What do you think?
Rate this book
FBI Profiler #6
Say Goodbye
The bestselling author of Hide and Gone draws us into the venomous mind games of a terrifying killer.
Come into my parlor . . .
For Kimberly Quincy, FBI Special Agent, it all starts with a pregnant hooker. The story Delilah Rose tells Kimberly about her johns is too horrifying to be true—but prostitutes are disappearing, one by one, with no explanation, and no one but Kimberly seems to care.
Said the spider to the fly . . .
As a member of the Evidence Response Team, dead hookers aren’t exactly Kimberly’s specialty. The young agent is five months pregnant—she has other things to worry about than an alleged lunatic who uses spiders to do his dirty work. But Kimberly’s own mother and sister were victims of a serial killer. And now, without any bodies and with precious few clues, it’s all too clear that a serial killer has found the key to the perfect murder . . . or Kimberly is chasing a crime that never happened.
Kimberly’s caught in a web more lethal than any spider’s, and the more she fights for answers, the more tightly she’s trapped. What she doesn’t know is that she’s close—too close—to a psychopath who makes women’ s nightmares come alive, and if he has his twisted way, it won’t be long before it’ s time for Kimberly to . . .
SAY GOODBYE
Come into my parlor . . .
For Kimberly Quincy, FBI Special Agent, it all starts with a pregnant hooker. The story Delilah Rose tells Kimberly about her johns is too horrifying to be true—but prostitutes are disappearing, one by one, with no explanation, and no one but Kimberly seems to care.
Said the spider to the fly . . .
As a member of the Evidence Response Team, dead hookers aren’t exactly Kimberly’s specialty. The young agent is five months pregnant—she has other things to worry about than an alleged lunatic who uses spiders to do his dirty work. But Kimberly’s own mother and sister were victims of a serial killer. And now, without any bodies and with precious few clues, it’s all too clear that a serial killer has found the key to the perfect murder . . . or Kimberly is chasing a crime that never happened.
Kimberly’s caught in a web more lethal than any spider’s, and the more she fights for answers, the more tightly she’s trapped. What she doesn’t know is that she’s close—too close—to a psychopath who makes women’ s nightmares come alive, and if he has his twisted way, it won’t be long before it’ s time for Kimberly to . . .
SAY GOODBYE
360 pages, Hardcover
First published July 15, 2008
1227 people are currently reading
11517 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Gardner
82 books20.4k followersLisa Gardner is the #1 New York Times bestselling thriller author of the Frankie Elkin series, as well as the Detective D.D. Warren, the FBI Profilers and the PI Tessa Leoni series.
Her current suspense novels feature Frankie Elkin, an everyday, average person who specializes in finding missing people. When the locals have given up, when the media has never bothered to care, Frankie takes on the challenge. From looking for a missing teen in inner city Boston to searching for a missing hiker in the wilds of Wyoming to rescuing a possibly kidnapped girl on a remote island in the Pacific, Frankie is on the case!
Lisa lives in the mountains of New Hampshire with two crazy pups. When not writing, Lisa loves to hike, play cribbage, and, of course, read!
Her current suspense novels feature Frankie Elkin, an everyday, average person who specializes in finding missing people. When the locals have given up, when the media has never bothered to care, Frankie takes on the challenge. From looking for a missing teen in inner city Boston to searching for a missing hiker in the wilds of Wyoming to rescuing a possibly kidnapped girl on a remote island in the Pacific, Frankie is on the case!
Lisa lives in the mountains of New Hampshire with two crazy pups. When not writing, Lisa loves to hike, play cribbage, and, of course, read!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,730 reviews
March 17, 2011
Torturous. Devastating. Tragic. Brilliant.
Every once in a while I read a book that affects me a little deeper, digs in a bit more, disturbs or touches me just a little differently than those I read the rest of the time. They're often the most difficult books to rate, because I can't qualify them as easily. Did I like? Love it? Those aren't the right words for something so deeply disturbing, or hauntingly chilling. Well, did I at least enjoy it? Again, enjoyment isn't even close. I'm left shattered, brittle...moved. Horrified and saddened by the damnable tragedy of it all yet deeply admiring of the talent it took to write.
Say Goodbye is one of those books.
In the mountains of Georgia there is beauty and brutality and, of course, there are spiders. A killer hunts his prey and prostitutes vanish. But so do little boys. Stolen to assuage a monstrous appetite. In those graceful, gruesome mountains innocence is irrevocably, irretrievably shattered.
FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quinn, now five months pregnant, gets drawn into a case that threatens her marriage, her unborn child, and the foundations of her sense of self. What starts out as a few potential missing prostitutes and an unsolved and seemingly random homicide of a former high school jock is all a part of an insideous web of such utter destruction that the scope is almost beyond comprehension. Just...look up.
I'm emotionally spent after finishing this book. Utterly wiped out. It's brilliantly written. Stylistically it's crafted just as intricately as any spider's web and is just as deceptively strong . Kimberly is a solid heroine, and Gardner has offered up her flaws, foibles, and fascination with pudding to create a complex but genuine woman struggling with the confusions and conflicts of looming parenthood. I didn't always like her. I sided with her husband on a few critical issues, but saw Kimberly's side as well, even if I didn't happen to agree. She was selfish at times, for all her intelligence and dedication, and some of her motives and actions were less than pure. No, I didn't always like her. But I respected the hell out of her, because I believed her. I believed in Gardner's rendition of a character who is very conscious of her own demons, and still manages to step on their toes now and then, even as they chase her.
Technically and stylistically, this book knocked it out of the park. The transitions were extremely effective and there were several long, hard looks at the descent into despicable evil. And it was so very scary that I was able to sympathize with a man-made monster. So very, very scary. The police procedural aspects of the story were perfect. Gardner creates characters, then lays out the clues, and spins it all into a taut, gripping, devastating story. I could practically feel the time ticking in the back of my head through every moment of the read, ticking and tocking away as my stomach clenched and rolled, desperate for some light at the end of a most desolate tunnel.
It must be said - must be said and re-said, actually, that this book is not for everyone. Readers need to be more than warned, there needs to be great big flashing lights and maybe a few of those disaster sirens going off for this one. Do not read this book if you are in any way sensitive to brutality against children, because there is plenty of that in this book.
