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Alone (Detective D.D. Warren #1)

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 18,780 ratings · 880 reviews

Alone . . . Massachusetts State Trooper Bobby Dodge watches a tense hostage standoff unfold through the scope of his sniper rifle. Just across the street, in wealthy Back Bay, Boston, an armed man has barricaded himself with his wife and child. The man’s finger tightens on the trigger and Dodge has only a split second to react . . . and forever pay the consequences.

Alone ....more

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Published January 11th 2005 by Random House Audio (first published January 1st 2004)

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Sep 04, 2011 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: top-rating-books

As a Lisa Gardner fan and in particular her detective D.D. Warren series this was such a thrill for me to read the opening book in the series. The story goes of Massachusetts State Trooper Bobby Dodge finding himself in a terrible position after he sees an armed man seemingly about to pull the trigger while pointing the gun at his wife and young son in their home. Bobby has only a split second on what to do and in the moment fires his sniper rifle and kills the man. Unfortuenly for Bobby the man...more As a Lisa Gardner fan and in particular her detective D.D. Warren series this was such a thrill for me to read the opening book in the series. The story goes of Massachusetts State Trooper Bobby Dodge finding himself in a terrible position after he sees an armed man seemingly about to pull the trigger while pointing the gun at his wife and young son in their home. Bobby has only a split second on what to do and in the moment fires his sniper rifle and kills the man. Unfortuenly for Bobby the man he seemingly kills is the son of the powerful judge Gagnon. Gagnon believes his son Jimmys wife Catherine is deliberatly responsible for the ill health of his grandson and the death of his son and will try and use his power and infulence to destroy the career of Bobby and completely ruin Catherine.

Things become more complicated with suspicious deaths the most curious being the death of nanny Prudence who looks after Nathan. This makes things even worse for Bobby and Catherine who are accused of not only by the judge of arranging for the killing of of his son but also from detectives D.D. Warren and Harris. Bobby feels like the world is falling in on him but despite the pressure put on him develops a strong mutural relationship with Catherine. The other big question was how was Ricard Umbrio who is realesed from prison after 20 odd years after the had abducted and molested Catherine when she was a child intertwined in what happens and what was The Judges role in this. Towards the end the horrible truth about certain characters will be revealed that left me shocked and amazed.

Lisa Gardner debut in the Detective D.D. Warren series is a wonderful start to what is a great series. In my view arguably the best in the series. Not even Warren seemingly having a small role first up could deminish what was a super read. The best bit for me was even at the end you the reader was left to wonder about certain characters and what roles they played in the overall outcome. things that only the character themselves would know. Overall Gone is a masterful piece of writing by one of the finest crime writers of the modern era. (less)

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Jul 19, 2012 Chad Sayban rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: very-good

As Massachusetts State Trooper Bobby Dodge stares through the scope of his sniper rifle, we witnesses a hostage standoff unfold. When the wealthy man moves threateningly towards his wife and child, Dodge only has a split-second to decide what to do. But as he pulls the trigger, he has no idea how his life is about to change. The woman he believes he saved – the beautiful Catherine Rose Gagnon – is harboring a lot of secrets. Her powerful Judge father-in-law wants to destroy the man who killed hi...more As Massachusetts State Trooper Bobby Dodge stares through the scope of his sniper rifle, we witnesses a hostage standoff unfold. When the wealthy man moves threateningly towards his wife and child, Dodge only has a split-second to decide what to do. But as he pulls the trigger, he has no idea how his life is about to change. The woman he believes he saved – the beautiful Catherine Rose Gagnon – is harboring a lot of secrets. Her powerful Judge father-in-law wants to destroy the man who killed his son. And a madman recently released from prison has an unquenchable appetite for killing – and has his sights set on revenge. Bobby Dodge finds his life falling apart amid an investigation and his desire to protect Catherine. What he doesn’t know is who is really in danger – her or him.

