I Know A Secret by Tess Gerritsen

Wow Just Wow!!

Thank you to Net Galley and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy of I Know A Secret in
exchange for an honest review.

The first time I knew anything about Rizzoli and Isles it was because I discovered and loved
the TV series Rizzoli and Isles. Then one day while shopping in Barnes and Noble I saw a
copy of a Rizzoli and Isles book. That's what caught my eye was that it had to do with the TV
series. Little did I know that I had it all backwards and that the books came first and that they
were the inspiration for the TV show.

So I started out with 'Die Again' the last book prior to this new novel and I loved it. After that
I made it my mission to collect all the other hardcover novel's in this series. I have all but the
first two and have read about 5 of them so far. I usually read them all in order but found I
didn't have the time to start towards the beginning but thankfully each book can act as a stand
alone book though going through the whole series does help to know more details about the
main characters lives.

This is the last thing I'll say comparing the two- TV show vs. Novel's. One of the first things I
noticed between the two were the character's. Jane and Maura are friendly with each other
but not buddies or best friends like they are in the show and the character's personalities and
their looks are very different. Probably the biggest difference is the tone of the book. Tess
Gerritsen is such a phenomenal writer and the stories she tells in the books are darker,
grittier, raw and crisp. I don't want to put the book down, I want to keep on turning the pages
and yet I hate when I'm close to the end of the book because I just want to stay immersed in
the story.

I Know A Secret is about 6 kids, who are now adults, and what may or may not have
happened to them twenty years ago at a daycare center name The Apple Tree. The daycare
center is operated by Irena and Konrad Stanek and their 22 year old son Martin. Holly Devine,
Lizzie DiPalma, Sarah Byrne, Cassandra Coyle, Timothy McDougal, and Billy Sullivan are
the 6 kids who attended the center. Twenty years ago Lizzie DiPalma disappears and this
starts a whole mess of circumstances that change all their lives forever. The story starts with
Holly attending first Sarah's funeral and then Cassandra and Tim's funerals. All three deathes
turn out to be murder cases and that's where Rizzoli and Isles come into the story. Maura
learns that all the cases have similarities but they can't figure out how or do the three people
know each other. Later Rizzoli and Isles learn of a trial that happened twenty years ago that
involved the possible sexual abuse that took place between the Stanek family and all six kids.
Irena, Konrad and Martin are all sentenced to twenty years in prison. Twenty years later
Martin Stanek is out on parole and three of the six kids have been murdered. And off we
go.......

Great book, easy read… Held my attention and was sad to see it end. Thanks for the opportunity to read it!

This is the 12th book in the rizzoli and isles series. Jane and Maura are called to a scene where the victims eyes have been removed and put in her hands. What is creepy is that it mimics the movie she is producing. Shortly after another victim is found staged with arrows to his heart. Maura believes the two cases are connected. It becomes apparent that the killer is staging the deaths in the manor in which the saints that are honored on the date of the victims birth were marytered. Through investigating Jane and Maura find a connection to an abuse case from years before.

I have to say this is Tess Gerritsen's best book to date. I thought I had the case figured out about half way through the book. Boy was I wrong. I absolultly loved it. I loved how she switched seemlessly between characters points of view. The conclusion or non conclusion was extremely well done and makes me anxious to read the next book. I highly recommend this book.

Not sure why I hadn't read one of this series in a while - think perhaps the vision of the television actors tainted my view of the women. But long enough had passed and I was glad I came back with "I Know a Secret," so well done I actually stayed up late to finish. I had to follow it thru to find out how it all fit together and that simply doesn't happen enough. Two seemingly unrelated deaths turn out to be so amazingly connected and take us back to a long past pre-school sexual abuse case. Thrown into the mix is the dying-of-cancer, (while incarcerated for murders), birth mother of Maura, the priest who loves her, (Maura, not the mother), all interspersed with now and again narration of one of the now adult graduates of the pre-school scandal. Whew. Lots to digest, follow, and we depend on the sensible Jane, who has her own family problems with her parents, to guide us along. Really good mystery!

Another great volume in the Rizzoli and Isles series! Tess Gerritsen really knows how to keep readers in suspense!

Another winner. Explosive book a thrill in every chapter.

