Two hikers were on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia when they wandered off the path and discovered a body buried in an uncovered grave. Cadaver dogs and a task force were sent to the area. They were able to identify the body as a young woman missing about 15 years earlier. Then another grave was uncovered in that area. It contained the bodies of 3 young women murdered around the same time.

This area had been where a known serial killer had been active until 8 years ago. So the single survivor of this serial killer (she killed him) as well as a Boston police detective and an FBI agent all traveled to the small town nearby to hunt for more bodies and connections to the original serial killer. Soon it became obvious that these older crimes had some connection to that town and may have continued to the present time.

So begins this well written mystery with links to the present time. Chapters are from the point of view of the survivor, Flora Dane, the Boston detective DD Warren, Kimberley Quincy, an FBI official and a young teen mute who has seen everything but is unable to tell the law enforcement officials what happened.

This book kept me interested until the every end. There were many surprises throughout and there are only few clues until the very end. This is my first book by this author but I can see why her books have been on The NY Times Best Sellers list and why she was awarded a Thriller of the Year award from the International Thriller Writers. It is also book 11 in the Detective DD Warren series.

This is one of those books I want to tell everyone to read. Just say READ IT. End of Story. I loved that this book worked perfectly as a stand-alone for me. Not having read the other books in the series, I did not feel as if I was missing out at all. Having said that, now that I have read this book, I am inclined to go back and read both Detective D.D. Warren and Gardner Universe book series. Seriously, how great was it that she combined two of her popular series and combined them? Brilliant!

In this book, Gardner combined three strong and compelling female characters: Detective D.D. Warren, Flora Dane, and Kimberly Quincy. My hand is in the air, enthusiastically waving for more books with this combination of women.

FBI Special Agent, Kimberly Quincy, and Sergeant Detective D.D. Warren have formed a task force to follow deceased serial kidnapper and rapist Jacob Ness. Flora Dane was kidnapped by Ness and having survived her horrifying time with him, is now dedicated to helping the investigators and others who have been harmed as she was.

This trio of women along with Keith, a computer analyst and true crime enthusiast (who has eyes for Flora), has come to Niche, a small town in the hills of Georgia where the bodies are piling up and no one is talking. There they meet a young female, who does not speak except through her art, who has been named "the girl" by "family". Could she be the answer? Is she the missing link or clue they have been looking for? Will they ever find the extent of the damage that Jacob Ness has committed? Is this only the beginning? Is there even evil out there?

The Hills in Georgia are not alive with the sound of music, they are alive with the sounds of evil. Evil, that has been around a long time. Small towns hold secrets. Secrets that the inhabitants will do anything to keep buried. There is a web of lies, deceit, evil, murder, and depravity.

This book was a real page-turner for me. There was tension throughout the book. I loved how the story was told from various points of view. This added to the tension and helped set the mood for the book. This book was dripping with suspense. There is the mystery of course, but the human factor, really made this book unputdownable for me. I was riveted to the pages and didn't want to put this book down. Like the team, I was on the case trying to figure out who the evil man was, hoping for Bonita /the girl's safety, and hoping that everyone makes it out alive.


I really enjoyed that this felt like a fresh, new unique tale. I mention this because lately, I have been feeling as if I am reading the same story just wrapped up in a different package (cover). Not this one. This felt completely original and was a breath of fresh air for this mystery/thriller book lover. Gardner did her research in interviewing a nonverbal subject and spoke with many consultants to get aspects of an FBI investigation correct. You will still need to suspend some disbelief while reading this one, but I didn't mind and I don't think anyone else will either.

Highly Recommend.

Thank you to Lisa Gardner, Penguin Group Dutton, and NetGalley who provided me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, I loved it! All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fantastic Thriller!!

I absolutely loved this book because it was packed full of suspense which I HAD to read in one day!! Yep, that good. We get another dose of D.D. Warren with a crime suspense thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Girls are being found in shallow graves on a mountain side in a small tourist town and it’s just the place that all of these dark dealings are going down. No one suspects their neighbors would have any part of this. You’ll have to read to see all the surprises in store that kept my heart pounding. A definite must read.

Lisa Gardner has done it again. This book was a taut, suspenseful, engrossing read. I couldn't put it down. It was great to see my favourite characters (Kimberley! D.D.!) return and interact with each other. As always the character of Flora is heartbreaking and Gardner portrays her as a strong survivor who is not to be pitied but someone you are rooting for to heal and find happiness. I am glad Gardner chose to have this character find she some peace with her tragic past and to move forward and grow.

I could read a dozen books with just these characters. They never disappoint. I eagerly await Gardner's next great read.

In this latest psychological thriller, FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy and Sergeant Detective D. D. Warren build a task force, which includes victim Flora Dane, and true-crime savant Keith Edgar in an effort to investigate disturbing finds in a small town in the hills of Georgia. Were there more victims of deceased kidnapper Jacob Ness? Arriving at the town something feels off, why does the manager at the hotel tell them they must leave and the local B and B cook and employee disappears? As Flora and Keith grow closer, they renew their efforts to discover where Jacob Ness held Flora, girl’s bodies are discovered and questions are asked as to whether Jacob could have had an accomplice.