Alone is Lisa Gardner’s first novel featuring D.D. Warren, which now spans six volumes. However, D.D. Warren only plays a small role in this first installment. This story focuses on Trooper Bobby Dodge and Catherine Gagnon. Gardner does a really good job of building the tension in the story, bringing a real feel of jeopardy for Bobby reminiscent of Basic Instinct. She also does a good job of weaving the mystery in and out to keep the reader guessing. The dialog is solid, but not spectacular.

One of the greatest strengths of Alone is the way Gardner humanizes the tortured plight of Bobby Dodge after the shooting. He not only has to try to come to grips with his own guilt for doing his job, but he has to do it alone because everyone has all but abandoned him, not because they hate him, but because they don’t know what to say to him. All of the training in the world can’t help him with the isolation he feels, especially when a very powerful man is intent on destroying him for what he did. Gardner really makes you feel for Dodge every step of the way, and that is what kept me turning the pages.

There were a few negatives, though. The plot of Alone stretches believability a little too much at times. The villain is a little too all-knowing and the escape is a little too convenient for even the luckiest. Some of Bobby’s actions just don’t make a bit of sense, other than to create the next conflict in the story. While Bobby is the focal point, the rest of the characters are pretty one-dimensional. I also find it very strange in hindsight that a story which is the beginning of a series with Detective D.D. Warren would tell us virtually nothing about D.D. Warren.

Despite these misgivings, Alone is a compelling story. It is entertaining and will leave the reader guessing how it will turn out all the way to the end. I did enjoy it and I think most readers will too. I’m not sure it is compelling enough to get me to read the next in the series, but it was a fun read just the same.
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Apr 05, 2011 Jeni rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a fast-paced thriller that kept me guessing. Having been reading many historical mysteries lately, it was good for me to return to the 21st century, with telephones and DNA! The characters were well-developed and interesting, without being too easy to figure out. Bobby Dodge, the main character comes across as being a good cop, but not perfect, and not always predictable. Some of the situations the author placed the characters in stretched believability (now, why would she tell him that...more

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Oct 17, 2012 S rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked up this book in our staff room at work because the story intrigued me and the book looked well read. I had never read a book by this author before so I didn't really know what to expect.
The story follows police officer Bobby Dodge as (in his job as a police sniper) he kills a judge's son (Jimmy). The judge and his wife believe that Jimmy was provoked by his wife (Catherine) and that it was Catherine's intention all along to have Jimmy killed before he divorced her. Jimmy was abusive tow...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Karen & Gerard rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: death, dysfunctional-family, favorites, mystery, relationships, suspense, thriller

Alone by Lisa Gardner is a page turner that had my attention from the first page all the way to the end. It's about Bobby, a police sniper who responded to a domestic violence hostage situation and killed the husband who had his finger on the trigger of a gun pointed at his wife, Catherine, and 4-yr-old son, Nathan. Afterwards, Bobby felt terrible about killing a man and began to doubt himself. His life got complicated when the man turned out to be a high court judge's son and learned he may be...more

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May 10, 2012 Dlora rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: suspense-thriller, adventure-action

A really suspenseful psychological thriller about State Trooper Bobby Dodge who is called out as a sniper on a domestic dispute and kills the man who appears to be on the brink of shooting his own wife. It might have been a "righteous" shot, but as Bobby learns, "taking a man's life changed you, plain and simple." Of course it didn't help that the dead guy was the son of a powerful judge who is using his contacts to get Bobby convicted of murder and strip his grandson away from his daughter-in-l...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Jane Stewart rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-suspense-thriller

I did not enjoy the characters, the plot, or the narrator. I wanted it to be over.

Gunshots are heard. Neighbors call the police who surround the house. Inside Jimmy is pointing a gun at his wife Catherine. Bobby is a sniper and member of the police SWAT team. He sees Jimmy’s face change, and he believes Jimmy will shoot, so Bobby shoots and kills Jimmy. Now Jimmy’s father James is suing Bobby. If James wins Bobby goes to jail. If James loses, he will repeatedly appeal because he is wealthy. He c...more I did not enjoy the characters, the plot, or the narrator. I wanted it to be over.

