Touch & Go

Lisa Gardner's books never disappoint and this one was no exception. The Denbe family has been kidnapped. It doesn't take long before the investigators know that it had to be someone that knew the family well; well enough to know the security codes to their Boston townhouse; well enough to know each members deepest, darkest secret. Just when you think you know where the story line is headed it makes 180 degree turn and leaves you guessing all over again.

This novel is my first introduction to novels by Lisa Gardner and without a doubt she becomes a favorite author for psychological thrillers.

"Here is something I learned when I was eleven years old: Pain has a flavor. The question is, what does it taste like to you?"

I had never thought of that question before and yet I've felt pain - both physical and emotional. It's one of those intriguing openings to a compelling story on the order of Linwood Barclay's "Fear the Worst: A Thriller" that begins "The morning of the day I lost her, my daughter asked me to scramble her some eggs" or to begin with "When Cynthia woke up, it was so quiet in the house she thought it must be Saturday." in "No Time for Goodbye" taking the ordinary, building show more unexpected twists and turns, highs and lows, to absorbing, page-turning, compelling and extraordinary novels.

The Denbe family might be the neighbors next door of any elite neighborhood - the powerful CEO, the adoring wife, and the 15-year old daughter - dearly loved, independent but dependent, bored yet engaged in all matters of importance to teenage girls. And on an ordinary night, as the privacy and the sanctuary of what is known as home is intruded in a way none of them ever thought possible, their world changes individually and together, and the family become the flashing neon billboard sign that announces "You never know what goes on behind closed doors."

The only way to understand what has happened is to learn the secrets and unveil the private life of the Denbe family. The question is with a few secrets of her own, can Tessa Leoni, former Massachusetts state police trooper and now in corporate investigations, unlock the mysteries of this case?

Unraveling the secrets is a thrill-ride reading adventure that soars like a North American X-15 or a speedboat on the sunniest day in crystal clear, calm waters or the anticipated ride on the Formula Rossa roller coaster on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, part of the United Arab Emirates that reaches an astonishing top speed of 149.1 mph (240 kmh). [A hydraulic launch coaster manufactured by Intamin AG of Switzerland that accelerates from 0 to 100 km (62 miles) in 2 seconds, climbs 52m (171 feet), and generates 1.7 Gs).]

I can't wait to add more Lisa Gardner novels to my "Wish List" of novels to read! There simply aren't enough adjectives to describe her writing and the way in which the reader is intrigued and engrossed within the book covers! It might be best to read her novels on vacation when the alarm clock doesn't ring so early in the morning for work. :) show less

This is the second book in the Tessa Leoni series which is a part of the D. D. Warren series. When the entire Denbe family is abducted from their Back Bay townhouse, Tessa is hired by the Denbe Construction to investigate the disappearance. She isn't alone. The Boston Police in the person of D. D. Warren are also on the case but only until evidence suggests that the family was taken into New Hampshire.

The FBI is called in to try to find the family and so is a Sheriff's Department in New Hampshire. Wyatt Foster is a cop who wants to be a carpenter or a carpenter who wants to be a cop.

The story is told from three viewpoints. Tessa and Wyatt handle the police viewpoint. Libby Denbe is also a viewpoint character. Libby is Justin Denbe's show more wife of eighteen years and the mother of fifteen-year-old Ashlyn. Libby is also a betrayed wife who has developed an addiction to pain pills to cover up the pain of her cheating husband. Libby still loves Justin but doesn't think she can get over his cheating,

The family is taken from their home to the wilds of New Hampshire and a finished but never occupied prison built by Justin's company. Meanwhile, the FBI, Sheriff's Department, and Tessa are trying to figure out who took the family and what they want.

Lots of secrets are exposed as Tessa and Wyatt investigate Justin's company including more than $11 million embezzled over the past sixteen years. All of Justin's trusted employees are lying about something and it is up to Tessa and Wyatt to learn the truth.

I enjoyed the multiple viewpoints. The story was really filled with tension and plot twists. show less

Lisa Gardner's latest thriller is a terrific page-turner with some real surprises. She kept me watching closely for hints, twists, nd character revelations which made for an interesting read. Sgt. Wyatt and Tessa Leoni are such good investigators, especially paired together, they are sure to make a showing in another Gardner book.

Touch and Go by Lisa Gardner

The story is character driven with complex interesting characters. Told from multiple Points of view, I got the feel of what was going on from the victims and the investigators. Tessa is very easy to like and I wanted to see her able to solve the crime.

