The Shape of the Night

Author: Tess Gerritsen

Pages:288

Genre: Mystery

October 1,2019

Rating: 4



A woman trying to outrun her past is drawn to a quiet coastal town in Maine–and to a string of unsolved murders–in this haunting tale of romantic suspense from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.

Ava Collette is punishing herself for an unspeakable tragedy. So she flees Boston and rents an old home named Brodie’s Watch on a remote coastal peninsula of Maine, hoping to work on a cookbook inspired by New England cuisine that she’s been trying to finish for months. She immediately feels at peace in the isolated house–until she starts to hear strange noises.

Rumor has it that a sea captain named Brodie has haunted the house for decades. Then, one night, Ava is awakened to find herself face to face with an apparition who looks–and feels–all too real. Meanwhile, there’s been a series of accidental deaths nearby that don’t add up. And as Ava starts to check into the previous renter’s mysterious disappearance, she starts to realize that there’s a disturbing secret some in town are desperate to keep hidden.

Soon all of Ava’s waking hours are consumed by her investigation, and her nights are ignited by Captain Brodie’s ghostly visits. But even as she questions her own sanity, she knows she must uncover the truth before a killer strikes again.



My thoughts

Would I recommend it?yes

Will I read anything else thing else by this author? yes

Will it was way different then I was excepting from this author ,it shows that she can write other stories that is way different from the series she's known for, and it has a touch of The Ghost and Mrs.Muir mixed with a murder as well as dissapance , and a bit of romance. And if your expecting it to be like her other works then this just might not be for you , because it's more along the lines of a gothic paranormal stand-alone mystery, which was one of the reasons I requested it from Netgalley and I'm so glad I did, while there was times you have to ask yourself is Ava dreaming or is this happening because Ava might be losing her sanity , or is there more to the picture then what you can see, just like her books this one is field with suspense that had me hooked from the beginning to the ever end and kept me guessing on to trust and who not to trust , with that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it and I can't wait to read more by her .

A twisted tale of secrets and danger, I am glad I had an opportunity to review an advanced reader copy of this great book from Netgalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine Books.
Running from something that she cannot confess, not even to her sister, Ava leaves Boston and flees to Maine to hide and heal. A food critic, she is hoping that by leaving Boston she will be able to finally finish the overdue food book that she is writing. Looking for peace, she rents a seaside home that has held many secrets and is reported to be haunted. As the days pass, Ava too begins to believe the rumors that the house is haunted. She is drawn into evil dreams that are so real that she fears for her sanity. Tess Gerritsen has written a book that is a real change for her and I look forward to reading another of this kind of book from her.
The above review is my honest thoughts and opinion.

he Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen is a complete departure from books I have previously read by this author, primarily because it is being billed as romance which I don’t read.
Ava is a cookbook writer who moves to a secluded village in Maine to not only finish her long overdue cookbook but also to escape from Boston and some unnamed horror there.
Of course you can’t escape and Ava soon finds herself in the middle of strange happenings both in the village and in the house she is renting.
Tess Gerritsen has always been one of my favorite mystery writers and even delving into romance does not detract from her ability to write a great story. That being said this is not my type of book so this will never be a favorite of mine but I am sure people who read romances will love this book.
Thanks to NetGalley for the free advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Shape of the Night by Tess Gerritsen was a thriller. A mixture of paranormal and creepy stalker that was interesting to say the least. The main character, Ava haunted by guilt and remorse moves to a remote location in Maine. She moves into an old mansion set on the cliffs right out of a horror story. However, Ava is determined to finish her newest book, a cookbook, and find herself. The problem with that, includes a ghost from the past, Captain Jeremiah Brodie, local legends, gossipy old ladies, one huge Maine Coon Cat and a couple of nice guys. Hard to believe all that works into this mystery, but it does.

I liked the story line, which is saying a lot as I do not normally like anything with paranormal elements. I loved how the house became an integral part of the story and made the story seem more gothic in nature. Tess Gerritsen’s newest novel The Shape of the Night was a good read.

I've heard wonderful things about this author and was excited to see one of her books on Net Galley, since she is an author I haven't (but wanted to) read. The description of the book seemed like something that was right up my alley. I quite enjoy most paranormal thrillers. Once I started reading though, I quickly found that this wasn't really what I was hoping it to be. Since I have no real frame of reference towards her other books, I can't say if it's any better or any worse than them (but from what I have heard, her Rizolli & Isles books are wonderful). I found that all of the elements of this book, separately seemed to be ok, but when lumped altogether in one book, just didn't work for me. I was a bit disappointed but I am willing to give the author another shot. Maybe next time I will try one of the Rizzoli & Isles books.


