REVIEW: BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARED, BY LISA GARDNER

Frankie Elkin is an average middle-aged woman, a recovering alcoholic with more regrets than belongings. But she spends her life doing what no one else will–searching for missing people the world has stopped looking for. When the police have given up, when the public no longer remembers, when the media has never paid attention, Frankie starts looking.

A new case brings her to Mattapan, a Boston neighborhood with a rough reputation. She is searching for Angelique Badeau, a Haitian teenager who vanished from her high school months earlier.

Resistance from the Boston PD and the victim’s wary family tells Frankie she’s on her own—and she soon learns she’s asking questions someone doesn’t want answered. But Frankie will stop at nothing to discover the truth, even if it means the next person to go missing could be her.

 

Frankie Elkin brings a down-to-earth vibe to Before She Disappeared. As the first person narrator, she invites us into her world and her thoughts, and I felt right at home with her.

I enjoyed following her along as she searched for the missing teenager, and attended some AA meetings with her, too.

As she stood up against the official detectives, bringing her unique insights to the search, I applauded her efforts and her abilities. She gave us a peek into the world of the family members and the missing individuals, adding something extra even as she revealed more about herself.

I enjoyed her journey as she pieced together the clues that might lead to the missing girl, and then still another one, and the pursuit kept me intrigued throughout.

The book was long and winding, but I couldn’t stop turning the pages. 4.5 stars.

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