Find Her

Written by Lisa Gardner

Narrated by Regina Reagan

AN ESCAPED KIDNAPPING VICTIM BECOMES AN AVENGER OF INNOCENTS. CAN SHE ESCAPE WHEN SHE'S TARGETED AGAIN? The eighth novel in Sunday Times bestseller Lisa Gardner's Detective D.D. Warren series. Harlan Coben says FIND HER is 'taut psychological suspense' which 'should not be missed'.

I escaped the box.

The coffin that was both my prison and my lifeline.

My prison as I waited each day for release.

My lifeline as being locked inside meant being away from him.

I escaped the box, but I didn't escape its consequences.

Now danger's irrelevant.

All I care about is making them pay. The other predators out there. Those just like the man who took me.

And if someone tries to grab me again? I know how to protect myself.

Have no doubt: I will do anything, anything, to find her.

Escaped kidnap victim Flora Dane has once again disappeared. Has the self-proclaimed vigilante become a victim? Or is something far more sinister at play? D.D. will have to race against the clock if she is going to Find Her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette UK Audio
• Release date: Feb 9, 2016
• ISBN: 9781472220301

Lisa Gardner

Lisa Gardner is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty novels, including Look for Me, Right Behind You, Find Her, Crash & Burn, Fear Nothing, Touch & Go, Catch Me, and The Neighbor, which won the International Thriller of the Year Award. She lives with her family in New England.

Reviews for Find Her

[ncdonnas · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book I've read by Lisa Gardner but it certainly won't be the last! Apparently this is a later book in a series so now I'm going to hunt down the rest of the books. Find Her was exactly the kind of creepy suspense that kept my mind going back to the story even when I had to step away from the book. I listened to the audio which was perfectly narrated to give it that dark edge that set the tone for the story. Loved it. Recommend it.

[lhaines56 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A real page turner. Loved it.

[kerilynned · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The action starts right at the beginning which really got me hooked! Very suspenseful and horrifying. After I started reading I wondered if it was a good idea to read it before bed or not. Lisa Gardner did a great job of keeping me guessing. I couldn't figure out who the kidnapper was until she made it obvious. This is actually the 8th book in Det. D.D. Warren series but I had no problem reading it as a stand alone.

[loveofmuffins4820 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was expecting a much darker ending. I found it a bit too hollywood happy ending for my taste. The story was interesting though and there were some cleverly crafted characters.

[carlathelibrarian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the 8th book in the series featuring this Boston Detective. I have read them all, but this book can be read as a stand alone novel with no problem.

Flora Dane is a victim and a survivor. She was captured by a psychopath and held captive for 472, but she was rescued 5 years ago. She has taken every self-defense course she can find to make herself strong, but has she become a vigilante seeking revenge? Flora doesn't know what 'normal' is anymore. She is no longer close to her mother or brother like she used to be. She can not enjoy nature and barely holds down a job. When she kills a man who appears about to assault her, she calls her FBI victim advocate, Samuel Keynes, not her mother or a lawyer.

Detective D.D. Warren is called to the scene of the crime. There she finds a dead man and the bound, naked woman who killed him. During her investigation, she finds that this is not the first time Flora has been involved with others she suspected of kidnapping or assaulting women. The other case her team is involved in is a missing college student. Are they connected? Is the dead man the kidnapper? Will they ever find the young woman? When Flora disappears, the case heats up.

The story is told in the present as well as flashbacks from Flora's days in captivity. It is suspenseful and the plot is well developed. The main characters are complex and throughout the book, we get to know them quite well. The topic of kidnapping and being held for a long period of time as a slave is hard to read at times, but is well done and timely with what has been happening in the last few years. As I read further into the story, I had a hard time putting this book down until I came to the satisfying conclusion. Another great addition to this series.

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

DD Warren is back, this time she is investigating the disappearance of several young women. Flora Dane, kidnapped 7 years ago, and rescued 5 years ago, is captured again. Several others are missing, too. As usual, Lisa Gardner's novels are fast-paced and entertaining reads.

