I love Tess Gerritsen as an author she is just so amazing, I love the insight into the reality of both the police side and the medical side of her stories and there is always something so unexpected, even when you think you've got everything figured out there comes a twist and I love it, she has become one of my favorite authors by far! ( )

This was far more enjoyable in the first half. The legend of the monkey king and the story of a female general in the Ming dynasty were excellent additions to round out the world building. Jane starts to show a more balanced world view in this one. She understand the grey areas that exist in her profession. ( )

The Silent Girl (Rizzoli & Isles, #9) by Tess Gerritsen

A red-haired woman is found in dead Boston's Chinatown, hand severed, head close to decapitated with non-human silver hairs on her. Nineteen years prior a horrific murder-suicide with five dead and one survivor, a martial arts expert, who now may be a target. Is there a connection to the (old) crime and the current? Detective Jane Rizzoli and Dr. Maura Isles are on the case.

The story moves at a steady pace with suspense, thrills and a bit of Chinese folklore. Well developed and intriguing characters drew me in from the start. Secrets slowly revealed that had me guessing until the end.

Overall I found The Silent Girl very enjoyable. I highly recommend to those who enjoy a great crime/procedural/thriller. Fans of Tess Gerritsen will not want to miss this one. Truly a good read. ( )

A Jane Doe, murdered on a roof top, starts off this mystery. What irks Boston PD most is how she died. Not a gun shot - though the victim was holding a weapon. And not quite a knife, either. Her severed hand and slit throat indicates that this woman killed on the roof tops of Chinatown bit more than she could chew. And it leads Rizzoli and gang down the alleyways of this district into the land of mythical - and historical - China. But when Jane starts searching for clues, it leads her to the grips of a murder-suicide case nineteen years old. And if anyone knows that seeing isn't exactly believing, what she unearths is far more than any woman, mother, detective can take.

Of course, there are personal drama at hand, as well. Maura Isles begins her side of the tale in the midst of a trial. A vigilante cop indited on taking the law into his own hands by brutally beating and killing a cop-killer. The once beloved pathologist is now public enemy number one within the Boston police department, placing her at odds with long-time friend - and semi-partner - Jane Rizzoli. Still recovering from her relationship with Father Brophy and her near-death entanglement, there's no telling what lies in Maura's future. Only that Rat - the child-hero who saved her life in the snow-capped mountains of Wyoming - still offers her comfort, and let's it slip that Anthony Sansone talks about her a lot.

New on the team is Detective Johnny Tam, an Asian-American who joins Rizzoli and Frost in the Chinatown investigation. He adds the reminiscent of Jane's own fight to prove herself, which sparks admiration from both Rizzoli and the reader.

Like a few other books in the series, Gerritsen mixes reality with fantasy by introducing the lore of the Monkey King, Sun WuKong. Because as the story gets deeper, a humanoid figure steps in to take matters in his hands.

It's a fantastic read, though I expected nothing else from the writer. I can't wait for what she has in store for us next. ( )

I liked this one more than I thought I would. I didn't guess the ending and it was less "mystical" than it seemed at first. Some interesting bits about Chinese mythology as well. ( )