For any reader who enjoys a suspenseful thriller, Lisa Gardner's books are always a guaranteed hit. In Look for Me, Lisa Gardner has two of her most memorable and strong female characters join forces to solve the murders of the Baez family and find the missing teenage daughter before its too late. Detective D.D. Warren and Flora Dane reluctantly agree to work together to solve this crime and track down Roxy Baez, the missing teenage daughter who may be responsible for the killing spree or may be in imminent danger.

Look for Me has all the twists and turns I've come to expect from a Lisa Gardner novel and is a thrilling edge of your seat read. I also appreciated how this story brought to light issues with the foster care system. I really enjoyed how Flora Dane and D.D. Warren worked together on this case and I hope there are more books in the future with these two crime fighters teaming up. It is so interesting to watch the evolution of both of these two characters and see how they are growing and changing over the course of each novel. While this book is part of the D.D. Warren series, I feel that all of Lisa Gardner's books really can be read as stand alone books but once you read one, I assure you that you will want to add all her other books to your shelves.

I received this book courtesy of Penguin Group Dutton through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Lisa Gardner so when I saw Look for Me I was like “Yes Please!”
Wow what a story, the crime scene is the house of a family, four of them were brutally murdered and one is missing. So was she lucky to or is there more to her absence?!?!?!
Lisa Gardner tells an amazing story through Detective D.D Warren and Flora Dane!!! They are both looking for the truth but for different reasons and they both defiantly want different justice out comes…..
Seriously this book was amazing! One of my favorite things about reading happened in this book…..I thought one thing for like 45% of the book and then BAM! Love that! Lisa Gardner is an amazing writing and her stories always leave me wanting more.

Whoa! Lisa Garner does it again! And all I can say is I want Flora Dane on my team.

Ok, I have to admit I love DD Warren and Flora Dane so these books that combine them just captivate me :) They are such different yet similar characters it's fun to hang out with them!

Lisa Gardner hooked me again and I was questioning events just as the characters were...I did have it figured out sooner than them, but there were still a lot of questions. A fascinating, fast paced, fun read.

Lisa's latest is great. She kept me riveted to the end.

Boston Sergeant D.D. Warren and her partner Phil are back at work in this excellent addition to the series.

A family of four are shot in their home while their teenage daughter is walking their dogs. D.D. and Phil are called in to investigate. Sixteen-year-old Roxanna never returns to the house. Is she guilty of the crime? Or is she running scared from the killer?

Flora Dane is an abduction survivor who runs an unofficial survivor group online. Roxanna had joined the group shortly before the murders. She seemed scared but of who or what? Flora decides to look for Roxanna on the dark side of the law while D.D. and Phil follow official channels.

Roxanna wrote a multi-part story of her “perfect” family. Her mother and step-father’s drinking lead the three children to be placed in foster care. Something happens to the two girls, then 11 and 8, that changes their personalities forever. Lola, the younger and prettier sister, begins to act flirtatious to older men. Roxanna acts even more protective of her sister. The family reunites after a year but that alone can’t save this fractured family.

The story structure of D.D.’s police procedural, Flora’s coloring outside the lines approach and Roxanna’s apparent fear merge well into a coherent and pulse-pounding plot. Look for Me is a thrilling look into how a family can be ripped apart by well-meaning government officials. Simple decisions can spiral into life altering results.

Look for Me is highly recommended for its mystery but also for its realistic characters and family dynamics. 5 stars!

Thanks to the publisher, Dutton, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

This was a book that I had a hard time putting down. It is such a heartbreaking story that emphasizes a broken system in foster care, bullying in schools, and many other issues in our society. The story was very suspenseful and I enjoyed the relationship between DD and the gang of survivors. Highly recommended.

"Look For Me" is the 9th book in Lisa Gardner's Detective D.D. Warren series.
A family of four are violently murdered in their home and the 16 yr old daughter is missing with the families two elderly, blind Brittany Spaniels. Is she the killer or is she on the run afraid for her life?
D.D. Warren is called in to investigate the brutal crime scene and Flora Dane, a survivor from a previous case joins her. Flora created a survivors group after being kidnapped and held captive under horrific conditions for 472 days before escaping and getting just revenge on her captor. Will this group aid the investigation or seek vigilante justice?
Not one of the best books of the series but still very good. I was hoping to read more about D. D.'s personal life as we have in her other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Summary From Goodreads:

"In #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner's latest twisty thrill ride, Detective D. D. Warren and Find Her's Flora Dane return in a race against the clock to either save a young girl's life . . . or bring her to justice.

