"A lock to a key for a key that has no lock." 🔐

I love mystery/thriller books esp if it contains riddles. Listened to the audio book while reading digital copy. The narrator did an awesome job...the expressiveness, clarity, and the ability to bring the characters to life. Immersive and engaging story and I just had to know what happened to Sabera.
Extra points for mentioning 'The Simpsons' in the story .

This is the 4th book in the Frankie Elkin Series and my absolute favorite so far. From engaging side characters to a dual point of view - this story pulled me in from every angle.

This installment finds Frankie searching for a missing woman who is a somewhat recent refugee to settle in Arizona from Afghanistan. We get to hear pieces of Sabera’s story from childhood in Afghanistan to her escape and time in an overcrowded refugee camp. The book was so descriptive, I felt I could experience both the beauty of her home country as well as the devastating ruin.

Hillary Huber’s narration was absolutely phenomenal. Each character had their own distinct voice - so much so that I double checked to see if there was at least a second narrator!

If you are a fan of crime fiction, the Sue Grafton alphabet series, a cast of slightly quirky characters balancing serious subject matter - you will love this. I can’t wait for book #5! Highly recommend - this was a 5⭐️ page turner for me!!

🌷Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, Grand Central Publishing and author Lisa Gardner for access to an advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing, for this advanced reader copy! When Sabera goes missing and her husband doesn't seem worried, Frankie starts to investigate and find dark family secrets. This book was easy to read and kept you engaged.

Firstly Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for this advanced audiobook of the 4th book in the Frankie Elkin series! I was thrilled to see Hillary Huber was the narrator again. She has been amazing on the previous two Frankie Elkin books and she absolutely excelled this time with voicing so many characters with so many different accents so wonderfully. I really enjoyed the refugee storyline in this instalment and was completely hooked from the beginning as always. I loved all the twists and turns. Lisa Gardner please never stop writing Frankie Elkin!!

I found this story that centers on the plight of refugees to be completely enthralling, heartbreaking and yet educational at the same time.
The story centers on a woman- Frankie Elkin who feels compelled to look for missing persons that no one else is looking for. This is evidently the 4th book in a series but I had no trouble keeping up, as the locale and all the characters are new to this story. Frankie is looking for a missing Afghan refugee Sabera Ahmadi who has been living in Tucson Az with her much older husband and 4 year old daughter. Everyone says that she probably ran away, but just doesn’t ring true to Frankie.
Because Frankie does this work to suppress her alcoholic tendencies, instead of money she needs to find a job that includes living arrangements. Luckily she finds a job pet sitting for Bart a gamer wonder-kid millionaire who needs someone to take care of his pet reptiles. The gig includes Darryl a bruiser of a driver and a drag queen of a cook. She quickly ropes this found family into her project. They add a bit of comic relief to an otherwise bleak story.
The story switches back and forth between present day and Sabera’s life in Kabul. The author does a terrific job of letting us walk in the shoes of the refugees moving for an happy society of freedom, safety and respect to one where everything has been ripped away- everyone you love brutally murdered and then the hard part starts, living among the pestilence of refugee camps and trying to make it somewhere safe. Then when they finally get somewhere sort of safe- they need to learn a completely new culture. In their home country they were well educated respected professionals, and now they are maids and uber drivers.
Something is truly wrong with our world that right now there is so much abundance and yet there are millions of people starving in squalid conditions, all the while warlords a pillaging countries and billionaires are buying their third 50million dollar yacht.
I listened to an audio version, and the narrator was excellent. highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book in the series that I have read, and I'm not sure if I needed to read the first book to get a better understanding of Frankie (MFC), who is a missing persons expert. I also listened to the audiobook and had a hard time keeping track at times. There are a lot of characters involved, and it lost my attention at various points. It is an interesting story that I feel would have been better read.

I love a lot of Lisa Gardner's work. "The Perfect Husband," "The Other Daughter," and "The Survivors Club" are some of my favorites. I appreciate the author's note at the end, read by Gardner herself. I enjoyed hearing her thought process and how she finds topics for her next books.

Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for this ALC.

