Tess Gerritsen delivers a reliable outing in the Rizzoli and Isles series.

If Tess Gerritsen ever quits writing the Rizzoli and Isles series, I will be devastated. They have become my family over the years. Not only are they excellent at solving crimes, their personal lives draw you too. Love watching Rizzoli's Mom learn to stand on her own feet. Also, will Isles give in to true love? There's always a new murder or several murders for them to solve. Just can't get enough. Keep us the outstanding writing.

While this book did get off to a strong start, that didn't last. My attention started to wander and I had a hard time getting through this book. Not my cup of tea. Disappointed

This is classic Gerritsen, such a pleasure to read. Our favorite characters are back with a tight plot that grabs you from the first few pages. Entertainment at its best.

As a long time fan of the television series, Rizzoli & Isles, I must admit that I expected the characters in I Know a Secret to parallel the characters in the television series. Basically, the main characters are here, but rather than the novel focusing on the Detective and Medical Examiner, the main event is another character or three. Once I'd gotten beyond additional family members of the main duo, I fastened my seatbelt and enjoyed the ride so much that I'm starting to read the series from the initial novel. Tess Gerritsen does not reinvent the murder mystery but she knows how to grab the reader without providing too much information which drags down the plot. All too often, the author details every little step which is not really necessary in propelling a story. For example, although I wondered whether or not Jane made a phone call to say she would be late, it had nothing to do with the case at hand and was unnecessary. Gerritsen's words are necessary and if they are extraneous, she leaves them out. This particular tale was not laden with unexpected twists and turns, I simply enjoyed the journey so much that I changed plans in order to finish the novel. That says a lot.

This latest installment in the Rizzoli and Isles series is really good. I love this series. The characters, at this point, are really well developed. The TV series of the same name has diverged from the book series, but I enjoy both of them a great deal in their own ways. In this latest book, people are being murdered in an unknown manner and only classified as murder because they are staged postmortem according to the death of the saints associated with their birth dates. Rizzoli struggles to find a connection between the victims and it finally leads back 20 years to the disappearance of a 9 year old girl. I'm going to stop there before I reveal too many spoilers. I thought the story was brilliantly weaved. I recommend the entire series and this one stands out as one of the best.

Although the buddy detective genre isn't my usual fare, I always make an exception for Rizzoli and Isles because Gerritsen delivers polished writing, bad guys with believable motivations, and corkscrew plots that will keep your nose glued to your e-reader from first page to last. Quality entertainment.

*ARC via netgalley*

Hello, Future Wendy. This is Past Wendy. Several months ago you practically broke a finger requesting I Know A Secret by Tess Gerritsen from NetGalley. You love the Rizzoli and Isles series (the books; the TV show never did much for you) and to have the latest book so far ahead of the publication date was like Christmas morning and your birthday all rolled into one. Still, you somehow managed to resist and not read it until late May - inhaling the last half of the book over Memorial Day weekend. You've probably read a few books since then, so what did you think of this one? Let Past Wendy refresh your memory.

Jane Rizzoli and her partner Barry Frost catch the case of a horror movie producer found dead in her Boston apartment. Jane figures it's going to be a weird one the moment she sets foot inside the crime scene. I mean, who chooses the movie poster for Carrie as home decor? But it's when she gets into the victim's bedroom that things really get weird. Cassandra Coyle is dead alright. And the killer decided to scoop out her eyeballs and leave them lying in her open hand.

Meanwhile, medical examiner Maura Isles is dealing with her own creepy - her biological birth month and convicted murderer, Amalthea Lank. Amalthea has cancer and is dying, but that doesn't mean she's not determined to try and manipulate Maura for old time's sake. Then Jane discovers that her dead horror movie producer may be linked to other homicides and somehow, someway, Amalthea knows something about it all.

This is one of Gerritsen's more straight forward plots. By the halfway point I was thinking, "Ok, where's the twist - you've got to have a twist in here somewhere." Up until that point this story is interesting, a return visit with characters that are like putting on your favorite pair of shoes, and the writing kept me engaged. But I wasn't white-knuckling my way through the reading experience like I did with Die Again (the last book in the series) or Ice Cold (my absolute favorite of the more recent entries). Still, it's s a good solid plot and kept me engaged.

What makes Gerritsen such a good suspense writer (I think) is that she got her start in romance. It's the way she crafts her characters and has them orbiting each other that is her strength. We've all read suspense series where it felt like the author got bored with their creations - but I don't feel like that with Rizzoli or Isles. Gerritsen has allowed her characters to change and grow while keeping them true to themselves. Also, it's those teasing glimpses into their personal lives that keep many of us coming back to this series for more.

