On the plus side, this wasn’t about a serial killer, had a carefully constructed plot that kept me guessing, and was easy to read without excessive gore. It was great spending time with Jane and Maura, as they are immersed in the brutal murder case; however, I have to say Jane's mom, Angela was my favorite character in this book.

Tess Gerritson used to be one of my favourite authors, but the characters seem to have run out of steam a bit.I’m guessing all of my training with Rizzoli over the years has started paying off as I figured out one of the mysteries straight away and got another one half right.

It’s unfortunate that this is my first Tess Gerritsen novel (*embarassed*) but I am now a fan (along with some of my most favorite authors in the genre), and my adventures with Gerritsen and her beautifully drawn characters and scenery have only just begun. But staying in the background is just not in her genetic make-up so - especially when no one will listen to her - what's a mother to do?With Jane and Maura tied up in their own investigations, Angela feels she may have to take things into her own hands which could put her in danger.

I find it interesting with this series, that even though time marches on (COVID-19 was mentioned at one point) the character’s barely age. With no one listening to her, and danger mounting in her neighbourhood, Angela just may be forced to take action on her own.

Nothing else to say except this: Welcome back, and pretty please listen to me and make it less time between this one and the 14th! You can feel yourself in the hands of a masterful storyteller as Gerritsen expertly takes the everyday and merges it with the macabre. I’d like to thank NetGalley, Tess Gerritsen, and Ballantine Books for the ability to read and review this ARC. Another excellent addition to the Rizzoli and Isles series featuring detective Jane Rizzoli and forensic pathologist Maura Isles.

Tess Gerritsen has a great style in writing this series and manages to weave together what seems like unrelated crimes seamlessly. Yet, maybe Angela is on to something this time as her new neighbors aren't friendly at ALL: they don't want her prize-winning zucchini bread, they've installed bars over the windows, they keep the shades drawn all day, and she's pretty sure the guy has a gun. Several months later, in a seemingly unrelated incident, nurse Sofia Suarez is brutally murdered in her own home, her skull crushed by a blunt instrument.It was a nice change of pace to learn more about Angela as she and Jane haven’t always had the best of relationships. Wirklich nervtötend sind aber die Angela, die ohnehin anstrengende Mutter von Jane Rizzoli, aus ihrer Perspektive erzählt.