Still See You Everywhere

Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner
3/12/24; 416 pages
Grand Central Publishing
Frankie Elkin #3

Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner sends Frankie Elkin to a tropical island where her mission is to find a living girl who has been missing for twelve years. It is a very highly recommended thriller that is un-put-downable and compelling from beginning to end.

Frankie Elkin normally helps find the marginalized cold case missing persons that are overlooked, so she is surprised to be asked to locate a living person. It is the long-lost younger sister of Kaylee Pierson, a female serial killer facing execution in three weeks’ time. Twelve years ago, Kaylee's sister, five-year-old Lea (Leilani), went missing in Hawaii. She has received a letter from Leilani. Now she knows that Leilani is the "ward" of Kaylee's abusive ex-boyfriend, tech mogul Sanders MacManus and Kaylee believes he kidnapped her. Kaylee and her attorney are asking Frankie to take a job as base camp support staff on the remote Hawaiian island of Pomaikai in the middle of the Pacific where MacManus is building an eco resort. Once on the island she will hopefully be able to reach out to Leilani.

It was thrilling to read Still See You Everywhere, the latest novel by Lisa Gardner. Once I started reading, I was completely immersed in the satisfying and intense plot. Sure, readers will have to set aside some disbelief, but in such a well-written and irresistible narrative this is not a problem. The setting becomes part of the story as the island is remote and isolated. Adding this to the limited staff makes the novel akin to a locked-room mystery with heat, humidity, and huge, omnivorous coconut crabs.

Frankie is a great character and it was good to see her back. She is a recovering alcoholic who has settled into a nomadic life traveling and picking up jobs along the way. She fits right in at the island and joins an interesting group of characters. The development of all the characters and the descriptions of the island are pitch-perfect. The dialogue is engaging.  As reading you will feel like you are there, experiencing the events and the island along with Frankie. Adding to the atmosphere are plenty of unexpected twists and turns in the plot.

Even though it is the third book featuring Frankie Elkin, it can be enjoyed as a stand alone novel. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.