Victim or Vigilante

Flora is out for a good time. A guy is buying her drinks, and the band is sensational. Sounds like a typical pick up, but is it?

Flora is not a typical girl at a singles bar. During spring break five years ago she was kidnapped. For 472 days she was kept prisoner in a plywood box, but she survived. Her mother and brother don’t quite to make of her now that she’s back. Flora has changed, but in what ways and how much?

The pick up doesn’t go as planned. The guy is threatening her, calling her a tease when suddenly the hunky bartender appears. Flora thinks she’s being rescued whether she needs it or not, but he has different ideas. He kidnaps Flora, strips her, and handcuffs her in his garage, but Flora is a survivor and he’s the one who doesn’t live through the encounter.

Detective Sargent D.D. Warren is assigned to the case. Flora certainly looks like the victim, but her kidnapper is dead, and D.D. isn’t convinced that Flora didn’t intend that result. She plans to keep a very close eye on the would be victim.

This is a great book. On the surface, Flora is a young woman with a traumatic past trying to get her life back together, but there’s so much under the surface. As Flora’s story unfolds, you feel horror, but also respect for someone who could survive the trauma.

D.D. Warren is a terrific character. She looks at Flora and believes that there is more to her story than the surface facts. D.D. is tough and fair and dealing with her own demons. She’s confined to a supervisory role because damage to her right arm makes her unable to draw a gun. Battling her frustration at being sidelined and feeling that Flora is more complex than she appears gives the story a dramatic tension that keeps you reading.

I highly recommend this book. If you’re a Lisa Gardener fan, it’s a must read. If you’re unfamiliar with Gardener, but love a good mystery. I encourage you to try it.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.