Another brilliant book by Lisa Gardner. 
This one is a stand-alone book and is a great read. 
Frankie heads to Mattapan, a Boston neighborhood with a rough reputation where she is searching for Angelique Badeau, a Haitian teenager who vanished from her high school months earlier. 
The Boston PD and the victim's family are not keen to help and Frankie feels like she's on her own.
She finds a job in a bar that comes with a room and a feral cat and gets to work. 
Frankie keeps pushing the Police and when Lotham realises she has questioning skills far beyond his, they work on the case together. 
There’s lots of discoveries and revelations throughout the story and it all comes to a nail biting conclusion with more than one person left dead. 
I loved the way it felt like we were working the case with Frankie and I was desparate for her to find Angelique. 
This is a gripping mystery crime thriller that well and truly had me hooked. 
Thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I have read other Lisa Gardner books so I was looking forward to reading this one.  I did feel that this one was very different to a lot of other books.  It was good to read of a place and community that was unknown to me.  I found the characters were well drawn and believable.  I did begin to worry how long she would hold down her job for, when she was forever arriving late or not at all.  However she was a great character, if a little eccentric but I liked her and the relationship with the detective gave the story a little bit of much needed light heartedness.
It was all rather grim at times and the plot was quite a convoluted one that must have taken some time to plan.  A good read however.  I enjoyed it.

Fantastic read. I have been completely unable to put this one down. I cannot wait to read more by this author. 
Full review to follow on publication.

I'm a big Lisa Gardner fan especially the DD Warren series so I was keen to try this standalone. I was not disappointed. Frankies character is a bit odd but really interesting and the struggles of the Haitian characters was really well depicted. I keep hoping this is not a standalone as there's great scope here for a new series?

An interesting idea for a book with well drawn characters and vivid descriptions of the locations. I could really pictures Stoney's bar, and Frankie's room above. I would have given the book 5 stars, but I did find that the pace really slowed around 70 - 80% through the book, and seemed to drag a bit. Otherwise it was a fresh, interesting thriller.

I took a while to get into this book, but that could be because it is set in Boston so everything seemed very alien to me.  However,  am glad that I persevered; this is a well0written and gripping story, with strong, and believable characters.  Frankie is a novel character, and I was pleased to see that she didn't have any hidden abilities which only came to light in an emergency.  All in all I would recommend this book, and I hope that Lisa Gardner will write more about Frankie.

Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner, Pub Date 21 Jan 21
Frankie Elkin is a recovering alcoholic, and she has spent her life looking for the missing people that others have stopped looking for.  Her expertise in solving these cold case crimes tend to mean people trust her. A new case takes her to Mattapan, a rough Boston neighbourhood. Angelique Badeau, a 15-year-old Haitian teenager, has vanished from her high school. Frankie takes the job which comes with a room above a bar in Mattapan. The locals are sceptical of this white outsider, and it takes a while for her to be trusted.
A well-written action-packed, engaging complex read. The characters are well rounded and credible. 
This is not a fast-moving story it develops slowly and steadily until everything is concluded.
I want to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and author Lisa Gardner for a pre-publication to review.

Frankie Elkin is a woman who travels light at least as far as possessions are concerned. The mental scars she carries guide her every waking moment, haunt her dreams each night and can only be temporarily warded off by her life's goal to find those the police have stopped searching for. 

Angelique Badeau was 15 when she disappeared without trace leaving only her backpack and bewildered family behind. Eleven months later the leads have dried up, time has moved on, and Frankie, arriving in the Boston neighbourhood of Mattapan, knows she is the Haitian teenager’s last hope. 

It's fair to say female, white, middle-aged, recovering alcoholics are not spotted that often in Mattapan but Frankie's used to being in the minority. Having found herself a job and somewhere to sleep she begins her task, but there are things happening which put all those involved in far greater danger than they can imagine and finding Angelique could be the least of their problems. 

Lisa Gardner is a first class thriller writer and this very good standalone novel is an excellent example of her craft. Frankie is likeable, believable and motivated.  Gradually her back story is revealed and adds so much to her character. This isn't a fast moving story, it doesn't hurtle rather it evolves slowly until everything is satisfactorily dealt with. Both Frankie and the reluctantly helpful police detective Dan Lotham would definitely warrant another outing sometime in the future. 

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. I enjoyed this very much, it is a good read.

Frankie Elkin is an average middle aged woman. She's a recovering alcoholic with more regrets than belongings. She has spent her life looking for missing people the world has stopped looking for. A new case brngs her to Mattapan, a Boston neighbourhood with a rough reputation. She's looking for Angelique Badeau. a Haitian teenager who vanished from her high school. The ostonPD and the victims family are reluctant to help Frankie, but nothing will stop her discovering the truth.

Frankie is a strong character. She's an alcoholic in recovery. She's raw, unapologetic and very good at her job. This is a gripping and complex story. The characters are well rounded and believable. Frankie has a knack for asking the right questions in her searchfor sisteen year old Angelique. We eventually find out why Frankie is as determined the forgotten victims. The pace is steady in this well written book,

I would like to thank, #NetGalley, # RandomHouseUK #Cornerstone and the author #LisaGardner for my ARC in echange for an honest review.

