Tess Gerritsen: The Silent Girl

I thought it was only perfumes, but it seems to now apply to books I read as well. I want to talk about them and my mind is full of ideas, but when it comes to writing them down, nothing smart comes out.  Well, nothing even remotely close to what is in my head at least.

I really should learn how to turn my thoughts into better stories. I'm sure there are workshops that can teach you that (I mean, nowadays there are workshops for practically anything).

So, this is the latest in the Isles & Rizzoli series. Btw, both Rizzoli and Isles from the TV series weren't even close to what I imagined them in my mind, but I can work with Rizzoli actress. I like the way she looks and portraits Rizzoli. The Isles actress is not as strong and cool as the real Maura Isles from the books (at least from my perspective).

One thing I realized about Tess Gerritsen's writing when it comes to this series is, that lately (I don't remember that was happening in the beginning), there seem to be mythical/fantastic parts of the story creeping in but I know that in the end all that will have a realistic explanation. And it always does.
The best thing about it though, is that I can't guess the explanation. :) Or, who did it. Or, when it seems all clear, something new gets added. Absolutely thrilling!
And I do mean that. I've read enough crime stories and thrillers that when I watch TV,  I know who is the killer just watching the movie/series for 5 minutes.
So a book where I think I know, only to be proven wrong, and then I seem to be right but for all the wrong reasons, and I completely miss one of the biggest mysteries that gets explained in the end, well, I think those are the traits of a truly great storyteller. :)

And as you might have learned by now, I'm not going to go into describing the story. I'll just say that from my perspective, the Silent girl from the title, is the one I forgot about keeping track but who kept the story together and was silent for decades.


P.S. Please, don't start reading the series from this book, start at the beginning.

P.P.S I spend so much money on books, I do wish someone somewhere would feel sorry for me and send some over (of the kind I usually read). :)
Was that very selfish to wish for?

Tess Gerritsen: Ice Cold

It seems this is the US title (British one is Killing Place).  I really don't understand why they do that except that it makes me think I missed a book.

I don't think I ever wrote about Tess Gerritsen. A serious oversight. I enjoy the Isles & Rizzoli series immensely. It's like an improved version of Kay Scarpetta novels. This now sounds awful but I didn't mean it like that. It's just that here except for the forensic pathologist Maura Isles (like Kay Scarpetta), we also have a female police detective Jane Rizzoli (and there's Pete Marino in Scarpetta novels but he's a guy). There are many similiraties between the series and both are quite gruesome. But I sort of feel more faith in human nature coming through T. Gerritsen's books than in Scarpetta. And they both deal with some seriously scary stuff.

For example, this one (Mephisto Club as well) reads almost like a horror story, the way it's written. It definitely has all the characteristics of a horror movie. Incredible really. And then the story unfolds and even though it's unfortunately very possible and believable (as in it could happen for real after some bad circumstances piling up on each other but that's the way bad stuff usually happens), it ends on a relatively optimistic note for humanity. It also displays the fact that most of us are cowards in our daily lives which does not become visible until we are faced with adversity.

I would recommend this series to everyone who enjoyed Kay Scarpetta novels and likes some scariness mixed with the criminal story. I can't wait to see what comes up next.
And btw, if you are going to read it, start from the beginning.


Pic by: www.tessgerritsen.com