(2011)Another very good entry in the series as Rizzioli tries to solve a mystery of Jane Doe murdered that leads to an old crime in Chinatown. Isles is not involved very much in this one as the last book dealt with her. By J. Murray VINE¦ VOICEFormat:Hardcover|Amazon Vine¦ Review (What's this?)In "The Silent Girl", Tess Gerritsen delivers another tale of mystery, murder, and mayham, starring TV-famous Jane Rizzoli--detective with a heart--and Maura Isles, a medical examiner who searches only for truth (a contendor for Patricia Cornwall's early caricature of Kay Scarpetta, now abandoned for a darker, more depressing person I barely recognize). The story is told through the eyes of both the people solving the crime and the person suspected of committing it. This book, though, comes with a twist. More on that later.Rizzoli and Isles are called to the scene of a heinous murder which Rizzoli quickly ties to one nineteen years ago. Rizzoli's the star of this story with only cameo help from Isles, delivered with none of the ME's usual magic uncovering clues from dead bodies no one else notices. Why? Isles is distracted by ending her relationship with a boyfriend and testifying in a trial against a policeman. The former breaks her heart, the latter breaks the Blue Code of Silence and alienates her from the men she must work with on a daily basis. But it's Isles core reasoning--that truth is justice--which sets up the story's theme: Is truth a barometer of right and wrong or a moving target? There are several appealing scenes between Isles and the boy who saved her life in an earlier book that contribute to Isles part in solving this puzzling mystery, but nothing like the usual partnership we have come to relish between Rizzoli and Isles, crime solvers extraordinaire.While Gerritsen does a good job sharing the juxtaposition of man's law vs. nature's, leaving it to the reader to decide if they side with Maura's black and white view or Rizzoli's more tempered 'Do we really know', it's not enough. True the book is a satisfying read with lots of Gerritsen's trademark characterizations, plot twists and clever solutions, but it isn't a five-star. The reason is the new twist I mentioned in the first paragraph. Gerritsen uses the paranormal as a plot device. She couches it in authentic Chinese fables, but it's presented as creatures that do things no man can do, aka para-normal. That genre is popular right now, so she could be hoping to broaden her audience, but doing so risks alienating her traditional readers. Mystery thrillers don't normally respect mysticism like the ghosts and man-monkeys and wispy spirits I found in 'Silent Girl' even if they are defenders of justice. By halfway through the book, I was tired of phrases about 'icy fingers, 'chilled her', 'a cold breath', 'chill rippled through her'--enough! It's OK to have the metaphysical as a character trait, even a subplot, but not an integral part of the main plot. While I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion of Chinese history, I didn't like it in the Boston PD world of Jane and Maura, or as a structural part of the novel. My suggestion (I know she's reading this): If this is important to her evolving identity as an author, create a new character line of paranormal thrillers, but don't mix the two.

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. ( )

My favorite Rizzoli and Isles book. ( )

Rizzoli + Isles mystery set in Boston Chinatown — creepy ending good mystery

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, her head nearly severed. 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 the startling discovery: that this violent death had a chilling prequel.

Nineteen years earlier, a horrifying murder-suicide in a Chinatown restaurant left five people dead. But 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.

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. ( )