On This Page
Description
"The #1 New York Times bestselling author's latest stand-alone thriller, with a cameo by her fan-favorite character, Boston Detective D.D. Warren. My name is Nicky Frank. Except, most likely, it isn't. Nicole Frank shouldn't have been able to survive the car accident, much less crawl up the steep ravine. Not in the dark, not in the rain, not with her injuries. But one thought allows her to defy the odds and flag down help: Vero. I'm looking for a little girl. I have to save her. Except, most show more likely, she doesn't exist. Sergeant Wyatt Foster is frustrated when even the search dogs can't find any trace of the mysterious missing child. Until Nicky's husband, Thomas, arrives with a host of shattering revelations: Nicole Frank suffers from a rare brain injury and the police shouldn't trust anything she says. My husband claims he'll do anything to save me. Except, most likely, he can't. Who is Nicky Frank, and what happened the night her car sailed off the road? Was it a random accident or something more sinister given the woman's lack of family and no close friends? The deeper Wyatt digs, the more concerned he becomes. Because it turns out, in the past few months, Nicky has suffered from more than one close accident. In fact, it would appear someone very much wants her dead. This is my life. Except, most likely, it's not. Now watch me crash and burn"-- show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Nicky Frank survives a horrible car crash in the early morning hours and manages to crawl up a hillside to flag down help. When the authorities arrive and she's being taken away in an ambulance, Nicky begs the medics and police officers to find her daughter, Vero. But police begin to question her story when a tracking dog can find no evidence of anyone else being in the car. Her husband tells them the couple doesn't have a daughter and Nicky has created the memory due to a rare brain injury she sustained after falling down some stairs months earlier. She is suffering from post traumatic brain injury and her delusions seem to be getting worse.
As the police dig further into Nicky's life, they realize the couple's stories don't add up. The show more car crash might have been deliberate, and Nicky has had an unlikely number of accidents. The investigators are suspicious but they have no idea that things will turn out to be even more complicated than they could ever imagine and the next few days will bring twists and turns to the case they never would have thought could be possible.
I enjoyed the book. It's just the type of dark psychological thriller that I love with plenty of twists and turns. It is a very complex mystery of a woman who can't remember her past but as her memory starts to return we are hurtled into a final showdown. The relationship between Nicky and her husband is well written and really adds to the atmosphere and the plot twists in the book. The reader never knows which characters are the bad guys. It's intriguing, heart-wrenching at times, terrifying at others, and just a really great read. show less
As the police dig further into Nicky's life, they realize the couple's stories don't add up. The show more car crash might have been deliberate, and Nicky has had an unlikely number of accidents. The investigators are suspicious but they have no idea that things will turn out to be even more complicated than they could ever imagine and the next few days will bring twists and turns to the case they never would have thought could be possible.
I enjoyed the book. It's just the type of dark psychological thriller that I love with plenty of twists and turns. It is a very complex mystery of a woman who can't remember her past but as her memory starts to return we are hurtled into a final showdown. The relationship between Nicky and her husband is well written and really adds to the atmosphere and the plot twists in the book. The reader never knows which characters are the bad guys. It's intriguing, heart-wrenching at times, terrifying at others, and just a really great read. show less
Lisa Gardner’s new psychological novel Crash & Burn is the kind of book that Alfred Hitchcock might have jumped all over during his moviemaking heyday. This one is filled with so many plot twists and surprises that the reader is kept off balance all the way to the book’s final pages. And, Nicky Frank, Gardner’s main character who is also one of the book’s narrators, takes the “unreliable narrator” device to the extreme, something Hitchcock would have loved.
When Nicky Frank regains consciousness and realizes that she has run off a remote New Hampshire highway and is trapped in her car, she has only one concern: her daughter. Where is Vero? She’s not in the car, and even the search dog brought to the scene of the accident show more can’t find the little girl. Now it is up to Sergeant Wyatt Foster to find her before it is too late. But, as Sgt. Foster is soon to learn, all is not as it seems, because according to Nicky’s husband, there is no little girl. She does not exist.
According to Thomas Frank, his wife has suffered three concussions in the past six months, leading to the kind of head trauma in which she still sometimes has difficulty telling the difference between reality and dreams. Being the good cop that he is, when he hears “three concussions in six months,” Wyatt Foster immediately begins to suspect that Thomas Frank just might be the villain of the piece. Is the man, in fact, trying to kill his wife?
