I came to this book with very big expectations, right off the back of Gardner's superb thriller 'Alone'. The first half of the sequel to 'Alone' is excellent. Bobby Dodge, the complex central character from 'Alone' returns, this time in his brand new role as a detective. There is so much promise in the first half: a truly heinous crime with impossible and inexplicable connections to the inciting crime from 'Alone'; Bobby trying to rebuild his reputation as a police officer after his personal involvement with Catherine, the maybe-maybe not victim of 'Alone'; and Annabelle, the victim in this case, a tough young woman who has spent most of her life on the run.
As in 'Alone' Lisa Gardner really captures the reality of police life, in this case what it's like being a detective on a big task force, trying to work miracles with sheer guts and determination, the way the job can take over your whole life. There are so many fascinating lines of investigation being pursued. The first half really sells itself as a first-rate police procedural, and I could clearly envisage great forthcoming tension and twisty psychology as Bobby again navigates the tricky intersection of his personal and professional life.
However for me the second half of the book didn't deliver on the promise of the first. Unlike 'Alone', which used third person points of view from multiple characters, including the killer's, this book alternates between third-person point of view (Bobby) and first-person point of view (Annabelle). No problem - it's a common technique. However where we developed a clear understanding of where Annabelle is coming from - she spends a lot of time reflecting on her past, which slows the otherwise relentless pace - Bobby's emotional and psychological complexity seemed progressively lost. Starting with a very close third-person point of view, complete with ethical dilemmas in the first half, his point of view becomes more impersonal in the second half. The narrative focused on the action with little reflection on the ethics of his relationship with Annabelle - this begged to be addressed, having been clearly called out by DD Warren earlier in the novel. It was ripe for the masterful psychological deep-digging which Gardner showed in 'Alone'. This may be because the second half of the book was mostly in Annabelle's point of view, with relatively little time in Bobby's.
The hard work done by the police ended up doing no more than connecting the crimes from 'Alone' and 'Hide'. The connection was complex, interesting and well thought-out, but it didn't contribute to actually getting the bad guy(s). The multiple leads worked by the forensic anthropologist and the detectives are neatly wrapped up in a final chapter - not rewarding after so much procedural bait was dangled at the start. Perhaps the choice to concentrate exclusively on two characters' points of view, and to work the story over a very short timeline restricted Gardner's options.
This is still worth reading because Gardner does the best job of any author I know of really getting inside police investigations, and inside police officers' heads (I just wish she'd done it more in this novel). I will try more novels in this series but I hope that the excellence of 'Alone' - still one of the best police thrillers I have ever read - is regained.
PS Although labelled as part of the 'DD Warren' series, DD is present throughout the novel but is by no means the main character. However she is gutsy and admirable and hopefully gets to shine more in future novels.


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Hide Audio CD – Audiobook, 1 December 2007
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Lisa Gardner
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Lisa Gardner
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Product details
- Publisher : Orion; 1st edition (1 December 2007)
- Language : English
- Audio CD : 300 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0752890980
- ISBN-13 : 978-0752890982
- Dimensions : 14.5 x 2.5 x 12.5 cm
- Customer Reviews:
Product description
Book Description
'I can't afford to come back from the dead...' Lisa Gardner's stunning breakout thriller and Sunday Times bestseller.
About the Author
Lisa Gardner sold her first novel when she was just 20 years old. In 1993 she graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in international relations.She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and daughter.Previous titles:Hide (Afmt Oct 07);Gone;Alone;Killing Hour;Survivors Club;Next Accident;Third Victim;Other Daughter;Perfect Husband
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4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
1,018 global ratings
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Reviewed in Australia on 26 March 2018
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Reviewed in Australia on 5 January 2015
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Another edge of your seat book which I found hard to put down. Lisa Gardner yet again doesn't fail to please, this was a hard to put down book. I could have easily read this in one sitting except that life gets in the way. DD Warren hooks up with her ex Bobby, to solve the mystery of the mummified bodies entombed with the only clue being a girl who knows and remembers little about her past. It doesn't take long to hook you in!
Reviewed in Australia on 14 May 2016
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Terrific book that kept me guessing right to the end Lisa Gardner is one of my favorite authors and this book doesn't disappoint
Reviewed in Australia on 10 April 2015
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Once again, Lisa hasn't failed to suck me in and make me wake up tired from late night reading. On to the next one......
Reviewed in Australia on 15 November 2014
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Well written and keeps you guessing. Another great crime being solved by DD and Bobby
Reviewed in Australia on 20 August 2014
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An excellent read as are the other Lisa Gardner books I have read.
Top reviews from other countries