*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

3 1/2 ⭐️‘s

“I think of the first time I saw Brodie’s Watch and the chill I felt, as if the house was warning me away. Tucker Cove seems quaint and picturesque, but it’s also a village that guards its secrets and protects its own. This is the house where I should have died, but instead learned to live again.”

Gerritsen does a nice job with a modern day gothic ghost story. Brodie’s Watch is the perfect “haunted house”. With all of the key elements, Gerritsen keeps us on edge throughout. While I like a good ghost story, there were aspects of this one that I felt went too far and I ended up not liking, while other aspects worked quite well. With just a hint of the first season of American Horror Story and the Haunting of Hill House, this is a book that will hook many from start to finish.

I was looking for something new and the premise of this one sounded interesting...sadly, it didn’t deliver.

I wanted to like Ava, but I’m not sure I did. She drinks heavily every night and her while inner monologue didn’t reflect that, it was something she thought about often. There are some fairly huge mistakes in her past {which is fine}, but I didn’t feel like she had any growth. And yes, I’m being vague on purpose.

Plot wise, it was disappointing. I didn’t quite get the romance {okay, let’s be honest and just call it sex with a ghost} and the murder mystery part felt like an afterthought. There wasn’t any tension or build up.

Overall, I constantly thought about DNFing, but for some reason I kept reading. Mostly because I wanted answers and never got them.

**Huge thanks to Ballantine Books for providing the arc free of charge**

After Ava experiences a tragedy in Boston, she decides to seek refuge in an old mansion in Maine. Rumor has it that the house is haunted by Capt. Jeremiah Brodie. Upon moving in, Ave learns that several of the women who have lived in the house have died there. Ava begins to investigate the history of the house and the women who have lived there. Is there really a ghost? If so, how does it relate to the women? It’s a fascinating story. I’ve been a fan of the Rizzoli and Isles series by this author and was delighted to read something a little different from her.

Also reviewed on B&N and Kobo under the name IrishEyes430

Wow ! A mesmerizing psychological thriller that you won't soon forget ! A twisty mix of modern gothic , murder and obsession ! Loved this book ! Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing , Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read and review this book ! #Netgalley #RandomHousePublishingGroup-Ballantine #TheShapeOfNight

I was a big fan of Tess Gerritsen's Rizzoli and Isles series, but I haven't read anything by her in ages. This book sounded really interesting, so I just had to request it. If you're expecting a book comparable to those storylines, you will be disappointed. However, if you like gothic suspense tales, I think you will be very pleased.

Ava Collette is a food writer working on a book about New England cuisine who rents a house named Brodie's Watch in Maine. She's having trouble writing in Boston and is also running from a terrible past, so she and huge Hannibal the Cat think this seaside town is the perfect writing retreat. She quickly realizes there are some strange goings-on in this historic home. She hears strange noises in the night; is there an intruder in the home, or could it be handsome Captain Brodie, who actually died well over a century ago? Research shows that a number of women died in this house; was it Captain Brodie, or could there be a human culprit?

I'm very surprised how much I liked the book! I didn't like Ava, with her secrets and drinking, yet she was such an interesting character. Captain Brodie was rather interesting himself, considering he was a dead man with a penchant for domineering and punishing sex! The other characters, from Ben the handsome doctor to Maeve the paranormal investigator to Ned the carpenter, were all solid additions to the story. I must admit, however, that my favorite cast member was Hannibal. That big butterball of a cat had an even bigger personality. I loved when Ava contemplated Hannibal feasting on her dead body. I normally don't like books told in first person present tense, but I soon overlooked that as I got wrapped up in the story. Definitely a book worth getting lost in.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Wow! What creepy psychological thriller! I actually really liked it. The book kept me wanting to turn the pages fast to find out what happens next.

I regretfully give this book a much lower rating than I would have liked. I absolutely loved the setting, and the way the author describes it is excellent. You really can envision the house, the turret, the sea, the cliffs. I almost felt as if I could smell the sea, the way it was described. Unfortunately, that was the best part of the story. The main character alludes to a secret throughout almost the entire book (I think the full story, like all 5 pages of it, comes out at around 85%). By the time we get the whole story, there has been such a buildup that it seems like such a letdown. Most readers will likely already know what happened by the time they get to that part anyway, as it's not a huge leap from the clues dropped throughout the story.

