Before She Disappeared
A Novel
by Lisa Gardner
Read an Excerpt
PENGUIN GROUP Dutton
You Like Them
Dutton
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 19 Jan 2021 | Archive Date 19 Feb 2021

I really enjoy Lisa Gardner thrillers. This is her first stand-alone I believe in 20 years. It was worth the wait. A great book that kept me interested. I will recommend this to our patrons. Thanks to Penguin Group Dutton and Netgalley for the ARC.
4 stars

This was my first book by Lisa Gardener but it definitely won’t be my last! I’m a new fan! I was shocked to see this was her first standalone book in 20 years and boy did it deliver. I enjoyed this slow burn thriller about a woman who spends her life searching for missing persons. The premise was intriguing and the plot delivered.

Before She Disappeared is a solid, gripping standalone mystery that will definitely appeal to many. It follows the chilling disappearance of a 16-year-old girl, that gets more and more complex as new discoveries come to light. The characters are well-executed, and I thoroughly enjoyed the dialogue and the dash of romance. If you’re looking to meet an incredible heroine, regardless of how the mystery in question unfolds, I think you’re in for a treat with this one.

Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner

Frankie Elgin is a recovering alcoholic with such guilt and heartbreaking memories that she lives her life like a death wish in action. For the last ten years she has been on a one woman mission to find the missing. She has succeeded in finding sixteen missing persons, all the cases that she has taken on, and she has no plans to stop looking for more missing people as long as she is alive. Frankie has no home, no friends, no possessions other than what she can carry in a bag and she has no plans to ever change that fact. Nothing is going to hold her down and no one is going to tell her what to do.

Frankie's latest case brings her to Mattapan, a Haitian Boston neighborhood where she stands out in every way possible, including the fact that she goes walking around at night, a middle aged, white woman drawing attention to herself by her very existence, in this neighborhood who doesn't want her there. But often, people will talk to Frankie when they won't talk to law enforcement and Frankie makes quick inroads on the case of missing sixteen year old Angelique Badeau. Frankie is going to find out what happened to Angelique or die trying. I became fond of many of the side characters in this story and would love for there to be another one featuring Frankie and this neighborhood but Frankie isn't likely to allow such a thing because any attempt to grow roots or attachments to people are snuffed out as soon as Frankie finds what she is looking for. 

This was my first story by Lisa Gardner and now I plan to go way back to her early writing to start her series that features Detective D.D. Warren. Thanks to my friend DeAnn, for suggesting that I do so. We have a lot of fun reading ahead of us. 

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP/Dutton and NetGalley for this ARC.

Was able to read only an excerpt from this book. From the description, as well as the excerpt, I look forward to reading the entire novel.

I am reviewing this editorially for Library Journal so you will have to see the Mid January issue for my thoughts on this novel

I am a big Gardner fan, and this latest effort will continue that -- in spades. We are introduced to an interesting character, a reformed alcoholic woman who tries to find missing children around the country. She works as a pickup bartender for tips but her real passion is as a civilian advisor to the cops. Only one thing -- she usually finds her targets -- but too late, after they die at the hands of their abductors. Determined not to extend that record, she comes to suburban Boston and starts shaking up the missing case of a talented teen who doesn't come home from school one Friday afternoon. The clock is ticking and the clues starting piling up. With this latest missive, you don't miss some of Gardner's old characters one bit, and I hope she follows up with a sequel. Highly recommended.

It has been a while since I read a Lisa Gardner book and I have no clue why! I have loved all her earlier books and Before She Disappeared brought me back to my love of her mysteries. Lisa just gets better and better.

This book will have youur mind all over the place. Frankie is a middle age woman on a mission to help find missing people. Her current case is trying to find missing teenager Angelique. During this mission, there are so many twist and turns, your heads will be trying to keep up with all the information and clues.

The story was twisty and heart pounding but it also had a heartfelt touch it. You can't help but want the best for Frankie and for her to find Angelique. When I got to the ending, my heart was so full and yet missing a piece of it. You will understand this when you read it.

