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The Shape of Night
A woman trying to outrun her past is drawn to a quiet coastal town in Maine–and to a string of unsolved murders–in this haunting tale of romantic suspense from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.
Ava Collette is punishing herself for an unspeakable tragedy. So she flees Boston and rents an old home named Brodie’s Watch on a remote coastal peninsula of Maine, hoping to work on a cookbook inspired by New England cuisine that she’s been trying to finish for months. She immediately feels at peace in the isolated house–until she starts to hear strange noises.
Rumor has it that a sea captain named Brodie has haunted the house for decades. Then, one night, Ava is awakened to find herself face to face with an apparition who looks–and feels–all too real. Meanwhile, there’s been a series of accidental deaths nearby that don’t add up. And as Ava starts to check into the previous renter’s mysterious disappearance, she starts to realize that there’s a disturbing secret some in town are desperate to keep hidden.
Soon all of Ava’s waking hours are consumed by her investigation, and her nights are ignited by Captain Brodie’s ghostly visits. But even as she questions her own sanity, she knows she must uncover the truth before a killer strikes again.
Ava Collette is punishing herself for an unspeakable tragedy. So she flees Boston and rents an old home named Brodie’s Watch on a remote coastal peninsula of Maine, hoping to work on a cookbook inspired by New England cuisine that she’s been trying to finish for months. She immediately feels at peace in the isolated house–until she starts to hear strange noises.
Rumor has it that a sea captain named Brodie has haunted the house for decades. Then, one night, Ava is awakened to find herself face to face with an apparition who looks–and feels–all too real. Meanwhile, there’s been a series of accidental deaths nearby that don’t add up. And as Ava starts to check into the previous renter’s mysterious disappearance, she starts to realize that there’s a disturbing secret some in town are desperate to keep hidden.
Soon all of Ava’s waking hours are consumed by her investigation, and her nights are ignited by Captain Brodie’s ghostly visits. But even as she questions her own sanity, she knows she must uncover the truth before a killer strikes again.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2019
About the author
Tess Gerritsen
190 books19.3k followersInternationally 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 1,946 reviews
October 15, 2019
I'm not really sure how to review this book, while quick and easy to read, it wasn't really what I was expecting. We have Ava who, in the wake of a personal tragedy, leaves Boston to take a rental for the summer in coastal Maine, where she's determined to finish the book she is writing. She is able to get the rental on a huge oceanfront mansion cheaply, as it has a checkered past, and is said to be haunted.
Ava tries to get on with her life, and though making progress with her book, she is drinking too much and starts to have strange dreams in the house. But are they dreams or manifestations? As the old house casts it's spell around Ava she's not sure if what she's feeling is real, or simply drunken dreams while under the influence. She does know she doesn't want to leave the house, however when the previous occupant turns up dead things escalate, and Ava is drawn in to a nightmare that she isn't sure she can escape from.
I did enjoy this book, but I really think some of the scenes were unnecessary. I found they detracted from the book, and while yes, it was creepy, it could have been made more so by the power of suggestion, not the explicit scenarios that were repeated. This would make a good beach read, but it could have been so much more.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Ava tries to get on with her life, and though making progress with her book, she is drinking too much and starts to have strange dreams in the house. But are they dreams or manifestations? As the old house casts it's spell around Ava she's not sure if what she's feeling is real, or simply drunken dreams while under the influence. She does know she doesn't want to leave the house, however when the previous occupant turns up dead things escalate, and Ava is drawn in to a nightmare that she isn't sure she can escape from.
I did enjoy this book, but I really think some of the scenes were unnecessary. I found they detracted from the book, and while yes, it was creepy, it could have been made more so by the power of suggestion, not the explicit scenarios that were repeated. This would make a good beach read, but it could have been so much more.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 24, 2019
Ava Collette, a cookbook author, has rented a home in a coastal town in Maine in order to get some distance from her past and her life in Boston. She tells everyone that she needs the space and quiet in order to focus on her book about New England Cuisine. The old beautiful house she has rented is named Brodie's Watch which was named after its owner Brodie who was a sea captain who was lost at sea.
Soon after moving in, she learns that another woman had rented the home before her but left abruptly before her lease was up. Even more troubling is that Ava begins to hear things that go bump in the night and one night comes face to face with a ghost who looks, sounds, and feels real. Is this Captain Brodie's ghost who has long been rumored to haunt the home? Is what she is seeing real or is she imagining things? Curious about the home’s history and her increasing bond to the home, Ava begins to investigate the homes history. Will she like what she finds out?
