I always start a Lisa Gardner book and find it slow, but once it gets started it's so engaging. I love the quirky characters and depiction of the best and worst of society. I also like how she includes relevant current events in her books which make them more relatable.

Have you read this series? I’m such a fan. Frankie Elken is a bit of a loner and she goes out and finds missing people. She’s definitely a unique character and I’m so drawn to her every time I read the next book.

This one had her searching for a missing Afghan refugee. This brought a whole new level to the series. It had emotion to the war and what refugees have been through. The suspense is there but there is grief and trauma included too.

I’m always mesmerized when I have my normal read and also get to connect and learn about another culture and how their life and struggles differ from mine. There are flashbacks to her life and what she has endured.

Hillary Huber does an excellent job bringing not only Frankie but all the characters to life. Handling both the current suspense and the emotional past of the afghan refugees. I’ve listened to a few and her voice is Frankie to me.

This is the fourth book in the Frankie Elkin series by Lisa Gardner.l I read the third book, but missed one and two. I loved all of Gardner's D.D. Warren series - those were great. Gardner is definitely a favorite so I picked this one up.

Description:
Recent Afghan refugee Sabera Ahmadi was last seen exiting her place of work three weeks ago. The local police have yet to open a case, while her older, domineering husband seems unconcerned. Sabera's closest friend, however, is convinced Sabera would never willingly leave her three‑year old daughter. At her insistence, missing persons expert Frankie Elkin agrees to take up the search through the broiling streets of Tucson. Just in time for a video of the young mother to surface—showing her walking away from the scene of a brutal double murder.

Frankie quickly realizes there's much more to the Ahmadi family than meets the eye. The father Isaad is a brilliant mathematician, Sabera a gifted linguist, and their little girl Zahra—she has an uncanny ability to remember anything she sees. Which given everything that has happened during the girl's short life, may be a terrible curse. When Isaad also disappears under mysterious circumstances and an attempt is made on Zahra's life, Frankie realizes she must quickly crack the code of this family's horrific past.

Someone is coming for the Ahmadis. And violence is clearly an option. When everything is on the line, how far would you go to protect the ones you love?

My Thoughts:
I learned more about refugees and their situation both in camps in other countries and when rehomed in America, and for that I am very grateful (even though most of it is horrific I feel like it is something everyone should be aware of and to find ways to make life better for them). This story if full of danger and tension. What the Ahmadi's faced seemed to provide no way for them to survive - a relentless opponent. I had a lot of laughs with the lizard and snakes - too funny! I would have NEVER taken on that job! The book is fast-paced and suspenseful - a great thriller. Elkin is a talented, resourceful professional in finding missing persons. This is a grat mystery/thriller with a complex plot. I highly recommend this book as well as the series.

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Frankie Elkins, a freelance missing persons investigator, goes to Tucson in search of Afghan refugee Sabera Ahmadi, who has been missing for several weeks without much apparent concern from the police - or from her husband. But as she investigates further, it becomes clear that the danger may have followed Sabera from her homeland.

The Frankie Elkins series continues its evolution from the mystery genre towards straight-up thrillers, but I don't mind so much in this book. It suits this story better, where Gardner weaves together Frankie's investigation and Sabera's narrative about what happened in Afghanistan and the refugee camps. It's clear Gardner did her research when constructing Sabera's story, as well as the various social workers who worked with resettling in the Ahmadis. I also enjoyed the complex portrayal of Sabera and her husband Isaad, which made them very enjoyable to investigate. 

I did think Frankie fell on her feet a little easily in regards to her Tucson home base, but I suppose it gave us a fun supporting cast of characters so I didn't mind. A spy character who enters halfway through the book is similarly unrealistic but fun. I especially had trouble suspending my disbelief when it came to Sabera's gift for patterns though - it strikes an oddly supernatural note in an otherwise (attempting to be, at least!) realistic book. Ditto Zahra's prodigal gifts. I definitely had to switch off my brain a bit as the story went on to stop thinking and just enjoy.

Fast-paced, dark, and addictive!!! Kiss Her Goodbye kept me hooked from start to finish. The twists were sharp, the tension never let up, and I loved how every clue pulled me deeper into the mystery. Lisa Gardner really knows how to keep you on edge and guessing until the very end. He highly be recommending this one

Frankie Elkin finds missing people - and when she receives a call from a lady in Tucson, Arizona, off she goes. Afghan refugee Sabera Ahmadi has disappeared, abandoning her husband and her four year old daughter. She apparently was from a wealthy family, all of whom who are now dead, and has suffered through several refugee camps until she and her family are finally relocated to the US. The move has been difficult at best, but no one seems to be worried about her being gone. When Frankie sees a video of a brutal murder scene and Sabera is seen leaving the scene, she must sort out just what is going on, and the story just plods on from there. The story is interspersed with Sabera’s journal of the refugee journey. The whole book just seems to drag on until the very end.