Was it graphic...? It wasn't graphically described blow by blow, no...but it's plainly and coarsely referred to and mentioned several times in several horrifying ways throughout the book. The monster - and he is monstrous - is a pedophile who kidnaps, rapes, and kills little boys...among other things that are equally disgusting. The scope of his crimes, the level of his brutality, and the horror of the debasement of his victims are not spared in the telling of this book. Please do yourself a favor and try another one of Gardner's titles if you think you may not be able to handle that.
I don't consider myself a sensitive reader. I love books and shows that deal with psychopaths, watch and appreciate true crime documentaries, and am fascinated with aberrant psychology. I thought The Silence of the Lambs (both the book and the movie) was brilliant and chilling, and Hannibal Lector will always look like Sir Anthony Hopkins in my mind. But The Silence of the Lambs didn't affect me like this did. Maybe it was because the violence was mostly against children. Those are the most difficult victims to have to accept, and when coupled with the perversity of the antagonist, I was deeply disturbed.
Did I like it? Love it? No. In fact, it was disgusting and traumatic in parts. I appreciated the intelligence and style with which it was written. I thought the concept, plot, and characters were robust, fully realized, and freaky with atmosphere. I had a couple of minor issues with a subplot, and there was a plot twist that I saw coming a mile away, but they didn't affect my appreciation of the book. It was a polished, sophisticated novel with power and intensity.
And it was the most disturbing book I've read in a good long time.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
Every once in a while I read a book that affects me a little deeper, digs in a bit more, disturbs or touches me just a little differently than those I read the rest of the time. They're often the most difficult books to rate, because I can't qualify them as easily. Did I like? Love it? Those aren't the right words for something so deeply disturbing, or hauntingly chilling. Well, did I at least enjoy it? Again, enjoyment isn't even close. I'm left shattered, brittle...moved. Horrified and saddened by the damnable tragedy of it all yet deeply admiring of the talent it took to write.
Say Goodbye is one of those books.
In the mountains of Georgia there is beauty and brutality and, of course, there are spiders. A killer hunts his prey and prostitutes vanish. But so do little boys. Stolen to assuage a monstrous appetite. In those graceful, gruesome mountains innocence is irrevocably, irretrievably shattered.
FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quinn, now five months pregnant, gets drawn into a case that threatens her marriage, her unborn child, and the foundations of her sense of self. What starts out as a few potential missing prostitutes and an unsolved and seemingly random homicide of a former high school jock is all a part of an insideous web of such utter destruction that the scope is almost beyond comprehension. Just...look up.
I'm emotionally spent after finishing this book. Utterly wiped out. It's brilliantly written. Stylistically it's crafted just as intricately as any spider's web and is just as deceptively strong . Kimberly is a solid heroine, and Gardner has offered up her flaws, foibles, and fascination with pudding to create a complex but genuine woman struggling with the confusions and conflicts of looming parenthood. I didn't always like her. I sided with her husband on a few critical issues, but saw Kimberly's side as well, even if I didn't happen to agree. She was selfish at times, for all her intelligence and dedication, and some of her motives and actions were less than pure. No, I didn't always like her. But I respected the hell out of her, because I believed her. I believed in Gardner's rendition of a character who is very conscious of her own demons, and still manages to step on their toes now and then, even as they chase her.
Technically and stylistically, this book knocked it out of the park. The transitions were extremely effective and there were several long, hard looks at the descent into despicable evil. And it was so very scary that I was able to sympathize with a man-made monster. So very, very scary. The police procedural aspects of the story were perfect. Gardner creates characters, then lays out the clues, and spins it all into a taut, gripping, devastating story. I could practically feel the time ticking in the back of my head through every moment of the read, ticking and tocking away as my stomach clenched and rolled, desperate for some light at the end of a most desolate tunnel.
It must be said - must be said and re-said, actually, that this book is not for everyone. Readers need to be more than warned, there needs to be great big flashing lights and maybe a few of those disaster sirens going off for this one. Do not read this book if you are in any way sensitive to brutality against children, because there is plenty of that in this book.
Was it graphic...? It wasn't graphically described blow by blow, no...but it's plainly and coarsely referred to and mentioned several times in several horrifying ways throughout the book. The monster - and he is monstrous - is a pedophile who kidnaps, rapes, and kills little boys...among other things that are equally disgusting. The scope of his crimes, the level of his brutality, and the horror of the debasement of his victims are not spared in the telling of this book. Please do yourself a favor and try another one of Gardner's titles if you think you may not be able to handle that.
I don't consider myself a sensitive reader. I love books and shows that deal with psychopaths, watch and appreciate true crime documentaries, and am fascinated with aberrant psychology. I thought The Silence of the Lambs (both the book and the movie) was brilliant and chilling, and Hannibal Lector will always look like Sir Anthony Hopkins in my mind. But The Silence of the Lambs didn't affect me like this did. Maybe it was because the violence was mostly against children. Those are the most difficult victims to have to accept, and when coupled with the perversity of the antagonist, I was deeply disturbed.
Did I like it? Love it? No. In fact, it was disgusting and traumatic in parts. I appreciated the intelligence and style with which it was written. I thought the concept, plot, and characters were robust, fully realized, and freaky with atmosphere. I had a couple of minor issues with a subplot, and there was a plot twist that I saw coming a mile away, but they didn't affect my appreciation of the book. It was a polished, sophisticated novel with power and intensity.
And it was the most disturbing book I've read in a good long time.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
May 25, 2022
“Do you own a computer? Because if you do, I am in your child’s bedroom”
FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy seems to have a special affinity for psychopathic serial murderers. Both her mother and her sister were victims of one. So when a prostitute insists on telling her the story of a serial killer who likes to kink up his sex with spiders, Kimberly Quincy is certainly ready to listen.
Lisa Gardner has proven herself to be a compelling story-teller over and over again and, unless the multiple triggers in SAY GOODBYE simply overwhelmed an individual reader’s ability to withstand them, no reader is likely to set the novel aside. But, from a literary point of view, SAY GOODBYE is not an easy book to follow. Multiple narrative viewpoints – Kimberly Quincy’s own story, the perspective of one of the abducted children, and, of course, the psychopath himself who was brought up on scary tales of the Burgerman who “grinds naughty boys into burgers and sells the meat to grocery stores” – are exceptionally difficult to untangle. Indeed, it is often all but impossible to know exactly whose story is being told by whom at some points in the narrative.
If Lisa Gardner could make all that clearer, then SAY GOODBYE would rise to the 5-star rating that the superbly imagined gruesome plot deserves.
