Lisa Gardner's D.D. Warren series is one of my favorite detective series. D.D. Warren is such a great character, and I like the recurring minor characters, too. I enjoyed this book-it was fast-paced, and the plot was exciting. It was interesting to learn more about Flora's abduction and the details of the dark web. I did figure out what happened pretty early, but it didn't detract from the rest of the story. I read this one out of order for a challenge, so I can't wait to go back and read the D.D. Warren books I missed.

Never Tell by Lisa Gardner is a very highly recommended procedural and suspenseful thriller featuring Boston's Detective D.D. Warren and victim's advocate/vigilante Flora Dane. This is an excellent novel and a superb addition to the D.D. Warren series.

Evie Carter returns home to find her husband, Conrad, dead in his home office. He has been shot three times, but Evie takes his gun and shoots his computer twelve times. The police arrive and see Evie, who is obviously pregnant and still holding the gun. D.D. Warren arrives on the scene and recognizes Evie from a case sixteen years ago, when Evie was 16 and accidentally shot her father, a Harvard professor. Two shootings can't be coincidental, as far as Warren is concerned.

When Flora Dane sees Conrad Carter's face on the news, she immediately recognizes him from when she was still a captive of kidnapper, Jacob Ness. Ness took her to a bar where they met Conrad. Now Flora must revisit her past to try and remember what she knows about Conrad. She is also determined to discover the truth behinds Conrad's murder and how it may be tied into crimes by Ness.

Never Tell is an outstanding, fast-paced, intricate procedural that delves into dark secrets and has questions and complications multiplying with every chapter. This is an un-put-down-able novel that had me glued to every page, breathless with anxiety and anticipation wondering what could possibly happen next and what new information would be uncovered. The writing and pacing is superb. The plot is complex, intelligent, and astute. The final climax is disturbing, clever, heart-stopping, and brilliant. Truly, Never Tell is a stay-up-way-too-late-to-read-just-one-more-chapter novel.

The characters are all well-developed and well-established at this point. For those who are new to the series, you can enjoy this as a stand-alone novel, but fans of the series will appreciate it even more as they will have a greater insight into the characters. There simply has to be another addition to the series as soon as possible as there are several questions that need answers, and some developments that require further exploration, and other questions that need to attain a degree of closure.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House.

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For me February isn’t about Valentine’s Day, it means a new LG book which is way better than any chocolates or flowers anyway. When that LG book also happens to be a new D. D. Warren book AND features one of my new favorite additions, Flora Dane, then I’m excited beyond belief. Gardner is one of those writers that truly gets better with each book, her style gets more honed, her plot lines get more intricate and her subject matter gets darker and more bold, she’s truly one of the best crime writers around.

If you’ve been following this series then you already know that D. D. and Flora don’t agree 99 percent of the time and their contentious relationship is part of what makes reading about them so much fun for me. They have so much in common, yet at the same time they really don’t, and watching them square off is always entertaining, especially in the midst of some pretty disturbing crime scenes. You also see a little more of D. D.’s inner sweet side again, which is an aspect of her character that I’ve grown to love. She’s still a hard assed, take no prisoners woman most of the time, but motherhood has softened her a bit and made her relatable.

Besides D. D. and Flora you have a third perspective here, Evie who is found holding a literal smoking gun over her husband’s dead body. There’s always more than meets the eye in a LG book and this was no exception, this isn’t an open and shut case by any means and the race to the finish line was fast, exciting and oh so satisfying. Also, for Evie only being introduced in this book, she was shockingly well drawn, LG never skimps on character development and it always makes me even more invested in her books.

This entire series comes highly recommended by me, and it’s tough to stand firmly behind a series as long as this one. Most times there’s at least a few duds, but each of these books is downright amazing. If you’re already a fan then you’ll be happy, and if you’re new then at the very least I would highly suggest going back three books and beginning with the ones that introduce Flora. Total must reads for crime fiction fans!

Never Tell in three words: Rapid, Intricate and Unputdownable.