When given the opportunity to request an ARC from Lisa Gardner, I always jump at the chance and when I got approved for this book, was looking forward to it. Unfortunately, it just didn’t do it for me. While the premise was good, the execution was lacking. This was the first book (this is #4) in the Frankie Elkin series that I have read and reads fine as a standalone. But I don’t feel like I got to know her at all. The insights into the Afghan refugee “crisis” were obviously well researched and educational.

My thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for providing me with a copy. Here’s my honest opinion.

I love the Frankie Elkin series with her investigative intuition and instincts. This is a complex well-written story, but I found it difficult to connect with this book. Perhaps that’s due to the snakes (I don’t like snakes), because Petunia (the iguana) did grow on me. Frankie’s quirky cast of seemingly misfit house mates was entertaining, and the writing flowed well with the usual Gardner polish.

All the stars for Frankie Elkins. Another great story involving Frankie and her search for the missing. This time we dive into Afghanistan and the culture, exploring what happened when Americans left and the repercussions felt for years.

What made me love this book so much is how ordinary people came together to risk their lives because it was the right thing to do. It was exactly what I needed to read right now.

ARC Review
⭐️⭐️

This was my first Lisa Gardner book and unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me. The pacing felt a bit slow and repetitive, and I struggled to stay engaged with the story.

Going into a thriller, I expected more of a page-turning suspense and this just didn’t deliver that for me. While the writing itself is solid, I didn’t feel connected to the characters or that I truly needed to know what happened next for them. The twists didn’t quite hit as hard, and the stakes just didn’t feel high enough.

What I did appreciate was how the book included experiences of Afghan refugees trying to escape the Taliban. This component felt powerful and added a layer of heartbreak and humanity to the plot.

Overall, it wasn’t quite what I want out of a thriller and it may have just not been the right Gardner book for me to start with.


Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Gardner, and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced reader copy!

This was really well done. I love the twists and turns that Gardner always puts in her stories. She keeps you totally engrossed.

Lisa Gardner has long been one of my favorite authors. This read was a bit different for me although I did enjoy it. I especially was fascinated by Sabera’s story of her time in Afghanistan and her arrival in America. It was definitely an eye opener for me. The plight of refugees is such a political topic in the US at the moment and this read gave it a very personal tone. I had never thought about the fact that those coming from other countries had prestigious careers and jobs and here in the US were resigned to those involving menial labor. Her struggles to find housing was so sad to me.
I also learned a bit about lizards and snakes. Parts of this read I could not put down while others seemed to get bogged down. Petunia was truly a delight.
Frankie is definitely an interesting character. She travels the country solving cold cases. Her approach to her new pet sitting job certainly had me laughing hysterically while shivering in horror. Her investigation delves up a myriad of questions to be answered. Who can she trust? What other secrets is Sabera’s family hiding?
Daryl was a breath of fresh air and one of my favorites as was brilliant Zara with her amazing mind and magic squares. Such a brave child.
Many thanks to Lisa Gardner, Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this recently published book…three and a half stars rounded up to 4 for helping me look at refugees in a different way.

Recent Afghan refugee Sabera Ahmadi was last seen exiting her place of work three weeks ago. The police have still not opened a missing person case, and her husband doesn't seem to be worried. It is her closest friend that contacts missing persons expert, Frankie Elkin to try and locate her. She knows she would never willingly leave her three year old daughter. Frankie heads to Tucson to search for her, but it is at that time that a video surfaces, showing Sabera walking away from a brutal double murder. Frankie realizes there's much more to the Ahmadi family than meets the eye. The father Isaad is a brilliant mathematician, Sabera a gifted linguist, and their little girl Zahra has the ability to remember anything she sees. When Isaad also disappears under mysterious circumstances and an attempt is made on Zahra's life, Frankie realizes she must quickly crack the case and unravel the family's past. Someone is after this family and she needs to figure out who and why before they end up dead.