That being said, this felt like a regressive entry in the series when it comes to The Personal Stuff. Jane, bless her heart, has always been a black and white, good or bad, sort of character. She's not the sort who sees a lot of gray in the world. She spends this book largely frustrated by the people around her. Barry, who is on the verge of taking back the wife who cheated on him. Maura, who can't seem to let Daniel go (ugh!), and her own mother, who has fallen back into a routine now that Jane's father Frank has broken up with The Bimbo. Gerritsen brings the stuff with Jane's parents to a head, although it's far from over. I suspect it'll take a couple more books to fully spin that out. But Maura? Dead Lord. I was SO HAPPY with Ice Cold mostly because the Maura and Daniel "thing" seemed to finally have it's conclusion and here we are....back again. Ugh, ugh, ugh.

Some of this probably reads damning with faint praise, Future Wendy. But you did like this one. And Gerritsen sets herself up well for future books in the series, leaving a believably villainous secondary character twisting out in the breeze. It hasn't been since the first two books in the series that the author gave Jane a carryover villain to struggle over, so it's rather clever really. Warren Hoyt was your textbook serial killer, the bogeyman hiding in your closet. But this new villain? More cerebral. More cunning. The kind of villain that will play mind games with you. Not the sort to physically gut victims, but the kind that will gaslight them until they question whether up really is down. And that's just as terrifying.

Final Grade = B

I loved every second of this fast paced thriller! Strong lead characters, lots of action, plenty of twists and turns, and an ending I didn't see coming. What a ride!

I love the Rizzoli & Isles books and this is the best one yet! The characters are vivid and it's easy to imagine this story as one of the tv shows. The pacing of the story is excellent and combines the main story of the crimes being investigated with the sub-stories about the characters and their lives. Everything flows seamlessly through to the surprising conclusion. And a promise of future stories with these characters.

A great whodunnit!!

I love the Rizzoli & Isles books, This was no exception! Intriguing mystery. The characters were great. I especially enjoyed the sociopath that narrated the story. Very believable. Lots of twists and turns and glad Angela is back with Korsak and Daniel with Mara. Cant wait for next one! Highly recommend reading this series from the beginning!

Loved this book! I have read all the Rizzoli and Isles books, and I watched all of the TV series. Naturally as an avid reader, I love the book version of the characters a lot better, but both are good. This book is just fun to read. The dialogue between the people is engaging, the mystery is fascinating and keeps you guessing what the truth is. There is drama, romance, tension, forensics, and a sociopath all thrown in there. I didn't want the book to end. Read it! You won't be disappointed.

I'd stopped reading this series because I was watching the television show so thanks a lot to Netgalley for the ARC that brought me back. This is much more thoughtful and has more depth thank than the tv version. It's also more graphic. Jane and Maura are a terrific pair; I feel like I know them not only because of our long history but also because Gerritson has never let up on making them real. Amalthea is also, regrettably, well drawn. How rotten is she? This latest installment was twisty enough to keep me guessing (always tough) but also rooting for Jane and Maura. This is definitely a page turner. Try it if you've read all the books or if you're like me and haven't visited for a while- you will be rewarded with a darn good (albeit about evil) story.

I used to read Rizzoli and Isles books as soon as they hit the shelves but I have missed the last 2 or 3. It was so nice to get back together with my old friends in this new book. It caught me up on their lives and drew me right back in like I had never been away. The book starts with several seemingly unconnected events. Maura is visiting her mother in ICU where she is dying but gets called away to a gruesome murder. Soon another murder occurs with a different MO but somehow Jane Rizzoli feels there is a connection. Hovering throughout the story, told partly through her eyes, is Holly. Who is she and how does she fit in? With her wonderful writing style and character development, Tess Gerritsen keeps you turning the pages to see how everything fits together. In typical Rizzoli and Isles style, everything comes together in the end but not without several twists and turns that will have you doubting pretty much everyone but Rizzoli and Isles. The book has an ending that leaves me wondering if we will see more of Holly in future books. I am grateful to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in an exchange for a review and for getting me reacquainted with my old friends Rizzoli and Isles.

This is my first Rizzoli and Isles book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have seen a few episodes of the tv show, so in my head I'm picturing those two characters as the talented and lovely actresses who portrayed them. It really added something to the experience of the book, the ability to picture them so vividly. I Know a Secret absolutely works as a standalone. It's quite impressive how the author fills you in on little details of the history of the characters without doing it in an overly obvious way that could annoy readers who have read the entirety of the series.

