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Rizzoli & Isles #9
The Silent Girl
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Mystery & Thriller (2011)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.
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.
315 pages, Hardcover
First published July 5, 2011
About the author
Tess Gerritsen
184 books19.1k followersInternationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen took an unusual route to a writing career. A graduate of Stanford University, Tess went on to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was awarded her M.D.
While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. In 1987, her first novel was published. Call After Midnight, a romantic thriller, was followed by eight more romantic suspense novels. She also wrote a screenplay, "Adrift", which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.
Tess's first medical thriller, Harvest, was released in hardcover in 1996, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her suspense novels since then have been: Life Support (1997), Bloodstream (1998), Gravity (1999), The Surgeon (2001), The Apprentice (2002), The Sinner (2003), Body Double (2004), Vanish (2005), The Mephisto Club (2006), and The Bone Garden (2007). Her books have been translated into 31 languages, and more than 15 million copies have been sold around the world.
As well as being a New York Times bestselling author, she has also been a #1 bestseller in both Germany and the UK. She has won both the Nero Wolfe Award (for Vanish) and the Rita Award (for The Surgeon.) Critics around the world have praised her novels as "Pulse-pounding fun" (Philadelphia Inquirer), "Scary and brilliant" (Toronto Globe and Mail), and "Polished, riveting prose" (Chicago Tribune). Publisher Weekly has dubbed her the "medical suspense queen".
Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.
While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. In 1987, her first novel was published. Call After Midnight, a romantic thriller, was followed by eight more romantic suspense novels. She also wrote a screenplay, "Adrift", which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.
Tess's first medical thriller, Harvest, was released in hardcover in 1996, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her suspense novels since then have been: Life Support (1997), Bloodstream (1998), Gravity (1999), The Surgeon (2001), The Apprentice (2002), The Sinner (2003), Body Double (2004), Vanish (2005), The Mephisto Club (2006), and The Bone Garden (2007). Her books have been translated into 31 languages, and more than 15 million copies have been sold around the world.
As well as being a New York Times bestselling author, she has also been a #1 bestseller in both Germany and the UK. She has won both the Nero Wolfe Award (for Vanish) and the Rita Award (for The Surgeon.) Critics around the world have praised her novels as "Pulse-pounding fun" (Philadelphia Inquirer), "Scary and brilliant" (Toronto Globe and Mail), and "Polished, riveting prose" (Chicago Tribune). Publisher Weekly has dubbed her the "medical suspense queen".
Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,348 reviews
June 16, 2020
I’ve been on a Tess Gerritsen tear, having just completed my seventh Gerritsen thriller of the year. The Silent Girl is the ninth book in the highly regarded Rizzoli & Isles series, and ranks up there as one of my favorites so far. It is fast-paced, suspenseful, and intriguing.
It starts off with a bang – or, I should say, a “whoosh”! Detectives Jane Rizzoli and Barry Frost are called to the scene of a murder in Boston’s Chinatown, where they find a severed hand. When they find the victim, they see that her neck has been sliced from ear to ear with a very sharp instrument.
This is only the beginning of the Chinatown mystery. Rather, it turns out to be something more like a prequel, because the manner of death leads the detectives to a martial arts studio, which in turn leads back to a 19-year-old case that was labeled murder-suicide. One widow, however, begs to differ. It turns out that there are complications – one cannot really call them coincidences, because there are too many connections. But what – or who – is the true connection? We have the murder, and we also have the unsolved disappearances of a number of teenage girls. Are they related somehow? Rizzoli has her suspicions, but who – or what – is the strange figure that appears and vanishes in the dark?
This story was too good to put down. Dr. Maura Isles makes an appearance early on when she and Rizzoli have a bit of a falling out over the case of a cop shooting a prisoner. We also see Maura with “Rat” and Bear, the boy and his dog whom we met in Ice Cold. I liked seeing that side of Maura, and I liked the boy’s inquisitiveness and intelligence. Jane and Frost both have some personal family issues in this one as well, but for the most part, the story is about the case.
I loved the Chinatown connection and the way that Ms Gerritsen wove in the martial arts, Chinese fables, and tales about the heroic Monkey King. Those traditions lent a mystique and sense of danger that added a plenty of interest and drama to the story. Yes, there are a few bizarre moments in this one, with a spooky, nearly invisible wushu fighter that may or may not be human. The plot had me guessing, and just when I thought I might have a handle on it, there were some big twists.
Jane Rizzoli is her usual steady, stubborn self. I always like Frost. He’s kind of a mess over his separation from his wife, but he’s a good partner to Jane. We get to meet a potential rising star in The Silent Girl. Johnny Tam is called on the scene as an interpreter, but he has strong designs on becoming a homicide detective, and he’s a hard worker. He could become a liaison between the Chinese community and the police. It’s rather surprising to see what happens with Detective Tam.
Is there a link between the missing girls and the murders at the restaurant nearly two decades earlier? Was the cook truly innocent, as the widow of his friend believes? What happened to the girls? Are any of them alive? There are more questions as the story goes on, and Tess Gerritsen has constructed a fascinating tale this time around. I can’t wait to read her next one, Last to Die.
5 stars
It starts off with a bang – or, I should say, a “whoosh”! Detectives Jane Rizzoli and Barry Frost are called to the scene of a murder in Boston’s Chinatown, where they find a severed hand. When they find the victim, they see that her neck has been sliced from ear to ear with a very sharp instrument.
This is only the beginning of the Chinatown mystery. Rather, it turns out to be something more like a prequel, because the manner of death leads the detectives to a martial arts studio, which in turn leads back to a 19-year-old case that was labeled murder-suicide. One widow, however, begs to differ. It turns out that there are complications – one cannot really call them coincidences, because there are too many connections. But what – or who – is the true connection? We have the murder, and we also have the unsolved disappearances of a number of teenage girls. Are they related somehow? Rizzoli has her suspicions, but who – or what – is the strange figure that appears and vanishes in the dark?
This story was too good to put down. Dr. Maura Isles makes an appearance early on when she and Rizzoli have a bit of a falling out over the case of a cop shooting a prisoner. We also see Maura with “Rat” and Bear, the boy and his dog whom we met in Ice Cold. I liked seeing that side of Maura, and I liked the boy’s inquisitiveness and intelligence. Jane and Frost both have some personal family issues in this one as well, but for the most part, the story is about the case.
I loved the Chinatown connection and the way that Ms Gerritsen wove in the martial arts, Chinese fables, and tales about the heroic Monkey King. Those traditions lent a mystique and sense of danger that added a plenty of interest and drama to the story. Yes, there are a few bizarre moments in this one, with a spooky, nearly invisible wushu fighter that may or may not be human. The plot had me guessing, and just when I thought I might have a handle on it, there were some big twists.
Jane Rizzoli is her usual steady, stubborn self. I always like Frost. He’s kind of a mess over his separation from his wife, but he’s a good partner to Jane. We get to meet a potential rising star in The Silent Girl. Johnny Tam is called on the scene as an interpreter, but he has strong designs on becoming a homicide detective, and he’s a hard worker. He could become a liaison between the Chinese community and the police. It’s rather surprising to see what happens with Detective Tam.
Is there a link between the missing girls and the murders at the restaurant nearly two decades earlier? Was the cook truly innocent, as the widow of his friend believes? What happened to the girls? Are any of them alive? There are more questions as the story goes on, and Tess Gerritsen has constructed a fascinating tale this time around. I can’t wait to read her next one, Last to Die.
5 stars
July 16, 2017
4.5*
This is a riveting mystery that I found hard to put down. I read it in two days. It starts with the discovery of a severed hand and a gun in an alley, and then a body w/o a hand on a roof. The dead woman was dressed in black and had no id--all suggesting a professional killer. The car belonging to the dead woman is found and it has a handheld GPS with two addresses--a martial arts academy in Chinatown and a retired Boston police detective, Lou Ingersoll. Detectives Rizzoli and Frost soon find links to a mass shooting that happened 19 tears ago. It was closed out as a murder-suicide. Dr. Maura Isles, Boston M.E., helps reopen the 19 year case by reviewing the case and finding discrepancies. Rizzoli and Frost start to ask questions and the puzzle just gets more difficult. I kept reading more and more, wanting answers.
The case is resolved with a very satisfactory ending. This is book 9 in the series.
There are side plots in the book, family issues with Jane Rizzoli's mom and police hostility towards Dr. Isles, whose testimony helped convict a Boston cop of murder.
One humorous quote: "What the heck is a venture capitalist, anyway?" said Frost... "
"I think they use money to make money." Jane said
"But how do you get the money to start with?
From friends who have it.
I gotta get me some new friends."
If you watch the tv series, you will like the books. There are differences between the two and there are developments that carry through the book series, so they work better if read in order. Tess Gerritsen made a cameo appearance on the tv show a few months ago. My wife and I like both the tv & book series.
This was a library book.
