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Rizzoli & Isles #8.5
Freaks
A bizarre death comes with a supernatural twist. Homicide cop Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles have seen their fair share of mortal crimes, but the death of Kimberly Rayner may qualify as inhuman in more ways than one. When corpse of the emaciated seventeen-year-old girl is discovered next to an empty coffin in an abandoned church, mysterious bruises around the throat suggest foul play. Caught fleeing the scene is the victim's closest friend, Lucas Henry, an equally skeletal, pale teenager who claims he's guilty only of having a taste for blood-a craving he shared with Kimberly. But the victim's distraught father doesn't believe in vampires, only vengeance. And now, another life may be at risk unless Rizzoli and Isles can uncover the astonishing truth.
29 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2007
805 people are currently reading
4,327 people want to read
About the author
Tess Gerritsen
252books20.3kfollowersInternationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen took an unusual route to a writing career. A graduate of Stanford University, Tess went on to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was awarded her M.D.
While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. In 1987, her first novel was published. Call After Midnight, a romantic thriller, was followed by eight more romantic suspense novels. She also wrote a screenplay, "Adrift", which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.
Tess's first medical thriller, Harvest, was released in hardcover in 1996, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her suspense novels since then have been: Life Support (1997), Bloodstream (1998), Gravity (1999), The Surgeon (2001), The Apprentice (2002), The Sinner (2003), Body Double (2004), Vanish (2005), The Mephisto Club (2006), and The Bone Garden (2007). Her books have been translated into 31 languages, and more than 15 million copies have been sold around the world.
As well as being a New York Times bestselling author, she has also been a #1 bestseller in both Germany and the UK. She has won both the Nero Wolfe Award (for Vanish) and the Rita Award (for The Surgeon.) Critics around the world have praised her novels as "Pulse-pounding fun" (Philadelphia Inquirer), "Scary and brilliant" (Toronto Globe and Mail), and "Polished, riveting prose" (Chicago Tribune). Publisher Weekly has dubbed her the "medical suspense queen".
Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.
While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. In 1987, her first novel was published. Call After Midnight, a romantic thriller, was followed by eight more romantic suspense novels. She also wrote a screenplay, "Adrift", which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.
Tess's first medical thriller, Harvest, was released in hardcover in 1996, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her suspense novels since then have been: Life Support (1997), Bloodstream (1998), Gravity (1999), The Surgeon (2001), The Apprentice (2002), The Sinner (2003), Body Double (2004), Vanish (2005), The Mephisto Club (2006), and The Bone Garden (2007). Her books have been translated into 31 languages, and more than 15 million copies have been sold around the world.
As well as being a New York Times bestselling author, she has also been a #1 bestseller in both Germany and the UK. She has won both the Nero Wolfe Award (for Vanish) and the Rita Award (for The Surgeon.) Critics around the world have praised her novels as "Pulse-pounding fun" (Philadelphia Inquirer), "Scary and brilliant" (Toronto Globe and Mail), and "Polished, riveting prose" (Chicago Tribune). Publisher Weekly has dubbed her the "medical suspense queen".
Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 599 reviews
October 20, 2018
A really enjoyable fast, fun, and super-quick read, with Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles investigating the death of a teenage girl who appears to have been a vampire.
November 28, 2018
Detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles are investigating the death of a young girl whose body was found next to a coffin in an adandoned church. Their primary suspect is a young boy who thinks he’s a vampire.
This may be the shortest story I’ve read. There’s not much to it and I finished in 15 minutes. Not sure what was the point to add this to the series. Nothing really new learned and nothing advanced in terms of characters or ongoing story arcs.
Next.
This may be the shortest story I’ve read. There’s not much to it and I finished in 15 minutes. Not sure what was the point to add this to the series. Nothing really new learned and nothing advanced in terms of characters or ongoing story arcs.
Next.
July 16, 2017
This is a short story, only 46p. I thought it was ok but not great. A homeless teenager is accused of murder and Dr. Isles, Boston M.E., finds proof that he is innocent
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2011
3.5 stars Free download info below. It's actually pretty reassuring to read this book. After the goofiness of the TNT show and the good-but-not-great , it's nice to be back in the familiar world of Jane Rizzoli and the gruesome crimes she investigates with the help of Medical Examiner Maura Isles.