Thus begins a rollercoaster ride during which Nicky desperately tries to tell the difference between what is real and what is not. Is Thomas the husband who pledged to protect his wife with his own life if need be, or is he the husband she sometimes believes she has reason to fear and mistrust? Who is Vero and why can’t Nicky get her out of her head? Without help from someone she can trust, Nicky may never find the answers to any of the questions being thrown at her by Wyatt Foster and the New Hampshire North Country Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division. Wyatt, still not sure if he is dealing with a criminal or a victim in the person of Nicky Frank, is determined to get to the truth – and he may just turn out to be one of the few friends Nicky has.
Crash & Burn is both psychological thriller and police procedural, and it will add to the positive reputation that Lisa Gardner has already earned with her eight-book Detective D.D. Warren series and her FBI Profiler and Tessa Leoni series. In Crash & Burn, as she sometimes does, Gardner mixes the characters from the different series into her story. This time around, P.I. Tessa Leoni works closely with Wyatt Foster to solve the Nicky Frank case, and D.D. Warren even manages a cameo appearance of her own. Lisa Gardner fans will be pleased. show less
When Nicky Frank regains consciousness and realizes that she has run off a remote New Hampshire highway and is trapped in her car, she has only one concern: her daughter. Where is Vero? She’s not in the car, and even the search dog brought to the scene of the accident show more can’t find the little girl. Now it is up to Sergeant Wyatt Foster to find her before it is too late. But, as Sgt. Foster is soon to learn, all is not as it seems, because according to Nicky’s husband, there is no little girl. She does not exist.
According to Thomas Frank, his wife has suffered three concussions in the past six months, leading to the kind of head trauma in which she still sometimes has difficulty telling the difference between reality and dreams. Being the good cop that he is, when he hears “three concussions in six months,” Wyatt Foster immediately begins to suspect that Thomas Frank just might be the villain of the piece. Is the man, in fact, trying to kill his wife?
Thus begins a rollercoaster ride during which Nicky desperately tries to tell the difference between what is real and what is not. Is Thomas the husband who pledged to protect his wife with his own life if need be, or is he the husband she sometimes believes she has reason to fear and mistrust? Who is Vero and why can’t Nicky get her out of her head? Without help from someone she can trust, Nicky may never find the answers to any of the questions being thrown at her by Wyatt Foster and the New Hampshire North Country Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division. Wyatt, still not sure if he is dealing with a criminal or a victim in the person of Nicky Frank, is determined to get to the truth – and he may just turn out to be one of the few friends Nicky has.
Crash & Burn is both psychological thriller and police procedural, and it will add to the positive reputation that Lisa Gardner has already earned with her eight-book Detective D.D. Warren series and her FBI Profiler and Tessa Leoni series. In Crash & Burn, as she sometimes does, Gardner mixes the characters from the different series into her story. This time around, P.I. Tessa Leoni works closely with Wyatt Foster to solve the Nicky Frank case, and D.D. Warren even manages a cameo appearance of her own. Lisa Gardner fans will be pleased. show less
From Amazon:
My name is Nicky Frank. Except, most likely, it isn't. Nicole Frank shouldn't have been able to survive the car accident, much less crawl up the steep ravine. Not in the dark, not in the rain, not with her injuries. But one thought allows her to defy the odds and flag down help: Vero.
I’m looking for a little girl. I have to save her. Except, most likely, she doesn't exist.
Sergeant Wyatt Foster is frustrated when even the search dogs can’t find any trace of the mysterious missing child. Until Nicky’s husband, Thomas, arrives with a host of shattering revelations: Nicole Frank suffers from a rare brain injury and the police shouldn't trust anything she says. My husband claims he’ll do anything to save me. Except, most show more likely, he can’t. Who is Nicky Frank, and what happened the night her car sailed off the road? Was it a random accident or something more sinister given the woman’s lack of family and no close friends? The deeper Wyatt digs, the more concerned he becomes. Because it turns out, in the past few months, Nicky has suffered from more than one close accident. . . . In fact, it would appear someone very much wants her dead.
