Synopses & Reviews
#1 New York Times bestseller Lisa Gardner, author of Catch Me and Love You More, returns with a heart-thumping thriller about what lurks behind the facade of a perfect family.
This is my family: Vanished without a trace…
Justin and Libby Denbe have the kind of life that looks good in the pages of a glossy magazine. A beautiful fifteen-year old daughter, Ashlyn. A gorgeous brownstone on a tree-lined street in Boston’s elite Back Bay neighborhood. A great marriage, admired by friends and family. A perfect life.
This is what I know: Pain has a flavor…
When investigator Tessa Leoni arrives at the crime scene in the Denbes’ home, she finds scuff marks on the floor and Taser confetti in the foyer. The family appears to have been abducted, with only a pile of their most personal possessions remaining behind. No witnesses, no ransom demands, no motive. Just an entire family, vanished without a trace.
This is what I fear: The worst is yet to come…
Tessa knows better than anyone that even the most perfect façades can hide the darkest secrets. Now she must race against the clock to uncover the Denbes’ innermost dealings, a complex tangle of friendships and betrayal, big business and small sacrifices. Who would want to kidnap such a perfect little family? And how far would such a person be willing to go?
This is the truth: Love, safety, family…it is all touch and go.
Review
“New York Times best-selling author Gardner (
Love You More;
Live To Tell;
Alone) always plays in the big leagues, but this scare-your-socks-off thriller is a grand slam, packed with enigmatic characters (some good, some crazily evil), expert procedural detail, and superb storytelling.”
— Library Journal on Catch Me
Review
“Gardner has become one of the best psychological thriller writers in the business. The compelling characters, the shocking plot and the realistic atmosphere of how police operate make this a "must read" for any suspense aficionado.”— Associated Press on
Catch MeReview
“The creepy meter is off the charts—though not sensationalized—with children the target of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse at the hands of both strangers and parents. And, somehow, miraculously without any contrivance, Gardner’s conclusion delivers a welcome glimmer of hope.”
— Booklist (starred review) on Catch Me
Review
“Gardner’s sixth Det. D.D. Warren thriller grabs from the get-go.” —
People on
Catch MeReview
“A solidly enjoyable thriller that will keep you on the edge of your chair as you turn the pages and listen for any strange noises around you.” —
Huffington Post on
Catch MeReview
“Irresistible.”
— Kirkus on Catch Me
Review
Praise for Ransom River:
“A chilly tale for a hot day at the beach.”—USA Today
“Ransom River is everything you want in a blockbuster thriller: multiple plot twists, thoroughly creepy psychotic villains, danger at every turn. Gardiner has an enviable talent for pushing characters and plot elements to the point of straining credibility, but she never breaks the limits of plausibility.”
—Associated Press
“‘Thrill ride is just too tame a description for Ransom River...The characters are emotionally complex, both the good and the bad. Gardiner has also created two of the creepiest siblings to be found outside of a Stephen King novel.”
—Florida Times-Union
“Crisp writing and a breathless plot make [Ransom River] a must-read for both newcomers and fans of the authors Jo Beckett and Evan Delaney series.”
- Booklist
“This is a tale that truly delves into the world of ‘small town living, and the wishes and dreams of most young people to get away from these surroundings as soon as possible. A great thriller that begins with the word ‘go, readers will be enthralled until the very last surprise is sprung. A definite keeper!”
- Suspense Magazine
“Gardiner continues to move from strength to strength; with a tightly crafted story and charismatic (albeit admirably flawed) new characters, Ransom River displays the talents of a top tier mystery writer at the top of her game.”
—BookPage
Review
Praise for
Touch and Go:
"This no-holds-barred stand-alone from Thriller Award-winner Gardner opens with the brutally efficient kidnapping of the Denbe family—father Justin, wife Libby, and 15-year-old daughter Ashlyn—from their exclusive Back Bay townhouse.…Gardner effectively alternates between the physical and emotional disintegration of the family under the pressure of their captivity and the efforts of [Invesigator Tessa] Leoni and company to dig into the secrets of Denbe Construction, its key employees, and its finances, as well as to locate the Denbes. The suspense builds as the action races to a spectacular conclusion and the unmasking of the plots mastermind."
