Five years ago, Flora Dane was rescued 472 days after her abduction while on spring break in Florida. Severely traumatized, she worked to regain her life over the ensuing months. Detective Sergeant D. D. Warren arrives at a puzzling scene where a man lies dead and the woman responsible stands bound and naked over him. Apparently that man had abducted her and she managed to save herself. When D. D. learns that the woman is Flora, she wonders if the former captive has turned into an avenging angel, less victim and more perpetrator, especially after learning this is becoming a pattern.
This is one of the most exceptional stories in the series and the hardest one for me to listen to at the same time. It features my greatest nightmare and begins with it. The narrator’s outstanding performance heightened my anxiety as she voiced Flora’s fears in this state of captivity years ago. I literally had to force myself to continue listening and push through it. To say I experienced this story vicariously doesn’t even come close to my reality. But yet I moved on, riveted not only by that situation but what came after because to know Flora, you had to live what she did.
What I will take away from this story is a stronger understanding of what long-term captivity does to the psyche of the person who is returned. Through Flora, Gardner created an exceptional example to give us that insight. In the meantime, she also gave us a much needed opening into D. D.’s psychology, letting us see for the first time how she really sees herself. The case was intriguing but the heart of it all was these two women. This was an extraordinary listening experience.
Book Info
- Release Date: February 9, 2016
- Series: Detective D. D. Warren #8
- Narrator: Kirsten Potter
- Audio Length: 12 hours, 16 minutes
- Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Blue Mood Café 
This certainly sounds riveting. Wonderful moving review that shows how affected you were by this story.
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Thank you, Marialyce💜 I won’t ever forget this one.
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Fantastic review Jo!
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Thank you, Nicki💜
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Well, if it had that effect on you of making you feel nervous, Jo, then this must have been one hell of a performance. And all I can say is, sign me up for the audio of this. When a narrator is this good, it makes all the difference.
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Alexandra, she just got the story, the characters and what message needed to come across. I have to believe this performance drained her.
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Wow, okay, meaning the narrator gave it her all. No wonder you said this one touched you. She didn’t just narrate the story, she brought it to life.
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You know I love Lisa Gardner!! I really NEED to try one of her book on audio!
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Tina, Kirsten Potter is SO D. D. Warren! She nails her.
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This does sound riveting. Unfortunately, I won’t read this one for the same reason you had to push through your listening experience. Traumatic stories like these can be often hard to read. Fab review, Jonetta, btw. 🙂
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Thank you, Debjani💜 Completely understand.
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Interesting and intriguing!
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More than I’d anticipated, Carol!
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Fab review! I definitely need to catch up with this series. xx
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Thanks, Yvo💜 The series definitely improves with each book.
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Excellent review! It’s a riveting must read type of series for me.
Anne – Books of My Heart
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Thank you, Anne💜 Totally agree.
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What a fantastic review! These type of stories suck me right in. Thank you.
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Thank you, Diane💜 It’s that kind of story!
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Oh wow, this does sound like strong stuff. Normally, I love when you get so caught up in the story and the performance that you live through the events vicariously, but I could imagine in this case it would be quite disturbing. Great review, Jonetta.
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Thank you, Stargazer💜 Yes, normally I love being transported into a story but this was my idea of hell. That’s how great was the performance.
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