I don't believe I've read any of Lisa Gardner's thrillers before - and there have been quite a few. This one comes after she took a break from writing for a year. In that time, she went travelling, she says in the author's note, and her adventures have inspired the next tranche of her work. This one is set on an island similar to one she visited, and there's a strong environmental theme.

Frankie Kellin is a missing persons specialist and for this case her client is a serial killer on death row, a woman called Beautiful Butcher (hmm, yes).

The convicted killer is facing execution in three weeks so she wants Frankie to find her sister, Lani, whom she last saw many years ago. Lani is said to be held captive by the killer's ex-boyfriend on an island near Hawaii and Frankie will need to go undercover to gain access.

There is detailed description of the island, its wildlife and climate and this scene-setting is powerful and compelling. The tension is well depicted, too, as Frankie dodges deadly creatures and suspicious characters. Just what is her mission, here, after all?

There are quite a few twists to this tale, and the character at the core of it all is a supposed serial killer, so there are aspects of this story I found unpleasant and, dare I say it, unnecessary. But the plot keeps you turning the pages, and the delicate descriptions of the island are well worth reading!