Tess is one author that I love some of her books with a mad passion and some I just can't get into so it is really hit or miss for me. This book was a hit. Ava flees Boston for the summer after some trauma in her life and ends up renting a captain's home in Maine. As soon as she arrives the skin on her starts to crawl because things just do not feel right and her cat agrees. As she starts to delve into the town locals she finds out about many mysterious happenings that may or may not be connected to this house. The book and the characters were addictive and I was kept up wanting to know how this would end and what was really going on.

I just want to know what happened to the Tess Gerritsen I used to know and love. I adored the Rizzoli and Isles series, I've been a fan since the very beginning and her forensic knowledge and gripping mysteries have always made me gravitate towards her books. But this new bent she has toward the paranormal is just not my cup of tea.
This book is like 50 Shades of Grey with ghosts. And lots and lots and lots of drinking. Ava is nearly constantly drunk. There were times this book totally bordered on uncomfortable for me because erotica and paranormal are at the bottom of my list of preferred genres. I didn't care for Ava as a character because I thought she was a wimp and couldn't face some poor choices from the past (albeit made while...you guessed it...drunk).
I have been going back and forth between one and two stars, and I did finish the book, so that deserves a little credit. But if you think you're getting a smart mystery here, I'd advise you to steer clear and pick another book. If you like ghosts and drinking and sex with ghosts...go for it, you'll probably like it.

The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen is not your typical novel by Ms. Gerritsen.
Part gothic romance part ghost story part erotic mystery.
Food writer Ava needs time away to heal from a tragic accident that she feels responsible for.
She hopes that traveling to a small seaside town in Maine will allow her to do this and also
complete her passed due book on traditional New England cooking. Ava spends her days
developing her recipes (which I wish were shared) and learning about the history of Brodie's Watch
and the seafaring captain who built it. Her nights become interrupted and then enjoyed with
visits to a hidden turret room by the ghost of Captain Brodie.
Eventually, Ava realizes that the former tenant is missing and many of the women who lived in the house have died in possibly mysterious ways. Is the ghost of Captain Brodie or something more sinister responsible?

Ava Collette, still reeling from a tragedy that haunts her, decides to leave Boston and rent out a luxurious, newly renovated mansion in a remote village in Maine for the summer. She hopes the time away will give her the space she needs to finish the cookbook she’s writing.

But everything is not as it seems in coastal Maine. When she arrives, the mansion is still under construction and she starts hearing disturbing stories about its history. Rumor has it that Captain Jeremiah Brodie, who had the mansion built specifically for him long ago, still haunts the house and grounds. And sure enough, Ava begins catching glimpses of a tall, dark, and handsome stranger.

Then those glimpses turn into something more, and Ava begins to question her sanity. Mysterious sounds and visits in the night, bruises she can’t explain, and more, lead her to search out more information about Captain Brodie and this mysterious mansion with its many secrets.

It turns out every woman who has lived in this house over the years has also died in it, and Ava doesn’t know whether it’s the ghost of Captain Brodie at work or if a real-life killer is living among the residents of the tiny village. But she’s determined to find out.

Okay, so, this book. I have… some thoughts. Most of them not great.

~Spoilers aheads~

First of all, I am a HUGE Tess Gerritsen fan. I have read 21 of her books and short stories, and have almost all of her books as first edition hardcovers. So, the opportunity to read an ARC of this one on NetGalley was too good to pass up.

Most Gerritsen fans know she got her start as a Harlequin romance author before transitioning to suspense and hitting it big, first with her medical thrillers like Harvest and then her Rizzoli & Isles series, all of which I love.

The Shape of Night is definitely more Harlequin than suspense, which I wasn’t really expecting. I had gone in thinking this was a straight up gothic thriller based on the description, and yes, there are elements of that, but this is more 50 Shades of Grey with ghosts than anything else. And I was not prepared for that. I mean, pretty much every chapter had graphic and explicit sexual scenes, most of them not consensual. Ava’s straight up telling the ghost of Captain Brodie “no” in several scenes and he’s just like “I’m only doing what you secretly want me to,” and I mean, what??? Frankly, I’m really surprised that a book like this would even be accepted and published in the midst of the #MeToo movement. It’s discouraging, especially coming from an author I love so much, who usually writes such strong, empowering female characters.