“I’m surrounded by nut jobs with no respect for law enforcement”

Det. D.D Warren is back again. This book is a fast action, twisty, mystery. Told in 3 different perspectives and each completely engaging.
D.D who after an injury is suppose to be in a supervisory role but is still actively working cases with her team especially a case 16 years apart with apparently the same shooter. Flora is a survivor but her PTSD has made her vigilante and now D.D. Confidential informant and she recognizes the murder victim during her time captive which leads her to having to face the very memories she tries to suppress and Evie the pregnant wife who accidentally shot her father 16 years ago and is now accused of shooting her husband.

This book kept me up way too late reading because once you enter into one of Lisa Gardener’s mysteries who feel like you are right there, discovering clues and stumbling over trying to figure out truth and lies and who is telling which.

The scenes with D.D and her family give a softness to D.D that was not there in the beginning and make her one of the most relatable characters I’ve ever read.

Another hit for Gardner! She’s one that can make sure to come up with a twisted story, which is sure to give the most die hard thriller fan some twists and turns, thrills, chills, and even some huge shocks. I haven’t read all of the series, but definitely found this one to be disturbing and chilling, like a good thriller should be!
Will be using in a challenge and highly recommending to the members of Chapter Chatter Pub!

Evie comes home to a door slightly ajar and finds Conrad, her husband and father of her unborn child shot dead in his upstairs office. DD Warren decides to take part in the investigation despite her promotion because Evie was involved in a case when she first became a detective in which she accidentally shot her father.
The case becomes further complicated when an informant named Flora, recognizes Conrad as someone who met with the man who kidnapped and kept her prisoner.
This is a great but complicated story and readers will enjoy watching how each thread leads ties together.
I have not read previous books in the series but this stands on its own despite that.
I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys mystery, thrillers or just a good story.
Thank you to #netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC and give my review.

16 years ago Detective D.D. Warren worked a murder case. A teenage girl arrested for shooting her father. Now, the same woman is a suspect in the shooting death of her husband. What happened? Did Evie Carter shoot her husband? Did she kill her father? Could she possibly get away with murder twice? And why does a former kidnapping victim recognize Evie's husband?

Oh my gosh...this is the most twisted story I've read in a long time! I couldn't put it down! Every time I thought I had it figured out, the plot zinged another direction. Great book!

I'm not going to say anything else about the actual plot -- no spoilers from me. Much better to go into it with as little info as possible.

Never Tell is the 10th book in the Detective D.D. Warren series. While I have read a short story in this series, this is the first book that I've read. I will definitely be reading more! A note of caution: for those who haven't read the earlier books in the series, this story does have some serious spoilers for Find Her (book #8). I'd recommend reading that book first....or go into this one realizing you will know the plot for that earlier book. Even without reading the earlier book, I was easily able to pick up the threads of the plot, characters and run with it. It's not necessary to have read the earlier stories to enjoy this one....just realize it's going to spoil the plot for at least one of them. As for me, I'm going clear back to the beginning and starting at book one, Alone. I can tell I'm going to love this series! I like the characters. The little peeks into Det. Warren's home life give the story a bit of realism and humor on top the crime/thriller elements. Gardner's writing and story-telling are solid. This book kept my attention from start to finish.

This was a total binge read for me. I read late into the night because I couldn't put the book down! Any story that keeps me reading for hours deserves full stars -- full marks from me for this one!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Penguin via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

I thought this was a great addition to the D.D. Warren series. This author is a great contributor to this genre of detective mystery fiction. I'm not sure that's a thing really, but it should be. In this, Evie comes home and uses her husband's gun to annihilate her husband's computer. The cops are already on her doorstep. What is she trying to cover up? What does she think is on that computer? Why is this her first step on finding her husband shot in his office? Why does her husband's photo look familiar to Flora, who is a kidnap victim? This will keep you on the edge of your seat. I really liked this one. I definitely recommend it.