The home of a family of five is now a crime scene: four of them savagely murdered, one—a sixteen-year-old girl—missing. Was she lucky to have escaped? Or is her absence evidence of something sinister? Detective D. D. Warren is on the case—but so is survivor-turned-avenger Flora Dane. Seeking different types of justice, they must make sense of the clues left behind by a young woman who, whether as victim or suspect, is silently pleading, Look for me."

My Thoughts:

Two years ago I read and absolutely loved Find Her by this author which was also the first book that I had ever read in this series. I've intended to get back to this series every since then but it was only with this book that I finally did. It actually worked out perfectly as this book also features Flora Dane from Find Her. I had very high hopes for this book and it definitely didn't disappoint! I started reading this book and just couldn't stop - it was that good! Both of Gardner's books that I've read are definitely on the darker side so probably not for everyone....but they are SO readable and compelling. I spent the entire time while reading this book trying to figure out what was going on and also trying to guess on how it would all end. If you are wondering, I wasn't successful in figuring it all out. I really liked that this book was told from both D.D.'s point of view and also Flora's. I enjoyed the fact that with this book we got to see more of how Flora is doing and coping after everything that happened to her in a previous book. You definitely need to read Find Her first or this book will give a lot of what happened away in that previous book but you could certainly read this series out of order. I did and I've loved both of the books that I've read so far! I'm trying not to say too much as I don't want to spoil anything but this is a book and series to check out!

Overall, I couldn't get enough of this book and am guessing that there is a good chance that it will end up on my top reads list for 2018! It was just that good and a book that I couldn't get enough of! I really, really need to go back now and start at the beginning of this series so I can catch up with D.D.'s earlier mysteries. After enjoying both of the books that I've read by this author so much, I definitely plan on reading everything and anything that she has written. Luckily for me, I believe that I already have book one on my shelves just waiting to be read! I cannot say enough good things about this book and this series so far. I would recommend this book to mystery and thriller fans alike! It is a dark and thrilling read but so completely worth the ride! I loved every minute of it! Highly recommended!

Bottom Line: This is an author that I need to read more of and a series I can't get enough of!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

D.D. Warren Snags the Case of a Missing Teen and a Murdered Family

D.D. is looking forward to a relaxing day with her husband and son. They’re even going to look for a puppy. When the phone rings, D.D. knows her fun day is over. A family; mother, boyfriend, and two children, have been murdered in an execution style killing in their own home. One member of the family appears to have escaped. Roxy, the older teenage daughter, is missing along with the family’s two dogs.

D.D. isn’t the only one looking for Roxy. Flora Dane, a kidnapping survivor, has formed a group to help other survivors adjust. Sarah, one of the group members, knows Roxy. Flora thinks the teen needs help, and she starts a search that brings her into contact with D.D. Warren, who isn’t completely pleased to find her on the case.

D.D. and Flora are strong women. They come at solving crimes from two different perspectives, but their efforts mesh in the end. Flora has been D.D.’s nemesis on other cases. This time she seems to better understand Flora’s perspective and appreciate her involvement.

In addition to a fascinating mystery, the novel explores the social problems of children caught in the foster care system. Too many people have failed Roxy. Her mother, and the foster care and judicial system weren’t there for her. The school also failed when they didn’t prevent serious bullying.

I recommend this book not only for the fast paced mystery, but also for the look into the societal problems of families in turmoil

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

Our Summary…
“Not everyone is meant to understand you. And not just anyone can help you.”

Juanita Baez, single mother of 3 kids (Roxanna, Lola, & Manny), tried her best stay on her feet, stay sober, and get her kids out of foster care. Not many people are as big a success story as Juanita.
After a year in a terrible foster care home for Lola and Roxy, and being separated from their little brother who was in a different foster care home, Juanita wins her kids back. Excited to start a new life together in a new town, small but clean apartment, and a new outlook, they try to piece together enough to make a perfect family.
Where are these perfect families? Can there even be such a thing? One where everything goes so right, where no one ever hurts each other?

