This book made me feel like I was living in a different place and time. This small town can suck you in and make you forget the rest of the world exists. Ava feels this pull more than most it seems. Once she moves in to Brodie’s Watch to focus on her cookbook, strange things start happening. She begins seeing things and then learns that she’s not the first. While Brodie’s Watch feels inviting to her, everyone else feels spooked when they walk through the doors. Will Ava get out before it’s too late? Is everyone else being too cautious? What really happened at Brodie’s Watch? This book seemed to have a lot going on, but I still enjoyed it. I really liked Ava, and for a “small-town” novel, this is one of the better ones I’ve read. It’s a quick and easy read.

Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, I've read Ms. Gerritsen's "Rizzoli and Isles" series both in book form and on TV, but this is quite a departure from that series. Turns out I need not have worried, the book was interesting and the pace kept me interested to the end.

The story follows a writer to a remote Maine town where she is staying trying to recover from a recent trauma while she writes her next book. Of course the house she rents happens to be haunted and has had several deaths in it, including a murder. Rumors in the town indicate that Captain Brodie, a sea captain that built the house in the 1800s, may still be haunting it.

Plenty of peril for the heroine, some action and some romance as well follow as we find out the truth about Captain Brodie and what has happened in the house.

"People are complicated, Ava. What you see isn’t always what you get"

I have read a couple of Tess Gerritsen’s medical thrillers and was pleasantly surprised with this gothic paranormal mystery.

Ava, cookbook author, is running from her demons in Boston to the small town of Tucker Cove, Maine where her demons truly come to life in a 150-year haunted house named Brodie’s Watch.

Ava’s tragic secret from a New Year’s Eve party has triggered her to get as far away from her sister Lucy as she can. When rumors of ghosts become a pleasurable and frightening reality, Ava learns the body of the previous tenant of Brodie’s Watch has been found. In fact, she learns there have been several bodies of women found in Brodie’s Watch. Is there a killer in town or is there something more menacing that lives in the house?

Ava’s character is well written. She comes to Maine as a broken woman who drowns her grief in drink, but after escaping a harrowing attempt on her life, she reconciles with her sister on her own terms and publishes one of her best cookbooks yet.

Ms. Gerritsen’s descriptions of the beautiful coast and fine foods of Maine is wonderful. She mixes beauty with terror quite well which is why she is an international bestselling author.

Thank you to Ms. Gerritsen for giving me the opportunity to review this book with no expectation of a positive review.

I was disappointed to find out a main component of this book was based on paranormal happenings., The book was categorized as thriller/romance, and having read Gerritsen before, I know her to be a solid writer. While the writing was well done and engaging, and the setting atmospheric, I kept waiting for the story to go somewhere else, which never happened.

Ava moves into a secluded, but forbidding house on the cliffs of Maine, and is guarding a secret, The secret is not hard to figure out, but it did take a long time for the author to reveal it. In the midst of her flirtation with the local doctor, her interactions with her realtor and the house, and writing her cookbook, Ava finds time to look into some local deaths. The connections Ava makes and the steps she takes to investigate the deaths were interesting. I would have enjoyed the book a lot more if it centered around this story line and replaced the paranormal aspects with a real life relationship.

The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen
The Shape of Night
by Tess Gerritsen (Goodreads Author)
12436728
debbicat ☮~Traveling Sister's reviewNov 04, 2019 · edit
really liked it
bookshelves: coastal-settings, 2019-all-hallows-read-challenge, netgalley, maine

4 stars for this paranormal mystery. It has the setting, haunted house on a cliff overlooking the ocean, the cast, a troubled (and mentally as well as emotionally haunted woman who is running from her past); a ghost trapped in the sea cliff house; a local doctor who develops a thing for the haunted woman....oh, and a few dead girls that turn up along the way. And it turns out those dead girls lived in the house at one time or another. So what happened to them? Why did they leave so suddenly? And most of all...how did they end up, ya know, dead???

