This was a complete mind mess. I didn't know what was going on and who did what till the end. I was waiting to see if I was right about who did what but I was definitely wrong. I was on the edge of my seat for most of this book I could not believe how everything happened and ended. Frankie is such a great detective. I loved her character and how she worked the case. If you are looking for a book full of action that keeps you wondering what will happen next I highly recommend this book.

Frankie is back searching for another missing person. This time, it is a young Afghan refugee. She is a mother who disappeared and left a husband and daughter behind. Frankie hits the ground running to find the missing woman. She has her job cut out for her with many mysteries to solve and unreliable background information. The 4th book to the Frankie Elkins series is great. I love how Lisa can incorporate real issues into her novels and make them thought-provoking while keeping you entertained!

Frankie Elkin returns with a bang in Lisa Gardner’s Kiss Her Goodbye. This time, she veers from her usual cold case missing-persons investigations to search for Sabera Ahmadi, a recent refugee from Afghanistan. In Tucson, Arizona, Frankie finds herself living in unexpected luxury—in exchange for caring for Petunia, a large iguana with eclectic tastes; Marge, a five-foot-long python; and a dozen baby snakes. Along with the house come two colorful characters: Daryl, an ex-con on parole, and Genni, a quirky 6’4” cook who dresses in a different themed outfit every day, from Mary Ann of Gilligan’s Island to a 1950s housewife.
Frankie is soon drawn deep into the mystery surrounding Sabera, a highly sought after polyglot, who is caught on video at the scene of a brutal murder. Gardner doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, offering a raw, unflinching portrayal of the Afghan experience during and after the Taliban takeover. The narrative alternates between Frankie’s investigation and Sabera’s poignant letters to her precocious 4-year-old daughter, Zahra, whose photographic memory adds another layer to the mystery.
The supporting cast—Sabera’s brilliant mathematician husband, Isaad; her friend, Aliah; and others—are cloaked in their own secrets, creating a richly layered and suspenseful plot. Gardner continues to deepen Frankie’s character in this fourth installment, revealing more of her inner thoughts and emotional struggles. The result is a protagonist who feels increasingly human and relatable.
Kiss Her Goodbye is not only a gripping mystery but also a moving history lesson. The characters are well-developed, the stakes are high, and the emotional payoff is real. A satisfying, memorable read.

I had no idea this was book number four. I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more if I had read the others in the series. There were definitely some twists and turns. But nothing that really had me on the edge of my seat. The plot wasn’t my favorite and made it hard for me to keep reading.

Thank you NetGalley, Lisa and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC!

Publication Date: August 12 2025
Rating: ✨✨✨

Frankie Elkin is back and I’m here for it! Frankie is an alcoholic who lives on the fringe of society and her specialty is finding missing people. She has a heart for those marginalized and repeatedly puts her life on the line for them. I’ve read all of the other books so I was thrilled to receive this ARC!

Frankie heads to Arizona in this installment to look for an Afghan refugee! This story has a lot of moving parts so I hope you’re paying attention. Lots of mystery and intrigue and this is definitely a book where you have to be patient as the puzzle pieces are slowly put together.

I loved this one . Gardner has a way with writing books that suck you in and keep you engaged throughout Thanks till the end which is the mark of a good book .
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

I am a big fan of the Frankie Elkin series so I was excited to get an ARC of Kiss Her Goodbye. This addition to the series definitely serves quintessential Frankie with her vagrant lifestyle, resourcefulness, and her willingness to jump right into the path of danger.

The supporting characters in book #4 didn’t resonate with me the same way. Gardner’s books are always page turners for me, so maybe I was reading too quickly to fully digest the details, but I didn’t feel like I had the full picture on the background of the characters to be able to understand how they ended up in the situation they were in. Not my favorite of the series, but I’m definitely sticking with Frankie for whatever comes next.

I always say this but Lisa Gardner never disappoints. I zoomed through the Detective D.D. Warren series and was elated when Frankie Elkin came on scene. Book #4 with Frankie was another great one! I read this in two days. Alll hail Lisa Gardner and her amazing storytelling.

Part of me wants to give this five stars just for the subject matter - it's that important. But the truth is that I didn't 5 star like it.

I read the author for suspense and popcorn and entertainment.

This was heavy. All the sections where we explore Sebera's life were definitely important and horrifying and completely at odds with some of the light silliness that we get from Frankie. I think some people would say that this was meant as relief from the bleakness and I get that, but it just wasn't quite for me.

That being said, I was still interested in how this would all pan out and, once we started getting a bit of clarification of events, read eagerly.

I do appreciate that the author had an important story to tell and she tells it well.

I think that most readers will appreciate this one.

