This is my first book I’ve read from Lisa Gardner so I can’t compare this to her other works but this one fell middle of the road for me as far as mysteries/thrillers go.

The concept is compelling enough- a woman spends her life traveling from town to town investigating cold missing persons cases. She travels to an impoverished section of Boston to search for a high school girl who went missing 11 months prior.

Despite the cops being good at their jobs, she is able to get the case from its stalled state to having multiple new leads within days of her arrival which, I’m sorry, doesn’t feel realistic. “But it’s not supposed to be real, it’s a book” you may say. True, however this isn’t a fantasy, it’s set in the real world with characters needing to behave like real people with real reactions.

So why did it get 3 stars if I didn’t like the protagonist’s uncanny ability to pull new clues out of people? Because it was still an entertaining read, despite the occasional eye roll. The mystery of what happened to the girl kept me wanting to read and although things were laid out and clues dropped at regular intervals, I never saw the ending coming. And Lisa Gardner’s writing is clear and concise with no fluffy descriptions other than the bare minimum to get my mind set in the scene, which I appreciate.

Overall, this wasn’t a bad read if you just pretend that it is a fantasy and that the main character has some magic ability to draw the truth out of people.

Thank you to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars
Publication Date: 1/19/21

Lisa Gardner, along with Mary Higgins Clark and Erica Spindler, are the authors that made me such a fan of the mystery genre. I was so excited to see that Lisa Gardner was releasing a new standalone novel and could not wait to dive in.

Before She Disappeared is centered around Frankie, a recovering alcoholic with a tragic past. Frankie excels in solving cold cases and focuses on cases involving minorities and those not given the right amount of media attention. She has solved 14 cases when she comes upon the case of Angelique Badeau,a Haitian teen who vanished from her school. Frankie is determined to solve the case despite wariness and resistance from locals and the police.

Frankie is the center of this novel and is what sets this mystery apart. Lisa Gardner consistently creates strong female characters that you immediately care about. Frankie is smart and driven with many flaws and a ton of heart. I know this is a standalone novel, but I hope Gardner revisits this character in a future novel.

Before She Disappeared is a complex, dark, and timely mystery featuring a memorable heroine. True crime fans and murderinos will particularly enjoy this suspense thriller.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book, Before She Disappeared is the new standalone novel from Lisa Gardner, this book will stay with you long after the last page.
Frankie Elkin is a recovering alcoholic, she’s flawed and has many inner demons, but she’s ok with that. Frankie travels the country in search of cold cases, people who have disappeared and cops have given up on. Frankie doesn’t have a home and carries her possessions on her back. Her latest case has taken her to a neighborhood in Boston, a neighborhood that carries a reputation of gangs, drugs and violence. Frankie is determined to find a Haitian teenager named Angelique Badeau, she disappeared from school and was never found. Frankie is feisty and resourceful she meets an array of people some that are ok with helping and others that are determined to get her to leave. Frankie whose white sticks out like a sore thumb, she finds a job at the local bar, in exchange for the job, she gets the above apartment for free. She soon earns the trust of Angeliques brother and aunt and Detective Lotham. The more she digs, she begins to peel back layers of secrets that Angelique was hiding, and realizes that Angelique isn’t the only missing teenager. Frankie is soon dodging bullets and trying to find the connection and begins to see this case is more complex and dangerous than she realized, what did these two girls get themselves into? I loved this book the layers and twists held my attention, and I found myself loving the side characters just as much as Frankie! I will be anxiously waiting and hoping for book two! Five stars!

Frankie searches for people who have gone missing and cannot be found. She still looks anyway. Someone wants her to knock it off. The characters are realistic and so is the plot. When you add all the twists and turns in you have the thrill of a lifetime. This is one fantastic read.

Wow! Lisa Gardner did it again! She gave us a remarkable and admirable character in Frankie, who, despite being a recovering addict, is filled with courage and will power to find out the truth behind a case that many people have forgotten. There are so many things in this story that I didn’t see coming, so many questions that need answers, and so many people that could be the suspect. Lisa's writing style is phenomenal, the plot is captivating and gripping, and the characters are very intriguing.