3.5 Stars

This was my first Frankie Elkin book by the author. I jumped into the series on book 3 and felt like I had missed some things about Frankie that had been covered in previous books. In spite that, I did enjoy this book. Frankie is asked to find an Afghan refugee who has gone missing. Comically she has also found a gig house sitting an iguana and a room full of boa constrictors. I tandem read the ebook and listened to the audio. The narrators brought the characters to life using, what sounds to my untrained ear, an authentic accent. I would recommend if you enjoy quick, uncomplicated mystery thrillers.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing, Hackett Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Frankie Elkin is once again looking for a missing person that no one in authority seems to be concerned about. She is a recent Afghan refugee who is a wife and mother and who apparently has secrets that the Taliban will kill for. Frankie finds herself involved with spies, terrorists, ex-army as well as the missing woman’s friends and family, an Iguana named Petunia and a snake named Marge. Not only was this a tense and suspenseful mystery with lots of surprises, but it was also a very heartbreaking and timely look at the hardships Afghan refugees have had to face and the challenges they continue to deal with after finally arriving in the US.

This was my first dive into Lisa Gardner’s FBI Profiler series, and it definitely pulled me in. Kiss Her Goodbye follows Kimberly Quincy as she’s called in on a disturbing case with a troubled young woman, a suicide that feels off, and family secrets that unravel into something much darker. Gardner’s strength lies in creating tension that slowly coils tighter with each chapter, and here she doesn’t hold back.

I loved the blend of psychology, mystery, and procedural detail—it’s not just a “catch the killer” story, it’s a deep look at manipulation, trauma, and survival. That said, there were moments where the pacing dipped slightly, but the payoff was worth it. Gardner kept me guessing until the end, and the twists landed hard.

If you enjoy dark thrillers with layered characters and mind-bending motives, this one is a must-read. It convinced me that I’ll definitely be continuing the series.

I kept getting super confused by the characters and storylines in this audiobook. However, when I finally caught up it was a good story and I wish I had understood it for the whole way through 🤣

I am an avid lover of Lisa Gardner books but this one wasn’t my fav! Again, a decent storyline but a little hard to follow.

Lisa Gardner is one of my all-time favorite authors she literally always delivers! No matter how many books she writes, her ideas stay fresh, her themes are unique, and her pacing keeps me hooked from page one to the very end.

Kiss Her Goodbye is part of the Frankie Elkin series, which you can read in any order, but trust me, you’ll want to start at the beginning to fully appreciate how brilliantly Lisa develops Frankie’s character over time.

In this installment, Gardner weaves in compelling details about Afghan culture and the real-life events that have shaped the refugees who’ve sought safety here. The cast of characters is diverse, dynamic, and when thrown together forms a kick ass, life-saving team.

The tension? Impeccable. I couldn’t put it down… or stop listening! The audiobook narrator was excellent, bringing the story to life in the best way.

If you’re new to Lisa Gardner, I highly recommend diving into her DD Warren series, too! It’s perfect for fans of serial killer and FBI thrillers. But this Frankie Elkin series? Absolutely top-tier.

⭐ Rating: Loved it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚 Book Title: Kiss Her Goodbye
👩🏾‍💻 Author: Lisa Gardner
🎧 Format: Audio
🗣️ Narrator: Hillary Huber
⏱️ Length: 12h

📖 Book Summary: When a young Afghan refugee mother vanishes without a trace, Frankie Elkin—wanderer, outsider, and finder of the missing—drops into the Arizona desert with nothing but determination and a knack for digging where no one else will. The trail points to a violent crime caught on camera, a genius family with more secrets than answers, and a daughter whose perfect memory could be the key to everything. As threats close in, Frankie has to untangle a web of lies, trauma, and cultural tension before time runs out—for the missing, and for herself.

😇 Quick Take: This was a really good read and I love the diversity of the characters. The climax was so well executed and made my 1hr drive entertaining!

🌪️ Pacing: medium…not too quick but a good pace to understand what’s going on

🎯 Read If You Like:
- The Perfect Husband by Lisa Gardner
- Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham

🎙️ Audiobook Thoughts:
- Narration was amazing! I’ve been a Hillary Huber fan for about 3 years now and looooooove her voice! so good!
- Multi-cast? no
- Would I re-listen? Anything for Hillary!