I am very familiar with Tess Gerritsen's Rizzoli and Isles series and while I did not read the books (tho I do have a few I own); the tv series has been one of my all-time favorites and I watch reruns all the time. When I saw this book on my GR feed as part of posts from some other GR friends, I decided to go on over to NG and see if I could request it. Out of curiosity more than anything else. I was excited when I got approved and considered it my good fortune.. to be able to read it as part of my October All Hallows Read Challenge. Boy! It was a good fit too! Just what I was looking for! I really enjoyed it. It might carry an R rating...FYI. There are some sexual scenes that won't be everyone's cup of tea. Didn't bother me. But, I sort of expected it going in bc I had seen some reviews ahead of time that included that little tip. You are welcome.

I am thankful to the publisher for a digital copy to read via NetGalley for review. I highly recommend it!!

Okay.... at first I had SERIOUS doubts-- it felt like I was reading 50 Shades of Ghost.... but as I continued, I really started to enjoy this book. Was the protagonist REALLY seeing the ghost of a long Dead Sea captain? Was it a demon? Was it her own PERSONAL demons she was fighting? As the mystery deepens (as well as a subplot centering around a woman's body being pulled from the sea) I got to the point that I COULD NOT put this book down. The ending was satisfying, and I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a bit of everything-- romance, sex, mystery, believable dialogue and relationships and a protagonist you can root for--all rolled into one addictive, well written book.

A young woman who has made the mistake of a lifetime has run away from her life to. A beautiful house with history. Drinking and writing become her life until the smell of the ocean starts to change her perspective on things. The adventure starts with the scent of the ocean. And the ghost of the captain.

The shape of night is different from other books Tess has written. I love this story. It takes place in Tucker Cove Maine and Ava is living in a house called Brodie’s Watch. It was built by a sea captain whose name is Jeremiah Brodie. Ava is there to forget something from her past but also to write her book. She has experiences in the house that have her doing research to find out what has happened in the house before her. This story had me wondering what was going on the whole time until the end.

Ava is running away. She tells herself she is just getting away to write her book. But deep down…she knows she is running from her past. She rents a home on the edge of the sea in Maine. The home is the historical house of the famous sea captain…Captain Brodie.

Ava immediately knows something is off about the house. After a few days in this house she questions what actually made the previous tenant leave? This sends her on a quest and possible danger from her own rental property. See…her house is inhabited by Captain Brodie himself!

This is not your typical Tess Gerritsen novel. So, if you are expecting her usual, prepared to be surprised. This is a ghost story and it is twisted. It is even very risqué in places. This has received some mixed reviews. But, I have not read a Tess Gerritsen book in a very long time. So, I had no prejudices. I went in with an open mind. And yes I figured most of it out. But the story is very entertaining and I was definitely on the edge of my seat.

Not sure I would recommend reading this home alone on a dark night!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I have read and loved every single book in the Rizzoli & Isles series so was so excited to hear that Tess Gerrison was writing a new stand-alone novel. I understand that she may have wanted to step outside of her comfort zone with this one but it deviated so far from what I’ve come to love and enjoy about her writing. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t work for me. I ended up DNFing around 40%.

I have always enjoyed books by Tess Gerritsen, The Shape of Night did not disappoint. It was a great story, great plot well develop characters. I was able to read this book over a weekend. I look forward to her next novel, emotionally recommend this book to friends and family

I went back and forth with myself and the rating I wanted to give The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen. I have been a fan of Gerritsen's for years. Her Rizzoli and Isles series is quite intriguing and rather different from this title.

The Shape of Night is far and removed from Tess Gerritsen's medical and police procedural mysteries. Ava Collette attempts to escape the tragic past that haunts her in Boston to an idyllic, remote mansion in Maine off the coast where she actually does become haunted. Thinking that Brodie's Watch, the home she's renting, will be the perfect escape, she's soon confronted by a ghost who is hellbent on making her pay for her sins.

Ultimately shit gets weird... really weird.

What's done well in The Shape of Night is the suspenseful buildup. Even when the title treads violently close to being just another ghost story, Gerritsen's expertise holds readers captive. She's able to maintain an interest in Ava even when Ava is beyond redemption. Ava is presented with proof positive that there is something sinister happening in her home, yet she can't resist. She's that dumb protagonist that goes back into the belly of the beast when everyone in the theater is yelling "no!".

