#KissHerGoodbye #NetGalley
Lisa Gardner delivers another gripping installment in her Frankie Elkin series with Kiss Her Goodbye, a high-stakes thriller that blends mystery, suspense, and emotional depth. With a missing mother, a traumatized child, and a past that refuses to stay buried, this novel is an intense and thought-provoking read. Frankie Elkin, a missing persons expert with a relentless drive to find the lost, takes on a case that no one else seems to care about. Sabera Ahmadi, a recent Afghan refugee, disappeared three weeks ago. The police haven’t bothered to open an investigation, and her much older husband seems indifferent. But her best friend is adamant—Sabera would never abandon her three-year-old daughter, Zahra. Frankie’s search takes a shocking turn when a video surfaces showing Sabera walking away from the scene of a brutal double murder. As Frankie digs deeper, she uncovers chilling secrets about the Ahmadi family. Sabera was a gifted linguist, her husband Isaad a brilliant mathematician, and little Zahra—she possesses an extraordinary memory that may put her in grave danger. When Isaad also vanishes and an attempt is made on Zahra’s life, it becomes clear that the Ahmadis are being hunted. But by whom? And why? With time running out, Frankie must unravel a complex web of past sins, dangerous secrets, and hidden identities before more lives are lost.
Likes:-
1 Frankie Elkin’s Relentless Determination: As always, Frankie’s tenacity and unique perspective as an outsider make her a compelling lead. She’s flawed, driven, and willing to risk everything for justice.
2 Timely and Relevant Themes: The novel explores issues of immigration, trauma, and survival, adding emotional weight to the thriller elements.
3 Fast-Paced, Twisty Plot: Gardner masterfully keeps the suspense high, with unexpected revelations and edge-of-your-seat moments.
4 Unforgettable Characters: Zahra, with her haunting ability to recall everything, adds an eerie yet heartbreaking element to the story.
Overall :- Kiss Her Goodbye is a powerful thriller that goes beyond the typical missing persons case, diving into the scars of war, the resilience of a mother’s love, and the lengths we go to protect those we cherish. Lisa Gardner delivers a tightly woven, emotionally charged mystery that will keep readers hooked until the final, heart-pounding twist.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for giving me an advance copy..

In the fourth installment of the Frankie Elkin series, Frankie is in Arizona searching for Sabera Ahmadi who has been missing for three weeks. Frankie is an unofficial missing persons investigator who looks for missing people the police don’t seem to care about. She is a recovering alcoholic who has no real home and goes wherever the case takes her. She doesn’t accept payment and makes it by finding work on her travels. This time it’s as a pet sitter for a tech genius.

I love this series. I’ve read all of them, but this one really got to me. It tells the plight of a refugee escaping the Taliban and all they go through for a new life in America. It’s something you see on the news but never really think about the details. I really appreciate the length the author goes to in her research and it really helps bring the story to life. This was a fast paced, action packed read that will also tug at your heart. The characters are amazing and I loved Marge and Petunia! I can’t wait to see what comes next for Frankie. I highly recommend picking up this one. You won’t regret it.

I loved the twist and turns in this book, My first opportunity to read about the outstanding character that is Frankie Elvn and it wouldn't be my last. Highly recommend this series. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for a honest review.

Frankie Elkin searches for the lost that no one is looking for- this case takes her to Tucson to find a missing Afghani woman, and of course, puts Frankie in all kinds of jeopardy. A fast-paced read that kept me turning the pages as fast as I could. Also really liked learning about the Aghan culture and refugee camps- you can tell a lot of research went into this one. Until next time, Frankie.

I loved it! Excellent mystery! Frankie is an imperfect investigator but extremely selfless and compassionate. She grows ties with people as soon as she meets them and through those is able to help find their lost ones. The author's descriptions of the refugee camps were absolutely heart wrenching. I especially enjoyed the math aspects. Great series!

I'm usually a big fan of Lisa Gardner's books. However, I had a hard time getting invested in Kiss Her Goodbye.

The story offers an intriguing premise and revolves around Sabera Ahmadi, an Afghan refugee who mysteriously disappears, and the subsequent search led by missing persons expert Frankie Elkin. The character dynamics, particularly within the Ahmadi family, are effective. Frankie's character is relatable and determined, but her backstory and motivations sometimes come off as one-dimensional. The revelation of family secrets and the ominous presence that threatens Zahra, the young daughter, adds layers to the narrative. Still, the plot twists, while surprising, occasionally veer into predictability, making some climactic moments less impactful.

Overall, Kiss Her Goodbye has a solid foundation and engaging themes about love and sacrifice. If you enjoy a mix of mystery and familial drama, it is still worth picking up.

I would recommend this book even though it just didn't quite hit the mark for me personally. I would rate it a 3.75 out of 5 stars (rounded to 4).