Gunshots are heard. Neighbors call the police who surround the house. Inside Jimmy is pointing a gun at his wife Catherine. Bobby is a sniper and member of the police SWAT team. He sees Jimmy’s face change, and he believes Jimmy will shoot, so Bobby shoots and kills Jimmy. Now Jimmy’s father James is suing Bobby. If James wins Bobby goes to jail. If James loses, he will repeatedly appeal because he is wealthy. He can afford to. The problem is that the city and union will not pay Bobby’s legal fees because James is filing suit through a clerk magistrate which is not the normal process. Bobby did what he was trained to do. If he didn’t shoot Jimmy, then he believed Jimmy would have killed Catherine. Now Bobby has to pay $5000 to a defense attorney. I was furious. Policemen should not be forced to pay their own legal feels for following orders and doing their job. I don’t know if this exists in real life, but if it does, then something is very wrong. This part of the plot made me so angry that I had a hard time enjoying the rest. This legal-issue-stress hangs over Bobby until the last few pages of the book.

Was the rest of the story good? Parts of it maybe. Catherine was kidnaped and raped by Richard when she was twelve. When her only child Nathan was born, Catherine had some mental problems and did not appear to be a good mother. The child has been raised by nannies. Nathan is frequently sick and the doctors don’t know why. Some fear it is Münchausen syndrome by proxy, which means the mother is purposely doing things to make the child sick to get attention for herself. For most of the book, the reader wonders if Catherine is good or bad for her son. James is also suing Catherine for custody of Nathan.

Richard has been in jail for twenty-five years. James uses his influence to get Richard released on parole. Someone is now paying Richard to murder people connected to Catherine or the case.

I did not enjoy the characters. I felt anxiety and depression rather than sympathy. I didn’t feel fun anticipation rooting for someone. We don’t know if Catherine is good or bad, but she’s not likeable. James and Richard are too one-dimensional, powerful, and evil. Bobby spends too much time suffering and second guessing himself, wondering if he did the right thing. He was having problems with the concept of killing someone. He talks to a psychiatrist several times about this as well as troubles from his early life. Some of this was ok, but it seemed a bit much. He also did some illogical and stupid things which made him less sympathetic. Regarding the plot, I had questions unanswered at the end. But maybe part of those were necessary. I understand Catherine has some kind of role in the sequel “Hide” which I have not read.

NARRATOR:
I did not like the narrator Anna Fields. The voice she used for Bobby and some of the men was so deep that it sounded like a mentally slow person who is groggy and slurring his words. Some of her general third party narration was too sharp and hurried, almost like she was reading a report and not thinking about what she was reading. When talking about a sniper she said “he breathed in, he breathed out.” That phrase should have been read slowly and calmly, yet the narrator’s voice was sharp, staccato, and fast.

DATA:
Unabridged audiobook reading time: 10 hrs and 12 mins. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual content: some references to sexual activity but no details shown. References include the rape of Catherine when she was 12. Setting: current day Boston, Massachusetts. Copyright: 2005. Genre: mystery suspense thriller. Ending: Good guys win.

OTHER BOOKS:
This is the first book in the D.D. Warren series. D.D. is a female cop. She has a small part in this book. In the sequels I believe she and Bobby work together as a team.(less)

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Dec 18, 2011 Ellen Keim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I didn't give this five stars because I reserve that for books I'd like to own or read again because they were so amazing. However, this book definitely warranted a 4. I'd read two other Lisa Gardner books before and really liked them, so I was anxious to read the first book in the series. I was surprised that D.D. Warren is barely represented in this book, but not disappointed because the story about her friend Bobby Dodge was so engaging.

When Bobby Dodge, a police sharpshooter, takes out Jimmy...more

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Nov 10, 2011 Nicola rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed

Reason for Reading: I am reading this series but started with book #3, since my sister had the first book it was the perfect opportunity to catch up with the series.