Mystery, suspense and some chills flow throughout this book. I found this book to have a Gothic feel. It also has the perfect setting - an isolated old New England home, located on a bluff overlooking the ocean. This book is not like other books by Gerritsen. This book has a supernatural element to it. She perfectly blends romance, obsession, fear, dread, suspense, and mystery in this book. She literally had me hooked from the very beginning and I finished this book in one day. I thought Gerritsen did a great job of having the tension mount as the story progressed. The pacing was spot on, nothing felt rushed or drawn out. As with her other books, I found this book to be very well written with some beautiful passages such as "Sometimes, silence is the one true way to prove your love." and "We keep our darkest secrets to ourselves. We keep them, most of all, from those we love."
Sure, the reader will need to suspend some disbelief with this book, but in no way did I feel that this distracted from the story at all, in fact it enhanced my enjoyment. There is a rumored haunted house in this book, after all. I found this book to be captivating, suspenseful and enjoyable.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Soon after moving in, she learns that another woman had rented the home before her but left abruptly before her lease was up. Even more troubling is that Ava begins to hear things that go bump in the night and one night comes face to face with a ghost who looks, sounds, and feels real. Is this Captain Brodie's ghost who has long been rumored to haunt the home? Is what she is seeing real or is she imagining things? Curious about the home’s history and her increasing bond to the home, Ava begins to investigate the homes history. Will she like what she finds out?
Mystery, suspense and some chills flow throughout this book. I found this book to have a Gothic feel. It also has the perfect setting - an isolated old New England home, located on a bluff overlooking the ocean. This book is not like other books by Gerritsen. This book has a supernatural element to it. She perfectly blends romance, obsession, fear, dread, suspense, and mystery in this book. She literally had me hooked from the very beginning and I finished this book in one day. I thought Gerritsen did a great job of having the tension mount as the story progressed. The pacing was spot on, nothing felt rushed or drawn out. As with her other books, I found this book to be very well written with some beautiful passages such as "Sometimes, silence is the one true way to prove your love." and "We keep our darkest secrets to ourselves. We keep them, most of all, from those we love."
Sure, the reader will need to suspend some disbelief with this book, but in no way did I feel that this distracted from the story at all, in fact it enhanced my enjoyment. There is a rumored haunted house in this book, after all. I found this book to be captivating, suspenseful and enjoyable.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 29, 2019
The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen is a 2019 Ballantine Publication.
A creepy paranormal mystery with a Gothic undertone? Count me in!
An isolated old mansion, a fragile house guest, an unsolved mystery, a few erotic encounters and an unusual ghost/entity in residence, and you have all the makings of a spellbinding paranormal thriller!!
Ava Collette, a food writer, has rented ‘Brodie’s Watch’, an old mansion located on a small peninsula of Maine. Having fled Boston after a tragedy that has left her haunted and riddled with guilt, Ava hopes the peace and quiet help her regain her focus, as she begins work on a new cookbook. As she begins cooking up her new recipes, she soon realizes she isn’t alone in the house. Apparently, the house is haunted by Captain Brodie, the original owner of the house, and her encounters with him become very… intimate.
Meanwhile, a couple of accidental deaths, coupled with the disappearance of the home’s previous tenant, have Ava spending more time investigating the troubling rumors surrounding her new abode. Before long, it becomes obvious that the surrounding community is harboring a few very dark secrets and the ghosts of Brodie’s Watch may be the least of her concerns…
I’ve never read the popular and well-respected Rizzoli and Isles series, but I know enough about it to realize this stand-alone book is not cut from the same cloth. No offense to anyone, but if you aren’t a fan of Paranormal books, or expect Rizzoli and Isles, only with different names and places, then you’ll want to approach this one with more of an open mind. Just as you might not wish to read one author, one series, or one genre, I’m sure authors like a change of pace, from time to time, as well.
As for me- I love Gothic tones, ghosts, and cold-case mysteries- so this book was right up my alley. The story is very atmospheric, with a strong, sinister sense of foreboding. The emotions are also palpable, as Ava’s immense sadness and overwhelming guilt threatens to overcome her. But, all the paranormal instances center around a death that took place at Brodie’s Watch, years back, which was ruled an accident. This mystery is very compelling, and I fear it might be a little overshadowed by the heavy emphasis placed on the sensuality and ghostly occurrences.
