Per usual, Gardner infuses her narrative with timely and topical social issues that deserve a closer look; here, the abuses and limitations of the foster care system come under the microscope, as do other matters including dependency, exploitation, gang violence, and PTSD. So too the struggles of working mothers like D. D. Warren, who endeavor to balance their personal and professional lives without compromising either. It’s these elements that ground the author’s propulsive plots in a sense of realism despite their fictional flourishes ... a worthy addition to Lisa Gardner’s outstanding oeuvre. Twenty books in, she continues to evolve her style and sensibilities, crafting stories that are as evergreen as they are urgent. As much about the whys as the whos, this is a thought-provoking thriller that will creep under your skin and inside your heart.
... a brilliant, one-sitting, terrifying ride, full of übersuspense and hair-raising situations. As this unparalleled plot thickens, the author keeps fans salivating with her superb no-nonsense, visually disturbing bird’s-eye-view storytelling. There are no backseat performances in this all-star, fan-favorite cast, in which every single portrayal is perfect ... must-read for fans of this prolific author, Michael Connelly, and John Sandford. Some pivotal series developments occur, but otherwise this reads well as a stand-alone.
The twists and turns keep peeling veils off an evil nobody wants to look at head-on, and culminate in a breakneck final act. The forensic analysis of shallow graves can unearth a lot of clues, but When You See Me also looks at the ways evil is handed down from one generation to the next. It’s a mystery that will keep you up late at night, haunted by the events within its pages.
A frightening climax provides an appropriate wrap-up to the Ness saga and the story of evil flourishing in a small mountain town. This is top-notch suspense by a best-selling master of the genre.
Gardner juggles multiple narratives, including that of the Counsels’ nameless maid, with ease. However, the involvement of two civilians in a major federal task force is initially hard to swallow, as are a few supernatural elements Gardner shoehorns in. But Flora’s tentative romance with Keith and her realization that she might finally be thriving, not just surviving, are bright spots, as is Gardner’s evolving and sensitive exploration of trauma and its insidious, lasting effects ... These characters are so beloved that readers may not mind when a few twists veer dangerously close to the absurd.
... gritty, character-driven ... Though the conspiracy-powered plot eventually balloons well beyond believability and a romantic detour involving Flora distracts, Gardner melds her distinctive protagonists’ stories into an emotionally powerful page-turner. Fans of kick-ass female investigators will be well satisfied.
... isn’t a manifesto. But it’s a nice fit with what’s happening in the real world, where women who once might have hung back are stepping forward with confidence and getting to work on whatever challenge faces them ... Confused? Don’t worry. Anyone who has read only some of Gardner’s 20-plus novels and stories will find that she lets the characters explain their history, often by the time we even meet them.
As is becoming unfortunately popular as a means of exposition, part of this novel is told in the first-person present via Flora Dane, serial killer survivor ... There are great characterizations in this story, for both villains and hero(ines) ... This is a book rich in description, as well as delving into the motives and thoughts of each of the characters, law officials and killers alike, revealing some hidden depths in characters who could’ve been written as cold-blooded criminals. In author Gardner’s deft hands, they also are still lawbreakers but occasionally show moments of concern and surprising compassion ... This novel is the 11th in the series and it doesn’t stint on the tension and suspense for which this author is well known.