Paul Weiss
FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy seems to have a special affinity for psychopathic serial murderers. Both her mother and her sister were victims of one. So when a prostitute insists on telling her the story of a serial killer who likes to kink up his sex with spiders, Kimberly Quincy is certainly ready to listen.
Lisa Gardner has proven herself to be a compelling story-teller over and over again and, unless the multiple triggers in SAY GOODBYE simply overwhelmed an individual reader’s ability to withstand them, no reader is likely to set the novel aside. But, from a literary point of view, SAY GOODBYE is not an easy book to follow. Multiple narrative viewpoints – Kimberly Quincy’s own story, the perspective of one of the abducted children, and, of course, the psychopath himself who was brought up on scary tales of the Burgerman who “grinds naughty boys into burgers and sells the meat to grocery stores” – are exceptionally difficult to untangle. Indeed, it is often all but impossible to know exactly whose story is being told by whom at some points in the narrative.
If Lisa Gardner could make all that clearer, then SAY GOODBYE would rise to the 5-star rating that the superbly imagined gruesome plot deserves.
Paul Weiss
March 19, 2018
Special Agent Kimberly Quincy should be beginning to take things easy at work now that she has reached five months in her pregnancy. But when she gets word of a case that involves prostitutes disappearing, Kimberly just has to investigate.
Kimberly knows only too well that no case is easy or straight forward, but with little to go on this could be a lot harder than she first imagined. Time is slipping by too quickly and Kimberly must find out what has happened to these women before more go missing.
Another brilliant page turner written by Lisa Gardner that will keep you reading till the early hours. Just when you thought the twist and turns had finished another one comes along and you are left questioning what will happen next. A must read for anyone who enjoys reading suspense, mystery, crime or thriller novels. Highly recommended.
Kimberly knows only too well that no case is easy or straight forward, but with little to go on this could be a lot harder than she first imagined. Time is slipping by too quickly and Kimberly must find out what has happened to these women before more go missing.
Another brilliant page turner written by Lisa Gardner that will keep you reading till the early hours. Just when you thought the twist and turns had finished another one comes along and you are left questioning what will happen next. A must read for anyone who enjoys reading suspense, mystery, crime or thriller novels. Highly recommended.
May 31, 2020
Holy Moly! If you have arachnophobia it might be best to stay away from Lisa Gardner’s “Say Goodbye”! Yet considering I have an intense dislike for spiders and literally cringing at many of the scenes, I found this book to be one of the best I’ve read for a very long time. This is the sixth in the exciting ‘Quincy and Rainie’ series but it isn’t necessary to read any of the first five as this works just as well as a stand-alone thriller.
Focusing on a serial killing psychopath who gets his kicks from the most disturbing, unusual and creepiest of ways, this had a sadist killer that we get to follow from being a young boy, to the man he is today. Sadly the story also covers how victims become so traumatised that they know no other and this gave me food for thought over their punishment. Had this been a movie, I would have been bubbling my eyes out at the ending. I was surprised by the revelation of the ‘baddie’ but it fitted perfectly with the story and the overall theme kept me on the edge of my seat with trepidation and tension.
I love books like this, not sure what that says about me but they keep me entertained and I really felt this was a very well thought out, researched and executed thriller that clearly shows how professional a writer Lisa Gardner is.
But! This book comes with huge red trigger flags for potential readers. Severe child abuse with some graphic/coarse and violent scenes which holds nothing back from the imagination could upset or offend, so it may be best to avoid this book for those in this category. By the authors own admission this was her most violent novel to date and although the story is completely fictional, sadly a lot of information for the scenes were based on true cases.
Lisa Gardner for me is a guaranteed good read and a go to author when I don’t want to be disappointed in a book. I’d happily recommend “Say Goodbye” to hardened adult thriller readers, you shouldn’t be disappointed and I guarantee I’ll be continuing to read more from this author in the future.
5 plus stars
Focusing on a serial killing psychopath who gets his kicks from the most disturbing, unusual and creepiest of ways, this had a sadist killer that we get to follow from being a young boy, to the man he is today. Sadly the story also covers how victims become so traumatised that they know no other and this gave me food for thought over their punishment. Had this been a movie, I would have been bubbling my eyes out at the ending. I was surprised by the revelation of the ‘baddie’ but it fitted perfectly with the story and the overall theme kept me on the edge of my seat with trepidation and tension.
I love books like this, not sure what that says about me but they keep me entertained and I really felt this was a very well thought out, researched and executed thriller that clearly shows how professional a writer Lisa Gardner is.
But! This book comes with huge red trigger flags for potential readers. Severe child abuse with some graphic/coarse and violent scenes which holds nothing back from the imagination could upset or offend, so it may be best to avoid this book for those in this category. By the authors own admission this was her most violent novel to date and although the story is completely fictional, sadly a lot of information for the scenes were based on true cases.
Lisa Gardner for me is a guaranteed good read and a go to author when I don’t want to be disappointed in a book. I’d happily recommend “Say Goodbye” to hardened adult thriller readers, you shouldn’t be disappointed and I guarantee I’ll be continuing to read more from this author in the future.
5 plus stars
November 4, 2017
I was thinking of reading something for Halloween. Maybe The Exorcist or a Stephen King novel when I received a notification from my library that this book was available. I decided to takeout this book while it was available. It turns out it fit the Halloween theme in it's own way. Creepy (spiders) and disturbing (a psychopath and exploited children).
FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy is a member of the Evidence Response Team ... and five months pregnant. Dead hookers aren’t exactly her specialty but a prostitute has been arrested and demands to speak to Kimberly and only Kimberly. There is no connection. Kimberly has never heard of her. For whatever reason, believable or not, Kimberly heads to the police station. Delilah Rose tells Kimberly about another prostitute, a friend, who has disappeared. The story of a psychopath who uses spiders when he is with the prostitutes. Kimberly's mother and sister were victims of a psychopath and she is drawn to Delilah Rose's story. She is caught in a web.
The story alternates between different characters. There is Kimberly's story as she tries to get to the truth and at the same time is dealing with her career, marriage, and the future of motherhood. There is the story told from the viewpoint of one of the abducted children. Then there is the story told from the viewpoint of the psychopath who as a child heard scary stories from his brother about the Burgerman ... "be naughty and the Burgerman will come to get you – the Burgerman grinds naughty boys into burgers and sells the meat to grocery stores" before he was abducted.