Or is the need to pay penance that strong?

Hey! I'm a sucker for a good ghost story and I must admit, The Shape of Night does bring on the chills. When I wasn't engulfed in the story, I was still thinking about what I'd read. Sure, this read goes down the same road as many other paranormal mysteries but it's captivating enough for true Gerritsen fans to see through. The Shape of Night is so well-written that although it teeters on the line of cliche quite firmly, that too can be ignored long enough to roll in the hay with a ghost.

Copy provided by Random House Publishing Group via Netgalley

From the beginning of the novel, I was completely hooked because the prologue sucked me in. The opening just immediately grabbed my attention and I was intrigued. This novel is definitely one that is packed full of mystery and kept me on the edge of my seat through the duration of it. This also definitely relays heavily on the atmosphere which was something that I immensely enjoyed and something I found Gerritsen did wonderfully. I'm super intrigued to be reading more from her in the future.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

I really wanted to like this book because I love other books the author has published, but I just couldn't get into this one. I had to force myself to finish it because the main character's involvement with a ghost is just not my cup of tea.

The Shape of the Night is a paranormal story following a food writer, Ava, who moves into a New England house for a few months while she works on her latest book. Ava is running from the mistakes of her past and is also trying to figure out what exactly is going on in her house. I really liked Ava’s character for the most part but so much of this story didn’t work for me.

The biggest thing that I didn’t like in this book is the (somewhat) erotica subplot. If you been here for a while you know that I love me a good smut but this was not well done and it also added nothing to the story. There was nothing sexy or interesting about what was happening beyond us learning the way Ava wanted her men to behave in bed. Uh ok but how does any of that move the plot along? It doesn’t and Gerritsen would have been better off building up some of the weaker aspects of the story.

For instance, the mystery element of the book would have been so much stronger if more time had been spent on building up the side characters. There were some interesting people who were either acting shady or had a shady background and yet hardly any time was spent on them. All of that led up to me not being invested in any of them and so when we had the big reveal the payoff wasn’t as great as it could have been.

Also, as much as I liked Ava it became very boring dealing with all her flashbacks to what she did in the past. Especially because it is glaringly obvious from the beginning what she did so why we spent so much time flashing back to that night to just skirt around the issue over and over again was annoying. Present day Ava was a lot better and I really enjoyed the fact that she was a food writer. Everything that she made sounded amazing and I appreciated learning some very interesting food facts.

The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen is a 2019 Ballantine Publication.

A creepy paranormal mystery with a Gothic undertone? Count me in!

An isolated old mansion, a fragile house guest, an unsolved mystery, a few erotic encounters and an unusual ghost/entity in residence, and you have all the makings of a spellbinding paranormal thriller!!

Ava Collette, a food writer, has rented ‘Brodie’s Watch’, an old mansion located on a small peninsula of Maine. Having fled Boston after a tragedy that has left her haunted and riddled with guilt, Ava hopes the peace and quiet help her regain her focus, as she begins work on a new cookbook. As she begins cooking up her new recipes, she soon realizes she isn’t alone in the house. Apparently, the house is haunted by Captain Brodie, the original owner of the house, and her encounters with him become very… intimate.

Meanwhile, a couple of accidental deaths, coupled with the disappearance of the home’s previous tenant, have Ava spending more time investigating the troubling rumors surrounding her new abode. Before long, it becomes obvious that the surrounding community is harboring a few very dark secrets and the ghosts of Brodie’s Watch may be the least of her concerns…

I’ve never read the popular and well-respected Rizzoli and Isles series, but I know enough about it to realize this stand-alone book is not cut from the same cloth. No offense to anyone, but if you aren’t a fan of Paranormal books, or expect Rizzoli and Isles, only with different names and places, then you’ll want to approach this one with more of an open mind. Just as you might not wish to read one author, one series, or one genre, I’m sure authors like a change of pace, from time to time, as well.

As for me- I love Gothic tones, ghosts, and cold-case mysteries- so this book was right up my alley. The story is very atmospheric, with a strong, sinister sense of foreboding. The emotions are also palpable, as Ava’s immense sadness and overwhelming guilt threatens to overcome her. But, all the paranormal instances center around a death that took place at Brodie’s Watch, years back, which was ruled an accident. This mystery is very compelling, and I fear it might be a little overshadowed by the heavy emphasis placed on the sensuality and ghostly occurrences.