I have enjoyed all the Frankie Elkin books and this is another winner. She usually tackles cold cases, so this was a bit different for her. Frankie has a bit of a sordid past, and does this to make amends for things in her past. Her gut feelings are very important, and often help her solve a case, but it is also what she uses to determine what cases to take on. This book brings the situation in Kabul to light and how the Afghanis who assisted the US were often left behind and couldn't escape the Taliban. We learn about the refugee camps they lived in before eventually making their way to the US. These parts of the story are heartbreaking, but very realistic. Frankie doesn't take pay for her work, so she takes on jobs wherever she ends up. Because she needs a place to stay in Tucson, she takes on a pet sitting assignment that is made up of snakes and Petunia the Iguana. There is a little humor and lightheartedness in those parts of the story, which is a good thing. There is a lot in this story that is heart-wrenching. Sabera does what she needs to do to keep her daughter safe. There is also a plot point about government spying and espionage that had me shaking my head. This is a very complicated story, but I had no problem following it. This one had a lot of characters, much more than in the previous books which kept me on my toes. I really enjoyed this one and it kept me guessing from start to finish. Who are the good guys? Are these unreliable narrators? Lots of questions while reading, but everything is tied up in the end. Another great Frankie Elkin story and I recommend it to those who enjoy thrillers and suspense.

This was an interesting thriller with good historical/cultural context. I found it hard to follow early on, and the MI6 agent seemed a bit hastily added/not well thought out, but I'd still recommend it for those looking for a good thriller with complex characters.

I have loved Frankie and this series but this one just didn't have the same grit and magic as the previous three. I probably won't review it on my platform because I feel like others could enjoy it and I don't want to sway people from reading this series.

Sabera, an Afghan refugee and young mother, goes missing. Her friend begs Frankie to help find her as she knows Sabera would never leave her child. This was an intimate look into the life of refugees and their struggle. This is my first Frankie Elkin series book and I look forward to reading more.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Frank Elkin is back in action in this welcome return to a more quotidian and credible mystery.

After the less than plausible escapades of her last missing person mystery in Hawaii, Frankie is now in Tucson, looking into the disappearance of a recent Afghani immigrant, Sabera Ahmadi. True to her personal ethos, she is looking for someone that isn’t even a blip on the radar of the local police and uses her modus operandi of worming her way into a community and asking questions of anyone connected to Sabera.

Frankie finds out a lot of Afghanistan, refugees, and the resettling of immigrants into the US, and this information all slips reasonably easily and nondidactically into the narrative. There’s some nonsense about secret services and spies which went in one eye and out the other, and some very solid family drama. As usual, Frankie connects with an unlikely crew of locals who become invested in her search for the missing woman, and these characters are as well developed as you’ll get in supporting characters in a mystery.

If Lisa Gardner were to ask my advice (and as a bestselling author it’s unlikely she will), I would suggest that she somehow fixes Frankie up with a small income so the author doesn’t have to keep inventing slightly preposterous ways of her finding accommodation and cash. In this case, she gets to stay free at the gated house of a tech bro in exchange for feeding and caretaking his reptiles, which, tbh, she doesn't do very well.

I keep getting excited by new Frankie Elkin novels and felt a little let down by the last one, and while this doesn't quite hit the high notes of Before She Disappeared, it is still quite satisfying. If you’re intrigued, start at the beginning of the series and skip book 3.

Thanks to Grand Central and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

Another wonderful read by Lisa Gardner! I live for her descriptive writing. I always learn something from her books as well. The research she puts into her books is unmatched by other authors. I learned a ton about animals throughout this book. The character development was well thought out as well. This book is part of a series but could definitely be read as a stand alone. Thank you NetGalley, Lisa Gardner, and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC!

I am a long time Lisa Gardner fan, and was excited to read this book.

The Frankie Elkin series is good, but to be honest I don’t really enjoy it as much as the detective D.D. Warren series.

This book is well plotted and well written, which is no surprise by this author. I loved the reptile pet sitting subplot, it was weird and wonderful. The characters were great, as usually. I just felt that the suspense was somewhat lacking, and I had to stuggle to finish this one.

This is the first Lisa Gardner book that I would rate below 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an eARC of this book to read and review.

Lisa Gardner did not disappoint with this Frankie Elkin story, this series is one of my favorites and I always recommend it to my friends.

This book is a masterclass in suspense. Gardner blends high-stakes mystery with emotional depth, weaving in themes of survival, family trauma, and the cost of truth. Frankie is a compelling protagonist—flawed, determined, and deeply human. The pacing is electric, and the twists are genuinely surprising. I especially appreciated how the story wasn’t just about solving a case—it was about confronting buried truths and the ripple effects of the past.
Kiss Her Goodbye is more than a thriller—it’s a layered exploration of identity, resilience, and justice. If you enjoy fast-paced mysteries with emotional depth and unforgettable characters, this one’s a must-read. I couldn’t put it down.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC

I love the character of Frankie and how she is unapologetically who she is. Ms. Gardner is fantastic as researching her books thoroughly. The story that was told in this book was at times heartbreaking but real. Getting the main characters point of view was eye opening and made me feel horrible for her. I can’t wait to see what Frankie gets up to next. I received an ARC and this is my honest, voluntary review.