And, I mean, I’ve read a few of Gerritsen’s Harlequin romances, and they’re way more tame sexually than this book. So, it felt really out of left field compared to any of her other books, romance or suspense.

And look, for those who are fans of 50 Shades, I think you’ll probably like this book. No one can argue with the fact that Gerritsen is a great writer. She knows how to craft a story that keeps you turning pages. But I feel like the marketing department really missed the mark with this book because positioning it as gothic suspense when it’s really paranormal romance feels misleading. And the elements of rape and sexual assault are incredibly disappointing. I know most publishers aren’t keen on trigger warnings, but this is a book that could have used one, especially when its genre is (in my opinion) completely miscategorized, which will lead to even more readers being unprepared for some of the main story elements.

Overall, this is by far my least favorite of Gerritsen’s books. Even if you took out the many problematic elements I’ve already mentioned, the “mystery” itself felt lackluster. You could spot the bad guy a mile away and there weren’t any unpredictable twists and turns plot-wise. Two out of five stars for me.

There's more than a touch of the paranormal in this book, so if ghosts and things that go bump in the night fall outside your credibility wheelhouse, you might want to skip this one. I, however, found it quite enjoyable - even nail-biting in spots.

It's set in an isolated century house on coastal Maine that's been rented for the summer by Boston cookbook writer Ava Collette. Professional carpenters are still finishing up restoration work on the deteriorated upper-level turret, but after they're gone for the day, Ava gets a distinct feeling she's still not alone. Not long after, she gets a more up-close-and-personal look; her "guest," it seems, may be the ghost of the home's original owner, Captain Brodie, who died at sea not long after building the house of his dreams. Ava's vision of him is so real, in fact, that she literally feels him touching her (always at night when she's in bed, so read into that what you will). Because he always seems to know exactly what Ava needs - both physically and emotionally - she begins to look forward to the visits.

But Ava, who provides a first-person account of what's happening, has a dark secret of her own from which she's trying to escape. And not long after the captain's nocturnal visits begin, she realizes the house holds many other secrets much darker than hers - all of which involve women with whom she bears an uncanny resemblance. Throw in a couple of past and present murders and a real wanna-be boyfriend who can't compete with the ghost in Ava's eyes, and the result is a suspense novel that's a little bit scary and a lot of fun. That said, I do admit to conjuring up the thought, every once in a while, that Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles - much-loved characters from the popular series also penned by this author - would have had a hoot dealing with the apparition that appears here.

Well done, and I thank to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

“Why did I think running away would solve anything? Wherever you go, you drag along your own misery…” The Shape of Night is a sensual and mysterious tale of longing, guilt, lust and murder. The characters are interesting and realistic. The plot will have you thinking long after you close the book for the day, as its twists can be a little creepy. Definitely thought provoking, The Shape of Night will keep you up at night!

I love Tess Gerritsens books, great suspense. Sprinkled throughout is mystery, suspense and even some ghosts. Al you can do is keep turning the page and enjoy the ride

I have been a fan of the author's medical thrillers and this one is a bit of a departure from that. Ava comes to a small town in Maine to finish her book and deal with the fallout of an indiscretion on New Year's eve with her sister's husband. She settles in an old mansion that is said to be haunted. Ava finds the house a little creepy, but likes the views and isolation. She becomes curious about the history of the house and soon the ghost of Caption Brodie, the house's original owner appears. This is where the book gets weird. The Captain wants Ava sexually and the next thing you know he takes her back in time through the turret of the house into his sex dungeon. As Ava does more research on the house she realizes the former owners have died and she gets scared. The ending was a bit of a surprise. In all the book was a quick read and I enjoyed it, though I didn't need the time travel and S&M.

Oh my - romance, mystery, history, architecture, seafaring captains, delectable food. What more could a girl want? Ava is an emotionally wounded cookbook author seeking a place to test her recipes and write in solace. She picks a coastal town in Maine that offers her a mansion on a hill, named Brodie’s Watch. Over 150 years ago a seafaring captain built this historic house and then perished at sea. What she finds is a welcoming house under renovation. Maybe a little too welcome when things start appearing in the night. Ghost? Demon? Apparition lover? Is Ava losing her mind or being haunted? Meanwhile she learns women have previously died in the house while the town doctor starts a romance with her at the same time she has to deal with her estranged sister. It all becomes too much and something has to give, but what will that be? Just read it already!