[maggie1961-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lisa Gardner has been a favourite of mine since I first read one of her first books many years ago. This one kept me captivated and guessing until the very end. Flora was kidnaped. For 472 days, her life wasn’t her own. For a large portion she lived in a pine box. She became someone she didn’t know or like. At the end of those 472 days, her nightmare was over and she could go home. But the nightmare isn’t over for her and the Flora that came home was just a shell and not the Flora she was 472 days ago. Flora now has a mission. With training and determination she becomes a machine who will never again be a victim. Until she was. And she isn’t the first. We can’t help loving Flora even if we don’t like everything she did. My heart just broke for what she endured and how broken she was. This is quite the page turner and had some twists I didn’t suspect. I read the last half of this book in one sitting, mesmerized and impressed by how clever Flora is.I hadn’t read one of this author’s works for a while and haven’t read all of them in order however I still have more to go, sooner than later.

[simplykelina · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read these out of order, but that is ok! I actually read Look For Her which is the 9th book in the series first. I was very interested in reading more around Flora and her story, so I decided to see if one of the previous books followed her story. I was happy to see it was Find Her, and even more excited since I actually owned it (oops…did not realize this before reading the other.)This is the first time I read a Lisa Gardner book on audiobook, and this may be the way to go from now on! I loved this. I actually read this late into the night, and I was so scared to go to bed. It was pretty creepy, especially since you see things on the news like this all of the time.I loved how much action and plot movement was involved in this story. The other books I have read from this author had repeated/recapped the investigations too much. This one moved the story along so much better. I was constantly guessing about what was going to happen, who kidnapped the girls, and how things were going to come to an end. This has been my favorite book yet by the author. I loved it!

[veeshee-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

What I enjoyed the most about this novel was the character of Flora Dane and all of the hardships she has endured. She is a compelling protagonist to read about and she is more than just a victim. The author did a fantastic job in portraying her vulnerabilities and her strengths as a result of her ordeal. This novel was told in the voice of Flora as well as that of D.D. Warren, but I was definitely reading the story for Flora's part. D.D. Warren's character was okay. There was nothing special about her; she was not incredibly smart and she didn't have a strong backstory. She also lacked emotion, and this became very apparent when D.D. was compared to Flora. In short, she was a passable detective. Overall, the story was interesting and I found myself compelled to read and find out what was going on - but I credit this to the character of Flora Dane and the way her part was portrayed rather than to D.D. Warren, who I believe is the main protagonist in the series. All in all, it's a good thriller with a decent detective but a fabulous victim who is anything but that.

[tiffanyak_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Clever, exciting, and somewhat twisted, this is definitely a brilliant read. I readily admit, I did not find this one predictable at all, and quite enjoyed the adventure of finding out where it was going.

[courtneygiraldo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kidnapped seven years ago while on a college spring break trip, Flora Dane spent 472 learning just how much she can endure, and what she would do to survive. Much of her time was spent locked in a wooden coffin, as her abductor slowly broke her down into a compliant, albeit petrified, plaything. Since her dramatic rescue five years ago, Flora has been unable to return to a life of normalcy despite her attempts to pick up where she left off in life. She is no longer the carefree girl from a farm in Maine, a stranger to her mother and brother. After a night out on the town, she is found naked and bound in a garage, her attacker dead. Entangling herself into the cases of three missing girls from her area, Flora finds herself in grave danger, with her past creeping back in to haunt her once more. While Chicago Detective DD Warren is investigating what exactly happened that lead to Flora being abducted and held in the garage (and if she is in fact a victim or a vigilante), Flora turns up missing. Can the tireless detectives of the Boston PD and her assigned victims specialist advocate piece together the clues in time to find Flora before it's too late? So I have never read any books by Lisa Gardner but you can bet your ass I'll now be picking up anything I can get my hands on by her! Told in alternating perspectives (first person from Flora, and third person from Boston PD Detective DD Warren) with chronological flashbacks of her 472 days in captivity, Lisa Gardner takes you on a twisty turny ride of who dun it. As with any good thriller, just when I think I have everything figured out in my head, a new piece of information is uncovered or revealed which left me right back at square one. Heart racing page turner at it's best, this was one book I could not put down. This is a book about survivors, heartbreaking and exquisitely written. I can't recommend this one enough!

