Frankie is back looking for another missing person. There is more to this story than meets the eye. All sorts of twists along the way. This book will keep you guessing. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Lisa Gardner's new Frankie Elkin novel cuts straight to the chase. In Tucson's scorching heat, our recovering-alcoholic-turned-detective takes on a case that hits close to home: a young Afghan refugee vanishes after work, leaving her toddler behind.

Unlike Frankie's usual cold cases, this trail's still warm. But what looks like a simple disappearance turns deadly serious when war trauma, cultural tensions, and family secrets start bubbling to the surface.

Gardner writes with the precision of someone who's done their homework. The refugee experience feels real, the Arizona heat practically radiates off the page, and the story moves at a pace that'll keep you reading well past midnight. Through it all, Frankie's own demons dance in the background, adding extra weight to an already powerful story.

The plot's tight as a drum, with enough twists to keep thriller fans happy and enough depth to make you think. New readers can jump right in - no previous Frankie Elkin knowledge required.
Kiss Her Goodbye proves Gardner's still got it. In a genre that's seen it all, she manages to deliver something fresh, fierce, and unforgettable.

4/5 stars

Perfect for fans of smart thrillers that pack both heat and heart.

This story truly moved me. Set against the backdrop of war, it’s a reminder that even in the darkest times, humanity still shines through. Told from two powerful perspectives—Sabera and Frankie—it weaves a deeply emotional narrative about displacement, identity, and finding a place to call home. Sabera’s chapters, especially, hit close to my heart. As the child of immigrant parents, I felt every word of her struggle. While the book may be fiction, the emotional weight of Sabera’s experience is very real—the heartbreak of leaving one’s country is something that lingers, and this story captures it so well.

Frankie’s journey was equally compelling. She’s a woman searching for belonging, and watching her evolve felt incredibly personal. What made the book even more special for me was the vivid cast of supporting characters—Daryl, Genni, and Roberta. Their chemistry was pure perfection. I honestly felt like part of their little group as I read, which makes me a little sad knowing they won’t be part of Frankie’s next chapter.

I’m deeply grateful to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will stay with me for a long time.

This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. The riddles, surprises and nods to struggles we face as a society were bonuses in this well written mystery/thriller.

The story takes you through the life of a refugee and describes the challenges as if you are experiencing it. Every character has a story and the author does a good job touching upon each one. You feel personally connected and involved in this international adventure. Overall, a great read for anyone loves this genre!

Frankie Elkin is back! Hurray! The 4th book in the Frankie Elkin series finds her on hot streets of Tucson, AZ to find a missing Afghan refugee who could be in great danger. Sabera Ahmadi has been missing for three weeks and the local police are not concerned so it's up to Frankie to figure out what has happened to her.

I couldn't put this book down. There was a lot of action and it was also informative because I learned about the challenges the Afghan people face as they settle in the states and the organizations that help them with that.

Thank you NetGalled for an ARC of this book.

Kiss Her Goodbye is the 4th book in the Frankie Elkin series by Lisa Gardner. Frankie is called to Tuscon AZ when an Afgan refugee goes missing and hasn't been seen for several weeks and the police don't take the disappearance seriously. Frankie arrives in Tuscon where she meets Aliah who called her to help find Sabera who has up and disappeared after leaving her work and has left her husband and daughter behind with no communication. Frankie, being the drifter that she is answers an ad for pet sitting with a place to stay only to find it is more than she bargained for having to take care of an iguana, python, and other reptiles. The establishment can't be beat though and the people she meets at the home become a part of her ragtag team. As Frankie and her team tries to run down what happened to Sabera, information is gathered but it is hard for them and the reader to piece how it all fits together. Along the way more people connected to Sabera go missing, putting pressure on Frankie to not only find Sabera, but what happened to the others.

