Reviewer: Lori Graham
Title: The Sinner - #3 Jane Rizzoli & Maura Isles Series
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0345458923
Release Date: August 2004
Genre/Sub-genre: Suspense/Thriller
Year/Setting: Current/New England
Overall Rating: 5.0
Sexual Content Rating: Sensual/Sexual
Language (Profanity/Slang) Rating: Moderate
Violent Content Rating: Minimal with flashes of intense
Tess's Website: www.tessgerritsen.com
Maura Isles is in an interesting position. As a medical examiner, she has seen a lot of things in her life and most no longer register. She has found herself detaching more and more from deep relationships with those still living (except a select few). There was a day, though, that brought up her curiosity.
She was called to a new murder scene. It isn’t very often (if ever) that a medical examiner is called to a convent. Two nuns are victims of brutal attacks—one is dead and the other is next to it. One nun is taken to the hospital and the other to the morgue, which is where Maura learns a whole lot more about Sister Camille. Maura actually got surprised on this autopsy when she learns that Sister Camille might have been a nun but she had also just given birth. Where was the baby? This now gave them a motive.
One of Maura’s friends is Detective Rizzoli. They begin to wonder if this crime was committed to cover the birth of the baby and Sister Ursula just was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Through her curiosity over Sister Camille and her growing friendship with Jane Rizzoli, Maura is drawn into this murder investigation. Part of the investigation becomes a waiting game to see if Sister Ursula will wake up.
As she waits, Maura’s duties continue but if her professional life isn’t hectic enough, her personal life takes a bit of a twist. Her ex-husband shows up and wants to rekindle their relationship. For a few moments in time, Maura actually holds out hope.
Tess Gerritsen is quite the author. I love a good suspense, especially when I don’t figure it out ahead of time. The Sinner has so many twists and turns that I wasn’t even on the radar until near the end but even then I didn’t totally get it until the end. She possesses an incredible ability to create intense, fast moving, richly layered manuscripts. Granted setting a brutal murder such as this in a convent isn’t the normal setting for a reader but the reality of life is the key.
The characters are personal—they have flaws, imperfections and a realism that creates people you could actually know. They are much like the people in our lives who have a good side with a not-so-good side peaking through from time to time. In the end, Maura and Jane are two very strong women who I enjoyed bonding with for these moments in time.
Lori
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