While, this may be too much of a departure for some of Gerritsen’s readers, for those of us who like these types of stories, this is a welcome addition to her library of work.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I hope Gerritsen will step outside her series writing more often to publish more stand -alone novels like this one!
A creepy paranormal mystery with a Gothic undertone? Count me in!
An isolated old mansion, a fragile house guest, an unsolved mystery, a few erotic encounters and an unusual ghost/entity in residence, and you have all the makings of a spellbinding paranormal thriller!!
Ava Collette, a food writer, has rented ‘Brodie’s Watch’, an old mansion located on a small peninsula of Maine. Having fled Boston after a tragedy that has left her haunted and riddled with guilt, Ava hopes the peace and quiet help her regain her focus, as she begins work on a new cookbook. As she begins cooking up her new recipes, she soon realizes she isn’t alone in the house. Apparently, the house is haunted by Captain Brodie, the original owner of the house, and her encounters with him become very… intimate.
Meanwhile, a couple of accidental deaths, coupled with the disappearance of the home’s previous tenant, have Ava spending more time investigating the troubling rumors surrounding her new abode. Before long, it becomes obvious that the surrounding community is harboring a few very dark secrets and the ghosts of Brodie’s Watch may be the least of her concerns…
I’ve never read the popular and well-respected Rizzoli and Isles series, but I know enough about it to realize this stand-alone book is not cut from the same cloth. No offense to anyone, but if you aren’t a fan of Paranormal books, or expect Rizzoli and Isles, only with different names and places, then you’ll want to approach this one with more of an open mind. Just as you might not wish to read one author, one series, or one genre, I’m sure authors like a change of pace, from time to time, as well.
As for me- I love Gothic tones, ghosts, and cold-case mysteries- so this book was right up my alley. The story is very atmospheric, with a strong, sinister sense of foreboding. The emotions are also palpable, as Ava’s immense sadness and overwhelming guilt threatens to overcome her. But, all the paranormal instances center around a death that took place at Brodie’s Watch, years back, which was ruled an accident. This mystery is very compelling, and I fear it might be a little overshadowed by the heavy emphasis placed on the sensuality and ghostly occurrences.
While, this may be too much of a departure for some of Gerritsen’s readers, for those of us who like these types of stories, this is a welcome addition to her library of work.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I hope Gerritsen will step outside her series writing more often to publish more stand -alone novels like this one!
September 28, 2019
I enjoyed Gerritsen’s prior series, Rizzoli and Isles, so I was willing to give this standalone a try. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that paranormal, gothic mysteries are not my normal cup of tea but I need to step outside my favorites every now and then.
Ava is a food writer, looking to work on her cookbook. She rents an almost renovated mansion in Maine to have the peace and quiet she needs. She’s also running away from her prior life in Boston. We are only given small illusions as to how she screwed up there.
Once again, I’m going to give away my age by saying my first impression of this book was that it was a weird take off on the old (very old) tv show called The Ghost and Mrs. Muir with a bit of Fifty Shades of Grey thrown in.
Ava is your typical unreliable narrator. She’s got a severe alcohol dependency going on.
This one is a bodice ripper of the first order. If that’s your thing, you’ll love this. I, on the other hand, plan to return to a good old fashion murder mystery next. One, hopefully, with a little less predictable ending than this one.
My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.
Ava is a food writer, looking to work on her cookbook. She rents an almost renovated mansion in Maine to have the peace and quiet she needs. She’s also running away from her prior life in Boston. We are only given small illusions as to how she screwed up there.
Once again, I’m going to give away my age by saying my first impression of this book was that it was a weird take off on the old (very old) tv show called The Ghost and Mrs. Muir with a bit of Fifty Shades of Grey thrown in.
Ava is your typical unreliable narrator. She’s got a severe alcohol dependency going on.
This one is a bodice ripper of the first order. If that’s your thing, you’ll love this. I, on the other hand, plan to return to a good old fashion murder mystery next. One, hopefully, with a little less predictable ending than this one.
My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.
September 7, 2022
I just want to know what happened to the Tess Gerritsen I used to know and love. I adored the Rizzoli and Isles series, I've been a fan since the very beginning and her forensic knowledge and gripping mysteries have always made me gravitate towards her books. But this new bent she has toward the paranormal is just not my cup of tea.
This book is like 50 Shades of Grey with ghosts. And lots and lots and lots of drinking. Ava is nearly constantly drunk. There were times this book totally bordered on uncomfortable for me because erotica and paranormal are at the bottom of my list of preferred genres. I didn't care for Ava as a character because I thought she was a wimp and couldn't face some poor choices from the past (albeit made while...you guessed it...drunk).