While, this may be too much of a departure for some of Gerritsen’s readers, for those of us who like these types of stories, this is a welcome addition to her library of work.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I hope Gerritsen will step outside her series writing more often to publish more stand -alone novels like this one!

The Shape of Night
by Tess Gerritsen

Hardcover, 288 pages
Published October 1st 2019 by Ballantine Books



Goodreads synopsis:
A woman trying to outrun her past is drawn to a quiet coastal town in Maine–and to a string of unsolved murders–in this haunting tale of romantic suspense from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.

Ava Collette is punishing herself for an unspeakable tragedy. So she flees Boston and rents an old home named Brodie’s Watch on a remote coastal peninsula of Maine, hoping to work on a cookbook inspired by New England cuisine that she’s been trying to finish for months. She immediately feels at peace in the isolated house–until she starts to hear strange noises.

Rumor has it that a sea captain named Brodie has haunted the house for decades. Then, one night, Ava is awakened to find herself face to face with an apparition who looks–and feels–all too real. Meanwhile, there’s been a series of accidental deaths nearby that don’t add up. And as Ava starts to check into the previous renter’s mysterious disappearance, she starts to realize that there’s a disturbing secret some in town are desperate to keep hidden.

Soon all of Ava’s waking hours are consumed by her investigation, and her nights are ignited by Captain Brodie’s ghostly visits. But even as she questions her own sanity, she knows she must uncover the truth before a killer strikes again.
***

4.5 Stars

I really didn’t know what to expect going into this book. It was part murder mystery, part paranormal romance and part horror novel all rolled up in one book.

Ava is trying to finish writing a cookbook that is one year overdue to her publisher. Good thing her agent is her best friend and has her back or that contract would have gone bye bye a month after she missed her first deadline.

This character can’t move on from a bad choice she made one night when she was drunk. Now she has holed herself away in a small town staying in a seaside mansion of a hundred year old sea captain who is haunting the place. Of course, he is not scary old and crotchety. He is handsome, thrilling and scary. He wants to give Ava what she wants. And what she wants is to be punished.

There are two mysteries happening at the same time in this book but they initially look like one villain has done multiple crimes. You really need to pay attention to the clues here.

While Ava is staying at this awesome seaside kingdom, she meets the local vet, Ben, who is the most eligible bachelor in town. For some reason he only has eyes for Ava and no one in the local community will do. Thus, we have two men vying for Ava’s affections: one is a ghost and one is flesh and blood. Could they both be killers?

I am going to leave this pretty vague since the unfolding of the plot is the most exciting thing in this story. I really enjoyed this concept and hope to read more of Tess Gerritsen’s writing in the future.

If you love to be scared and have a thing for paranormal romance, check this out.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

The Shape of Night by Tess Gerrittsen is an interesting thriller, and a concept that is not utilized as often as it could be. I really appreciated the atmosphere of the story as well as the message surrounding regret and death.

I give The Shape of Night 4.5/5 stars.

I received The Shape of Night as an e-arc from Netgalley

I just love this author so I was so happy to receive this book from NetGalley. The premise of this book is different from her usual thrillers. I would categorize it as supernatural romance mystery. I loved the setting of this house in a small town by the sea. She did a great job describing it. The story moved along well and I liked the main character. She had issues and an interesting job. I enjoyed both the mystery and the romance. This was well worth the read.

Ava is an author of cookbooks who likes to give a history or theme to her writing and recipes. Ava decides to rent a house in New England that is steeped in history. The house was built over 150 years ago and belonged to Captain Jeremiah Brodie and since it sits overlooking the sea they named it Brodie's Watch. As she is determined to test her recipes and write her cookbook, she feels like there is a presence in the house. She can't determine if the presence wants to harm her or help her. While attempting to rent another house, Ava becomes friends with the local doctor, Ben Gordon. They become fast friends. Ava decides to stay at Brodie's Watch after all but strange things start to occur.