This is a riveting mystery that I found hard to put down. I read it in two days. It starts with the discovery of a severed hand and a gun in an alley, and then a body w/o a hand on a roof. The dead woman was dressed in black and had no id--all suggesting a professional killer. The car belonging to the dead woman is found and it has a handheld GPS with two addresses--a martial arts academy in Chinatown and a retired Boston police detective, Lou Ingersoll. Detectives Rizzoli and Frost soon find links to a mass shooting that happened 19 tears ago. It was closed out as a murder-suicide. Dr. Maura Isles, Boston M.E., helps reopen the 19 year case by reviewing the case and finding discrepancies. Rizzoli and Frost start to ask questions and the puzzle just gets more difficult. I kept reading more and more, wanting answers.
The case is resolved with a very satisfactory ending. This is book 9 in the series.
There are side plots in the book, family issues with Jane Rizzoli's mom and police hostility towards Dr. Isles, whose testimony helped convict a Boston cop of murder.
One humorous quote: "What the heck is a venture capitalist, anyway?" said Frost... "
"I think they use money to make money." Jane said
"But how do you get the money to start with?
From friends who have it.
I gotta get me some new friends."
If you watch the tv series, you will like the books. There are differences between the two and there are developments that carry through the book series, so they work better if read in order. Tess Gerritsen made a cameo appearance on the tv show a few months ago. My wife and I like both the tv & book series.
This was a library book.
December 29, 2023
Another great “Vacation 2020” book!
I love how these mysteries just get better with each book. Not only does Gerritsen deepen our insight into her co-leading characters’ lives but her mysteries have become more interesting, more layered, and slightly less procedural.
I loved all the Chinese mythology that serves as the fascinating foundation for this haunting tale. This one hit close to paranormal without jumping the shark— something that can be difficult if not handled well.
Only missed that fifth star because I would really have liked it if I hadn’t guessed so much so soon. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of stunning reveals, but I spent so much time trying to figure out the “why” that I managed to stumble onto the “who” first.
Gerritsen has quickly become my go to for a “can’t miss” mystery. On to book 10.
(Reviewed 7/17/20)
I love how these mysteries just get better with each book. Not only does Gerritsen deepen our insight into her co-leading characters’ lives but her mysteries have become more interesting, more layered, and slightly less procedural.
I loved all the Chinese mythology that serves as the fascinating foundation for this haunting tale. This one hit close to paranormal without jumping the shark— something that can be difficult if not handled well.
Only missed that fifth star because I would really have liked it if I hadn’t guessed so much so soon. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of stunning reveals, but I spent so much time trying to figure out the “why” that I managed to stumble onto the “who” first.
Gerritsen has quickly become my go to for a “can’t miss” mystery. On to book 10.
(Reviewed 7/17/20)
December 10, 2018
Detective Jane Rizzoli and ME Maura Isles are called to a crime scene in Chinatown where a severed hand was found in an alley that eventually led to a female corpse on the rooftop of one of the adjacent buildings. Clues are scarce but eventually lead them to a 19-year old case where five people died in an apparent murder-suicide at a restaurant there in Chinatown. Also connected are two teenaged girls who are tied to the victims and disappeared shortly before and after the massacre.
I was drawn into this story from the first chapter, which, consistent with every other book in this series, presents a scene that has no apparent context initially. There are quite a few dangling fragments from multiple events, each compelling on their own, but when connected make for quite the delicious cocktail. I had to pay attention to details, esoteric clues that were not particularly meaningful in the moment but when later attached to those dangling fragments, start to bring form and substance to this puzzle.
There are lots of red herrings you have to sift through as well but they’re not obvious and do have some relevance. This was a really great story that wrapped its tentacles around me and wouldn’t let go. Another new narrator, Tanya Eby, who delivered another excellent performance. What’s odd about that constant change is that each of them have been consistent in their capture of Jane and Maura. I find that as remarkable as this story. I’m thrilled that the series continues to be so very, very good.
I was drawn into this story from the first chapter, which, consistent with every other book in this series, presents a scene that has no apparent context initially. There are quite a few dangling fragments from multiple events, each compelling on their own, but when connected make for quite the delicious cocktail. I had to pay attention to details, esoteric clues that were not particularly meaningful in the moment but when later attached to those dangling fragments, start to bring form and substance to this puzzle.
There are lots of red herrings you have to sift through as well but they’re not obvious and do have some relevance. This was a really great story that wrapped its tentacles around me and wouldn’t let go. Another new narrator, Tanya Eby, who delivered another excellent performance. What’s odd about that constant change is that each of them have been consistent in their capture of Jane and Maura. I find that as remarkable as this story. I’m thrilled that the series continues to be so very, very good.
February 26, 2024
The grisly discovery of a severed hand in a Chinatown alleyway is the start of this fast-paced 9th entry in the highly regarded Rizzoli and Isles series. Jane Rizzoli and her partner, Frost, are called out to investigate while the beleaguered Maura Isles plays her part providing support as the county medical examiner but upon finding the body that the hand had once been attached to, they begin to understand just how difficult this particular case is going to be.
Years earlier, a mass murder suicide had taken place at the Red Phoenix restaurant in Chinatown. It’s a tragedy that stunned the Chinese community and still, to this day, prompts ghost stories, the shell of the restaurant remaining uninhabited. Although the case was closed 19 years ago with the restaurant’s chef found to be the murderer before turning the gun on himself, there are people who are adamant the police got it wrong.
Needing someone who can speak the language while working in Chinatown, newly minted detective Johnny Tam is brought in to assist. He’s a go-getter who’s prepared to go the extra yards, putting in long hours and coming up with some invaluable insight into the case. It’s through his help that vital clues are revealed and some significant progress is able to be made.
But there’s someone out there desperate for the Red Phoenix massacre to remain unsolved. It’s Rizzoli who’s on the receiving end of some attention from an assassin only to be saved by a mysterious figure who seems to move with otherworldly speed. The case quickly becomes far more dangerous than first thought, underscored when the original detective who investigated the case years ago is murdered.
The Silent Girl is a compulsive thriller that combines the orderly investigative process of the team of detectives with mystery fed by the fabled stories of the Monkey King. Chinese martial arts play an important role here and tends to provide plenty of atmosphere as the ancient and the modern worlds collide.
What is essentially a cold case mystery is spiced up with interruptions from an unknown force that flits in and out of the shadows of Chinatown. The further the case progresses the more exciting it becomes and the sense of impending danger constantly grows. It’s a fast paced, well constructed thriller that culminates in both an exciting finish and a satisfying, if not completely surprising revelation.
Years earlier, a mass murder suicide had taken place at the Red Phoenix restaurant in Chinatown. It’s a tragedy that stunned the Chinese community and still, to this day, prompts ghost stories, the shell of the restaurant remaining uninhabited. Although the case was closed 19 years ago with the restaurant’s chef found to be the murderer before turning the gun on himself, there are people who are adamant the police got it wrong.
Needing someone who can speak the language while working in Chinatown, newly minted detective Johnny Tam is brought in to assist. He’s a go-getter who’s prepared to go the extra yards, putting in long hours and coming up with some invaluable insight into the case. It’s through his help that vital clues are revealed and some significant progress is able to be made.
But there’s someone out there desperate for the Red Phoenix massacre to remain unsolved. It’s Rizzoli who’s on the receiving end of some attention from an assassin only to be saved by a mysterious figure who seems to move with otherworldly speed. The case quickly becomes far more dangerous than first thought, underscored when the original detective who investigated the case years ago is murdered.
The Silent Girl is a compulsive thriller that combines the orderly investigative process of the team of detectives with mystery fed by the fabled stories of the Monkey King. Chinese martial arts play an important role here and tends to provide plenty of atmosphere as the ancient and the modern worlds collide.
What is essentially a cold case mystery is spiced up with interruptions from an unknown force that flits in and out of the shadows of Chinatown. The further the case progresses the more exciting it becomes and the sense of impending danger constantly grows. It’s a fast paced, well constructed thriller that culminates in both an exciting finish and a satisfying, if not completely surprising revelation.
May 30, 2023
3 stars
Tess Gerritsen's name I'd heard and read for years, but had never tried one of her mysteries until now. Since this novel focuses very much on Rizzoli, I'm assuming others of hers focus on Isles more.
I think I might have prefered Dr Isles.
The Silent Girl is set in Boston's Chinatown, where Chinese traditions and traditional beliefs are still held onto tightly and big nose Gaijin are not to be trusted.
On the one hand, that gives the story some unique atmosphere and extra cultural walls for the police to overcome, which works wonderfully well for the investigation.
On the other, all the Chinese culture inserts feel surface level. Like a Disney version of what Westerners think of Asian culture. It's all ancestor spirits, Peking Duck and Bruce Lee.
Jane Rizzoli, the investigating cop, also didn't make a great first impression on me. She's one of the hoards of literary "I munch concrete for fun" women cops who are largely dislikable in their single mined pursuit to be more of a man than every man who ever lived.
They also aren't very fun to read about due to their heavily conservative view of people, society and reality. And neither are smart alecky comments worthy of a teenage boy coming from the mouth of a grown woman. (Rizzoli's in this case.)
As far as the writing, it flows well for most of the novel but it does become very apparent when something tense and important is going to happen!
