Live to Tell (2010)

Great read. The story kept me thinking the entire time. Figured out who did it only a chapter before it was revealed. D.D. reminds me a little of Eve Dallas...without the baggage. ( )

This is a solid 4 1/2. I'd give it 5 stars, but I'm still not sure who killed Natalie and Johnny or why. The story definitely held me from start to finish, though. ( )

Live to Tell
3.5 Stars

Note: This is a review of the audiobook read by 4 separate female narrators. The narration flows smoothly and the 4 distinct voices makes it easy to follow the transitions in perspective. My one small nitpick is that the male and female voices sound identical.

Warning: Some readers may find the subject matter of this book, family annihilators and children suffering from acute psychiatric issues, difficult to read about. While the descriptions of the troubled children are disturbing and emotionally draining, Gardner should be praised for tackling such a controversial topic and for presenting it in a compelling and sympathetic manner.

That said, there are several aspect of the book that annoyed me. First and foremost are the transitions between first and third person perspective. Rather than adding to the plot, it causes the pacing to lag and the tension to deflate.

While the mystery is good and following the various clues and suspects is entertaining, the identity of the villain is obvious toward the end and the motive is not surprising. Moreover, the 'woo woo' elements, as D.D. calls them, are unnecessary and detract from the excitement and suspense of the story. Also, the final explanation offered in the epilogue undermines the evildoer's culpability and leaves the reader with a dissatisfied feeling.

The characters are well-developed and interesting, Danielle in particular. Unfortunately, D.D. is still coming across as a secondary character and it is difficult to sympathize with Victoria, despite the hardships of her life, because her actions and the reasons for them are simply incomprehensible to me.

Overall, a solid thriller for fans of Gardner's D.D. Warren series but for those new to this author, I would recommend the Quincy/Rainie series instead. ( )

On a warm summer night in a working-class Boston neighborhood, an unthinkable crime has been committed: Four members of a family have been brutally murdered. The father - also a possible suspect - lies clinging to life in the Intensive Care Unit. Was it murder-suicide? Or something worse? Veteran police detective D. D. Warren is certain of one thing: There's more to this case than meets the eye.

Danielle Burton is a survivor, a dedicated nurse whose passion is helping the children of a locked-down pediatric psych ward. But she remains haunted by the memories of a family tragedy that shattered her life twenty-five years ago. The dark anniversary is approaching, and when Detective D. D. Warren and her partner show up at the facility, Danielle immediately realizes: it's begun again.

A devoted mother, Victoria Oliver has a hard time remembering what normalcy is like. She will do anything to ensure that her troubled son has some semblance of a childhood. She will love him no matter what. Nurture him. Keep him safe. Protect him. Even when the threat comes from within her own house.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the treatment of the issue of mental illness and how it affects children and their families. I give this book an A+! and look forward to reading Lisa Gardner's next book. ( )

Interesting story about a mass murderer who has a link to a children's psych ward. I had a hard time undrstanding children and mental illness but this book opens your eyes to the atrocities subjected to childen. Some are just born damaged and its nobody's fault. ( )