⭐ Rating:
- 📖 Plot: 5/5
- 🔪 Chaos: 4/5
- 🌀 Spiral Level: 3/5
- 🫡 Overall: 4

🏷️
#summerTBR #bookwormlife #summerlistens #psychologicalthriller #beachthriller #FDT #bookinaday #thrillerbookstagram #KissHerGoodbye #NetGalley

*Remember to research trigger warning(s) before reading/listening. Happy Listening! 😊*

This is the 4th book in the Frankie Elkin series. This time, she makes her way to Tucson, Arizona, to find a missing Afghan woman.

Frankie, a missing persons expert, heads out with her meager belongings and finds temporary lodgings at a huge gated mansion in Tucson where she is hired to pet sit an iguana and some snakes. Also in residence, since the owner is absent, are a transgender cook and a big tough chauffeur with an obviously checkered past. The three team up to investigate the local Afghan refugee community while searching for the missing Sabera Ahmadi at the behest of her friend. The local police are uninterested and Frankie immediately ascertains that there is much more going on than a missing wife who left her 4-year-old daughter and husband behind. It seems that Sabera has some very unique skills and abilities that made her a target for those who want the information she hides.

I was looking for a classic escape into the typical but this was too sad, too emotional, and too real for the type of suspense thriller that I was expecting in this series. I just couldn't get into all the background of what happened (twice) in Kabul with the Taliban and the people of Afghanistan. Their terrible struggles to survive and their treatment in refugee camps both abroad and in USA were just not what I was anticipating in a beach read. Also the whole ghost thing isn't something I like to read in a novel in any case. It was just too realistic on one hand and too out there with the visions on the other. There were other aspects that detracted as well. And can we please stop with the main characters being able to find the passwords and get into computers and/or phones they happen to find lying about? For the most part, I just couldn't buy into the whole story arc and how it all played out.

Anyway, this was an OK read, but wasn't what I was looking for in a book in this series. It seems I'm an outlier in my review and reaction and I'm find with that. If there's another in the Frankie Elkin series, I'll likely check it out. This one can stand alone as everything you really need to know requires no backstory to be appreciated.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Hillary Huber, did a nice job with all the character voices, particularly with the accents. I always believe, however, that a production would be enhanced by having a male speaker as well. In any event, enjoying both simultaneously enhances my appreciation of any novel.

This is my first Frankie Elkin novel and fortunately, even though there are frequent references to previous adventures and one specific relationship, this series is episodic enough in nature that it's not necessary to have read any prior books to enjoy this one. In her self-appointed job finding missing people, Frankie accepts a mission to locate an Afghan refugee named Sabera who one day disappeared, leaving behind her husband and young daughter. As she investigates the Tucson area where the missing woman lived, learning about the refugees camps and the relocation process, as well as Sabera's mysterious past and possible declining mental state, Frankie finds herself pitted in the middle of a conspiracy much larger than one missing person. Teamed up with an unlikely group of colorful characters, Frankie finds her faith put to the test as she fights to bring Sabera home.

Lisa Gardner prides herself on researching every book she writes and it shows in this book. Every detail is vivid and realistic, and the different characters are distinct and entertaining, and her descriptions of the Taliban occupation of Kabul after the US withdrawal and in the refugee camps are horrifying. While there are a few slower-moving parts, the balance between humor and suspense makes this a page-turner. The audiobook is brilliantly narrated by Hillary Huber.

Thank you to the author, Grand Central Publishing, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and provide an unbiased review.

I didn't realize this was the fourth book in a series, but it still worked without having read the previous 3. An enjoyable read, will definitely be exploring more of this authors work.

Frankie Elkin is my favorite Lisa Gardner series. I liked D.D Warren and Flora Dane, but I find Frankie a lot more interesting

We find Frankie in Tucson AZ. She has been hired to find Afghan refugee Sabera Ahmadi, who has been missing for three weeks. Frankie jumps at the chance to possible located a living missing person. It becomes clear early on that this is not a cut and dry case.