Suddenly, the narrative slows down to focus on details with odd little inserts of tension building asides and descriptions. So much so, that you can almost hear the nervous cellos of the story's soundtrack swelling to a nerve-wracking climax! (All fine and good, but really too heavy handed.)
The story does pull you in and keep you reading even if, for me, it faltered somewhat towards the end and
All-in-all, a decent cop procedural with some over-the-top and hard to credit parts. If you can overlook those, it's an entertaining read.
Tess Gerritsen's name I'd heard and read for years, but had never tried one of her mysteries until now. Since this novel focuses very much on Rizzoli, I'm assuming others of hers focus on Isles more.
I think I might have prefered Dr Isles.
The Silent Girl is set in Boston's Chinatown, where Chinese traditions and traditional beliefs are still held onto tightly and big nose Gaijin are not to be trusted.
On the one hand, that gives the story some unique atmosphere and extra cultural walls for the police to overcome, which works wonderfully well for the investigation.
On the other, all the Chinese culture inserts feel surface level. Like a Disney version of what Westerners think of Asian culture. It's all ancestor spirits, Peking Duck and Bruce Lee.
Jane Rizzoli, the investigating cop, also didn't make a great first impression on me. She's one of the hoards of literary "I munch concrete for fun" women cops who are largely dislikable in their single mined pursuit to be more of a man than every man who ever lived.
They also aren't very fun to read about due to their heavily conservative view of people, society and reality. And neither are smart alecky comments worthy of a teenage boy coming from the mouth of a grown woman. (Rizzoli's in this case.)
As far as the writing, it flows well for most of the novel but it does become very apparent when something tense and important is going to happen!
Suddenly, the narrative slows down to focus on details with odd little inserts of tension building asides and descriptions. So much so, that you can almost hear the nervous cellos of the story's soundtrack swelling to a nerve-wracking climax! (All fine and good, but really too heavy handed.)
The story does pull you in and keep you reading even if, for me, it faltered somewhat towards the end and
All-in-all, a decent cop procedural with some over-the-top and hard to credit parts. If you can overlook those, it's an entertaining read.
October 21, 2016
Why has it taken me so long to get back to this series am asking myself the question Tess Gerritsen is the madam of this genre & she has all the right moves to keep the reader glued to every page.
The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen was a very atmospheric read Set in China Town a young woman is found in an ally with her hand missing & decapitated Jane Rizzoli enlists the help of Johnny Tam to help find out how she died as he knew the ins & outs of the China Town district.
Years earlier a mass killing happened at the Red Phoenix leading the investigation detective Ingersoll, now retired looks into both cases at the same time two young girls who were well educated disappeared at the same time Are they dead Or did the just disappear know one knows.
As the case develops detective Tam & Rizzoli take in Iris Fang for questioning her husband was killed in the Red Phoenix case both Rizzoli & tam think she knows more than she is telling them?
As they both go deeper & deeper Detective Ingersoll turns up dead that's when both will stop at nothing to find out who killed one of their own.
I though this was very dark read by Gerritsen it takes you into the corrupt side of gangs a must read for all Gerritsen fans
The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen was a very atmospheric read Set in China Town a young woman is found in an ally with her hand missing & decapitated Jane Rizzoli enlists the help of Johnny Tam to help find out how she died as he knew the ins & outs of the China Town district.
Years earlier a mass killing happened at the Red Phoenix leading the investigation detective Ingersoll, now retired looks into both cases at the same time two young girls who were well educated disappeared at the same time Are they dead Or did the just disappear know one knows.
As the case develops detective Tam & Rizzoli take in Iris Fang for questioning her husband was killed in the Red Phoenix case both Rizzoli & tam think she knows more than she is telling them?
As they both go deeper & deeper Detective Ingersoll turns up dead that's when both will stop at nothing to find out who killed one of their own.
I though this was very dark read by Gerritsen it takes you into the corrupt side of gangs a must read for all Gerritsen fans
October 23, 2015
*Everybody was kung fu fighting*
I like this book better than the rest. Some kick-ass vigilantes are starring and I love learning more about Asian myth and culture.
I like this book better than the rest. Some kick-ass vigilantes are starring and I love learning more about Asian myth and culture.
August 22, 2019
The Silent Girl is book 9 in the Rizzoli & Isles series and I think this book maybe one of the best in the series. Usually the deeper into a series you get the quality of writing and story plots gets worse but not this time.
While I believe for the most part this series should be read in order. The Silent Girl can be read as a stand alone and you would still enjoy it just as much.
The Silent Girl has little of everything action, family secrets, Chinese American history and strong fearless women.
A must read!
While I believe for the most part this series should be read in order. The Silent Girl can be read as a stand alone and you would still enjoy it just as much.
The Silent Girl has little of everything action, family secrets, Chinese American history and strong fearless women.
A must read!
December 22, 2019
"How many bodies are lying here, she wondered. How many silent girls who will finally be able to speak?"
This is the ninth book in the Rizzoli & Isles series and I have read all of them. It seems there is a bit of supernatural themes in these books and this one was no exception. During a guided tour of Boston's Chinatown a young boy finds a severed hand. Still dripping blood. The police are called and Detectives Jane Rizzoli and Barry Frost respond. During the search of the area they find a woman's body on a rooftop. Her throat has been slashed so deeply she was almost decapitated and she is missing a hand. Evidence is collected and sent to the lab for analysis. Among the evidence collected were two strands of silver hair that is not human.
Rizzoli and Frost begin their investigation and find a link to a nineteen year old case. Five people were killed in the Red Phoenix Restaurant in what was then labeled as murder-suicide. Investigators at the time ruled that Wu Weiman, the cook, killed James Fang (waiter/cashier), Arthur & Dina Mallory, Joey Gilmore, and then killed himself. Tragedy seems to follow those connected with the Red Phoenix Restaurant massacre. Two daughters of the victims have disappeared without a trace. Someone is sending copies of the obituaries with notes to relatives of the victims on the anniversary each year.
In this story there are Chinese fables, tales about the mythic Monkey King, martial arts, a spooky and nearly invisible wushu fighter that may or may not be human. Plenty of suspense and intrigue that keeps the reader turning pages trying to figure out the connection between the most recent murders, what happened in the Red Phoenix Restaurant nineteen years ago, and what happened to the missing women. What is truth and what is fiction? Is the Monkey King real?
A side story deals with Dr. Maura Isles who up until now had the respect of the Boston P.D. She may have crossed the thin blue line with her philosophy of only dealing with the facts ... whatever the consequences. It will be interesting to see what the future has in store for Maura. Also, will Johnny Tam become part of the team? It appears that he might.
This is the ninth book in the Rizzoli & Isles series and I have read all of them. It seems there is a bit of supernatural themes in these books and this one was no exception. During a guided tour of Boston's Chinatown a young boy finds a severed hand. Still dripping blood. The police are called and Detectives Jane Rizzoli and Barry Frost respond. During the search of the area they find a woman's body on a rooftop. Her throat has been slashed so deeply she was almost decapitated and she is missing a hand. Evidence is collected and sent to the lab for analysis. Among the evidence collected were two strands of silver hair that is not human.
Rizzoli and Frost begin their investigation and find a link to a nineteen year old case. Five people were killed in the Red Phoenix Restaurant in what was then labeled as murder-suicide. Investigators at the time ruled that Wu Weiman, the cook, killed James Fang (waiter/cashier), Arthur & Dina Mallory, Joey Gilmore, and then killed himself. Tragedy seems to follow those connected with the Red Phoenix Restaurant massacre. Two daughters of the victims have disappeared without a trace. Someone is sending copies of the obituaries with notes to relatives of the victims on the anniversary each year.
In this story there are Chinese fables, tales about the mythic Monkey King, martial arts, a spooky and nearly invisible wushu fighter that may or may not be human. Plenty of suspense and intrigue that keeps the reader turning pages trying to figure out the connection between the most recent murders, what happened in the Red Phoenix Restaurant nineteen years ago, and what happened to the missing women. What is truth and what is fiction? Is the Monkey King real?
A side story deals with Dr. Maura Isles who up until now had the respect of the Boston P.D. She may have crossed the thin blue line with her philosophy of only dealing with the facts ... whatever the consequences. It will be interesting to see what the future has in store for Maura. Also, will Johnny Tam become part of the team? It appears that he might.
April 8, 2012
All day I have been watching the girl.
What an impressive opening line…the best crime starts with a great hook, and this one drags you straight in by the hair.
When a hand is found in a Chinatown alley in downtown Boston, Geritsen’s brilliant detective Jane Rizzoli climbs to a nearby rooftop and finds the hand’s owner – a woman whose throat has been slashed so deeply that her head is severed. The murder of this woman with no ID links to a horrifying murder suicide that happened nineteen years earlier in a Chinatown restaurant. Pathologist Maura Isles makes a break in the case, a break that leads Rizzoli to link the deaths of the five people in the restaurant to the deaths of many more. Chilling, eminently believable, this book is deeply satisfyingly complex, touching on ancient Chinese myth and legend, antiquities – and family honour.