Shortly after moving back together, Juanita meets a nice, hardworking guy and they move to a nice house. All seems well. Except, one day when Roxy is out walking her two dogs….
The entire family is brutally murdered!

Roxy is missing. Prior victim turn vigilante, Flora Dane, and detective DD Warren work together to piece together who might have had motive to commit this horrible murder and to find Roxy!
During their investigation, they quickly realize there are many secrets that are starting to unravel. Turns out… Juanita was suspicious of Lola and Roxy’s time in foster care. Roxy and Lola refused to talk about it. As she dug further, consulted a lawyer, and her suspicious grew, her “perfect” family seems less and less perfect.
How do you become a family again? When you have lost so much, how do you learn to trust enough to get it back?

Our Review…
From the first page to the last, you will read furiously. Roxy, Lola, and Manny will become a part of you. Their story will break your heart. Their fight will become your fight. You will no doubt think about them while trying but failing to fall asleep.
This is a fast paced page turner and has many surprises and twists. Wait until you find out who the killer is!!!! We look forward to reading more from Lisa Gardner!

When four members of a family are brutally murdered, there is only one survivor .. a teenage girl and her two blind dogs. They are all missing. Is she a victim? .. or a killer?

Flora Dane was last seen in FIND HER. She is reunited with Detective Warren in this story of love, loss, strength, surviving, perseverance. Flora Dane is a survivor herself but she has turned vigilante. Flora has resources that Warren can't touch, but it's going to take the two of them to find the missing teen and either save her life .. or put her in jail.

Whether suspect or victim, this girl has had a really bad life. Roxy's story is told by a series of papers she has written talking about family and the awful things that happened to her and her younger sister and brother while they were in foster care for one very long, horrifying year.... and again later.

The story premise is terrific. The characters are finely drawn. This one touched all my emotions .... sadness, empathy, anger, helplessness.

I have followed this series since 2005 and have never been disappointed. I highly recommend this series, and much better to read in order, so you don't miss those little nuances that make this series so good.

Many thanks to the author / Penguin Publishing / Edelweiss for the advance digital copy of this crime thriller. My review is unbiased and entirely my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Dutton Publishing and Lisa Gardner for the opportunity to read and review her latest installment in the DD Warren detective series. I don't know how I missed the previous book, Find Her, which featured Flora Dane, but Gardner does a great job catching you up so that this is also a perfect stand-alone book. 4.5 stars!

DD Warren is on the case where an entire family was ambushed and killed - except the eldest teenager daughter who is now on the run. Warren is faced with trying to figure out all the pieces in solving this puzzle. There are lots to choose from - the family wasn't perfect, the children had been placed in foster care, there was an ex-husband, and now the daughter is missing. Helped in solving this crime is Flora Dane, a survivor of a heinous kidnapping whose mission in life is to teach others how to survive.

Just a great book to lose yourself in and try to figure out who done it and why! Gardner continues to write great books time after time!

Look For Me is the newest D.D. Warren mystery. D.D. is one of my favorite Lisa Gardner detectives, even though she can be kind of a bitch, I’ve had a soft spot for the woman underneath it all for years. Also returning is Flora Dane, from the last D.D. Warren mystery, Find Me. These two form a grudging alliance to find the Roxy Baez, a sixteen-year-old girl who’s gone missing after the murder of her entire family. Was she abducted by the murderer, is she hiding out, or worse, is she the perpetrator of this chilling crime?

Flora has lived through the worst you can think of, being held by a monster for 472 days, but she survived and has turned into a sort of victim advocate/vigilante, trying to live her life instead of just exist five years later. I love Flora! Her strength and courage in spite of the fear and panic she still experiences is inspiring! Seeing her intelligence, ingenuity, and investigative skills at work made me hope that Lisa turns her into a detective or private investigator at some point.

D.D. and Flora both dig into the Baez family past, which as revealed was both heartbreaking and upsetting. I kept guessing and thinking up theories, hoping for the best possible outcome while on the edge of my seat over some of the situations Flora got into! She was a pretty smart cookie even if she was a bit reckless a time or two.

One of the most disturbing things about Lisa Gardner’s mysteries is that they’re not far-fetched and could easily be a real-life situation. I will say this wasn’t near as dark and disturbing as Find Me, which I was happy about, because that story freaked me the heck out and stayed with me for some time! I’m happy to see Flora taking her life back even if she still is haunted by what happened to her. Helping others helps take her mind off what happened to her, and I’d love to see her embracing life more and the joys that can come with it in the future.

