The Silent Girl (with Bonus Short Story Freaks): A Rizzoli & Isles Novel: 9 - Softcover

Gerritsen, Tess

Softcover

ISBN 10: 034551551X ISBN 13: 9780345515513

Publisher: Ballantine Books, 2012

Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Rizzoli & Isles now a series on TNT

In the murky shadows of Boston's Chinatown lies a severed hand. On the tenement rooftop above is the corpse belonging to that hand, a red-haired woman dressed in black, her head nearly decapitated. Two strands of silver hair--not human--cling to her body. They are homicide cop Jane 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. One woman connected to that massacre is still alive--a mysterious martial arts master who is now the target of someone, or something, deeply and relentlessly evil. Cracking a crime 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.

Don't miss Tess Gerritsen's short story "Freaks" in the back of the book.

About this title

Review:

In this ninth outing, Tess Gerritsen’s much-loved series heroines, forensic anthropologist Maura Isles and detective Jane Rizzoli, are on cracking form. The duo often find themselves investigating gruesome murders – and The Silent Girl is one of the most compelling (and disturbing). Gerritsen is a leading light among the new cadre of female crime writers who are quite as ready to tackle hyper-violent crime fiction as any of their male confreres – and this is a field, remember, that boasts several stellar talents (including, notably, Kathy Reichs). But one of the most talented practitioners of this nerve-shredding genre is Gerritsen, still on a roll after such highly impressive thrillers as Body Double and Vanish. The latest book, The Silent Girl, is a particularly notable outing for Maura Isles and Jane Rizzoli.

In a Chinatown alley in Boston, a severed human hand is found. On a roof in the vicinity is the decapitated head of a woman. Nearby is a body, and on the corpse are found strands of non-human hair. Involved in the investigation of the crime are Rizzoli and Isles, who quickly discover some starling facts about events that preceded the murder: nearly two decades before, a grim assault on a restaurant in Boston claimed the lives of five people, with only one survivor of the carnage -- a woman skilled in martial arts who is party to a dark secret. Rizzoli and Isles realise that there is something malign and ancient in Chinatown – and that more lives are at stake.

As so often with Tess Gerritsen, this is a book that guarantees a raising of the pulse rate, and if you harbour the slightest squeamishness, perhaps you'd better pick up something less confrontational. However, the burgeoning army of Gerritsen fans will (quite rightly) have no such pussyfooting objections – and more power to their (and Gerritsen’s) elbow. --Barry Forshaw

Review:

"Suspense doesn't get smarter than this. Not just recommended but mandatory."--Lee Child

"Another great thrill ride . . . The Silent Girl is one of [Tess] Gerritsen's best."--Associated Press

"Gripping . . . Both women deal with personal and family issues that reveal their humanity and lend credibility to this deft thriller."--Publishers Weekly

"Chilling and thrilling . . . an exciting and suspense-filled adventure."--Wichita Falls Times Record News

About this edition

• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 034551551X
• ISBN 13: 9780345515513
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Number of pages: 480