I have been going back and forth between one and two stars, and I did finish the book, so that deserves a little credit. But if you think you're getting a smart mystery here, I'd advise you to steer clear and pick another book. If you like ghosts and drinking and sex with ghosts...go for it, you'll probably like it.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
This book is like 50 Shades of Grey with ghosts. And lots and lots and lots of drinking. Ava is nearly constantly drunk. There were times this book totally bordered on uncomfortable for me because erotica and paranormal are at the bottom of my list of preferred genres. I didn't care for Ava as a character because I thought she was a wimp and couldn't face some poor choices from the past (albeit made while...you guessed it...drunk).
I have been going back and forth between one and two stars, and I did finish the book, so that deserves a little credit. But if you think you're getting a smart mystery here, I'd advise you to steer clear and pick another book. If you like ghosts and drinking and sex with ghosts...go for it, you'll probably like it.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
October 18, 2019
EXCERPT: Even now I still dream about Brodie's Watch, and the nightmare is always the same. I am standing in the gravel driveway and the house looms before me like a ghost ship adrift in the fog. Around my feet mist curls and slithers and it coats my skin in icy rime. I hear waves rolling in from the sea and crashing against the cliffs, and overhead, seagulls scream a warning to stay far, far away. I know that Death waits behind that front door, yet I do not retreat because the house is calling to me. Perhaps it will always call to me, its siren song compelling me to once again climb the steps to the porch, where the swing creaks back and forth.
I open the door.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: A woman trying to outrun her past is drawn to a quiet coastal town in Maine–and to a string of unsolved murders–in this haunting tale of romantic suspense from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.
Ava Collette is punishing herself for an unspeakable tragedy. So she flees Boston and rents an old home named Brodie’s Watch on a remote coastal peninsula of Maine, hoping to work on a cookbook inspired by New England cuisine that she’s been trying to finish for months. She immediately feels at peace in the isolated house–until she starts to hear strange noises.
Rumor has it that a sea captain named Brodie has haunted the house for decades. Then, one night, Ava is awakened to find herself face to face with an apparition who looks–and feels–all too real. Meanwhile, there’s been a series of accidental deaths nearby that don’t add up. And as Ava starts to check into the previous renter’s mysterious disappearance, she starts to realize that there’s a disturbing secret some in town are desperate to keep hidden.
Soon all of Ava’s waking hours are consumed by her investigation, and her nights are ignited by Captain Brodie’s ghostly visits. But even as she questions her own sanity, she knows she must uncover the truth before a killer strikes again.
MY THOUGHTS: 12% onto this 5 star read I wrote: "There is something in the cadence of Gerritsen's writing, the atmosphere she has created, that is reminiscent of Du Maurier's Rebecca. This is delicious. It sends tingles down my spine." After finishing The Shape of Night and mulling it over for a couple of days, I would not change one word of my comment.
This is a delicious book set in a house of secrets, in a town with secrets. But Ava has secrets too. And guilt. A terrible, crippling guilt that threatens to smother her and causes her to cut herself off from those she loves most.
Gerritsen introduces a paranormal aspect to her book, something she does not normally do, and something I am not normally attracted by. But this works, and works superbly. I almost fell in love with Captain Brodie myself. There are also several sex scenes in the text, not graphic, but tastefully done with more left to the imagination than not. They are not gratuitous, but a wonderful part of this story.
This is a real departure for Gerritsen, but one I enthusiastically applaud, and I would like to see more in this vein from her. Two comments, and neither a criticism.....each page should come with a bold reminder to 'KEEP BREATHING', because many times during this read I found myself holding my breath with anticipation and/or suspense. And the second....I wish she had included some of the lovely recipes.
One of my favorite passages from The Shape of Night: Brodie's Watch was where I found inspiration, and it's true. Here is where I tested and perfected my recipes, where I learned there is no finer condiment than the scent of sea air. It's where I learned that wine does not cure grief, and when you dine with guilt, even the most tenderly prepared meal is tasteless.
Five brightly shining stars from me :)
THE AUTHOR: Internationally 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. Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press vis Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page, or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This book review is also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
I open the door.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: A woman trying to outrun her past is drawn to a quiet coastal town in Maine–and to a string of unsolved murders–in this haunting tale of romantic suspense from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.