Freaks is a short story that the author wrote for her fans in anticipation of , which will be out in July. As with all short stories, the pacing is occasionally a little rushed and the end might border a tiny bit on the dramatic side. But overall, it's very well-written. I enjoyed once again watching Jane authoritatively handle gritty Boston crime scenes with her partner Barry Frost, and to see the deductive reasoning behind Maura's hypothoses. In some ways, this short story is a pretty old-fashioned one in that the crime is presented, investigated by traditional detective work, and resolved in the final act, with very little muss or fuss in between. It's a satisfying bite and a great read for fans of the series, or for any readers of suspense who might be interested in trying out the author's work.
My thoughts on the series as a whole: Tess Gerritsen was a pathologist before she became a bestselling author, and her education and training shows through both the assured medical expertise and the sensitivity with which she writes her forensic scenes. She's an intelligent thriller author who also knows how to write great characters and to plot interesting stories. My favorite of her books are actually her early but gripping medical thrillers , , and her space thriller . (Really fun for Michael Crichton fans.) I also prefer the Rizzoli & Isles books that focus on more Jane, or at least the ones that don't dwell as much on Maura's personal life, which I find pretty humdrum and frustrating. Fortunately this short story doesn't disappoint on both those fronts and stays focused on the mystery at hand, which is a big plus, in my opinion.
***
Download a Free Copy of Freaks
Unlike many bestselling authors' freebie ebook releases that end on cliffhangers or simply offer sample chapters of the next book they're shilling, this is a self-contained story that trusts that you'll be interested enough in Jane and Maura to keep reading the series. for Kindle or for , which can also be read on your computer. Don't let the awful cover or ridiculous title turn you off--this one is a pleasantly chilling way to while away some time as you wait for the next installment in the series.
Freaks is a short story that the author wrote for her fans in anticipation of , which will be out in July. As with all short stories, the pacing is occasionally a little rushed and the end might border a tiny bit on the dramatic side. But overall, it's very well-written. I enjoyed once again watching Jane authoritatively handle gritty Boston crime scenes with her partner Barry Frost, and to see the deductive reasoning behind Maura's hypothoses. In some ways, this short story is a pretty old-fashioned one in that the crime is presented, investigated by traditional detective work, and resolved in the final act, with very little muss or fuss in between. It's a satisfying bite and a great read for fans of the series, or for any readers of suspense who might be interested in trying out the author's work.
My thoughts on the series as a whole: Tess Gerritsen was a pathologist before she became a bestselling author, and her education and training shows through both the assured medical expertise and the sensitivity with which she writes her forensic scenes. She's an intelligent thriller author who also knows how to write great characters and to plot interesting stories. My favorite of her books are actually her early but gripping medical thrillers , , and her space thriller . (Really fun for Michael Crichton fans.) I also prefer the Rizzoli & Isles books that focus on more Jane, or at least the ones that don't dwell as much on Maura's personal life, which I find pretty humdrum and frustrating. Fortunately this short story doesn't disappoint on both those fronts and stays focused on the mystery at hand, which is a big plus, in my opinion.
***
Download a Free Copy of Freaks
Unlike many bestselling authors' freebie ebook releases that end on cliffhangers or simply offer sample chapters of the next book they're shilling, this is a self-contained story that trusts that you'll be interested enough in Jane and Maura to keep reading the series. for Kindle or for , which can also be read on your computer. Don't let the awful cover or ridiculous title turn you off--this one is a pleasantly chilling way to while away some time as you wait for the next installment in the series.
June 17, 2021
"Freaks" is an ultra-short, unsatisfying entry in the "Rizzoli & Isles" series. The only reason to read it is if you want to complete the series, and, in my opinion, that's not enough of a reason. The good things about the series are the slow development of story and character, the focus on police and forensic procedures, and the interplay between major characters, none of which this extremely short form has room to contain.
June 13, 2012
Yes this was a kindle freebie and yes, if something is free on kindle I will immediately read it because kindle freeness will undoubtedly go on trumping my discerning literary brain cell ever time. Damn you tricksy Kindle!
I've never read any Gerritsen before and even though I am not a fan of crime/cop fiction generally, I've been around the block (and the ASDA Walmart wall of pop' books) enough times to recognize that Gerritsen is a big name in the world of crime fiction. I'm not sure why I avoid this genre. It's not a proactive avoidance but a long time ago I used to work for the police, so maybe I believe that deep down, nothing I read in these books will seem more sublime, sick or ridiculous than some of the things I heard and saw in real life. Despite the fact this book contained vampires, it was still nowhere near as weird or ridiculous or sick as things I've seen in reality so that kind of proves my point a little.