[debkrenzer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I just love Lisa Gardner books. She never fails to disappoint and she kept up that tradition with this book. This one involves a girl who had been held hostage for 472 days. Her story was pretty creepy and very gross during her captivity. The story also dealt with a Stockholm Syndrome mentality acquired by the abductee. Now, Flora has been found and her abductor is dead. Flora has spent the last five years improving herself in case that happens to her again. And it may just happen, Flora is determined to find a recent girl who did not come home one night.This book was absolutely awesome and I flew through the pages. And, of course, I stayed up way past my bedtime, but it was worth it. I definitely recommend this if your into suspense.Thanks to Penguin Group Dutton and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[buffalogr · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

D.D. Warren won't let up on a victim, this time Flora, a captive for 472 days. Get over it. Lisa. The story is fairly complex and keeps you guessing. Thrilling. Riveting. Boring in places. The reader really felt like a survivor. As always, Lisa Gardner's books jump around and it's sometimes hard to determine who's talking and when. Different voices might help. The whodunit happened about 2/3 of the way through and the last third we spent wondering...still, there was a climax. Next?

[leanad-153130 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I could not put this book down. It was one twist after another. Loved every minute of it.

[judiex · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It’s been five years since Flora Dane escaped from the man who had held her hostage for 472 days. Kidnaped while she was on spring break from college, the only information her mother had received were some cryptic postcards sent from several locations in the southern US. At first, Dane had been kept in a coffin. Later, she gained more freedom. However, the Stockhold Syndrom, along with fear for her mother and brother, kept her from trying to escape.After her release, she and her family realized she was not the same person she was before her ordeal began. She dedicated her life to learning how to protect herself in the future and to save other women from suffering the same fate.On case in particular attracted her attention: The disappearance of another student, Stacey Summers, three months previously. Dane became obsessed with finding Summers. She began hanging out in bars to attract men eager to pounce on new prey. One night, it happened; She was taken again.The Boston Police Department was able to learn the names of two other young women who had disappeared without a trace. They set out to learn if the women were still alive and if there was anything connecting all the cases.The lead detective, D. D. Warren, began to wonder whether Dane was still a victim or if she was acting as a vigilante. She was supposed to be on supervisory desk duty because of an injury she had suffered in a previous case, but Warren found that sitting around doing paper work was not how she wanted to operate. Members of the BPD and her team were not happy about that.The book alternates between what was happening at the present time to what happened to Dane during those 472 days. Those experiences certainly affected her current actions. One of the other main characters is victim specialist Dr. Samuel Keynes. He met Dane after her release and they remained in touch. He believes that “Survivors make it because they learn to adapt. Adaptation is coping. Coping is strength.” He told her that “The biggest mistake survivors can make is second-guessing their actions now that they are safe.”FIND HER makes the point that “My abduction hadn’t just victimized me but my entire family, too.....Major crimes are like cancer. They take over, demanding an entire family’s full resources.”The story is well-written and fast-paced, though a bit repetitious in a few places. The characters change because of what is happening in their lives. Gardner places the reader inside the mind of the kidnaped victim, showing us how she changed both during and after her ordeal. For the most part, it is plausible. This is the first of Lisa Gardner’s books that I have read and I will definitely checking out some of her earlier ones.

[randall6hansen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoy Lisa Gardner's Boston Detective D.D. Warren series, and this novel, about a woman held hostage but freed from her captor by the FBI, is good, but not quite as riveting as I had hoped... Years later, is the kidnap victim a vigilante or a victim again? And who would dare? Lots of interesting information, including about the FBI's victim services... but it might have been a bit faster pace with more police work and fewer flashbacks.

[jfe16 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Detective D.D. Warren, called to a crime scene, discovers that Flora Dane, an abduction survivor, is involved in the death of the man who was holding her captive and wonders if the young woman is a victim or a vigilante. But when Flora suddenly disappears while investigating the disappearance of another young woman, the detective has good reason to believe she’s become a kidnap victim once again and the race is on to find Flora and the other missing women before one of them turns up dead.Gritty and disturbing, the ghastly story of Flora’s life at the hands of her captor alternates with the present-day story of D.D.’s investigation. With believable characters, the fast-paced plot, and some unexpected twists, readers will find themselves drawn in by the realistic depiction of the aftermath for abduction survivors. Despite the chilling atmosphere created by the revelations of Flora’s horrific four hundred seventy-two days in the hands of her malevolent captor, readers will find it difficult to set this book aside before reaching the conclusion and discovering Flora’s ultimate fate. Highly recommended.

