Find Her by, Lisa Gardner

Find Her by, Lisa Gardner

Release Date February 9, 2016

Flora Dane, kidnap survivor, she came back safely, but is she really okay? What happened that last day of her kidnapping? And what is Flora doing now, shouldn’t she be happily living her life after 472 days in the hands of a kidnapper but that isn’t what Flora is up to at all, does she have a death wish? Or is she just reckless? Does she wish her life had ended or does she want to end other peoples?

DD has quite a case on her hands she has one missing girl and now she’s called to a crime scene where the Victim? Perpetrator? Is a former kidnapping victim who is naked and tied up and there is a dead body of a man on the floor. What is going on with Flora Dane? You know DD will figure it out eventually!

Yet again Lisa Gardner gives us a victim who we feel bad for but is she as much of a victim as she would like you to believe? Is Flora a victim or a vigilante?

This is another great thriller from Gardner that kept me on the edge of my seat all the way to the end. Flora is kind of an anti-hero; I can’t say I liked her but the way Gardner writes her makes you care.

The reason this review is mostly made up of questions, is because they are questions you will ask yourself while you are reading, also when you are up till 3 am because you can’t put this book down, well you’ll have questions!

I love Lisa Gardner’s books she always keeps me guessing and keeps me on my toes for clues and little things that are said and this one is no exception, DD has her hands full with this case between the confusing Flora, the missing girl, Flora’s FBI victim advocate, Samuel Keynes and Flora’s mother. DD is trying to figure out just what the heck is going on before anyone else dies or goes missing.

I don’t want to delve too much deeper into this because I want you to enjoy every moment of this fabulous book.

5 Stars

I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher for a fair and honest review.

This Is Where It Ends by, Marieke Nijkamp

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

This was a powerful book about a school shooting that lasted 54 minutes, told from the perspectives of the students experiencing it. What I found interesting was there was no perspective from the shooter, but once the narrators realize who the shooter is you get glimmers of who he was but you never really understand just why he does what he does.

This book did pull me in pretty fast I read it in 2 sittings; it kept me interested all the way through. I also liked that there were many races, religions, disabilities and sexual orientations represented. I did have a few problems with how the police were handled though, they took the time to set up tents before knowing just what was going on inside or trying to contact the shooter? Everyone in the auditorium had a cell phone and I just didn’t feel any urgency on their part.

My favorite characters in this book would have to be Far (Fareed) and Tomas (the prankster of the school) these two showed so much heroism, especially since they were free, they were both sent to the principal’s office, they weren’t locked in the auditorium with the shooter they could have just walked away but they didn’t, they stayed and tried to help.

I felt so bad for the shooters sister to have to see your brother shooting people and ranting about life and you can do nothing to stop him, yet people think you should be doing something or that it’s your fault.

I also am not sure what the addition of the tweets was about; I don’t think they added anything to the story at all. (And in my DRC it was big white blocks with the tweets below, I’m not sure what I was supposed to be seeing). These tweets could be cut completely and not lose a single bit of the story.

I’ll be honest there was a few times where I thought why aren’t you all ganging up and taking him down, I guess unless you have lived the situation you don’t know how you would react so I tried to put myself in their shoes and I’d probably be the kid completely shut down and too scared to move, so who am I to judge.

There were a few things off about the book but they in no way outweighed what made this a powerful story.

3 ½ Stars

I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher for a fair and honest review.

