Review: Touch & Go by Lisa Gardner (audio)

Title: Touch & Go   

Author: Lisa Gardner   

Narrator: Elisabeth Rodgers  

Published: February 2013, Brilliance Audio

Length: 14 hours, 29 minutes  

Source: Personal copy 

#1 New York Times bestseller Lisa Gardner, author of Catch
Me and Love You More, returns with a heart-thumping thriller about what
lurks behind the facade of a perfect family.

This is my family:  Vanished without a trace…

Justin
and Libby Denbe have the kind of life that looks good in the pages of a
glossy magazine. A beautiful fifteen-year old daughter, Ashlyn. A
gorgeous brownstone on a tree-lined street in Boston’s elite Back Bay
neighborhood. A great marriage, admired by friends and family.  A
perfect life.

This is what I know:  Pain has a flavor…

When
investigator Tessa Leoni arrives at the crime scene in the Denbes’
home, she finds scuff marks on the floor and Taser confetti in the
foyer.  The family appears to have been abducted, with only a pile of
their most personal possessions remaining behind.  No witnesses, no
ransom demands, no motive.  Just an entire family, vanished without a
trace.

This is what I fear:  The worst is yet to come…

Tessa
knows better than anyone that even the most perfect façades can hide
the darkest secrets.  Now she must race against the clock to uncover the
Denbes’ innermost dealings, a complex tangle of friendships and
betrayal, big business and small sacrifices.  Who would want to kidnap
such a perfect little family?  And how far would such a person be
willing to go?

This is the truth:  Love, safety, family……it is all touch and go.

My thoughts: I really enjoy Lisa Gardner’s books – they are excellent thrillers and this one is no exception. While a stand-alone, a few of the characters from her DD Warren series do make appearances in the book, in particular, DD and of course Tessa, who we first met in Love You More.

This story pulled me in from the beginning and held me captivated the whole time. Alternating from three of the main character’s points of view, the story moves at quite a fast pace and is full of twists and turns throughout the book.

All of the characters are equally compelling and intriguing, and you really feel for the Denbes while they are being held captive. But just are interesting are the bad guys that held the Denbes captive. As the story progressed, and Tessa and Detective Wyatt were interviewing people and investigating possible motives, I found myself constantly changing my mind as to who was behind the abduction – I love when the authors throw in those red herrings!!!

I remember when I read Love You More, that I wanted more of Tessa Leoni and am glad to see she got her own book. Now I hope we get even more of her and that she gets her own series!

Audio Thoughts: Elisabeth Rodgers does a great job with this audio – her timing is spot on and she puts just the right amount of tension and emotion in her voice when needed. This is the third audio book I’ve listened to her narrate recently and find that she does well with psychological thrillers. She’s definitely on my list of top narrators!