NEVER TELL :: Part Deux

When I was assigned to review Lisa Gardner's latest Detective D.D. Warren installment, Never Tell, I had only read one of the previous nine in the series. I'm not sure why I didn't continue (too many books to cram into too little time, we all know that story), but after reading Never Tell I was moved to go back and fill in the blanks. I really dug Never Tell on its own, but Gardner also introduced a new character, Flora Dane, who was quite intriguing and I wanted to see how she entered the fray. I'm doing most of the earlier books on audio and am on the sixth.

Never Tell comes out in paperback on August 6th. While I'm not usually a fan of cover changes (mostly because covers are the best way for me to remember if I've read something), this new paperback is super nifty.

The dark color palette really sells it. The hardcover was great, but I think this image is even better and suited to the plot. To make the paperback release more enticing, the publisher has included a teaser excerpt from Gardner's January 2020 release, When You See Me. It not only brings D.D. and Flora back, but a few other recurring characters and arcs I'm curious to see play out.

I read Never Tell pretty cold, and while it necessarily gave away some plot points from prior books in the series I was not confused or bothered at potential spoilers. While completeists are encouraged to go back and see how the characters originated, if you find that idea daunting, don't hesitate to start with Never Tell and read on in both directions. I know I'm going to be anxiously awaiting When You See Me.

If you want a bit more information to see if these might be for you, you can take a gander at my prior review with more details at Shelf Awareness or here at Malcolm Avenue Review, just hit one of the links.

Happy reading~!