This story is short, entertaining, absorbing, fairly pacey and also quite a little lot ridiculous but if you like hard bitten female decs in designer blouses, vampires and a bit of good-cop-bad-cop then you'll find a lot to love here. This was a diverting way to spend half a train ride while trying to avoid eye contact with fellow commuters. Note to self: invent commuter blinders for ease of avoiding eye contact.
I've never read any Gerritsen before and even though I am not a fan of crime/cop fiction generally, I've been around the block (and the ASDA Walmart wall of pop' books) enough times to recognize that Gerritsen is a big name in the world of crime fiction. I'm not sure why I avoid this genre. It's not a proactive avoidance but a long time ago I used to work for the police, so maybe I believe that deep down, nothing I read in these books will seem more sublime, sick or ridiculous than some of the things I heard and saw in real life. Despite the fact this book contained vampires, it was still nowhere near as weird or ridiculous or sick as things I've seen in reality so that kind of proves my point a little.
This story is short, entertaining, absorbing, fairly pacey and also quite a little lot ridiculous but if you like hard bitten female decs in designer blouses, vampires and a bit of good-cop-bad-cop then you'll find a lot to love here. This was a diverting way to spend half a train ride while trying to avoid eye contact with fellow commuters. Note to self: invent commuter blinders for ease of avoiding eye contact.
December 14, 2015
Published: 31/08/2011
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Recommend For: fan's of Rizzoli and Isles, fans of crime novels and fans of short stories
Edition: Kindle
I love books by Tess Gerritsen so when I saw this book on the Kindle Store for free I knew I had to read it.
This is a very good novella by the amazing Tess Gerritsen, it keeps up a good pace throughout the novella, some part of it weren't very believable at all but it still is quite a good book. However I do much prefer the full length novels. I think that this would be a good book to recommend for fan's of Tess Gerritsen and Rizzoli and Isles. If you love books that involve vampires, good cop bad cop and female cops in designer clothes then this is definitely the type of book for you as there will be alot that you love.This is good if you are needing something to read in between the TV series or if you have a few spare minutes.
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Recommend For: fan's of Rizzoli and Isles, fans of crime novels and fans of short stories
Edition: Kindle
I love books by Tess Gerritsen so when I saw this book on the Kindle Store for free I knew I had to read it.
This is a very good novella by the amazing Tess Gerritsen, it keeps up a good pace throughout the novella, some part of it weren't very believable at all but it still is quite a good book. However I do much prefer the full length novels. I think that this would be a good book to recommend for fan's of Tess Gerritsen and Rizzoli and Isles. If you love books that involve vampires, good cop bad cop and female cops in designer clothes then this is definitely the type of book for you as there will be alot that you love.This is good if you are needing something to read in between the TV series or if you have a few spare minutes.
May 26, 2020
Üzgünüm Tess ama olmamış :/ Yani sırf para için bu kadar ince bir kitabın basılıp bir de dünya paraya satılmasına gerek varmıydı ? :P
March 13, 2023
Una anécdota curiosa y la mitad de las páginas son un avance del próximo🤷🏽♀
Relativamente original, pero muy muy muy poquita cosa.
Lo de los relatos no es lo mío. Destripadoras
Relativamente original, pero muy muy muy poquita cosa.
Lo de los relatos no es lo mío. Destripadoras
October 28, 2023
Fun. Folie a deux couple living in an abandoned church. One dead. Who did it?
Maura and Jane to the rescue!
June 5, 2021
Scrolling through my Kindle, I have made it my goal to clear my older books and felt in the mood for a bit of mystery, and what better than being reunited with the characters of Rizzoli and Isles from Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles to Barry Frost. In this short story, we have our murder scene in an abandoned church and the scene looks like it was a satanic ritual murder gone wrong as the area is set up like a scene from a Vampire film complete with a coffin that looks like someone had been sleeping in it. Turns out the victim and suspect were humans that were considered freaks of nature and thought they were vampires who could only survive on blood. Was our victim killed in a ritual gone wrong or was it something more creepy-crawly?
I do have to admit the ending of this book when her murder was solved did make me giggle a little, but a fun quick read overall.