Reading the parts about spiders was a little creepy. A tarantula on a pillow. A brown recluse on your body. Makes you stop and think ... and look ... before getting into bed. Reading the parts about young boys being kidnapped and raped was very disturbing. It was all too realistic and appears as though the author must have researched the topic. I can understand why some readers did not like the book or could not continue. That being said this is another well written story by Lisa Gardner that will keep you turning the pages ... the lights on, the doors and windows locked.
FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy is a member of the Evidence Response Team ... and five months pregnant. Dead hookers aren’t exactly her specialty but a prostitute has been arrested and demands to speak to Kimberly and only Kimberly. There is no connection. Kimberly has never heard of her. For whatever reason, believable or not, Kimberly heads to the police station. Delilah Rose tells Kimberly about another prostitute, a friend, who has disappeared. The story of a psychopath who uses spiders when he is with the prostitutes. Kimberly's mother and sister were victims of a psychopath and she is drawn to Delilah Rose's story. She is caught in a web.
The story alternates between different characters. There is Kimberly's story as she tries to get to the truth and at the same time is dealing with her career, marriage, and the future of motherhood. There is the story told from the viewpoint of one of the abducted children. Then there is the story told from the viewpoint of the psychopath who as a child heard scary stories from his brother about the Burgerman ... "be naughty and the Burgerman will come to get you – the Burgerman grinds naughty boys into burgers and sells the meat to grocery stores" before he was abducted.
Reading the parts about spiders was a little creepy. A tarantula on a pillow. A brown recluse on your body. Makes you stop and think ... and look ... before getting into bed. Reading the parts about young boys being kidnapped and raped was very disturbing. It was all too realistic and appears as though the author must have researched the topic. I can understand why some readers did not like the book or could not continue. That being said this is another well written story by Lisa Gardner that will keep you turning the pages ... the lights on, the doors and windows locked.
December 14, 2016
Having been approved via Netgalley for the newest book in this series Right Behind You, i've been reading through the backlist so I was all prepped and up to date. As soon as I saw this one on my list I knew that it was one i'd read before, right back in 2008 when it was released. And once I started reading, the plot came back to me whole because this is Lisa Gardner's best work. Well at least in my opinion, it's by far my favourite.
Everything about this novel works. It was the first time a book truly shocked me with the way it all turned out. Long before Gone Girl, I Let You Go, and all those others pushed 'THE TWIST' into the mainstream and made it one of the most popular ways of plotting crime fiction, Lisa Gardner made my mouth drop open and sucker punched me with her WTF moment. Even knowing it was coming this time, I was still stunned by how well she had written it.
That's not the only reason this book was so memorable for me. It has spiders in it. That may be enough of an explanation. But they're horrible, big tarantulas and flesh dissolving recluse spiders. Things go on with the spiders that I will not repeat here. Terrible, damaging mental pictures.
Even more so for the horrific nature of the child abduction and abuse that sits in the centre of the plot in this instalment. It's got such a level of realism that it made me stressed reading it. This one is not for the faint hearted, it's the darkest of her novels to date and you can feel it as you read. Especially as its counterpoint is the pregnancy of the main character, FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy. I see what you did there Lisa Gardner.
Overall it meant that the book moved me, made me experience the kind of strong emotions crime novels just don't usually manage to evoke.
So now i'm wondering whether it was a good idea to read 'the BEST' before 'the NEW' but we'll just have to see. At least with this author, I know it'll be a story worth reading.
Everything about this novel works. It was the first time a book truly shocked me with the way it all turned out. Long before Gone Girl, I Let You Go, and all those others pushed 'THE TWIST' into the mainstream and made it one of the most popular ways of plotting crime fiction, Lisa Gardner made my mouth drop open and sucker punched me with her WTF moment. Even knowing it was coming this time, I was still stunned by how well she had written it.
That's not the only reason this book was so memorable for me. It has spiders in it. That may be enough of an explanation. But they're horrible, big tarantulas and flesh dissolving recluse spiders. Things go on with the spiders that I will not repeat here. Terrible, damaging mental pictures.
Even more so for the horrific nature of the child abduction and abuse that sits in the centre of the plot in this instalment. It's got such a level of realism that it made me stressed reading it. This one is not for the faint hearted, it's the darkest of her novels to date and you can feel it as you read. Especially as its counterpoint is the pregnancy of the main character, FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy. I see what you did there Lisa Gardner.
Overall it meant that the book moved me, made me experience the kind of strong emotions crime novels just don't usually manage to evoke.
So now i'm wondering whether it was a good idea to read 'the BEST' before 'the NEW' but we'll just have to see. At least with this author, I know it'll be a story worth reading.
April 27, 2024
Say Goodbye by Lisa Gardner
FBI Profiler series #6. Mystery thriller. Trigger warning: child molestation.
FBI Specal Agent Kimberly Quincy is interviewing a pregnant hooker who swears she has information on a serial killer. She may be too close to the case since her own mother and sister were victims of a serial killer. More, she’s five months pregnant and getting pressure to quit from the baby’s father. When Kimberly starts getting calls with sounds of torture, she’s not about to give up the case. But can she figure it out before the next person is killed?
Multiple threads in this story, at least one from a victim.
Lots of twists. Lots of spiders.
Creepy, and horrifying.
FBI Profiler series #6. Mystery thriller. Trigger warning: child molestation.
FBI Specal Agent Kimberly Quincy is interviewing a pregnant hooker who swears she has information on a serial killer. She may be too close to the case since her own mother and sister were victims of a serial killer. More, she’s five months pregnant and getting pressure to quit from the baby’s father. When Kimberly starts getting calls with sounds of torture, she’s not about to give up the case. But can she figure it out before the next person is killed?
Multiple threads in this story, at least one from a victim.
Lots of twists. Lots of spiders.
Creepy, and horrifying.
August 15, 2008
A deeply disturbing novel (so disturbing that I stopped and read a happy fantasy novel in the middle of it) in which an FBI agent investigates the apparent killing of prostitutes by a creepy killer only know by an acronym for arachnid. If that was all that was going on, this book would be a well written investigative hunt for a serial killer, but like City of the Sun from earlier this year, the novel chronologically shows what the author (who probably did some research) what happens to abducted children who are forced to have sex with adults. These horrendous acts of rape of adolescent boys are pretty powerful stuff and the images are haunting, sad, and perverse. Not for the squeamish this novel packs a punch and Gardner sure can write.