This was certainly a departure from books by Tess Gerritsen I've read in the past. I was expecting Rizzoli and Isles and got - - Victoria Holt? Which is fine except that it required a bit more "willing suspension of disbelief" than I was in the mood to give. The characters were interesting enough and the setting gave it the proper gothic feeling. It's an entertaining book - - as long as you aren't expecting Gerritsen's usual crime fiction.

For years I have enjoyed reading Tess Gerritsen’s RIZZOLI & ISLES series of books and watching the television series, so I could not wait to read THE SHAPE OF NIGHT, one of her standalone thrillers. Though I love books centered around the paranormal, this one just wasn’t for me. The main issue I had was my inability to connect with and really care about the main character and narrator, Ava.

PLAYING WITH FIRE is the next Tess Gerritsen standalone thriller on my to-be-read list, and I can’t wait!

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, for providing me with an advance copy of THE SHAPE OF NIGHT in exchange for an honest review.

The Shape of Night is an abrupt departure from this author’s usual police procedural. It’s an atmospheric gothic romantic suspense story with some modern twists thrown in.

Ava has a terrible guilt-driven secret. In addition, she is over a year past the publisher’s deadline on her latest cookbook. Hoping to escape her guilt, Ava rents a remote old house on the windswept Maine coast. The house is incredibly cheap because it is still undergoing renovation and the previous tenant left without giving notice.

Ava soon sees the ghost of the former owner of the house, 1800s Sea Captain Brodie. When he appears in her bedroom, they start a unique relationship involving Ava’s guilt and the Captain’s unusual method of helping her get over it. Will he really never hurt her in his house as he promised? Or is there something darker afoot?

The entire plot of the Shape of Night is unexpected. It is a slow-burning gothic suspense novel mixed with a modern amateur sleuth story. There are actually three mysteries involved. What is Ava’s secret? Who or what is Captain Brodie—a benevolent ghost or a vindictive demon? What caused the previous tenant of the house to run away one night never to return?

I thought that the atmospheric gothic feel of the novel was pitch-perfect. I had some issues with the mysteries. One was too easy to figure out. Another was wrapped up too quickly at the end of the book—though in an exciting way. The other was never clearly answered.

Surprisingly, since I am a mystery reader, I enjoyed the paranormal aspects of this novel the most. That part of the plot was engrossing making this book a compelling page-turner. However, the mysteries left me underwhelmed for the reasons I stated above. Because of that schism, it is hard to rate this book. However, since I love genre mash-ups, I’ll round up to 4 stars!

Thanks to Ballantine, Random House and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I am a huge fan of the rizzoli snd isles series. The writing, the chemistry between characters, etc. so I was thrilled to learn of this story and could not wait to check it out!

Well...I found this book to have a great balance of intrigue, mystery, crime, romance and family love. There is certainly a question of harm/evil, but is it paranormal or human? A dark secret or more also exist and some questions do remain unanswered! Loved the twists in the story and the vivid descriptions of home and geography. Certainly a page turner and I loved the incorporation of flashbacks.

Thank you for the chance to read this book and share my opinion!

The Shape of Night is a suspenseful novel that is full of the interesting characters. It is the entertaining read that Tess Gerritsen is known for. When a fantastic summer rental suddenly becomes available on the Maine coast, Ava jumps at the opportunity. She hopes that the time away from her Boston home will allow her to finish writing her cookbook and to get her life in order. Ava drinks too much and is estranged from her beloved sister. The Maine house was built in 1861 and is called Brodie's Watch. Captain Brodie made his fortune sailing between Maine and Shanghai. Ava begins to see Captain Brodie's ghost and is entranced by him. Is the house haunted? Ava discovers a designer scarf left behind by the previous tenant leave who broke her lease. Why did she leave the house suddenly and where is she? The Shape of Night is a page turner that should not be missed.