[deborahblanchard-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lisa Gardner has done it again. I devoured this book! I love the main character, Flora, who was held captive for 472 day and survived, or did she? I love D.D. Warren as an investigator, she pushes and pushes. I felt the characters were extremely well developed and I came to know them. I felt what they felt. This book is filled with twists and turns and oh, the suspense of it all. You never knew what was going to happen next. This is the kind of book that you can sink your teeth into. It flowed well from beginning to end with alternating chapters and voices. I so wanted Flora to be okay. The characters are strong female leads. I highly recommend this read to anyone who loves a great psychological suspense. This one may keep you up at night trying to figure out what happens next. Unputdownable book!!

[busyreadin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The story of Flora Dane, kidnapped and held hostage for over 400 days. This was the best audio rendition I hav listened to so far. Narrated by Kristen Potter, she imbues Flora with terror, sadness and hope.

[niaomiya · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lisa Gardner is consistently good. Her thrillers are gripping, twisted, riveting. "Find Her" is no exception.Flora Dane is a survivor. She survived being kidnapped and held for 472 days. When Detective D.D. Warren arrives at the scene of a crime, there is a dead man and Flora, again a survivor. What exactly has Flora been doing in the five years since she survived her kidnapping? Why is she involved in yet another heinous crime, and why is she repeatedly a victim?The book shifts between two perspectives: Flora's first-person perspective (both past and present) and general third-person. It's an effective tactic. Flora's first-person narrative from her past slowly opens the reader's eyes to the unspeakable horrors that she endured during her long time in captivity. It provides an intimate view, drawing the reader tightly into the plot and into who Flora is. The third-person narrative enables the reader to step back and take a breather from the intensity of knowing Flora, to get a broader perspective on what's going on around Flora.As with all of Gardner's thrillers, the writing is tightly woven, nothing superfluous. The mystery is slowly unraveled with a growing sense of dread and horror. The story reaches a climax toward the end when everything comes to a head. It's a formula that Gardner uses to great effect; it works and results in an engrossing thriller.

[olivermagnus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The book opens with a terrifying chapter. A young woman is trapped in a pine coffin, only let out to perform unspeakable acts for the monster who has kidnapped her. Meet Flora Dane who, five years ago, made the mistake of drinking too much at a bar and going to the bathroom by herself. She spent the next 472 days being held captive by a long haul trucker. Eventually she was found, and returned to her family. Flora never healed emotionally and was never able to fit into her old life, despite the help of her family and psychiatrists. The new Flora loves self-defense classes, can pick locks and knows how to make a weapon out of any resource. Flora 2.0 is no-one’s victim.

 

When Flora disappears from her ultra-secure apartment, Detective D. D. Warren can't understand how someone that security conscious could have been taken. Flora is an unusually complex victim and it doesn't take Detective Warren long to discover she might not be trustworthy. Alternating chapters that include Flora's memories from the first time she was taken, her current abduction, and Warren's search for her, dramatically propel this story forward at a rapid pace. This is everything a psychological thriller is supposed to be.

 

The plot is well executed, and there are many twists and turns along the way. I sped through the story in a one afternoon, eager to find out who had abducted Flora, but also what Flora had done that still haunted her years later. This heart pounding story is both thrilling and disturbing. Even though this book is part of a series, it's easily read as a stand alone novel. Detective D. D. Warren is not really the main character and her background makes little difference. This story is all Flora (and Flora 2.0). If you're looking for a great psychological thriller, I can highly recommend Find Her by Lisa Gardner.

 

"

[dianekeenoy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This audiobook hit everything that I like when I'm driving...it was exciting and it made me want to run more errands than I had! D.D. Warren is a favorite detective of mine and she doesn't disappoint in this book. Flora is kidnapped while on Spring Break in Florida and is found 472 days later. She and the detective meet up five years later in a garage where a bartender is now dead and Flora is naked and handcuffed. You can't go wrong with a Lisa Gardner book if you like thrillers!

[booksgaloreca · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is number 8 in the Detective D.D. Warren series and I enjoyed getting to know her character again. Every so often book comes along that grabs you right away, won't let you put it down, and leaves you changed from when you started. This is one of those books. Highly recommended read.

[susan.macura · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Flora Dane was kidnapped while on spring break in college. She was kept in a pine coffin and held captive for more than a year. Originally she was only let her out of her coffin so that he could abuse her physically and sexually. Gradually her captor realized that he had broken her spiritually and allowed her out more. He even took her with him to work with him. He was a long-distance truck driver. Due to some incredible police work, Flora was finally found and saved. However, Flora, bent on revenge, became not only a survivor, but a vigilante as well. This dangerous path brought her back to her past in an incredible story. I simply could not put this book down. It was riveting from beginning to end.

