The Silent Girl: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel

Written by Tess Gerritsen

Narrated by Tanya Eby

In the murky shadows of an alley lies a female’s severed hand. On the tenement rooftop above is the corpse belonging to that hand, a red-haired woman dressed all in black, the body nearly decapitated. Two strands of silver hair—not human—cling to her body. They are Rizzoli’s only clues, but they’re enough for her and medical examiner Maura Isles to make a startling discovery: This violent death had a chilling prequel.

Nineteen years earlier, a horrifying murder-suicide in a Chinatown restaurant left five people dead. One woman connected to that massacre is still alive: a mysterious martial arts master who knows a secret she dares not tell, a secret that lives and breathes in the shadows of Chinatown. A secret that may not even be human. Now she’s the target of someone, or something, deeply and relentlessly evil.

Cracking a crime resonating with bone-chilling echoes of an ancient Chinese legend, Rizzoli and Isles must outwit an unseen enemy with centuries of cunning—and a swift, avenging blade.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Jul 5, 2011
• ISBN: 9781423392156

Tess Gerritsen

Internationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen is a graduate of Stanford University and went on to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was awarded her M.D. Since 1987, her books have been translated into 37 languages, and more than 25 million copies have been sold around the world. She has received the Nero Wolfe Award and the Rita Award, and she was a finalist for the Edgar award. Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.

[Liisa Liisa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The mystery part is good, but what makes it fantastic is putting in the authors own knowledge of Chinese culture and folk tales especially that of the Monkey King. It captures the magic of pre-communist China with this famous figures inclusion. Love it. Original!

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Silent Girl
3 Stars

First 1/3 is slow and lacks direction, however, the book becomes more enjoyable once the action heats up and things begin to make sense.

The character development is virtually non-existent and what little there is in the form of Maura's conflict with the men-in-blue and the progression of Angela Rizzoli's relationship with Vince Korsak feels tacked on.

The mystery of the massacre at a Chinese restaurant and the missing girls is intriguing but the resolution is predictable and the villain obvious. Moreover, not enough detail is provided concerning the underlying crimes and the answers, rather than stemming from strong investigative skills, are merely handed to the reader on a silver platter.

All in all, the last two installments in the Rizzoli and Isles series have not lived up to their potential. I only hope that the next one is better.

[rascalstar · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A decent, layered crime/detective story. I liked the story. The glib and cliched comments and conversation of Jane Rizzoli, the main character, and some of her colleagues weren't realistic, though it seems some people enjoy this sort of exchange. Even the most seasoned professional dealing with death, bodies, and threats wouldn't have made many of the offhand comments in this story. Black humor is one thing and it exists, but not in every situation.

For me, this wasn't a riveting story, but I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it. It was good. If you don't mind the repetition and sometimes outrageous attitudes, you might like this book. It had some very good moments. There was too much "telling", not allowing the reader to deduce things. This is writing down to an audience and it doesn't work for me.

I listened to this book on a Playaway from the library and the reader was quite good.

[katiehuber · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tess Gerritsen is a master storyteller. I have read many of her books, and her latest thriller, The Silent Girl, is just as intruiging. Her style of writing is fantastic. I have read hundreds of mysteries and many times the writing is trite and the storylines expected. Tess Gerritsen stands out from the rest. Her stories are always unique with plot twists that even experienced mystery readers don’t expect. I was excited to learn that TNT has a series featuring the main characters from The Silent Girl (Rizzoli and Isles, also featured in some of her other books) that will be returning on July 11, 2011. I will definitely set my DVR. Hopefully TNT will air a marathon on Season 1 before Season 2 begins. I just hope the show captures the amazing books by Tess Gerristen.

[Pat Harris · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The last few chapters were my favorites. While Tess is one of my favorite authors, I found the story a bit confusing until the final chapters when it all came together. Great book, when u listen to it just pay close attention.

[knittingmomof3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen is a the latest Rizzoli and Isles novel which brings readers into Boston’s Chinatown where a gruesome murder scene leads homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles into an investigation that ultimately uncovers dark, evil secrets and a 19-year-old murder-suicide case. Chillingly sinister forces lay beneath the clues to the murder, as Rizzoli and Isles discover in their investigation that unearths voices rooted in Chinese folklore and legend. Gerritsen hits the mark in this thrilling story that will captivate Rizzoli and Isles fans as well as draw in new thriller fans. If you liked other Gerritsen novels, The Silent Girl is a must read.

