Sergeant Detective D.D. Warren of the Boston Police Department returns in Gardner's latest, a book that once again puts Warren and the reader into a situation that isn't what it seems. Warren is having a difficult morning, can't keep food down, and isn't quite ready to tell her boyfriend, Alex. They've been dating for six months, and have been careful not to define their relationship. D.D. isn't always comfortable in long-term relationships. And, the crime scene she's called to doesn't help matters.
Tessa Leoni, a rookie trooper with the Massachusetts State Police, called the police herself. Although her union rep and her lawyer are on the scene, the case is turned over to Boston and D.D. Tessa's husband, Brian, is dead in the kitchen, shot three times in the chest with Tessa's gun. And, Tessa's six-year-old daughter, Sophie, is missing. It appears that Tessa finally had enough of her abusive husband. But, how does the missing child play into this scenario?
D.D. has a hard time dealing with a cop who won't cooperate in the investigation. Tessa won't talk about abuse, and only seems concerned about her child. Warren's state of mind makes her wonder what kind of mother stays with an abusive man. What kind of cop ends up killing a husband, instead of leaving the situation?
Lisa Gardner always leads readers down interesting paths. She tells the story from two viewpoints. Tessa Leoni, as a suspect, tells her story from first person. But, the reader also follows D.D. Warren's investigation. It's a combination that doesn't always work for me. I prefer not to be in the mind of a killer, and many thrillers take readers there. But, once again, Lisa Gardner proves she's a master at manipulating characters, the plot, and the reader, to take us into unexpected territory. I did figure out the problem half-way through the book, but I went back to read the opening three times in the course of the book. Love You More is gripping, suspenseful, and it won't disappoint.
Lisa Gardner's website is www.lisagardner.com
Love You More by Lisa Gardner. Random House, ©2011. ISBN 9780553807257 (hardcover), 368p.
*****
FTC Full Disclosure - The publisher sent me a copy of the book, in hopes I would review it.
