Listen to Me and The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen

One of my goals for this new year is to revive this blog and post frequently. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do with a backlog of overdue reviews. So welcome to a new recurring feature “Wayback Wednesday: Catching up on the Overdue for Review Pile.”

Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles are newly plagued by what seems like a completely senseless murder. Sofia Suarez, a widow and nurse who was universally liked by all her neighbors, lies bludgeoned to death in her own home. But anything can happen behind closed doors, and Sofia seemed to have plenty of secrets in her last days, making covert phone calls to old contacts and traceless burner phones. When Jane finally makes a connection between Sofia and the victim of a hit-and-run months earlier, the case only grows more blurry. What exactly was Sofia involved in? One thing is clear: The killer will do anything it takes to keep their secret safe.

Meanwhile, Angela Rizzoli hasn’t had a decent night’s sleep in all the years since her daughter became a homicide detective. Maybe the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. Nothing in her neighborhood gets by Angela—not the gossip about a runaway teenager down the block and definitely not the strange neighbors who have just moved in across the street. Angela’s sure there’s no such thing as coincidence in her sleepy suburb. If only Jane would listen; instead she writes off Angela’s concerns as the result of an overactive imagination. But Angela’s convinced there’s a real wolf in her vicinity, and her cries might now fall on deaf ears.

With so much happening on the Sofia case, Jane and Maura already struggle to see the forest for the trees, but will they lose sight of something sinister happening much closer to home? -tessgerritsen.com

 

This was another fantastic entry in the Rizzoli & Isles series.  I loved that this one featured more of Angela Rizzoli (Jane’s mother) than previous installments.  This was a great balance of crime thriller and the interpersonal relationships of Jane, her mother, and her best friend Maura.  However this book could’ve used a dash more of Maura.  She is my fictional bestie, after all and one of my favorite fictional characters.  I devoured this book in one day, it was just that good!! 

Special thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the digital ARC.
 

Listen to Me is available at book retailers everywhere or check out Tess Gerritsen’s website for more information.

4 out of 5 Stars

If you already love Tess Gerritsen and are looking for something different and brand new, I recommend her latest thriller, The Spy Coast, book one in the new Martini Coast series.

Former spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity,  Maine, eager to put the past behind her after a mission went tragically  wrong. These days, she’s living quietly on her chicken farm, still wary  of blowback from the events that forced her early retirement.

But  when a body turns up in Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a message  from former foes who haven’t forgotten her. Maggie turns to her local  circle of old friends―all retirees from the CIA―to help uncover the  truth about who is trying to kill her, and why. This “Martini Club” of  former spies may be retired, but they still have a few useful skills  that they’re eager to use again, if only to spice up their rather sedate  new lives.

Complicating their efforts is Purity’s  acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau. More accustomed to dealing with rowdy  tourists than homicide, Jo is puzzled by Maggie’s reluctance to share  information―and by her odd circle of friends, who seem to be a step  ahead of her at every turn.

As Jo’s investigation  collides with the Martini Club’s maneuvers, Maggie’s hunt for answers  will force her to revisit a clandestine career that spanned the globe,  from Bangkok to Istanbul, from London to Malta. The ghosts of her past  have returned, but with the help of her friends―and the reluctant Jo  Thibodeau―Maggie might just be able to save the life she’s built. -tessgerritsen.com

I was enthralled by this seemingly mundane small town that is quietly filled with retired CIA operatives.  I loved that older characters were the driving force of the action.  You definitely don’t want to mess with Maggie Bird and her former associates.  I also loved Maggie’s teenage neighbor, she’s super quirky and I hope we see more of her as well in future installments.  The central mystery of the story also kept me guessing which was an avid reader/sleuth-er of mysteries, is hard to do.  

I received a digital copy of The Spy Coast through Amazon “First Reads” program but you can get your copy at book retailers everywhere or check Tess Gerritsen’s website for more information.

4.5 out of 5 Stars

I Know a Secret by Tess Gerritsen

Welcome to a TBT Throwback Thursday Review.  I am working on reviving this blog and catching up on some long overdue book reviews.

I Know a Secret by Tess Gerritsen is the 12th installment in the Rizzoli & Isles series. It was originally published in August 2017.

Two separate homicides, at different locations, with unrelated victims, have more in common than just being investigated by Boston PD detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles. In both cases, the bodies bear startling wounds—yet the actual cause of death is unknown. It’s a doubly challenging case for the cop and the coroner to be taking on, at a fraught time for both of them. As Jane struggles to save her mother from the crumbling marriage that threatens to bury her, Maura grapples with the imminent death of her own mother—infamous serial killer Amalthea Lank.

While Jane tends to her mother, there’s nothing Maura can do for Amalthea, except endure one final battle of wills with the woman whose shadow has haunted her all her life. Though succumbing to cancer, Amalthea hasn’t lost her taste for manipulating her estranged daughter—this time by dangling a cryptic clue about the two bizarre murders Maura and Jane are desperately trying to solve.