[katiemertz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tess Gerritsen is a master storyteller. I have read many of her books, and her latest thriller, The Silent Girl, is just as intruiging. Her style of writing is fantastic. I have read hundreds of mysteries and many times the writing is trite and the storylines expected. Tess Gerritsen stands out from the rest. Her stories are always unique with plot twists that even experienced mystery readers don’t expect. I was excited to learn that TNT has a series featuring the main characters from The Silent Girl (Rizzoli and Isles, also featured in some of her other books) that will be returning on July 11, 2011. I will definitely set my DVR. Hopefully TNT will air a marathon on Season 1 before Season 2 begins. I just hope the show captures the amazing books by Tess Gerristen.

[aztwinmom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the best yet in the Rizzoli & Isles series. The story is entertaining, the characters so real, you feel as if you know them personally. The mystery has a wonderful twist and a very satisfying ending.

[Rani Wood · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! Another great plot full of intrigue and suspense with excellent narration.

[saraann05 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very little interaction between Jane and Maura. Even Jane wasn't really the focus either. It was quite a complex story with a broad cast of characters. I guessed the perpetrator, who was quite well signposted, but there were still some surprises. Some aspects were left unexplained, while other areas were so detailed, I got fatigued.

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The ninth book in the Rizzoli & Isles series begins with the discovery of a severed hand. One of the participants in a ghost tour thinks it is fake - until the blood starts dripping.

Rizzoli and her partner are called in a discover a woman with a severed hand dead on the roof. Dressed in black and carrying no identification, the only clues are some unidentified hairs on the victim's body and the opinion that the woman was killed with a very sharp sword.

Meanwhile, Maura Isles is testifying against a police officer in the death of a suspect in custody. The victim appears to have been severely beaten before dying in the back of the police car. Maura's testimony is not making her at all popular with other police officers.

Rizzoli's investigation leads to a nineteen-year-old murder-suicide that happened in the Red Phoenix restaurant which used to occupy the building where the body was found. There is a woman in Chinatown who is sure that the police got it wrong. She believes that the supposed killer was framed for the killing. Her husband was the waiter on duty and one of the victims.

As Rizzoli looks into that case, she discovers that there is another seemingly connected crime. The revenge seeking woman had a thirteen-year-old daughter disappear a couple of years before the massacre. One of the other victims has a daughter disappear some months after the massacre.

Rizzoli has a lot of questions about the new body and the old case. Why did a couple of the victims have Italian food in their digestive systems when they were eating in a Chinese restaurant? Was the colleague of the leader the Irish mob who was in for take-out the one the hit was aimed at? Where did the widow and daughter of the supposed shooter go after the crime?

The story was filled with action. I enjoyed the way Chinese mythology played into the story.

[anniesdreaming · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love Tess Gerritsen as an author she is just so amazing, I love the insight into the reality of both the police side and the medical side of her stories and there is always something so unexpected, even when you think you've got everything figured out there comes a twist and I love it, she has become one of my favorite authors by far!

[ennuiprayer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A Jane Doe, murdered on a roof top, starts off this mystery. What irks Boston PD most is how she died. Not a gun shot - though the victim was holding a weapon. And not quite a knife, either. Her severed hand and slit throat indicates that this woman killed on the roof tops of Chinatown bit more than she could chew. And it leads Rizzoli and gang down the alleyways of this district into the land of mythical - and historical - China. But when Jane starts searching for clues, it leads her to the grips of a murder-suicide case nineteen years old. And if anyone knows that seeing isn't exactly believing, what she unearths is far more than any woman, mother, detective can take.

Of course, there are personal drama at hand, as well. Maura Isles begins her side of the tale in the midst of a trial. A vigilante cop indited on taking the law into his own hands by brutally beating and killing a cop-killer. The once beloved pathologist is now public enemy number one within the Boston police department, placing her at odds with long-time friend - and semi-partner - Jane Rizzoli. Still recovering from her relationship with Father Brophy and her near-death entanglement, there's no telling what lies in Maura's future. Only that Rat - the child-hero who saved her life in the snow-capped mountains of Wyoming - still offers her comfort, and let's it slip that Anthony Sansone talks about her a lot.

New on the team is Detective Johnny Tam, an Asian-American who joins Rizzoli and Frost in the Chinatown investigation. He adds the reminiscent of Jane's own fight to prove herself, which sparks admiration from both Rizzoli and the reader.

Like a few other books in the series, Gerritsen mixes reality with fantasy by introducing the lore of the Monkey King, Sun WuKong. Because as the story gets deeper, a humanoid figure steps in to take matters in his hands.

It's a fantastic read, though I expected nothing else from the writer. I can't wait for what she has in store for us next.

[robertalea-223265 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My favorite Rizzoli and Isles book.