Lisa Gardner only gets better and better with each Detective D.D. Warren book. Often when an author is prolific in a series, the main character feels stale or not as exciting as in the early books. Not in this book, the suspense and plot twists will keep you guessing until the very end. Gothic elements - hidden rooms and tunnels, town secrets - all add to the question of who can be trusted? Loved it and didn't want it to end.

WOW! I love this series and this newest book is incredible. D.D., Flora and Kimberly are back and as badass as ever as they continue to discover all the secrets of Jacob Ness and his past - with several new obstacles in their path along the way. With an incredible cast of new and returning supporting characters, beautiful descriptions, a small town hiding a dark underbelly and a twisty, action packed plot this is a must read!

When a female body is found in rural Georgia, the FBI suspects this could be the work of Jacob Ness, a now deceased serial killer. More graves are found, and a taskforce is assembled featuring those who know Ness best – including one of his victims, and the FBI agent who initially apprehended him. As the body count grows, the team must put their own trauma aside to figure out what’s really going on in this southern town.

Hello my old FRIENDS! At this point, I’ve read at least two dozen books featuring FBI agent Kimberly Quincy and Boston Detective DD Warren – I know their families, their relationship histories and the defining moments of their lives. Reading about them feels like catching up with old friends, and I’m enjoying the additions of victim turned vigilante, Flora Dane and crime tech guru Keith Edgar to the crew. This was a solid mystery, maybe a little trite, but well written and interesting enough to keep me up half the night.

Whether you’re a longtime Gardner fan or new to her novels, I’m happy to report that this novel can stand alone or be read as part of multiple bigger series.

I love Lisa Gardner's D.D. Warren's series, and this book didn't disappoint. It was very involved, and there were a lot of moving parts, but I liked the way everything came together. I already can't wait for the next one! It can be read as a stand alone novel, but I think it is better as part of the series, especially because you will lose most of the background information on Flora Dane, who is a big part of this novel.

Ever since getting involved into the world of Flora Dane back when "Find Her" was written, I've been hooked.
Nothing has gripped me so forcefully since that book, but I have enjoyed reading the ones following this series, including "When You See Me".
All your key players are back in this book on another gruesome case having to do with Jacob Ness - and the disturbing hobbies he was involved in still blow my mind.
Even in death, he's left so many unanswered questions, but this book gets down to the nitty gritty of it all.

What happens when you discover that an entire town has been hiding a horrible secret for more than 15 years? You can find out on January 28th, 2020 when this book releases. @duttonbooks @lisagardnerbks #whenyouseeme

When You See Me by Lisa Gardner
(Detective D.D. Warren #11)
Detective D.D. Warren, FBI Agent Kimberly Quincy, and Flora Dane (former victim turned vigilante) join forces to investigate remains that have been discovered in the mountains of Georgia with a possible link to Jacob Ness (Flora's now dead kidnapper and rapist). I love the interactions of these three very strong women! I enjoyed seeing Flora interact with her love interest, Keith. She is finally starting to heal from her trauma and Keith is a perfect fit for her and her idiosyncrasies. I was immediately sucked into the plot and read this in one day. Lots of action as usual! Loved it!

4.5 stars. Another great entry in the D.D. Warren series! Evil is happening deep in the back woods of Georgia. With dead bodies being discovered left and right, Detective D.D. Warren and FBI Agent Kimberly Quincy are hot on the trail, joined by Flora Dane, the lone survivor of a horrible kidnapping by the monster Jacob Ness. While the situation has echoes of Ness, a new monster has emerged and created a sinister criminal enterprise of human trafficking, illegal organ harvesting, and murder. With the help of a young, mute girl, events come to an exciting and satisfying conclusion. Enjoyed having the women kick butt!

This combination of powerhouses D.D. Warren, Flora Dane, and Kimberly Quincy made for an intense, memorable ride that showcased the talents of each of these women. While I've long loved the D.D. Warren series, the introduction and continued inclusion of Flora Dane breathed new life into the series, and this is as much a continuation of Flora's story than anything else, as the case potentially connects to Flora's kidnapper and might hold some answers to what happened to her for everyone. There are, as usual, some very dark and brutal moments in this one, but nothing out of line with the rest of the series. While I don't think it's necessary to read the entire series before this one, I would definitely recommend reading the books featuring Flora before starting this one.

I am a big fan of Lisa Gardner and this book did not disappoint!

I love seeing the progression/growth of the characters in this series, I enjoyed seeing Flora start to enjoy life again, I love her and Keith!!!

This storyline was complex and intriguing and kept me glued, I finished it in a day.

I was already a fan of Lisa Gardner and her character DD Warren before I read this book, so I had high expectations and this one lived right up to it!

