Boston Detective Jane Rizzoli and Doctor Maura Isles, Boston’s medical examiner and forensic pathologist are back in I Know a Secret, which is book 12 in Tess Gerritsen’s highly successful and thrilling novels in the Rizzoli & Isles series. This is one of my very favorite book series, and I must say even though I've been reading Gerritsen's books for twenty years now she has never disappointed me with her amazing storytelling skills!

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of I Know a Secret prior to publication since Gerritsen is an incredible crime fiction writer, which is one of my all-time favorite genres. Reading her books is like watching an especially macabre, gruesome, twisted, and grisly episode of Law and Order (or fill in the blank with your favorite crime drama) only 1000% better since it is a book, and you get to use your imagination for all the gore and disturbing details! And wow, does Gerritsen have one crazy, twisted, and sick, but glorious imagination at times! And that is meant as a compliment in the best possible way—Tess Gerritsen you are a genius! For example, the synopsis for I Know a Secret tells the reader there are multiple, gruesome murders in the novel—in my opinion, the more the merrier for the sake of fiction! It also tells how the first victim is found dead, lying peacefully with her eyeballs literally scooped out from under her eyelids and placed within the palms of her hands with no other sign as to how she had been murdered. Just thinking about that scene again makes me shiver, slightly freak out, and want to close my eyes as tightly as I can—and go make sure my front door is locked and no one is lurking in my living room as I write this sitting alone while everyone is in bed! What a stroke of brilliant but twisted imagery right in the first chapter that just pulls you in because who doesn’t want to know more about a murder this shocking and chilling! It’s terrifying, powerful, and captivating at the same time. I could not put this book down until I was done with it and read it from start to finish in about 3 hours. Just That Good!!

The investigation into the murder of the first victim, Cassandra Coyle, a young woman who produces horror movies, at first seems like the work of a deranged horror movie fan until another murder victim, Timothy McDougal, is also found terribly mutilated after death, his body riddled with arrows. Again, there is no obvious cause of death. But it doesn’t take long until Maura finds the cause of both their deaths (which I found such an intriguing and ingenious way to kill someone and not leave any signs), and she and links the two victim’s deaths together. Jane is now on the hunt for one murderer.

But it is Maura who sees the pattern in victim’s mutilations—the eyeballs in the girl’s hands, the man pierced with arrows are not just random acts of violence. They are specific attacks and the victims are staged to represent the deaths of Catholic Saints whose birthday’s they share. Maura’s eye for details opens the case wide open and leads Jane on a manhunt that goes back 20 years to a missing 9-year-old girl and a case of child sexual abuse that both of the murder victims were victims of. Is someone now killing all the children who were victims of the daycare child abuse case? Jane’s investigation leads to more questions, more victims, and a witness who is in hiding because she knows not only what happened 20 years ago at the daycare but who the killer is today. But is there more to Holly than meets the eye? 

This was such a cleverly plotted book with different storylines that all come together in a very disturbing and stunning ending! I admit that I was completely wrong about who the real killer was or and was only partially correct about what happened 20 years ago with the day care abuse. I love it when I can’t figure out the whodunit! That means Gerritsen did an outstanding job writing her story and keeping her readers in the dark until she chose to make her big reveal! Brava! Not only was the ending compelling, but Gerritsen has given Jane, and the readers, a new antagonist to play with in upcoming books! I’m really looking forward to more of encounters between Holly Devine and Jane in upcoming books.

If you are a huge fan of Tess Gerritsen’s books like I am, then I highly recommend you read I know a Secret! If you are new to Gerritsen and love disturbing, clever suspense novels, then I still recommend I Know a Secret! Either way, you won’t be disappointed! Oh, and it may be book 12 in the series, and I do recommend you read them all since there are many parts of Jane and Maura’s personal lives and personal growth that occur in books 1-11, but book 12 can be read as a standalone without any problems!

