Frankie Elkin is back in Lisa Gardner’s 4th in series, Kiss Her Goodbye. Frankie struggles to leave her new relationship but follows that pull again when she’s asked to help find an Afghan refugee who’s been moved to Tucson, AZ. Sabera has gone missing and her new friend and mentor, Aliah knows she would never voluntarily leave her 4 year old daughter behind. As Frankie searches for the missing woman she finds that there is so much going on with this family.

I love everything Lisa Gardner writes and was so excited for the next in her series! This newest book had a different feel, but I definitely enjoyed it. It was captivating getting to hear about another culture I really wasn’t familiar with. It was heartbreaking and both inspiring to get that backstory in this one and I enjoyed the ride.

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, what happened when American 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. Maybe just what I needed to read right about now.
And who knew I would grow to love an iguana?

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner due to be published August 12, 2025
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Recent Afghan refugee Sabera Ahmadi was last seen exiting her place of work three weeks ago. Now her husband is missing, also. Frankie Elkin is called to Tucson to join in the search. Will she find Sabera before she, too, is missing or hurt?
I have read the first three Frankie Elkin books so couldn’t wait to read this one. It didn’t disappoint. Sometimes funny, always thrilling as Frankie searches for people that no one else can seem to find. This one was probably the best of the four!
Can’t wait for the next book in the series!

#NetGalley #LisaGardner #GrandCentralPublishing #KissHerGoodbye

I can only imagine how much research was required for this book. The stories of the refugees, the camps, and the loss of country are raw and chilling. Frankie is her usual undaunted self and her cast of friends for this search do not disappoint. I recommend this book to virtually any reader, fan of suspense, history buff, entertained by personalities, you will all devour this well crafted story.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆'𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅. 𝑨 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏, 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒆, 𝑰𝒇 𝒘𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍?

I absolutely love this series, and this installment hit harder than the others. I can't decide if it's because of Frankie's vulnerability that she rarely shows, because the plot that was so reminiscent of our own current political landscape where it's every man for himself, or because the writing was just so achingly beautiful. I'm going to say it was all of these. Don't read this as a standalone, even though you can. Frankie Elkin has a calling to find the missing, and you need to start at book one and be there for her character development every step of the way.

Aghan refugee Sabera Ahmadi was last seen three weeks ago when she left work. The local police haven't opened a missing persons case, and her husband doesn't seem concerned about his wife's absence. Sabera's closest friend insists that she would never willingly leave her three‑year old daughter. With Frankie on the case, we know that she'll get answers--even if those closest to Sabera won't like what she finds.

The most beautiful parts of this book were some of the most painful. I know nothing about refugee camps and only hear about the Taliban from the news. I'm so far removed from it all, it didn't seem real. But the author paints such a vivid, bleak picture of despair that you'll find yourself in the camp with these people. To balance out such a stark story line, I absolutely loved how Frankie found lodging and the people she ended up with, which had a lot of lighter 'found family' moments that made this my favorite installment yet.

Told in alternating points of view and with dual timelines, KISS HER GOODBYE is Lisa Gardner at her very best. Frankie's story is far from over, and I audibly gasped at this ending. Even though '𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍, 𝑰 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒅. 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏, 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒌𝒆 𝒖𝒑' is not from Frankie's POV, it shows how our experiences as women--as humans--are all intertwined. Thank you to the author for this book I so desperately needed and to Grand Central Publishing for the early copy. This title is expected to publish August 12, 2025.

Lisa Gardner has done it again with Kiss Her Goodbye. I read this novel in one sitting. The plot regarding the refugees is all too real. It was engaging and the characters were endearing and kept me reading. I fell in love with Frankie Elkin and can't wait to read Gardner's previous novels that feature her.

I love the twists in this book. Lisa Gardener is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! Must read!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for this arc. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

4.75⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In this book Frankie Elkin, following the event of the last book Still See You Everywhere, Frankie is traveling to Tucson to find a missing woman Sabera Ahmadi after she mysteriously disappears after missing her bus at work. Nobody seems to care like local law enforcement or Sabera husband who is older than her, Isaad. Throughout the novel we find out that Sabera and Isaad are not actually married they said it in order to get save passage to the US and that Isaad isn’t the biological father to Sabera’s daughter. Sabera’s daughter biological father died when Kabul fell and her brother and father died as well. While at a refuge camp she sees her cousin who threatens her because she betrayed his father and their other uncles by stealing gold from them that they were mining and Sabera has half the location of the mines and her brother had the other half. Sabera’s death is faked at the end of the book in order to protect her and her daughter. I loved Penelope the lizard that Frankie is initial scared of but grows to love and even protects her from the intruders that they lower to Bart’s house with the lizard and snakes. Frankie is a pet sitter throughout the novel for Bart is a wealthy gamer and even helps the Afghan refugee community by supplying mattresses and furniture for them after Frankie is scared of Marge the Burmese phython after she escapes her in closer. There were both funny moments and serious moments and I love the balance in these books. I cannot wait for this book to come out and the next book in the series.

