Spin the roulette wheel. Wherever it lands is where Frankie Elkin will eventually elbow her way into another exciting case to be solved. No plans. No maps. No appointed schedule.

Lisa Gardner has created one firecracker character in the likes of Frankie Elkin. Frankie is a recovering alcoholic who takes it upon herself to find missing persons. She operates alongside of her gut feelings as to which case to pursue. It will take her far and wide. The eventual outcomes can never be gauged.

Frankie's headlights shine a beam on Tucson, Arizona. This current case involves Sabera Ahmadi, an Afghan refugee who has gone missing. Her friend fears that there's a connection to the aftermath in Kabul after the military withdrawal. Sabera's treacherous story seems to begin there. It has apparently followed her to Tucson with ominous results.

Gardner sets up particular parameters as Frankie searches for cheap housing during her stay in Tucson. Her pockets are empty and rent is through the roof literally. The door opens to a pet sitting situation from a video guru who will be out of the country. Said pets are an enormous python, mini pythons, and Petunia the iguana. It also opens another door for Frankie to meet the staff members who will become more than memorable throughout this novel. Humor finds niches to settle in.

But then the storyline swings heavily into the plight of Sabera Ahmadi. Gardner slips in chapters of Sabera and her family living in squalor in refugee camps after the Taliban takeover. These inserts are heartwrenching. As readers, we will come to know that Sabera is in great danger as well as her family. A video shows Sabera leaving a warehouse where two men have been murdered. What exactly is Sabera's story? Will Frankie come face-to-face with one of her most dangerous missions?

Kiss Her Goodbye can be read as a standalone. Gardner fills in the missing pieces nicely. I believe that this is the best in the series. Please note: Read the Acknowledgements at the end of the book. Gardner reveals where she got the ideas for this one. Highly interesting. I don't know how Lisa Gardner will top Kiss Her Goodbye.......but only she can.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Grand Central Publishing and to the talented Lisa Gardner for the opportunity.

I cannot commend Gardner enough for taking on such a novel. The research this took had to have been extensive and thorough. This book has so many red herrings it is a complete mind trick. In the end however, we do get *most* answers. Enough answers. I loved the inclusion of the journal entries so that we got to know S as a character although she was missing. Frankie, everyone loves Frankie. Darryl and Genni (oh and Petunia) were incredible character additions as well. I think this *could* be read as a standalone if necessary but you won’t really fully understand Frankie as a person that way and it would lose a bit of its charm. This book is incredibly dark and upsetting at times but there is some comedic and comforting relief sprinkled in to keep you sane.

This is the newest book in the Frankie Elkin series. Frankie goes to Tucson, AZ and gets involved in a missing persons case. Then there is more. More family members get involved and more complicated. You just never know where this book is going. Really good. Get this and read it!

I don’t normally like to skip books in a series, but the widget in my e-mail inbox for Lisa Gardner’s Kiss Her Goodbye, caught my eye. It’s number four in the Frankie Elkin series, and I’d only read the first book about three years ago. Frankie’s put on a few miles since then!

Putting on miles is what Frankie does. She’s recovering alcoholic, self-appointed P.I. who searches for missing persons, usually cold cases. This time she’s in Tucson, Arizona, at the behest of an Afghani woman named Aliah whose friend has recently disappeared. Sabera Ahmadi, is a refugee who is still adjusting to life in America after months of living with her older, highly educated husband Isaad and clever pre-school-aged daughter Zahra. Why has she disappeared? She would not intentionally leave her family.