I do have to admit the ending of this book when her murder was solved did make me giggle a little, but a fun quick read overall.
April 29, 2021
I have not read any novels in the Rizzoli and Isles universe, but I did, however, watch the horribly cheesetastic and quirky TV show when it aired.
I love crime shows and novels. They are like my crack candy that don't really leave me all that fulfilled but are really fun going down. This series is kind of like Law & Order meets Bones and I love that one half of the duo is a medical examiner.
The body of a teenage girl is found in an abandoned Boston church. The girl appears as though she was strangled and looked very malnourished and gaunt. Also adding to the creep factor is the open coffin found behind the body. Detective Jane Rizzoli finds a teenaged kid who believes he is a vampire and admits to having known the victim well. It seems like an open and shut case, except that Maura Isles, the brilliant medical examiner finds another likely cause of death.
I wasn't really able to get much characterization here since this is such a short short story, but I do think these book would be fun to read on a beach or airplane ride sometime. It was a super short story and had a little surpise ending and was a perfect little taste of this universe.
3 stars.
I love crime shows and novels. They are like my crack candy that don't really leave me all that fulfilled but are really fun going down. This series is kind of like Law & Order meets Bones and I love that one half of the duo is a medical examiner.
The body of a teenage girl is found in an abandoned Boston church. The girl appears as though she was strangled and looked very malnourished and gaunt. Also adding to the creep factor is the open coffin found behind the body. Detective Jane Rizzoli finds a teenaged kid who believes he is a vampire and admits to having known the victim well. It seems like an open and shut case, except that Maura Isles, the brilliant medical examiner finds another likely cause of death.
I wasn't really able to get much characterization here since this is such a short short story, but I do think these book would be fun to read on a beach or airplane ride sometime. It was a super short story and had a little surpise ending and was a perfect little taste of this universe.
3 stars.
February 3, 2018
This would have gotten another star from me had it been a bit longer and more fleshed-out. It was an extremely short "novella", really a short-story, but it fell next in the Rizzoli & Isles series for me, so I gave it a quick read. Good, but over in a flash. On to the next!
October 29, 2023
An appropriate - for - spooky season vampire story that takes just minutes to complete.
July 11, 2018
Tamamen ticari kaygı güdülmüş bir kitap. Zaten Doğan Kitap ne zaman içeriğe dikkat etti ki. Hep aynı şeyi yapıyor. Kalitesiz baskılara yüksek rakamlar istiyor. Hadi bu kaliteli baskı. Kuşe falan. Ama hiç kimse açıp okumadı mı? Tess'den beklemezdik ama Doğan Kitap da bundan faydalandı. O konuda başka söyleyeceklerim de var ama neyse.
Arkadaşlar bu bir hikaye kitabıdır. İçinde sadece bir hikaye bulunuyor. Rizzoli ve Isles da var. Zaten bir okuyuşta bitiyor.
İçinde çizimler bulunuyor. Üzerinde yazan rakam 29 TL ve bence bu çok acımasız. @dogan_kitap artık iyice çıtayı yükseltti ve bu hiç hoş değil. Üzülerek söylüyorum ki 29 TL vermeye değmez. Tess Gerritsen bile olsa! Zaaflarımızdan yararlanıyor yayınevi. Okuyup okumamak size kalmış.
Arkadaşlar bu bir hikaye kitabıdır. İçinde sadece bir hikaye bulunuyor. Rizzoli ve Isles da var. Zaten bir okuyuşta bitiyor.
İçinde çizimler bulunuyor. Üzerinde yazan rakam 29 TL ve bence bu çok acımasız. @dogan_kitap artık iyice çıtayı yükseltti ve bu hiç hoş değil. Üzülerek söylüyorum ki 29 TL vermeye değmez. Tess Gerritsen bile olsa! Zaaflarımızdan yararlanıyor yayınevi. Okuyup okumamak size kalmış.
July 20, 2014
Detective Jane Rizzoli and Medical Examiner Maura Isles are investigating the death of a teenage girl. The victim was found lying next to an open coffin in an abandoned cathedral. Her boyfriend was seen fleeing the scene after police arrived. Both she and her boyfriend believed they were vampires, existing on animal blood as their only nourishment. Now Rizzoli and Isles must figure out what killed the teenage girl before her father takes his own vengeance on her boyfriend.