Thank you to Dutton Publishing and Net Galley for an ARC of this novel.

Lisa Gardner has been one of my go to authors for years now. If I have a friend looking for a thriller to read, I always tell them to check out the DD Warren/Flora Dane series, and inevitably they binge their way through the series.

So when I found out that Lisa Gardner was putting out her first stand-alone thriller in 20 years I was incredibly excited. SOOOOO EXCITED. Maybe too excited, as I feel like I maybe went in with some unrealistic expectations.

Gardner has a way of creating these powerful complex women, whose motives sometimes edge on the cusp of legality, but have a relentless driving force towards justice. Before She Disappeared tries to give us another of these characters, but unfortunately, Frankie Elkin feels a little two dimensional. She’s an addict who has replaced her needs for drinking and drugs with finding missing women that no one else is looking for. She’s located fourteen so far, with no survivors, and she’s hoping to change that in Boston.

Angelique Badeau has been missing for almost a year, with no trace and no new leads. This is where Frankie inserts herself into the investigation, and gets results, immediately. Fast and furious. This is a bonafide page-turner, but it’s kind of hard to believe, and I think there are some very obvious holes in here in order to keep the plot moving.

SPOILER: One of the threads (that eventually is a crux of the story) is a dropped fake ID, and no one thinks to look into the name on that ID right away? That seems like the most obvious first step.

I also would be remiss to not mention that the first chapter is bad. It’s so overwrought and white savioury that I had to step away for a day. It also is completely unnecessary as everything that happens in that chapter is repeated throughout the story. I really wish it was removed, and it felt like it was thrown in last minute in an attempt to seem more woke. I’m glad that tone chilled out a bit through the rest of the book.

Overall, it wasn’t really a hit for me, but I still flew through it. So while I don’t think it’s up to the usual quality that I expect from Gardner it’s still a fun thriller.

Before she disappeared was an enjoyable read about Frankie Elkin. An amateur investigator who has helped find missing persons. She's found several missing girls in fact and is quite good and getting information from people. Frankie's journey is a complicated one and one that slowly unfolds for the reader. I loved this intense suspenseful read and would recommend it to anyone that enjoys a good police procedural that isn't so much procedural as it is police involvement. Thank you to Dutton and Netgalley for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Frankie is a recovering addict who specializes in finding missing people who are minorities and often have not been prioritized by local police. When she arrives on scene in Mattapan, Boston to help find a missing teenage girl (Angelique), she is met by resistance by the girl's family and local law enforcement. After Frankie starts digging and uncovers fresh clues after the trail has been cold for a year, Angelique’s family quickly change their minds and begin to cooperate. Frankie soon realizes that she has stumbled upon something huge and dangerous in a neighborhood where she is definitely not welcome.

Frankie is an amazing character with a complicated backstory that definitely piqued my interest. The supporting cast of characters were full of personality and vivid which made the story even better. It was very fast paced and Gardner did a great job of creating tense atmospheres. Her depiction of the Haitian population and local neighborhoods transported me there because of the amount of detail and obvious research she put in. I enjoyed this mystery and I wish this was going to be a series! I would love to read more about Frankie.

This is the first book I've read by Lisa Gardner. Now I have to go back and read everything else she's written! Frankie Elkin is an ex-alcoholic who has taken on the task of solving unsolved cases of missing persons, going from one town to another to a case that calls her. The story begins as she is on a train coming to South Station in Boston with one suitcase, ready to take on the case of Angelique Badeau, a Haitian teenager who has been missing in Mattapan for almost a year. So far, Frankie has found 14 missing persons, but they were all dead when found. She has come from an Indian reservation where she found a 22 year old woman in the cab of a truck underwater.