I know this is a standalone novel BUT I would love to see more of Frankie. I love her character. She is so strong and I love her will and determination to never give up. I won't complain to much if she stayed in touch with all of her new friends. Especially one in particular. Maybe one day we will see Frankie again. Fingers crossed!!

I’m a big fan of Lisa Gardner and have read every single book she’s written. Unfortunately this one left me a little disappointed. The wit and character development is still there and it’s suspenseful. However I found the story to be someone implausible and found it difficult to believe. I would still recommended that Gardner fans read it.

This book started out strong for me, but dragged a bit at the middle and end. I do feel as though it is one of Gardner's strongest books in quite some time. The characters had a lot of depth and I was very intrigued to find out who the "bad guy" was.

Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner is a superb read with well-defined characters and plotline. Definitely a page turner and well worth a read!

I love a great armchair sleuth 🕵️‍♀️
Frankie has SKILLZ 🔍 and determination. She and Pippa, from A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, need to form a detective team. They would be unstoppable. 😌

Frankie seeks out cold cases, especially those involving minorities, and she puts all of her effort into solving them. She’s just an average woman who is fulfilled from doing this work. The story begins with a missing girl who’s case has gone cold over the past 11 months and Frankie is on it.

We truly do live in an era where ordinary people can use their computer and research skills to actually solve cold case crimes. It really happens! (has anyone seen the documentary Don’t F*ck with Cats in Netflix?!) I think this was such a cool concept to read about in fiction.

What I loved most about this book was Frankie. She was a fully developed character - goofy, awkward, and witty. She had her own internal battles and overcame her struggles daily. I loved that her past wasn’t straight and narrow but she was so devoted to helping others and good at what she does.

I want to see this made into a movie and pick Julia Roberts to star as Frankie and The Rock to be Officer Lotham. That would be great!

Lisa Gardner comes thru with her continuation of strong female characters. Haunted by her past, recovering alcoholic Frankie Elkin travels all over the country trying to solve missing person cases. I The case is intriguing and travels in unexpected directions. Fast moving, believable characters - a great read. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

DD Warren fan here, (thanks for all of those, Gardner), so I was really looking forward to this one. I was not disappointed!

Frankie is such an empathetic character that you just can’t get enough of. I really enjoyed getting to know her and learn of the Paul backstory. Come on...the last phone call? Double thumbs up. I could have done without the cliche connection with Lotham, but I’ll overlook that one.

Great pace, great characters (I want more Viv and Stoney!), interesting setting. I called the mastermind pretty quickly but that didn’t take away from the story.

We need more Frankie in our lives, Ms Gardner. I’m expecting another entry soon?

P.s. Why is this book titled the way it is? I must be missing something.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was invited to view this title by a publicity manager right before Thanksgiving and it honestly made me jump for joy. As a disclosure, I've read probably all of Gardner's published books. Please note this is a standalone, so no need to be familiar with previous recurring characters.

Frankie Elkin doesn't have a home or a family, and she keeps her belongings to a single suitcase. She's a recovering alcoholic who works as a bartender in towns wherever she goes to locate missing people She's drawn to find, mostly minorities and women/girls. She recently wrapped a case of her 14th missing woman, found on the bottom of a lake, which gives her nightmares. Frankie is also haunted by the loss of the man she loved although the exact nature of their past relationship isn't clear at first.

Frankie sets her sights on Boston, Mass and an immigrant, working class neighborhood of Mattapan, with an influx of Haitian immigrants some of which have a special visa due to the earthquake. Frankie's self imposed mission, or calling, is to find Angelique Badeau, a 16 year old Haitian girl living with her aunt and younger brother Emmanuel. Angel or Lili as her brother calls her, disappeared 11 months ago and it appears to have gone cold, with no new leads. Enter Frankie, who persuasively convinces the family to let her help and work with the police to follow the breadcrumbs Angelique leaves her brother. Frankie comes across some very well described, interesting characters in Mattapan. While Frankie cooperates with BPD Detective Loman and there's a chemistry between them, the main focus is the urgent investigation to save Angelique. I enjoyed Frankie's thought process and unconventional ways of finding missing people. While she found 14 missing people, she hasn't yet had a happy ending. Not because she's bad at what she does, just that statistics are against people after they've been missing 48 hours. Frankie puts herself in danger to save the young bright woman who plans for her future and for her family. Mostly because of her own scars of her past. I think if you enjoy Gardner's books, or mysteries in general you will like this book quite a lot.

