The Sinner

A Rizzoli & Isles Novel

By: Tess Gerritsen

Narrated by: Anna Fields

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Surgeon and The Apprentice comes a chilling new novel of suspense featuring Boston medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles, on the deadly trail of an anonymous madman who’s committed an unholy crime.

Not even the icy temperatures of a typical New England winter can match the bone-chilling scene of carnage discovered in the early morning hours at the chapel of Our Lady of Divine Light. Within the sanctuary walls of the cloistered convent, now stained with blood, lie two nuns—one dead, one critically injured—victims of an unspeakably savage attacker.

The brutal crime appears to be without motive, and the elderly nuns in residence can offer little help in the police investigation. But medical examiner Maura Isles’s autopsy of the dead woman yields a shocking surprise: Twenty-year-old Sister Camille, the order’s sole novice, gave birth before she was murdered. Then the disturbing case takes a stunning new turn when another woman is found murdered in an abandoned building, her body mutilated beyond recognition.

Together, Isles and homicide detective Jane Rizzoli uncover an ancient horror that connects these terrible slaughters. As long-buried secrets come to light, Maura Isles finds herself drawn inexorably toward the heart of an investigation that strikes closer and closer to home—and toward a dawning revelation about the killer’s identity too shattering to consider.

As spine-tingling as it is mind-jolting, The Sinner showcases Tess Gerritsen in peak form—bringing her intimate knowledge of the dark depths of criminal investigation brilliantly to bear. Beneath its layers of startling insight into the souls of its characters, and the richly wrought depiction of the everyday war between good and evil, beats the unstoppable heart of an irresistible thriller.

PRAISE FOR TESS GERRITSEN

The Surgeon

“A briskly paced, terrifically suspenseful work that steadily builds toward a tense and terrifying climax.”
—People (Page-Turner of the week)

“Creepy . . . [The Surgeon] will exert a powerful grip on readers.”
—Chicago Tribune

“Grabbed me by the throat and didn’t let go.”
—TAMI HOAG

The Apprentice

“Skillful and scary.”
—The Washington Post Book World

“An adrenaline rush from start to finish.”
—IRIS JOHANSEN

“Masterful . . . Gerritsen moves into the Thomas Harris class, though with a style all her own.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)©2003 Tess Gerritsen; (P)2003 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

“[Gerritsen] has an imagination that allows her to conjure up depths of human behavior so dark and frightening that she makes Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft seem like goody-two-shoes.”—Chicago Tribune

“Satisfying . . . The Sinner is as busy and bumpy as a storm-filled sky.”—Entertainment Weekly (Editor’s Choice)

“A suspenseful, white-knuckle tale all the way to the end . . . Gerritsen is not only talented with words, she has unusual medical and scientific expertise, which gives all her books a precious credibility. . . . It’s not only a terrific story, it provokes thought about a lot of other issues of international import. And it’s real, without special effects, a story that emanates from the real life around us.”—Deseret News

“Gerritsen’s weaving of unusual crime scenes, complicated investigations, lurid medical details, and moments of visceral fear is truly unique. . . . [The Sinner] will keep the reader quickly turning pages. . . . Into these terrors forges Maura Isles, Queen of the Dead, and riveted, we readers follow her.”—Sun Journal

“Dark emotions and dangerous secrets permeate this unusually chilling novel. . . . Another gut-wrenching tale from a true master.”—Romantic Times (Top Pick)

“Gerritsen just keeps getting better with each book. . . . [The Sinner] moves at a heart pounding pace without a word wasted.”—Drood Review of Mystery

“Assured, richly shaded.”—Publishers Weekly

“Another captivating, horrific thriller in her extremely popular canon.”—Booklist

“Well-executed and entertaining.”—News Tribune

Always

Gerritsen never fails. Another great R&I!! The twist was unexpected for me, which I like.

If you are a fan of the TV show....

You will find the characters a bit different than how they are portrayed on the TV show. I usually like the original book versions better but in this case, no. Also I rated this low because of the narration. The voice just grated on me.

One of the best of the series

More interaction between Rizzoli and Isles. More about love mixed in with the cruelty of men. Organized well written book.

the end

this story kept me quessing until the end. the end did surprise me. not what you would expect if you have seen the shows.

Not as good as book 1 and 2

Not as good as book 1 and 2, felt to litle this story. And then it jumped strangely with the detective.