Having read books 3-5 of this series it was a little strange going back to the first book as D.D. Warren is only a very minor character who is only introduced halfway through the book. Obviously, this book did not start out to be the "D.D. Warren" series. Instead the main character is Bobby Dodge, police sniper, who in the later book...more Reason for Reading: I am reading this series but started with book #3, since my sister had the first book it was the perfect opportunity to catch up with the series.

Having read books 3-5 of this series it was a little strange going back to the first book as D.D. Warren is only a very minor character who is only introduced halfway through the book. Obviously, this book did not start out to be the "D.D. Warren" series. Instead the main character is Bobby Dodge, police sniper, who in the later books is D.D.'s partner. Bobby is called out to an intense domestic scene where shots fired have been reported and he makes his first on the job kill. The woman whose life he has saved turns out to be not only a woman in trouble but trouble herself. Bobby is investigated by Internal Affairs to see if his shot was righteous but the dead man's affluent parents file a civil suit against him for murder. While they also file against the widow for custody of the one grandchild whom they've accused of being mistreated by his mother. Bobby gets wrapped up in the widow's life and finds himself embroiled in the middle of a complicated case where people close to the widow start to be violently killed off, one after another.

A very intricate plot with plenty of different angles from which to switch back and forth. The character of Bobby is given a complete background and since having read other books in the series it was interesting to get to know him so much better. A compelling story that deals with multiple themes: police procedural, SWAT teams, serial killer, child kidnapping and murder for hire. All these rolled into one make for an entertaining, detailed plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It was quite strange to find D.D. hardly fleshed out as a character though and it will be interesting to see how the second book plays out the situation so that D.D. becomes the star of the series by book 3, leaving Bobby as the second fiddle. I would have enjoyed this even more if I hadn't read it out of order, something I try not to do too often with series.(less)

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Oct 16, 2011 Jeffrey Taylor rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's as entertaining as most TV crime drama> I didn't begin to get into the novel until the last quarter of the book. The plot does become complex. Bobby Dodge just isn't believable. I don't think a police sniper would very likely develop all the doubts Dodge expressed after his first kill. It as a clean shot, not like a close shoot out with a 38. And the subsequent investigation should have put him on the defensive and changed his attitude. Dodge made too many mistakes, getting involved with...more

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Jul 18, 2011 ♥Xeni♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: survival, abuse, ebook, fiction, crime, death, fear, law, true-crime, hea, thriller, suspense

Oh wow... what a powerful story. I'll list this book as 'true crime' because I don't doubt that stories like this are taking place all over the US (and the rest of the world probably too) every day.

This whole book just spoke to me, for some reason. Perhaps because I can understand the main character, Catherine, and thus can identify with her plight. Still, I feel like I can identify a tad with at least all of the characters.

The plot was very riveting (I read this book pretty quickly) and the c...more

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Feb 16, 2011 Erika rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Detective D.D. Warren is less of a presence in this novel than the parenthetical reference might lead you to believe. Mostly, she saunters in wearing stiletto boots and slightly trashy clothes to reprimand her colleague, former boyfriend and prime suspect, Bobby Dodge for fraternization with the widow of the man he has just killed in his job as a police sniper. Overall, the book was a satisfying read incorporating characters that fit the roles assigned to them: the mysterious and dangerous widow...more

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Sep 30, 2009 Kath rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My first Lisa Gardner book and loved it. Bobby Dodge is a great character and I really enjoyed this story. Bobby is not a typical tall, dark and handsome "alpha male" that most books tend to tell. Bobby's a former problem drinker with probably an average appearance (I do't think the details were disclosed other than he's 5'10", 160), with a troubled childhood and despite the fact the he's a sniper, has a somewhat passive attitude. Bobby though, likes to do the right thing, even when it's not goo...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Stephanie Reiner rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

the main character is Bobby Dodge, police sniper, who in the later books is D.D.'s partner. Bobby is called out to an intense domestic scene where shots fired have been reported and he makes his first on the job kill. The woman whose life he has saved turns out to be not only a woman in trouble but trouble herself. Bobby is investigated by Internal Affairs to see if his shot was righteous but the dead man's affluent parents file a civil suit against him for murder. While they also file against t...more

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Oct 17, 2010 Tifnie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: skip it

Recommended to Tifnie by: Sue

Shelves: mystery-detective

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. My mother in-law sent me this book to read telling me it was a great detective book and a fast read. She was right - it was a fast read. But great detective book, not so much.