May 6, 2023
I always enjoy a book by Lisa Gardner and this was not an exception. I liked all the characters and it took place in Atlanta, Georgia which is where I live. It's a story that involves the GBI and the FBI and also police in many Georgia counties. They're looking for a serial killer who kidnaps prostitutes and young boys. The story goes back and forth through many characters and the main "bad guy" is the Burgerman. It was a little confusing to me because it seemed there were at least 4 people who were telling the story of the Burgerman and the one that was lastly name as the one, seemed to me like he had learned all his tricks from another person. It seemed there were at least 4 men, young men, or boys that were telling the story and I got very confused about this before it was over with. That's why it's 4 stars instead of 5.
October 11, 2012
Lisa Gardner’s SAY GOODBYE begins with a sex scene between a slutty girl and a high school football star. You’re safe in assuming that Chapter 1 and the next several chapters aren’t any better.
There’s a female FBI agent who’s called in the middle of the night because a prostitute in the custody of a local police department, a prostitute the FBI agent has never met, who has nothing to do with any case the FBI agent has been assigned, is demanding to speak with her. So the FBI agent goes there at 3 a.m.
So far, how hard is this to swallow?
By the way, the prostitute has spider tattoos. Spiders mean something. And the FBI agent is taking seriously what the prostitute told her.
And there’s a little boy who is snatched from his home in the middle of the night by a pervert. If you like reading about child molestation, you’ll like these parts. :-(
And there’s a very old but fit woman who used to care for foster children and now sees and speaks to the ghosts of her dead family members. A little boy shows up occasionally.
And there’s a man who keeps spiders as pets. He’s a bad guy, of course. Is he the pervert who molests that little boy?
When I got to the part where the pervert makes the little boy bring the pervert an even littler boy, I couldn’t continue. Gardner isn’t graphic. But she lets you know what’s going on, and she describes the screams. Call me squeamish, but the thought of 9-year old and 4-year-old boys trapped by a pervert makes me sick.
Because I didn’t read more, I can’t really say, but there were hints that the situation with the pervert and the 9-year-old boy turns into something like a case that was in the news a year or so ago when a man kidnapped a boy, and the boy ended up moving about freely yet felt he had to continue living with that man. That was an interesting case, so maybe that's why SAY GOODBYE got the good review I read.
However, a reader shouldn’t have to hate the first half of a book in order to get to a good second half.
There’s a female FBI agent who’s called in the middle of the night because a prostitute in the custody of a local police department, a prostitute the FBI agent has never met, who has nothing to do with any case the FBI agent has been assigned, is demanding to speak with her. So the FBI agent goes there at 3 a.m.
So far, how hard is this to swallow?
By the way, the prostitute has spider tattoos. Spiders mean something. And the FBI agent is taking seriously what the prostitute told her.
And there’s a little boy who is snatched from his home in the middle of the night by a pervert. If you like reading about child molestation, you’ll like these parts. :-(
And there’s a very old but fit woman who used to care for foster children and now sees and speaks to the ghosts of her dead family members. A little boy shows up occasionally.
And there’s a man who keeps spiders as pets. He’s a bad guy, of course. Is he the pervert who molests that little boy?
When I got to the part where the pervert makes the little boy bring the pervert an even littler boy, I couldn’t continue. Gardner isn’t graphic. But she lets you know what’s going on, and she describes the screams. Call me squeamish, but the thought of 9-year old and 4-year-old boys trapped by a pervert makes me sick.
Because I didn’t read more, I can’t really say, but there were hints that the situation with the pervert and the 9-year-old boy turns into something like a case that was in the news a year or so ago when a man kidnapped a boy, and the boy ended up moving about freely yet felt he had to continue living with that man. That was an interesting case, so maybe that's why SAY GOODBYE got the good review I read.
However, a reader shouldn’t have to hate the first half of a book in order to get to a good second half.
May 22, 2014
Four months pregnant Special Agent Kimberly Quincy had just drifted off to sleep next to her husband, Mac; home late again after the processing of a crash site she was bone tired. So the phone call at 3am was not a welcome intrusion. A prostitute had been arrested and wanted to speak to Kimberly – she would not speak to anyone else; she said she was her informant, but Kimberly had never heard of the girl. Against Mac’s wishes though, she headed into the station and thus, into the biggest nightmare of her life….
Delilah Rose told Kimberly the tale of a psychopath, of spiders, of prostitutes going missing – the horrifying words coming from the prostitute’s mouth were too shocking to contemplate – they just couldn’t be real – could they? Then Kimberly saw that Delilah was also pregnant; the unbelievable suddenly became just a little more believable.
A nine year old boy, lying in his bed in the dark of night, thinking about the scary tales his big brother had told him about the Burgerman – be naughty and the Burgerman will come to get you – the Burgerman grinds naughty boys into burgers and sells the meat to grocery stores…
With GBI Special Agent Salvadore Martignetti (Sal) heading the investigation, Kimberly found herself being drawn deeper and deeper into the unknown. When her father, ex FBI profiler Pierce Quincy and his wife, Rainie Connor decided to visit and also became involved in the investigation, Kimberly was grateful; her father had been her rock after the shocking deaths of her mother and sister by a serial killer; with him by her side she felt secure.
But the danger was getting closer – the clock was ticking, the adrenalin was pumping. Kimberly was determined to catch this sadistic, crazy killer before he struck again – could she? Would they? Or would she also have to Say Goodbye?
In the author’s own words in the Acknowledgements at the end of the book “Of all the novels I’ve written, this book is by far the most violent, and yes it was difficult to write…” (first published in 2008) So I will conclude by saying that this chilling book is NOT for the faint at heart, but it is a brilliant, twisted, spellbinding and totally gripping thriller, one I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending. And – if you don’t like scary thrillers, DO NOT read this!
Delilah Rose told Kimberly the tale of a psychopath, of spiders, of prostitutes going missing – the horrifying words coming from the prostitute’s mouth were too shocking to contemplate – they just couldn’t be real – could they? Then Kimberly saw that Delilah was also pregnant; the unbelievable suddenly became just a little more believable.
A nine year old boy, lying in his bed in the dark of night, thinking about the scary tales his big brother had told him about the Burgerman – be naughty and the Burgerman will come to get you – the Burgerman grinds naughty boys into burgers and sells the meat to grocery stores…
With GBI Special Agent Salvadore Martignetti (Sal) heading the investigation, Kimberly found herself being drawn deeper and deeper into the unknown. When her father, ex FBI profiler Pierce Quincy and his wife, Rainie Connor decided to visit and also became involved in the investigation, Kimberly was grateful; her father had been her rock after the shocking deaths of her mother and sister by a serial killer; with him by her side she felt secure.
