The Rosary Girls

By: Richard Montanari

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

In his sleek, visceral novels Deviant Way, Kiss of Evil, and The Violet Hour, Richard Montanari slammed into the suspense field like a force of nature. Now, Montanari has written an astounding novel that pits two besieged detectives against a fiercely intelligent serial killer.

Sprawling beneath the statue of William Penn, Philadelphia is a city of downtrodden crack houses and upscale brownstones. Somewhere in this concrete crazy quilt, one Catholic teenage girl is writing in her diary, another is pouring her heart out to a friend, and yet another is praying. And somewhere in this city is a man who wants these young women to make his macabre fantasy become reality. In a passion play of his own, he will take the girls - and a whole city - over the edge.

Kevin Byrne is a veteran cop who already knows that edge: He’s been living on it far too long. His marriage failing, his former partner wasting away in a hospital, and his heart lost to mad fury, Byrne loves to take risks and is breaking every rule in the book. And now, he has been given a rookie partner. Jessica Balzano, the daughter of a famous Philly cop, doesn’t want Byrne’s help. But they will need each other desperately, since they’ve just caught the case of a lifetime: Someone is killing devout young women, bolting their hands together in prayer, and committing an abomination upon their otherwise perfect bodies.

Byrne and Balzano spearhead the hunt for the serial killer, who leads them on a methodically planned journey. Suspects appear before them like bad dreams - and vanish just as quickly. And while Byrne’s sins begin to catch up with him and Balzano tries to solve the blood-splattered puzzle, the body count rises. Meanwhile, the calendar is approaching Easter and the day of the resurrection. When the last rosary is counted, a madman’s methods will be revealed, and the final crime will be the one that hurts the most.

Relentlessly paced and vividly told, The Rosary Girls is a smart, emotionally complex, fiercely gripping thriller from an author who takes chances, breaks new ground, and leaves listeners haunted and moved long after the last moment.

©2005 Richard Montanari (P)2005 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The Rosary Girls is a well-written, fast-moving thriller with twists and turns galore that will keep you guessing until the end." (Phillip Margolin)
"A relentlessly suspenseful, soul-chilling thriller that hooks you instantly." (Tess Gerritsen)

Good story poor narration

good story. narration was very bad. seem like the guy was half asleep when he was reading the story. turned the speed up to 1.5 and enjoyed it much better.

Spellbinding!

This is perhaps my favorite audiobook so far. It has a complex plot, likeable characters, and offers great insight into the mind of a serial killer. The last two hours are unequaled in suspense. It's been a long time since I've been frightened by a book; this one does the job in aces. Also, once again, Scott Brick rules! It's as if he is living the book as he reads it. The Rosary Girls couldn't be better.

Good thriller

Again, this is a good thriller, a bit predictable in places, but still good. Scott Brick is awesome as always.

Good story held my interest to the end

Took a while to get in to the story
Scott Brick always makes the story come alive
The story was good overall, had parts where I felt lost so had to go back a chapter to get the thread of the story
Can't wait to start book 2

Worth Every Penny

Its been a little while since I have been this satisfied with a download from Audible. You can instantly like the characters and get right into their lives. The plot contains just the right amount of twists and turns.

I did wish that the mains characters unique trait was used a little more throughout the book. This is the only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.

Once again Scott Brick narrates it perfectly and I am very pleased he is also narrating the second book in this series.

love the story

this is the 2nd book that I have read by
the author a,d have ,or found my favorite new author. I am a huge Scott Brick fan and found this author thru narration search. I will continue with books by Mr. Montanari, his stories are very engrossing and had a hard time putting the headphones down. well worth the credit. Scott Brick is amazing as always

So good!

I loved this book from the first page and listened to it obsessively. Even better than The Doll maker!

Slow to start but overall pretty good

It took me a few tries to get through this book but, in the end, it was worth it.

rosary girls

Great thriller. Good author. Keeps you listening. The reader, is the best - Scott Brick

Fooled me

I thought I had figured it out really early, but I was wrong. This had enough twists and turns to keep me interested. Then, again, I’d listen to the phone book if Scott Brick was the narrator. :)