With a double twists that you will NOT see, The Silent Girl ticks all the boxes to make it brilliant crime fiction, a book that will resonate long after you put it down.
For crime writers – I was immediately struck in the first page of this book what a consumate professional Tess Geritsen is – she establishes time, location & character in one sweep, creating a picture as precise as a crime scene photo. We are watching a girl -
…..She looks younger than the others, but perhaps it’s because she’s Asian and petite at seventeen, just a wisp of a girl. Her black hair is cropped short as a boy’s, and her blue jeans are ragged and torn….
We are right there with the watcher, seeing this girl, hearing the sounds of the street, feeling darkness fall. Shwoing not telling at its very very best. This is a must read. As Lee Child says ‘Suspense doesn’t get smarter than this.’
What an impressive opening line…the best crime starts with a great hook, and this one drags you straight in by the hair.
When a hand is found in a Chinatown alley in downtown Boston, Geritsen’s brilliant detective Jane Rizzoli climbs to a nearby rooftop and finds the hand’s owner – a woman whose throat has been slashed so deeply that her head is severed. The murder of this woman with no ID links to a horrifying murder suicide that happened nineteen years earlier in a Chinatown restaurant. Pathologist Maura Isles makes a break in the case, a break that leads Rizzoli to link the deaths of the five people in the restaurant to the deaths of many more. Chilling, eminently believable, this book is deeply satisfyingly complex, touching on ancient Chinese myth and legend, antiquities – and family honour.
With a double twists that you will NOT see, The Silent Girl ticks all the boxes to make it brilliant crime fiction, a book that will resonate long after you put it down.
For crime writers – I was immediately struck in the first page of this book what a consumate professional Tess Geritsen is – she establishes time, location & character in one sweep, creating a picture as precise as a crime scene photo. We are watching a girl -
…..She looks younger than the others, but perhaps it’s because she’s Asian and petite at seventeen, just a wisp of a girl. Her black hair is cropped short as a boy’s, and her blue jeans are ragged and torn….
We are right there with the watcher, seeing this girl, hearing the sounds of the street, feeling darkness fall. Shwoing not telling at its very very best. This is a must read. As Lee Child says ‘Suspense doesn’t get smarter than this.’
September 26, 2017
The Silent Girl is book nine in the Rizzoli and Isles series by Tess Gerritsen. Detective Jane Rizzoli and her partner Detective Frost caught a case in China Town. A body was found on the top of a restaurant that has been closed for twenty years after five people were killed. At first Detective Jan Rizzoli and Detective Frost thought this case was straightforward and easy to finish. However, this was not the case. The readers of The Silent Girl will continue to follow the twists and turns in Detective Jane Rizzoli and Detective Frost investigation into the death of the young women.
I enjoy reading The Silent Girl. The Rizzoli and Isles series is fantastic series. I do like Tess Gerritsen writing style and the way Tess Gerritsen describes her plots and portrays her characters. The Silent Girl did start slowly. However, once you got past the first couple of chapters, you will enjoy reading this book. Tess Gerritsen did a great job in combining the twenty-five-year-old murder case with the present day murders.
Readers of The Silent Girl will learn about Chinese legends and superstitions. Also, the problems that law enforcement have when investigating a murder in China Town. The Silent Girl highlights the problems and consequences for everyone involved with sexual assault on children.
I recommend this book.
I enjoy reading The Silent Girl. The Rizzoli and Isles series is fantastic series. I do like Tess Gerritsen writing style and the way Tess Gerritsen describes her plots and portrays her characters. The Silent Girl did start slowly. However, once you got past the first couple of chapters, you will enjoy reading this book. Tess Gerritsen did a great job in combining the twenty-five-year-old murder case with the present day murders.
Readers of The Silent Girl will learn about Chinese legends and superstitions. Also, the problems that law enforcement have when investigating a murder in China Town. The Silent Girl highlights the problems and consequences for everyone involved with sexual assault on children.
I recommend this book.
October 17, 2011
I think I've read all of Tess Gerritsen's books, and this may be her best yet. By using her Asian heritage and more over-the-top humor and risks, she's produced a book that has almost a graphic novel feel, but sits well on her Rizzoli & Isles shelf at the same time.
After finding a dead woman with a severed hand on the roof of a building, Rizzoli & Isles find themselves following an invisible killer out of Chinese folklore--and an equally invisible and implacable hero from the same source. The dead woman seems to connect to a nineteen year old Chinatown case, too, and Rizzoli finds herself suddenly the outsider trying to finesse the culture that doesn't want to invite her in to do her usual job.
Gerritsen uses a separate first person POV for the first time I can remember, and handles the changing voices so fluently that many readers may not even notice. She also introduces Johnny Tam, an Asian cop on the Boston PD, who will probably be a continuing character...possibly in two identities.
Gerritsen has taken new chances with this book, and they all work. I look forward to seeing her expanded cast of characters again soon.
After finding a dead woman with a severed hand on the roof of a building, Rizzoli & Isles find themselves following an invisible killer out of Chinese folklore--and an equally invisible and implacable hero from the same source. The dead woman seems to connect to a nineteen year old Chinatown case, too, and Rizzoli finds herself suddenly the outsider trying to finesse the culture that doesn't want to invite her in to do her usual job.
Gerritsen uses a separate first person POV for the first time I can remember, and handles the changing voices so fluently that many readers may not even notice. She also introduces Johnny Tam, an Asian cop on the Boston PD, who will probably be a continuing character...possibly in two identities.
Gerritsen has taken new chances with this book, and they all work. I look forward to seeing her expanded cast of characters again soon.
February 3, 2024
Це неймовірно як авторка продовжує знаходити все нові і нові відтінки та історії для своїх книг. Перші книги були крутими, але було видно що вона ще розписується, але чим далі тим краще, як на мене.
March 4, 2020
4! This R & I case was very well done! Had me on the edge of my seat until the pieces started to fit together...about the midpoint...Am I the only one to get a comic book vibe here??? Well done!
November 16, 2011
If you are like me then you are a huge Tess Gerritsen Fan and have or been dying to get your hands on her latest The Silent Girl - I know I have. It's been months since I first put my name on the waiting list at the library but it has finally arrived and I read it in one day :). The Silent Girl features three different time periods. The first is Nineteen years ago , when it was said that a Chinese cook named Mr. Wu went on a killing spree in a Chinatown restaurant and murdered five people and then shot himself dead , the second is a time period unknown when a girl is being followed and given an important task to avenge the death of her parents and the final timestamp is seven years later when our novel is set and a girl is found dead on top of a Chinatown building. Are all these deaths connected ?? and is Mr Wu , truly innocent ? . As the novel goes along we discover that the set-up of a murder/suicide was not the case and that after the death of the five people , two of their daughters went missing - are the cases connected and if so , who is wanting to remind them of the past and what really happened that fateful night nineteen years ago ? . The Silent Girl does and proves what Tess does best with providing the readers a great thrilling and suspenseful filled read. In other news, we discover that Frost was married to Alice and his now undergoing a separation , Jane is married to Gabriel and has a two and half year old Daughter named Regina , Maura has adopted the houseguest of Rat Perkins who saved her life in Ice Cold and it seems Angie - Jane's mother is about to marry Korsack.
Find out all this and more in The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen , a novel worth reading.
Find out all this and more in The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen , a novel worth reading.
March 24, 2019
Tai - devintoji knyga iš serijos apie detektyvę Džeinę Ricoli. Nors kiek kitokia, nei prieš tai skaitytos. Bet tikrai ne prastesnė. Man ji pasirodė net gi labai įdomi.
Prieš devynioliką metų Kinų kvartale , viename restorane per beprotiškas žudynes žuvo penki žmonės. Šio žiauraus nusikaltimo vykdytojas - nusižudė.
Tačiau viena moteris, kuri glaudžiai susijusi su šiais įvykiais - vis dar gyva. Rytų kovos menų meistrė Airisė Fang. Numanoma, jog ji žino daugiau, nei gali pasirodyti iš pirmo žvilgsnio.. Ji nuolat tvirtina, jog tai nebuvo savižudybė ir kaltininkas vis dar laisvėje. Dėl šių garsiai reiškiamų minčių ji tampa dar vienu taikiniu..
Ar pavyks detektyvei išaiškinti šį kraupų nusikaltimą? Bei užbėgti įvykiams už akių, kol Airisė netapo dar viena auka..
Jau ne kartą esu minėjusi, jog man labai patinka Tess knygos. Ji labai išsamiai aprašo tiek detektyvų darbą, tiek ir tai, kas vyksta už uždarų durų.
Ši knyga kaip ir kitos įtraukė nuo pat pirmojo puslapio.
Pasirodė labai įdomu ir kiek netikėta, jog buvo įpinta ir šiek tiek mistikos.
Bent man pabaiga pasirodė nenuspėjama, net ir nenumaniau, jog viskas baigsis būtent taip.
