Friday, May 2, 2014

The Sinner

Title: The Sinner
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Publisher: August 19th 2003 by Ballantine Books
Format: Hardcover; Pgs 352
Genre: Thriller
Series: Rizzoli and Isles #3

I loved the first two books in this series, but for some reason, book number three left me a bit empty. Not that I had read this book before, but there was something familiar about it. The book Devious by Lisa Jackson came to mind. Maybe it was because they both involved assaults on nuns, but I do not know.

The book series Rizzoli and Isles bears little resemblance to the television series, so you will have to separate one from the other. The characters names are the same, but their lifestyles are different. At least in the first couple of books, I have no idea if Tess Gerritsen will begin to meld the two in future installments.

What begins with the assault on two nuns leaving one dead and one barely alive quickly devolves into corporate cover-up when a third woman ends up on Maura’s autopsy table missing her face, hands and feet.

What could leprosy have to do with the nuns in a cloistered convent and why is Maura’s ex-husband suddenly back in her life.

This twist makes up the prominent storyline in The Sinner.

I did like this book even if it was overly familiar. It starts in one place and with a guided hand, the reader ends up somewhere that they did not see coming. I did not feel the same thrill that the first two books had. Both of them creeped me out - this book felt more sedate.

I will be continuing with the series, being a physician, Ms. Gerritsen can draw a medical picture in graphic detail. I may not understand everything that her characters are saying, but it is drawn with an intensity that you know is real.

If you are looking for a good series, start with the first two, know that three is a bit of a letdown, and I will let you know about the others.

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