Again, another thing that kept me turning pages was the history about the house (and ghost) as Ava started digging into it. At this point, I expected them to uncover murders spanning centuries. Multiple reports of paranormal activity at the house. I don't want to spoil any of the bigger details here, but lets just say I was underwhelmed. The whole ending just felt very anti climactic to me. A sad departure from the high hopes I had at the beginning,

I didn’t realize beforehand that this is a paranormal. I hate them. I do not read them. However, as I received an advance copy of this book and promised to leave a review , I did read it. As I have to rate it on storyline and character development, I have to say it is very good. It is a fast paced psychological romance with lots of mystery. Well done

I discovered repeats of Tess Gerritsen’s Rizzoli & Isles series on TV, and from there, becamse a fan of her books. When I saw this, I couldn’t wait to see what she would do with a different kind of story.

From the very beginning, the Prologue drew me in with a very atmospheric, almost haunting start. There are little clues that the main character, Ava, made some mistakes in the past and is running away from them with distance and alcohol. The author does an excellent job of showing through actions and Ava’s thoughts how difficult of a time she is having getting past this; Ava is pretty much ripe for the sequence of events she finds herself in.

The story was so incredibly well written that it could only come from the mind of a very talented writer. If you are looking for something a bit different from her usual style, this book is worth checking out.

While Tess Gerritsen is famous for her Rizzoli and Isle books, this book is something of a new and trying book for me. I am not a huge fan of paranormal but once you are in it, you wont want to put it down! I would recommend Tess's fans from her typical mysteries to try this one out!

Tess Gerritsen writes scintillating murder mysteries and this is no different. Ava is hiding from her sins when she comes face to face with her demon in the form of a ghost. She is mystified by the number of women who have died in the house she is renting. She starts an investigation to find out what is truly happening. There are secrets been kept by the people of the town and when she stumbles upon a suspect her life is in danger. The story will keep you turning the pages until the last shocking end. You will never guess who the killer is until it is revealed.

I prefer the author's standalone titles over her Rizzoli and Isles series, and this book is no exception. It is an intriguing haunted house mystery that takes place in the charming village of Tucker Cove on the coast of Maine. Brodie's Watch is the very old house that Ava has leased for a few months so she can finish writing her cooking book. Ava feels uncomfortable and fearful when she first enters the house, but soon she feels relaxed and hopeful that she can overcome her recent unhappy past. Then odd things begin to happen in the house, and Ava becomes concerned.

This book is a fun and very fast read. It is well-written, with strongly drawn characters and vivid descriptions. I felt like I was in the house, experiencing everything with Ava. Well done!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a preprint copy.

Amazon review: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1Q35P0SR364CM?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp

Ava decides that she is going to, on impulse, rent the inn that her Grandparents lived in for decades, until they chose to sell it. She has nothing but good memories of this place and, even though it needs a lot of work, she feels at home as soon as she sets foot inside. Rumor has it that Jeramiah Brodie, the Seafarer who built the house, haunts it to this day. Never one to believe in ghosts, Ava doesn't care. She just needs to get out of Boston and, the horrible things that happened on the previous New Year. She also needs to be far away from her sister because, Ava can't being herself to tell her sister the truth.
Since Ava is dealing with massive amounts of guilt and pain, she doesn't realize that she is leaving herself open to the machinations of a ghost who may not be as nice as she originally believes. There is a history of women dying under mysterious circumstances and, the ghost hunter Ava hired believes that Ava may just be next.

In this book a woman named Ava tries to escape a secret in her past by heading to Maine. The experiences she encounters are hard to describe without giving away some of the stories mysteries.

I really enjoyed this book. I went into it cold not knowing what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised. I did not see the ending coming. It might be because the story was so entertaining that I didn't focus on the underlying mystery. I would definitely recommend this book. It was haunting, intriguing and an all around fun read.

When I saw Tess Gerritsen had a new book out, I didn't have a to read the blurb to know I was going to read the book. The Rizzoli & Isles series is one of my favorites. Who would have thought I would be reading a paranormal 50 Shades of Grey with a mix of Amityville Horror and Poltergeist. Throw in a 30 year ago death, a missing person, a dead body, an alcoholic, an adulterer, and everything becomes convoluted. Luckily it was a short book and I was able to finish it quickly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for a copy of Tess Gerritsen's "The Shape of Night" in exchange of an honest review.