Labai labai rekomenduoju tiems, kam norisi gero detektyvo, kuriame yra įsipynusios Kinijos senovės legendos. Čia viskas labai tiko ir puikiai derėjo ✨
Prieš devynioliką metų Kinų kvartale , viename restorane per beprotiškas žudynes žuvo penki žmonės. Šio žiauraus nusikaltimo vykdytojas - nusižudė.
Tačiau viena moteris, kuri glaudžiai susijusi su šiais įvykiais - vis dar gyva. Rytų kovos menų meistrė Airisė Fang. Numanoma, jog ji žino daugiau, nei gali pasirodyti iš pirmo žvilgsnio.. Ji nuolat tvirtina, jog tai nebuvo savižudybė ir kaltininkas vis dar laisvėje. Dėl šių garsiai reiškiamų minčių ji tampa dar vienu taikiniu..
Ar pavyks detektyvei išaiškinti šį kraupų nusikaltimą? Bei užbėgti įvykiams už akių, kol Airisė netapo dar viena auka..
Jau ne kartą esu minėjusi, jog man labai patinka Tess knygos. Ji labai išsamiai aprašo tiek detektyvų darbą, tiek ir tai, kas vyksta už uždarų durų.
Ši knyga kaip ir kitos įtraukė nuo pat pirmojo puslapio.
Pasirodė labai įdomu ir kiek netikėta, jog buvo įpinta ir šiek tiek mistikos.
Bent man pabaiga pasirodė nenuspėjama, net ir nenumaniau, jog viskas baigsis būtent taip.
Labai labai rekomenduoju tiems, kam norisi gero detektyvo, kuriame yra įsipynusios Kinijos senovės legendos. Čia viskas labai tiko ir puikiai derėjo ✨
July 27, 2011
I am a huge fan of Tess Gerritsen! This is number 9 in her Rizzoli and Isles series and it didn't disappoint. It was fast moving, suspenseful and I found myself staying up late at night so I could find out what happened next. This particular book features Rizzoli more so than Isles and although both characters are interesting, I especially love Rizzoli's attitude and spunk!! This particular book took place in Boston's Chinatown and I really enjoyed reading about that neighborhood and the subsequent Chinese folklore that was described throughout the story. My only regret is that now I will have to wait for the next book in the series!
May 2, 2023
Bei einer abendlichen Mystery-Führung durch Bostons Chinatown findet ein verwöhnter Zehnjähriger eine abgetrennte menschliche Hand – der zugehörige Körper wird von der Bostoner Polizei kurze Zeit später auf dem Dach eines anliegenden Gebäudes gefunden. Wer die Tote ist, lässt sich jedoch einfach nicht herausfinden.
Erste Spuren führen zu einem Kampfsportstudio und von da aus zu einem Amoklauf in einem chinesischen Restaurant vor 19 Jahren. Schon bald zeigt sich, dass die Ermittler damals nicht gründlich gearbeitet haben. Damals ging man schnell davon aus, dass der chinesische Koch, ein illegaler Einwanderer, erweiterten Suizid beging. Doch noch heute gibt es Menschen im Hintergrund, die nicht an diese Theorie glauben und die Wahrheit ans Licht bringen wollen. Eine Wahrheit, die schon mehrere Leben zerstört hat.
Werden Jane Rizzoli und ihre Kollegen den Fall ein für alle Mal aufklären können?
_______________
Hm, vielleicht muss ich es mal mit ein paar früheren Bänden dieser Reihe probieren. Irgendwie hatte ich schon wieder das Gefühl, das die beiden Protagonistinnen kaum etwas miteinander zu tun hatten.
Grundsätzlich war die Story echt spannend, aber ich bin kein großer Fan von diesen übernatürlich angehauchten Elementen. Hatte außerdem schon recht früh einen Verdacht, wer hinter diesem Affenkönig steckt.
Außerdem hat es echt genervt, dass bei der ursprünglichen Ermittlung so schludrig gearbeitet wurde. Du findest fünf Tote, einer hat ne Waffe in der Hand und das reicht, um das alles als erweiterten Suizid zu deklarieren? Es wird einfach nicht weiterermittelt? Weil sich das alles so schön logisch anhört?
Klassisches 3-Sterne-Buch für mich. Eins, das man gerne liest, dann aber auch wieder vergisst.
Erste Spuren führen zu einem Kampfsportstudio und von da aus zu einem Amoklauf in einem chinesischen Restaurant vor 19 Jahren. Schon bald zeigt sich, dass die Ermittler damals nicht gründlich gearbeitet haben. Damals ging man schnell davon aus, dass der chinesische Koch, ein illegaler Einwanderer, erweiterten Suizid beging. Doch noch heute gibt es Menschen im Hintergrund, die nicht an diese Theorie glauben und die Wahrheit ans Licht bringen wollen. Eine Wahrheit, die schon mehrere Leben zerstört hat.
Werden Jane Rizzoli und ihre Kollegen den Fall ein für alle Mal aufklären können?
_______________
Hm, vielleicht muss ich es mal mit ein paar früheren Bänden dieser Reihe probieren. Irgendwie hatte ich schon wieder das Gefühl, das die beiden Protagonistinnen kaum etwas miteinander zu tun hatten.
Grundsätzlich war die Story echt spannend, aber ich bin kein großer Fan von diesen übernatürlich angehauchten Elementen. Hatte außerdem schon recht früh einen Verdacht, wer hinter diesem Affenkönig steckt.
Außerdem hat es echt genervt, dass bei der ursprünglichen Ermittlung so schludrig gearbeitet wurde. Du findest fünf Tote, einer hat ne Waffe in der Hand und das reicht, um das alles als erweiterten Suizid zu deklarieren? Es wird einfach nicht weiterermittelt? Weil sich das alles so schön logisch anhört?
Klassisches 3-Sterne-Buch für mich. Eins, das man gerne liest, dann aber auch wieder vergisst.
August 20, 2011
Ok, so my library now charges $1 for "New Hot Picks!" and this was soooo NOT worth that dollar!
I really have enjoyed Gerritsen's writing style...up until this book.
I did not like the progression, or lack of progression I should say with the whole Rizzoli & Isles characters.
And why was this book called "The Silent Girl?" It was about SEVERAL girlsssss.
Horrible and sick story about what happens to these girls, and you know what? We are left to our own imagination to "see" what really happened to them, and just how many there actually were! That's what Gerritsen has been giving us, the juicy, nasty, utterly disturbing details of the murderers and psychos in her books. Even Dr. Zucker or whatever, he seemed HUMAN in this one! All the other cases he was always so reserved, cold, and distant. I was actually able to relate to him and I feel like we've losted this creepy character.
This did not seem like the Gerritsen that I have grown to admire. This seemed like someone else writing this story!
Now, I appreciate her going back to her roots and focusing on the the Chinese fables, folklore, and culture of Boston's Chinatown. But I do not appreciate the lack of connection that she made with all these random characters.
I wanted to learn more about Johnny Tam, Bella Li's story and especially what happened to Laura!
I literally just kept sighing throughout reading this one! I saw and counted how many pages I had left. It was just that bad for me.
Now there was no improvement with any of the characters. Maura and Father Daniel Brophy are done-zo, Jane and Gabriel still have fights over her being an overaggressive cop, who by the way always ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time because she's gets this spidey-sense thing going on and then it back fires on her and she ends up tied up, somehow abducted and utterly defenseless...not the Jane that we've read about or seen. She's always having her guard up and lately she's been more vulnerable...
Rizzoli's mom and Korsak are engaged, but honestly, who cares at this point? I've lost all touch with him, and it truly feels like a distant cousin at this point instead of one of main character's mother, who is ALWAYS taking care of her daughter's daughter. What the hell Rizzoli? Can't you be a mom for once? Stay off a few cases and just be with your family!?
I know, I know. I need a break from this series. I have read all of them in a matter of a WEEK! I'm getting angry at fictional characters, people who don't exist.
And to be truly honest, I had already guessed it was Charlotte's dad and her stepbrother Mark. I knew it was them. And to me that means that Gerritsen has lost her spark for me, she's lost her touch. If I can guess who the killer and perputarors are, then she's not doing ANY twists or turns.
And um, the Irish mob? Can we say RANDOM!!!?
This was totally NOT what I was expecting from Gerritsen, especially since this is her newest release. I was sighing, yawning, and it was just dull for me. Not the medical thrillers that I'm used to from her.
I wanted more, expected more, and was just let down.
And excuse me, but who the hell was doing the editing on this book? There were sooooo many spelling mistakes that I think her Microsoft Word blew up on her and must have died. The grammar...ugh cringing! Who or whom. They're, there, their. UGH! Froth or forth. It just really made this book a more terrible experience for me. I want to cleanse my mental palate now!
I really have enjoyed Gerritsen's writing style...up until this book.
I did not like the progression, or lack of progression I should say with the whole Rizzoli & Isles characters.
And why was this book called "The Silent Girl?" It was about SEVERAL girlsssss.
Horrible and sick story about what happens to these girls, and you know what? We are left to our own imagination to "see" what really happened to them, and just how many there actually were! That's what Gerritsen has been giving us, the juicy, nasty, utterly disturbing details of the murderers and psychos in her books. Even Dr. Zucker or whatever, he seemed HUMAN in this one! All the other cases he was always so reserved, cold, and distant. I was actually able to relate to him and I feel like we've losted this creepy character.