***Thank you. NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Tess Gerritsen for an ARC copy of I Know a Secret in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.**

It was the days of the daycare molestation scare in the US. Children prompted by overzealous DAs and psychologists, pointed fingers at people that were supposed to be their protectors and turned them into perpetrators of a great evil. Overnight parental fears of the monster under the bed became a national obsession. Twenty years have passed, but somethings are not forgotten. The abused children have supposedly moved on with lives. The perpetrators have paid their debt to society or have died in prison. But not all is at is seems. A dark and evil secret lives hidden away until one day it rears its ugly head. So begins the latest in the Rizzoli and Isles mystery series. I Know a Secret by Tess Gerritsen, is the basis of all of our nightmares.

Read the entire review at https://journalingonpaper.com/2017/08/01/book-review-i-know-a-secret-by-tess-gerritsen/

I looked forward to this latest installment of the popular Rizzoli & Isles series, having read all the previous books. Detective Jane Rizzoli and Dr. Maura Isles are called to the scene of several murders involving strangely mutilated, 26-year-old victims. The torso of one young man is pierced with arrows, although that is not the cause of death. The body of a young woman suffered bilateral globe enucleation (look it up) … post-mortem. The bodies have high levels of ketamine, a date-rape drug. Is there a possible connection?

Gerritsen weaves the theme of horror in and amongst the crimes. One of the victims, Cassandra Coyle, was a maker of horror films. The book examines horror in other contexts such as child abuse and early church martyrs. While I thought the intertwining motif of horror was creative, the overall plot was not as complex as some of Gerritsen’s earlier works.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book, as well as catching up with the Rizzoli clan and Maura’s personal life. It felt like a class reunion.

With thanks to the Ballantine Books and the author, Tess Gerritsen.

I have not read previous titles in the Rizzoli and Isles series, but have recently begun watching reruns of the television adaptation, which I thoroughly enjoy. When offered and advanced reader's copy of this title it seemed like I should try the characters in the author's original presentation. Was it as enjoyable as the adaptation? Short answer: yes, a well crafted mystery with great characters and a convincing story line. While I did not need to have read the prior titles in the series to enjoy the most recent entry, I plan to add them to my reading list.

Longer answer: Jane Rizzoli is a Boston PD detective assigned to investigate the death of a young filmmaker with some unique ritualistic circumstances. Throughout the storyline, chapters are interspersed with an alternate narrator who knew the victim, and some additional victims who turn up in the area. The cases all lead back to a case involving the victims in their childhood after-school center. Jane's friend and colleague, Dr. Laura Illes, determines the connections between the cases. Together (as is usually the case) they piece together the event of the past and the current crimes.

Very enjoyable read, highly recommend for readers of thrillers, mysteries and well thought out crime novels.

Unlike another well known mystery series author, I am still up to date with Rizzoli and Isles, and so I was eagerly awaiting this book to get my R&I fix now that the TV show is over. Since the first couple of books in the series the novels have gone up and down and I do think that this one was on the up swing (even though it has Daniel Brophy in it).

The body that Rizzoli & Isles get called to is a young woman and horrifically gruesome. And soon it's not the only dead body they're investigating. And again, Rizzoli and Isles are knee deep in quite a case that goes all twisty and turney almost from the beginning.

There's also some parts of the novel that are told by someone with a connection to the mystery, but we're not sure what it is until near to the end. (Or I wasn't totally sure how she'd connect at least).

There's also some family drama for both of the ladies. Maura and her birth mother have another go-round, and then there's Angela Rizzoli. The book Angela has always been so different from the TV Angela (probably have Lorraine Bracco to thank for that. Thank you Ms. Bracco). And so this subplot with Angela was an awesome breath of fresh air.

It was a good read. Neither the mystery/thriller nor the family subplots overwhelmed the other. There was Brophy in it, ugh, but it didn't seem to suck the novel down as having him in it usually does (sorry, can you tell that I don't like Father Daniel Brophy at all, or am I being too subtle?) I still miss the TV show a little bit, but, this particular book in the series filled that hole a bit.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley on behalf of Ballantine Books.

One of my favorite things about Tess Gerritsen's writing is her ability to create characters that feel like they could walk right off the pages. Even her minor characters have complex personalities and full lives.

With Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles, we have two women who excel in their careers. They both have a firm sense of right and wrong, though they occasionally stumble in the gray areas. The family dynamics in both their lives ensure they don't feel like caricatures or superheroes, but more like real life working women.

The plot ventures into some dark corners, though this is well balanced with the lighthearted banter and comical family moments. I had part of the later twist figured out, which is more a product of reading a whole lot within this genre rather than any fault of the author. Still, some aspects surprised me and I thoroughly enjoyed the story's execution.

I also love the way Gerritsen tackles the controversy surrounding Maura's romance. I don't want to risk spoilers for those unfamiliar with this ongoing storyline, so I won't give specifics. But the turmoil of this forbidden love is handled beautifully and could be a topic of discussion all its own.

While the 12th in a series, I think this book reads well as a stand-alone. Enough background on the characters is given for new readers to understand the history and relationships. If you're new to the books but had watched the TV series, you'll find the relationships are slightly different here.

Excellent Mystery

This was the first Jane Rizzoli & Maura Isles novel I’ve read but it won’t be the last. A series of gruesome murders lead the women to investigate events that happened two decades earlier, when a girl went missing and her hat turned up on a bus driven by a daycare employee. Not only did Gerritsen keep me guessing but she also left me wanting to learn more about the main characters. I grew up in New England and her depiction of Rizzoli’s family dynamic was spot on, as was her portrayal of the Boston area in the middle of winter. The mystery itself was engaging and by the end I couldn’t put the book down. It even sent me in search of details about a notorious case that happened outside of Boston years ago, one which may have served as a basis for a key part of the plot in I Know a Secret. Highly recommended.

The Last Rizzoli & Isles book published in 2014, so I was excited to get my hands on an early copy of I KNOW A SECRET by Tess Gerritsen. Since 2o01 long before, the series became a popular television series on TNT, I've spent time with Maura and Jane as they solve crimes and catch killers.

I KNOW A SECRET offered an intense mystery filled with suspense and danger as they move to catch a serial killer.

Gerristen knows how to pull the reader in, and she opens the story with a gruesome crime scene. The victim is found lying on her bed with no apparent cause of death.  No need to check for a pulse though as the victim’s eyes have been removed and placed in the palm of her hand. And so we begin. Before it is all done there will be more victims, and Maura will need to consult with the man she loves but has agreed to stop seeing. Their's is a forbidden romance and fans of the series will appreciate the development of that thread.

Jane is racing against time as she gathers clues and searches for a connection between the victims. Meanwhile, Maura looks for answers on the autopsy table and makes a startling discovery. Gerristen makes the reader feel as if they are a part of the case, revealing clues and sharing findings. We also are given the perspective of the killer, and it is an aspect I look for in these kinds of thrillers. The criminal mind intrigues me, and Gerristen shares their chilling and disturbing thoughts. It adds welcome tension as the suspense builds since we know things the characters do not.

We get updates on Frankie, Gabriel, and Jane's family. We also spend a little time a member of Maura's family. All of the threads even ones that seem insignificant are carefully woven together until Gerristen reveals the answers. The tale was filled with twists and turns as secondary characters and suspects are eliminated. I did piece together bits but was surprised by a character when the truth was revealed.

From the pacing to the realistic and chilling case I easily lost myself within the pages of I KNOW A SECRET and devoured it in just two evenings.

[bctt tweet="I KNOW A SECRET by Tess Gerritsen will give readers chills as Rizzoli & Isles work to catch a serial killer with a twisted agenda." username="kimbacaffeinate"]

Tess just knows how to pull it off. There are few Rizzoli and Isles that haven't sucked me into its vortex and this one is no exception. This medical crime thriller begins with the finding of a horror film producer found dead on her bed, with her eyeballs neatly placed in her palms. If that isn't enough, a serial killing unfolds but with a particular religious point of view. Further peeling the onion reveals a connection to a 20 year old molestation charge at an after care school program attended by the victims. Time is of the essence as Detective Jane Rizzoli and her partner struggle to solve the crime spree before another person is involved. What can I say? This fast paced blood and guts pulled me in, hook, line and sinker..

Welcome back Rizzoli and Isles. It’s been awhile and I missed you!