Frankie really gets around! In her last investigation we were on an atolle, an island so different from others with wolf spiders and giant crabs!

Now we are transported to Tucson, AZ, hot and dry! I’ve visited there often and the heat is real!

Frankie is contacted to help find Sabera Ahmadi, an Afghan refugee who has been missing for 3 weeks. Her friend is very concerned as she knows Sabera would not willingly leave her young daughter behind.The police aren’t that concerned even when her husband also goes missing.

This was a bit of a slow burn but there is a lot of backstory to learn and characters to define, I was all in for this one.

The novel is told in the present through what Frankie’s actions and in the past by pages from a diary written by Sabera. What a sad and terrifying life she has led since the fall of Kabul - the Taliban have killed so many of her friends and family.

Since Frankie doesn’t have a permanent home and travels light, she always has to find a job that will hopefully include temporary housing.

When she answers the job for pet-sitting for a month she has no idea what she is getting herself into!! I don’t think any of us have ever been in a mansion occupied with less conventional pets - think giant iguana and snakes!!

There are lots of unique characters and an intricately layered plot. I had no idea how this book would end! Think of misdirection and illusions!

Can Frankie finally find a missing person still alive?? Has she taken on more than she is capable of?

This was a Witch's Words buddy read with Debra, be sure to read her awesome review.

I received a ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

I received an ARC of this book from Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. I read everything Lisa Gardner writes, and I can now say I am growing more fond of Frankie Elkin.

This book was particularly impressive due to the subject matter and the research Ms. Gardner must have done into the conflict in Afghanistan, refugee camps (heartbreaking), and even traditional Afghan foods. I knew very little about any of these topics, but now I would love to try the firni pudding.

I also always love this author's cast of characters. How did she come up with a house of reptiles or a transgender chef? Or a ballroom dancing buff man? She always manages to add comic relief in the midst of murder and loss.

I had no idea where the mystery was going, which made it very satisfying, plus I didn't want to put the book down.

Will I eventually like Frankie Elkin as much as the FBI profiling Quincy family? Maybe. Do I already enjoy that the books now have very different settings than the USA northeast? Definitely.

Frankie Elkin is back! In Kiss Her Goodbye, Frankie has traveled to Tucson, Arizona to find Sabera Ahmadi, an Afghan refugee who has gone missing. Her husband does not seem worried but Sabera's friend knows that Sabera would not go anywhere without taking her three year old daughter with her. After find a unique living situation in which she must care for An Iguana named Petunia and some snakes.

Once Frankie is able to dig into her investigation, it becomes abundantly clear that there is more to the Ahmadi family than she could even imagine. This book goes back and forth to the present with Frankie's investigation and in the past during Sabera's young life in Kabul. It is a time of upheaval and Sabera experiences so much in such a short period of time.


Frankie continues to be a character to root for. She is not without her flaws and has seen hardship and addiction in her life. She is also resilient, determined, brave, and compassionate. Fans of this series will be happy with this latest installment. For those who have not read a book in this series, Kiss Her Goodbye will work very well as a stand alone book for you. Lisa Gardner gives enough background information on Frankie for new readers to becomes acquainted with her and what she does.

This book is full of tension, dread, mystery, heartbreak, and twists. I also enjoyed the author's note at the end of the book where she informs readers of what inspired her to write this book.

It makes no difference what you’re looking for,
you cannot go,wrong with our fearless, ingenious
investigator. It is always amazing that not only
does Frankie solve your problem and find your
missing, but she lives to tell about it!
Thank you to Grand Central Publisher
for the download copy of the book for
review purposes.

Best Frankie Elkin Yet! I personally felt some much more invested in this story and attached to its characters than in any other of her books. It felt so real and emotional, and it’s because it is! Lisa Gardner was in Tucson learning about refugee camps and the afghan community that it really pays off in this newest edition of the Frankie Elkin books. I love the start, middle, and the ending. And I totally recommend this to anyone! HUGE thanks to NetGalley for the advanced read in exchange for my honest review.

This is a very good book, the author manages to create a likeable character in Frankie, with humor and intimacy issues, a compelling missing person case and a look at the pain and history of a time period in Afghanistan., where people who survived lost everything, the horrors of refugee camps, torture and a lot at ptsd, postpartum and other mental health issues as the ghosts of her past surround her, and to create a lovable community with a balldancing bodyguard , a transgender chef, an iguana and snakes and other memorable characters. 4.5