—Publishers Weekly
“[A] thrill ride... Even readers who figure out the ringleader long before [Investigators] Tessa and Wyatt will get behind on their sleep turning pages to make sure they're right."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Gardners depiction of a woman in the midst of emotional chaos is spot on, as usual, and she proves herself just as capable when it comes to creating intriguing men. Readers will want to see more of Wyatt, just as they grew to appreciate Bobby Dodge in Gardners earlier books."
—Booklist
Review
Praise for
Catch Me:
“New York Times best-selling author Gardner always plays in the big leagues, but this scare-your-socks-off thriller is a grand slam, packed with enigmatic characters (some good, some crazily evil), expert procedural detail, and superb storytelling.”
— Library Journal on Catch Me
“Gardner has become one of the best psychological thriller writers in the business. The compelling characters, the shocking plot and the realistic atmosphere of how police operate make this a "must read" for any suspense aficionado.”
— Associated Press on Catch Me
“The creepy meter is off the charts—though not sensationalized—with children the target of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse at the hands of both strangers and parents. And, somehow, miraculously without any contrivance, Gardners conclusion delivers a welcome glimmer of hope.”
— Booklist (starred review) on Catch Me
“Gardners sixth Det. D.D. Warren thriller grabs from the get-go.”
— People on Catch Me
“A solidly enjoyable thriller that will keep you on the edge of your chair as you turn the pages and listen for any strange noises around you.”
— Huffington Post on Catch Me
“Irresistible.” — Kirkus on Catch Me
Review
Praise for
Touch and Go:
“Lisa Gardner, the master of the psychological thriller, has delivered another tour de force with "Touch and Go," which exposes the raw nerves of a family imploding, and an investigator trying to escape her past….Gardner does an amazing job of creating realistic situations and characters with emotional resonance. The constant surprises will shock even the most jaded thriller reader.” -Associated Press
“Returning home after a date night meant to repair their marriage, Justin and Libby Denbe are abducted along with their teenage daughter from their glamorous Boston townhouse, leaving cops with no motive or ransom demand. The suspense crackles as the Denbes grapple with their captors bewildering brutality. But what gives the story heart is Libbys dawning realization that her family may have been broken long before their kidnappers appeared.” --People
"This no-holds-barred stand-alone from Thriller Award-winner Gardner opens with the brutally efficient kidnapping of the Denbe family—father Justin, wife Libby, and 15-year-old daughter Ashlyn—from their exclusive Back Bay townhouse.…Gardner effectively alternates between the physical and emotional disintegration of the family under the pressure of their captivity and the efforts of [Invesigator Tessa] Leoni and company to dig into the secrets of Denbe Construction, its key employees, and its finances, as well as to locate the Denbes. The suspense builds as the action races to a spectacular conclusion and the unmasking of the plots mastermind."
—Publishers Weekly
“[A] thrill ride... Even readers who figure out the ringleader long before [Investigators] Tessa and Wyatt will get behind on their sleep turning pages to make sure they're right."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Gardners depiction of a woman in the midst of emotional chaos is spot on, as usual, and she proves herself just as capable when it comes to creating intriguing men. Readers will want to see more of Wyatt, just as they grew to appreciate Bobby Dodge in Gardners earlier books."
—Booklist
Review
"Edgar Award-winner Gardiner...steadily ratchets up the suspense in this taut stand-alone tale." -
Booklist "A 'master writer' Gardiner is certainly right on the money where this suspense is concerned!" - Suspense Magazine
Review
Praise for THE SHADOW TRACER
“The novels that can be set into the ‘fantastic category may be slim, but this standalone mystery by Meg Gardiner certainly found a place in that elite group.” —Suspense Magazine
“Edgar Award-winner Gardiner steadily ratchets up the suspense in this taut stand-alone tale.” —Booklist
“Gardiner will keep you up half the night with nonstop action and nary a pause for breath.” - Kirkus (starred review)
“A standalone from the Edgar Award winner that should not be missed.” - Library Journal
“Edgar-winner [Meg] Gardiners second standalone boasts another of the strong female characters shes known for and enough pulse-pounding action to satisfy the most avid thriller fan.”- Publishers Weekly
“The story hits the ground at 60 mph and keeps revving from there...the characters [are] equally vivid whether they're bad or good or somewhere in between. Combined with the blistering pace, The Shadow Tracer is a thriller that fans should not skip.” - Shelf Awareness (starred review)
Review
Lori Roy, Edgar Award winning author of Until She Comes Home, Interviews Meg Gardiner
Lori: THE SHADOW TRACER, your most recent novel, highlights a subject that is suddenly front and center in our headlines—personal privacy. The topic is certainly resonating with readers as the novel has already been placed on many Summer Reading Lists and has accumulated numerous positive reviews for its non-stop suspense and countless twists and turns. Did you intentionally choose to explore the subject of personal privacy in THE SHADOW TRACER because of its growing presence in our national debate or has it been a long-standing interest?