Frankie is a street smart, experienced investigator who can think on her feet. The first thing on her list after meeting with Aliah is finding a place to live. Because rental housing is far beyond her price range, she considers pet sitting. To her delight, she lands a job that, at first glance, appears to be a dream home. It’s a month-long gig, lodging included. It’s an estate with a pool and a driver. The pets could be a problem, however. No, they’re not feral cats. There’s an iguana. That’s not all. Would you believe…snakes? A python and baby pythons! Yikes! I can barely read the word snake , much less think about caring for them! Frankie! The owner’s name is Bart, and he’s just a kid in his 20’s. Apparently, he made a fortune in gaming. He has a staff with the driver, Daryl, and a trans cook/housekeeper named Genni, both of whom are wonderful human beings. Oh, and the iguana’s name is Petunia, and the giant snake is Marge. Petunia has some good qualities too. Marge, well, you’ll see…

Ms. Gardner has done extensive research into recent Afghanistan’s history, much of it distressing – the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban, the massacres of Afghan civilians, the refugee camps – as well as some of the cultural beliefs and traditions of Afghani people. This is all woven into a complex story which includes a long journal that Sabera has been writing to her daughter with memories of her childhood. These give us images and insights into her life in her home country. Then there were the refugee camps. Those were miserable. The reader gets a sense of how horrendous they were, not only for the refugees but also for medical staff who worked long, hard hours with very little in the way of adequate supplies.

Life in the present seems overwhelming as well. Affordable housing is non-existent; available housing is barely livable. Jobs are scarce. Life in America is so very different from home. Zahra’s parents are both highly intelligent adults with a young child. They must alternate working hours or find someone to watch her. Somehow, they make it work, that is, until Sabera disappears.

That’s only the beginning…The plot thickens, as the saying goes. I loved how Frankie’s new friends all join in to help with this case, getting down and dirty, as it were, to help locate and rescue the missing mother. Everyone seems enamored with Zahra, and she with them.

I did find the scenes from Sabera’s past confusing. Some of them recounted times when she was confused and delusional. Others were my own difficulty keeping the names straight. The final scenes, however, were quite satisfactory, and the conclusion was, for me, unexpected.

I received a digital copy of Kiss Her Goodbye as an ARC. Thanks to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Lisa Gardner. My opinions are my own.

4 stars

Another Frankie Elkins book! I was excited to read about Frankie again but this one fell a little flat for me. The side characters are top notch. The information about refugees was interesting. But the overall story and mystery aspect just didn't do it for me. The chapters from Sabera's perspective were confusing and really had me thinking that Sabera was in a mental break.

Frankie is back looking for another missing person. There is more to this story than meets the eye. All sorts of twists along the way. This book will keep you guessing. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Lisa Gardner's new Frankie Elkin novel cuts straight to the chase. In Tucson's scorching heat, our recovering-alcoholic-turned-detective takes on a case that hits close to home: a young Afghan refugee vanishes after work, leaving her toddler behind.

Unlike Frankie's usual cold cases, this trail's still warm. But what looks like a simple disappearance turns deadly serious when war trauma, cultural tensions, and family secrets start bubbling to the surface.

Gardner writes with the precision of someone who's done their homework. The refugee experience feels real, the Arizona heat practically radiates off the page, and the story moves at a pace that'll keep you reading well past midnight. Through it all, Frankie's own demons dance in the background, adding extra weight to an already powerful story.

The plot's tight as a drum, with enough twists to keep thriller fans happy and enough depth to make you think. New readers can jump right in - no previous Frankie Elkin knowledge required.
Kiss Her Goodbye proves Gardner's still got it. In a genre that's seen it all, she manages to deliver something fresh, fierce, and unforgettable.

4/5 stars

Perfect for fans of smart thrillers that pack both heat and heart.

This story truly moved me. Set against the backdrop of war, it’s a reminder that even in the darkest times, humanity still shines through. Told from two powerful perspectives—Sabera and Frankie—it weaves a deeply emotional narrative about displacement, identity, and finding a place to call home. Sabera’s chapters, especially, hit close to my heart. As the child of immigrant parents, I felt every word of her struggle. While the book may be fiction, the emotional weight of Sabera’s experience is very real—the heartbreak of leaving one’s country is something that lingers, and this story captures it so well.

