The Surgeon

Title: The Surgeon

Author: Tess Gerritsen

Genre: Thriller, crime

Summary: (Blurb) It is a hot sultry summer in downtown Boston, and homicide detective Thomas Moore is called back from holiday to be told there's a serial killer at large. This isn't just any serial killer. This is a predator who targets lone women, breaks into their apartments in the early hours of the morning, and commits bizarre ritualistic acts of torture on his victims before finishing them off. The killer's surgical skills lead police to suspect he is a physician working alongside unsuspecting doctors and nurses at the Pilgrim Medical Center; a physician who, instead of saving lives, takes them in the most terrifying of ways.

As soon as Moore and his partner, Detective Jane Rizzoli, begin their investigation, they make a startling discovery. Closely linked to these Boston killings is Catherine Cordell, a beautiful surgeon with a mysterious past. Two years ago in another city she was the subject of a horrifying rape and attempted murder, but shot her aggressor dead.

Now she is being targeted by this new killer, who seems to know all about her past, her work at the Medical Center, what car she drives, and, crucially, where she lives. The man she believes she killed now seems to be stalking her once again, only this time he knows exactly where to find her, and nowhere – whether it is the ER, the squad room, the city morgue or even her apartment – is safe...

(Doesn't the summary sound much more neater and organized than mine??)

Opinion: This is honestly much more riveting and interesting than standard novels from writers like Iris Johansen and Julie Garwood (although I enjoy all authors as well). This novel has an element of darkness and evil that Johansen and Garwood somehow failed to implement. Ah well.

When I was reading about the killer slashing the women's throats and things, I could distinctly feel my own throat aching, that was how descriptive it was. I kept shuddering at the feel of blade scraping against bones, and I tell you, my imagination was in overdrive. It isn't a thrill-and romance sort of novel, but more thrill-and-murder kind, which is awesome for reading on a rainy and stormy day. ^_^

It's so brilliantly written that I absolutely crave for more!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Title: Blaze of Glory

Author: Michael Pryor

Genre: Fantasy, politics

Blurb: Aubrey Fitzwilliam is the son of a prominent ex-prime minister. He's also brilliant at magic, but he's stuck at boarding school. At least he has his best friend, George, there to back him up. George would follow Aubrey anywhere - and with Aubrey's talent for thinking up daring schemes that will get them both into trouble, that's no easy thing to do.

At a weekend shooting party at Prince Albert's country estate, the boys find themselves in a hotbed of political intrigue. They discover a golem, a magical creature built to perform one task: to kill Prince Albert. Aubrey and George are hailed as heroes for foiling the attempt on the prince's' life - but who sent the golem, and why? Aubrey is far too curious to let the authorities handle this one, and he and George start investigating ...

Opinion: I picked this one up randomly and I liked it straight away. For one thing, the first line is extremely eye-catching: "Aubrey Fitzwilliam hated being dead. it made things much harder than they needed to be." Of course, being insanely curious the way I am, I had to keep on reading. If Aubrey was dead, why is he still telling the story? Is he even the protagonist?

That was a very clever opening line. As I read on, I find out the secret of Aubrey's apparent 'death', and over time, I came to like the guy. He's got guts and a brain, and Aubrey doesn't sound too bad a name either. Magic and political conflicts are woven into this novel and makes it one very exciting read. Reading this will keep you on your toes and hopefully, you'll come to love this book as I did. Magic is in a completely different world here, and more than just swishing a wand and saying a magic word.

Having the word 'investigating' in the blurb also makes it a mystery of sorts, and I absolutely love enthralling mysteries. This is something you should read if you haven't already.

Rating: 5 out of 5!

Title: Stalemate

Author: Iris Johansen

Genre: Thriller

Summary: Eve Duncan receives a request from Luis Montalvo to work on a reconstruction job, but she turns it down - twice.

And Montalvo is not a man who can take 'no' for an answer.

Eve Duncan finds herself surrounded by dangerous men and traps that plot to ensnare and kill her. Taking Montalvo's offer would mean leaving her lover, Joe Quinn, and walking straight into a potential crossfire between Montalvo and his rival, Diaz. However, it could also mean that she could gain valuable information on what she had been searching for all these years - to find out where her daughter Bonnie was buried when she was kidnapped and murdered so many years ago.

Opinion: For avid fans of Iris Johansen novels, this is definitely a novel you should pick up and read. If you've read some of her Eve Duncan forensics thriller novels before, you might notice a rather repetitive plot or storyline. Still, the simplicity of the whole novel draws me to it. I am a very simple reader, therefore, I head for books that are easy to read. (I have been drawn and quartered for my taste in books before.) Novels that have too intricate plots or too confusing betrayals tend to confuse me. So if you see a recommendation by rage-chan, you can be pretty sure the book can be easily understood. ^^

That said, I like how Iris Johansen chooses not to describe in full-blown detail the chemistry romance between Eve and Joe, her lover. Whenever it gets to the naughtier bits, she skips it and leaves it to the reader's imagination, which is fine by me. Hard-core people who want to read through sex in every detail, though, should look for a romance novel, not a thriller, and unfortunately I don't cover romance. As a thriller, this novel fits it comfortably, with a very slight twist in the end.

Enjoy! ~rage-chan

Rating: 4 out of 5.