Title: The Silent Girl (Jane Rizzoli & Maura Isles #9)
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Year: 2011
Page: 336
Genre: Fiction - Murder / Mystery / Thriller / Suspense
FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library
Summary (from goodreads.com):
Lorraine Bracco loves The Silent Girl, saying "She did it to me again! I can't get anything done when Tess puts out a new book and this one caught me as I was starting work on Season 2 of "Rizzoli & Isles." So instead of memorizing my lines, I was sucked up into Boston's Chinatown with Jane, Maura, and company and could not put this one down. Just like the other books. Every time. And to top it off, now I have to wait for the NEXT one to come out--you're killing me, Tess! So good..."
No one takes readers to the dark side and back with more razor-sharp jolts and sheer suspense than the storytelling master behind Ice Cold and The Keepsake. When New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen has a tale to tell, put yourself in her expert hands—and prepare for the shocks and thrills that are certain to follow.
Every crime scene tells a story. Some keep you awake at night. Others haunt your dreams. The grisly display homicide cop Jane Rizzoli finds in Boston’s Chinatown will do both.
In the murky shadows of an alley lies a female’s severed hand. On the tenement rooftop above is the corpse belonging to that hand, a red-haired woman dressed all in black, her head nearly severed. Two strands of silver hair—not human—cling to her body. They are Rizzoli’s only clues, but they’re enough for her and medical examiner Maura Isles to make the startling discovery: that this violent death had a chilling prequel.
Nineteen years earlier, a horrifying murder-suicide in a Chinatown restaurant left five people dead. But one woman connected to that massacre is still alive: a mysterious martial arts master who knows a secret she dares not tell, a secret that lives and breathes in the shadows of Chinatown. A secret that may not even be human. Now she’s the target of someone, or something, deeply and relentlessly evil.
Cracking a crime resonating with bone-chilling echoes of an ancient Chinese legend, Rizzoli and Isles must outwit an unseen enemy with centuries of cunning—and a swift, avenging blade.
First Sentence:
All day, I have been watching the girl.
My Thoughts:
- I have been reading all the Rizzoli and Isles books, so it's only natural that I pick up this one.
- This book was written in 1st person from one of the character's perspective, then 3rd person from Rizzoli/Isles. I was disappointed that Dr Isles did not play a big role in this story, so there were not a lot of forensic details. I was hoping there were more interaction between Rizzoli and Isles.
- Rat, from a previous book, was also briefly mentioned. And I wish there were more interactions between him and Dr Isles too. But I guess that was not the main story line.
- I was able to guess the direction and some twists of the story, and it was a fast read. However I felt that some of the sub-plots were not really wrapped up or fully addressed - the readers may be able to guess what was implied, but did not know for certain
- [SPOILER] I was reading some readers' comments and they thought it was a bit far fetched regarding "an animal" in the story. I think because I am Chinese, and have read enough king fu books (think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon type of novels, which are very popular), I knew what the author was hinting at and it's NOT a paranormal story. It's a type of martial arts... hard to explain... if you have watched Crouching Tiger, remember people can walk up the wall really easily, or walk through the top of the trees really fast? It's that. [/SPOILER]
- Overall, still a fun read. Has more Chinese elements than the previous novels (Tess Gerritsen is Chinese-American). I just wish it has a bit more forensic science in it.
Quote:
"It's not what you need to do," I reply. "It's what you need to be." (p9)
"Grandma, she'd pitch a fit if I tried to leave the house wearing ripped jeans, because she didn't want people to think all Chinese were slobs. I grew up with the burden of representing an entire race every time I stepped out of the door." (p68)
Overall Rating:
3 Stars. Okay read - not her best but not the worst.
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Can you believe I only read The Surgeon this year.....
ReplyDeleteI look forward to catching up on this series, may read the next before end of year.
I do like the forensics also. Sounds like a few things were missing in this but still a good read.
Your spoiler explaination I think was perfect (without reading the story)
@Marce - there are plenty of books out there to read, but at least you know you can always go back to this series later on :) Like you, I struggle how much spoiler to include or not include. So I thought I'd better play it safe just in case. Easier to discuss a book with all my thoughts, but at the same time don't want to spoil it for those who haven't read it.
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