2015 Favorites

2015 Favorites

I read so many great books this year, here is my narrowed down top 20

107 books read- 7811 pages read- 70 Female Authors 37 male Authors

905 Hours of Audiobooks, Listened to- 50 Female Narrators-44 Male Narrators

Mademoiselle Chanel by C.W. Gortner

Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin

Boo by Neil Smith

What She Left Behind by Ellen Marie Wiseman narrated by, Tavia Gilbert

A Darker Shade of Magic (A Darker Shade of Magic #1) by V.E. Schwab narrated by, Steven Crossley

Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran

The Flying Circus by Susan Crandall narrated by, Jacques Roy

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson narrated by, Scott Brick

All the Stars in the Sky (Until the End of the World #3) by Sarah Lyons Fleming narrated by, Julia Whelan (Goodreads Review)

Every Fifteen Minutes by Lisa Scottoline narrated by, George Newbern (Goodreads Review)

A Touch of Stardust by, Kate Alcott narrated by, Cassandra Campbell

Lacy Eye by Jessica Treadway narrated by, Ellen Archer

Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain narrated by, Alison Elliott

The Truth According to Us: A Novel By Annie Barrows Narrated By Ann Marie Lee, Tara Sands, Julia Whelan

The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon narrated by, Cassandra Campbell

The Murderer's Daughter by Jonathan Kellerman

The One That Got Away by Simon Wood (Goodreads review)

Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta narrated by, Robert Petkoff

Crash & Burn (Tessa Leoni, #3) by Lisa Gardner

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins narrated by, Clare Corbett , Louise Brealey and  India Fisher

And a couple that don’t come out till Spring of 2016 (reviews to come)-Links to description on Goodreads

The Vatican Princess: A Novel of Lucrezia Borgia by C.W. Gortner

Find Her by, Lisa Gardner

Marley: The Other Christmas Carol by Donald Allen Kirch narrated by, J. Scott Bennett

Marley: The Other Christmas Carol by Donald Allen Kirch narrated by, J. Scott Bennett

I really enjoyed this story and thought the narration was very well done.

Marley is still rattling around the afterlife in chains but he is given a chance to redeem himself, remove the chains and move on, If he can save a family about to implode. It is how he chooses to “save” them that will get you right in the heartstrings if you don’t at the very least gasp or shed a little tear you may not have a soul! Just kidding but really this one got me right in the feels but at the conclusion I was able to breathe again and applaud the author for his great storytelling!

I enjoyed J. Scott Bennett narration he is a new to me narrator who I would definitely listen to again his British accents were the best and I enjoyed his little girl voice his American accent could use a little work but I still enjoyed it overall.

This book is only 2 hours and 46 minutes but I was completely enthralled the entire time. I highly recommend this different little book. A great addition to your Christmas listening list!

 4 Stars

**I received this book from the narrator for a fair and honest review**

Necessary Lies by, Diane Chamberlain narrated by, Alison Elliott

Necessary Lies by, Diane Chamberlain narrated by, Alison Elliott

Another fascinating book about the eugenics program in North Carolina this time told from the perspective of a new social worker who is appalled at the program. The first book I read on this subject was “Unfit by, LaraCleveland Torgesen” which I found fascinating and I think both of these books should be read to really get a feel for what these poor women/young ladies/children went through.

Jane may be a woman ahead of her time because the only respectable job for a lady was a school teacher or nurse especially when you are married to a pediatrician who really doesn’t want you to work. You surely don’t go to work as a social worker, working with the poor and god forbid the coloreds , it made me sick that her husband was more upset about her having to work with the coloreds and that she wasn’t there to have dinner waiting for him. I for one am so glad at how far we have come as women!

We also meet Ivy Hart who is one of Jane’s clients Ivy is trying to keep her little family together even though she is only 15 years old herself. She takes care of her grandmother who has a problem with sugar which we now call diabetes and an older sister who has already had one illegitimate child but little William is the apple of everyone’s eye and they do try their best to take good care of him. But when Jane takes over as case worker everything changes, Jane makes a discovery and tells a secret that changes everything for the Hart family.

I really liked this book, this was a new to me author and narrator and I enjoyed them both very much. I liked the authors writing style and I found the subject matter well handled. The characters in this book are nicely fleshed out and it gives us a frightening look into social work in the 1960’s in North Carolina, which was the one state that continued the eugenics program longer than any other state, so many women (and men) were sterilized just for being poor or colored, which I feel is horrifying.