If you are looking for a mystery with some tough-as-nails women then this is the book for you!

Lisa Gardner has outdown herself and has created an intricately woven story with three protagonists. Naturally we have D.D. Warren – detective extraordinaire. We also have Flora Dane who I am pleased to see is still D.D.’s confidential informant. Last, but not least Evie Carter whose husband has been killed and she has been arrested for it.

One of my favorite things about this story is that it is centered around some very strong female characters – D.D., Flora, and Evie. There is even a surprise appearance from SSA Kimberly Quincy who D.D. and Flora know well from their past. All four of these women are tough and determined. It was not surprising to see that they do have their power struggles from time to time, but when it counts they can put all that aside. Working together, they are unstoppable!

I also really enjoyed those little moments when we get a glimpse into D.D.’s home life. Her husband Alex and their son Jack keep her grounded. They are her rock and I love seeing what she and her family are up to. Oh and we cannot forget Kiko their rambunctious dog. Yikes…what a handful, he no doubt keeps things lively at home!

This is book ten in the Detective D.D. Warren series. It can be read as a standalone, but for maximum character development I highly recommend the whole series.

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

This is my first Lisa Gardner book and won't be my last. I know I was an idiot for jumping into this series at #10, but I had my reasons. I have always felt that the true test of an author and a long running series is: Can a new reader read this book and not feel completely lost? The answer for this one is yes. This reads well as a standalone and the mystery plot is great. The long standing relationships are reveled throughout the book. Of course I know there is a lot I don't know about these characters and their history, but that in no way detracts from the story I am reading. Mystery is not my genre of choice, but I read some here and there and I am really liking this one.

Three women all with vastly different lives are caught up in this plot. Evie is the wife and soon to be mother whose husband was he murdered, or did she kill him? She for sure killed his computer. He was definitely keeping secrets, but she was too. D.D. is the Boston PD Detective Sargent overseeing the investigation who can't step away and let her Detective team alone. Puzzles always intrigued her and this one is a doozy. Flora is a survivor of an unspeakable 472 days in captivity. She is now D.D.'s confidential informant, a vigilante and a victim's right's advocate. She also recognized Evie's dead husband as someone her captor knew. Evie and Flora have secrets and D.D. will need to delve deep into the dark net order to solve this case.

In this 10th book in the series, D.D. Warren and Flora Dane investigate an unbelievable case. Evie returns home and the first thing she notices is the silence until she realizes that she should have noticed the smell. Evie flashes back to sixteen years ago when there was a similar smell...blood...dark, viscous, and everywhere. It can't be happening again thinks Evie until she sees the gun, removes it from her husband's hand and starts shooting at his computer. D.D. finds it unbelievable that Evie is once again a suspect in a murder investigation. When Flora realizes that she recognizes Conrad, Evie's husband, the murder takes on a new significance. Flora is drawn into her past memories of her abduction and torture at the hands of Jacob Ness. Is Evie innocent and has a penchant for being in the wrong place two times and accused of murder? When three houses burn, D.D. is convinced that someone is looking for something directly related to her case. Flora is determined to help D.D. find the arsonist and identify the murderer.
Gardner writes a thriller that is very hard to put down and yet I didn't want it to end. I thoroughly enjoyed this story that pits good against evil. There are enough clues to keep me guessing even though I wasn't absolutely sure until the end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book gets a solid three stars from me!

Short review: it’s a good ole American crime story.

This book seriously reminded me of ‘Law and Order’ or really any cop show right now. I received a digital ARC so of course there were typos, but the writing itself was good. This is also #10 of an ongoing crime series the author is writing (A D.D. Warren and Flora Dane novel) and it was a little hard to jump in and read this without following the series first.

Although Gardner did a good job at recapping important events that the reader needs to know from previous novels, I still felt like there was a joke that I didn’t get.

There were some funny bits! It was entertaining and somewhat of a page turner, but I don’t think I’ll be following the rest of the series though.

