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vlchristensen's review against another edition
5.0
This was a suspenseful read, with many twists and turns, and a great ending. I liked the switches in viewpoint between Nicky's first-person narrative and the third-person point of view when describing the actual law enforcement investigation. It probably helped that I have read the earlier novels in which Tessa and Wyatt were introduced (Love You More and Touch and Go).
karinslaughter's review against another edition
5.0
AWESOME! Pretty much her best yet. A must read for any crime lover. Or just book lover, because the story is so great and the characters are amazing.
alshaw10210's review against another edition
4.0
a little convoluted at first but did not see some of those twists and turns coming!
stephinfektion's review against another edition
4.0
The story was definitely worth reading. Lots of twists and turns. Interesting characters. Not so good writing. I mean, it was ok. But sometimes I just had to cringe at the phrases used or the unnatural dialogue. Despite the writing, it was a page turner. So many questions to be answered, so you just have to power through.
tcole7's review against another edition
4.0
I don't think I've ever read a Lisa Gardner book that I didn't enjoy. She just has a way of wrapping up stories that I love. This was was filled with mystery and wondering ho you can trust. I really liked it. I also like that so many of her characters are not perfect. They are flawed and have lots of issues. I also love that she brings back characters from other books. I have loved Tessa Leoni since Love You More. It was great to see D.D. Warren as well and to even hear how Bobby was doing great with Annabelle still.
drraye_of_sunshine's review against another edition
4.0
This isn’t so much a Tessa Leoni book because she is more or less a supporting character. That said, the premise was good: a woman has a car accident and insists they need to find Vero, apparently a young girl that the detectives assume is her child. But in a twist, the search dog only sniffs out one person being in the car. What, exactly, is happening here?
This book is full of twists that will keep you guessing. Thomas seems to be iffy from the start and it’s hard to get a reading on him. Is he a good guy? Or not?
Nicky is a frustrating character. She’s dealing with multiple traumatic brain injuries so her brain might as well be a pile of mush. But what makes her frustrating is the repetition of her actions. She is flat out obsessed with Vero, whom no one else can really determine if this person is real or imaginary.
About 60-70% of the way through the book it really ramps back up and gets interesting which is why I kept going and why I gave it a 4th star. I think it would have been a great story still with some of that repetition removed.
Overall it’s a decent read if you like the style of this author and her books.
This book is full of twists that will keep you guessing. Thomas seems to be iffy from the start and it’s hard to get a reading on him. Is he a good guy? Or not?
Nicky is a frustrating character. She’s dealing with multiple traumatic brain injuries so her brain might as well be a pile of mush. But what makes her frustrating is the repetition of her actions. She is flat out obsessed with Vero, whom no one else can really determine if this person is real or imaginary.
About 60-70% of the way through the book it really ramps back up and gets interesting which is why I kept going and why I gave it a 4th star. I think it would have been a great story still with some of that repetition removed.
Overall it’s a decent read if you like the style of this author and her books.
chartsh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jmpage01905's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent. Very trusty and fast paced. I could not put it down
jaemac's review against another edition
3.0
Lisa Gardner's latest mystery-thriller is "Crash & Burn" and it will be coming out February 3rd, 2015. This stand alone book starts with a car accident on a dark, wet, remote road. We meet Nicky Frank as she bravely extricates herself from her demolished car, her only thought is to find her little girl Vero. She claws herself up the muddy ravine, desperate for help. The police and ambulance are called and Sergeant Wyatt Foster starts the arduous task of searching the scene for the missing child. Where could a traumatized little girl go in the middle of the night, surrounded by forest?
"Crash & Burn" centers around Nicky Frank, her husband Thomas and their little girl Vero. Except according to Thomas, the couple doesn't have children. Thomas claims Vero doesn't exist and his wife is a very confused and ill woman. Sergeant Foster's job is to figure out what the heck is going on. Did Nicky try to kill herself in her car the evening of the accident? Did her husband have anything to do with it? Why is Nicky Frank so damaged and what causes her to think she has a missing child? It's a whole juggernaut of a mystery for the Sergeant and the deeper he digs, the more concerned he becomes.
Lisa Gardner's latest offering is a good read but, in my opinion, not up to her usual five star success. Many readers have loved this book and I'm on the fence as to what kind of rating to give it. Yes, it was a good, convoluted thriller with true mysterious circumstances woven expertly into each page. My only problem is that it takes so many tiny moments to give out the details to allow the reader to figure out what happened to Nicky Frank. I found myself wishing the book had had a more thorough editing to limit the repetitive scenarios. Nicky talks about "Vero" over and over again, ad nauseam. I got sick of hearing about Vero.
On the other hand, it truly was a difficult mystery to figure out and that's what makes for a good read. If you've loved Gardner's books in the past, try this one, I'm probably wrong that it's only a three and a half star offering. On the other hand, if you've never read a Lisa Gardner book, start with some of her previous books because this one isn't as stand out as it could be. I've reviewed several of hers, including "Touch & Go" and "Catch Me" so feel free to try them along with this one which deserves a try too.
"Crash & Burn" centers around Nicky Frank, her husband Thomas and their little girl Vero. Except according to Thomas, the couple doesn't have children. Thomas claims Vero doesn't exist and his wife is a very confused and ill woman. Sergeant Foster's job is to figure out what the heck is going on. Did Nicky try to kill herself in her car the evening of the accident? Did her husband have anything to do with it? Why is Nicky Frank so damaged and what causes her to think she has a missing child? It's a whole juggernaut of a mystery for the Sergeant and the deeper he digs, the more concerned he becomes.
Lisa Gardner's latest offering is a good read but, in my opinion, not up to her usual five star success. Many readers have loved this book and I'm on the fence as to what kind of rating to give it. Yes, it was a good, convoluted thriller with true mysterious circumstances woven expertly into each page. My only problem is that it takes so many tiny moments to give out the details to allow the reader to figure out what happened to Nicky Frank. I found myself wishing the book had had a more thorough editing to limit the repetitive scenarios. Nicky talks about "Vero" over and over again, ad nauseam. I got sick of hearing about Vero.
On the other hand, it truly was a difficult mystery to figure out and that's what makes for a good read. If you've loved Gardner's books in the past, try this one, I'm probably wrong that it's only a three and a half star offering. On the other hand, if you've never read a Lisa Gardner book, start with some of her previous books because this one isn't as stand out as it could be. I've reviewed several of hers, including "Touch & Go" and "Catch Me" so feel free to try them along with this one which deserves a try too.
njakubowski5's review against another edition
4.0
True to Lisa Gardner form, nothing is ever as it seems. I gave four stars instead of five because there were a crazy amount of fragmented sentences that pulled me out of the story. Solid four, though.