Touch & Go by Lisa Gardner
Publisher: Dutton Adult (February 2013)
Source: Publisher via Blog Her
Formats Available: Hardcover, Kindle, Audio
Format Read: Hardcover
Synopsis from Goodreads: 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.
My thoughts: This was my first time reading Lisa Gardner and WOW!! This book really grabbed my attention and did not let it go the entire time I was reading it.
I think what makes this story so compelling is how Gardner has crafted the characters. Not only are they likable (or hated in the case of the bad guys), they are believable. Yes, they appear to “have it all” but as we all know, perception is not always reality.
Of all of the characters in Touch & Go, Tessa Leoni, the private investigator working the case was a character that I most definitely wanted to get to know better. It sounded like there was quite a bit of back story behind her. I was delighted to learn that she has been featured in a previous title, Love You More. I was even more excited when perusing my own bookshelves, I happened upon a copy of Love You More. Why have I not read this??
I hate nothing more when reading or watching a mystery than immediately knowing who the culprit was. There was no cause to worry about this in Touch & Go. Gardner raised plenty of suspicion throughout the story. I was able to guess who it was, but it wasn’t immediate and I doubted myself several times before sticking to my conclusion.
Touch & Go falls squarely into the Thriller genre, one which I haven’t explored much. If I can find more titles like this one, I’ll be reading a lot more of it. If you are a fan of Gardner or this type of novel, do you have any suggestions for titles to pick up?
I was compensated for this BlogHer Book Club review but all opinions expressed are my own.
© 2013, Teresa. All rights reserved.
“Love You More” is the 5th book in the D. D. Warren series by Lisa Gardner. It’s a great series and I’m sure you’d like it every bit as much as you liked “Touch and Go” so you might want to start with the first book in that series, titled “Alone”.
Jeff, thank you so much for that information. I will edit my review to reflect that. I’ll also be checking out the series.
Glad to hear you liked her. I think I got something of her’s the other day.