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Live to Tell  By  cover art

Live to Tell

By: Lisa Gardner
Narrated by: Kirsten Potter, Rebecca Lowman, Ann Marie Lee
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Publisher's summary

“A suspenseful roller-coaster ride.” (Karin Slaughter)

“Lisa Gardner always delivers heart-stopping suspense.” (Harlan Coben)

He knows everything about you - including the first place you’ll hide.

On a warm summer night in one of Boston’s working-class neighborhoods, an unthinkable crime has been committed: Four members of a family have been brutally murdered. The father - and possible suspect - now lies clinging to life in the ICU. Murder-suicide? Or something worse? Veteran police detective D. D. Warren is certain of only one thing: There’s more to this case than meets the eye.

Danielle Burton is a survivor, a dedicated nurse whose passion is to help children at a locked-down pediatric psych ward. But she remains haunted by a family tragedy that shattered her life nearly 25 years ago. The dark anniversary is approaching, and when D. D. Warren and her partner show up at the facility, Danielle immediately realizes: It has started again.

A devoted mother, Victoria Oliver has a hard time remembering what normalcy is like. But she will do anything to ensure that her troubled son has some semblance of a childhood. She will love him no matter what. Nurture him. Keep him safe. Protect him. Even when the threat comes from within her own house.

The lives of these three women unfold and connect in unexpected ways, as sins from the past emerge - and stunning secrets reveal just how tightly blood ties can bind.

Sometimes the most devastating crimes are the ones closest to home.

©2010 Lisa Gardner (P)2010 Random House

Critic reviews

"Gardner never sensationalizes her story, and the book ends with a resolution that is creatively and emotionally appropriate. An excellent novel." ( Booklist)

What listeners say about Live to Tell

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Story
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Live To Tell - 3.5 stars

If I had known how depressing this book would be I would have skipped it. Live To Tell is a story about a children's psychiatric ward, family heartbreak and horror. It was very real, very raw and truly heartbreaking. Usually I like my murder mystery without child, infant and baby murders. With that said ... I had to finish till the end because I just needed to know the outcome. The three narraters were the best I have ever listened to and I look forward to listening to them in the future.

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46 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Live to Tell Doesn't Live Up at the End

There are some things to like in this story, enough to merit a 3-star rating, but rather than gaining momentum to the end, I liked it less. First, the positives. The multiple narrators were good, particularly since various chapters tell the experiences of different primary characters. The narrator for D.D. Warren was good, and the narrator for the Danielle character seemed a great fit. Also, the theme of disturbed children and the various family and institutional caregivers set up an interesting framework, and presented multiple perspectives that seemed genuine.

Now for the reasons my enjoyment and rating sank. I'm not impressed by Detective D.D. Warren. She seems to interject a dislikable, smart-alecky and inappropriate denigration of people she's interviewing. She jumps to scattered presumptions, based on no meaningful evidence. She spends so much time thinking about how she'd like to have sex with half the men she works with or meets, but would be better served to be thoughtful about her case. She brings her detectives into an operating ward for disturbed children, in the middle of the night, to serve a warrant that could have waited until the full day staff was present, and then blames the caregivers when things go wrong due to the caregivers giving attention to the detectives. And finally, the whole plot started to slip (I'm trying to avoid a spoiler) with the focus on the "interplanes". For me, the plot sagged from diabolical, to simply preposterous and ridiculous. Fortunately, the book ends with a final narration by "Danielle" rather than D.D. Warren, and that boosted the feeling of resolution and satisfaction. Back to D.D. Warren, this is the second recent book where I've had similar negative feelings about the quality of her "detecting" and her tendency to go off on ridiculously unfounded premises. There are a lot of better-written detectives and investigators to pick from.

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22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Live to Tell

Excellent story. Once again I'm never disappointed with any of your books. You possessed the special talent few writers have.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

One of the best I have listened to in a long time!

I really enjoyed this book, while the story was sad and heartbreaking I couldnt wait until the outcome. Narration was equally as good, a worthwhile listen.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

"I can’t stop listening!"

"I can’t stop listening/reading!" this is what all my friends have said too. It's fantastic and you never look at a kid the same way when they are acting out, like at a grocery store.. ???? .... I love Lisa Gardner's books! Great Job!

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

loved this book

You won't be disappointed - has a great plot and will keep you guessing. Loved the narrators as well. I didn't down load "The Neighbor" because of the reviews on this site but after listening to this book I will go back and purchase it because of the narrator Kristen Potter she is a great story tell I could listen to her for hours.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Compelling, then too far-fetched

This book definitely kept me engaged. The idea of combining the voices of Sgt. D. D. Warren, investigating two bizarre murders of entire families, with that of a mother of a very disturbed child and that of a nurse who not only works with disturbed children but who was the sole survivor of her family's massacre, is quite intriguing.

The scenes in the psychiatric unit for disturbed and mentally-ill children were very difficult, but they rang true, and did much to illustrate the character of Danielle. And I loved the narrator who voiced Danielle.

However, I had a problem with the character of Victoria, the mother of the violent child Evan. She started out sympathetic, but she eventually sounded if she was determined to be a martyr. The trembling voice of the narrator also got irritating.

But those weren't insurmountable obstacles.

As the book started to wrap up, however, things just got too odd. The motivation of the killer was very thin -- avenging an act that didn't really need avenging -- and the discussions of alternate planes of reality got silly when one of the most sensible characters in the book started believing in them. Say what?

So it was enjoyable overall, but frustrating enough that I couldn't give it more than three stars.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Powerfully emotional, complex mystery.

This book is emotionally powerful and probably will trigger a lot of readers. It deals with mental illness in children in a very blunt, yet well-informed and tender, way, and if you have experiences with that, it can be very hard to take. The mysteries put young children in very brutal situations, and that may not be for everyone, either.

The mystery is engaging and broad, the events are personal and relevant, and the scenes are brutal and emotional. It's a very good read. I wouldn't exactly call it fun--it's too strong on the heartbreak for that. But it is satisfying, and unlike a lot of detective stories, this one will probably linger with you for a while. On the other hand, you may see the world around you a little differently when you finish it. Well worth the listen. The readers do an excellent job, too.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A good read... Terrific narration!!

If you enjoy Lisa Gardner's books and the D. D. series this book will not disappoint. Highly recommended! The narration is fantastic, best I have heard...

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent for all the right reasons

I've listened to so many audio books over the years and this one in particular stands out. Lisa Gardner's short, clipped sentences work very well in audio format. The story moves at a cracking pace with just the right amount of detail. The other vital component is the excellent narrators, particularly the main voice who has a delivery that is crisp, wry and absolutely perfect. One of the best I've listened to.

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3 people found this helpful