Detective D.D. Warren has a new case to investigate. A family of five is now a crime scene. Four of the family members are shot dead while the fifth one is nowhere to be found. Is the sixteen-year-old-girl hiding somewhere safe? Or has she been abducted? Or is there another angle to this case? D.D. has to find out what is behind this mess she found today in that family house, and what is still hidden.

On the other side of this equation is Flora Dane, a woman that has survived her abduction. She has spent four hundred and seventy two days learning exactly how much can a person endure. She has now turned avenger and is after anyone that hurts innocent women. She is determined to find sixteen-year-old Roxy and help her out. Because for Flora, Roxy is a victim.

So what really happens in this book?

The story begins with a scene that is totally different to what is described in the synopsis. It is the story of a third woman, which the reader comes to understand a bit later, and it is a very disturbing one. But it helps to put things together and let the reader understand exactly how Flora works and what she is currently doing. How she lives her life through helping others.

I hadn’t read any of Lisa Gardner’s books before and I was a bit concerned when selected to read “Look for me“. Concerned I wouldn’t understand the background story. Concerned I would be missing some key points of the story due to what may have happened in the previous books. Concerned the author may be referring to past scenes I would not understand. But there was no actual cause for concern, as whatever needed to be known from past stories, Gardner would summarize it in a sentence or two, keeping all the vital parts in those few words. It is true that Flora’s own story was featured in a previous book which may have been a really nice one, considering the information provided in this book. However, it was well enough covered from her thoughts and actions, as the author depicted them in this book, to give the background story to support the character.

Gardner knows her main character, D.D., really well. In this book, she is also a mother, apart from a detective which is a nice touch. It also shows the problems the detective work can cause to a family, the events and moments a mother can miss.

Speaking of family, the main theme here is the perfect family. Does it really exist? Where can we find it? The background of the family that plays the protagonistic role in this book is a troubled one. Even though at first glance it seems to be just another normal family in Brighton, it turns out that there is a lot more hidden in the shadows of the past. Alcoholism being one of them. Foster care another. And that is one of the big issues in the country as the reader can see through the story. If only 1% of what is in the book is true, it is enough for someone to understand that there is something wrong with the system and has to change. Foster parents must be above all, loving parents! That could help eliminate a good amount of the problems.

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About the author:

New York Times bestselling crime novelist Lisa Gardner began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire numerous times, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she has parlayed her interest in police procedure, cutting edge forensics and twisted plots into a streak of eleven bestselling suspense novels.
Readers are invited to get in on the fun by entering the annual “Kill a Friend, Maim a Mate” Sweepstakes, where they can nominate the person of their choice to die in Lisa’s latest novel. Every year, one lucky stiff is selected for literary immortality. It’s cheaper than therapy, and you get a great book besides. For more details, simply visit Lisa’s website.
Lisa lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with her family, as well as two highly spoiled dogs and one extremely neurotic three-legged cat. Lisa graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in international relations.

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