I was SO impressed with this one. Frankie Elkin is back to help find a missing Afghan refugee and it was apparent Lisa Gardner had done extensive research in order to tell her story in the most authentic way. Frankie teams up with an "island of misfit toys" including Ginni (the housekeeper who dresses up as famous women of Hollywood past), Daryl (the ex-con ballroom dancing driver), and Roberta (Daryl's former parole officer who is now his ballroom dancing partner but is married to someone else) to search for Sabera and reunite her with her 4 year-old daughter Zahara. If you're new to the Frankie Elkin series, start from the top but don't skip this one!

Love this series and this book did not disappoint. Lots of adventure and mystery. Looking forward to the next installment

Frankie is back and headed to Tucson.

First, a job. And a place to stay. Frankie is not a fan of reptiles, but takes what is offered. A pet sitting job for a wealthy gamer. With a housekeeper, and a driver. Oh, yeah, a very large lizard.

The job is to find a recent refugee, Sabera Ahmadi, who has been missing for a few weeks.
The refugee community doesn’t trust anyone, which makes the job harder, but with the help of new friends, she may have a chance of finding her.

Until a video shows her leaving a double murder scene. There is something about the Ahmadi family that doesn’t add up. Is her husband abusive? Would she leave her daughter?

Oh the suspense! I loved this book. Great plot.


NetGalley/ Grand Central Publishing August 12,2025

This is the 4th installment in the Frankie Elkin series, about an unofficial missing persons investigator, who picks her cases based on the fact that the people she’s searching for are the invisible kind — people who no one cares much about or their disappearance. Frankie is sort of “hired” via word of mouth. She has no permanent home, is a recovering alcoholic, and owns very few belongings, so she can travel on a whim. Her standard operating procedure is to find cheap rent and a low paying job (usually as a bartender) in the town she lands in.

This time it’s Tucson, and she finds lodging as an exotic pet-sitter (iguana and multiple snakes) for a twenty something millionaire gamer who is off to a tech bro convention for a month. Frankie has been invited by Aliah, an Afghan refugee and deli owner, whose friend Sabera, another Afghani, disappeared three weeks ago, leaving behind a four year old daughter and a seemingly non-caring older husband. Aliah is convinced that Sabera would never leave her daughter behind willingly, and law enforcement is not concerned about a runaway housewife.

The first break in the case is unexpected: Sabera is filmed on CCTV leaving a murder scene. We learn much of Sabera’s traumatic background as she loses family members and barely escapes the Taliban while pregnant. The author obviously put a lot of research into the life of an Afghan refugee. Assisting Frankie are Aliah and two of gamer BoyWonder’s other employees, chauffeur Daryl and housekeeper Genni. Daryl’s ballroom dance partner, Roberta, was his parole officer, and Roberta’s brother is the detective becoming more interested in Sabera’s disappearance. Together they make a fascinating group of eccentric people, and they all end up guarding four year old Zahra. Interspersed with Frankie’s POV, are Sabera’s memories of leaving Afghanistan, only to find more danger in the U.S.

Let’s not forget Petunia and Marge — the green iguana and a gigantic white python, plus a dozen baby pythons, that Frankie still has to feed on a strict schedule. Plus Petunia gets TV time. Both get some villain-flavored snacks, too.

This is a story about the effect of war on families as much as a missing person story. Frankie learns a lot more than she was prepared for about the complications of being a refugee and the struggles that immigrants face in order to settle in the U.S. Author Gardner has written a deeply emotional tale that obviously required a lot of research. 4.5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO But there are some rare gray eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Gamer millionaire does have large desert landscaping with barrel cacti and giant aloes.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

Another adventure with our favorite missing persons finder, joined by a new cast of eccentric characters. Frankie is a complex character, flawed and broken, strong and good hearted and it’s all so apparent in this latest chronicle. Frankie is summoned to Tucson, AZ to find a missing immigrant named Sabera. Sabera hadn’t been in the US long, after suffering horrible tragedies, she fled Afghanistan with her husband and young daughter. But more danger awaited her in the US and she goes missing. Frankie embarks on a mission to find Sabera and quickly finds more questions than answers, along with some reptiles!
All in all it was a good story that I enjoyed, though there were a few pieces that I felt didn’t completely add up. Don’t miss this one.

Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Frankie Elkin is back in book number 4 of the series. This time Frankie is in Tucson, Arizona to find Sabera Ahmadi, an Afghan refugee, new to Tucson but would never leave her daughter behind. A close friend fears the worst and local police haven’t opened a case as of yet. When a video of Sabera is released, leaving the brutal killing of two men, suddenly the police and Frankie’s new friends are very deep in this amazing thriller.
I love the Frankie Elkin series and was excited to get into this one. The suspense and emotion of this latest installment was intense. The descriptions of the refugee camps that Sabera and her family endure are heartbreaking and the detail that Lisa puts into this novel, shows the amount of research that went into bringing this one to the reader. I was easily and quickly immersed in the story and couldn’t wait to see what happened next. I loved Frankie’s side kicks, but you’ll have to pick this one up to find out more about them! A must read that is due out August 12, 2025. Pre-order this one!!

