Rent Gone

Another gripping suspense novel by Gardner focusing on Rainie Cooper and Pierce Quincy who are now married and working as partners as private detectives. Rainie is stressed, having trouble with some cases and is depressed and begins to drink again which puts her in harm’s way and she is kidnapped. The book spans mostly the two days she is gone and the series of heart-pounding events that take place over that time from Rainie’s personal plight and Quincy’s efforts to save her. There is the usual biting wit among the local, state and FBI officers which is like an intelligent ****ing contest which adds to the depth of the novel. This is also about fame and at what lengths some people will go to achieve it. I was reading the book the week of the Virginia Tech tragedy and I kept thinking about it and how the guy who did the shooting at VTech is very much like the killer in the book. Some people don’t care about how they get their fame as long as they get it and I think that is a chilling commentary about our society. Gardner is very adept at making her stories more than a simple whodunit and her writing is outstanding. I did not have a clue to the identity of the killer until the characters knew and I think that is great! If you are interested in this novel, I recommend reading THE THIRD VICTIM and THE NEXT ACCIDENT first so you will be up to speed on the Rainie-Quincy relationship. My favorite book by Gardner is THE KILLING HOUR. It is outstanding in the genre of literary suspense.