Another mater piece by Lisa Gardner. Before She Disappears is true to the author’s style. A gripping crime story with a heroin guaranteed to steal your heart and a reminder about the forgotten people in the world. The minority groups among us that are so often overlooked, and when they are noticed they are stereotyped and pre-judged.

I have managed to consume 15 Lisa Gardner books this year and I simply cannot get enough. Her writing manages to draw you into the story from the very first page and keeps you hooked right to the end. I find myself completely lost in the story whenever I read one of her books and Before She Disappeared does not disappoint. I think Lisa Gardner has just created my new favourite character. I adore Flore Dane – from the DD Warren series – but Frankie Elkin is right up there with her. I hope we will be seeing more of Frankie in the future.

Frankie Elkin, a recovering alcoholic spends her life searching for missing people that the world has given up on in an attempt to provide closure to the families. She finds herself on the dangerous streets of Mattapan, Boston, in search of a Haitian teenager that has been missing for 11 months. Her search through this dangerous neighbourhood, among people who do not trust a mid-aged white woman asking questions, turns into a challenging, and life-threatening adventure. Will she find Angelique Badeau in time or will the locals succeed in scaring her off?

This book had me holding my breath almost all the way through. It s a touching story that reminds you not to judge a book by its cover when it comes to people, not to stereotype people and that some times those who appear to be the strongest are often the most broken among us.

Lisa Gardner is a master at creating a heroin that is completely broken, but strong and determined at the same time. Frankie Elkin is exactly that as well as selfless and caring. Move over Flora Dane, here comes Frankie Elkin! I fell in love with this heroin before I even knew what her full story was. The author did a brilliant job with this character and I look forward to reading more about her in the future.

In case you haven’t noticed by now, I LOVE this book! This is without a doubt a 5-star rating for me – I seldom give a book 5 stars – but Lisa Gardner and Before She Disappeared deserve it.

This book will appeal to mystery & thriller enthusiast across the board. A brilliantly written, original story that will keep you turning the pages.

I simply cannot recommend this book highly enough! Please, do yourself a favour pre-order the book today – make sure you get your copy as soon as possible!