My Thoughts:
Although this isn't one of Gardner's famed D.D. Warren novels, fans of hers will be delighted that she does make an appearance. Still recovering from past injuries, D.D.'s future as a cop still hangs in the balance. Another recurring character, Tessa Leoni, plays a more prominent role in this novel. Aside from helping during the current investigation, her past is also still haunting her. Now for the story: Lisa Gardner's stories are so dynamic that once you start reading you can’t stop. This is definitely a book that will cause a book hangover. Just when you think you have figured out what is happening or find a good stopping point Gardner twists the story inside out and you have to keep reading and reading and reading and then you reach the end and all you can say is WOW! I never saw that coming! It is on the long side and it can become confusing at times...but if you like a really good psychological thriller you should add this one to your list. show less
My name is Nicky Frank. Except, most likely, it isn't. Nicole Frank shouldn't have been able to survive the car accident, much less crawl up the steep ravine. Not in the dark, not in the rain, not with her injuries. But one thought allows her to defy the odds and flag down help: Vero.
I’m looking for a little girl. I have to save her. Except, most likely, she doesn't exist.
Sergeant Wyatt Foster is frustrated when even the search dogs can’t find any trace of the mysterious missing child. Until Nicky’s husband, Thomas, arrives with a host of shattering revelations: Nicole Frank suffers from a rare brain injury and the police shouldn't trust anything she says. My husband claims he’ll do anything to save me. Except, most show more likely, he can’t. Who is Nicky Frank, and what happened the night her car sailed off the road? Was it a random accident or something more sinister given the woman’s lack of family and no close friends? The deeper Wyatt digs, the more concerned he becomes. Because it turns out, in the past few months, Nicky has suffered from more than one close accident. . . . In fact, it would appear someone very much wants her dead.
My Thoughts:
Although this isn't one of Gardner's famed D.D. Warren novels, fans of hers will be delighted that she does make an appearance. Still recovering from past injuries, D.D.'s future as a cop still hangs in the balance. Another recurring character, Tessa Leoni, plays a more prominent role in this novel. Aside from helping during the current investigation, her past is also still haunting her. Now for the story: Lisa Gardner's stories are so dynamic that once you start reading you can’t stop. This is definitely a book that will cause a book hangover. Just when you think you have figured out what is happening or find a good stopping point Gardner twists the story inside out and you have to keep reading and reading and reading and then you reach the end and all you can say is WOW! I never saw that coming! It is on the long side and it can become confusing at times...but if you like a really good psychological thriller you should add this one to your list. show less
I have been a fan of Lisa Gardner for some time now and although this is the third book in the Tessa Leone series it is the first one that I have read. I don't feel like I was at a disadvantage by not having read the prior books, as that is the beauty of Lisa Gardner - it's not so much that the story carries on, it is just that the main character links the books together. Crash & Burn must have one of the best first sentences I have seen for a long time; it starts with the sentence "I died once." immediately drawing the reader in and giving me goosebumps in the process.
The story starts with Nicky waking in a hospital bed with scant recollection of what has happened to her. All she can think of is the mysterious Vero and I could feel her show more distress creeping out of the pages like curling tendrils of smoke as she wondered what had happened to her. As officers investigate the car accident that brought Nicky into the hospital, there is no sign of anybody else being in the car at the time of the accident. So who exactly is Vero and what has happened to her?
The way the story evolves made me question not only Nicky's sanity but her very identity. There is a lot of mystery surrounding her and her husband so my mind was working overtime as it tried to figure things out. I got some things right and other things way wrong! Although I didn't think this was one of Lisa Gardner's best books, it was a satisfying twisty story with a good amount of surprises.
Crash & Burn tied my brain in knots as I tried to work out the story but, with Lisa Gardner pulling the punches, you really can expect the unexpected.
I received this book from the publisher, Headline, via Bookbridgr in exchange for an honest review. show less
The story starts with Nicky waking in a hospital bed with scant recollection of what has happened to her. All she can think of is the mysterious Vero and I could feel her show more distress creeping out of the pages like curling tendrils of smoke as she wondered what had happened to her. As officers investigate the car accident that brought Nicky into the hospital, there is no sign of anybody else being in the car at the time of the accident. So who exactly is Vero and what has happened to her?
The way the story evolves made me question not only Nicky's sanity but her very identity. There is a lot of mystery surrounding her and her husband so my mind was working overtime as it tried to figure things out. I got some things right and other things way wrong! Although I didn't think this was one of Lisa Gardner's best books, it was a satisfying twisty story with a good amount of surprises.
Crash & Burn tied my brain in knots as I tried to work out the story but, with Lisa Gardner pulling the punches, you really can expect the unexpected.