Alone is basically about a woman, Catherine, who 25 years ago was abducted, abused, later found, and then helped sentenced the pedophile (yes, I know). Fast forward to current time, Catherine is trying to survive as the world around her starts to crumple. First her husband who is an abusive drunk files for divorce, her son...more My mother in-law sent me this book to read telling me it was a great detective book and a fast read. She was right - it was a fast read. But great detective book, not so much.

Alone is basically about a woman, Catherine, who 25 years ago was abducted, abused, later found, and then helped sentenced the pedophile (yes, I know). Fast forward to current time, Catherine is trying to survive as the world around her starts to crumple. First her husband who is an abusive drunk files for divorce, her son has an unexplained illness, and her in-laws are trying to discredit her and take their grandson. Now add that with a domestice dispute which ends in her husband being killed. Oh, but that is not all...add to the mixture, her once abductor has now been release from prison and is headed her way. And the plot ensues.

Yes, this could have been a great detective novel. However, I found about 100 pages in that the story held no merit. Catherine's father in-law whom is a district court judge, signs the release papers of her abductor and then sets in the wheels in motion. Hmmm - in therory, wouldn't happen. I can't imagine a district court judge would ruin his esteemed career just to deface his daughter in-law. Second, the shooter, Officer Dodge, who kills Catherine's husband later meets with not only Catherine and befriends her but also the judge. Wouldn't happen. The shooter is now faced with criminal charges, I think he would not only hire an attorney ASAP but would steer clear of both. Lastly, Lisa Gardner, the author, made Officer Dodge to be rather detestable and stupid. The minute Catherine swishes her hips all he can think about is sex. In fact, any time anyone looks at Catherine all they think about is sex. Really? How about giving the Office Dodge a bit little more credit. In fact, how about giving all the characters a little more credit?

I did, however, give this book 3 stars because it did help me remember something. It reminded me to continue reinforcing talks with our children regarding safety, stranger danger, friend awareness, and what to do if they are approached by someone at any time.(less)

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Mar 27, 2013 Ron rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thrillers

Bobby Dodge is a state trooper and part time sniper for a SWAT team. He is called out to a hostage situation and after setting up his equipment and viewing a man holding a gun on a woman and child inside a Boston brownstone he makes the decision to fire. It appears to be a "clean shoot" but the situation must still be investigated when an officer fires his weapon. The plot becomes increasingly complex as things may not be as clear cut as they seem.
Alone is listed as the first in the DD Warren s...more Bobby Dodge is a state trooper and part time sniper for a SWAT team. He is called out to a hostage situation and after setting up his equipment and viewing a man holding a gun on a woman and child inside a Boston brownstone he makes the decision to fire. It appears to be a "clean shoot" but the situation must still be investigated when an officer fires his weapon. The plot becomes increasingly complex as things may not be as clear cut as they seem.
Alone is listed as the first in the DD Warren series but the Boston Police Department detective plays only a supporting role in this novel. The story is built around Bobby Dodge and Catherine Gagnon the latter being the woman held hostage in the shooting scene as well as being the wife of the man who was shot. For most of the novel one is unsure whether Catherine Gagnon is a victim, a villain or perhaps both.
This novel is very tense and there are many emotionally draining scenes as well as lots of suspense. Questions keep arising most of which are not answered until very near the end. I love the dramatic scenes where the characters remember tragedies of their past and they are so well written one can cry with them, be angry with them, and feel hopeless with them. In case you may think this is a complete mystery there is one character who is a clear villain even though his part in the tale of Bobby and Catherine and how he became involved in the first place is a mystery.
I became totally engrossed in this novel mostly because the characters are so real. I love how information is released along the way to thicken the plot and continually cause new interest to arise. I consider this a "thriller" because it brings one on an emotional roller coaster ride. The novel is well written and the plot is developed well in my opinion though I have read others who claim it is over plotted. The plot is complicated and continues to thicken but I thought it was well done. I don't care for simple A-Z stories. With an interesting storyline, believable characters, lots of suspense and a frustrating mystery I have to give this five stars and recommend it to "thriller" fans. Just don't read it thinking it's a DD Warren novel because she plays a fairly small part in the story itself.
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Jul 09, 2012 Terri Lynn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mystery-suspense-thrillers

