98. Love You More by Lisa Gardner

Love You More by Lisa Gardner (Canada) - (US)
Detective D.D. Warren, Book #5

Pages: 356
Ages: 18+
Finished: Apr. 20, 2011
First Published: Mar. 8, 2011
Publisher: Bantam Books
Genre: mystery, thriller, police procedural
Rating: 4/5



First sentence:

Sergeant Detective D.D. Warren prided herself on her excellent investigative skills.

Acquired: Received a Review Copy from Random House Canada.

Reason for Reading: Next in the series.

I just love Lisa Gardner. She is in that list of my favourite mystery/thriller authors and I know I'm in for a good read when I settle down with one of her books. This time around D.D. and her partner Bobby enter the scene of a woman who has been beaten violently, her husband is dead in front of her and their six-year old daughter is missing. One key piece of information changes this from the usual domestic violence scene, the woman is a state police trooper and is still in full uniform and the three "shoot to kill" gunshots on her husband's chest have D.D. convinced this was not an abused woman defending her life. Most importantly is the search for the missing child, the woman swears she hasn't seen her since she put her to bed the previous night before going to work the night shift but D.D. is more apt to think that State Police Trooper Tessa Leoni may be trying to get away with murdering her entire family.

Just as expected this was a heart-pumping, fast-paced read with everything a fan hopes for. An excellent case, the reader knows more than D.D. and the narrative switches between her investigation and Tessa's point of view. It is through Tessa that the truth of what really happened unravels before the readers eye and we watch how D.D. is able to solve the case following the trail of evidence. In this book Tessa is a fabulous character. A determined woman and an even more determined mother who will go to any lengths to save her child. An excellent entry in the series which brings fresh energy as D.D.'s personal life is mostly left in limbo with a small detail that will bring about a huge change in her life in future books. A great read!