DD Warren returns and she is in pursuit of the victims of a serial killer and is heading to a small town in Georgia to get to the bottom of his reign of terror, while in Georgia there are shallow graves found and she must figure out where these bodies are coming from if not the serial killer she is in pursuit of.

I absolutely loved the twists and turns of this book as the team tried to get to the bottom of it all in the small town. It seemed as though it was a big and diverse investigative team and although at times it was hard to keep everyone straight, I enjoyed watching them divide and conquer and use their inherent skills to aid the investigation. The other aspect that I loved about this book was the small town. It was easy to never trust anyone because the small town feel with everyone knowing everyone else, you could never guess who was going to be part of the villainous crew.

Whenever I read a Lisa Gardner book I am looking over my shoulder a little extra and second guessing everyone around me! I hope there are many more books in her future, maybe even some more with DD Warren!

Believable? Kinda. Sorta. Sometimes, even, not so much. But so what? This one put me on a wild ride at the git-go and didn't let me off till the end.

What makes it extra-special is that it brings together three of the author's characters - Boston Homicide Detective D.D. Warren, FBI special agent Kimberly Quincy and recovering torture victim Flora Dane - characters with whom I've developed a kinship of sorts over the years. They are three totally different people, with totally different personal lives, but they come together here with a single purpose: ferreting out who's responsible for the bunch of human bones in the backwoods of Georgia that likely are tied to late serial killer Jacob Ness. Flora joins in because she's his only victim to survive (even though she's been trying hard to find some semblance of normalcy ever since she escaped).

During an intensive search of the area in which the original bones were found, Flora and her computer geek friend, Keith, find another burial site; ultimately, the remains of three more bodies are unearthed. All that leads the team to a tiny town that may be holding deep, dark secrets that are tied to Ness but go well beyond the horrific murders he committed years ago. One of their best hopes of getting to the bottom of things is a teenage girl who works as a maid at an inn operated by the local mayor and his wife. Clearly, she's intelligent; but previous injuries left her unable to speak, read or write; so no matter how much she knows that's crucial to the investigation, accessing that information doesn't appear to be within the realm of possibility. The only thing the investigators know for sure is that no one in this town or surrounding woods can be trusted - not even the local sheriff whose help they've enlisted.

All told, the action never lets up - keeping me glued to my Kindle with time out only when household chores (like feeding my long-suffering husband) and the need for sleep intervened. Thoroughly enjoyable - and I hope to see these three strong women come together again in future books (hint, hint). Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Something very dark and twisted is happening deep in the hills of Georgia. Detective DD and FBI agent Quincy are out to discover why dead bodies are being found in the woods. Does a young teenage know the answer? Will her inability to speak or write hinder the search for truth? A fascinating story! Recommended!

Without a doubt, my FAVORITE Lisa Gardner book! So many emotions, feelings, stories (and back stories) and human convictions all wrapped up into a serial murderers bow. She’s a master at excitement, a true storyteller that makes you wonder, how did you come up with that and where will it go?

I’m always in awe when I finish a Lisa Gardner book but, this one, just freaking WOW!! Absolutely sucks you in and will not let you go! If you only ever read ONE novel from her, I highly suggest it be this one!!

You will have to wait until January 28 but, I promise it’ll be worth it! And check my blog, I have a ton of other great reads to keep you busy until this one releases!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As always, a huge thank you to NetGalley and Dutton books for allowing me access before the publication date, y’all rock more than ya know!

I could not possibly describe this book adequately. When You See Me was my final book of 2019, and what an amazing way to close out the year- on an adventure with Flora Dane, D.D. Warren, and Kimberly Quincy. I love Lisa Gardner’s crossover books!

Hikers turned up remains thought to match a suspected victim of the evil Jacob Ness. The three women, along with Flora’s almost boyfriend, Keith, head to a tiny town tucked away in Georgia’s Northern mountains to see if they can connect the dots. The town is home to a nameless, voiceless girl trapped in an unimaginable horror, and shortly after the holy trio arrives and gets their task force started, old and fresh bodies begin piling up.

This was a rollercoaster of a read. I found myself holding my breath, gasping out loud, and wishing I could read faster. I snuck away from New Year’s Eve festivities to finish this, because I couldn’t stand not knowing what was happening another minute.

This is a solid 4.5 to 5 stars, and fans of Gardner’s will gobble it up.

**I was generously provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley and the book’s publishers. My opinions are my own.**

Sergeant Detective D.D. Warren, SSA Kimberly Quince and Victims Advocate Flora Dane join forces to solve the mystery of a recently discovered unmarked grave in the hills of Northern Georgia. The small town closest to the grave seems slightly off despite it's perfect appearance. As the body count rises, so do the many secrets this small town is trying to keep hidden. Lisa Gardner always includes an element to her stories that shows the research and time she puts into writing her novels. The novel introduces a victim who must communicate what she knows in the only way she can. Without giving away any spoilers all I can say is if you're a fan of her novels, I encourage you to read this thrilling mystery filled with secrets, chills and one very bad man.