I recently started reading Lisa Gardner books and love her. I read the most recent book that "stars" Detective DD Warren of the Boston PD and decided to go back and read the other books that came before it. This is considered to be the first in the series of DD Warren books though she only has a small role in this one and only comes in midway through. This book is really about her ex-lover state police sniper Bobby Dodge (who was also in the later book I read).

Bobby Dodge grew up in a seriously...more I recently started reading Lisa Gardner books and love her. I read the most recent book that "stars" Detective DD Warren of the Boston PD and decided to go back and read the other books that came before it. This is considered to be the first in the series of DD Warren books though she only has a small role in this one and only comes in midway through. This book is really about her ex-lover state police sniper Bobby Dodge (who was also in the later book I read).

Bobby Dodge grew up in a seriously dysfunctional family. His dad was a mean drunk who beat and abused his mom, his brother and him. One day his mother fled to Florida to her family and the dad nearly killed the brother. The brother grew up and moved to Florida. Bobby has a lot of unresolved issues with that and tends to mess up his own life due to the anger. He and his dad have a pact to not drink alcohol as Bobby had been an alcoholic too.

Bobby is going along involved in a 2 year relationship with Susan, a musician with the symphony. He thinks he is not good enough for her. He owns a small brownstone and has an elderly lady as as tenant he rents to for $100 a month. He's a nice guy and since he had an abusive childhood, he is the protective sort.

After a 15 hour day, he gets called to the scene in Back Bay Boston to the wealthy neighborhood in his capacity as a sniper. A woman named Catherine Rose Gagnon called 9-11 saying that her violent and drunk husband Jimmy Gagnon was holding her and their 4 year old sickly son Nathan hostage at gunpoint in her bedroom. There was an odd scuffling sound and the phone was disconnected then a neighbor called 9-11 to report two gunshots.

Bobby sets up his sniper equipment in an apartment across the street. He is doing recon and waiting for other state police to be in place when the man suddenly goes to the woman and snatches the child out of her arms and throws him aside and aims the gun point blank at her. Bobby sees the look on his face- one he has seen before just before someone is killed. As Jimmy starts to pull the trigger and kill Catherine, Bobby must act fast and he does. He pulls the trigger on the sniper rifle and kills Jimmy Gagnon. Catherine looks across the street and sees him and mouths out the words "Thank You".

This event essentially starts the ruination of Bobby's life. The District Attorney's office thinks he murdered the man because he had met Catherine before. He had met her but didn't remember it because he was with Susan and Jimmy was flirting with her but he didn't remember either of them.

A nightmare is unleashed. Jimmy's parents Judge James Gagnon and his wife Maryanne come after Bobby. They sneak attack through another court system to get him charged with murder. He is wrecked emotionally by thinking of Nathan seeing his father killed. He can't eat or sleep. He dumps a very confused Susan. He begins therapy and I really enjoyed his sessions with the therapist as by the time the book ended, she had opened him up to the point where he was finally able to deal with his dad's abuse and his mother's abandonment and his anger towards both.

Catherine Gagnon had her own life ruined at age 12 when a 20 year old maniac had kidnapped her, kept her in a hole in the ground, and raped and abused her daily for 28 days until some hunters found and rescued her. She came out of that hole unable to love or feel emotion. Her mother tried hard until she died of cancer but her dad was unable to deal with it and tried to pretend it never happened. She had intended to commit suicide one night and saw an ad for a suicide hotline. The man she talked to was Jimmy Gagnon who was an abusive predator himself. Finding out where she worked, he showed up there and started dating her then married her. A month in she was expecting a baby when he began abusing her.