[mnm123_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love the Chinese martial arts and folklore added to this story. I am intrigued by the introduction of detective Tam, I hope to see him in other stories. I loved the intrigue involved when an old mystery and a new crime seem related. Rizzoli and Isles continue to grow as characters.

[ameise1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a fast-paced reading. In the beginning I was just collecting loose ends as Jane Rizzoli was doing so. By and by I was able to put the pieces together. Nevertheless it was very enthralling.
The story is positioned in Boston's Chinatown even though the evil ones aren't Chinese. From the very beginning all characters are in position and therefore it makes the guessing so interesting. The main question is who has abducted all the young girls many years ago and why? There is old Chinese mythology involved as well as western crime.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The story starts with Maura Isles having to deal with giving evidence against a policeman, which colours the rest of the story in the relationship she has with the other cops in the story. Rizzoli is dealing with her daughter and sleep deprivation and her husband trying to respect her but also keep her safe, which is a difficult balance.

The case they investigate starts when a severed hand is found in Chinatown that leads to a reopening of an almost 20year old case and finding some horrible truths that change the story of what happened.

I found it slow to start, but really enjoyed it after a while.

[stewi_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wo hört Recht auf Gerecht zu sein und wann ist die Selbstjustiz der einzige Weg zur Gerechtigkeit? Wer sich diese Frage beantworten kann, der sollte dennoch mitfühlend sein, denen gegenüber, die es nicht können. Besonders da man immer wieder erlebt, dass die Justiz leider auch den Ungerechten viel zu oft zu ihrem Recht verhilft. Der Grad dazwischen ist manchmal sehr schmal, was man in diesem Buch wieder einmal hervorragend sehen kann.

[barb_h_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Read it on my Nook. It was another terrific addition to this series. I love reading these books, but I am starting to feel a little sad that I am almost caught up with the author and will have to wait for new releases.

[seldombites · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am a big fan of Rizzoli & Isles on TV. Reading this book was a little disorienting, since it seems to be further in the future than the TV series. However, once I got my head around the differences, I truly enjoyed this book. The unpredictable twists and turns make this novel highly entertaining reading. My only gripe is that Maura, my favourite character in the show, did not appear anywhere near enough in the book. A must-read for any Rizzoli & Isles fan.

[brainella · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked this installment of Rizzoli & Isles a bit more than the last. When a couple hit(wo)men end up dead in Boston's Chinatown, Rizzoli and Frost explore old mysteries surrounding a 20 year old murder/suicide and some missing girls. A new character is introduced and Korsak and Mama Rizzoli are getting married. Look out.

The Chinese legends and history are woven in nicely. Maura needs to stop pining for the priest. This book was pretty good.

[devenish_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This case initially concerns a mass shooting in a restaurant but soon turns to the trail of a number of missing young girls. Maura Isles has a minor part to play as the investigation is run by Jane Rizzoli. A severed hand is found by a member of a group touring Chinatown, which features strongly in this story.
Tess Gerritsen is a master story teller and 'The Silent Girl' does not let her down,in fact I found this latest book to be one of my favorites.

[jendoyle2000 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The problem with a book that's written this well is that it really gets to you. When it's written in the city you live in and about 12-yr-old girls disappearing when you have a 12-yr-old daughter, well, that doesn't help matters. To be honest, if I'd known that that was a part of it I might not have picked this up; it's just too close to home. And yet it was so well written that I'm not sorry I did. (Well, until tonight when I start having nightmares, but that's another story.)

I remember reading one of Tess Gerritsen's earliest novels, back before Rizzoli & Isles, and being impressed. When the Rizzoli & Isles show came on I didn't put the two together, not having realized that Gerritsen had moved on beyond the medical thrillers. I sought out one of her R&I books and was reminded at how good of a writer she was -- but the suspense was so much that I didn't go back right away. For some reason this week I've been on a keep-me-on-the-edge thriller kick, however, so I specifically picked up _The Silent Girl_.

One of the first things about the R&I series is that there are some distinct differences between the books and the show, particularly in the roster of Rizzoli's colleagues. In the books, Rizzoli also is married and has a child. With that said, the characterizations of both Rizzoli and Isles are so well portrayed on the TNT show that it was hard not to picture those actresses as I read. As other reviewers have said, the focus here is more on Rizzoli, although I didn't see that as a problem. Their relationship was a major thread of the book, at least enough so for me to be satisfied. The Chinatown/martial arts piece was the more prevailing part and excellently handled. Which makes sense, of course, since Gerritsen herself is Chinese. (Although, funnily enough, the Rizzoli voice is so strong that I forgot this and was instead picturing her as Italian, but that's neither here nor there.) I also really enjoyed the strong female characters in this book, particularly Iris Fang. And the way that it all came together in the end.

