Live To Tell
, by Lisa Gardner, starts off in high gear with Boston homicide detective, D.D. Warren back in action once again. Duty calls interrupting her dinner date, when she learns that a family has been killed: mother, 2 children dead and the husband/father clinging to life. One child, 9 rear old Danny (Danielle) was spared. Was it a murder and attempted suicide? If so, why was Danny spared? Just as the 38 year old detective begins to investigate, another family is murdered, less than (2) days later. The second mass murder was (5) victims with a dinner table set for (6). One family was middle class, the other family poor. In parallel story lines, we have the stories of (2) women: Danielle Barton, the survivor of the first mass murder some twenty years later. Danielle is a troubled woman who relives that horrible night over and over again. She is psych nurse at a locked down facility outside of Boston. The patients are extremely violent and psychotic children. The descriptions of the behaviors of these children had me biting my nails as I read....not for the faint of heart.
The other story line was about a woman named Victoria, a mother who would do anything to protect her extremely violent and troubled son Evan. Evan is a young boy who could be sweet one minute and then threatening to stab his mother the next. His father took the couple's daughter and moved elsewhere for their own safety, but Victoria wasn't done trying to help her troubled son.
This was one of the tougher books to review. I honestly had no idea how the stories were all going to come together. They did come together in a surprising, but not totally satisfying way for me. Don't get me wrong, this book packed a wallop! The writing shocked me to the core, and I could not put it down. Even though I was not totally satisfied with the way the story ended, I was happy I read this thriller. If you have not read the (3) earlier books in the D.D. Warren series, you will still be able to follow this along with this shocker just fine. As always, I will be looking forward to more novels by Lisa Gardner, who, in my opinion has never written a boring novel.
RECOMMENDED
RATING - 4/5 Stars - Review Copy
I just finished the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson and I've been looking for a new series in the same vein. I'm glad you reviewed this book because now I have one! Thanks for the heads up.
ReplyDeleteOne of these days I will actually read a Lisa Gardner novel. I am glad she continues to write well. Thanks for your great review, Diane!
ReplyDeleteI just got a recommendation for one of Gardner's books a few days ago. I have been wanting to try something by her, but prefer a standalone novel rather than something in a series. I've heard good things about her writing, so I am looking forward to it!
ReplyDeleteWell, you've certainly piqued my interest. I'd want to start with book 1, though.
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried any of Lisa Gardner's books, but they always look intriguing. Now I'm going to have to try one. This sounds fascinating!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so great! Lisa Gardner is one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to read this one! Great review, Diane!
ReplyDeleteI've read several of Lisa Gardner's books and have enjoyed them all. I will add this to my list of books to read.
ReplyDeleteWow - sounds very disturbing. Sounds like something Jonathan Kellerman would write.
ReplyDeleteI posted my own review of this one today, and I must say, I really enjoyed this book.
ReplyDeleteThis was brutal, wasn't it? I was just so stunned by the information on some of the children ... and that chapter when you kind of think Victoria is talking about a husband and then it is her 8-year-old son? Just got to me.
ReplyDeleteFor me, this book was all about the psychiatric ward and all that ... and Danielle coming to grips with her past.
Jenners...I know what you mean, I so thought Victoria was talking about an abusive, violent spouse....Big Surprise....shocking, eye-opener, that psych ward for me too!
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know this was #4 in a series. I hate when I don't know stuff like that and then read the book!
ReplyDeleteI like Gardner, but haven't read the rest of the series, and prefer to start at the beginning.
ReplyDeleteI recently read Gardner's novel Gone (my review ) and had similar feelings to those you had about this one. I really enjoyed the story, couldn't put it down in fact, but the writing distracted me a little at times.
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