My first Lisa Gardner read, and it won’t be my last!  Frankie Elkin, a tough middle aged woman and recovering alcoholic has devoted the best part of her last ten years to trying to solve missing persons cases that the police have not, in particular the ones whose families and loved ones don’t have the resources to do much else.  In her latest case, Frankie ends up in Mattapan in Boston, where she tries to help the Haitian family of Angelique a teenager who went missing from her High School a year ago.  She is one of the only white women in the community, which is known to be dangerous, but this does not seem to bother her, and she goes out walking around the community at all times of night in the hope of solving this cold case. 

During the book, we get glimpses into Frankie’s troubled past which seems to haunt her at times.  Her ability to solve these crimes means that people just seem to trust her. I liked the bar owner and cook where she convinces the bar owner to give her a job and accommodation and she doesn’t seem to mind much that it comes with a feral cat!

For me, this was a slow burn and at one stage it was going to be a DNF but I persevered and although slow it did grip me in the end. Ms. Gardner’s character development is excellent, and I ended up enjoying the story. 3.5 stars rounded up to four.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

I loved this book. Frankie is a great character and the story itself kept me intrigued (and guessing) right til the end.

This is a very good standalone read filled with interesting characters and well written. The main character, Frankie, is a recovering alcoholic who investigates cold cases of missing people. I loved the Boston setting and the quirky plot, the steady pace and the compelling writing. A good read and I would recommend it. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it as it kept me guessing until the end, read it one sitting as couldn’t leave it down x

Many thanks to Net Galley and Random House UK 
I am a huge fan of Lisa Gardner, this book is another 5 star read.  
A brand new female lead in this book - Frankie Elkin who is a likeable character of some force.  Frankie is not employed, is a recovering alcoholic, lives with some demons of her own, has virtually no belongings and has spent the last years finding missing persons that the police have given up on.  She has yet though to find one of her missing persons alive.  
Sixteen year old Angelique has come been missing for 11 months, Frankie is determined to bring her home to her aunt and brother alive.  
Frankie builds relationships in the community and earns the trust of Stony whose bar she has taken a job in and Charlie from her AA meetings, Asshe strifes towards the truth behind Angelique’s disappearance and that of her friend Livia she is putting her own life in danger. 
This will definitely be in my top reads list -  well done Lisa Gardner once again.  I do hope we have another book featuring Frankie in the future.

This is my first book by Lisa Gardner and I pleasantly surprised and will definitely start reading her previous books. 

Firstly, I have to say that I really enjoyed the complexity of the characters and how they developed throughout the story. I loved to read about Frankie and found the plot really imaginative and fast paced.

There is plenty of action, mystery galore and there is something charming and captivating about Boston, as well as Frankie that just made me want to read more and more. I am hoping this is not a stand-alone! 

Overall, I think this was a great book and I will definitely be addI guess Lisa Gardner’s previous books to my “must read list. 

I would like to thank Netgalley,Random House UK, Cornerstore and Century for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Simply outstanding from start to finish! 

This is my first Lisa Gardner book but it definitely won’t be my last! I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!

This book is a standalone novel, so newbies, like me can jump straight in and discover just how amazing this author truly is.

I loved how the main character Frankie is slowly introduced throughout the novel. She has a story to be told but we are simply introduced to her as a recovering alcoholic who’s souls purpose is finding lost people. Frankie is a wonderfully scripted character, both fiercely brave and opportunistic, battling demons and running full force into danger - pleading with all she has and all that she is for atonement.

The dialogue in this book is brilliant, the characters are well fleshed and believable. Gardner has not only researched police procedures but delved into the development illicit crimes and gang warfare. She’s researched her location Mattapan, Boston thoroughly and the many ethnic groups that inhabit it. And she has such an understanding and way with words that the torment of alcoholism is believable and painful to read/experience.

An expertly crafted plot that beautifully unfolds without giving away too much - I genuinely was stuck trying to figure it all out as there was so many leads of enquiry and possible outcomes.

This book had me not only holding my breath in anticipation, but flat out crying and all the while mentally cheering by the end. I feel wrung out and lost now that it’s over, hoping that this won’t be the end for Frankie’s character. A simply complicated character that has stolen many hearts!

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Always a big fan of this author and yet again another good read from her.  Always a big fan of this author and yet again another good read from her.  Always a big fan of this author and yet again another good read from her.

This is my second book by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was action packed and a good amount of mystery to keep you guessing. Frankie was a likeable character with her own demons but it’s not until the end of the book that you fully understand them and why it gives her that drive to keep going. It also makes you think about all the missing people and the upset their families go through. Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for letting me read and review this book.

Thanks yo netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to review this book.
A really good story and a different kind of missing person story line.

Thoroughly enjoyed this, it was an interesting perspective and made for an entertaining read. It was well paced and there were some great characters. The plot was nicely crafted and I liked the twists.