Saying too much more would give it away and I don't want to do that so I'll stop it here, but I highly recommend that you give this book a try.

[delphimo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book with the background of Chinese woman warriors and the sense of family loyalty. Gerritsen is a physician and an excellent writer. I thought that her novel would be too technical, but Patricia Cornwall goes into more detail in describing an autopsy. Gerritsen presents likeable characters. I enjoy the friendship between Jane Rizzoli and Dr Maura Isles. I liked the way that the story progressed through first person narrative with two different women relaying the story. I definitely plan to read more books written by Tess Gerritsen.

[sleahey_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another satisfying thriller from Gerritsen, less about Isles, more about Rizzoli. Set in exotic Chinatown, with threads of missing girls, violent killings, Irish Mafia, and personal relationships, this mystery contains some surprises that keep the action moving along nicely.

[highflyer_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This review will be posted on my blog on August 27th. I haven't really read any of Gerritsen's long stories in the Rizzoli and Isles series so I wasn't too familiar with her work. However, I wasn't disappointed with this book. It's very well written. It has the perfect balance of description and moving along with the plotline so the story never really gets boring. There is also a nice balance between police detective work and forensic evidence from Dr. Isles to wrap up the mystery neatly and nicely. Also, another really great thing about this book is that it doesn't give away important plot twists until right before the character reveals their knowledge about characters or events themselves. There were several times in this novel I didn't come to the conclusion that I knew the truth until right before it was explained to me. Also, the wrap up at the end revealed an aspect that I didn't see coming. I think too many novels make things wrap up too easily, revealing everything too early so it becomes a chore to read, but not this book. It's a great read and a nice way to keep up with the characters Rizzoli and Isles if you hate waiting for the TV show on Monday nights. My only real complaint I suppose, is I expected more action from Rizzoli in the climax of this novel. It was a bit disappointing.

[emhromp2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Tess Gerritsen never disappoints. I like her novels very much, and wouldn't want to miss one of them. This novel is better than the previous one, I think. I especially liked the unexpected ending.

[adpaton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Something inhuman is stalking the alleys and rooftops of Boston’s Chinatown, something swift, mythical and seemingly bent on exacting deadly vengeance for a two-decade old massacre in which an illegal immigrant killed four people before turning the gun on himself. Or did he?

Boston PD detective Jane Rizzoli teams up with her friend Maura Isles, the medical examiner, in a case that involves present murders with ties to a series of missing girls and a 19 year old murder suicide, yet the deeper they dig the more they begin the doubt the accepted story of the old killings and to discover incongruous but lethal links between past and present.

And just ahead of them every step of the way is the barely glimpsed Monkey King, an old Chinese legend come to life, and despite the assistance of a Chinese detective, they are getting very little information from the inhabitants of Chinatown who remain convinced there is a mystery still to be solved and injustice to be righted.

Martial arts, missing girls, paedophiles, post mortems, Tess Gerritsen brings all the threads together and delves into her own cultural legacy to bring us the ninth in the Rizzoli and Isles series, another first-class page turner.

[abcarroll_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great book, couldn't put it down!

[sandylee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A human hand is found during a ghost tour in Chinatown. On the roof of a building is the rest of the body of a woman with no I.D. and a gun lying nearby, a gun she had possibly used to kill her attacker. The investigation leads to a murder-suicide that took place nineteen years ago at the Red Phoenix restaurant in Chinatown. One thin thread connecting the murders is the disappearance of two young girls. Maura Isles meanwhile is entertaining “Rat,” a young boy who had saved her life in a previous book. Having seen enough violence in his young life, seeing autopsy photos from the murder-suicide doesn’t appear to bother him. Matter of fact, he points out something interesting that Maura feels worth following up on. Johnny Tam, a detective from another district, would hope to someday work in Homicide. Since Detective Jane Rizzoli needs an interpreter in order to question Chinatown residents, Tam offers his assistance. Interwoven in the case is the history of the mythical Monkey King who stands on the side of justice. When chasing after a suspect in a dark alley, Jane was almost killed but “something” came up behind her attacker and decapitated him in one clean hit, the same as the victim found on the roof. All she saw was a shadow, silver hair and teeth. An animal hair had been found on the first victim, possibly belonging to a monkey. Jane suspects Iris Fang knows more than she is letting on. She is the widow of the waiter killed in the Red Phoenix case. She is accused by others of sending out notes on the anniversary of the massacre stating “I know what really happened.” When a retired cop is murdered after following leads, Jane suspects he was onto something, linking the current murders to the Red Phoenix massacre and other missing girls. Another compelling installment in the Rizzoli & Isles series.