Again what I've learned to expect from Tess Gerritsen. A well written book with characters I've grown to love and care for. Plot and subplots well defined and written out. I look forward to more from her, and I highly recommend this one to anyone who is looking for a good and solid read.

Five stars for Tess Gerritsen's latest book! I love the Rizzoli and Isles series and have been reading Gerritsen's books for many years now. Her early books (The Surgeon, The Apprentice....) have stayed with me and I always look forward to the next one. The series has just enough grit to satisfy, and this latest book does not disappoint in the least. It has been fun to watch the characters evolve. This page-turner of a book has lots of twists and turns and I read it quickly. The story line was timely and I was also totally intrigued by the stories of Saints. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication!

Tess Gerritsen’s “ I know a Secret” is filled with loneliness, emptiness, terror, despair,sorrow, and a strand of darkness. All emotions are found in part in all of the characters including those of Rizzoli and Ives. Only two are exempt from these extreme negative feelings and these two had to change their lives before gaining their happiness. The story line was based on the theme of Horror 101 film. This horror theme also surrounded Maura and her mother.

I was so excited to see a new Rizzoli and Isles book from Gerritsen! They make such a great team, the Detective and the Medical Examiner.

Maura is visiting her dying biological mother in prison where she is dying from cancer and doesn't have long to live. She is in there because she has killed a lot of people. It's a family business and she is skilled at pushing Maura's buttons. Maura would just like her to die and get on with it. When she gets the call from Jane that they have a body, she is happy to leave.

With body after body piling up with no visible cause of death, they finally catch a break and a story that links all of the victims finally comes to light. And it is truly unbelievable.

This time Jane may not get her man after all. And Maura may get hers back!

All of our favorite characters are here. Angela and Frankie and even Vince and of course Gabe. It is always a fun ride with Tess and her Rizzoli and Isles characters, whether in a book or on the screen!

Fantastic addition to the series!
Detective Jane Rizzoli and colleague, Medical Examiner Maura Isles are once again called into action. This being the 12th installment of the highly successful series. So successful in fact, it’s become a long running TV series. (Might be cancelled now?) Though I must confess I’ve never watched it. I much prefer reading the books.
So away we go! The first victim is found in her own bedroom with her eyeballs in her hand (ewww!). The second victim has 3 arrows straight to the heart. Finding the cause of death or a connection between the killings is not as easy as it may have first appeared. But someone out there knows how and why these murders are happening. The past may have finally caught up to her. She’s also aware she may be next on the list!
Rizzoli and Isles chase down the leads, attempting to piece the clues together before the killer strikes again. Valuable personal time is spent away from the hunt, addressing the drama in Jane's family, and Maura's troubled personal life. Equally important to the series as the murders themselves…in my opinion!
I really thought I had this one figured out half way through. Not even close! Best in the series in a long time and finished it in 2 sittings. (OK, reclinings!) 4.5* Highly recommend for fans of the series.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tess Gerritsen and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine.

To be posted on Goodreads under Kaceey 5/24/17 - 5/25/17

Thank you netgalley for the uncorrected proof. I love Rizzoli and Isles, both show and books. The difference between the two sometimes makes me reread certain parts. With I Know a Secret, you feel like u have figured out who did it, then are given a hint as to something else that's makes you change your mind. In the end you may have been right, but that is only half of the store.

This is the twelfth in Gerritsen’s Rizzoli and Isles series, all of which I have read. A riveting read, I thought it was one of the better written of the series, although all are good.

There are many twists to the plot and Gerritsen manages to keep you guessing. There is continued character development of not only the main players, but also some of the supporting ones such as Jane’s mother, Angela. Gerritsen infuses forensic science into the story without belaboring the action.

You don’t have to have read the prior novels in the series, but doing so would provide more of the back story of the characters. And, if you are only familiar with the TV series, there are significant family history differences with the book characters.

This is the first Tess Gerritson novel I've thought was just ok... Normally I'm hooked from the first page, but to be honest, I finished this book at the weekend and I'm already struggling to remember what it was about.
I found it predictable, there wasn't anything that surprised me or kept me guessing, I pretty much knew whodunnit from the middle of the book. The 'red herrings' were just to obvious.
What I always enjoy however, is the Maura storyline. Such an interesting and complex character. I'm always keen to see where the next instalment is going to take her.
Rizzoli on the other hand is getting a bit stale. Nothing new developed in her life and her focus on only the main suspect dominating the investigation seemed a bit narrow minded for a seasoned detective.
This book won't put me off buying more from Gerritsen, but it wasn't her usual standard.

