Book Review - The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen

Title: The Apprentice
Series: Rizzoli & Isles (Book # 2)
Author: Tess Gerritsen
 
Description: It is a boiling hot summer. Adding to the city’s woes is a series of shocking crimes, in which wealthy men are made to watch while their wives are brutalized. A sadistic demand that ends in aduction and death. The pattern suggests one man: serial killer Warren Hoyt, recently removed from the city’s streets.
 
Review: Again a wonderfully exciting book by Tess Gerritsen. “The Apprentice” is the sequel to “The Surgeon”, which could also be read on its own. But a little inside information is better though. In the ‘prequel’ detective Rizzoli and detective Moore had to deal with horrific murders of women, who were raped and eventually had their uterus surgically removed. The killer, Warren Hoyt, is now locked up.
 
This time Rizzoli is back, without Moore. She gets a call about a murder in Newton. When she finds the lifeless body of a man there, she things of an ordinary murder. But when detective Korsak shows her the couple’s bedroom, she Rizzoli almost knows for sure this is no ordinary murder. Everything points to Warren Hoyt, but her is behind bars. So it must be a copycat.
 
Jane Rizzoli is an interesting character and where in “The Surgeon” the focus was more on Moore, it’s Rizzoli who leads the investigation in “The Apprentice”. And I loved that. I felt like I got to know her better and understood her more.
 
Like its predecessor, “The Apprentice” is a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat and it’s a real page-turner. If you like crime or detective stories, Tess Gerritsen’s books are recommended.
 
Rating: 4/ 5

Book Review - The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen

Title: The Surgeon
Series: Rizzoli & Isles (Book # 1)
Author: Tess Gerritsen
 
Description: A killer who targets lone women, who breaks into their apartments and performs terrifying ritualistic acts of torture on them before finishing them off. His surgical skills lead police to suspect he is a physician, a physician who, instead of saving lives, takes them. But as homicide detective Thomas Moore and his partner Jane Rizzoli begin their investigation, they make a startling discovery. Closely linked to these killings is Catherine Cordell, a beautiful doctor with a mysterious past. Two years ago she was subjected to a horrifying rape and shot and killed her attacker. Now the man she believes she killed seems to be stalking her once again, and this time he knows exactly where to find her…
 
Review: At night, the so-called Surgeon enters the bedrooms of unsuspecting women and proceeds with precision. The only hope for the police to expose him is Catherine Cordell, herself a victim of an almost identical crime. The only one she trusts are Thomas Moore and Jane Rizzoli, who do everything in their power to protect Catherine and expose the ruthless hunter.   
 
This was the first time reading a “Rizzoli & Isles” novel and “The Surgeon” is the first book in this series. And what a great book this was. In this first book detective Jane Rizzoli is introduced, although as a reader it feels more like you’re reading the story of Catherine Cordell. However, I didn’t care at all when I finished the book.
 
The story is incredibly good and the tension continues until the end. I got sucked in and it was a real page-turner. There is good character development and they have depth and dimension. You really get to know the main characters well and personally.
 
The book uses a lot of medical terms, but very-well explained without becoming to simplistic. And it often gets very explicit, when it comes to the details of the murders. So if you have a weak stomach, this is a tough read. Author Tess Gerritsen does not shy away from describing an autopsy or crime scene in extreme detail. And since I love details, this worked perfect for me. It gave me a picture in my head, so I could actually see it myself.
 
“The Surgeon” is a great, exciting thriller. It got me curious about the other books in this series.
 
Rating: 4/ 5