I really enjoyed my introduction to book Jane, Maura, and their cohorts. Their relationships with their family and co-workers seem to be well-developed. I wish we had gotten more of Maura's chilling biological mother, but I think I would find that in earlier books. One more reason to look into this series more!

The body of a young, promising horror film producer has been found lying peacefully in her bed. At first glance, you might not even notice something was amiss... until you notice she's holding her eyeballs in her hands. That's a brutal message to send... who is it for, the police? Or is the killer mocking the young woman's taste in feature films and fledgling career, emulating the bloody posters she had framed and hung in her house?

This first death is chilling enough, but it's not long before they find another victim staged in a highly unique way. Medical examiner Maura Isles finds both victims were subdued in the same manner, and Detective Jane Rizzoli connects the two victims and thinks she may have the killer in their sights... but can it be proven?

We also get a prospective from a young publicist, who may be in danger from the murderer but seems exceptionally unconcerned. She's hard to figure out, but endlessly entertaining.

Digging up old cases from twenty years ago, searching for connections, and trying to keep some semblance of a normal personal life... we have Rizzoli and Isles. Great characters, great plot. This wasn't a five star for me because I predicted quite a few things and my interest started to wane a little bit towards the end but it picked back up. Solid four stars.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

Another excellent story in this great series, one of my favorites actually. This was a fast-paced, gory, intense, smart book that was easy to finish in a day! I look forward to the next one!!!!

4.5 stars

“When you make a pact with the devil, the price you pay is your own soul.”

I have always been a Tess Gerritsen fan, and I Know a Secret is well worth the wait. It is indeed a compelling page -turner.

In this twelfth installment in the series, Jane and Maura find themselves involved in a string of murders that seemingly have nothing to do with each other. They have been staged, and there is initially no cause of death to be found. Through hard work and some creative thinking, they make the connection in the staged murders’ meaning (which I think is brilliant) that leads them to a scandalous twenty year old court case. It is a dark a twist road to find truth and justice.

I do love the Rizzoli and Isles books (the television show was excellent, too, but different), and I am so pleased with this satisfying thriller. It is one of the best in this long running series. As always, Jane and Maura’s friendship and personal lives play important roles in the tale, and their character development continues to impress me. Jane is dealing with her parents’ marital issues, and Maura is coping with the imminent death of her estranged mother and is unable to ignore her feelings for Father Daniel Brophy. I am so glad to see Daniel back in the picture. In addition to the series regulars, characters central to this mystery are well drawn and diverse.

The mystery itself is intricately woven, and just when I think I had it all figured out, another tidbit is revealed to make me see things from a different angle. I did guess part of whodunit midway through, but I did not have it all worked out until all was divulged. Part of the story is told from Holly’s perspective, and she does indeed have a secret. I constantly questioned her narrative – is she a reliable narrator, is she really afraid that she will be the next victim, is she involved? Her character is deep and a bit disgusting in the end. I am not much of a horror movie fan, but the role the victim’s movie plays in resolving the mystery is gripping.

I Know a Secret is a great addition to a fabulous series, and I highly recommend it to Gerritsen’s fans and readers looking for a smart thriller.
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First Sentence: When I was seven years old, I learned how important it is to cry at funerals.

Detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles have two murders to investigate. Although they occurred in separate locations and no connection seems to exist between the two victims, there is a commonality in their wounds. Maura Isles wonders what her mother knows after she visits her biological mother, an imprisoned serial killer, who is dying of cancer and receives a cryptic message.

Such a well-done beginning. It is one filled with very intriguing information and leaves one with many questions—“You’ll find another one soon.”-- to which one wants answers.

Third-person, anonymous narration is a writer’s element; i.e., trick, which can be annoying, and disruptive to the flow and tension of the story. Bear with it, however, as it not only makes sense but leads one down an unexpected path.

Gerritsen really knows how to write natural dialogue. It serves many purposes, even to indicate the difference in educational backgrounds between Isles and Rizzoli—“Bilateral globe enucleation,” said Mura softly. “Is that some kind of fancy medical talk for someone cut out her eyeballs?” “Yes.”

The dialogue is only one aspect of Gerritsen’s literary voice. Excellent analogies is another—“Cops were like terrorists. They tossed devastating bombs into the lives of victims’ friends and families, and then they stood around to watch the damage they’d done.