But whatever the dying convict knows is only a piece of the puzzle. Soon the investigation leads to a secretive young woman who survived a shocking abuse scandal, an independent horror film that may be rooted in reality, and a slew of martyred saints who died cruel and unusual deaths. And just when Rizzoli and Isles think they’ve cornered a devilish predator, the long-buried past rears its head—and threatens to engulf more innocent lives, including their own. -barnesandnoble.com

This is my favorite (so-far) of all the Rizzoli & Isles novels. It’s revealed early on that the first murder victim, Cassandra was working on a horror movie at the time of her death. I loved the backdrop of horror filmmaking. There is also an intriguing religious angle at play. To say more would spoil the mystery. There are a lot of twists and turns in this caper.

Gerritsen is not one to shy from grizzly descriptions of the crime scenes so if you’re more of a cozy mystery fan, this may not be the book/series for you. However it’s not all procedural. There is also a lot of drama here with Rizzoli, Isles and their respective personal lives. Isles’ romantic entanglements always have me shaking my head. If you’re a Rizzoli & Isles fan and haven’t picked this one up yet, definitely do! Newcomers to the series and thriller fans can be assured that this installment could be read alone but the series is strongest when read consecutively.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Special Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Ballantine books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First Things First: The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen

 

Happy New Year and welcome to our new feature "First Things First."  Each month I'll be reviewing the first book or few books in a long-standing series. First up, "The Surgeon," book one in Tess Gerritsen's "Rizzoli & Isles" series.  The books are also the basis of TNT's popular drama or the same name.

"In Boston, there's a killer on the loose. A killer who targets lone women, who breaks into their apartments and performs terrifying ritualistic acts of torture on them before finishing them off. His surgical skills lead police to suspect he is a physician - a physician who, instead of saving lives, takes them.

But as homicide detective Thomas Moore and his partner Jane Rizzoli begin their investigation, they make a startling discovery. Closely linked to these killings is Catherine Cordell, a beautiful medic with a mysterious past. Two years ago she was subjected to a horrifying rape and attempted murder but she shot her attacker dead. Now she is being targeted by the new killer who seems to know all about her past, her work, and where she lives.

The man she believes she killed seems to be stalking her once again, and this time he knows exactly where to find her..." goodreads.com

It's important to note that while this book is considered a "Rizzoli & Isles," novel medical examiner Maura Isles does not appear in "The Surgeon," at all.  She makes her first appearance in the second novel in the series "The Apprentice."

This book was different than anything I had ever read before. I normally choose a light cozy mystery.  However, I am so glad I decided to broaden my reading horizons with a darker novel such as "The Surgeon." 

The novel is told from varying points of view including the killer's, the killer's main target Catherine, Jane's partner Thomas, and of course Jane Rizzoli herself.  This provides a unique and detailed look at all angles of the crime and the criminal investigation process.  

The descriptions of the crime scene and the killer's point of view are graphic and disturbing but not in a gratuitous manner. It just added fuel page turning fire that this creeper must be arrested and arrested fast.

While the book was written in 2005 and some of the technology used in criminal investigation may be outdated, it was really interesting and fascinating to read the descriptions of what goes on in a criminal investigation and how the technology works.

Jane's determination to be seen as a great cop rather than a just a great female cop makes her seem not assertive and confident but abrasive at times.  However, it's something her character acknowledges and struggles with.  I had to laugh though at the one passage describing her feelings toward babies because her description of the awkwardness she felt around them was so like my own feelings that I laughed out loud.  I suspect her character and personality grows in subsequent installments as she already shows signs of becoming warmer in "The Apprentice."  

Jane's relentless pursuit of the killer will keep you up all night, not just in fear, but because you simply can't put this book down.  The cliche is definitely true here.  I carried this one around in purse so I could continue reading it whenever I had a free moment.

If you haven't already read "The Surgeon," by Tess Gerritsen, I highly recommend that you do.  I also recommend the second novel in the series, "The Apprentice."  I haven't read the seven subsequent novels in the series yet but I'm looking forward to them.  If you've read them, I'd love to read your non-spoilery comments!  Please share.

Laydown Lowdown

Yikes, here we are in the unofficial last week of Summer.  Labor day is this coming Monday!  Where did the summer go?  There are a lot of new releases to pack in for your last minute summer reading.

First up, a personal highlight, my cousin, Emily K. Neuburger's book "Show Me a Story: 40 Craft Projects and Activities to Spark Children's Storytelling," is officially released today.  For more details, check out her blog Red Bird Crafts.

Meanwhile Romance fans have something to swoon over as there are dozens of new releases today.  Some of the highlights include:  "Born to Darkness," by Suzanne Brockmann, "A Lady by Midnight," by Tessa Dare, "Fool for Love," by Beth Ciotta, "Immortally Yours," by Angie Fox, and "Goodnight Tweetheart," by Teresa Medeiros.

Switching over to Sci/Fi, you'll see the latest Star Wars novel, "Star Wars, Fate of the Jedi #7: Conviction," by Aaron Allston, "Spellbound," by Blake Charlton, "Seven Wonders," by Adam Christopher, and "End of Days," by Robert Gleason.

March over to Mystery, and you'll find the latest "Rizzoli & Isles" tale, "Last to Die," by Tess Gerritsen, as well as "A Sunless Sea," by Anne Perry, "Bones are Forever," by Kathy Reichs, and "Anatomy of a Murder," by Imogen Robertson.

Those yearning for Young Adult will see "A Beautiful Dark," by Jocelyn Davies, "Don't Turn Around," by Michelle Gagnon, and "Everyday," by David Leviathan.

Happy Reading everyone and remember to support your local bookstores whenever possible!