I received this book from the publisher, Headline, via Bookbridgr in exchange for an honest review. show less
Read for Fun/Listened for Review (Library/Brilliance Audio)
Overall Rating: 4.50
Story Rating: 4.75
Character Rating: 4.25
Audio Rating: 4.00 (not part of the overall rating)
First Thought when Finished: Oh what a tangled web Crash & Burn by Lisa Gardner weaved and there was more than once that I was deceived! Bravo Lisa BRAVO!
Quick Thoughts: I really like Lisa Gardner's storytelling abilities. She makes characters shine and stories twist. In Crash & Burn (possibly my favorite by her) she did both outstandingly. The character arc for Nicole is not one that I saw coming. Neither was the one for her husband. You think you know but trust me you have NO CLUE! The mystery was intense but at the same time you are tricked into thinking it is show more solved. Then BAM you are hit with another turn. Really I was just knocked back by how many times the story swerved and yet it never went to far (you know what I am talking about: that one swerve to many syndrome). If you like gritty, goose-bump inducing thrillers then this one is for you!
Audio Thoughts:
Narrated By Christina Traister, Mikael Naramore / Length: 13 hrs and 27 mins
Both of these narrators were new to me and they both delivered well. They will both go on my to listen to again list. They had great pacing that kept up with the story and slowed down when needed (yet not to slow). They managed to bridge each other in narration and compliment each other well. Well DONE!
Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, DONE! Reviews
PS: I had to pick up the book at the library because I scratched my next to last disk. I was not going to miss a moment of this story! show less
Overall Rating: 4.50
Story Rating: 4.75
Character Rating: 4.25
Audio Rating: 4.00 (not part of the overall rating)
First Thought when Finished: Oh what a tangled web Crash & Burn by Lisa Gardner weaved and there was more than once that I was deceived! Bravo Lisa BRAVO!
Quick Thoughts: I really like Lisa Gardner's storytelling abilities. She makes characters shine and stories twist. In Crash & Burn (possibly my favorite by her) she did both outstandingly. The character arc for Nicole is not one that I saw coming. Neither was the one for her husband. You think you know but trust me you have NO CLUE! The mystery was intense but at the same time you are tricked into thinking it is show more solved. Then BAM you are hit with another turn. Really I was just knocked back by how many times the story swerved and yet it never went to far (you know what I am talking about: that one swerve to many syndrome). If you like gritty, goose-bump inducing thrillers then this one is for you!
Audio Thoughts:
Narrated By Christina Traister, Mikael Naramore / Length: 13 hrs and 27 mins
Both of these narrators were new to me and they both delivered well. They will both go on my to listen to again list. They had great pacing that kept up with the story and slowed down when needed (yet not to slow). They managed to bridge each other in narration and compliment each other well. Well DONE!
Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, DONE! Reviews
PS: I had to pick up the book at the library because I scratched my next to last disk. I was not going to miss a moment of this story! show less
Crash & Burn
3.5 Stars
On a dark and deserted stretch of road in a raging storm, Nicole Frank not only survives a horrendous crash, but manages to climb a ravine in search of help for the young girl she insists was in the car with her. However, a subsequent search yields no sign of the missing child, and Detective Sergeant Wyatt Foster is even more baffled when Nicky's husband explains that she suffers from confusion as a result of a rare brain injury. So who is Nicky and why did her car go off the road? Are her recent accidents random or is someone trying to kill her?
An intriguing premise with likable characters. Unfortunately, the pacing is problematic; the twists and turns are predictable and there is little to no progression for show more Tessa's character.
To begin with, this is classified as book #3 in the Tessa Leoni series. However, Tessa's actual role in the story is minimal at best and most of the narrative is presented from Wyatt Foster's 3rd person POV with some chapters from Nicky Franks 1st person POV.
The mystery revolving around the search for a missing girl and the revelations stemming from the investigation into Nicky's past are very compelling. That said, most of the details that emerge are quite obvious, and the pacing is choppy with excessive internal musings and unnecessary repetition of plot points.
In terms of Tessa's personal storyline, she is now in a relationship with Wyatt and readers are given no information on how this came about following the events of the previous book. There is also a possible threat to her now peaceful life, but this is completely underdeveloped and as Gardner has not announced whether the series will be continuing, the reader is left up in the air.