Overall I enjoyed Touch and go and feel those who enjoy crime/drama/thrillers will enjoy it as well. Plenty of thought provoking moments as well as secrets leading up to a surprise ending. I look forward to reading the next book in the series Crash & Burn.

Libby and Justin Denbe have been married for eighteen years, and have a beautiful fifteen-year-old daughter, Ashlyn. Justin runs the construction company his father built, and has grown it to a $100,000,000 company. Libby is a successful jewelry designer.

They have it all.

Or it looks like they do.

For the last six months, Libby and Justin have been struggling with the aftermath of Libby discovering Justin had been having an affair. They go out for a Friday night date night as part of their effort to rebuild the marriage--and come home to a team of very professional kidnappers.

The Denbe family is quietly and efficiently carried off to a brand-new, but mothballed, prison in northern New Hampshire. It's no coincidence that it's a prison show more Justin's company built. D.D Warren is one of the Boston detectives that responds to the scene of the kidnapping, but it's not long before Justin's GPS device--separated from Justin--is found by NH Sheriff's forces. That makes it definitely a federal case, and the FBI takes over. The NH sheriff responsible for the area where the GPS tracker was found, Wyatt Foster, is assisting because it's now clear that the Denbes are somewhere in his territory. Also involved is ex-Massachusetts state trooper Tessa Leoni, retained by Denbe Construction to find their CEO. Aside from the standard tensions between local police and the FBI, and between law enforcement and private investigators. this ad hoc team has a few extra issues. Wyatt and the lead FBI agent Nicole Adams were lovers, and now aren't. Tessa left the Massachusetts state police after the horrifically painful episode in which her husband disappeared and their child, Sophie, was kidnapped. Tessa found and recovered Sophie, but broke some rules in doing so, and is suspected of having shot her husband.

So law enforcement has its doubts about her. Tessa's only concern now is giving her daughter a stable, secure home, and being a PI with Northridge Security pays better and has more regular hours.

This is an interesting crew, and both compete and cooperate in trying to untangle what proves to be a very tangled case.

Whoever took the Denbes had an override code for the Denbes' high-end home security system, and so had to be an insider or get the information from someone who is--someone the Denbes know and trust. Someone has also been embezzling funds from Denbe Construction--for sixteen years. The COO started at the company as Justin's father's secretary--and her youngest son is Justin's half-brother.

And this is a small fraction of the secrets and lies within the Denbe inner circle.

Meanwhile, the Denbes are in that prison Justin built, held by three ex-military men, one of whom is a dangerous kind of crazy. The brains behind the operation has giving orders that Libby and Ashlyn are not to be harmed, but Mick is proving hard to control.

This really did keep me guessing nearly to the very end. The characters are legitimately complicated and interesting, and the plot is really intricate.

Recommended.

I bought this book. show less

Touch & Go
4 Stars

The Denbe family seem to have the perfect life - as enviable marriage, a beautiful home, a successful business. But appearances can be deceiving and when the Denbes are abducted, insurance investigator Tessa Leoni will have to separate the lies from the truth if she is to find them before it is too late…

While this is book #2 in the Tessa Leoni series (a spin-off of the D.D. Warren series), the focus for most of the book is on the dissection of the Denbe family’s lives both prior to, during and following their abduction. Readers are privy to their most intimate moments via the 1st person account of Libby Denbe interspersed with the 3rd person narratives of the investigators, primarily Tessa and Sheriff Wyatt Foster, show more as they attempt to follow the clues to the family’s whereabouts.

The mystery itself is intriguing as the Denbes’ secrets are revealed one by one, and the facade of the perfect family slowly disintegrates. The suspects from amongst the victims’ supposedly loving relatives and friends pile up and their motives range from jealousy, greed, revenge and hatred. Although the revelation of the mastermind’s identity is not all that surprising, it is, nevertheless, disappointing as it results in a darker and more bitter ending without much hope in sight.

Tessa Leoni’s character development is, unfortunately, minimal although the hints at a romance with the sexy sheriff are promising and it is good to see her and her daughter recovering from their ordeal in the first installment Love You More.

Finally, although the mix of 1st and 3rd person takes some time getting used to, Elizabeth Rodger’s narration is immersive and heightens the intensity of the circumstances.

All in all, a gripping thriller and I look forward to reading more about Tessa in the future. show less