Frankie Elkin: The Obsessive Heart of Still See You Everywhere
Overview
Frankie Elkin is the first‑person narrator and protagonist of Lisa Gardner’s Still See You Everywhere, the third book in the Frankie Elkin series. A self‑taught missing persons investigator in her forties, Frankie operates without pay, official credentials, or a permanent address. She is a recovering alcoholic whose compulsive need to save others—especially society’s forgotten—drives her into increasingly perilous situations. In this novel, she accepts a morally fraught mission: to find the long‑lost sister of a condemned serial killer on a remote Hawaiian atoll.
Plot Role
Frankie serves as both detective and emotional center. She is recruited by lawyer Victoria Twanow to meet death‑row inmate Keahi Pierson (the “Beautiful Butcher”), who asks Frankie to locate her missing sister Lea. Frankie initially refuses but is persuaded after learning Lea may still be alive and captive on a private atoll owned by tech billionaire Sanders MacManus. Posing as a dishwasher and alcohol overseer, Frankie infiltrates the isolated camp. Her investigation triggers the discovery of a skeleton, uncovers a web of lies, and ultimately forces a violent confrontation with Keahi and Lea. Frankie’s actions set the rescue mission in motion while also exposing her own deepest vulnerabilities.
Motivations and Traits
Frankie’s primary motivation is an obsessive need to bring closure to families of missing people—a drive she herself calls a “really obsessive hobby.” The novel makes clear that this compulsion is a substitute for alcohol: she pours her addictive energy into finding the lost rather than drinking. She confesses that her husband Paul accused her of being a “dry drunk,” substituting saving the world for drinking. Frankie admits she runs from stillness and intimacy, using her cases to avoid confronting her own grief, loneliness, and failed marriage.
Key traits include resilience, sharp observational skills, and a willingness to endure discomfort. She has no smartphone, no fixed home, and no fear of flying only because she has never flown before. She is also profoundly self‑critical, haunted by the memory of Paul’s death—she called him during a relapse and he died in her arms from a gunshot. Frankie’s internal monologue reveals a woman who longs to be truly seen yet actively prevents it.
Character Arc
Beginning: Frankie arrives at a Texas death‑row facility, exhausted and anxious, having ridden a Greyhound bus. She meets Keahi and is horrified by the request to find her sister. She reluctantly agrees after lawyer Twanow reveals a letter from Lea.
Middle: On Pomaikai atoll, Frankie navigates camp politics, befriends archaeologist Ronin, and uncovers a human grave. She battles alcohol cravings, intense humidity, and her own traumatic memories. As the storm hits and people go missing, Frankie’s investigative instincts clash with her growing fear of being trapped.
Climax: Frankie faces Brent’s gun and negotiates for survival. She witnesses Keahi’s murder of a bodyguard, later watches Keahi and Lea’s double suicide on the beach. She is wounded but helps rescue Vaughn and MacManus.
Ending: Hospitalized, Frankie acknowledges she is a recovering alcoholic and a restless wanderer. She accepts an invitation to spend time with Vaughn in Hawaii, and in the final pages she dreams of running on a beach—symbolizing both her transient nature and a tentative acceptance of connection.
Relationships
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Keahi Pierson: Frankie is repelled and fascinated by the serial killer. She sees Keahi’s coldness but also glimpses her anguish over her lost sister. The relationship is adversarial yet symbiotic: Keahi manipulates Frankie into action, while Frankie sees her as a warning of what obsession without redemption can become.
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Vaughn Austin: The camp’s project manager becomes Frankie’s closest ally. Both are recovering alcoholics who recognize each other’s “dry drunk” tendencies. Their bond deepens through shared danger, and in the hospital they acknowledge a mutual need for connection without permanent roots.
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Ronin Katsumoto: The archaeologist trusts Frankie because she wasn’t on the island “before.” He shares secrets about pirate treasure and becomes a partner in discovery. Their banter provides moments of levity.
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Lea MacManus: Frankie initially sees Lea as a victim but later realizes she is a manipulative survivor who orchestrated Keahi’s escape. The betrayal forces Frankie to confront her own arrogance in assuming people want to be saved.