One thing I love about this series is the research Gardner puts in to the details of the book, in this case Kabul after the US left in 2021, life as a refugee, resettlement and pet reptiles. She gathers a unique group to help get to the bottom of Sabera's disappearance.

This book inspired me to donate to my local refugee resettlement center. Many resettlement non profits lost federal funding recently. I hope this books inspires other readers to get involved.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing and Hachette Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest in the Frankie Elkin series by Lisa Gardner, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by the wonderful Hillary Huber. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Missing person expert Frankie Elkin takes on a case of finding a missing Afghan refugee, Sabera, that no one seems to be looking very hard for. Then a video surfaces with the young mother walking away from the scene of a brutal double murder. When her husband also disappears and an attempt is made on their child's life, Frankie needs to act quickly.

Frankie is back! She is such a good character, full of flaws, dark humor, and the absolute dedication to find those missing. Frankie lands a swanky place to live for the month, with the job of pet sitting - for some very exotic pets. But she also meets the owner's workers/friends, who become lifelines for her. Told in two timelines, we hear Sabera's complex story in the past. While the book also shines light on important issues such as the challenges of refugees and the affordable housing crisis, it's also a fun, twisty thriller that kept me gripped. It can certainly be read as a stand alone (I missed the first couple) and I'm anxiously awaiting the next adventure for Frankie. As always, Hillary Huber's narration was amazing, voicing all of the characters in the cast perfectly. Be sure to read the author's note at the end.

Ah, Frankie is back in a good way! After last year's clunker, this one is gripping and interesting.

Frankie Elkin is an expert in finding missing people. She is called to help out in Tucson, Arizona, where a recent Afghan immigrant named Sabera Ahmadi left her job three weeks previously and had not been seen since. She leaves behind her husband Isaad and her young daughter Zahra, and everyone who knows Sabera says that she would never leave Zahra. The police don't take it seriously and so Frankie arrives to help. As the days go by, things begin to get more and more complicated and dangerous for everyone involved.

I listened to this book as an audiobook and I'm really glad I did. Hillary Huber's narration is spot on as always. The pronunciations of the people and places in Afghanistan roll off of Huber's tongue, helping me to stay present in the story rather than tripping over unfamiliar words. Her accents are fantastic and made me invested in the story. At this point in the series, Huber is the voice of Frankie, so I feel as if she personifies Frankie's sarcastic personality as well.

There's a lot of humor woven into the plot surrounding Frankie's living situation and job as a reptile sitter for a wealthy tech billionaire. It helps to give levity to the otherwise heavy storyline. This isn't a perfect book, there are some parts that did drag and some very convenient situations, but overall this installment of the series is so much better than the previous one I could ignore the small drawbacks.

Although Frankie is a continuing character through each of these books, they can definitely be read as standalone novels. The mysteries in each is self-contained, although there are some briefly mentioned references to the other books in the series.

This is my first Lisa Gardner read and I am a fan.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a good job with the characters. I really enjoyed this story, I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to Sabera. Each chapter had its twists and shocking revelations.

My only issue was how Frankie’s character kept thinking about a man that was revealed in the story.

If you like to read mysteries with interesting characters and a deep plot then this is for you.

Thank you Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for this Arc

I have read Lisa Gardner's novels before but this was my first in the Frankie series and will NOT be my last. I am a big Frankie fan! I really appreciated her character - her darkness and her light and mostly her willingness to give to others. I listened to this novel and the narration was on point! Clear, engaging and easy to listen to. I learned alot about Afghan people resettlement in this story and while I don't usually go to fiction for my information this was a great way to learn about some of the things I'm reading about in the news presented as a story. My only "beef" with the storyline was the amount of time spent on reptiles but I understood why at the end of the listen. The conclusion of this well paced novel with good character development was satisfying and left me wanting to know what Frankie will do next. I was particularly engaged by the author note at the end which connects listeners with resources about Afghan resettlement and other important organizations doing work that this story was inspired by. I really appreciated this addition and have already checked those organizations out. Big THANK YOU to Lisa Gardner and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to listen to this novel in an exchange for a review. Do yourself a favour- listen to this important and entertaining novel! Can't wait to read/listen to what Frankie does next! 4.5 stars