Nabila
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really good!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 April 2017Verified Purchase
This is the second book I read of Lisa Gadner and I have already become a completely fan of her crime novels.
Detectives D.D. Warren and Bobby Dodge are again involved in a case, this time, a bit hard to solve.
The plot starts focusing on the Granger family living on the run. Different cities, different names each time. Not even the main character and one of the voices of the novel, Annabelle Granger, knows what is going on.
It's through investigation that we start joining the clues and traces in order to build the story and build Annabelle's own entire life.
The story involves stalking, secrets, misleading and intertwined stories that link the case in such a clever way, murders, fear, mystery and many characters whose backgrounds are gonna be essential for the investigation.
The whole story is written in such a way that makes the novel exciting dragging you completely into the role of becoming a detective trying to look for the real unsub.
The end is well built showing us an unexpected resolution in Annabelle's life.
Amazing I would say. I really enjoyed reading this novel and I love shocking ends. Totally recommended!!
Detectives D.D. Warren and Bobby Dodge are again involved in a case, this time, a bit hard to solve.
The plot starts focusing on the Granger family living on the run. Different cities, different names each time. Not even the main character and one of the voices of the novel, Annabelle Granger, knows what is going on.
It's through investigation that we start joining the clues and traces in order to build the story and build Annabelle's own entire life.
The story involves stalking, secrets, misleading and intertwined stories that link the case in such a clever way, murders, fear, mystery and many characters whose backgrounds are gonna be essential for the investigation.
The whole story is written in such a way that makes the novel exciting dragging you completely into the role of becoming a detective trying to look for the real unsub.
The end is well built showing us an unexpected resolution in Annabelle's life.
Amazing I would say. I really enjoyed reading this novel and I love shocking ends. Totally recommended!!
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Di-W
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good storytelling
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 November 2016Verified Purchase
I very much enjoyed this book, and it is my usual genre of story. These types of books can quickly get 'samey' but this was story was told through not only the detective's eyes but through the 'victim' though you don't get to know why until the last couple of chapters. I didn't see the ending - my deduction was way off mark, thankfully. I hate easy endings!
I had already read the first book about DD and Bobby and hadn't realised the link when I bought this one as I'd read 3 or 4 books in the mean time but, though it's always helpful to already know the foundation of the character's it's not integral to enjoying this follow up.
This author is now on my 'readable' list :)
I had already read the first book about DD and Bobby and hadn't realised the link when I bought this one as I'd read 3 or 4 books in the mean time but, though it's always helpful to already know the foundation of the character's it's not integral to enjoying this follow up.
This author is now on my 'readable' list :)

patsy
4.0 out of 5 stars
Page turner !
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 September 2016Verified Purchase
I thought this was a brilliant read until almost the end. Still a brilliant read though..........then I realised that the red herrings were so well-written, that they don't even appear to be a red herring. Right until the last chapter when in fact, two characters come together in quite the most implausible set of circumstances !! Oh it's you, oh it's you........And yes, lots of the other pages are mainly fillers - but still written so well the reader thinks it's an integral part of the plot. Quite why one such story involved a family bringing in financial paperwork and detailed files was beyond me......But a good tale nevertheless.

GeordieReader
4.0 out of 5 stars
A lot to like
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 August 2013Verified Purchase
There are two strands to this book. At one level it is a police procedural with a team of detectives investigating a horrific crime from the past. However it is also a personal account of Annabelle, a woman whose life has been bound up with the events. I won't reveal more because one of the many good things about this book is the way that the author provides information at well-judged intervals, enough to keep us intrigued but not enough to spoil the plot. It's also very well-written with convincing dialogue and Annabelle's story is particularly poignant. The reason I couldn't stretch to five stars was the ending which was a bit disappointing. Most of the really interesting mysteries had been solved before then and (again avoiding spoilers) the frantic action wasn't at all convincing.

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 March 2013Verified Purchase
I accidentally stumbled across this author after reading every book written by another female author, and thought I would have a job finding someone who would come close, but am happy to say I am a massive fan of Lisa Gardner, and even though I read books in wrong order it didn't matter, I love the character D D WArren , and have read everyone, once started I can't put the book down:) so I definitely recommend them, and now I am starting on her other books and hopefully the characters draw you in again, brilliant , and I live in the UK so I love reading how clever and dedicated these officers are, and just the right amount of humour when it is needed on real tough cases, as obviously the author has to get it right, I am totally addicted and only once were my suspicions right on the killer as usually you never see it coming with the twists and turns
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