But the danger was getting closer – the clock was ticking, the adrenalin was pumping. Kimberly was determined to catch this sadistic, crazy killer before he struck again – could she? Would they? Or would she also have to Say Goodbye?
In the author’s own words in the Acknowledgements at the end of the book “Of all the novels I’ve written, this book is by far the most violent, and yes it was difficult to write…” (first published in 2008) So I will conclude by saying that this chilling book is NOT for the faint at heart, but it is a brilliant, twisted, spellbinding and totally gripping thriller, one I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending. And – if you don’t like scary thrillers, DO NOT read this!
January 29, 2023
I have read several of Lisa Gardner’s books, as well as her DD Warren series. This one, I felt, was by far the most heart-wrenching and difficult to read. It was really, really good, as all of her books are. But it dealt a lot with violence against little boys…be prepared if you plan to read this. I continue to adore the lead characters of this series and this book is another very well written novel. Can’t wait to read the next in this series!
March 25, 2022
Read: March 2022
New rating: 2/5 stars
I was annoyed with myself for not finishing this one and felt that I couldn't read the next book in the series until I tried one more time to get into it.
I'm glad I have now read it but it didn't really improve for me. I didn't like the plot and I was just glad to finish it so I can move on with the series.
The reason it gets 2 stars is for the character of Rita, bringing Quincy and Rainie into the mystery and . The book ends with a time jump and possible set up for a future plot so it was good to finish it and not be confused when starting the next book.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Read: Dec 2021
DNF page 151
Rating 1/5 stars
Lisa Gardner is one of my favourite crime fiction writers but I can't go on with this book. It is too brutal, too sadistic and I am not going to continue to read something that is going to put images in my mind that will haunt me.
New rating: 2/5 stars
I was annoyed with myself for not finishing this one and felt that I couldn't read the next book in the series until I tried one more time to get into it.
I'm glad I have now read it but it didn't really improve for me. I didn't like the plot and I was just glad to finish it so I can move on with the series.
The reason it gets 2 stars is for the character of Rita, bringing Quincy and Rainie into the mystery and . The book ends with a time jump and possible set up for a future plot so it was good to finish it and not be confused when starting the next book.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Read: Dec 2021
DNF page 151
Rating 1/5 stars
Lisa Gardner is one of my favourite crime fiction writers but I can't go on with this book. It is too brutal, too sadistic and I am not going to continue to read something that is going to put images in my mind that will haunt me.
Read
August 27, 2008If you are terrified of spiders, don't bother with this one. This is a story of little boys who are kidnapped from their homes, while walking to school, or off the playground and are then sexually and mentally abused. It is also the story of young prostitutes that "go missing." Kimberly Quincy, FBI agent tries to solve the case of the missing prostitutes. I named the evil abuser of the young boys, "spiderman" because of his love/facination of spiders and his awful tatoo of spider eyes on his forehead. The time frame of this book is very troubling because you don't know if the dialogue is that of "the original abuser" or if it is "spiderman's thoughts and words." That makes this book very difficult to follow. As the grandmother of a young boy, I found this book to be extremely troubling. I don't think that he,(my grandson) will be allowed to go into a men's bathroom alone until he is about 18 years old and 185 pounds. This is indeed a scarey book but I just wish the author had done a better job of clarifying who's who of the bad men.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2020
Disturbingly terrific!
January 11, 2021
3,5 / 5
Hamburger Adam'ın olduğu sahneleri okumak çok zordu 😔
Kurgudaki pedefoli, üstüne örümcekler kitabı okurken insanın sinirlerinin sınırlarını epey zorlayan konular. Filmi çevrilse asla seyredemezdim (görsel olarak baş edebileceğimi sanmıyorum böyle bir kurguyla).
Bu kitaptaki bir karakterin hikayesini D.D. Warren serisinin 3.kitabı Sessiz Çığlıkta okuduk bu arada.
Bu serinin sadece 1. ve 6.kitapları basılmış TR de. Ana konu olarak bir devamlılik yok, yani aradaki kitapları okumadan bu kitap anlaşılıyor. Ama kurgudan bağımsız karakterlerin yaşadıkları bazı olaylar olmuş o kitaplarda, onları sadece bahsedildiği kadarıyla anlayabiliyoruz. Keşke eksik kitaplar da çıksaydı da okuyabilseydik.
Hamburger Adam'ın olduğu sahneleri okumak çok zordu 😔
Kurgudaki pedefoli, üstüne örümcekler kitabı okurken insanın sinirlerinin sınırlarını epey zorlayan konular. Filmi çevrilse asla seyredemezdim (görsel olarak baş edebileceğimi sanmıyorum böyle bir kurguyla).
Bu kitaptaki bir karakterin hikayesini D.D. Warren serisinin 3.kitabı Sessiz Çığlıkta okuduk bu arada.
Bu serinin sadece 1. ve 6.kitapları basılmış TR de. Ana konu olarak bir devamlılik yok, yani aradaki kitapları okumadan bu kitap anlaşılıyor. Ama kurgudan bağımsız karakterlerin yaşadıkları bazı olaylar olmuş o kitaplarda, onları sadece bahsedildiği kadarıyla anlayabiliyoruz. Keşke eksik kitaplar da çıksaydı da okuyabilseydik.
February 20, 2025
Une bonne intrigue, une histoire dure et très intéressante. Quelques invraisemblances et petites longueurs à certains moments. J'ai appris beaucoup de choses sur les araignées, à m'en faire des cauchemars... j'ai énormément aimé l'épilogue.
September 12, 2025
1⭐️= Not For Me
Hardback.
I often feel a little guilty when I give an LS book a poor rating. When I’m reading, I can feel that she’s a decent author, but I often cannot connect with her writing. I really don’t know why this is!
Take absolutely no notice of me though, as going by all the reviews on here, she is very popular.👍🏻
Hardback.
I often feel a little guilty when I give an LS book a poor rating. When I’m reading, I can feel that she’s a decent author, but I often cannot connect with her writing. I really don’t know why this is!
Take absolutely no notice of me though, as going by all the reviews on here, she is very popular.👍🏻
November 4, 2008
If you're archanaophic, this isn't the book for you.