It was so nice to not immediately figure out the villain. I’ve read so many books, that unfortunately, this happens to me quite often. With this book, I kept going back and forth to the end!

Extremely pleased to see more growth in Flora. Hope she continues to move forward and be able to have a fulfilled love life!! DD Warren, is DD Warren as always ;). Funny to see her deal with pregnancy, hahaha!!

I have been reading Lisa Gardner’s books since I came across the first one years ago. They have only gotten better and better. I love D.D. warren. She is a very strong character/lead and each book that has her in it is sure to be engrossing. I recommend reading the series books in order as a lot of the story lines tie together and this one is no different. The book starts with a man that has been shot and killed. His computer has also been shot, but 12 times. Why? Is everything as it seems or is there something more going on here? Did his wife Evie really do it? As we get deeper into the story, we once again meet Flora. Flora spent over 400 days with a crazed serial killer who kidnapped her when she was on spring break. She was rescued and her abductor killed. But was that really the end of it? How does Flora’s story tie in with Evie and her deceased husband? Or does it? For that matter, how does what happened to Evie when she was 16 tie the story together? I love how Lisa Gardner pulls what seems to be different storylines and characters into one massive plot that pulls the reader deeper into the story and lives of D.D., Evie and Flora. I loved the book and can’t wait to read the next one!

A man is dead, shot three times in his home office. But his computer has been shot twelve times, and when the cops arrive, his pregnant wife is holding the gun.

D.D. Warren arrives on the scene and recognizes the woman – Evie Carter – from a case many years back. Evie’s father was killed in a shooting that was ruled an accident. But for D.D., two coincidental murders is too many.

This book really started out great but I feel like it slowly lost momentum. It was entertaining and held my attention but there are other similar books I like much better. I will admit that even though this is book 10 of the D.D. Warren series it was my first, however, it didn’t affect the story. I didn’t feel lost or like I should have read the ones leading up to it. I really had high hopes for this one. Not to mention I love a good mystery/thriller. This one just fell short for me.

Once again, Lisa Gardner delivers another solid Detective D.D. Warren novel to add to her bestselling series. In her newest adventure, D.D. finds herself working alongside her CI, Flora Dane, yet again in this fast paced, suspenseful thriller to uncover the mysterious death of main character, Evie's, husband, Conrad Carter. The story chronicles the aftermath of Conrad's death while simultaneously digging into the past killing of Evie's father and creating connections between characters both new and old in order to help solve the mystery that unfolds. Gardner does a great job of tying old characters and story plots from pervious novels into her newest addition which is an exciting development for die hard fans of the Detective Warren series. The addition of new characters, such as true crime expert, Keith, also help to add more dimension to the story and leaves room his return in future novels. Overall, the story and plot flow well, being told from the three different perspectives of D.D., Flora, and Evie. This is yet another Lisa Gardner title that leaves the reader constantly second guessing themselves, wondering who could be behind all the mayhem, and furiously reading to the end to uncover how it will all unfold.

Conrad Carter, a traveling salesman, is found brutally murdered in his home. When police arrive on the scene, his wife, Evie, is found with the gun in her hand. Her husband was shot 3 times and oddly enough, his laptop was shot 12 times. Evie, a 5-month pregnant schoolteacher, is arrested on the scene for his murder.

Detective DD Warren is in a mostly managerial position now with the police department, but she feels personally connected to this investigation, so she decides to get involved. Sixteen years ago, when Evie was only 16-years old, she “accidentally” shot and killed her father. Detective DD Warren was the investigating officer and now Evie’s involvement in yet another shooting seems like a strange case of deja vu.

Flora Dane is a kidnapping survivor turned vigilante. When DD worked with Flora previously to take down a criminal they both had vested interest in, Flora became DD’s unpaid confidential informer. When Flora sees Evie’s arrest on the news and a photo of the victim, Conrad, she is brought back to her horrific time with her kidnapper. She remembers meeting Conrad at one of the dive bars she was taken to and the circumstances were far from pleasant.

