WHEN YOU SEE ME :: Lisa Gardner

A version of this review previously appeared in Shelf Awareness and is republished here with permission.

Hang on tight, the branches of Lisa Gardner's literary family tree are becoming wonderfully twisted. After more than 15 years of writing about (mostly) female law enforcement protagonists, Gardner (Never Tell) still finds new ways to push the boundaries of her series and characters. When You See Me features Gardner's most prolific heroine, Boston Homicide Detective D.D. Warren. Flora Dane, introduced as an abduction survivor in one of D.D.'s recent cases, continues in her third straight entry as an informant, providing insight to D.D. from the "victim" perspective.

New to this mix is FBI Agent Kimberly Quincy, who has appeared in other books, solo and with her father, part of the Quincy & Rainie Profiler series. The joining of so many characters is plot-specific and feels organic. Quincy's investigation into a set of human remains uncovers a connection to Flora's infamous abductor. D.D. and Flora's knowledge is an incredible asset, so Quincy assembles the team in the hills of an insular Georgia town to find answers and deal with long-hidden demons.

Gardner presents the case through the lenses of D.D., Flora, Kimberly and a wonderfully rendered mute girl in peril. The author melds and shifts perspectives superbly to move the investigation forward. The final push is rushed and a touch theatrical, but her powerful character work carries the day. Despite extensive history, these women are always evolving. Gardner brings them together in a tour de force and provides answers to questions from prior cases while still masterfully generating a yen for more.