Lisa Gardner Sends Us On the Ultimate Thrill Ride with ‘When You See Me’ [REVIEW]

The Georgia hills keep deadly secrets in Lisa Gardner’s When You See Me. (Photo courtesy Canva)

A picture perfect town. A shocking discovery. Three women who will do anything to get at the truth. Will this case bring them closure or break them forever? Find out in Lisa Gardner’s When You See Me.

Dutton

When a woman’s corpse is found in the Georgia hills, FBI agent Kimberly Quincy enlists Sergeant D.D. Warren and survivor-turned-avenger Flora Dane to join her federal task force. But will their hunt lead them to the truth about Flora’s kidnapping or will it take them down the rabbit hole to something much more sinister than any of them has ever encountered?

One thing they quickly realize is that small towns are hotbeds of secrets and vice, and no one is to be trusted. In fact, they have every reason to be very much afraid. And even as they investigate, another woman is hidden away, fighting for her life. Robbed of her voice, she has only one chance to reach out to Kimberly and D.D. to get the help she desperately needs and the opportunity to get vengeance for everything she’s witnessed.

As Kimberly and D.D. chase down clues in a case that has become a race against the clock, Flora must face off with her own horrifying past if she’s ever going to prove that people with power aren’t as far above the law as they would like to think.

With When You See Me, Lisa Gardner has delivered a novel that keeps readers glued to their proverbial couches until the last page is turned. She manipulates our emotions like a puppeteer, tugging at our strings until we experience every imaginable emotion possible, from anger to tears. As such, when we finally close the book, we are left both satisfied and emotionally spent, as if we just made it through the other side of the most terrifying fun house in town.

Gardner definitely knows how to put us through the paces, concocting a novel that is  complex and populated by memorable characters. My heart was particularly stolen by Bonita, a young girl unable to communicate with words. Instead, she uses colorful, descriptive pictures to express emotion. Her resilience, especially in the aftermath of unfathomable loss, is both haunting and deeply moving.

Through it all, I kept wondering what I would do in Bonita’s circumstances. Like her, would I always remember my mother’s words, “You are mine and I am yours, always?” Of course, my husband would tell me, “Babe, it wouldn’t even be a choice for you. You always fight for the underdog.” That’s true, I must admit. Still, one needs to remember that in every battle, there are decisions to be made, and some can ultimately cost us everything we have. And in this case, each woman pays a hefty price in her own way.

Whether you’re already a fan or have never read a Lisa Gardner book in your life, When You See Me is an excellent place to start. This is a book which puts the thrill in thriller. Don’t miss it!

Lisa Gardner
(Photo by Philbrick Photography)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lisa Gardner is the number one New York Times bestselling author of 20 suspense novels, including The Neighbor, which won Thriller of the Year from the International Thriller Writers.

An avid hiker, traveler, and cribbage player, she lives in the mountains of New Hampshire with her family.

To find out more, visit her at LisaGardner.com, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

WHEN YOU SEE ME
By Lisa Gardner
400 pp. Dutton. $27.

Purchase When You See Me directly from Jathan & Heather’s Beach Reads Book Shop or at one of these other fine online retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Half Price Books, IndieBound, and Powell’s.