[seasonsoflove_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not effect my opinion of the book or the review itself.In Find Her, Gardner tells the story of Flora Dane, who was kidnapped and held captive for four hundred and seventy two days.Her ordeal may technically be over, but five years later, Flora is found at a crime scene. Detective D.D. Warren is forced to question if Flora is a victim or a perpetrator, and her search for answers leads both her and Flora down a twisting rabbit hole. Gardner questions what it means to be a victim and a survivor, and how much life can change and shape a person.I really liked this book a lot. What I liked the most was that it kept me guessing. I kept thinking I had it all figured out, and then another twist would happen, and I would realize I had been completely wrong. Gardner is an expert at doling out twists and turns slowly, building an almost unbearable sense of suspense.This was a book that I was thinking about when I wasn't reading it, and I was mostly thinking about how I wanted to finish what I was doing so I could read more of the book!

[vavaviolet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From the first line, this book grabbed my interest and didn't let go until the climactic end. The horrors that Flora endured in the hands of her abductor was so painful to read, and yet it gives us a better understanding of a victim's psyche. The author describes Flora's ordeal in such chilling and vivid detail that it made me cringe at times. Readers will empathize with Flora, cheer her on and marvel at her strength and resilience. She is indeed a survivor. One of my favorite scenes is when Flora was holding a shard of glass and her train of thought turns from doubt to despair to determination.The author truly is good at her craft, she doesn't only make you "see," she also makes you "feel" the scenes. The story never loses its momentum and it took me on an intense ride that left me breathless in the end. It kept me guessing who the perpetrator is and whether the victims will be saved. Sgt. Detective D.D. Warren and Dr. Samuel Keynes' pov's added dimension to the story, but the character I loved most is Rosa Dane. Because ultimately, yes this is a story of a woman's fight for survival, but it is also the story of a mother's unfailing and unconditional love for her daughter.I give this 5 stars and have added it to my favorite books of 2016. I received an advance uncorrected proof of this book from the publisher.

[virginia51-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a very intense story. I had a very hard time putting this down to go to work or go to bed. This was another great story with D.D. Warren. Is there more to Flora who has been abducted and held for more than a year. Is she a victim again or is she a vigilante. I give this book a five out of five. I received an ebook copy from firsttoread for a fair and honest opinion.

[dianaleez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

With the creation of Boston homicide detective, DD Warren, Lisa Gardner moved to the front ranks of detective fiction.And Gardner and DD are at the their best in her newest offering, “Find Her.”For those who haven’t encountered the driven DD before, she is a fortyish tough homicide detective who is learning to combine her demanding job with a husband and small son. It’s not always an easy fit. This her first active case since returning to the job after a serious injury. But she is sidelined to a supervisory role. The ever-active, too often lone wolf DD chafes at the restrictions forced on her as she searches for not one, or two, but possibly four, kidnap victims.A large measure of the success of Gardner’s later books, is the creation of a strong secondary character. Sometimes this is a potential victim, sometimes a suspect. And in “Find Her,” Gardner ably combines the two: Flora Dane was herself a victim when she was kidnapped and held captive for more than a year. But Flora is determined to fight the victim stereotype and has trained herself to fight back. She is haunted by her days of incarceration; being ‘freed’ and being ‘free’ are, for Flora, two different things.As the BPD engages in a massive hunt for a missing college student, Flora attempts to find the kidnapper herself, and is forced into a precarious position that leaves DD wondering if Flora is again a victim or if she’s advanced to the vigilante role.Gardner’s books work for me because she always leaves me craving more of DD. We watch DD work to solve the cases, and at the same time we’re privy to the activities of the victim/suspect. Flora is a complex character who has been forced to make difficult choices. Also in “Find Her,” we are introduced to an interesting assortment of support characters.Only a skillful novelist can keep the balls in the air at once, and Gardner succeeds.I’m not a fan of ‘women in peril’ plots. But I am a strong advocate of ‘women fight back’ themes. And Gardner’s women are tough. Don’t mess with Flora - or DD Warren.(The reviewer received a free advance copy from the publisher.)