Jimmy beat and abused Catherine and cheated on her even with their baby son Nathan's nannies until Catherine chose Prudence, a lesbian from London, to care for the boy. Nathan had failed to thrive and Catherine is accused by Jimmy's father of deliberately making the child ill so to be able to get attention by doctors. This is not true, the boy has a serious and rare illness that is only found in families with incest but it will take much to find this out and someone is willing to kill both Catherine and Nathan to keep it from being found out, someone who has killed a spouse's entire family to get that spouse and someone who killed their firstborn child for having the same ailment.

The problem is, this person has arranged for the man who had kidnapped and raped Catherine to be the one to kill her and Nathan and anyone who tries to help them. As the body count adds up, Catherine desperately turns to an emotionally disturbed Bobby who worries maybe Catherine set up the situation so he or some other officer would kill Jimmy yet the evidence that someone is after her and Nathan and those who help them is mounting.

This is an emotionally rich, tense, exciting, and exhilarating story and I really enjoyed it. Bobby is a complex character as is Catherine. DD was still a character I did not like. She just seems to be so uncaring and to not have compassion and to believe what she sees on the surface instead of digging deeper. (less)

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Dec 20, 2011 Pr Latta rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: abuse, dogs, psychological, police-procedural, sense-of-place, suspense

[audio] Despite being reviewed by Rendezvous, I don't consider this a romance at all. I can classify it as a mystery since we readers know pretty much what Bobby Dodge, the police sniper who kills a man in the line of duty, does. But there isn't a satisfying conclusion with all the facts and clues tied up. It definitely fits the bill for suspense, possibly because "facts" fly*** from every direction which is pretty much how life plays out. I didn't particularly like any of the characters who, de...more

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Sep 12, 2010 Kayla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, read-in-2010, lisa-gardner, series, 4-star-books

ALONE by Lisa Gardner

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this novel. It had a lot of twist and turns and stuff going on behind the scenes that leaves you a little clueless for a while, but that's not a bad thing. I liked the characters, they were complex and unique. I love books that have "side stories", usually related to the past, and ALONE did not disappoint in that area. I had myself guessing back and forth what I thought of certain characters - good? bad? victim? predator? It was a fine line, and...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Helensvale Library rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sam

A complex plot yet easy to follow with tightly written suspense. It offers up a number of twists and turns and some compelling behind the scenes dialogue. I like books that include side stories that usually relate to the past and in Alone you will certainly find yourself questioning who is good, bad, a victim or a killer? The characters develop at a steady pace as the book goes on. Lisa Gardner sets the stage up perfectly and steadily reveals information which will have you always wanting to rea...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Jenny Delandro rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cop-fbi-thrillers

We follow a cop who kills a gunman who is threatening his wife and child in a hostage situation....

then we hear that the woman is known to the cop ...

and we hear that the dead man's family is suing the woman for custody of her son, who is sickly and consistently in hospital

we hear of a private investigators findings and we start thinking maybe the woman is not so innocent ....

does the woman make her son sick to get attention?
the answer is nothing that you could ever think of!

Were the shots heard...more

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May 24, 2011 Darlene rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

This is a new author for me, and it is also a book that is first of the Detective D.D. Warren series, although I have no idea why it is called that because D.D. Warren plays a very minor role in the book.

