Kiss Her Goodbye

Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner
8/12/25; 416 pages
Grand Central Publishing
Frankie Elkin Series #4

Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner is a very highly recommended investigative thriller. I stayed up late to finish this excellent, un-put-downable novel. Even though it is the fourth installment of the Frankie Elkin series, Kiss Her Goodbye can also be enjoyed as a standalone novel. 

Frankie Elkin is a middle-aged woman and recovering alcoholic who spends her life searching for missing people that everyone else has stopped looking for. She travels light, picks up a job, and finds a cheap place to stay. This time she travels to Tucson after being contacted by refugee resettlement volunteer Aliah to search for her Afghan refugee friend Sabera Ahmadi. Sabera has been missing for three weeks, leaving behind Zahra, her four-year-old daughter, and her husband, Isaad. The police aren't seriously looking and Aliah is sure more is going on than meets the eye. Sabera would never leave Zahra behind.

Frankie finds a pet sitting job that lasts a month and also includes accommodations. It is offered by a young, wealthy tech guy. She can have chauffeur Daryl drive her where she needs to go and housekeeper Genni provides meals. The drawback is the pets she will be caring for: a large green iguana, Petunia, a huge python, Marge, and twelve baby pythons. The pets are on a strict eating schedule and Petunia gets TV time with Frankie.

The case of Sabera's disappearance quickly becomes even more complicated and convoluted. Isaad receives a package, leaves Zahra with a neighbor, and disappears. Then a man comes to the apartment complex looking for Zahra. Two Afghan men are found dead nearby and it appears to be Sabera on the security camera footage. Frankie quickly surmises that there is a whole lot more going on than it appears. Helping her is Daryl, his ballroom dance partner and former parole officer Roberta, and Roberta's police detective brother. Genni jumps in to assist also.

The well-written narrative follows Frankie in the present day search for Sabera and includes excerpts from Sabera's letters to her daughter explaining her past. The letters follow her childhood up the fall of Kabul to the Taliban and the chaos and death that followed. Sabera's past is traumatic and horrific, especially in the refugee camps. In the present things become increasingly perplexing, dangerous, and misleading. 

There are plenty of unexpected twists and discoveries in the intricate plot that add tension, depth, and trepidation along the way. The direction the plot takes is totally unpredictable, and full of intrigue and danger. There is a lot of backstory that needs to be revealed to solve the case of Sabera's disappearance. I was increasingly concerned about Frankie this time out. Lending some comedic relief to the story are the pet sitting duties and Genni's daily outfits. 

Frankie continues to be a great character and it was good to see her back. She is a fully realized, complex character with both strengths and weaknesses. Her determination, intelligence, and instincts are always present at the forefront as she tackles an investigation.

Kiss Her Goodbye is an excellent choice for anyone who enjoys complex investigative thrillers. 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.