Meg: Last year I read about the vast facility the NSA is building in Utah to store and analyze data. The place will need 65 megawatts just to run—its electricity costs alone will be $40 million per year. Reading that, I wondered: in today's hyper-connected world, how do you keep yourself from becoming a fly under glass? Surprise, surprise. Now everybodys wondering. Technology has made it vastly easier to track us than ever before—to know where we are, who were with, and how we're spending our money. And face it: we like the goodies technology makes possible. Moreover, we often revel in obliterating our own privacy. (Celebrity Rehab, anyone? Selfies?) And the government has legitimate interests in security and law enforcement. But you know what? A stubborn part of me wants the ability to say: none of your damn business. So I thought: What if you needed, absolutely, to run and hide? Could you do it? What if you needed to run… with a little kid? What if the people chasing you had money, resources, and were obsessed with capturing you? What if you were being chased not just by criminals, but the FBI? From there, the story of Sarah Keller going on the run to protect her daughter Zoe came to life.
THE SHADOW TRACER introduces us to Sarah Keller—a single mother who tracks people for a living. When the hunter becomes the hunted and Sarah must go on the run to protect her daughter, she uses her tracking skills to avoid capture and vanishes into the vast landscape of New Mexico and Texas. As you developed your plot lines, how did this vast setting assist you as a writer and how did it challenge you?
The southwest is a challenging landscape that I have great affection for. I was born in Oklahoma, where Sarah's flight begins. I have family in Texas. (Heck, Im in Texas right now.) Growing up, I traveled every summer to Roswell. My grandparents lived there. I loved New Mexico—White Sands National Monument and Carlsbad Caverns and the Bottomless Lakes and the town of Lincoln, birthplace of Billy the Kid. It was austere and rugged and exciting. The southwest reminds us that in the USA, its still possible to find ourselves isolated in a desolate setting with scant means of escape. Put a character in that setting, and it challenges the writer to come up with creative solutions. (Or to kill people off.) In the book, the southwest becomes a crucible: hostile territory Sarah must cross to survive. She's one woman, scrambling for safety with only her wits, her skip tracing skills, and her meager savings to rely on. She's up against the FBI and a criminal clan that wants to bring Zoe into their fold. In writing the novel I tried to bring my childhood memories to life, and then to add hit men, U.S. Marshals, and car chases.
There is a terrifically suspenseful scene in THE SHADOW TRACER that takes place in an airplane graveyard. It's a wonderfully unique setting that you bring to life with precise detail. I have to wonder...where did you get the idea for this setting and have you ever visited such a place?
For years I drove past the airplane graveyard in Mojave, California, on my way to visit family in China Lake. The place was fascinating and forlorn: all those jets that had soared and circled the world, left grounded and rusting in the desert sunshine—sitting there waiting to be cannibalized by wrecking machinery. I did some research. Once youve watched video of a two-ton guillotine slicing up a B-52 bomber, you can't not put such a place in a thriller.
In the acknowledgments for THE SHADOW TRACER, you mention a couple of books you used while researching the novel. Did you do any other types of research in order to develop such a detailed understanding of the various methods to trace a person or for a person to “drop out" of society?
The books were valuable resources, written by former skip tracers. I got a taste of just how hard it is to vanish when I ordered them online. Instantly a dialogue box popped up: “Share that you bought How to Disappear with all your social networks?” Dropping out takes smarts and discipline. I researched news stories about people who had tried to disappear but failed—particularly people who faked their own deaths. (Hint: if you pretend to drown while kayaking, afterwards dont let your realtor snap your photo and put it on their website. No matter how satisfied you are with the Panamanian hideout you bought.) For the scene in the novel where Sarah Keller serves a subpoena, I drew on the experiences of my brother. He owns an attorney support service like the one Sarah works for. Its amazing to hear his tales of tracking down sneaks and fraudsters, and to realize how gutsy he has to be to confront them. My baby brother! Of course, it helps that he's now 6'3".