Two separate homicides have more in common than being investigated by Boston PD detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles. In both cases, the bodies bear startling wounds—yet the actual cause of death is unknown. On top of work come personal struggles for each woman. Jane struggles to save her mother from a crumbling marriage, and Maura grapples with the imminent death of her own mother—infamous serial killer Amalthea Lank.

Reading the latest in a favorite series is a lot like coming home after an extended time away. Being back with Jane and Maura was like a reunion with friends I haven’t seen in awhile. I’ve read every book in this series. I don’t remember every little detail of the previous stories – crimes or personal – but I read this latest edition to the series without feeling lost when references to the previous books were mentioned.

Compelling and page turning, I Know a Secret continues with the same terrific suspense as the proceeding books. Whether you’re new to Rizzoli and Isles or a fan of the series like me, this book will not disappoint. What’s next for Rizzoli and Isles? I don’t know for sure but I feel the door was left open to continue to explore the personal lives of Jane and Maura further. Of course, whatever comes their way next, I’m there.

Thanks Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and netgalley for this ARC.

This Rizzoli and Isles novel goes in a totally different tack than the previous one- but in a good way. It's a more inward looking novel. Still pure Tess Gerritsen!

I Know A Secret (Rizzoli & Isles, #12) by Tess Gerritsen, reunites series readers with familiar characters, they have known for many years.

The book felt formulaic and lacked any real tension, despite some well written murder descriptions, supportive to the storyline. Interwoven throughout the story, and offsetting the murders, are the day to day family events of the Rizzoli clan, and the emotional situations that effect Maura.

The book was enjoyable and I was glad to be reunited with characters I’ve come to love. The plot of the story would allow the book to be read as a standalone, but the back story of the primary characters would not be known by the reader, if this is OK with you, jump on in and enjoy the book.

I wish to say thank you to the author, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy.

The expected publication date is August 22nd 2017

For me this was a 3 star read

Maura Isles and Jane Rizzoli are among my favorite crime solving duos. Pick any book from the series and you will understand why.
In the 12th installment of the series, Isles & Rizzoli come face to face with a horrific murder scene. The victim is a horror film producer. Her body position appears to be staged. Her eyes have been removed and placed in her hand. There is a significance to this, but no spoilers in this review.
It doesn't end here...
The Detective, Jane Rizzoli and the Medical Examiner, Maura Isles are friends and colleagues. They make a great team.
The killer has another victim chosen. The twist is that the next one knows what Maura & Jane are looking for, but it's a secret she does not want to share.
Have I piqued your interest?
Tess Gerritsen is one of my favorite authors. She did an exceptional job writing this novel.
" I Know A Secret," is a page turner with more twists than a pretzel.
Thank you to Netgalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased opinion.

I Know a Secret is book twelve of the Rizzoli & Isles series. In this portion, Angela and Frank Sr. have reconciled after he ran off with another woman and she threw him out.  What was she thinking, seriously???  Jane and Gabriel are happily raising little Regina.  Meanwhile, Frank Jr. is preparing to take the FBI exam and has the misguided idea that because his brother in law is an agent, he's definitely in.  Maura Isles is still trying to break ties with her biological mother.  She's currently in prison dying of cancer and insists that Maura is no different than her biological family of murderers.

All of this is the backdrop to the mysterious deaths of the former children that accused the owners of The Apple Tree Daycare Center of child molestation and devil worship.  Now Maura and Jane must uncover the truth, find out what really happened to Lizzie all those years ago,and find the killer before the final victim dies.  There's only one person that knows the truth and she intends to take this knowledge to the grave.

I don't know how Tess Gerritsen does it, there is little story lines in the background that are so detailed that it feels like you're in each character's living room.  The mystery was so intense, I wasn't able to solve it and was in complete shock when the murderer was revealed.  That is something that rarely ever happens and the reason I found this novel so extremely enjoyable.

Another great Rizzoli and Isles book! This one had me guessing until the end.

Another winner for Tess Gerritsen. The latest installment in the Rizzoli and Isles is a must for fans of the series and not a bad introduction to the characters for first time readers. Highly Recommended.