Frankie’s journey was equally compelling. She’s a woman searching for belonging, and watching her evolve felt incredibly personal. What made the book even more special for me was the vivid cast of supporting characters—Daryl, Genni, and Roberta. Their chemistry was pure perfection. I honestly felt like part of their little group as I read, which makes me a little sad knowing they won’t be part of Frankie’s next chapter.

I’m deeply grateful to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will stay with me for a long time.

This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. The riddles, surprises and nods to struggles we face as a society were bonuses in this well written mystery/thriller.

The story takes you through the life of a refugee and describes the challenges as if you are experiencing it. Every character has a story and the author does a good job touching upon each one. You feel personally connected and involved in this international adventure. Overall, a great read for anyone loves this genre!

Frankie Elkin is back! Hurray! The 4th book in the Frankie Elkin series finds her on hot streets of Tucson, AZ to find a missing Afghan refugee who could be in great danger. Sabera Ahmadi has been missing for three weeks and the local police are not concerned so it's up to Frankie to figure out what has happened to her.

I couldn't put this book down. There was a lot of action and it was also informative because I learned about the challenges the Afghan people face as they settle in the states and the organizations that help them with that.

Thank you NetGalled for an ARC of this book.

Kiss Her Goodbye is the 4th book in the Frankie Elkin series by Lisa Gardner. Frankie is called to Tuscon AZ when an Afgan refugee goes missing and hasn't been seen for several weeks and the police don't take the disappearance seriously. Frankie arrives in Tuscon where she meets Aliah who called her to help find Sabera who has up and disappeared after leaving her work and has left her husband and daughter behind with no communication. Frankie, being the drifter that she is answers an ad for pet sitting with a place to stay only to find it is more than she bargained for having to take care of an iguana, python, and other reptiles. The establishment can't be beat though and the people she meets at the home become a part of her ragtag team. As Frankie and her team tries to run down what happened to Sabera, information is gathered but it is hard for them and the reader to piece how it all fits together. Along the way more people connected to Sabera go missing, putting pressure on Frankie to not only find Sabera, but what happened to the others.

Lisa Gardner does an excellent job with her character development and really throws the reader into the story. You feel as though you are right there alongside Frankie trying to figure out what is going on here and what steps should be taken next. While this book is part of a series it can also be read as a standalone. I personally had never read another book in this series and I was able to enjoy this book on its own, having no previous history. I have found a new author I enjoy as well as a new series to follow.

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

#NetGalley #KissHerGoodbye #LisaGardner

4.5/5 stars

Kiss Her Goodbye is the fourth book in the Frankie Elkin series.

This book is a mystery thriller and can be read as a standalone. The mystery is self-contained to this book. However a few things from the previous books are mentioned. I would recommend reading this series in order. The character of Frankie has evolved throughout the series. I think that it would be easier to understand her if you’ve read the previous books. Also there are references to romance that won’t make sense without having read the previous books.

Frankie finds missing people. She is not a private investigator. But her specialty is missing persons cold cases. In this book she is asked to locate a missing Afghan refugee. Twenty-three year old Sabera is a gifted linguist who has vanished in Tucson Arizona (where the book is set).

Frankie travels to different places in each book. The first thing that she does when taking on a new case is find a temporary job and place to live. I absolutely loved the pet-sitting job that she gets in this book. The job is funny and terrifying considering the pets are snakes and an iguana. I adored where she stayed and absolutely loved the other employees that worked there (Daryl the driver and Genni the cook).

The story here is quite complex. There are some Sabera chapters from the past showing her plight in Afghanistan. This was heartbreaking. It was definitely important to see everything that happened to Sabera and her family in the past. But I did not enjoy these parts as much.

Then there is Frankie trying to find Sabera in the present. Aliah owns an Afghan deli. She is worried about her friend Sabera and asks Frankie to help her. Sabera has a husband Isaad and 4 year old daughter Zahra (a child prodigy). Zahra was a wonderful supporting character. I also really enjoyed the fun banter between Frankie and Detective Marc.