I loved the last Frankie Elkin book by Lisa Gardner so I was very excited to read this next installment. While the circumstances of this plot were completely different than the last book (still a missing persons case) I really enjoyed Frankie’s journey to find Sabera and the characters she meets along the way. I loved the addition of Daryl and Genni (and Petunia). This book did take me a little longer than anticipated to get through but it made up for it with the great plot. The inclusion of Sabera’s perspective/experience as a refugee was really enlightening and heartbreaking. It balanced well with the main plot of trying to find her. This book can stand alone without having read the others. I love this series and plan to keep reading Frankie’s adventures. (4.75/5)

**This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

In the fourth installment of the Frankie Elkin series, an Afghan Refugee named Sabera Ahmadi, goes missing without a trace. It is up to Frankie to unravel the mystery of the Ahmadi Family, and bring this mother back home. As always, this was a very well written and descriptive mystery, with some historical fiction sprinkled in, that keeps you guessing at every turn.

When Afghan refugee Sabera comes to America she thinks things might finally be different than her war torn country. But quickly that is not the case and she disappears. The police open a case but no one is sure where she is or what happened to her but one thing is evident: secrets are being kept. Frankie comes in as a private investigator and realizes there is way more to this family. As the search for Sabera is progressing danger is becoming more and more immanent for everyone involved.

This was a good book and very full of action and drama. It had some hard things to deal with due to the nature of the topic involving being a refugee, war, assault and more. I thought it was well written and gave a true ish perspective on the crisis refugees do have to face. This book was thrilling and kept me on the edge of my seat!

Lisa Gardner has done it again! This was a great fast paced thriller that will be on my favorite shelf! This is the 4th book but I enjoyed reading it as a stand alone.

Frankie Elkins is a heroine to root for and this book shows more of her vulnerabilities. She's leading the search for a missing Tuscon woman named Sabera, mother to a three year old, whose husband doesn't seem too upset about her absence. During the course of the book we make a lot of discoveries about Sabera's family, her life and her past. Some of the book was hard to read as it echoes much of our current political climate. It's well researched, beautifully written, and a cultural lesson. This is well worth your time.

I am a big fan of the Frankie Elkin series and this 4th installment delivered.
This time Frankie is tasked with looking for a missing Afghan refugee, so this story gets deep and dark. However the characters in the background are so unexpected and colorful that they help bring comfort and normalcy to Frankie’s heartbreaking investigation.
Written in dual timeline, this story will pull hard at your heartstrings while giving you hope, thanks to the big hearted people Frankie surrounds herself with.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Kiss Her Goodbye is the fourth book in Lisa Gardner’s Frankie Elkin series and I think it’s probably the best. We see Frankie has taken to heart her time in Hawaii and has grown but still is the same old Frankie with her need to move and find. She heads to Tuscan to search for a missing Afghan refugee that no one seems all that concerned about expect one individual. While searching, Frankie finds herself house sitting for reptiles and becomes associates with the misfits her temporary employer hires. Together they form an unconventional group that steps up for a little girl with an amazing gift and they try to locate the answers needed to figure out what all has happened.

Can’t wait to see where Frankie’s adventures take her in the next book.



Thank you @grandcentralpub and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback

I love Lisa Gardner, but this wasn’t an absolute favorite of mine. This is the next in the Frankie Elkin series, which up until the point I’ve enjoyed a lot. It was very very hard for me to follow and the subject matter was deep.

Sabera has known nothing but warfare for most of her life. Her family being killed in front of her leads to her status as an Afghan refugee in the United States. Her husband, Isaad, is a seemingly strict leader and runs a tight ship.

One day, she disappears. Her husband seems overall unconcerned, but Frankie is brought in to solve the case. When Isasad also appears dead, you know there is a problem.

Who will solve this mystery?

I have never been more excited to receive an ARC in my life. I literally screamed when I got this one—Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner. This wasn’t just any book for me. Lisa Gardner is the reason I fell in love with reading, and especially with thrillers. I’ve been devouring her books since I was a kid, and I’ve read every single one she’s written.

The Frankie Elkins series holds such a special place in my heart, and this latest installment completely blew me away. Lisa has this incredible way of writing suspense that grips you, while also shining a light on real, heartbreaking issues happening in the world. The focus on Afghani refugees in this book was powerful—heart-wrenching, eye-opening, and handled with such care and humanity. It wasn’t just a thriller. It was beautiful.

Frankie continues to be one of my favorite characters. Flawed, fierce, and always driven by the need to do the right thing—even when it’s hard. I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I’m just so grateful I got to read this early. It reminded me exactly why I fell in love with this genre in the first place.

The fourth book in the Frankie Elkin series, Kiss Her Goodbye, does not disappoint! I love how Lisa Gardner adds cultural aspects to her books and allows her readers to learn about new regions. This time its learning about Afghanistan while the book is set in Tucson, AZ. Highly recommend! I especially enjoyed Petunia! Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own. Rating: 5 stars Publication Date: August 12, 2025

Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner
Publishing date - August 12th 2025
Rating (5/5)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this eARC. I love the Frankie Elkin series. In the 4th installment of this series , Frankie is assigned the task of locating a young Afghan refugee woman. The plot is filled with unexpected twists and turns. Gardner obviously put in her research in when writing about the Afghan refugee experience, as the novel provides interesting and sometimes heartbreaking details about Sabera’s journey, from her life in Afghanistan to her migration into the United States. An informative and emotional read - Highly recommend when it releases this August.