It had been so long since I had read a Rizzoli and Isles book that I had actually forgotten just how much I love the way the two characters play off of each other. This book was a great reminder of that. One of my favorite things about reading a Tess Gerritsen book is that she writes so true to life. In the latest in this series, it is, yet again, Maura's turn to have a few personal crises and we see the humanity in her instead of just the cold, hard medical examiner. With a satisfying twist (although one still feasibly easy to guess), Ms. Gerritsen proves that this series has still definitely "got it."

Tess Gerritsen certainly comes through with this one. Another fantastic thriller. From the opening pages to the end, this book held my attention completely, and I could not read fast enough to find out what would happen next. At the latest crime scene, Detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles confront a weird scene: a dead woman with her eyes cut out of her head and held in the palm of her hand, bringing to mind the horror films she produces for a living. Then, shortly afterward, they find another strange murder scene: a man found dead on a pier in town, with arrows in his torso. Neither can fully understand what is going on or if the cases are connected at first, nor do they have even a clue, until Maura connects these deaths with deaths depicted in colored stained-glass windows and stories in church martyr symbology, but is this possible? Jane and Maura ferret out clue after clue to determine what exactly happened to these two, and if there are other previous murders also connected to this fiendish murderer. The story moves along quickly, with a myriad of twists and turns that kept me glued to the story line, as I delved, along with Jane and Maura, into the strange, exotic criminal mind of this serial killer. By the ending, I was totally involved in the story and eagerly awaiting the solution to this strange puzzle.

Tess Gerritsen has given us another fantastic book in the Rizzoli & Isles series. Both lead characters, Jane and Maura, are well done and manage to do their thing throughout the haphazard crime scenes, with the same due diligence and cleverness they always exhibit. In this book, we once again meet Maura’s deranged, criminal mother, on her deathbed, who provides Maura a clue—though Maura does not realize this immediately. In addition, the on-going saga of Jane’s family and especially her parents’ strained relationship returns in full force. However, neither of these takes over or away from the basic story, but only add to the realism and the fact that these two women are real humans with real lives and problems/situations, with which they must deal as they work through their careers. I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters and found them all well developed and meaningful to the story. The plot, as I said, was excellent. I am not sure, but this may become my favorite book in the series—though there are so many others I have also enjoyed so much. If you enjoy a good, solid mystery thriller and are familiar with the Rizzoli and Isles series, this book will definitely appeal to you (even if you are not familiar with the series but are looking for something good to read). I highly recommend it. I received this from NetGalley go read and review.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books and Tess Gerritsen for the opportunity to read and review her latest thriller - it's wonderful!

I'm a huge fan of Gerritsen's writing - whether it's her Rizzoli and Isles series or her stand-alones. They are gripping thrillers and you won't be able to do a thing until you finish the book! This latest is no exception.

Rizzoli and Isles are again on the case, investigating a murder of a young woman who is found with her eyes removed and placed in her hands. However, Maura Isles can't find the cause of death. Then another victim shows up, this time with arrows in his chest, and again no cause of death. There are many suspects and plotlines - from memories of ritual abuse to martyrs. Plus, all the old Rizzoli/Isles relationships come back into play.

I'm sure this would be a great stand alone but it's even better as the next in an amazing series. Highly recommended!

It's so impressive when a series gets to be as long as the Rizzoli and Isles series has, and the author is able to still find interesting stories to tell. Tess Gerritsen once again found a way to tell a story that is surprising and addictive in I Know a Secret, drawing from the satanic cult terror of the 90s, horror movies, and the deaths of saints. If it sounds like that is too many things to combine in one story, it should be, but Tess Gerritsen connects them seamlessly. As with many mysteries and thrillers, too many plot details will risk giving away some of the story, and it would be a shame to assume too much before reading.
I've complained in other reviews that sometimes in a series an author has sacrificed any new character development in order to give more page space to the crime or current story line, and I Know a Secret shows that you can tell a great crime story and still let your characters grow. Maura in particular has a good deal going on in this story, and I continue to appreciate the friendship between her and Jane.
This is a long-running series that has yet to grow stale, and I've yet to find a reason to stop reading.