This did not seem like the Gerritsen that I have grown to admire. This seemed like someone else writing this story!
Now, I appreciate her going back to her roots and focusing on the the Chinese fables, folklore, and culture of Boston's Chinatown. But I do not appreciate the lack of connection that she made with all these random characters.
I wanted to learn more about Johnny Tam, Bella Li's story and especially what happened to Laura!
I literally just kept sighing throughout reading this one! I saw and counted how many pages I had left. It was just that bad for me.
Now there was no improvement with any of the characters. Maura and Father Daniel Brophy are done-zo, Jane and Gabriel still have fights over her being an overaggressive cop, who by the way always ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time because she's gets this spidey-sense thing going on and then it back fires on her and she ends up tied up, somehow abducted and utterly defenseless...not the Jane that we've read about or seen. She's always having her guard up and lately she's been more vulnerable...
Rizzoli's mom and Korsak are engaged, but honestly, who cares at this point? I've lost all touch with him, and it truly feels like a distant cousin at this point instead of one of main character's mother, who is ALWAYS taking care of her daughter's daughter. What the hell Rizzoli? Can't you be a mom for once? Stay off a few cases and just be with your family!?
I know, I know. I need a break from this series. I have read all of them in a matter of a WEEK! I'm getting angry at fictional characters, people who don't exist.
And to be truly honest, I had already guessed it was Charlotte's dad and her stepbrother Mark. I knew it was them. And to me that means that Gerritsen has lost her spark for me, she's lost her touch. If I can guess who the killer and perputarors are, then she's not doing ANY twists or turns.
And um, the Irish mob? Can we say RANDOM!!!?
This was totally NOT what I was expecting from Gerritsen, especially since this is her newest release. I was sighing, yawning, and it was just dull for me. Not the medical thrillers that I'm used to from her.
I wanted more, expected more, and was just let down.
And excuse me, but who the hell was doing the editing on this book? There were sooooo many spelling mistakes that I think her Microsoft Word blew up on her and must have died. The grammar...ugh cringing! Who or whom. They're, there, their. UGH! Froth or forth. It just really made this book a more terrible experience for me. I want to cleanse my mental palate now!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2013
I received this book from the Amazon Vine program.
I have been a fan of Tess Gerritsen since I met her at a book signing about 10 years ago. I truly believe that she is one of the best thriller writers.
After a woman is found murdered in the Chinatown section of Boston, Detective Jane Rizzoli follows the trail of the killer, leading her to an atrocious massacre from 19 years prior. As she puts clues of the current case together, Jane soon learns about the mysterious disappearance of several teenage girls whom are connected to this massacre.
Like Tess Gerristen's other books, this one is a non stop page turner. Through the twists and turns of the murder investigation, the author teaches us about Chinese history, culture, and myths (stories that had been passed on by her own mother). I mean, how often do you read a book and learn all about the history of sword making?
Why only 4 stars? Although I read the book in about 3 hours and couldn't put it down, I felt that it was missing something that other Gerritsen books have had. I was disappointed by the ending as it was almost the exact ending as another very popular thriller novel (I cannot state the novel as it would give away the ending of this book).
I have been a fan of Tess Gerritsen since I met her at a book signing about 10 years ago. I truly believe that she is one of the best thriller writers.
After a woman is found murdered in the Chinatown section of Boston, Detective Jane Rizzoli follows the trail of the killer, leading her to an atrocious massacre from 19 years prior. As she puts clues of the current case together, Jane soon learns about the mysterious disappearance of several teenage girls whom are connected to this massacre.
Like Tess Gerristen's other books, this one is a non stop page turner. Through the twists and turns of the murder investigation, the author teaches us about Chinese history, culture, and myths (stories that had been passed on by her own mother). I mean, how often do you read a book and learn all about the history of sword making?
Why only 4 stars? Although I read the book in about 3 hours and couldn't put it down, I felt that it was missing something that other Gerritsen books have had. I was disappointed by the ending as it was almost the exact ending as another very popular thriller novel (I cannot state the novel as it would give away the ending of this book).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2011
I was a little concerned before I started to read The Silent Girl, that now that I've been watching Rizzoli and Isles, I'd picture the actress' as opposed to the picture I had made in my mind of Jane, Frost, and Maura. I'm glad that when I started reading, my character's that I see in my head were still firmly there. I enjoyed the book very much. I liked learning more about China Town and Chinese legends. Jane hasn't changed much. Maura's a mess. IT seems to me, that this many books into the series, or a series of books, the author no longer has to delve too deeply into the main character's personality traits, they've already been firmly established in the readers minds...so by the time you've read The Surgeon and The Apprentice...you know Jane pretty well, what motivates her and all that, so this far into the series, it's more about the case, and they aren't quite as meaty as the earlier books where you're getting so much information about the main character's. I kind of miss that. But, Tess Gerritsen leads Rizzoli and Frost on another merry chase, and I had a good time trying to figure out what the hell was going on, yet again!
July 31, 2011
I discovered Tess Gerritsen's wonderful Rizzoli and Isles series last year with the excellent novel Ice Cold. Then of course I started reading the earlier novels so it was a pleasure to go forward with The Silent Girl. In this outing Gerritsen visits her Chinese roots and sets the story in Boston's Chinatown. As I live in an area, Vancouver, that has a huge Chinese population and a legendary Chinatown that is both intriguing and mysterious I was ready for the mysteries of Boston's Chinatown.
Gerritsen combines ancient Chinese legends with a middle female martial arts expert who happens to wield an ancient sword to set the stage for an amazing adventure. Iris Fang is the widow of a murdered scholar/waiter and the mother of a missing girl. Nineteen years earlier a murder-suicide of five occurred in Chinatown that tarnishes its image to the present day. Iris's husband died in that restaurant massacre.
This is another engrossing thriller from a great writer. I love the twists and turns in the plot. I love how the story concludes. I highly recommend this fantastic crime mystery thriller.
Gerritsen combines ancient Chinese legends with a middle female martial arts expert who happens to wield an ancient sword to set the stage for an amazing adventure. Iris Fang is the widow of a murdered scholar/waiter and the mother of a missing girl. Nineteen years earlier a murder-suicide of five occurred in Chinatown that tarnishes its image to the present day. Iris's husband died in that restaurant massacre.
This is another engrossing thriller from a great writer. I love the twists and turns in the plot. I love how the story concludes. I highly recommend this fantastic crime mystery thriller.
April 19, 2023
Історія, яка виявилась дуже хорошою і місцями напруженою, попри те, що один відгук насторожував мене перед початком читання. Тут прекрасно все, і Тесс знову Джейн закинула у пастку, а як без цього. Вроді ще в історіях не було чогось містичного чи надприроднього: шерсть, яка ні на що не схожа, метал рідкісний, і так, Китаю тут багато. Думаю ця історія конкурує з Убивчим холодом, все як я люблю. А ці фрази у тексті сильні, не заперечеш очевидне: "Справедливість? Чи помста? Хтось може сказати, що помста - це синонім справедливості". І ще ця: Так чи ні, чорне чи біле - межа завжди буде очевидна".
За одного героя чи героїню :) а то зараз спойлерню, неочікувано було читати на останніх сторінках, але фінал хороший, і зло завжди треба покарати. Рекомендую :)))))
За одного героя чи героїню :) а то зараз спойлерню, неочікувано було читати на останніх сторінках, але фінал хороший, і зло завжди треба покарати. Рекомендую :)))))
December 27, 2019
FIVE SHINING STARS!
Tess Gerristen is one of my favourite writers. This thriller proved it once again :) At first I thought, she had to do a lot of research on the topic - Chinese mythology but than I remembered that actually it's her background. As she mentioned in "The acknowledgements", she was grateful to her mother for the Chinese fair-tales she shared with her, when Tess was a kid.
It's an excellent thriller with twists and turns. Particularly impressive I found the ending...
I recommend it highly to any thriller fans!
Tess Gerristen is one of my favourite writers. This thriller proved it once again :) At first I thought, she had to do a lot of research on the topic - Chinese mythology but than I remembered that actually it's her background. As she mentioned in "The acknowledgements", she was grateful to her mother for the Chinese fair-tales she shared with her, when Tess was a kid.
It's an excellent thriller with twists and turns. Particularly impressive I found the ending...
I recommend it highly to any thriller fans!
July 11, 2020
U Kineskoj četvrti u Bostonu, na krovu jedne zgrade, dogodilo se ubistvo nepoznate djevojke.
Detektivka Ricoli sa svojim saradnicima i doktoricom Ajlis, započinje istragu koja će ih vratiti skoro dvadeset godina unazad, do slučaja masovnog ubistva i samoubistva u jednom kineskom restoranu, i nestanka dvije tinejdžerke.
U ovom trileru satkane su priče o kineskoj tradiciji i ratništvu, mitologiji i bajkama, ali i detaljni opisi obdukcije, istraživanja porijekla nepoznatih životinjskih dlaka, kao i mala lekcija o kovanju mačeva.