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Paul (deceased): Though absent, Paul’s ghost looms large. Frankie’s memories of their marriage and his death inform her fear of intimacy and her guilt. She still dreams of his touch but also nightmares of blood.
Key Decisions and Consequences
| Decision | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Agreeing to infiltrate Pomaikai | Enters a high‑stakes environment with no backup, putting herself at risk from both the island’s dangers and the criminals already there. |
| Volunteering to escort Lea to the lodge | Gains private access to Lea but also becomes a target when Lea’s true role is revealed. |
| Confronting Vaughn about missing medical forms | Establishes an uneasy trust with Vaughn, leading to a partnership that saves both their lives. |
| Delivering the tainted spaghetti as a peace offering | Allows Frankie to observe Keahi’s tactics but puts her directly in the line of fire during the later attack. |
| Choosing to stay on the atoll rather than evacuate | Demonstrates her commitment to the case but nearly costs her life; she later reflects that she expected to die from her obsession. |
| Negotiating with Brent at gunpoint | Buys time for Vaughn and Aolani to intervene, but Frankie has to accept that a man dies because of her actions. |
Theme and Symbol Connections
Cycles of Violence: Frankie’s investigation reveals how violence passes from abusive father to Keahi to Lea. Frankie herself carries the trauma of Paul’s death, which she partly blames on her own relapse. The cycles of violence theme is embodied in the Pierson family history and Frankie’s perpetual flight from her past.
Family Loyalty vs. Manipulation: Lea’s betrayal of her sister and her willingness to use Keahi for money explores the dark side of family bonds. Frankie, who has no family of her own, observes this theme from outside but must decide whom to trust. The family loyalty vs. manipulation dynamic directly shapes the plot’s twists.
Addiction and Recovery: Frankie’s alcoholism is never far from the surface. She craves a drink multiple times, and her investigative compulsion is explicitly framed as a substitute. Her relapse with Paul is a pivotal memory. Vaughn, also a recovering alcoholic, becomes a mirror. The addiction and recovery theme underscores Frankie’s lifelong struggle.
Isolation and Trust: Pomaikai’s inaccessibility mirrors Frankie’s emotional isolation. She trusts few people and rarely stays in one place. The island’s “silent forest” and the feeling of being watched echo her own guardedness. Isolation and trust is a central tension throughout.
Moral Ambiguity: Frankie works for a serial killer and later sympathizes with aspects of Keahi’s story. She also accepts that her actions lead to Brent’s death. The novel questions whether saving someone is always justified. For a deeper discussion, see moral ambiguity.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Frankie Elkin’s backstory? Frankie is a recovering alcoholic whose husband Paul died in her arms after she called him during a relapse. She has no permanent home, no smartphone, and no official training—she learned to investigate by reading online forums and asking questions. Her parents are both dead, and she feels like “a shadow passing through other people’s lives.”
2. Why does Frankie agree to work for a serial killer? Initially she refuses, revolted by Keahi’s request. But after learning that Lea may still be alive and captive, Frankie’s compulsion to save forgotten people overrides her disgust. She also notes that the three‑week deadline adds urgency.
3. How does Frankie’s alcoholism affect the story? Her constant battle with cravings is a through‑line. She resists alcohol on the flight, uses hot chocolate as a comfort, and later confides to Vaughn that she is a “dry drunk.” Her obsessive nature as an investigator is a direct replacement for drinking. The ending shows her acknowledging that recovery is ongoing.
4. What is Frankie’s relationship with Vaughn? They begin as wary collaborators, but mutual recognition as recovering alcoholics fosters trust. After the crisis, she accepts his invitation to spend time in Hawaii, and he assures her she is “enough.” Their bond is built on shared restlessness rather than traditional romance.
5. What does Frankie learn by the end of the novel? She learns that she cannot save everyone—Lea and Keahi die despite her efforts. She also accepts that she is “enough” on her own terms, without needing to fit into conventional life. The dream of running on a beach suggests she may allow herself to be seen, at least for a while.
For more details on the novel’s ending, see the ending explained page. For other reader questions, see questions and answers.