Lisa Gardner’s ‘Look for Me’ Examines Substance Abuse and Flaws in the Foster Care System [REVIEW]

A family murdered. A girl on the run. Is she a savage killer or an innocent bystander? To find her, two women must first make sense of the clues. But can they do so in time? Find out in Lisa Gardner’s twisty thriller, Look for Me.

Seargent Detective D.D. Warren and survivor-turned-avenger Flora Dane race against the clock to find 16-year-old Roxanna Baez, the only member of her family to survive a mass killing. But is she a witness or was she the one to end her family’s lives?

With Look for Me, Gardner has crafted a fast-paced, high-octane suspense thriller that will leave readers breathless. The twists and turns she throws at us keep us guessing throughout the entire novel. Whether we’re examining clues left on traffic cams or learning about the shell-shocked ex-husband, we are just as eager as Warren and Dane to get at the truth.

What compels me most about this story is Gardner’s easy dialogue and intriguing characters. I particularly love the interplay between Flora and Sarah, a victim of abuse. Sarah survived her attack but she’s a now a shell of the woman she once was, and is now trapped in her own private prison, afraid to interact with the world outside. Flora enters her life to teach her to live again, much like a counselor assists a client.

By the end of the story, we obviously learn the killer’s true identity. Yet what stands out to me most is Flora’s passion and the helpful ways she reaches out to those in need. She intrinsically believes every victim deserves a second chance in life, and this aspect of the story is what lends Look for Me its heart.

This novel also takes an unflinching look at the foster care system and how substance abuse can alter the family dynamic forever. Altogether, it is a powerful and insightful tale that pulls no punches and makes us think about why family services are in dire need of help.

Whether you’re a longtime Lisa Gardner fan like I am, or simply love suspenseful novels by authors like Karin Slaughter, Leslie Glass, and Tess Gerritsen, you don’t want to miss reading Look for Me.

LOOK FOR ME
By Lisa Gardner
400 pp. Dutton. $9.99.

Purchase Look for Me direct from Jathan & Heather Books or from one of these other fine online retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Half Price Books, Hudson Booksellers, IndieBound, Powell’s, Target, or Walmart.