Never Tell: A Novel (Detective D. D. Warren)
#1 New York Times bestseller Lisa Gardner returns with an unpredictable thriller that puts fan favorites D. D. Warren and Flora Dane on a shocking new case that begins with a vicious murder and gets darker from there.
A man is dead, shot three times in his home office. But his computer has been shot twelve times, and when the cops arrive, his pregnant wife is holding the gun.
D. D. Warren arrives on the scene and recognizes the woman—Evie Carter—from a case many years back. Evie's father was killed in a shooting that was ruled an accident. But for D.D., two coincidental murders is too many.
Flora Dane sees the murder of Conrad Carter on the TV news and immediately knows his face. She remembers a night when she was still a victim—a hostage—and her captor knew this man. Overcome with guilt that she never tracked him down, Flora is now determined to learn the truth of Conrad's murder.
But D.D. and Flora are about to discover that in this case the truth is a devilishly elusive thing. As layer by layer they peel away the half-truths and outright lies, they wonder: How many secrets can one family have?
A man is dead, shot three times in his home office. But his computer has been shot twelve times, and when the cops arrive, his pregnant wife is holding the gun.
D. D. Warren arrives on the scene and recognizes the woman—Evie Carter—from a case many years back. Evie's father was killed in a shooting that was ruled an accident. But for D.D., two coincidental murders is too many.
Flora Dane sees the murder of Conrad Carter on the TV news and immediately knows his face. She remembers a night when she was still a victim—a hostage—and her captor knew this man. Overcome with guilt that she never tracked him down, Flora is now determined to learn the truth of Conrad's murder.
But D.D. and Flora are about to discover that in this case the truth is a devilishly elusive thing. As layer by layer they peel away the half-truths and outright lies, they wonder: How many secrets can one family have?
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Community Reviews
Three women. So many lies.
Boston Police Sergeant D. D. Warren and her confidential informant, Flora Dane, are back and working together to solve a case that begins with a pregnant wife, Evie, allegedly murdering her husband, Conrad. He was shot three times while sitting at his desk in his home office, but his laptop computer was also murdered -- shot twelve times. When the police respond to a report of shots fired, they find Evie holding the gun. D. D. immediately recognizes Evie because sixteen years ago, when Evie was sixteen years old, she shot and killed her father, a brilliant theoretical mathematician and professor. Both Evie and her mother claimed that Evie accidentally shot her father while handling his new shotgun, so his death was ruled accidental.
For D.D., two gunshot deaths is two too many. Evie is immediately arrested for Conrad's murder and arraigned.
Flora, who survived unspeakable crimes committed by her kidnapper and captor, immediately recognizes Conrad when she sees a tv news report about his death. She recalls a meeting in a bar between Conrad and her captor. Flora lives with survivor's guilt and realizes that after her release she never sought Conrad out. She is determined to learn the connection between Conrad and her captor, and, hopefully, discover information about her captor's other victims.
Lisa Gardner has constructed another mystery that keeps readers guessing until the very end. It is a multi-layered, elusive exploration of the underside of society -- the dark web and the types of transactions entered into there, It is also a family drama -- Evie discovers truths about her parents' marriage, her father's relationships with other faculty members, and gains a new appreciation of the extent of her mother's capacity for melodramatic machinations in the name of family and love. In addition to the mysteries her characters investigate, Gardner explores the theme of motherhood and a mother's instinct to protect her child. As D.D., federal agent Kimberly Quincy, Flora, and Keith, the amateur true crime sleuth Flora enlists to assist, peel away decades of lies and omissions among Evie's family, they discover more and more secrets. And Evie realizes that her whole life has been founded on lies and deceit. As the book's pace quickens and the tension heightens as D.D., et al. get closer to unraveling the truth, Gardner convincingly enhances the danger her characters face. Can they solve the mystery in time to save Evie and her unborn child? Will the truth finally empower Evie to live life on her own terms? Gardner proves again that she is a master at creating tightly constructed, driving mysteries that are also viscerally raw and chilling, yet deeply touching and emotionally satisfying.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
Boston Police Sergeant D. D. Warren and her confidential informant, Flora Dane, are back and working together to solve a case that begins with a pregnant wife, Evie, allegedly murdering her husband, Conrad. He was shot three times while sitting at his desk in his home office, but his laptop computer was also murdered -- shot twelve times. When the police respond to a report of shots fired, they find Evie holding the gun. D. D. immediately recognizes Evie because sixteen years ago, when Evie was sixteen years old, she shot and killed her father, a brilliant theoretical mathematician and professor. Both Evie and her mother claimed that Evie accidentally shot her father while handling his new shotgun, so his death was ruled accidental.
For D.D., two gunshot deaths is two too many. Evie is immediately arrested for Conrad's murder and arraigned.
Flora, who survived unspeakable crimes committed by her kidnapper and captor, immediately recognizes Conrad when she sees a tv news report about his death. She recalls a meeting in a bar between Conrad and her captor. Flora lives with survivor's guilt and realizes that after her release she never sought Conrad out. She is determined to learn the connection between Conrad and her captor, and, hopefully, discover information about her captor's other victims.
Lisa Gardner has constructed another mystery that keeps readers guessing until the very end. It is a multi-layered, elusive exploration of the underside of society -- the dark web and the types of transactions entered into there, It is also a family drama -- Evie discovers truths about her parents' marriage, her father's relationships with other faculty members, and gains a new appreciation of the extent of her mother's capacity for melodramatic machinations in the name of family and love. In addition to the mysteries her characters investigate, Gardner explores the theme of motherhood and a mother's instinct to protect her child. As D.D., federal agent Kimberly Quincy, Flora, and Keith, the amateur true crime sleuth Flora enlists to assist, peel away decades of lies and omissions among Evie's family, they discover more and more secrets. And Evie realizes that her whole life has been founded on lies and deceit. As the book's pace quickens and the tension heightens as D.D., et al. get closer to unraveling the truth, Gardner convincingly enhances the danger her characters face. Can they solve the mystery in time to save Evie and her unborn child? Will the truth finally empower Evie to live life on her own terms? Gardner proves again that she is a master at creating tightly constructed, driving mysteries that are also viscerally raw and chilling, yet deeply touching and emotionally satisfying.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
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