On her arrival in Boston, she goes to Stoney's Bar to ask for a job as bartender and a room to rent. It is definitely not a white neighborhood, and Frankie sticks out. She quickly makes friends with Stoney, his cook Viv, and Charlie at AA. She visits Angelique's family and tells them she wants to find Angelique, and she meets the Community Officer Ricardo and Lotham, the lead detective on the case. At first the police tell her to go home, but she begins getting clues, and they begin to respect her.

I wasn't sure about the main character at the beginning - whether she seemed realistic being a woman with a bad past who suddenly could solve cases the police couldn't. However, she grows on the reader with her smarts and skills. Soon, Frankie finds out that Angelique made a new friend over the previous summer, and Angelique's brother can also be a help. Then, it turns out there are two missing teenagers. Frankie keeps digging, finding out more, and putting herself into more danger. The last few chapters are VERY exciting.

I thank Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for giving me the opportunity to read the book in exchange for an honest review.

Actual star rating - 3.5

I am a big fan of Lisa Gardner's books, but Before She Disappeared is unfortunately a miss for me. Thank you Netgalley for my {gifted} copy in exchange for an honest review!

What I liked:
- I love books that feature self-proclaimed "private investigators" and I was a fan of Frankie, despite her difficult past and struggles with addiction. Her unrelenting desire to help find missing person's that everyone else seems to have forgotten about was really something special. I feel like while this is meant to be a standalone, I'd love to see more of this character. She didn't care that she stuck out like a sore thumb ... all she wanted to do is help give families the reunion or closure they desperately deserve. As a reader, I'd like to understand her motivations a bit better ... it felt a little "too much" at certain points, but perhaps getting additional glimpses back into her past would help.

-There are a LOT of mysterious elements in this book and it will definitely keep the reader engaged. I really loved that this was set in one of my favorite cities to read about - Boston! I felt that I was alongside Frankie in her adventures and loved the gritty scenery.

Things that didn't work for me:

-This book is SLOW. Very slow...I had a hard time focusing and picking it up back, but I did want to see how the story ended, so I skimmed a good 30% of this to reach the ending.

-I felt a little underwhelmed by the missing persons case. I wanted something more graphic and gory ... this is certainly not the book for that. I did want to see things get resolved for Angelique and her family, not this storyline just didn't grip me.

This book was built up so well.
I loved the plot line and this missing person's case that we are trying to solve with Frankie.
Again, the series of events was fantastic and well executed. The ending was a bit of a let down. I think some people will like it because it's consistent for the characters, but it was a bit of a let down.

This is not a feel good story. Its very raw and real and does not guarantee a happy ending. I thought the conclusion was a bit rushed, but the fun of the story is in the chase.

I will come back and write a more thorough review, but these are my initial thoughts.

I adore Lisa's writing, but didn't love the plot. I think it was more of a slow-read for me compared to some of her previous books. There are two different mysteries going on at once and they slowly unraveled. There are multiple flash-backs that left the plot jumbled in my opinion. This is one I would skip, but would encourage you to read her previous novels, especially if you love following detective series.

Happy Sunday Bookstafriends!!

To say that I am a Lisa Gardner fan would be an understatement! I discovered her in 1998. The Perfect Husband was then and remains one of my favorite books ever. See it in that stack? It is well loved. All of these books have been well loved, reread and enjoyed by my grandmother and Morgan too. Lisa has a specific talent for thrillers! I almost always binge them. Before She Disappeared was the same, I finished in a day.

Before She Disappeared isn’t a serial killer book it’s about missing girls. Personally I love a good missing person case in a book. What I think drew me in so much was our MC Frankie Elkin. She was flawed, a recovering alcoholic. She had some demons in her past that still haunt her, but she channeled that energy into solving missing person cases that have gone cold. She was a strong woman and despite her flaws I loved her and her grit. Her personality came across as someone I would love to know.

I absolutely loved Gardner’s description of Mattapan, a Haitian Boston neighborhood where the girls disappeared. Lisa’s writing is so descriptive that I felt like I was there and craving the delicious food she was describing. Did I look up a lime rickey, yes I did and I officially want one.

