Tim O' Day disappeared 5 years ago. Frankie joins the search for Tim with her cadaver dog Daisy. Tim's dad and his friends who he was with when he disappeared are on the search. I enjoyed learning about cadaver dogs. This book was quite the thriller and kept me reading way past my bedtime. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Frankie Elkin is back at it! I’m a huge Lisa Gardner fan, and instantly gobbled up the first story of her newest character - Frankie Elkin, that I was desperate to get my hands on the second in the series, out today!

Frankie is on the road again, this time, helping a search party look for a man, who disappeared in the dead of night in the dense Wyoming forests, during his bachelor party. His friends and family gather every year to search for him and come up empty. When Frankie offers her services to help find the missing man, everyone is skeptical. She doesn’t have proper hiking gear and she isn’t professionally trained. But they agree to her help and what begins as a desperate search for the missing, turns into something sinister.

I really enjoyed this story. It was a slow start, as we were introduced to new characters and settings. However, once the group settled in the dark forest for their first night, things really started rolling and the story kept running after that. I loved the fast pace, the twists and turns, and the scary spooky setting of an unknown, vast forest, added to the layers of darkness that settled within the pages of this story.

If you love a good mystery+you love a good series, Lisa Gardner’s latest is a WINNER.

The second in the series, One Step Too Far, is equally as good as the first, Before She Disappeared. The main character, Frankie Elkins, is the glue, the key, the axis that will make me continue to come back for me.

Frankie is…complicated. And unlike many other authors who focus merely on plot and have cardboard cut-outs for characters, Gardner fully develops her lead. We see how Frankie’s childhood impacted her in so many ways - the alcoholism, the fears, the strength she now has, the inability to just ‘let it go.’

Frankie is compelled to find missing people in cold cases, and she is really good at it. This time around it is a missing hiker after a drunken bachelor party, but not in an urban city setting; this one is placed in the Wyoming wilderness. The cast of supporting characters are phenomenal, as it the tense, page-turning I had to do.

Can’t wait for Book #3!

4.5 stars! Frankie Elkin is back with another case, an experienced hiker has gone missing In the deep woods.
I loved that this one took place in the woods and not in a city, Not what I was expecting, in the best way. vastly unexperienced Frankie joins a search party for Tim, with his father and his group of experts. This was an intense fast paced story. I didn't want to put it down. It was about finding someone but also survival. You could just picture the woods and the terror that was felt! The characters grow on you so quickly as you try to figure out what and who is out there trying to harm them. I thought I had a slight idea of who but I didn't have a clue, it takes so many turns your not expecting. I really enjoy Frankie as a character, her inner monoulog and the way she thinks about her life and what she could or should do next.I can't wait to see where Frankie goes next and what kind of trouble she gets herself in!

Thank you to Dutton Books and Netgalley for my copy for honest review!

I loved it! It was one of those books that I didn’t want to put down. The plot was so intriguing, and I really liked the twist at the end. My only critique is that I felt it was too long. The same greatness could have been achieved with fewer pages. That’s my only reason I can’t give it five stars, but I still highly recommend this book!

The second book in the Frankie Elkin series will be a hit amongst hikers and outdoorsman. I found it slow moving, drawn out and tedious at times. I look forward to reading another book by this author but about Frankie.

#netgalleyarc I really enjoy this author and really enjoyed the first book in this series. This book, book 2, was good but not great. This story got o&ff to a very slow start and even though I did enjoy reading it, it never grabbed my attention the way the first book did.

This was awesome! It’s entirely atmospheric and so richly written. Taking place entirely on a hiking/camping trip, this was twisty and fabulous. I loved book one in this series and this cemented my love for the lead, Frankie. She’s a strong female with a heavy backstory. LOVED it, can’t wait for book 3! 4.5 ⭐️

I almost liked this second book in the series more than the first! It is hard to compare the two as they are so different in many ways, but Frankie is still the same and she is able to find the lost when no one else could.

Frankie is still fighting the good fight, looking for those that have been forgotten by everyone except family and friends. She is still fighting her own demons as well as the prejudices of those around her. She does make friends along the way even when she is being acerbic and a bit of a bitch. Those who start off doubting her soon come around to realize that she can really get the job done. This search was a challenge for her, mostly physically, but also mentally. Going out in the wilderness is something she hasn’t really done before, and seeing the beauty of it through her eyes was a really nice way to experience it.