Lisa Gardener's new novel, "Say Goodbye" is a fascinating, scary and compelling story about a serial killer with a fascination for using spiders as he preys on prositutes and young boys. The novel shifts perspectives from a young boy held prisoner by the killer (and getting ready to "graduate") and special agent Kimberly Quincy, who is five months pregnant.
Kimberly is contacted by Jenny Jones, a prostitute whose mother was killed by the killer. The killer has a twist--he makes the victim choose his next target. In this case, Jenny's mother gave up Jenny as the next prey to be drawn into his spider's web. Kimberly is determined to track down the killer and comes periliously close to losing her marriage to a fellow agent over the conflict.
At times, Gardner's novel is gripping and suspenseful. The idea of using spiders literally and as a metaphor for the killer is nicely done and will have you shuddering if you're not a fan of arachnids. Unfortunately, the novel tends to fall apart in the final quarter of the story as the FBI closes in on the killer. The wrap-up is confusing and not nearly as satisfying as it should have been.
Lisa Gardener's new novel, "Say Goodbye" is a fascinating, scary and compelling story about a serial killer with a fascination for using spiders as he preys on prositutes and young boys. The novel shifts perspectives from a young boy held prisoner by the killer (and getting ready to "graduate") and special agent Kimberly Quincy, who is five months pregnant.
Kimberly is contacted by Jenny Jones, a prostitute whose mother was killed by the killer. The killer has a twist--he makes the victim choose his next target. In this case, Jenny's mother gave up Jenny as the next prey to be drawn into his spider's web. Kimberly is determined to track down the killer and comes periliously close to losing her marriage to a fellow agent over the conflict.
At times, Gardner's novel is gripping and suspenseful. The idea of using spiders literally and as a metaphor for the killer is nicely done and will have you shuddering if you're not a fan of arachnids. Unfortunately, the novel tends to fall apart in the final quarter of the story as the FBI closes in on the killer. The wrap-up is confusing and not nearly as satisfying as it should have been.
October 4, 2021
This was hard to put down but also hard to read. The story is well developed and so gripping. The story of tortured children is so hard to hear even when the story is so engaging. I am loving this series and look forward to more.
October 28, 2022
Normally I love Lisa Gardner's books but for me this one felt all over the place. I've finished the book and I honestly dont know who did what. There are characters that I am not sure which characters killed which didn't. Who's alive, who's dead. Im just so super confused. Maybe it is just me that feels this way so feel free to let me know if you figured it all out.
I will say also I prefer the stories of Quincy and Rainie over Kimberly. For the times Q and R appeared in this book I didn't feel like we saw the real Rainie she was not the kick ass person I'm used to. Again so confused.
I will say also I prefer the stories of Quincy and Rainie over Kimberly. For the times Q and R appeared in this book I didn't feel like we saw the real Rainie she was not the kick ass person I'm used to. Again so confused.
September 30, 2009
Hated all the spider talk and descriptions. Disgusting. Could have done without all that. Liked the other book I read by her much better. This book had too much added stuff that wasn't necessary to the story.
April 10, 2023
It was confusing at times, when it switched to different unnamed characters’ points of view. Do not read this if you’re afraid of spiders!
January 25, 2024
There are a couple story threads in this one. It takes a minute for them to all connect and make sense, but once they do the story is amazing!
July 18, 2023
4,25 ⭐
Lisa Gardner jak zwykle w formie.
Lisa Gardner jak zwykle w formie.
December 28, 2014
I didn't finish I quit. I feel I need to warn some of you as to content so you can skip it if the topics bother you. So here comes the spoiler if you want to stop reading now. I can handle gore and murder scenes. This dealt with prostitutes being killed whether they did or did not give the " spider guy" the name of another prostitute. Sex with spiders watching. But the worst thing was sodomy to young innocent boys. That's where I drew the line. I'm not a quitter on books for the most part but I listen to audiobooks and the sound effects in this one were VERY REAL SOUNDING AND DISTURBING. And even if I was reading it, it was too awful for words. Lisa Gardner, there is enough out there to write mysteries around. Sexual abuse to children happens in the real world, but I am disappointed that you couldn't find a different story line or at LEAST not go into very graphic detail about the subject.PS. I am not afraid of spiders in any way and found the info on them at the beginning of each chapter pretty interesting so my not liking the book was NOT DUE TO THE SPIDER PARTS. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2012
I am sooooo pissed off about this book. There is nothing in the summary that suggest this book is about boys being raped and then perpetuating. It is very detailed and graphic. If I would have known I never would have picked it up and there was no leading into it either. She just started with the boy talking about the rape. I had to finish reading it because I started and yes, yes dammit it was a good book and it ended as good as it could with a glimmer of hope but there were moment when i was close to throwing up and feeling so bothered by the atrocities described that I couldn't sleep. That's all I have to say about it.
June 2, 2023
3,5⭐️
June 7, 2009
Say Goodbye is possibly one of the best books I have read by Lisa, other than The Next Accident, which introduced me to the author’s world of serial killers, police procedurals and crimes so horrendous that there is no possible way they will ever find the killer. Lisa can sure write some great twists and turns and will not leave you disappointed, because like most of those police shows we watch on television, the good guys always get their man.
FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy is married to another FBI Agent and happens to be four months pregnant. Being pregnant does not slow her down and she is still hard at work solving murders and bringing those killers of the innocent to justice. Her husband Mac wants her to cut back for the good of their unborn child, which Kimberly is seriously thinking about doing, when a young prostitute by the name of Delilah Rose asks for her help. There is a new serial killer on the loose who calls himself Dinchara. He is murdering prostitutes, and before he murders them, he tortures them with his special collection of spiders. Just use your imagination when it comes to his special pets. *shudder* Delilah is afraid she will be another one of his victims and only remains alive because he has made her a pawn in his twisted games. Delilah also happens to be pregnant and will only tell Kimberly what she knows to track this elusive killer. Kimberly knows Delilah is not placing all her cards on the table, but since she is sympathetic, mainly because of Delilah’s pregnancy, Kimberly will take on this case even though she is placing herself in a lot of danger, not counting the health risks to her unborn child.
Dinchara likes to play games and he specifically picks Kimberly to play along with him. Not only is this monster a killer, but he is also a pedophile. Through flashbacks, we see how he was kidnapped by a man who stole him from his bedroom and sexually tortured him for years. He in turn continues the cycle of violence and kidnaps another young boy and abuses him, hoping to mold him into a killer, like himself. The boy he stole, along with Delilah, are very much his victims, but at least he keeps them alive. They are like the spiders he takes care of. There is only one way they can escape him and no longer be his unwilling pupils to his crimes. And to accomplish this, they must give the FBI and Kimberly a run for their money. The final outcome could possibly be Kimberly’s death.
