Thursday, June 9, 2011

Recommended Reading - Tess Gerritsen's THE RIZZOLI & ISLES SERIES

I don't read a lot of series but one I read religiously is Tess Gerritsen's The Rizzoli and Isles Series.

(Let me just stop here and say I know nothing about the TV show. I don't know whether it's good or not, how the acting is, etc. I will say that the actresses playing the main characters are not at all what I pictured in my head. They might be great but, for me, I'd rather keep my own version of Detective Jane Rizzoli and Medical Examiner Maura Isles in my head.) 

Now, back to the books. The characters are great - smart, funny, flawed - and the stories always take you for a great ride. One of the highest compliments I can pay to these books and to their author is that I want to read every word. Let me see if I can explain this -

I find that with a number of books, especially mystery/thrillers, I tend to skim the last part of the book. Sometimes it's because the last action scene is too long or the final confrontation between hero and villain is too predictable. Blah blah blah until I'm about five pages from the end and then I pick it up again just to see how it all turned out. 

I have never done that with one of the books in this series. In fact, I often find myself torn between racing ahead to find out what happens and slowing down, not only because I don't want the story to be over, but also because I don't want my time with Rizzoli and Isles to end. I recently finished reading Ice Cold (now in paperback) and I'm still thinking about it. 

Is anyone else a fan? Or do you have a favorite series you want to share?

And if you're looking for a great mystery/thriller, pick up one of these books. You don't have to read them in order but I think it's more fun that way, and then you can watch the characters evolve. (I originally read one in the middle of the series then went back and read them from the beginning.)

Take Tess and Jane and Maura with you on your summer vacation - they're great company.

2 comments:

  1. Madeline, we can't keep Tess Gerritsen books on the shelves at the library. I've seen the first few episodes of the television show and I really enjoyed the chemistry between Rizzoli and Isles. I'll definitely add it to my summer reading list!

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  2. Stacy, definitely check out the books - in order if you can. These are tough, strong women characters who have their flaws. They are well worth getting to know. :)

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