facebook page. www.facebook.com/authortinleyinnes