This is a very short story in the Rizzoli & Isles series. It took me only 30 minutes to read. There is no depth to the story or the writing. No use downloading this short story unless it's a freebie. My rating: 3 Stars.
This is a very short story in the Rizzoli & Isles series. It took me only 30 minutes to read. There is no depth to the story or the writing. No use downloading this short story unless it's a freebie. My rating: 3 Stars.
January 26, 2015
This is an incredibly short story, between 15 and 20 pages, and it was made available for free in conjunction with the launch of the Rizzoli & Isles TV series (that I have never watched) - I thought it was rather bland.
The characters seemed very wooden and we did not learn enough about any of them to develop any sympathies.
The plot itself was very linear and predictable.
This is an extremely quick read and it is free, hence it is worth a read to get a taste of the author's writing style.
The characters seemed very wooden and we did not learn enough about any of them to develop any sympathies.
The plot itself was very linear and predictable.
This is an extremely quick read and it is free, hence it is worth a read to get a taste of the author's writing style.
August 23, 2015
See? ! ? I told you there is a good reason for hating spiders.
March 14, 2019
#Beendet
🐭 🐭 🐭 🐭
Tess Gerritsen
"Rizzoli & Isles - Blutrausch"
Short Thriller
Ein gelungenes und spannendes Zwischenspiel der Reihe um Rizzoli & Isles.
🐭 🐭 🐭 🐭
Tess Gerritsen
"Rizzoli & Isles - Blutrausch"
Short Thriller
Ein gelungenes und spannendes Zwischenspiel der Reihe um Rizzoli & Isles.
June 2, 2023
V short story (thankfully I knew that the preview of the next book was coming and therefore just how short it was!) Nice to tick it off as complete.
March 15, 2023
No merece la pena leerlo, tan corto que no llega a nada
September 26, 2012
This was like a mini Tales of the Unexpected. Not sure if everyone remembers this series but this little book would have made a perfect story for it.
It was only 20 pages or so so a very quick read but not bad........I'd not be bothering with anymore of these short stories, though. I prefer a way more fleshed out tale.
A teenaged girl is found in a church dead and her boyfriend is caught fleeing the scene......can't say much more without writing a spoiler so I won't.
It was only 20 pages or so so a very quick read but not bad........I'd not be bothering with anymore of these short stories, though. I prefer a way more fleshed out tale.
A teenaged girl is found in a church dead and her boyfriend is caught fleeing the scene......can't say much more without writing a spoiler so I won't.
December 1, 2012
This is an excellent series of books that features Jane Rizzoli a police homicide detective and Maura Isles a medical examiner.
The books are very well written and show a very good knowledge of Police procedure. The interaction between the main two characters is very effective and makes very entertaining reading.
The books are very well written and show a very good knowledge of Police procedure. The interaction between the main two characters is very effective and makes very entertaining reading.
January 31, 2016
3.5 stars Not a bad little short story. If you already know and love Rizzoli and Isles, you'll probably enjoy it. If you're not familiar with the series, though, I'd recommend starting with one of the books.
June 8, 2011
OK. I know it is a short story, but this was pretty lame. The first thing of Gerritsen's that I have been disappointed with.
October 5, 2011
short and not quite the ending I was expecting.
August 16, 2015
Cute short story. Well written, of course.
April 12, 2021
Haven't read any of these in awhile & this short little novelette was a good way to reconnect with the characters. The chapters are a page or so long so it's a quick read, very present, not a lot of background story--two teens who believe they are vampires, one dies, the other is blamed. Maura Isles solves the case through autopsy--a little tension with the grieving, vengeful father of the victim. a simple explanation. Not much to it, but interesting.
October 30, 2023
A Big Fan
I am a big Fan of Rizzoli and Isles. I loved the series and was so excited to come across the books. This story was like wow. I was totally mind blown. A case with my girls and vampires. Man... I'm a paranormal dark/urban fantasy writer. I write about this stuff regularly. I never imagined Rizzoli and Isles solving a case like this. Loved it immensely.
I am a big Fan of Rizzoli and Isles. I loved the series and was so excited to come across the books. This story was like wow. I was totally mind blown. A case with my girls and vampires. Man... I'm a paranormal dark/urban fantasy writer. I write about this stuff regularly. I never imagined Rizzoli and Isles solving a case like this. Loved it immensely.
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