Ava Collette is punishing herself for an unspeakable tragedy. So she flees Boston and rents an old home named Brodie’s Watch on a remote coastal peninsula of Maine, hoping to work on a cookbook inspired by New England cuisine that she’s been trying to finish for months. She immediately feels at peace in the isolated house–until she starts to hear strange noises.
Rumor has it that a sea captain named Brodie has haunted the house for decades. Then, one night, Ava is awakened to find herself face to face with an apparition who looks–and feels–all too real. Meanwhile, there’s been a series of accidental deaths nearby that don’t add up. And as Ava starts to check into the previous renter’s mysterious disappearance, she starts to realize that there’s a disturbing secret some in town are desperate to keep hidden.
Soon all of Ava’s waking hours are consumed by her investigation, and her nights are ignited by Captain Brodie’s ghostly visits. But even as she questions her own sanity, she knows she must uncover the truth before a killer strikes again.
MY THOUGHTS: 12% onto this 5 star read I wrote: "There is something in the cadence of Gerritsen's writing, the atmosphere she has created, that is reminiscent of Du Maurier's Rebecca. This is delicious. It sends tingles down my spine." After finishing The Shape of Night and mulling it over for a couple of days, I would not change one word of my comment.
This is a delicious book set in a house of secrets, in a town with secrets. But Ava has secrets too. And guilt. A terrible, crippling guilt that threatens to smother her and causes her to cut herself off from those she loves most.
Gerritsen introduces a paranormal aspect to her book, something she does not normally do, and something I am not normally attracted by. But this works, and works superbly. I almost fell in love with Captain Brodie myself. There are also several sex scenes in the text, not graphic, but tastefully done with more left to the imagination than not. They are not gratuitous, but a wonderful part of this story.
This is a real departure for Gerritsen, but one I enthusiastically applaud, and I would like to see more in this vein from her. Two comments, and neither a criticism.....each page should come with a bold reminder to 'KEEP BREATHING', because many times during this read I found myself holding my breath with anticipation and/or suspense. And the second....I wish she had included some of the lovely recipes.
One of my favorite passages from The Shape of Night: Brodie's Watch was where I found inspiration, and it's true. Here is where I tested and perfected my recipes, where I learned there is no finer condiment than the scent of sea air. It's where I learned that wine does not cure grief, and when you dine with guilt, even the most tenderly prepared meal is tasteless.
Five brightly shining stars from me :)
THE AUTHOR: Internationally 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. Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press vis Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page, or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This book review is also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
September 18, 2019
I love Tess Gerritsen’s Rizzoli & Isles series so was looking forward to read this, especially when it sounded like a foray into a very different type of novel - a gothic paranormal mystery. Unfortunately it didn’t quite work for me. I’m not sure whether it was the handsome ghost who was into BDSM, the too good to be true town doctor who instantly falls for the main character or the mysterious deaths of a number of women or just that the whole did not fit well together.
The main character, Ava is a cookery writer who has rented a mansion on a secluded point with views out to sea for the summer. The reason she gives everyone is that she needs to work in seclusion to finish her book, with a large kitchen for testing her recipes. However, mainly she is running away from her guilt at her part in the death of her sister's husband. After meeting the ghost of the sea-captain who built the house she decides to research it's history and discovers that several women have lived alone in this house before her and died prematurely. However, the ghost reassures her that he will protect her and she soon finds herself looking forward to his visits after dark.
The characters were well developed and the setting was atmospheric, but somehow I felt that none of the elements (gothic, paranormal or mystery) were as well realised as they could have been to pull this into a really creepy gothic mystery.
The main character, Ava is a cookery writer who has rented a mansion on a secluded point with views out to sea for the summer. The reason she gives everyone is that she needs to work in seclusion to finish her book, with a large kitchen for testing her recipes. However, mainly she is running away from her guilt at her part in the death of her sister's husband. After meeting the ghost of the sea-captain who built the house she decides to research it's history and discovers that several women have lived alone in this house before her and died prematurely. However, the ghost reassures her that he will protect her and she soon finds herself looking forward to his visits after dark.
The characters were well developed and the setting was atmospheric, but somehow I felt that none of the elements (gothic, paranormal or mystery) were as well realised as they could have been to pull this into a really creepy gothic mystery.
November 18, 2019
This story was just not what I was expecting. I’ve read Tess Gerritsen in the past and remembered her novels as thrilling. This “ghost story” was far from it - the pace was very slow and I just wanted to get to the end. Unfortunately I do not recommend this one. There is some light BDSM to be aware of.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.