This book was very different from other Tess Gerritsen books I have read. It is part ghost story, part suspense, part dark romance (kind of?). Ave is not a very sympathetic character and you get the gist of why she is on a self-destructive path pretty early. However, it is not really said out loud until late in the book. So when it is revealed, it was pretty anti-climatic. The suspense part was the saving aspect of the book for me. You didn't really know what was happening until the last few chapters.

Not the type of story that I have become accustomed to from Tess, but still pulled me in. Can guilt make one conjure up a ghostly being or is Brodie's Watch truly haunted? Is Captain Brodie still haunting his house a century and a half later after being lost at sea? Or is Ava so guilt ridden by a past incident that she is imagining the house has a hold on her.

The Shape of Night
By Tess Gerritsen

I took a chance with requesting, "The Shape of Night," by Tess Gerritsen. What an absolute polished writer she is. I am aware that she has been an internationally bestselling author for many, many years. I wasn't expecting to be so completely dazzled by her writing style. From the very first page until the last I enjoyed and was mesmerized by how this author can integrate great storytelling with minimal characters and be such an absolute pleasure to read. Perhaps because the locations she has set this spooky and atmospheric tale are locations that I am familiar with is part of the reason I could picture the vivid scenery in my head as if I were watching a good movie.

This book is a stand alone which I didn't realize until I started reading it because I was clueless as to what this one was about. It is a perfect Halloween read . So aptly perfect for its publication date of October 1, 2019. It is a charming story about a woman named Ava who has rented a mansion to finish her overdue manuscript which is a cookbook featuring traditional New England recipes. She has rented a mansion that overlooks the ocean in a coastal quaint Maine small town where everyone knows everyone else's business. You can smell the briny, salty sea and the house is let us say haunted.

Ava is haunted herself and running from a past traumatic experience that we as readers don't know what happened for most of the novel. She drinks heavily at night to escape the guilt and shame she feels just to be able to fall asleep at night. She is totally likable and I found myself thinking while reading that she drinks an awful lot. I really did love this book. Even though the narrative has only one main character, the author writes so skillfully with warmth that I was so sad when I finished reading. Isn't that the sign of a magnificent book that you are left wanting more? I highly recommend trying Tess Gerritsen if you haven't had the pleasure of reading her work. I am so glad that I have discovered her and I will be reading more of her accomplishments as she has piqued my interest to read her other stand alone books.

Thank you to Net Galley, Tess Gerritsen and Ballantine Books for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I don't usually enjoy ghost-romances very much, but this one held my interest and I enjoyed it to the end.

This is the type of book I love! A woman, trying to outrun her past is drawn to a quiet coastal town in Maine- and to a string of unsolved murders. Great book of romantic suspense. She is consumed with her quest to solve this disturbing mystery.
You will love it!

I received a free ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritson is a murder mystery. Or is it a romance? Or is it a ghost story? Or is it women's fiction about a woman coming to grips with her past? Or is it all of these? What a very interesting book. Ava Collette has rented a house in Maine to hole up in for a few months to finish writing her cookbook. It is a year overdue and she has been paid for it. It is going to be all about historic Maine recipes but before she can select a recipe she has to try it out. So she does and feed the two workmen in the house she has rented: Ned and Billy. They are more than happy. But, she feels a presence, a ghost. For the cookbook and her own curiosity, she does some research on the house but doesn't come up with much other than the bare facts. She continues to see the ghost so she contacts a "ghost chaser," Maeve Cerridwyn. Maeve researches, and eventually comes to visit, then brings a film crew. Everything is getting stranger and stranger. Where will it end?

The Shape of Night is definitely a setting driven book. From the first few pages, the setting takes from and center as the lead in this book. Nearly everything that happens, happens there or is related to it. Other people have lived in this house, on this beach. Have all of them seen the ghost, too? Then there is the missing woman, Charlotte, who had rented the house before Ava, but left quickly with not much of a reason. Where is she? And the very odd owner of the house: a retired college professor who owns a multi-million dollar home. Such an odd set of facts. Is it that Ava drinks every night, most nights into oblivion. It's all too much. What a fabulous book this was. It kept me on my feet, wondering when Captain Brodie would appear and what personality he would assume. What is real? What is not? I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I received a free ARC of The Shape of Night from Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own.