Most Helpful Customer Reviews
65 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another corker in the DD series..., February 2, 2012
Lisa Gardner has been on my must read list for some time now and I have particularly loved the Quincy/Rainie series. However, in more recent books the DD Warren series has been predominant which I have taken my time to grow to like as much as the Quincy books. Having said that; after Lisa's last book in this DD Warren series I can honestly say I was hooked. DD Warren is a typical no-nonsense Detective, and she has her work cut out for her in this latest book. Charlie Grant is the main focus of the story and from the very beginning we are shown her sheer terror. Charlie is convinced that on 21st January she will be murdered. Whilst dealing with another crime scene, Charlie confronts DD and asks her to make sure she investigates her imminent death properly. The nicest thing about this book is we see the slight change in DD's character and she comes across as a much softer woman following the birth of her son. DD and her team are also working on the killing of people involved in sex crimes. This storyline interlinks with the main one regarding Charlie nicely. From the very beginning the plot is very fast paced and there is a sense of frenzy as we read about Charlie trying to out-run the person coming to kill her. The story picks up considerable pace around the halfway mark and the two stories run alongside each other nicely. The best part about this book for me was seeing much more of DD's personal life and the ways in which she has changed. The story kept me turning the pages quickly and the story kept me guessing until the very end. We do see glimpses of characters from previous books such as retired FBI profiler Pierce Quincy, as well as fleeting glances of J.T Dillon and Sergeant Roan. Although I have grown to love DD Warren, I would still love to see another book released featuring Quincy! Overall, this was one of the best in the DD Warren series and although part of a series could certainly be read as a stand alone book. I think Lisa Gardner fans will be thrilled with the new, softer DD Warren and new readers will be pleased to read such an engaging book. A definite page turner and I would definitely recommend it.
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22 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"The monsters are everywhere.", February 3, 2012
Boston detective DD Warren is faced with a most unusual case when Charlene Rosalind Carter Grant reports an impending homicide: "In four days someone is going to kill me." The murderer-at-large has already taken the lives of Grant's two best friends on January 21st of consecutive years. As part of a trio of best friends since grade school, Charlie figures she is next on the list, the past year spent on a rigorous schedule of self-defense lessons and graveyard shifts as a 9-1-1 dispatch operator. Charlene does not expect to survive beyond the looming date. Unsurprisingly, Warren's dance card is already full with a new baby, a looming visit from parents and a spate of recent murders of known pedophiles demanding the Boston PD's immediate attention. Now DD must balance the crimes on hand with a case yet to be a case, the assistance of a Special Victims detective much appreciated. Gardner tells her story through two voices, the soon-to-be victim, and the lead detective, in chapters that reveal Charlie's childhood of unabated abuse at the hands of her mother and current threat from an unknown killer and the thoroughly professional approach of a seasoned investigator happy for the assistance of Detective O, who contributes another perspective, one that includes suspicion of the enigmatic Charlie Grant. The result is a thriller that at first seems predictable- until Gardner pulls the rug out from under any easy assumptions and injects an unexpected angle to her plot. Filled with relevant information about the behavioral adaptations of online pedophiles, police procedures during homicide investigations and the emotional demands on 9-1-1 operators on shift, the action accelerates in a nightmarish scenario that highlights the perverted creativity of criminals and the damage to innocents, in this case the past come alive in pursuit of restitution in the present. Luan Gaines/2012.
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15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Has motherhood mellowed D.D.?, February 7, 2012
Boston homicide detective D.D. Warren is back! And at the age of 41, she's dealing with first-time motherhood. In fact, she's just returned from maternity leave, and her first case back involves what appears to be a serial killer of pedophiles. While the Boston P.D. isn't mourning the victims, they aren't about to turn their backs on some kind of vigilante killer. Outside one of the crime scenes, D.D. finds a suspicious note on her windshield, and spots a woman watching her. Once D.D. chases her down, she meets Charlene Rosalind Carter Grant, a young woman with an amazing story. In short, Charlene believes that she's about to be murdered in a few days on January 21st, just as her two closest friends were in the two preceding years. The novel is told in three narrative threads, that of D.D.'s investigation, the continuation of Charlene's story, and a third storyline involving a young boy who is clearly being cyber stalked. It moves at a consistently fast pace that is sure to keep you turning pages. The plot of this novel is very complex. There's a lot going on, and if you figure it all out, you're a lot smarter than me. Stories with as many twists and turns as this one has can seem contrived, but Ms. Gardner has managed to put all of her puzzle pieces together so meticulously that I never felt she was cheating. It was beyond impressive! As tight as the plotting is, perhaps the most satisfying aspect of this novel is watching the evolution of this central character that we've gotten to know so well over the years. Every time I finish one of these novels, I'm left looking forward to the next case and the next chapter in D.D.'s life.
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