4⭐️
This is Lisa Gardners first stand alone novel in a long time! As one of my auto read authors, I was so excited for this one!
I love Frankies honest mess. She owned it and fought to do better. I was really curious as to why she traveled the country alone to find the missing.
Angelique and Livia are Haitian teenagers that go missing just shortly one after the other. How are the connected? I loved the family side of the story one with strong connections and other not. Angeliques brother Emmanuel was such a strong character his fight and love for his sister was the best!
I loved the way it ended, great way to wrap up the story!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
{Thank you @duttonbooks , @lisagardnerbks @netgalley for my review copy}

Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.  Before She Disappeared is available January 19, 2021.

Frankie Elkin is a recovering alcoholic, a little bit of a murderino, and a transient.  She might be rough around the edges but you have to be for what she does for a living.  Since becoming sober she's traveled between towns searching for the missing that the police easily forget.  That's what leads her to Boston and the search for missing teenager  Angelique Badeau, a Haitian teen who went missing over a year ago.  The trail seems to be cold but Frankie finds some new leads that may lead to bringing Angelique home.  As an outsider in the Mattapan community, Frankie will risk anything, including her own life, to find Angelique.  

It has been awhile since I've read a Lisa Gardner book.  This one seemed different from her previous novels.  It's  a slower paced crime novel than one that's a faster paced thriller.  In the rollercoaster year that 2020 has become, this slower paced crime novel is exactly what I needed to end the year.  

Frankie is a complex character but one I easily fell in love with.  Reading the description of the novel I was afraid Frankie would be an unreliable narrator but she's anything but.  Frankie is honest to a fault letting others know exactly what she thinks.  She's also smart as a whip, which she needs to be given her chosen path in life.  As a white reader, Before She Disappeared gave me a glimpse into the Haitian community than I know little about.  Frankie is also learning as she goes with that's customary within their social networks.  Although this easily could be a standalone novel I'm hoping Lisa will write more novels in the future with Frankie.

Lisa Gardner hits up the January 2020 releases with a standalone thriller that I wouldn't be surprised if she expands into a series. Haunted by her past, recovering alcoholic Frankie Elkin travels all over the country trying to solve missing person cases. In the Boston neighborhood of Mattapan, she searches for a Haitian teenager who vanished from her high school, teaming up with a tough local detective. The case is intriguing and travels in refreshingly unexpected directions. If you like that gritty detective feel so popular among New York Times bestsellers, you're highly likely to enjoy this one.

Lisa Gardner is a genius at creating strong female leads, who are also flawed and incredibly human. Frankie Elkins is no exception. I actually connected with her deeply, being a recovering addict myself. I empathize with that desperate drive to prove to yourself that you have some kind of worth. Frankie is a rolling stone, traveling from place to place finding lost girls of color, that the authorities have long given up on, if they even investigated to begin with. The latest one is Angelique Badeau, a young Haitian teen missing from her Boston neighborhood. Frankie is sucked headfirst into the search for Angel, after unexpectedly bonding with her family, and absolutely nothing in this investigation resembles anything she's handled before. I adored this book. It was taut and smart, with a sense of danger so real, I found myself saying "no, oh no, don't do that" out loud several times. After unraveling all the twisted knots of this story, everything clicked into place. I had one small gripe with the ending, but that is a personal preference and I don't want to spoil anything. If you are looking for a thriller that you can devour in one sitting, grab Before She Disappeared and buckle up, buttercup.
4.5 stars

*I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to Dutton and Netgalley.*

Frankie Elkin searches for people after everyone else has given up. She is a former alcoholic with no ties. Her latest case is a teen age immigrant which puts her in danger. Someone doesn’t want her to solve the case. Frankie has plenty of personal demons which make her difficult to like sometimes. There is plenty of suspense that will keep you turning the pages with an ending that I didn’t see coming. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.