Flora tells her story to DD and they work together to uncover the truth behind this seemingly straightforward domestic murder. Nothing is at it seems and it appears this crime is a web of lies and secrets that are not easy to decipher. It appears Carter was tangled up in the dark web, which would explain the destroyed computer. But how did Evie find herself caught up yet another fatal shooting and is she truly innocent after all?

Never Tell is the 10th installment in Lisa Gardner’s Detective DD Warren series. This series just keeps getting better and better the more books Gardner puts out! The book is told through the narratives of Evie, DD and Flora, all of their perspectives vital in order to piece together this mystery. I started this series on book 8 and have since gone back to start the series from the beginning. The books in this series can definitely be read as standalone novels, so if you haven’t read the previous books, you can read book 10 and not be confused. Although, I would recommend reading the whole series, as what I’ve read thus far is phenomenal. Lisa Gardner has a way of writing mysteries that keep me on the edge of my seat, quickly turning the pages to uncover the mystery. Highly recommend! 4.5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dutton Books and Lisa Gardner for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

D D Warren and Flora Dane are back in Lisa Gardner’s tenth thriller, Never Tell. Pregnant Evie Carter comes home and discovers her husband has been shot dead in his office. She panics, it seems, and grabs her gun and shoots up her husband’s computer. When the police arrive, they find Evie holding the gun, and arrest her for the murder of her husband. She refuses to speak and doesn’t admit or deny anything. Warren is assigned to the case; she is acquainted with Evie because years before Evie was involved in another shooting where she accidentally shot her beloved father to death. Warren believes Evie is guilty of killing her husband. Flora Dane gets herself involved in the investigation; she and Warren don’t always agree. Is it a coincidence that the same woman was involved in two shootings? Did Evie kill her husband? Why did Evie shoot up her husband’s computer? Why won’t Evie discuss the previous incident?

Never Tell is another well-written thriller with dozens of ups and downs. The suspense starts to build during the first chapter, and doesn’t stop until the very end. Those who have read the series are familiar with Warren and Dane, as they are well-developed characters and have been featured in the previous novels in the series. Gardner does an excellent job of developing the new characters in this book Evie Carter, her mother, her father, and their family lawyer who features front and center in helping Evie get to the bottom of finding the real murderer before Evie is convicted; they seem real and are very believable.

The story flows well – Gardner is an excellent story teller, and this story is one that is fascinating. The twists and turns are surprising, and of course, as is Gardner’s style, the dénouement is surprising. This novel will keep everyone on the edge of their seats.


Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Never Tell does a great job starting off at a fast pace and maintaining it throughout- the author manages to hold off the big reveal until very close to the end, but still ties up the story well, if concisely. The plot doesn't advance D.D. Warren's storyline much, but Flora gets a chance to really shine and develop further as a character in this one. While I don't think it's strictly necessary to read this series in order, readers who have already read the books that feature Flora will have a much better understanding of where she is coming from.

Since LIsa Gardner is one of my favorite mystery authors, this was destined to be a favorite book, and it didn’t disappoint. My favorite character was a focus of this book, none other than the elusive and mysteriously quirky Flora Dane. The main character is the victim, Evie, who is also the person charged with the murder of her husband. Flora works with Detective D.D. Warren to solve the case and to find the bad guy. I must say that I was not able to figure it out until the very end, so it was a mystery that kept me interested until the very end. There are a lot of other characters, some not really present because they are already deceased, not the least of which is the man who long ago kidnapped and terrorized Flora. He still lives very much in her mind and influences her actions and choices. The mental stability of Flora could be in question, but she is so canny that she not only helps D.D., but she also initiates bringing other experts into the case. I enjoyed how the plot rolled smoothly, with the narrators being D.D., Flora and Evie. There were several surprises along the way, but I won’t share them because I don’t want to spoil it for others. Readers of procedural police crime thrillers and mysteries will definitely want to add this book to their shelf of books that have to be read and enjoyed this year.