Learning about the families of the protagonists gives them dimension and life. It makes them vulnerable and realistic. If one has a character who is Italian, one can also be ensured of large meals with good food—“The leg of lamb was studded with garlic cloves and roasted to a perfect medium rare. Surrounding it were bowls of crisp rosemary potatoes, green beans with almonds, three different salads, and homemade dinner rolls.” Yet one is also reminded that cops don’t get Christmas off.

A fascinating benefit of Gerritsen’s novels, due to her background, is the medical and scientific information one learns. It takes the investigative information just another step up.

The plot is so skillfully developed. The investigation is layers built on layers. It is refreshing even when theories are developed that don’t prove out…or do they? There are definitely “Wow!” moments, and the twists keep coming, one of which could not have been more unexpected. What is particularly enjoyable is that they don’t feel contrived, although you know Gerritsen labored long and hard on them, because the logic works.

“I Know a Secret” is an excellent book. It is skillfully plotted with twists that give definite “Wow!” moments. Gerritsen is a “must read” author.

I KNOW A SECRET (Pol Proc-Rizzoli/Isles-Boston-Contemp) – Ex
Gerritsen, Tess – 12th in series
Ballentine Books, Aug 2017

A psychopath is picking off targets one by one in Tess Gerritsen's stunning novel, "I Know a Secret." Twenty-six year old Cassandra Coyle was a filmmaker whose assailant murdered and mutilated her, but left no visible injuries. Detective Jane Rizzoli of the Boston PD and her partner, Barry Frost, are assigned to the case. Medical examiner Maura Iles conducts the autopsy, but cannot, at first, determine the cause of death. When another murder occurs with eerie similarities to the first one, Maura again conducts the postmortem. This time, she cleverly figures out how the perpetrator is dispatching his victims.

The author juggles a variety of plots and subplots adroitly, inserts passages of grim humor, horrifies us with backstories of disturbed people behaving brutally, and explores such controversial themes as the reliability of children's repressed memories. We revisit Jane's beleaguered mother, Angela, who rashly took her husband back after he cheated on her. In addition, Maura reconsiders her decision to cut off contact with the man she loves. As if this were not enough to hold our attention, we are confronted with a first-person narrator who is a cold-hearted sociopath, cunning liar, and unabashed narcissist.

"I Know a Secret" mesmerizes us from its absorbing opening chapter through its chilling finale. Gerritsen wastes no words, delineates key characters with deft strokes, enlivens each scene with vivid figurative language, and moves her well-crafted story along swiftly and satisfyingly. In addition, she does not pacify us with feel-good solutions. This tale of cruelty, heartache, and deceit demonstrates that, at its worst, life can be messy, painful, and grossly unjust. Jane and Maura are dedicated and tenacious professionals; they do everything possible to see that the bad guys are punished. If they fail, and they sometimes do, it is not for lack of trying. "I Know a Secret" is a must-read for thriller fans and one of the best works by Tess Gerritsen to date.

I Know a Secret is the twelfth book in Tess Gerristsen's celebrated Rizzoli and Ives series.

For those of you who haven't read this series yet (?!) - the two female leads are Boston PD detective Jane Rizzoli and her friend, Boston medical examiner Maura Isles.

This latest case is a puzzler. Two bodies with no cause of death that Isles can detect. They've both been posed after death in unusual circumstances. Rizzoli is having just as hard a time finding a connection between the two.

But there is one - and I have to say - it's clever. Using actual crimes as a starting point, Gerritsen has created an inventive plotline. Tess keeps the reader guessing with many players to choose from for the final whodunit. She skilfully manipulates the reader's thinking with dialogue and actions from many that are 'suspicious'. One of those characters is given a voice and chapters of her own. These chapters are 'teasers' with actions and motives being slowly doled out. I did have my suspicions, but was happy to find that I wasn't completely right at the end. And that ending leaves the door cracked open for further stories....

The personal lives of these two leads, as well as the supporting cast, are just as much of draw for me as the main plot is in this series. Their lives have moved along in real time, with a few somewhat startling threads. (Maura's mother is something else....) Their human quirks, ruminations, successes and failures only serve to make them more 'real'. The dynamic between the two leads is believable and enjoyble.

Gerristen's take on the medical aspects of her books is excellent, a she herself is a licensed doctor.

I Know a Secret can absolutely be read as a stand alone, but the evolution of this pair is worth reading from the first book, The Surgeon. An entertaining, enjoyable read for me - and one of the best of the twelve.