Book Review: Love You More by Lisa Gardner

Love You More by Lisa Gardner is a gripping psychological thriller that is a must read for fans of this genre.

Detective D.D. Warren is in the midst of coping with her own life crisis when she gets a call that turns into one of those "Oh, shit" moments.

Arriving at the home of Massachusetts State Trooper Tessa Leoni, D.D. discovers Brian Leoni in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor, and a bruised Tessa talking with law enforcement officials. It all looks like an open and shut case of spousal abuse that turned deadly. Problem is that six-year-old Sophie Leoni is missing, and Tessa isn't talking.

Racing against time, D.D. must figure out exactly what happened that night in the Leoni house, in the hopes of finding Sophie alive. Paired up with her ex-partner and former lover, Bobby Dodge, the two uncover clues that leave them with more questions than answers. And still the same question remains: How far would one woman go to save someone she loves?

Lisa Gardner toured with Pump Up Your Book last summer with Live to Tell, the fourth book in this series. I didn't have the time to read it, but after all the great reviews the book received, I was kicking myself. When I heard Lisa was coming back to promote her latest D.D. Warren novel, I knew I had to read it. I am so glad I did.

While part of me almost wishes the book was told entirely from D.D. Warren's point of view, the other part of me realizes that having the book flow back and forth between D.D.'s and Tessa's points of view is what made this reading experience so thrilling. I kept turning the pages, thinking I had finally figured it out and was just waiting for D.D. to catch up, but by the next chapter I realized I didn't know anything at all--except that the more I learned, the less I knew.

Gardner has blended a riveting plot with a host of complex characters, tossed in a complicated mystery to solve, and come up with a winner. It didn't take me long to plow through this one, because I simply couldn't put it down. An added plus for me is that the book is set in Boston, so some of the setting was familiar.


I'm eager to go back and read the other four books in this series:

Live to Tell (Book 4)
The Neighbor (Book 3)
Hide (Book 2)
Alone (Book 1)

If you are looking for a masterfully written psychological thriller, look no further than Love You More by Lisa Gardner!

Title:  Love You More
Author:  Lisa Gardner
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN-10: 0553807250
ISBN-13: 978-0553807257
SRP:  $26.00

Also available in a Kindle edition and as an audiobook.

I was paid by Random House to promote Love You More with a virtual book tour. That fee did not include a review. I received a copy of this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for providing my opinion.