This book was well written, flowed beautifully and made me want to be BFFs with the MC, that makes it an obvious 5 star read for me. Go buy it or preorder it, it’s out on Tuesday, Jan. 19. Need advice about other Gardner books to read, DM me. I have read them all. I LOVE the Survivor’s Club, The Neighbors creeped my entire neighborhood out when I made my friends read it. Detective DD Warren is amazing and when you add Flora to the mix, the story is sure to take you on a wild ride.

Thank you to @lisagardner for always delivering an amazing book. Thank you to @netgalley and @duttonbooks for my advanced digital copy to review.

BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARED by Lisa Gardner follows recovering alcoholic, Frankie Elkin, as she searches for the missing - those long forgotten by the public. When a new case brings her to a neighborhood in Boston, she becomes wrapped up in the lives of the locals as she begins the search for a teenager who appears to have vanished into thin air.

OKAY, this is my FIRST Lisa Gardner book and I am obsessed with this novel! Despite her main character, Frankie, having a dark past, she’s one of the most likable characters I’ve ever encountered. All she wants is to bring closure (& hopefully a reunion) to families who’ve had loved ones go missing, and she builds the most heart-felt relationships in the process.

There’s also a sassy cat roommate that honestly just warmed my heart.

Every single side character felt purposeful, and I just loved all of the interactions so much - I think even without the crime element, I would’ve loved it! BUT, I’m a crime junkie, so naturally the crime part was a big pull for me, and it DID NOT disappoint!

I’ll definitely be checking out more of Gardner’s work.

*** special thanks to NetGalley & Dutton for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review ***

If you are looking for a good crime novel full of suspense but isn't a police procedural, then I highly recommend Lisa Gardner's Before She Disappeared.

I've read one book in Gardner's D.D. Warren series and one in her Quincy & Rainie series, so I knew I was in for a good read. Before She Disappeared did not disappoint.

This novel has two mysteries for the reader to unravel and I promise both will take turns you won't guess.

First, there's the female protagonist Frankie. She's a recovering alcoholic who travels the country solving cold missing person cases. She has never been a police detective or a private investigator. Her only skills seem to be bartending and asking the right questions. She has no home, no family, not any friends - all her worldly possessions fit into a carry-on size suitcase. Why does she do what she does?

Then we have the crime - the missing persons case that Frankie has come to Boston to help solve: a 15-year-old Haitian girl who disappeared into thin air after school one day 11 months ago.

Boston is a much bigger city, with many more resources than any place Frankie has worked before. Yet, the police haven't made any progress and don't have any hope of a new lead. Frankie's presence at first is pretty unwelcomed. Though always an outsider, she, as a white woman in a predominately poor immigrant district of Boston, is even more of an outsider. Even with the streets teeming with criminal activity, she's not intimidated. The police also aren't happy with her - that is probably more of a pride thing. Again she doesn't let the attitude stop her. They all wonder if she is some kind of scam artist - but she isn't looking for payment. She does have personal reasons for doing what she does.

I liked that the story focused just as much on Frankie's demons as the "ripped from the headlines" plot of a missing teen. Frankie's story is a mystery as well and just as she gradually gathers clues to Angelique's disappearance, readers gradually get clues to what happened in Frankie's past. I think her story is more shocking than what is revealed about Angelique's.

Frankie is one of the messier protagonists that I've read, yet she knows that her life is a mess - she makes no excuses. However, she also knows she is doing the best she can. The readers know it too, which is why you'll be rooting for her to not just solve this case but this time find the girl before it's too late.

As Before She Disappeared isn't listed as part of a series, I'm not sure if we will get more stories with Frankie. I really enjoyed the secondary characters and, even though police procedurals aren't my favorite, I wouldn't mind a book feature Detective Lotham. That's the only way we are likely to see any of those characters again because in typical fashion, with the case closed, Frankie packs her meager belongings and with few good-byes, she walks out much how she walked in. Only that it is mentioned that she has already started the search for her next case gives a glimmer of hope that we will see Frankie again.