Lisa Gardner does an excellent job with her character development and really throws the reader into the story. You feel as though you are right there alongside Frankie trying to figure out what is going on here and what steps should be taken next. While this book is part of a series it can also be read as a standalone. I personally had never read another book in this series and I was able to enjoy this book on its own, having no previous history. I have found a new author I enjoy as well as a new series to follow.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #KissHerGoodbye #LisaGardner

4.5/5 stars

Kiss Her Goodbye is the fourth book in the Frankie Elkin series.

This book is a mystery thriller and can be read as a standalone. The mystery is self-contained to this book. However a few things from the previous books are mentioned. I would recommend reading this series in order. The character of Frankie has evolved throughout the series. I think that it would be easier to understand her if you’ve read the previous books. Also there are references to romance that won’t make sense without having read the previous books.

Frankie finds missing people. She is not a private investigator. But her specialty is missing persons cold cases. In this book she is asked to locate a missing Afghan refugee. Twenty-three year old Sabera is a gifted linguist who has vanished in Tucson Arizona (where the book is set).

Frankie travels to different places in each book. The first thing that she does when taking on a new case is find a temporary job and place to live. I absolutely loved the pet-sitting job that she gets in this book. The job is funny and terrifying considering the pets are snakes and an iguana. I adored where she stayed and absolutely loved the other employees that worked there (Daryl the driver and Genni the cook).

The story here is quite complex. There are some Sabera chapters from the past showing her plight in Afghanistan. This was heartbreaking. It was definitely important to see everything that happened to Sabera and her family in the past. But I did not enjoy these parts as much.

Then there is Frankie trying to find Sabera in the present. Aliah owns an Afghan deli. She is worried about her friend Sabera and asks Frankie to help her. Sabera has a husband Isaad and 4 year old daughter Zahra (a child prodigy). Zahra was a wonderful supporting character. I also really enjoyed the fun banter between Frankie and Detective Marc.

Frankie's previous romantic interest from the last book is talked about briefly. But it's not explained for new readers. And there are no reminders for old readers. Also what about the guy from the first book? I definitely wish that the romance was a bigger part of the story. And that we got some flashback reminders of what happened. I would definitely like to know more of what took place between books 3 and 4.

Although the case features a heavy subject the story is riveting. I really enjoy Frankie so much. She is such a complicated unique woman. And the ending was so good. I need more Frankie!

I just finished Kiss Her Goodbye, which was my first Lisa Gardner novel and it absolutely delivered! As a mystery lover, I was hooked from the start. The plot was layered and full of twists and watching all the pieces come together made the experience even more thrilling. Each chapter left me eager to dive into the next.

This was my second e-ARC and I’m incredibly grateful to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to read Kiss Her Goodbye ahead of its release.

Phew, Lisa Gardner and Frankie Elkin always have me coming back for more! Big thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC, as I am a huge fan of the Frankie Elkin series!

The Frankie series always keeps me guessing and on my toes. This time, Frankie is traveling to the too hot Tuscon where we are once again introduced to a missing woman and a cast of endearing characters. Lisa Gardner never ceases to amaze me with how she can develop characters who I end up loving, and missing, by the end of each book. Frankie is searching for Sabera, a young mom from Afghanistan and nothing is as it seems. Everyone is keep secrets, but most of all, Sabera. Told through Sabera’s haunting letters and Frankie’s perspective, you’ll never quite know or guess what is reality, or fiction. This story kept me guessing the whole time and pulled on all of my heartstrings. Loved it from beginning to end! Can’t wait for the next one.

I loved this so much, even though it dealt with some very depressing topics. This is the fourth installment of the Frankie Elkin series. Frankie doesn’t have a settled home. Instead, she goes from place to place, doing her best to find missing people, dead or alive.

Frankie is called to Tucson, AZ, to find recent Afghan refugee Sabera Ahmadi. Her best friend thinks she is in grave danger. Sabera might leave her older, demanding husband, but she would never leave her four-year-old daughter. When Frankie arrives, a video surfaces of Sabera seen leaving the scene of a brutal double murder. Frankie quickly learns there is much more to the story than meets the eye.