On a final note, the dual male/female narration of the audiobook is alright although the male narrator sounds childish when narrating the female characters and often comes across as condescending.
All in all, an entertaining psychological thriller, but not one of Gardner's better works. show less
3.5 Stars
On a dark and deserted stretch of road in a raging storm, Nicole Frank not only survives a horrendous crash, but manages to climb a ravine in search of help for the young girl she insists was in the car with her. However, a subsequent search yields no sign of the missing child, and Detective Sergeant Wyatt Foster is even more baffled when Nicky's husband explains that she suffers from confusion as a result of a rare brain injury. So who is Nicky and why did her car go off the road? Are her recent accidents random or is someone trying to kill her?
An intriguing premise with likable characters. Unfortunately, the pacing is problematic; the twists and turns are predictable and there is little to no progression for show more Tessa's character.
To begin with, this is classified as book #3 in the Tessa Leoni series. However, Tessa's actual role in the story is minimal at best and most of the narrative is presented from Wyatt Foster's 3rd person POV with some chapters from Nicky Franks 1st person POV.
The mystery revolving around the search for a missing girl and the revelations stemming from the investigation into Nicky's past are very compelling. That said, most of the details that emerge are quite obvious, and the pacing is choppy with excessive internal musings and unnecessary repetition of plot points.
In terms of Tessa's personal storyline, she is now in a relationship with Wyatt and readers are given no information on how this came about following the events of the previous book. There is also a possible threat to her now peaceful life, but this is completely underdeveloped and as Gardner has not announced whether the series will be continuing, the reader is left up in the air.
On a final note, the dual male/female narration of the audiobook is alright although the male narrator sounds childish when narrating the female characters and often comes across as condescending.
All in all, an entertaining psychological thriller, but not one of Gardner's better works. show less
This book drew me in and wouldn't let go. The MC is strange to say the least. The book is full of secrets and lies. Throw in child trafficking and prostitution and you have a thriller that you can't put down. Despite the strange MC and her husband (who is just as strange), you can't help but feel sorry for this girl and what she went thru. Overall, an interesting book that kept me guessing until the end.
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
READ in 2024
262 works; 1 member
Everand 2024
34 works; 1 member
Author Information
56+ Works 39,681 Members
Lisa Gardner received a degree in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993. At the age of 20, she sold her first novel, Walking after Midnight, under the pseudonym Alicia Scott. After graduating from college, she became a management consultant and continued to write romance novels in her spare time. She eventually became show more a full-time author. She wrote 13 romance novels before turning to thrillers. Under the pseudonym Alicia Scott, her romance novels include The Quiet One, Brandon's Bride, and Marry Me...Again. Under Lisa Gardner, her thrillers include The Other Daughter, I'd Kill for That, Touch and Go, and Crash and Burn. She also writes the FBI Profiler series and the Detective D.D. Warren series. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
Series
Work Relationships
Is abridged in
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Crash & Burn
- Original title
- Crash & Burn
- Original publication date
- 2015-02-03
- People/Characters
- Veronica Sellers "Vero"; Nicole Frank "Nicky"; Thomas Frank; Tessa Leoni; Wyatt Foster; Kevin Santos (show all 21); D.D. Warren (Detective); Marlene Sellers Bilek; Brittany Kline; Todd Raynes; Don Frechette; Annie; Mrs. Ennis; Jean Huntoon; Jack Warren; Phil LeBlanc (Detective); Bobby Dodge; Det. Rick Stein; Chelsea; Madame Sade; Diane Fieldcrest
- Original language*
- Anglais (Etats-Unis) (Etats-Unis)
- Disambiguation notice
- ISBNs for unabridged audiobooks: 1480597236; 1480597155; 1511336463; 1480597163; 1480597201; 1480597139; 1445044714; 1445044722; 1501237217.
Unknown if the following ISBNs are abridged (condensed/shortened) or u... (show all)nabridged audiobook: 148059721X; 1480597147; 1472220250; 1445044730.
ISBN 148059718X and 1480597198 are an abridged audiobook. Do not combine them with this work containing the full-length text since the content is not the same.
Unknown if this audiobook is an abridged (condensed/shortened) audiobook OR if the unabridged full-length audiobook.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 1,018
- Popularity
- 25,386
- Reviews
- 42
- Rating
- (3.85)
- Languages
- 6 — Dutch, English, French, German, Norwegian (Bokmål), Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 37
- ASINs
- 9