Your first five books were part of the Evan Delaney series. The next four novels introduced us to Jo Beckett. And most recently, you've written two stand-alone novels—RANSOM RIVER and THE SHADOW TRACER. Why did you choose to make the shift after nine series books?
I love writing about Evan and Jo. But I have stories to tell that dont belong to them. Sarah Keller had to be at the center of The Shadow Tracer. The book is about her world and her life. If the story wasn't hers, it would have lacked heart and guts. I want readers riding along with her as she makes her desperate run and tries to spirit Zoe to safety.
I'm often asked if my second book was easier to write than my first. People are generally surprised when I tell them it was much harder to write book #2. I'll ask you this same question. Was book #11 easier to write than book #1? Were some things easier, some harder?
Well, I wrote three or four book number ones before I got China Lake published. They were harder, because I had no idea what I was doing. They were awful. Thank goodness they never saw the light of day. Book #11 was both easier and harder. I know now that I can write a novel, and how to brainstorm and outline and draft and revise and do friendly battle with my editor so that I can finish it in a year. But creating a new world from scratch, building a heroine and her antagonists from the ground up, takes effort. Luckily, its intense but its insanely fun.
I often wonder if authors with many successful books to their credit ever go back and read their early works. Now that I have such a writer before me, I'll ask...Have you ever gone back and re-read the Edgar award-winning CHINA LAKE? If so, what thoughts did you have as you read it? If not, is there any particular reason you have not?
I reread China Lake to proofread the typeset pages before its U.S. publication. Every few pages Id think: Huh. I wrote this? Its not so bad. But generally I dont reread my novels. I get the heebie-jeebies and want to start editing them again.
I once heard you refer to yourself as an "escaped lawyer." Would you care to elaborate on your shift from attorney to best-selling, award-winning novelist?
I practiced law with a firm in Los Angeles, doing commercial litigation. The work was challenging in the best way. Going to court was a thrill. But once I started my family, I didnt want to argue for a living. I switched to teaching legal writing at the University of California Santa Barbara. That was a kick. I would hold mock trials in class. In one case, a student was charged with murdering her boyfriend during a paintball game gone horribly awry. In another, a construction worker booted an enemy off the roof of a building onto a jutting shank of exposed rebar. God, that was horrible of me. You can see that by that point, I was already primed to write suspense novels. But I didnt get the chance until my husband took a job in the UK, and we moved to London. That was the year all my kids were finally in school. I thought: time to put up or shut up. So I sat down and started writing. And after several years and all those awful book number ones, I wrote China Lake.
While sitting poolside at a writers' conference a few weeks before my first novel came out, I sat at a round-table discussion and listened to you speak about your writing process. You talked about spending several weeks searching for one good idea before you put pen to paper. How do know when you've touched on the idea that will translate into a successful novel?
The idea needs to be exciting, and unsettling, and scary enough that when you talk about it, people think, God, dont let that happen to me. Once you can describe it in one breath, and have your listener inhale sharply, youre on the right track.
At last year's Edgar awards, we shared a champagne toast with several other folks from Penguin and Dutton. We sipped pink champagne that night. I have to ask...do you prefer pink champagne or the more traditional white?
As long as were toasting one of your novels, its all good.
Review
Praise for Meg Gardiner:
“Meg Gardiner is as good as Michael Connelly and far better than Janet Evonovich…The next suspense superstar.”
—Stephen King
"Stephen King is absolutely right. Meg Gardiner is an astonishing writer…I couldn't turn the pages fast enough."
—Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author
"Meg Gardiner makes every one of her characters leap alive off the page”
-Jeffery Deaver, New York Times bestselling author
“It cannot be overstated how talented Gardiner is. The action and thrills and twists never let up.”
-Florida Times-Union
Synopsis
WHO DO YOU LOVE?Brian Darby lies dead on the kitchen floor. His wife, state police trooper Tessa Leoni, claims to have shot him in self-defense, and bears the bruises to back up her tale. For veteran detective D. D. Warren it should be an open-and-shut case. But where is their six-year-old daughter?
AND HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO . . .
As the homicide investigation ratchets into a frantic statewide search for a missing child, D. D. Warren must partner with former lover Bobby Dodge to break through the blue wall of police brotherhood, seeking to understand the inner workings of a trooper’s mind while also unearthing family secrets. Would a trained police officer truly shoot her own husband? And would a mother harm her own child?