Mračan, napet, roman sa mnoštvom likova, ''Jedini svedok'' govori o moći forenzike, neutoljive želje za pravdom i osvetom, i ljudima koje svakodnevno srećemo, a koji se pretvaraju u zvijeri, koje će prevagnuti na stranu zla ili na stranu dobra.
Iako je ovo tek prva knjiga Tes Geritsen koju čitam, nisam imala problem da shvatim određeni kontekst i odnose između Ricoli i Ajlis, kojima je i posvećen cijeli serijal, pa ovu knjigu možete upisati na ljetnu listu, kao idealnu za brzo čitanje ispunjeno napetošću, kakvo topli dani i iziskuju.
Detektivka Ricoli sa svojim saradnicima i doktoricom Ajlis, započinje istragu koja će ih vratiti skoro dvadeset godina unazad, do slučaja masovnog ubistva i samoubistva u jednom kineskom restoranu, i nestanka dvije tinejdžerke.
U ovom trileru satkane su priče o kineskoj tradiciji i ratništvu, mitologiji i bajkama, ali i detaljni opisi obdukcije, istraživanja porijekla nepoznatih životinjskih dlaka, kao i mala lekcija o kovanju mačeva.
Mračan, napet, roman sa mnoštvom likova, ''Jedini svedok'' govori o moći forenzike, neutoljive želje za pravdom i osvetom, i ljudima koje svakodnevno srećemo, a koji se pretvaraju u zvijeri, koje će prevagnuti na stranu zla ili na stranu dobra.
Iako je ovo tek prva knjiga Tes Geritsen koju čitam, nisam imala problem da shvatim određeni kontekst i odnose između Ricoli i Ajlis, kojima je i posvećen cijeli serijal, pa ovu knjigu možete upisati na ljetnu listu, kao idealnu za brzo čitanje ispunjeno napetošću, kakvo topli dani i iziskuju.
November 28, 2021
Zdecydowanie jedna z najlepszych książek Tess! Świetna fabuła, naprawdę dobrze wykreowane postacie epizodyczne i jak zwykle plot twist, którego totalnie się nie spodziewałam. Naprawdę zakochałam się w historii z China Town i w głębi serca mam nadzieję, że w następnych książkach spotkam bohaterów tego tomu ;(
October 19, 2013
Orijinali Kitap Esintisi adresinde.
Sanırım Tess’ten bir şaheser okudum. Size göre öyle gelmeyebilir ama benim gözümde bu kitap kadının en iyileri arasında yer alacak her zaman. Öyle bir kitaptı ki yıllar yıllar öncesinde aşk romanlarıyla dalga geçen; elinde Brown, Chattam, Grange, Craig Russell, Agatha vb. birçok yazarın kitaplarıyla gezen küçük bir kızı hatırlamama neden oldu. Sanırım polisiye – ama iyi bir polisiye – benim her daim bebeklerim arasına girmeye müsait.
Yazar kitabın sonunda belki de en kişisel romanımdı demiş, bağlantıyı bu cümleyle kurmam ayıp olsa da Çin’i anlatmasıyla Tess gerçekten kendi geçmişinden kesitler, hikayeler sunmuş diyebiliriz. Ve bir kurgu yaratmış ki tam ağzıma göreydi demeliyim. Belki tahmin edebiliyorsunuz kitabın belli yerlerinde, ama yine de son okuduğum Grange romanını düşündüğümde – Kaiken ��� Tess ondan çok daha iyi bir hikaye kurmayı becermiş bence. Kitap bir Rizzoli kitabıydı, o yüzden her şekil benim daha çok seveceğim bir hikaye demekti. Bu Maura’yı sevmediğimden değil, Jane’in hikayelerinin hep sanki bir nebze daha heyecanlı geçmesinden. Yalan söylemeyeceğim, bir de Gabriel faktörü var evet.
Kitaptan kısaca bahsedeceğim, nispeten kendi duygularımın ağır bastığı bir yorum olacak gibi. Boston’daki Çin Mahallesi’nde 19 yıl önce işlenen cinayetlerin aslında göründüğü gibi olmadığından yola çıkıyor hikaye. Peki kim, niye bir gecede bütün bir yeri kan gölüne boğmuş, bunun cevabı tabi ki en sonlarda. Kaçırılan kızlar, garip bir yaratığın – insana benzer bir primatın – İrlanda mafyası üyelerinin dahi altlarına işemesine neden olacak ürkütücülüğü, kanlı sahneler, uzun kılıçlar, tek hamleli infazlar... Dolu dolu ve bir o kadar ilginç bir kurgu. Evet katili tahmin edeceksiniz muhtemelen, tek minik nokta tekil olmamaları. Yaratığı da anlayacaksınız zannımca, ama yine de kitabı bitirdiğinizde “vay anasını” diyip karşı duvara bakakalacaksınız bence. Bende tam olarak böyle oldu yani.
Bir de kitap bana acayip kısa geldi. Tamam sayfa sayısı 275 olabilir ama Doğan Kitap’ın baskısını bilirsiniz, uzun uzundur sayfaları, hiç de asıl sayı kadar değildir. Bu sefer – artık nasıl okuduysam – kendimi kaybedip farkına varmadan sayfaları motor gibi çevirmişim.
Kitapta bir de Frost faktörü var. İlk kitaplarda ara sıra ön safhalarda gördüğümüz Frost kesinlikle dizisindeki gibi öne çıkmaya başlamış (dizi dedim, Lee Thompson Young geldi aklıma :/ ). Tess’in ona daha çok yer vermesi çok hoşuma gitmeye başladı, çünkü saf ya da sıkıcı bir karakter değil. Jane’i tam olarak dengeleyebilecek bir karakter ve nihayet boşanmasının ardından daha bir aramızda. Alice’i de yakın bir zamanda unutsa iyi olur. Frost’un yanında sanırım bir de ekibin sürekli üyesine dönüşebilecek Johnny var, ktiabı bitirdiğinizde Jane’in onu neden yanında tutmak isteyeceğini anlayacaksınız.
Jane’in ailesinde işler karışık. Korsak ve annesi evlenme kararı alıyorlar ama küçük kardeş Frankie kuduruyor gibi bir şey. Gabriel’ı da resmen koklata koklata yazıyor yazar, ama onun da aşırı korumacılığına şahit oluyoruz. Belirtmem gerekir, sanırım Jane’in ölüme en çok yaklaştığı sahne bu. Ne Siliniş’in sonu, ne Mefisto Kulübü, Cerrah dahi değil bence. O yüzden de kalbimiz gümbür gümbür atarak okuyorsunuz kitabı.
Bana bıraksanız saatlerce methiye dizer, kitabı açıklarım. Maura’nın çocukluğuna bile inebilirim, o yüzden kısa keselim. Maura demişken de bir dakika şimdi – Tamam kadın buz gibi bir şey, ama onun da kalbi var. Hala Daniel’ı unutamadı gitti ama yine de umut var bence. Mesela Mefisto’daki adamı düşünsün artık lütfen, onun yalnızlığı beni dahi bunalıma sokmak üzere. Ölmesin ayrıca da lütfen.
Diyeceklerimin temeli bu. Bayıldım kitaba adeta, gözlerim tamamen açılmış bir halde, bir günde bitirdim diyebilirim. Keşke kitapları daha çabuk çevrilse. Evet orijinalden okuyabilirim ama bazı yazarları da kendi dilimde okumayı daha çok seviyorum. Zaten çevirmenleri şahane olduğundan da herhangi bir sorun çıkmıyor. İçimdeki polisiyeci kıza selam çakan bu kitabı da kitaplığımın en güzel yerlerinden birine yerleştireceğim gibi.
Sanırım Tess’ten bir şaheser okudum. Size göre öyle gelmeyebilir ama benim gözümde bu kitap kadının en iyileri arasında yer alacak her zaman. Öyle bir kitaptı ki yıllar yıllar öncesinde aşk romanlarıyla dalga geçen; elinde Brown, Chattam, Grange, Craig Russell, Agatha vb. birçok yazarın kitaplarıyla gezen küçük bir kızı hatırlamama neden oldu. Sanırım polisiye – ama iyi bir polisiye – benim her daim bebeklerim arasına girmeye müsait.
Yazar kitabın sonunda belki de en kişisel romanımdı demiş, bağlantıyı bu cümleyle kurmam ayıp olsa da Çin’i anlatmasıyla Tess gerçekten kendi geçmişinden kesitler, hikayeler sunmuş diyebiliriz. Ve bir kurgu yaratmış ki tam ağzıma göreydi demeliyim. Belki tahmin edebiliyorsunuz kitabın belli yerlerinde, ama yine de son okuduğum Grange romanını düşündüğümde – Kaiken ��� Tess ondan çok daha iyi bir hikaye kurmayı becermiş bence. Kitap bir Rizzoli kitabıydı, o yüzden her şekil benim daha çok seveceğim bir hikaye demekti. Bu Maura’yı sevmediğimden değil, Jane’in hikayelerinin hep sanki bir nebze daha heyecanlı geçmesinden. Yalan söylemeyeceğim, bir de Gabriel faktörü var evet.