Wow, another fantastic read by Tess Gerritsen! I love Rizzoli and Isles, this is the 12th in the series and does not disappoint!!

Love the back story of Maura and her evil serial killer birth mother Almathea, definitely keeps things interesting. This centers on a 20 year old case involving children abused at a day care center known as the Apple Tree Nursery. "The Apple Tree" mystery was very intriguing and had me quickly turning the pages.

I love the character development in this series. I enjoy Maura and Jane's stories equally, even love Jane's family and their story, especially her unhappy mother Angela. As always, this book was very well written and engaging and suspenseful, kept me guessing! Can't wait for the next one! 5 stars!
A huge thank you to Netgalley and Random House for allowing me an advanced copy of this book!

Enjoyed the book. Keeps you guessing throughout. Having read all he books in this series, I always am happy when another one comes along. For people new to this series, it is helpful to know the back story of characters. And if you only know Rizzoli and Isles from TV, you will be very confused as the characters lives from TV and books are very different.

I've read most, if not all the Rizzoli and Isles books, as well as seen all episodes of the TV series and enjoyed it all. It's been awhile since I've read a new book and it reminded me of how different the two genres all. This latest book in the series brings most of the family characters into the story line, including Maura's biological mother Almathea. Almathea is in a prison hospital where she's receiving treatment and hospice care for advanced pancreatic cancer. Cryptic comments leave Maura uneasy and dredges up unsettled thoughts and emotions. Jane and Frost are working on a murder case, seeking clues when another occurs. They find a link but that returns them to a 20 year old case involving abused children at a well know day care center. The owners and their son went to prison with the son only recently being release. How do all these pieces fit together? Where will Maura find the strength to deal with her mother's machinations? And what about the Rizzoli family? Father Frank wants back into Angela's good graces, but how does Angela feel about that. Is it too late for her and Korean? And people keep dying, somehow tied in method to Catholic martyrs. It's a great plot line with red herrings not coming clear until close to the end. It's a bit dark with some odd characters, but that's what keeps it interesting. If you've followed this series and it enjoyed it, this one will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Rizzoli and Isles are wonderful characters we know from both books and television but the ongoing storylines in the books do not match the storylines in the television series exactly; but that's okay. Once you begin the story the differences are not so important and the reader can just enjoy the story which is a great one. This is a tangled web of intrigue and clues that will amaze and confuse the reader all the way to the end, It is a fun thrill ride with characters we feel we know and a wonderful cast of victims and villains and clues to solve. This is an excellent addition to Tess Gerritsen's legacy of brilliant thrillers. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!!!

“I Know a Secret” by Tess Gerritsen is book twelve in the Rizzoli & Isles series. It is not necessary to have read the previous books to enjoy this one; new readers can jump right in without any problem. Contextual references throughout the book fill in relevant background without wasting pages rehashing old events. This is also not a formula book with continuing characters dropped into a random plot line
.
This book explores personal relationships among characters in detail, and as the book moves on, these connections become more complex and more developed. Relationships and family history play a big part in this book.

Of course, murder takes center stage, a series of murders, in fact. Piece by piece the clues emerge, but some do not fit. Just when things are coming together, here comes another complication and another plot twist. The author’s characteristic attention to plot detail and extensive medical knowledge are well demonstrated throughout.
I was given an advanced copy of “I Know a Secret” by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review, and I loved this book. I have read others in the series, and I admit that once I find a series or author that I like, I read everything from that author and eagerly anticipate the next in the series. This book was no exception.

Rizzoli & Isles series by Tess Gerritsen has always been a favorite of mine. This one does not disappoint. . Book is very well written.
Medical Examiner Maura Isles is reluctantly meeting with her birth mother who is in prison for multiple murders , when she gets a call from Rizzoli that she is needed at a crime scene. A woman that is a producer of horror films and has just written a true story that she is producing, is found dead holding her eyeballs. Isles can't find the cause of death . Soon several more victims are found with no visible cause of death . A female character has a BIG secret ! The book goes back and forth between this character and Rizzoli and Isles . Very good book with dark and disturbing plots. I loved this book and read in one setting because I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book if you like a good thriller.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.