Look For Me

Fast-moving suspense about a family of 4 killed and the oldest child and two dogs were missing. Det. D.D. Warren gets the call as lead investigator. She is unwillingly aided by Flora Dane, a survivor of a kidnapping/torture that lasted over a year. Now Flora has an on-line support group to empower women in the ways to be safe. The missing child (teenager Roxy) had reached out to Flora's group just before the murders occurred and Flora insists that she will be able to find her and rule her out as the murderer. And she does. The backstory to the murders and the investigation of them is interesting and keeps one guessing. It is a sad story about the reality of children in foster care and the social service agencies who work to keep them safe. I'd never read Gardner before but thought the book well-written and I enjoyed the main characters.

3.5/5 Stars

Honestly, I was torn between Look for Me and one other book at Barnes & Noble and the synopsis for this one really won me over. Upon further research, Look for Me is the ninth(!) part of a series by Lisa Gardner. Gardner's Find Her - which precedes Look for Me - introduces us to Flora Dane. I was completely unaware that this is a series but since I enjoyed this book, I will be sure to check out Find Her and the other 7 books. Anyway, I'm a sucker for a good thriller and Gardner certainly delivered. There's a lot of motive, trauma and relationships that give the reader a chance to play “detective”. I will say that there are quite a few players in this game, and their paths intertwine often so it's key to pay attention as some important details could be an oversight. However, the million dollar question remains: is Roxanna Baez a victim or is she the perpetrator?

I became engrossed in the family's troubled past, stemming from mother Juanita Baez's alcoholism which lands her children in a year of foster care. The young children suffer levels of abuse in foster care, and moving back to the area where they spent their time in foster care opens up a door to rebellion and sought-after revenge. I like that Gardner sheds a light on the foster care system, as well as the real consequences one suffering from alcoholism and/or drug addiction can face.

In terms of the mystery itself, D.D. Warren and appointed CI Flora are the front runners that really drive the case; D.D. almost taking a back seat to Flora's lead. It's interesting to see how different perspectives driven by different motives can lead to very opposite but also very similar ideas of what happened to the Baez family. Flora's survival instincts are key in keeping the case moving forward. Another aspect of the story that I enjoyed is that Gardner included those key survivalistic techniques, which I noted myself.

I find it intriguing that the story is written in multiple points of view: Flora being the sole First Person P.O.V., Warren in the Third Person, and Roxanna through personal essays titled The Perfect Family as well as the Third Person. I wondered why it is that Gardner decided upon that style of writing rather than have all main characters' stories in the First Person, but now that I know Flora was introduced in the preceding book I feel as though Gardner did it to make Flora and her post-kidnapping life a main focus of her moving forward, and what struggles real-life survivors could face.

I enjoyed the clues and different leads from both Warren's and Dane's points of view - being that they were driven by different motives - as well as the “hidden” past Roxanna and Lola faced in foster care, which the reader learns about through Roxanna's essays. I love that Gardner kept the reader guessing as to who the hell the “mystery shooter” is. She constantly throws out little stories and flashbacks that make you second guess your theories. I will say, however, that as I neared the end of the book it became a bit predictable and my theory of who the suspect is ended up proving to be true.

All in all, this book kept me turning pages; I finished within 5 days and with my semi-busy schedule, finishing a book in less than a week has been a rarity for me lately. I would say that the book as a standalone is great; knowing that it is just one of a 9-part crime series speaks to my Nancy Drew-loving middle school self and I'll be sure to check out the other installments in the series. Although I wouldn't say that this is my all-time favorite read or even my favorite read of the year, I would recommend it.