Sunday, August 21, 2011

THE SILENT GIRL: A GUEST REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED 
THE SILENT GIRL
A Rizzoli & Isles Novel
BY TESS GERRITSEN

ABOUT THE BOOK:
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.

PRAISE FOR THE SILENT GIRL:
"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..."
--Lorraine Bracco, actress

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tess Gerritsen is a physician and an internationally bestselling author. She gained nationwide acclaim for her first novel of medical suspense, the New York Times bestseller Harvest. She is also the author of the bestsellers The Keepsake, The Bone Garden, The Mephisto Club, Vanish, Body Double, The Sinner, The Apprentice, The Surgeon, Life Support, Bloodstream, and Gravity. Tess Gerritsen lives in Maine. To find out more about Tess Gerritsen and her work, visit her website HERE.

GUEST REVIEW:
Welcome to Steve Capell, Guest Reviewer extraordinaire, who has written a wonderful review for THE SILENT GIRL. For those of you who don't know Steve, he has his own blog, TRUE MEDIA SOLUTIONS, and he lives with his lovely wife in the Kansas City area.  Steve is a voracious reader and enjoys time with his dogs and his grandson. 

This novel opens up with Dr. Maura Isles, forensic pathologist for the medical examiner's office of Massachusetts, testifying in a court proceeding of the brutal manner that Fabian Dixon was killed. Fabian was in the custody of the police when this occurred according to the prosecution. The incriminating evidence ends up being two missing teeth. The police defense lawyer argued that the two missing teeth could have been missing for years.  Maura then continues her testimony and tells the court that one tooth was found in the stomach of Fabian. Maura only presented the facts, but by so doing she is now an unwelcome person at any police crime scene.

Dr. Maura Isles is called to a scene where a female's severed hand turns up in an alley in Boston's Chinatown and experiences the coldness that exists between her and the police department.  The hand belongs to red-haired woman dressed all in black, with two unusual hairs on her body that aren't human. This woman's murder may be connected to a horrific act of violence in Chinatown nineteen years earlier, a murder-suicide that involved a massacre at a Chinese restaurant called the Red Phoenix. Detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles must figure out if the death of this woman is related and if so why after nineteen years would another person be murdered and what kind of hair was left at the crime scene.

My thoughts:

I found the thriller novel to be a page turner after a few short chapters. I liked how Gerritsen weaved Chinese mysticism into the plot. I have read several mystery thriller novels with Chinese culture being part of the plot and this novel is one of best that I have read. The character development is rich with detail. Gerritsen sprinkled clues throughout the novel; however, the "who-done-it" remained a complete mystery until the very end. The Silent Girl is a novel that balances, and embraces the past with the present.

I have given this novel a 4 rating out of 5.

Who should read this novel?

Mystery fans will love this novel. I was intrigued from the beginning when I read on the front dust cover of this novel the following from one of my favorite authors:

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

I agree with Lee Child this novel is must read.  

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO QUINNE AT RANDOM HOUSE
PUBLISHING, I HAVE TWO COPIES OF THIS
EXCITING TESS GERRITSEN MYSTERY!
 
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HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ AND SAW ABOVE ABOUT THE SILENT GIRL  THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

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GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, SEPTEMBER 10
GOOD LUCK!