My review is published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2021/01/before-she-disappeared-by-lisa-gardner.html

Frankie Elkins is a recovering alcoholic who has devoted herself to finding missing girls, the ones everyone has given up on.
I enjoyed the fast-paced mystery set in Boston, but the flashbacks to Frankie’s past didn’t interest me and interrupted the flow of the story.
All together a fun middle of the road detective/mystery read.

Frankie is a recovering addict. She travels the US trying to help solve missing person cases as it seems she is trying to atone for sins of the past.
Angel, a Haitian girl from a neighborhood in the slums of Boston, went missing 11 months ago and Frankie immerses herself in the town trying to find clues as to what happened to her. Most people look at her and tell her to just leave; there’s no room for a middle aged white woman snooping around, but soon she starts to grow on everyone. Gaining confidences, she learns things the police didn’t, and slowly starts to unravel a twisted story.
As the story goes on, we learn more about her past and why she is doing what she does. She has hardly any possessions and as soon as a case is solved, she vanishes, onto the next one.
Lisa Gardner never fails to leave me wanting more and more and it’s hard for me to put the book down without knowing what is going on. This book was no exception.
I really enjoyed the new characters woven into this tale and I know Frankie isn’t the type to stay in one place, but I hope we visit her again soon.
I love Lisa Gardner and was so excited to be able to get to read this new stand alone early. Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Group and the author for an early copy of this book!

Wow, Lisa Gardner did it again! I have always enjoyed her books and Before She Disappeared did not disappoint.
Frankie Elkin is a 40 year old white woman who has been a recovering alcoholic for about 9 years. She lives very cheaply, usually bartending while traveling around the country looking for missing women and girls whose cases have gone cold. She has a knack of asking the right questions to get clues from people are reluctant to talk to the police.

Frankie's latest case takes her to Boston in search of a 15 year old Haitian born girl who has been missing for 11 months. Things pick up when she starts asking questions and along with a determined police detective and a number of interested community members, Frankie learns a lot.

Not only do we learn the mystery of Angelique's disappearance but we learn about Haitian customs and food and more than most of us will ever have to know about counterfeiting (not just money)

I highly recommend Before She Disappeared and thank NetGalley for the advance copy.

This was my first Lisa Gardner book to read, but most definitely not my last. Frankie, a recovering alcoholic, has spent the better part of her last 10 years searching for missing people that the police have all but given up on. So far she’s found 14 missing people, but this time, she hopes to find Angelique, a missing Haitian teenager in the Boston neighborhood of Mattapan, still alive.

This book will keep you flipping the pages, It’s filled with twists and turns, and when you think you’ve figured it out- you haven’t. This suspenseful thriller was different than many I’ve read in the past, because our heroine is not a PI or part of the BPD, she is just a civilian trying to find those missing and bring closure to the families. Most law enforcement are not huge fans of her, but her knack for asking the right questions gets answers that have evaded police.

One thing I did feel was slightly lacking in this novel was truly getting to know Frankie. I walked away still having so many questions about her background and why she does what she does. I was hoping for a deeper exploration of her motives. We learn about incidents in her life in pieces throughout the novel, but never see a full picture.

I definitely recommend picking this one up if you are a fan of police procedurals with a twist.

An enjoyable read that you will devour and not want to put down. I loved reading about the main character Frankie Elkin. She was determined to help find those who have gone missing that the locals, police, and society have forgotten about, and she wants to help bring closure to the family members affected by the disappearance. She was full of fire, fought for what she believed in, and she worked alone and was quite successful at what she did.

Frankie was a fierce and interesting main character and I loved to read about her search and rescue attempts as well as get glimpses of her past and what made her the kind of person that she is today. Of all the missing persons that Frankie has found, none of the have been found alive.

An overall enjoyable read that you will love. I’m looking forward to read more from this author.