Narrator Alison Elliott did a really good job at portraying both of these women and I thought she added to the telling of this story I will definitely listen to her again.

I will be looking for other books by this author.

4 ½ Stars

Still Missing by, Chevy Stevens narrated by, Angela Dawe

Still Missing by, Chevy Stevens narrated by, Angela Dawe 

This is going to be a short review because I don’t want to give anything away so you can read it yourself.

I really enjoyed this one! The reveal of who was behind it all shocked me completely and that doesn’t happen often, so Kudos to the author!

Annie was kidnapped and held prisoner by a sadistic rapist for a year, when she finally gets away and gets home there are so many unanswered questions, like why did the Freak (as she calls him) pick her, how does he have a picture of her, how does he know so many details about her life, friends and family, and was he working alone. Annie of course is having trouble dealing with life outside of captivity but she doesn’t want to burden anyone so suffers alone, however she is finally seeing a psychiatrist and we get an inside look into what the Freak did to her and all that happened in captivity during her sessions. As the story unfolds you totally understand why Annie is having a hard time adjusting and feeling safe.

Angela Dawe’s narration was really good she gave everyone a distinct voice and didn’t get too shrilly when Annie was dealing with things which I was happy about. This was the second book I’ve listened to by this narrator that I really enjoyed so I will definitely listen to her again.

I highly recommend this book, I enjoyed the authors writing style and how she kept the suspense going throughout the book. I have already put her newest book on hold and will be working my way through everything she has written.

4 Stars

The Worst Hard Time by, Timothy Egan narrated by, Patrick Lawlor

The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan narrated by, Patrick Lawlor

I have seen Ken Burns’ Dust Bowl Documentary on PBS which was quite fascinating so when this was picked for book club I was very interested in reading this book. I found that it put a face on the stories as we followed a few families through the lush beginnings to the terrible endings. I can’t even imagine looking up and seeing a 12,000 foot wall of dirt headed right towards you.

These people were made of stronger stuff than I or probably anyone living today, and that is scary because this could easily happen again. I can’t imagine living in a dugout, or the tar paper shacks which were supposed to be just temporary until the crops paid off but that was where they were still living when the worst of the dust and drought hit. To be living literally in a hole in the ground with your children while dirt so thick swirls around and in your “home” and the poor babies breathing in this dirt, my heart just broke for these people.

I did have a favorite family and that was Bam White’s family this man fought and fought even when there was nothing to fight for.  I also thought Hazel Shaw was pretty amazing after everything she went through she still wanted to feel like everything was okay and for her that meant wearing her white gloves every time she put them on I felt like they were her fighting gloves with these on I know I can make it.

All of these people just looking to make a living and provide for their families and things went so horribly wrong, honestly that any of them survived is a tribute to them. I felt so bad that even before the worst happened so many were swindled not only by the banks but by the land dealers there was a lot of corruption that was for sure.

I was also fascinated with this Governor Alfalfa Bill Murray, what a character my goodness some of the things that came out of his mouth wowza I can’t imagine in this social media age what people would say about him. His racism was awful.

Now for the narration, Patrick Lawlor’s narration was very well done it was a semi straight read but yet with emotion, you could tell he enjoyed telling this story and read it like a storyteller which I appreciated I was glad he didn’t do any accents of these immigrants because I think that would have distracted me from the telling. There were a few accents but they were people that needed it I think that Alfalfa Bill saying his three C’s it needed a slight accent.

This was an awful time in our nation’s history between the depression, the dust storms, the drought and unemployment these people lived through some of the toughest times we’ve seen the ones that survived came through tougher than we could ever be. And we should all hope that it never happens again and thank Hugh Bennett for starting Soil Conservation Districts because without these programs like CRP (planting fields to native grass for so many years to revive the soil) it would have already happened again. Soil is not indestructible and people need to remember that.

4 Stars

The Plow That Broke the Plains

Alfalfa Bill Murray