Of course there is a new cast of characters in this one, many of whom I enjoyed. Three of the young men who were on the original trip when Tim disappeared, are available for Frankie to talk to and question. They were a troubled lot, lots of survivors guilt and the need for closure, but she soon gets out of them what really happened that night and it was quite the eye opener.

There are two other characters worthy of notice. Bob, the sasquatch hunter, was a bear of a man, but quite gentle and a good person to have around when things got tough. Also Luciana and her search and rescue dog Daisy, were a great help to Frankie and to her survival as well. I loved learning a bit more about these types of dogs and how they work.

The plot and the setting of this book were so different and quite a lot of fun. I wasn’t really sure what the truth of Tim’s disappearance was going to be, but I had many working theories and was glad one of them turned out to be the correct one. There was a doozy of a twist at the end that I did not see coming though. There was a small part of that twist that was a little bit flimsy, but overall it made the satisfactory ending that much better. The plot was pretty seamless and really kept you turning those pages to find out what was going to happen next. There is lots of nonstop action in this one, and through some of it you are not sure of the survival of any of the characters.

If you are into suspense thrillers, especially those in a wilderness setting, this is one you should consider reading. Lots of detail to the setting, plus an action filled plot will keep you turning those pages.

Great book - kept be engrossed throughout. Had to find out what had happened. I recommend this book.

Lisa Gardner is one of my favorite authors, and while this particular book wasn't my all-time - she's still fantastic. And, I very much hope there is more to come from Frankie!

When I started this follow-up instalment in Gardner’s new series, featuring something of a lone-wolf cold case investigator (though not a professional one, just a concerned and capable citizen), I did not expect to cry as much as I did. But maybe that’s just me being a softie as always.

“<i>Now, the emergency whistle</i>.”
“<b>I have a whistle! I carry it around tough neighbourhoods all the time.</b>”
“<i>Your idea of self-defence in an urban environment is a whistle? Are you trying to die?</i>“

This particular case that Frankie stumbles her way into is so very different from the first we experience through her. Gone are the mean streets of Boston; say hello to the wilds and dangers of Wyoming. She hears about the fifth year anniversary — and final hail mary search — of a missing man who went camping with his groomsmen for their bachelor party and later disappeared. She manages to negotiate her way into the hiking expedition and from then on it’s exhaustion, sweat, secrets revealed, and everything going wrong.

“<i>I hate pity.</i>”
“<b>Then stop being so pathetic.</b>”
“<i>I hope Bigfoot kicks your sorry ass</i>.“
“<b>Wouldn’t that be something? Please take video.</b>”

As I feel is often the case with Gardner mysteries, I did not see the reveal for this one coming. I had suspected something very different and was way off base. But this wasn’t one of those twists that come totally out of left field, either. So I loved that.

“<i>I thought you mountain-guru types were supposed to be able to sniff the dirt, lick a pine cone, then state unequivocally who came here at what date and time, not to mention their favourite food and astrological sign</i>.“
“<b>I know you’re a Virgo, does that help?</b>“
“<i>How do you know that?</i>“
“<b>Because you’re a pain in my ass.</b>“

I also loved all the new characters we were introduced to. Which is probably why I cried so much. Plus there’s a dog! But in addition to the new faces, I still really liked Frankie — or rather, maybe stated to like her more, as I don’t know if I appreciated her in book one the way I did in this one. Her internal monologue is a little repetitive when she gets going and thinking about her past, her life up until now, but it also makes sense considering her pile of regrets and the fact that she’s a recovering alcoholic. But I like the concept of her, this rogue individual, the fact that she’s lived a hard life and is committed to doing for other people, and also that she’s middle aged and not a spring chicken.

<i>If a dog can do this, I tell myself, than I can, too. Of course, the dog has had way more training.</i>

The whole unravelling of this mystery worked so well; the stakes were high, the players all had varying levels of expertise and capabilities, and again, the reveal? So good. I also really enjoyed how contemplative Frankie was near the end and how this story wrapped. That whole section was lovely.