Look For Me grabbed me from the first page, as most Lisa Gardner’s mysteries do. Captivating and haunting in equal measure, they’re the type of stories that stay with you long after reading.

A copy was kindly provided by Dutton via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This review is also posted at The Reader Den.

Gripping, heartbreaking, and thrilling! This book, while in a series, can definitely be enoyed by itself! It is sad but also one that is hard to put down; because you have to get the answers. While not the typical book I choose to read, I prefer psychological thrillers, I saw myself emerged in it and having a hard time breathing! I also loved the twists that emerged and the character development is not less than perfect! Highly recommend!

Look For Me is the Ninth installment in author Lisa Gardner's Detective D.D. Warren series. Our ever stubborn, courageous, driven protagonist Detective Sergeant D.D. Warren is back in true form. This time she's not alone in trying to solve the brutal murder of a Boston area family that leaves a 16 year old girl as the only survivor, possible witness, or perhaps something even more nefarious. If you are a fan of this series, you have probably already read the novel called Find Her. If not, go back and do so. It will help you understand the relationship between Flora and D.D.

7 1/2 years ago, Flora Dane was a college student who was kidnapped off the beach in Florida and held for 472 days by a murdering rapist. During her time in captivity, Flora learned more about what a person can tolerate before coming unglued. She still suffers from nightmares. She definitely has PTSD. She still blames herself for what happened to her. One might call her a vigilante now. D.D. sure does. She lives by a different set of rules from D.D. But, she's also an advocate of sorts for others who have had similar events happen to them. One year ago, Flora helped save a college girl named Sarah. Sarah is now part of her network of survivors. Unlike DD, Flora has access to resources that DD can only imagine.

This story will absolutely blow you away. Though one shouldn't be surprised when it comes to author Lisa Gardner and the way she puts you right in the middle of the story. Right out of the gate, the author hits you with not one mind blowing back story, but two. From Sarah's own terrifying experience with a madman, to 16-year old Roxanna Baez's family being murdered in cold blood. This becomes a co-narrative story switching dialogues between D.D, in the third person narrative, and Flora in the first person narrative. The third part of the story is an essay written by Roxanna Baez.

D.D. is an interesting character these days. She's got a 5 year old son. Her marriage is rock steady to the point of looking for a puppy. All of this is necessary when it comes to her job and trying to come back down after some really emotional and trying times. D.D. still has some issues. If you've read this series fully, you know that she's really not all back to 100% after being injured on the job and being placed on desk duty until she could get back her mobility. D.D. isn't one to whine about her situation. She takes it in stride and understands that it's just one more hurdle she has to jump through in order to be the best she can be. D.D's relationship with Flora has always been interesting. But, I think there is also a whole lot of respect between the women as well.

But, let's not forget about Roxanna Baez. Roxy's story is one of pure emotion, and I can't say that I made it through her story without being misty eyed at times. Roxy's life has been anything but easy. From not knowing who her father is, to temporarily losing her mother to alcohol, to being the mother figure to her younger sister and brother, to being placed in a system where nobody can hear you scream. Roxy's story is told through an essay which hints at things that happened 5 years ago. Roxy and her sister are polar opposites, but Roxy has always tried to do her best to be the strong and brave one in the family. Sometimes, it's just not good enough.

If you are looking for an author who gets what life in foster care, and an over-crowded system that sees too many kids without any families of their own, then Lisa Gardner is your author. This story uncovers a whole lot of things that happened to Roxy and her sister Lola in foster care while their mother was recovering from alcohol abuse. I will only say this, it is pretty apparent that there is a need for a major overhaul of the foster system in this country. Too many children are being left behind without any sort of support system that looks at them as people, not just money for those who take them in.

What is the perfect family?

A question that should come easy to most kids... It's not difficult to picture students typing up their responses filled with trips to Disneyland or summers filled with camping and great memories... But it doesn't come easy to Roxy. No, this very simple question doesn't bring up any good memories at all. It only serves as a reminder of all the ways in which they are lacking and what her family has suffered through. If only they knew their suffering was going to get a whole lot worse.

