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The Silent Girl (Rizzoli & Isles, #9)
by Tess Gerritsen (Goodreads Author)
by Tess Gerritsen (Goodreads Author)
Let me speak to male readers for a moment. You may see Tess Gerritsen in the book store or on recommended lists, take one look at her romance novel style covers (which, by the way, never have any relation to the book), and be tempted to just forget about it. This is unfortunate, and perhaps due to the fact that Gerritsen's career began as a novelist of suspenseful romantic thrillers, but has not resembled her style in the least in about 15 years, since she came up with Harvest, a medical thriller that rivals the best of Michael Crichton, Michael Palmer or Robin Cook.
Gerritsen's Risoli and Isles series, of which this is book # 9, are thrillers every bit as intense as those of male authors such as Thomas Harris, John Sandford and James Patterson. She has a knack for writing good mysteries. I'm pretty good at figuring out who did it, but this author always throws me for a loop, always. She writes better than any other female thriller writer I've tried, far better than the more popular Patricia Cornwell. There are always great medical details and very well constructed plots.
In fact, I've never met a man besides me who has read her books. I share pleasant memories of reading her thrillers entirely with women. This needs to change. Men, if you like good no-holds-barred thrillers, give this series a chance. This 9th book is not the best, but still very solid, venturing a bit into Preston and Child territory with a strange elusive beast mixed in with Chinatown families, a 19-year old massacre, and a centuries old Chinese sword. You can jump right in and enjoy, but you'll do much better by starting from the beginning. "The Surgeon" is where the series starts, however, the fourth book, "Body Double", is where it really gets good. You may want to try that first as a trial book for the series.
Gerritsen's Risoli and Isles series, of which this is book # 9, are thrillers every bit as intense as those of male authors such as Thomas Harris, John Sandford and James Patterson. She has a knack for writing good mysteries. I'm pretty good at figuring out who did it, but this author always throws me for a loop, always. She writes better than any other female thriller writer I've tried, far better than the more popular Patricia Cornwell. There are always great medical details and very well constructed plots.
In fact, I've never met a man besides me who has read her books. I share pleasant memories of reading her thrillers entirely with women. This needs to change. Men, if you like good no-holds-barred thrillers, give this series a chance. This 9th book is not the best, but still very solid, venturing a bit into Preston and Child territory with a strange elusive beast mixed in with Chinatown families, a 19-year old massacre, and a centuries old Chinese sword. You can jump right in and enjoy, but you'll do much better by starting from the beginning. "The Surgeon" is where the series starts, however, the fourth book, "Body Double", is where it really gets good. You may want to try that first as a trial book for the series.
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Thanks for the comments, Laurie. I altered the first half of the review slightly. Gerritsen is a great author. I just wish the marketing team of her publishers could come up with covers that fit the book. Based on the covers for the Risoli/Isles series, I doubt I ever would have picked up a book...except I read her stand-alone Gravity first, a hard sci-fi/horror book with no inappropriate cover, so I (and I hate to beat a dead horse with a pun) didn't judge the books by its cover.
In the first paragraph of your review, where you say, "and make a note in the do-not-bother folder of your memory." concerns me as I am worried the men may take this as if to say "Don't bother", even though the rest of your review is glowing! Which, by the way, this book was EXCELLENT, I agree, in my opinion, as well! I am just concerned when they see 'those words', they are not going to read any further into your review, that they WILL make that mental note to skip Tess Gerritsen's books?? At least that is how I understood it. Perhaps you could edit it a little so they DO read the rest of your review and don't stop at those words? I just know a lot of times if someone sees that in the first paragraph, they are not going to finish reading the rest of the review, and your review about this book is AWESOME! It is the ONLY book that gave me the SHIVERS!!! NOTHING scares me, NOTHING! Not a bump in the night, a strange noise, my dog going crazy over someone outside, etc. No book has EVER given me the shivers. THIS BOOK, WOA! It DID! I was scared in a few places! There were two or three places, especially when Rizzoli heard two light footsteps on the roof where I just shuddered!
I'm just concerned "men" won't read your review any further than that part of your review because of the way it is worded. What do you think if you reread it? I think, as you do, that male or female will enjoy this author's writing very much. I can pretty much figure out the 'who dunnit's' also, but NOT Tess Gerritsen's!
Thanks for taking the time to consider what I think. Like I just said, it's just a thought.
Thanks for reading this and allowing me to give a comment! GREAT rest of the review, by the way!
I 'do' wish more men would read her books. If I can add one more thing. A LOT of men won't even give a female writer a chance. I base this upon the fact of the men in my family. They will NOT pick up book that is written by a woman whatsoever! This last Xmas I gave my Dad a history book based upon the Czars in history. Unfortunately, I FORGOT to check to see if the author was a woman or a man. It was a woman. He blew the book OFF! I was SOOOO mad at him! It was an EXCELLENT book, but he tossed it aside. In the card I gave him with his gift, I even commented that "I know this book is written by a woman, but the reviews on the book were excellent, etc., etc., etc." STILL, he tossed it aside. Makes me SO angry at him!
From a woman's standpoint, and I wish I could remember the author's name, and it is a Best Selling Author, but he wrote a book from a woman's point of view, and he is not a woman. His writing reflected it, so I understand why men don't want to read women authors, and vice versa. It is a shame as this author is SO good!
Thanks for listening!
Laurie