<i>Why do I do what I do? Because at the end of the day, the people left behind matter as much as the ones who are missing. We mourn the ones we’ve lost, but we agonize over the pieces of ourselves they took with them.</i>

I’m always excited for new releases from this mystery/thriller author and I am happy to say I’ll now be as excited for a new Frankie book as I would be for a new DD book. Give me anything from this author. Looking forward to the next!

This is the book that made me fall in love with Frankie Elken and really see her heart and soul. I loved how different this was from the first story and the characters were so well-written that I didn't want any of them to be killed or end up the killer. I hope this series goes on for a long time because what the world needs is more Frankie !

I’m a longtime LG fan and I always look forward to her newest release, not only because she always delivers an insanely good book, but because I never quite know what to expect. This is the second book in her new series and it feels different from her other books. Frankie is a unique character, she doesn’t have a real job, finding missing people is more of a calling for her than a vocation and it doesn’t pay really at all so she’s truly on her own with everything she owns in a suitcase. She’s a complex and super interesting woman and I feel like LG has only just begun to peel back the layers of who she truly is, I hope this series is just getting started because it’s good!

I think this is the first book I’ve read by the author that was so very atmospheric, the majority of it takes place in the wilderness in Wyoming and it was creepy, isolated and chilling. Frankie was very out of her element and that added some apprehension to an already tense situation. She’s joined a haphazard rescue team at the last minute who is looking to recover the remains of a man who disappeared five years ago. That’s really all you need to know about the plot but if you like character driven, well written and pacey thrillers this one was amazing. I felt like I got to know more about Frankie and what motivates her as well as a fascinating mystery too.

One Step Too Far is one of Lisa Gardner's best suspense books. Frankie Elkin is almost out of her element in this adventure that takes place in the wilds of Wyoming. This is one that is hard to put down!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another fast-moving, creepy, suspenseful book from Lisa Gardner! I'll admit that Frankie Elkin is not my favorite Gardner character (I'm partial to Quincey and Rainie!), but this book was great!

Frankie heads into the wilderness to help search for the remains of a hiker who went missing 5 years before during a bachelor party. The search takes them deep into the woods on a week-long hike and search, but before long things start going wrong, and it looks like someone is targeting them.

Frankie Elkins is back on the case to help solve missing persons cases. She has decided to head to Wyoming to take on the Timothy O’Day Disappearance, who went missing when out with his best friends on a camping trip. Now many years later Timothy’s father is determined to find his body before his wife and Timothy’s mother passes away. Frankie not being an experienced hiker is sceptical about joining the group of experts for the recovery mission but decides to tag along.

During the hike things quickly go wrong when some members of the search party are attacked. Frankie and the group have become to hunted and need to do whatever it takes to survive.

This is the second book of the Frankie Elkins series and after reading the first one I was definitely looking forward to this one. I quickly became hooked by this story and wanted to see what would happen to Frankie. I find Frankie to be a very likeable character and one you want to root for. There was a moment towards the end of the book where I almost didn’t think the mystery was going to be solved but the surprise ending came and was amazing and unsuspecting. I really enjoy this read and will be recommending this one to everyone.

Suspenseful, character-driven novel from Lisa Gardner. This one was a hit for me, despite being a little on the long side. I also enjoyed the setting - the Wyoming backwoods, which was so well-deserved, it was almost its own character.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I reviewed this book for Library Journal, to see my full review you'll need to purchase the issue its' included in near release day.

This is the first time I have read a book by this author and having read this will be definitely reading more. This is book 2 in the Frankie Elkin series but can be read as a stand-alone. A fabulous mystery crime suspense novel with an original and brilliantly woven storyline and some fantastic characters. The tension is palpable.

Briefly, 5 guys head into the wilderness of Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming for a bachelor party weekend. However, only 4 return with terrifying stories of dark shapes and weird screams. Despite searches the missing person, Tim, isn’t found. 5 years later, and in a final attempt to find Tim, his father has arranged another search attempt. The search party which consists of the father, a local guide, 3 of the original party, a Bigfoot Searcher, a woman with her cadaver dog and Frankie Elkin, who finds missing people but with no payment expected. When strange things start to happen it seems like there is something more sinister going on than one missing person…

A thrilling story of suspense and terror with the search party desperately trying to get back to civilisation alive. Wonderful story telling with a surprising ending I did not see coming. After this I need to go back to book 1 and then wait for book 3! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️