Best book I've read in a long time! I'm a big fan of Lisa Garner, but I found Kiss Her Goodbye to be a unique plot. Reading about Afghan refugees was interesting and a different perspective. There's also far fetched and unbelievable parts to her books, but I highly enjoyed the story and will be purchasing it for our library when published.

I appreciate the ARC

5 stars out of 5.

Another excellent book in the Frankie Elkin series. I think this was my favorite book in the series so far. This book could be read as a standalone since there is enough background information given but to really understand Frankie I would recommend starting at the beginning of the series. I found myself flipping the pages as fast as I could from the minute I started the book and I was on the edge of my seat. The action didn't stop once and the twists at the end, I did not expect that. The ending really ties everything up nicely and I cannot wait to see what Lisa Gardner has in store for us in the next installment.

In Kiss Her Goodbye, Frankie is asked to help find Aliah's friend Sabera, who has been missing for weeks. Sabera has a husband and daughter left behind and no one has seen or heard from her. Suddenly, it appears Sabera was spotted on camera leaving a crime scene where 2 people were murdered. Frankie, with some unlikely help she found along the way, needs to track her down and figure out what is going on before the body count gets even higher.

Thank you Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you enjoyed the others from this author/in this series, you'll like this one! This follows Frankie on yet another adventure and I enjoyed every minute.

Another five star read from Gardner. This was my first Frankie Elkin book and I enjoyed it so much, I instantly downloaded the first three after reading. I learned so much about the refugee system and was shocked at times. Overall, an excellent, moving read!

Lisa Gardner has done it again. I found this book very interesting and at times intense. I loved the way Lisa has taken a subject that so needs to be highlighted and shown for the scary, sad, overwhelming life of a refugee yet added in the funny almost comical situation that Frankie Elkin gets herself into in this story. I did find myself struggling with the intensity of some of the written words and the picture that they painted of the refuge camps but then Lisa would introduce a rich gamer with a love of reptiles and that allowed my mind to settle and keep reading.
Frankie Elkin is amazing and Lisa thank you for giving me the chance to learn more about things outside of my comfort zone.
Netgalley and Penguin thank you for the ARC. This review is my thoughts and feelings alone.

Strongly recommend this good, but sad, read

This was sad to read. A young woman, who helped the US in her native Afghanistan, finally got to the US after years of waiting under deplorable conditions in a refugee camp. When she, and then her husband, are missing, leaving their precocious 4 year old daughter alone, Frankie ties to find out what happened and hopefully find the parents.

It was tough to read and see how our promise to help those who could be killed by helping the US just turns out to be a bunch of BS for many people. The timing was bad for me as I was reading this right when all refugee applicants, who had been waiting for years through no fault of their own, were shut down. Despicable.

But, the book and the mystery behind the missing parents was very good. It will haunt me for a long time. Maybe it will help shine some light on the plight of people we used and abandoned.

Kiss He Goodbye by Lisa Gardner
I am a Lisa Gardner junky. I’ve really been enjoying the antics of her newest character, Frankie Elkin. She’s a (recovering) alcoholic that goes around finding missing people. She’s also sassy and full of great one liners.
Her latest mission involves a woman refugee, Sabera from Afghanistan who goes missing and leaves behind a husband and 4 year old child. Not long after the husband disappears and people are after Zahara, the child. Frankie and her newfound crew of entertaining misfit friends are determined to protect her and bring her family back home.
I learned a lot about the Afghanistan culture and the refugee life which is very sad. It was a bit hard to sometimes follow just because it was so different but over all still a good read.

I absolutely love Frankie Elkin!!! She is a fantastic character. Frankie is a finder of missing persons. Said missing persons have usually been missing awhile, their trail has gone cold, and they are not usually still alive by then. Frankie is a solitary person, having suffered a major life tragedy years ago. She does not form long-lasting relationships or put down roots and basically lives a nomad-type existence, helping where she can. I have read all three books in the series and was super-stoked to read this 4th entry! This one was an eye-opener. Frankie is enlisted by a former Afghan refugee to find a different refugee, Sabera, who has been missing for 3 weeks, and no one, including her husband, seems to care. Her friend doesn't think she would've just up and left her young daughter. Sabera has a sad yet fascinating backstory having escaped from Kabul as it was falling under Taliban rule. We learn a lot about the refugee system, something I am embarrassed to say, I rarely think about it. Families torn apart, living for months in refugee camps just to name a few of their hardships. But anyway, Frankie meets a lot of colorful characters along her journey, especially Petunia and her roommates. Frankie may also be developing, dare I say it, feelings for someone and I hope we see her lifestyle changing just a bit to accommodate that. I cannot wait for the next installment. And there better be a next one. Hint, hint!

Thank you so much to #NetGalley, Lisa Gardner and Grand Central Publishing for this much appreciated ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of August 12, 2025.