Say Goodbye really tugged at my heart, including such feelings of anger because of Dinchara, a horrible man who enjoys raping little boys, killing prostitutes and using spiders in inhumane ways. It has been a long time since I have read such a villain who sent chills down my spine, and Lisa has done it here with her latest killer. Lisa has written another stellar story with Say Goodbye. I was hooked from beginning to end, waiting for Kimberly to figure out all the clues so she can save lives, even including those of Delilah and the young abused boy who must do Kimberly harm just so they can escape the man who has so much power over them. But, Kimberly is not alone since she has many to back her up, which includes her father Pierce, and step-mother Rainie, who come to help her. It is always a treat to see these two and to finally see them so happy after many years of living under very harsh and unhappy circumstances.
Lisa keeps raising the bar for herself with this on-going series about the Quincy clan. This is not your typical run of the mill serial killer crime. What was really unique, is instead of Gardner just focusing on Kimberly, the main protagonist, the reader sees many points of views that include the serial killer, Dinchara himself and how he became what he is. Also included is the young boy he molested for years and even that of a new victim he has kidnapped. Getting into each of these characters minds brings out some heavy emotions and your heart will really tear up for all of them. You may even feel a bit of pity for Dinchara himself because he is just as much as a victim as those he stalks.
If you have an intense fear of spiders, Say Goodbye may not be the book for you. But for those are a bit stronger and don’t mind those creatures and their master who uses them to create havoc and death, I urge you to try Say Goodbye and the world of Lisa Gardner. You will have some chills and thrills you will not soon forget.
FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy is married to another FBI Agent and happens to be four months pregnant. Being pregnant does not slow her down and she is still hard at work solving murders and bringing those killers of the innocent to justice. Her husband Mac wants her to cut back for the good of their unborn child, which Kimberly is seriously thinking about doing, when a young prostitute by the name of Delilah Rose asks for her help. There is a new serial killer on the loose who calls himself Dinchara. He is murdering prostitutes, and before he murders them, he tortures them with his special collection of spiders. Just use your imagination when it comes to his special pets. *shudder* Delilah is afraid she will be another one of his victims and only remains alive because he has made her a pawn in his twisted games. Delilah also happens to be pregnant and will only tell Kimberly what she knows to track this elusive killer. Kimberly knows Delilah is not placing all her cards on the table, but since she is sympathetic, mainly because of Delilah’s pregnancy, Kimberly will take on this case even though she is placing herself in a lot of danger, not counting the health risks to her unborn child.
Dinchara likes to play games and he specifically picks Kimberly to play along with him. Not only is this monster a killer, but he is also a pedophile. Through flashbacks, we see how he was kidnapped by a man who stole him from his bedroom and sexually tortured him for years. He in turn continues the cycle of violence and kidnaps another young boy and abuses him, hoping to mold him into a killer, like himself. The boy he stole, along with Delilah, are very much his victims, but at least he keeps them alive. They are like the spiders he takes care of. There is only one way they can escape him and no longer be his unwilling pupils to his crimes. And to accomplish this, they must give the FBI and Kimberly a run for their money. The final outcome could possibly be Kimberly’s death.
Say Goodbye really tugged at my heart, including such feelings of anger because of Dinchara, a horrible man who enjoys raping little boys, killing prostitutes and using spiders in inhumane ways. It has been a long time since I have read such a villain who sent chills down my spine, and Lisa has done it here with her latest killer. Lisa has written another stellar story with Say Goodbye. I was hooked from beginning to end, waiting for Kimberly to figure out all the clues so she can save lives, even including those of Delilah and the young abused boy who must do Kimberly harm just so they can escape the man who has so much power over them. But, Kimberly is not alone since she has many to back her up, which includes her father Pierce, and step-mother Rainie, who come to help her. It is always a treat to see these two and to finally see them so happy after many years of living under very harsh and unhappy circumstances.
Lisa keeps raising the bar for herself with this on-going series about the Quincy clan. This is not your typical run of the mill serial killer crime. What was really unique, is instead of Gardner just focusing on Kimberly, the main protagonist, the reader sees many points of views that include the serial killer, Dinchara himself and how he became what he is. Also included is the young boy he molested for years and even that of a new victim he has kidnapped. Getting into each of these characters minds brings out some heavy emotions and your heart will really tear up for all of them. You may even feel a bit of pity for Dinchara himself because he is just as much as a victim as those he stalks.
If you have an intense fear of spiders, Say Goodbye may not be the book for you. But for those are a bit stronger and don’t mind those creatures and their master who uses them to create havoc and death, I urge you to try Say Goodbye and the world of Lisa Gardner. You will have some chills and thrills you will not soon forget.
April 9, 2011
Special agent Kimberley Quincy is five months pregnant, and struggling with the question of whether she can or should continue her work with the FBI. She doesn't want to quit, but her husband feels she's taking too many risks, and the conflict is placing quite a strain on their marriage. Into this stressful personal dilemma comes a teenage prostitute, asking for Kimberley's help in discovering what has become of some of her friends who have disappeared. The narrative switches back and forth from the girl's story to the heartbreaking and harrowing account of a boy who was abducted years ago to become the sex slave of his sadistic captor, a man who loves big, scary spiders and has even taken on their predatory identity. Chillingly, he forces his victim to choose his next victim. Eventually Kimberly comes to realize that she herself has been ensnared in the spider man's lethal web.
These multiple plot lines converge very gradually, sometimes causing confusion which is eventually resolved. Grisly in parts, and suspenseful and menacing throughout, this is not a book for the squeamish, but Gardner tells it well, and the denouement, with a few unforeseen outcomes, makes it more than worthwhile to tolerate the discomfort. The book is particularly effective in demonstrating how easily the social media are utilized by those who hunt for easy targets to abuse. Timely, disturbing, and sadly, all too true.
These multiple plot lines converge very gradually, sometimes causing confusion which is eventually resolved. Grisly in parts, and suspenseful and menacing throughout, this is not a book for the squeamish, but Gardner tells it well, and the denouement, with a few unforeseen outcomes, makes it more than worthwhile to tolerate the discomfort. The book is particularly effective in demonstrating how easily the social media are utilized by those who hunt for easy targets to abuse. Timely, disturbing, and sadly, all too true.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,730 reviews