Frankie needs money and a place to stay since she doesn’t charge for her services. It takes a stretch of imagination how much she lucked out in the situation she quickly found herself in, but I love the characters that also worked there so much, all is forgiven.

I found this hard to put down and very compelling.

NetGalley provided an advance reader copy of this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 12, 2025.

Not my favorite. I normally love the Frankie Elkin books, but this one fell a bit flat for me. The whole plot seemed so unbelievable. Normally I’m hit with a shocking plot twist, but I’m still waiting. I do like that Frankie stays true to their character. They look for the people that are often overlooked.

Oh Frankie, I've missed you! I love this character - witty and irreverent with so much heart. This time she finds herself in Arizona, searching for a missing Afghan woman, a refugee just recently arrived. She has left her young daughter behind, as well as a lot of questions. We get glimpses into Sabera's life before fleeing Afghanistan, as well as snippets of her time in a refugee camp, and Frankie desperately tries to find the young mother before it's too late. She enlists the help of some really special characters (and a few reptiles). This one is less of a heart pounder and more of a head scratcher than some of Frankie's previous cases. The characters are what make this one special!

A super big thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read Gardner's latest!

4.25 stars! I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. From the getgo, I have absolutely loved this series and Frankie will always be my favorite FMC. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and while I still enjoyed it, I found there to be a bit to much to keep track of, but user error might have contributed to that. Nonetheless, I can’t wait for the next book!

Lisa Gardner knows how to write a story and keep you on the edge of your seat for days. I couldn’t put this down. Just a fantastic story. Loved every page.

This book is filled with so many twists it’s a treasure trove of hidden secrets and suspenseful events. Frankie is asked to search for a missing woman. A woman who escaped from a war torn country filled with hope for the future for her family.

First Zahra had supplied “a lock to a key for a key that has no lock.” Now Sabera had added, “Beauty is power; I am her sword.”

Lots of intrigue made this book hard to put down.

This is an exciting book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. You never know what's going to happen next. Great surprise ending.

This Frankie Elkin book is in a,series, however I did not read the previous books and I enjoyed this story as a stand alone. Frankie sets out to Tucson and becomes caretaker of reptiles while she makes new friends to help her solve the mystery of where a young mother has disappeared to and why. I recommend you come along for the journey which has many twists. Lisa Gardner did not disappoint.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC.

I read very few series - but this is an absolute MUST READ! Franki Elkin looks for missing people - typically ones that no one else is looking for. She doesn't really have a fixed address and she just slides into each new case as they come at her.

And this one was another great addition to the series! Frankie is pulled into a missing refugee - a women who went through our terrible system of camp after camp until she was placed in an apartment with 3 months for her, her daughter, and her husband to get their feet under them and make it in America.

This was such a fascinating story. I know very little of our refugee system and I had no idea how awful it was. I like that we get the past chapters that round out the story and give us details on the camp.

But oooooh Frankie! She, again, stumbles into a crazy living arrangement that adds great friendships and hilarious moments that really break up some of the more horrifying elements. I love how Frankie's mind works and how she starts from scratch and starts looking for someone. Thi sone had great twists and turns and kept me guessing. Honestly, this whole series is just great - each one is a great mystery with eye-opening information about society.

But, if you must start here, each book is a contained mystery and does stand on its own so you can just pick this one up and enjoy it! I loved it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I am and will always be a huge fan of Frankie she got me back into read the first two books were really good the last 3 fell off for me but I still had a great time :)

Frankie once again finds herself in an interesting missing person case. She travels to Tucson, AZ to work on the case of Sabera, an immigrant from Afghanistan. In looking for a job/place to live she finds herself in a beautiful, resort like, house where she is tasked with taking care of an Iguana, along with a large python and her babies for room and board. (Um...no thank you.)

The story was filled with so much information about immigrants and how their lives are so disrupted. I thought that the USA treated them better, but this book reveals that this might not be the case.

Another Frankie Elkin story that did not disappoint. I loved that, like life, not all parties survived and not all got a happy ending. I can't wait for the next book in the series.