Kitaptan kısaca bahsedeceğim, nispeten kendi duygularımın ağır bastığı bir yorum olacak gibi. Boston’daki Çin Mahallesi’nde 19 yıl önce işlenen cinayetlerin aslında göründüğü gibi olmadığından yola çıkıyor hikaye. Peki kim, niye bir gecede bütün bir yeri kan gölüne boğmuş, bunun cevabı tabi ki en sonlarda. Kaçırılan kızlar, garip bir yaratığın – insana benzer bir primatın – İrlanda mafyası üyelerinin dahi altlarına işemesine neden olacak ürkütücülüğü, kanlı sahneler, uzun kılıçlar, tek hamleli infazlar... Dolu dolu ve bir o kadar ilginç bir kurgu. Evet katili tahmin edeceksiniz muhtemelen, tek minik nokta tekil olmamaları. Yaratığı da anlayacaksınız zannımca, ama yine de kitabı bitirdiğinizde “vay anasını” diyip karşı duvara bakakalacaksınız bence. Bende tam olarak böyle oldu yani.
Bir de kitap bana acayip kısa geldi. Tamam sayfa sayısı 275 olabilir ama Doğan Kitap’ın baskısını bilirsiniz, uzun uzundur sayfaları, hiç de asıl sayı kadar değildir. Bu sefer – artık nasıl okuduysam – kendimi kaybedip farkına varmadan sayfaları motor gibi çevirmişim.
Kitapta bir de Frost faktörü var. İlk kitaplarda ara sıra ön safhalarda gördüğümüz Frost kesinlikle dizisindeki gibi öne çıkmaya başlamış (dizi dedim, Lee Thompson Young geldi aklıma :/ ). Tess’in ona daha çok yer vermesi çok hoşuma gitmeye başladı, çünkü saf ya da sıkıcı bir karakter değil. Jane’i tam olarak dengeleyebilecek bir karakter ve nihayet boşanmasının ardından daha bir aramızda. Alice’i de yakın bir zamanda unutsa iyi olur. Frost’un yanında sanırım bir de ekibin sürekli üyesine dönüşebilecek Johnny var, ktiabı bitirdiğinizde Jane’in onu neden yanında tutmak isteyeceğini anlayacaksınız.
Jane’in ailesinde işler karışık. Korsak ve annesi evlenme kararı alıyorlar ama küçük kardeş Frankie kuduruyor gibi bir şey. Gabriel’ı da resmen koklata koklata yazıyor yazar, ama onun da aşırı korumacılığına şahit oluyoruz. Belirtmem gerekir, sanırım Jane’in ölüme en çok yaklaştığı sahne bu. Ne Siliniş’in sonu, ne Mefisto Kulübü, Cerrah dahi değil bence. O yüzden de kalbimiz gümbür gümbür atarak okuyorsunuz kitabı.
Bana bıraksanız saatlerce methiye dizer, kitabı açıklarım. Maura’nın çocukluğuna bile inebilirim, o yüzden kısa keselim. Maura demişken de bir dakika şimdi – Tamam kadın buz gibi bir şey, ama onun da kalbi var. Hala Daniel’ı unutamadı gitti ama yine de umut var bence. Mesela Mefisto’daki adamı düşünsün artık lütfen, onun yalnızlığı beni dahi bunalıma sokmak üzere. Ölmesin ayrıca da lütfen.
Diyeceklerimin temeli bu. Bayıldım kitaba adeta, gözlerim tamamen açılmış bir halde, bir günde bitirdim diyebilirim. Keşke kitapları daha çabuk çevrilse. Evet orijinalden okuyabilirim ama bazı yazarları da kendi dilimde okumayı daha çok seviyorum. Zaten çevirmenleri şahane olduğundan da herhangi bir sorun çıkmıyor. İçimdeki polisiyeci kıza selam çakan bu kitabı da kitaplığımın en güzel yerlerinden birine yerleştireceğim gibi.
August 7, 2011
I've read and mostly liked the previous novels in the Rizzoli/Isles series - some more than others. This is competently executed crime fiction, with both police procedural and thriller elements. The forensic aspect of the series - represented by the character of Dr Maura Isles - plays less of a part in this novel. This was a plus for me, because I'm rather tired of detailed autopsy descriptions. I am also rather tired of Dr Isles' tortured and soap opera-y love life. Jane Rizzoli is an interesting character, but not as interesting as she could be in this novel. Other characters are sketched in fairly lightly. It's fair to say that there's not a great deal of character development.
The Chinese mythology element in the novel is quite well done and gives an interesting twist to the plot. However, the plot itself is not without its problems. For example, some elements of the resolution are less than believably explained. . However, readers who have major issues with implausibilty should probably find some other genre to read. In my view, the ability to suspend disbelief is a required skill for a reader of crime fiction.
The novel is set in Boston. I guess some Boston locations are mentioned, but the scene-setting made little impression on me. I don't get a strong sense of place from Gerritsen, in the way I do from Denis Lehane (who also sets his novels in Boston), George Pelicanos (Washington) or Karin Slaughter (Atlanta for her most recent novels).
It feels like I am damning this novel with faint praise. That's a bit unfair, because I did like it. I just didn't love it. That said, when the next novel in the series is published, I will almost certainly read it.
July 5, 2024
detektyvas su kinišku prieskoniu
Nors nei vienas Ricoli ir Ailz serijos serijos romanas man nepaliko didelio įspūdžio, panorėjus detektyvinio trilerio, kuriame gali paskęsti, vis tiek grįžtu prie jų, nes bene visi bandymai ieškoti ko nors naujo baigėsi vienos žvaigždutės įvertinimais, o Tess Gerritsen nors ir užsižaidžia melodramomis ir įkaitų dramomis kiek pamiršusi tyrimą, sugeba pateikti puikių ir įdomių mįslių, kurios visai neblogai plėtojamos.
Su ‘Tyliąja’ kaip visuomet buvo labai gerų momentų - man labai patinka senų bylų tyrimai, o dar geriau kai jie persipina su naujomis, o būtent apie tai ir sukasi šito romano veiksmas ir kai pradėjo aiškėti sąsajos ir numatomas visko gylis, aš kurį laiką tikrai tikėjausi, kad va radau tikrai gerą serijos knygą, bet tada nutiko įprasti dalykai, kur bet koks dedukcinis tyrimas yra išmetamas pro langą ir prasideda trilerių nesąmonės.
Šį kartą Tess Gerritsen į romaną nusprendžia įterpti ir daug Kinijos istorijos persipynusių su mitais ir tai sveikintina bei įdomu, bet man pasirodė kiek perkrauta ir daugelis istorijų buvo ten vien dėl buvimo, o į istoriją įtrauktos nebuvo. Aš būčiau labiau pora gerai inkorporuotų mitų pasitenkinusi.
Kai kuriais siužeto posūkiais buvo įkyriai skaitytojui mojuojama panosėje, o rezultatas man pasirodė kiek skystokas po tokio dramatiško build-up’o. Visgi istorija įtraukė, o ir tyrimo, nors ir mažokai, buvo daugiau nei kitose serijos dalyse.
Nors nei vienas Ricoli ir Ailz serijos serijos romanas man nepaliko didelio įspūdžio, panorėjus detektyvinio trilerio, kuriame gali paskęsti, vis tiek grįžtu prie jų, nes bene visi bandymai ieškoti ko nors naujo baigėsi vienos žvaigždutės įvertinimais, o Tess Gerritsen nors ir užsižaidžia melodramomis ir įkaitų dramomis kiek pamiršusi tyrimą, sugeba pateikti puikių ir įdomių mįslių, kurios visai neblogai plėtojamos.
Su ‘Tyliąja’ kaip visuomet buvo labai gerų momentų - man labai patinka senų bylų tyrimai, o dar geriau kai jie persipina su naujomis, o būtent apie tai ir sukasi šito romano veiksmas ir kai pradėjo aiškėti sąsajos ir numatomas visko gylis, aš kurį laiką tikrai tikėjausi, kad va radau tikrai gerą serijos knygą, bet tada nutiko įprasti dalykai, kur bet koks dedukcinis tyrimas yra išmetamas pro langą ir prasideda trilerių nesąmonės.
Šį kartą Tess Gerritsen į romaną nusprendžia įterpti ir daug Kinijos istorijos persipynusių su mitais ir tai sveikintina bei įdomu, bet man pasirodė kiek perkrauta ir daugelis istorijų buvo ten vien dėl buvimo, o į istoriją įtrauktos nebuvo. Aš būčiau labiau pora gerai inkorporuotų mitų pasitenkinusi.
Kai kuriais siužeto posūkiais buvo įkyriai skaitytojui mojuojama panosėje, o rezultatas man pasirodė kiek skystokas po tokio dramatiško build-up’o. Visgi istorija įtraukė, o ir tyrimo, nors ir mažokai, buvo daugiau nei kitose serijos dalyse.
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