Frankie's previous romantic interest from the last book is talked about briefly. But it's not explained for new readers. And there are no reminders for old readers. Also what about the guy from the first book? I definitely wish that the romance was a bigger part of the story. And that we got some flashback reminders of what happened. I would definitely like to know more of what took place between books 3 and 4.

Although the case features a heavy subject the story is riveting. I really enjoy Frankie so much. She is such a complicated unique woman. And the ending was so good. I need more Frankie!

I just finished Kiss Her Goodbye, which was my first Lisa Gardner novel and it absolutely delivered! As a mystery lover, I was hooked from the start. The plot was layered and full of twists and watching all the pieces come together made the experience even more thrilling. Each chapter left me eager to dive into the next.

This was my second e-ARC and I’m incredibly grateful to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to read Kiss Her Goodbye ahead of its release.

Phew, Lisa Gardner and Frankie Elkin always have me coming back for more! Big thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC, as I am a huge fan of the Frankie Elkin series!

The Frankie series always keeps me guessing and on my toes. This time, Frankie is traveling to the too hot Tuscon where we are once again introduced to a missing woman and a cast of endearing characters. Lisa Gardner never ceases to amaze me with how she can develop characters who I end up loving, and missing, by the end of each book. Frankie is searching for Sabera, a young mom from Afghanistan and nothing is as it seems. Everyone is keep secrets, but most of all, Sabera. Told through Sabera’s haunting letters and Frankie’s perspective, you’ll never quite know or guess what is reality, or fiction. This story kept me guessing the whole time and pulled on all of my heartstrings. Loved it from beginning to end! Can’t wait for the next one.

I loved this so much, even though it dealt with some very depressing topics. This is the fourth installment of the Frankie Elkin series. Frankie doesn’t have a settled home. Instead, she goes from place to place, doing her best to find missing people, dead or alive.

Frankie is called to Tucson, AZ, to find recent Afghan refugee Sabera Ahmadi. Her best friend thinks she is in grave danger. Sabera might leave her older, demanding husband, but she would never leave her four-year-old daughter. When Frankie arrives, a video surfaces of Sabera seen leaving the scene of a brutal double murder. Frankie quickly learns there is much more to the story than meets the eye.

Frankie needs money and a place to stay since she doesn’t charge for her services. It takes a stretch of imagination how much she lucked out in the situation she quickly found herself in, but I love the characters that also worked there so much, all is forgiven.

I found this hard to put down and very compelling.

NetGalley provided an advance reader copy of this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 12, 2025.

Not my favorite. I normally love the Frankie Elkin books, but this one fell a bit flat for me. The whole plot seemed so unbelievable. Normally I’m hit with a shocking plot twist, but I’m still waiting. I do like that Frankie stays true to their character. They look for the people that are often overlooked.

Oh Frankie, I've missed you! I love this character - witty and irreverent with so much heart. This time she finds herself in Arizona, searching for a missing Afghan woman, a refugee just recently arrived. She has left her young daughter behind, as well as a lot of questions. We get glimpses into Sabera's life before fleeing Afghanistan, as well as snippets of her time in a refugee camp, and Frankie desperately tries to find the young mother before it's too late. She enlists the help of some really special characters (and a few reptiles). This one is less of a heart pounder and more of a head scratcher than some of Frankie's previous cases. The characters are what make this one special!

A super big thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read Gardner's latest!

4.25 stars! I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. From the getgo, I have absolutely loved this series and Frankie will always be my favorite FMC. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and while I still enjoyed it, I found there to be a bit to much to keep track of, but user error might have contributed to that. Nonetheless, I can’t wait for the next book!

Lisa Gardner knows how to write a story and keep you on the edge of your seat for days. I couldn’t put this down. Just a fantastic story. Loved every page.

This book is filled with so many twists it’s a treasure trove of hidden secrets and suspenseful events. Frankie is asked to search for a missing woman. A woman who escaped from a war torn country filled with hope for the future for her family.

First Zahra had supplied “a lock to a key for a key that has no lock.” Now Sabera had added, “Beauty is power; I am her sword.”

Lots of intrigue made this book hard to put down.