. . . TO SAVE HER?
For Tessa Leoni, the worst has not yet happened. She is walking a tightrope, with nowhere to turn and no one to trust. She has one goal in sight, and she will use every ounce of her training to do what must be done. No sacrifice is too great, no action unthinkable. A mother knows who she loves. And all others will be made to pay.
Synopsis
An explosive stand-alone thriller from the Edgar Award–winning writer Stephen King called “the next suspense superstar” Can a person ever really disappear for good by going off the grid? And what happens when vanishing is no longer an option?
Sarah Keller is a single mother to five-year-old Zoe, living quietly in Oklahoma. She’s also a skip tracer, an expert in tracking people who’ve gone on the lam to avoid arrest, prosecution, or debt—pinpointing their locations to bring them to justice.
When a school bus accident sends Zoe to the ER, their quiet life explodes. Zoe’s medical tests reveal what Sarah has been hiding: Zoe is not her daughter. Zoe’s biological mother—Sarah’s sister, Beth—was murdered shortly after the child’s birth. And Zoe’s father is missing and presumed dead.
With no way to prove her innocence, Sarah must abandon her carefully constructed life and go on the run. Chased by cops, federal agents, and the group responsible for Beth’s murder, Sarah embarks on a desperate journey. Can her knowledge as a skip tracer help her stay off the grid, remain one step ahead of her pursuers, and find a way to save her daughter?
Meg Gardiner is acclaimed for her richly drawn characters, propulsive plotting, relentless suspense, and shocking twists. The Shadow Tracer delivers on those fronts and more.
Synopsis
#1 New York Times bestseller Lisa Gardner, author of Catch Me and Love You More, returns with a heart-thumping thriller about what lurks behind the facade of a perfect family.
This is my family: Vanished without a trace
Justin and Libby Denbe have the kind of life that looks good in the pages of a glossy magazine. A beautiful fifteen-year old daughter, Ashlyn. A gorgeous brownstone on a tree-lined street in Bostons elite Back Bay neighborhood. A great marriage, admired by friends and family. A perfect life.
This is what I know: Pain has a flavor
When investigator Tessa Leoni arrives at the crime scene in the Denbes home, she finds scuff marks on the floor and Taser confetti in the foyer. The family appears to have been abducted, with only a pile of their most personal possessions remaining behind. No witnesses, no ransom demands, no motive. Just an entire family, vanished without a trace.
This is what I fear: The worst is yet to come
Tessa knows better than anyone that even the most perfect façades can hide the darkest secrets. Now she must race against the clock to uncover the Denbes innermost dealings, a complex tangle of friendships and betrayal, big business and small sacrifices. Who would want to kidnap such a perfect little family? And how far would such a person be willing to go?
This is the truth: Love, safety, family
it is all touch and go.
Synopsis
An explosive stand-alone thriller from the Edgar Award–winning writer Stephen King called “the next suspense superstar” Can a person ever really disappear for good by going off the grid? And what happens when vanishing is no longer an option?
Sarah Keller is a single mother to five-year-old Zoe, living quietly in Oklahoma. She’s also a skip tracer, an expert in tracking people who’ve gone on the lam to avoid arrest, prosecution, or debt—pinpointing their locations to bring them to justice.
When a school bus accident sends Zoe to the ER, their quiet life explodes. Zoe’s medical tests reveal what Sarah has been hiding: Zoe is not her daughter. Zoe’s biological mother—Sarah’s sister, Beth—was murdered shortly after the child’s birth. And Zoe’s father is missing and presumed dead.
With no way to prove her innocence, Sarah must abandon her carefully constructed life and go on the run. Chased by cops, federal agents, and the group responsible for Beth’s murder, Sarah embarks on a desperate journey. Can her knowledge as a skip tracer help her stay off the grid, remain one step ahead of her pursuers, and find a way to save her daughter?
Meg Gardiner is acclaimed for her richly drawn characters, propulsive plotting, relentless suspense, and shocking twists. The Shadow Tracer delivers on those fronts and more.
About the Author
Lisa Gardner is the New York Times bestselling author of fourteen previous novels. Her Detective D.D. Warren novels include Catch Me>, Love You More, and the International Thriller of the Year award-winning novel, The Neighbor. Her FBI profiler novels include Say Goodbye, Gone, The Killing Hour, The Next Accident, and The Third Victim. She lives with her family in New England, where she is at work on her next novel.