From the author’s website: “In a split second of time, police sniper Bobby Dodge takes the fateful shot, killing a husband who appears on the verge of murdering his wife. In the cold light of day, however, it becomes clear there was more to the scene than meets the eye. As Detective D.D. Warren...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Linda rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-crime

Police sniper Bobby Dodge is called to a domestic disturbance, where he sees a man brandishing a gun at a frightened woman and child with a gun. It ends badly, with Dodge compelled to shoot him for the threat he poses. Dodge knows he'll have to deal with the emotional consequences of killing someone, but he's knocked for a loop when he learns that the man's father, a corrupt, power mongering judge who wants Bobby charged with murder. Against his better judgment, Bobby responds when the new widow...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Jeff rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries

Lisa Gardner's book Alone is ostensibly the first in the Detective D. D. Warren series of books. But she is not really the main character but rather a secondary character in this book. But that really doesn't matter because the main character, Bobby Dodge, is such an interesting character throughout the book.
This is a kind of story that reminds me of The movie Basic Instinct with some twists here and there. I enjoyed the book and found myself reading chapter after chapter as the mystery begin...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Alison Kennedy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been reading Lisa Gardner's books all out of order so I couldn't help but compare this to some of her 'previous' novels. It had many of the usual ingredients - law enforcement that is far from perfect, plot twists, and dubious characters you are forever second guessing.

Like many crime novels you really need to forget the practicalities of some incidents (whether it is an escape from death or capture in order to continue on the plight for true justice and the truth to come to light - as is...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Chelsey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-on-cd-tape

Listening to this while I painted my bathroom. I had several of her books that I wanted to try reading but ending up returning them because I ran out of time. She is a great author and her story will capture you and suck you right in. Her world is dark and dangerous and doesn't have the tied up in a bow ending which is wonderful because it is the human condition. The reason that this book is only a three is because I will never read the story again and probably wouldn't suggest it to very many p...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Carol MacInnis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

State Trooper Bobby Dodge is a trained police sniper and has been called on to a very tenuous situation. A husband, Jimmy Gagnon is armed and has his wife and child held hostage. Bobby is the first of his team to arrive on site and as he puts his eye to the scope he sees them. Bobby could see a volitile situation occurring between the wife and husband as the child clings to his mother. Then the husband points his gun at his wife's head and holds out his other hand for the child. As Jimmy holds h...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, suspense, law-and-order

Boy, do you ever have those reading experiences where the whole thing is deja vu? I think that probably means that I have read this book before and have just forgotten it all. Well, this is a kindle read but is a book that has been published for real - versus those other free kindle books that feel like books authors provide on kindle for free because they are not polished enough to actually sell their book for real (that sounds harsh, sorry free kindle authors!)

Alone begins with a sniper who is...more

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Jul 19, 2010 Simon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was my first introduction to Lisa Gardner. I like her style of writing. Everything was clear and understandable. Alone is a classic tale of "who do you trust?" I've read in other reviews that some readers didn't like how the author spent time in the villain's point of view. I disagree because as with many, if not all, good books spend time on you getting to know the characters whether on the good or bad side. Wouldn't it be weird to watch a movie focusing only about the good/main guys...more

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Mar 03, 2010 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action-thriller, mystery, new-york-times-best-seller, police-procedural, read-in-2010, reviewed, series, thriller

Mass. State Tpr. Bobby Dodge is a sniper on the Special Tactics and Ops Team. He's alerted about a hostage situation and when he arrives, he just has time to set up surveillance and he sees a man with a gun, pointing at his wife and child. As Bobby sees the man about to fire, Bobby shoots the man, Jimmy Gannon, and kills him.

We also learn that Gannon's wife Catherine had been abducted as a teenager and burried underground for almost a month while her abductor abused her. She was saved when hunte...more

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About Lisa Gardner

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
(1) mystery & thrillers, suspense

aka Alicia Scott

New York Times bestselling crime novelist Lisa Gardner began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire numerous times, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she has parlayed her interest in po...more

More about Lisa Gardner...

Books by Lisa Gardner

Love You More (Detective D.D. Warren, #5)

The Perfect Husband (Quincy & Rainie, #1)

Live To Tell (Detective D.D. Warren, #4)

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Quotes from Alone

“They [Cops] were living in the media age, and in the media age, cops didn't get to fire their weapons. Cops were honored if they got themselves killed in the line of duty, but they were never suppose to draw their guns, not even in self-defense.” — 1 person liked it

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Alone (Detective D.D. Warren #1)

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