Look for Me begins with an explosive introduction that will have you rapidly flipping the pages anxious to see what happens next. Detective DD Warren joins up with abduction survivor, Flora Dane, in an attempt to find the whereabouts of Roxy, the only missing member of the family that was brutally slain in their own home.

It's a race against the clock to find her. Was she kidnapped? Is she hurt? Is she the killer? The story unfolds chapter-by-chapter steadily revealing horrors that no one could have possibly dreamed of. You will be shocked. You will be angry. You will be sad. That is a given.

I've said this time and time again that I must sound like a broken record to my followers: I LOVE Lisa Gardner! I have been reading her books for over 10 years and she, still, is one of my top favorite suspense writers.

Of all of the books I've read from her, I would certainly say this one evoked the most emotion out of me. There were parts of it that just had me bawling my eyes out. I was glad to see Flora Dane back in this story as well. She first appears in the last book of the series, Find Her.

Is it necessary to read all of the previous books in order to understand this story? Hmm not necessarily since she does provide plenty of backstory, but I would still recommend reading the other books, because they are simply amazing and will help to tie all of these characters together. Plus, some of the books I recommend the most from Lisa Gardner are the previous books in this series. Just saying this makes me want to re-read them all over again.

Overall, I thought this was a fantastic addition to the series. DD Warren and Flora Dane hold special places in my heart and being able to see them working together was exciting. Dare I say they might actually be becoming friends instead of literal partners-in-crime? I certainly hope so!

This book, Look for Me officially releases tomorrow on February 6th! If you want a suspense novel that will keep you guessing until the very last second while also taking pieces of your heart with it then BUY THIS BOOK!

Special thanks to Penguin Group Dutton and Lisa Gardner for accepting my request to read an ARC through Netgalley!

From my blog: Always With a Book:

My thoughts: I am a huge Lisa Gardner fan and absolutely love her Detective D.D. Warren series...and I was so excited to get my hands on an early copy of this latest book. It was so good!!! Not only is our favorite Detective back, but this latest installment also brings back victim-turned-vigilante Flora Dane, another favorite character of mine!

One of the things I love about Lisa Gardner's books is that they are top-notch thrillers and addictive as all get-out. Once you start reading them, you basically need to be prepared to do little else. I pretty much binge-read this one. It was fast-paced and the story itself - all the parts - just got to me. There is so much here to digest - the police procedural is outstanding, as usual, but on top of that, there is also the intense story of the family and what is going on with them. The personal narrative that Roxy writes as part of an assignment in school that is interspersed throughout the book is both haunting and heartbreaking. It gave me chills reading it.

I loved that Lisa Gardner decided to bring Flora Dane back. She is such a great character and I absolutely love the chemistry between her and Detective D.D Warren. They clearly don't like each other, they have very different ways of going about doing things, but for the sake of this case, they are willing to work "together" - whatever that means. The sarcasm just drips off the page at times with these two - it's so good. For instance, at one point, Flora says to D.D , "I knew I'd grow on you." Ha!

This book is suspenseful, addicting and fast-paced. It kept me guessing as to where it was heading the whole time. It is emotional and gut-wrenching at times and introduces us to a wide-ranges of characters. I hope that this isn't the last we have seen of Flora Dane, as some interesting developments happen in regards to D.D. and Flora working together on this case.

This is my first read in Lisa Gardner's D.D. Warren series, and from the opening scene, I expected a gripping, edge of your seat thriller. The story is quite dark, and parts were both disturbing and heart-wrenching, including Roxy's poignant personal narrative. Unfortunately, the bulk of this one didn't quite live up to my expectations. The story is lengthy, which wouldn't be a problem if the pace and flow had held my attention, but in this case, it's just long-winded and repetitive. Much of the book bounces back and forth between D.D. Warren and Flora, and often times things we learn from one are reiterated by the other. There's a large amount of dialogue and when there is actually some real action, it feels rushed through, and then on to the next conversation. I gathered from this story that Flora was a victim in an earlier book, and while I appreciate some back story, I got enough from this one that I don't feel the need to read Flora's tale. The repetitiveness of this one became tedious to the point that I set it aside several times and finally pushed through just to see who the killer would be. We do get that answer, but there are so many villains here that it all becomes a bit convoluted. In the end, I didn't hate it, but with so much talk and so little action, I was left with more of a 'meh' feeling than anything else.