Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner

EXCERPT: ‘Victoria says you find missing people.’ Beside me, Twanow nods. She has a legal pad out and looks like she is taking notes. Keahi continues, ‘People no one else is looking for.’
‘I specialise in working missing persons cold cases.’
‘But you’re not a private investigator?’
‘No.’
‘Are you a computer hacker, someone who can discover a speck of sand in the desert just by following its purchase patterns on the internet?’
‘Don’t even own a smart phone.’
Keahi frowns. ‘Then what are you?’
‘A person with a really obsessive hobby.’
Her frown deepens. ‘Victoria says you’ve found everyone you’ve ever searched for. How?’
‘I ask questions. Lots of questions. Sometimes it’s as simple as people being willing to talk so many years later, sometimes it’s that I’m not the police, making neighbors in certain communities more willing to disclose the truth.’ I shrug. ‘Once someone starts to talk, I make sure I listen. Not enough people do that any more.’
‘How many cases have you solved?’
‘Nearly twenty.’
‘You brought people home to their families?’
‘I brought closure to their families.’
Keahi’s lips quirk. She isn’t fooled by my answer. Neither am I.

ABOUT ‘STILL SEE YOU EVERYWHERE’: Frankie Elkin is an expert at finding the missing persons that the rest of the world has forgotten, but even she couldn’t have anticipated this latest request—to locate the long-lost sister of a female serial killer facing execution in three weeks’ time.

She has called herself “death,” but people called her the devil.

The case was sensational. Kaylee Pierson had confessed from the very beginning, waived all appeals. Despite the media’s chronicling of her tragic circumstances—the childhood spent with a violent father—no one could find sympathy for “the Beautiful Butcher” who had led eighteen men home from bars before viciously slitting their throats.
Now, with only twenty-one days left to live, Pierson has finally received a lead on the whereabouts of the sister who was kidnapped over a decade ago, and she needs Frankie’s help to find her. The Beautiful Butcher’s offer:

When was the last time your search ended with finding the living?

Unable to resist the chance for a rescue, Frankie takes on Pierson’s request. Twelve years ago, five-year-old Leilani went missing in Hawaii. The main suspect? Pierson’s tech mogul ex-boyfriend, Sanders MacManus. Now, on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific—the site of MacManus’s latest vanity project—fresh evidence has appeared. In order to learn the truth and possibly save a young woman’s life, Frankie must go undercover at the isolated base camp. Her challenge: A dozen strangers. Countless dangerous secrets. Zero means of calling for help. And then the storm rolls in…

MY THOUGHTS: I think I may have gone off isolated tropical island resorts!

Although the action takes some time to get started in this, the third installment of the Frankie Elkin series, when it does kick off, it is relentless! Until then enjoy the various types of crab that abound, including the giant blue coconut crab, the holes in the sand that can easily snap an ankle, the spiders, the mosquitos, constant humidity, tropical downpours, and various other flora and fauna that are described so beautifully. There’s no sunbathing on the beach or swimming in the lovely blue lagoons.

It’s all work and no play that just might see Frankie Elkin live another day . . .

There are some wonderful characters – Anne and Trudy the cooks; Charlie, the Australian engineer; and Vaughn the head honcho are only a few of them.

I admit to having had to suspend belief in places, but Lisa Gardner writes with such fervor that I could see everything playing out in front of me as I read. There are a few gory scenes – but what else would you expect with an escaped serial killer called the Beautiful Butcher on the island?

If you are looking for an escapist, action packed read – pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed.

Although this is the third book in a series, it is easily read alone as the author has provided enough backstory to make this feasible.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.3

#StillSeeYouEverywhere #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Lisa Gardner began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire numerous times, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she has transformed her interest in police procedure and criminal minds into a streak of internationally acclaimed novels.

For a bit of fun, Lisa invites her readers to enter the annual “Kill a Friend, Maim a Buddy” Sweepstakes at LisaGardner.com. Every year, one Lucky Stiff is selected to meet a grand end in Lisa’s latest novel. Past winners have nominated spouses, best friends and even themselves.

Lisa lives in New Hampshire where she spends her time with an assortment of canine companions. When not writing, she loves to hike, garden, snowshoe and play cribbage.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.