{Review} CRASH & BURN by Lisa Gardner

ISBN #: 978-0525954569

Page Count: 400

Copyright: February 3, 2015

Publisher: Dutton Adult

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

For Sergeant Wyatt Foster, a routine inspection of a car accident quickly escalates into a full-blown manhunt: the driver, Nicole Frank, has miraculously survived, but her little girl Vero is missing in the remote New Hampshire woods. Wyatt mobilizes every resource in the state, until Nicky's husband drops a bombshell: there is no Vero. Nicky, suffering from a brain injury, made her up.

Or did she? The more Wyatt investigates, the more the questions mount. One thing is certain: Vero wasn't in the car. Is the little girl a delusion haunting an injured mind? Or is she all too real, whereabouts unknown, and in grave danger?

Mandy's Review:

Even though I enjoy reading novels from authors I'm not familiar with, there's always a bit of hesitancy in my decision to read one of their books. Will they really be as good as the reviews say? Is the plot really as engaging and thought-provoking as the summary makes it out to be? Before I tell you whether or not Lisa Gardner measured up to the hype, let's discuss a bit about the plot of Crash & Burn.

For 22 years, Nicky and Thomas, her husband, have been moving from city to city. They design and paint props for movie sets so staying in one place isn't a requirement for them. Their job allows them the freedom to move when and where they want. Together, the couple has a strange dynamic. Nicky fears and trusts her husband. She loves and hates Thomas. Their relationship is somewhat volatile and it's hard to imagine them lasting as long as they have.

Nicky has had three concussions in the past six months. Three concussions so close together has caused Nicky's memories to become muddled. She's imagining a six-year-old girl. She frequently smells smoke and feels the heat from a fire that doesn't exist. She keeps hearing the word "run" in her head, but to where?

Wyatt, understandably, is leery of believing a person could have as many memory issues as Nicky seems to be having. He's not sure if she's toying with him and the investigation or is telling the truth. Nothing's adding up and is frustrating the heck out of Wyatt. Normally, by the second or third day of an investigation, he'd be able to piece together at least one or two clues. With Nicky's situation, he can't get anything to fit in a way that makes any kind of sense.

Now, you want to know if Lisa Gardner has measured up to the hype, don't you? Well, I can tell you unequivocally that, yes, she does. Even though this is the third Tessa Leoni novel (and, yes, Tessa plays a role in Nicky's story), Crash & Burn can be read as a stand alone. You do not have to read the first two in order to understand this one. I, however, will be going back to read the first two because if they're in any way, shape, or form as much of a mind ... fornication ... as this one, then I know I will love them.

Crash & Burn kept me guessing almost all the way through. Just when I thought I might have figured out a piece of the puzzle, something would happen to make me doubt myself. I absolutely love when an author can mess with my mind like that. I loved that not everything was revealed at once, but over several chapters keeping a reader engaged and on the edge of their proverbial seats. I have found another must-read author for me and I would HIGHLY recommend Lisa Gardner (especially Crash & Burn) to all of you mystery/thriller lovers out there. You will not be disappointed.


*A physical copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.