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Live to Tell: A Detective D. D. Warren Novel

1 rating: 5.0

A book by Lisa Gardner.

Starred Review. At the heart of Gardner's outstanding fourth novel featuring Boston PD detective Warren (after The Neighbor) are some very sick kids, notably Lucy, a nine-year-old feral girl who self-mutilates when any attention is given to her, … see full wiki

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1 review about Live to Tell: A Detective D. D. Warren Novel

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Insightful, if grisly, page-turner

Jul 27, 2010

by Lynn_Harnett
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More

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Good-looking and single, Boston police detective D.D. Warren has big appetites and no life. Basically, she's married to the job, but while her newest case interrupts the first date she's had in eons, it also opens a pathway to possible romance. Or at least sex and good food.

The case itself, however, could hardly be more gruesome. An entire family, including small children, murdered, apparently by the father who finished things off by shooting himself in the head, though he survived to be rushed to the hospital where he lies in a coma while D.D. gathers evidence with a handsome new temporary member of her team, Alex Wilson, an academic cop honing his field skills.

Gardner's fourth in the series, this grim and grisly story races along in several voices. Juvenile psychiatric nurse Danielle's narration grows more desperate as she nears the 25th anniversary of her own family's hideous murder and Victoria, mother of scary wild child Evan moves closer to her wit's end - unless 8-year-old Evan gets her first.

When a second family is horrifically murdered, D.D. begins looking for links as she delves into the characters, hopes and dreams of the victims. Much of the narrative takes place on the locked psych ward for severely disturbed children where Danielle works. Psychotic, abused and permanently damaged children dominate the story.

Gardner's sympathetic character development illuminates this wrenching and difficult subject. Dangerous, angry, even murderous children, tug at our heartstrings in their human complexity and, often, hopelessness.

While not an easy read, this page-turner comes with a lot of insight and the plot twists and turns as it builds to a satisfying crescendo. D.D. is as fresh and witty and ornery as ever and fans will root for the romance - just about the only points of light in a dark tale.

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