October 1, 2019
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. Ava Collette is a food writer who rents a house in a small coastal Maine town. She has promised her publisher a book of historic recipes. She decides getting away from her home in Boston will help her write. She experiments by making a dish from each recipe. There are 2 carpenters repairing the house who happily become guinea pigs. They are in heaven because all her cooking is delicious.
But then the ghost of the original owner comes to her. There are some disturbing scenes of sadistic sex. She discovers that the house has a sinister history. There is a killer in town.
This is a stand alone and not part of the Rizzoli series.
One quote for cat lovers: "I haul the pet carrier into the house and release the kraken. Hannibal emerges from the cage, glares at me, and lumbers off towards the kitchen."
Thanks to Ballantine Books for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
But then the ghost of the original owner comes to her. There are some disturbing scenes of sadistic sex. She discovers that the house has a sinister history. There is a killer in town.
This is a stand alone and not part of the Rizzoli series.
One quote for cat lovers: "I haul the pet carrier into the house and release the kraken. Hannibal emerges from the cage, glares at me, and lumbers off towards the kitchen."
Thanks to Ballantine Books for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
October 3, 2019
Tess Gerritsen is an author that’s an automatic go to for me – without knowing anything about it, I’ll read it. But I’m seriously wondering if The Shape of Night was written by someone else, it’s that different from anything the author has written before. A one hundred and fifty year old ghost; a woman living in said ghost’s house; that same woman drinking herself to oblivion almost every night; and there’s more…
Ava rented Brodie’s Watch in Maine for the summer so she could complete the manuscript that was almost a year overdue. Her agent, Simon, had been very patient but even that was wearing thin. Ava’s only company was her cat Hannibal (as in Lector) and the old house was huge. So, was she alone? Or was Captain Brodie visiting Ava at night? Was she dreaming, mixing her terrible past with her guilt?
Graphic sex scenes, S&M, an implausible plot – I was incredibly disappointed in The Shape of Night and am not really sure what genre it is meant to be. There will be people who’ll enjoy this novel, but it didn’t sit right and wasn’t for me I’m afraid.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Ava rented Brodie’s Watch in Maine for the summer so she could complete the manuscript that was almost a year overdue. Her agent, Simon, had been very patient but even that was wearing thin. Ava’s only company was her cat Hannibal (as in Lector) and the old house was huge. So, was she alone? Or was Captain Brodie visiting Ava at night? Was she dreaming, mixing her terrible past with her guilt?
Graphic sex scenes, S&M, an implausible plot – I was incredibly disappointed in The Shape of Night and am not really sure what genre it is meant to be. There will be people who’ll enjoy this novel, but it didn’t sit right and wasn’t for me I’m afraid.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
October 16, 2019
After reading a number of Rizzoli & Isles novels by Tess Gerritsen, I was drawn to her latest piece, a standalone, to see if it held as much excitement for me. Definitely full of mystery, this book will leave those who have loved the aforementioned series with many questions and potential concerns if this is the new path Gerritsen is set to take. Ava Collette has decided to leave the busy life she led in Boston, settling in a small Maine town. With many secrets in the rear view mirror, Ava has a deadline to complete her latest cook book, which she will fill with sea-themed New England classics. After renting a property, Ava discovers some disturbing things that have her wondering about her choice of accommodation. She learns that the house was built by Captain Jeremiah Brodie, who is a local seafaring celebrity. When she is visited by an apparition late one night, the haunting takes on a new level of concern, though things are also a lot more intense for Ava on other levels too. As she digs into the background of the previous owners and renters of the house, Ava discovers something highly disturbing, leaving her little choice but to take immediate action. Question is, will it be enough? A very unique piece by Tess Gerritsen that will surely get people talking, but perhaps not for the right reason.
While I have always enjoyed the Tess Gerritsen books I’ve read, this one was surely out in left field for me. I cannot be sure if this ties in to some of her other standalone novels, but other reviewers seem to be on the same page as I am. Paranormal soft-core pornography is not a genre I want to read about, especially from someone like Tess Gerritsen, so I will have to be very careful about what I read of hers in the future. Ava Collette began as quite the interesting protagonist. Fleeing issues in her life, she settles in a rural community to lose herself, or perhaps find her writing groove. Her backstory emerges throughout the book, which tells an interesting narrative all its own. The development that occurs, particularly in relation to the haunting/paranormal activity. I felt this really lessened the impact of the story, adding to that the sexual encounters that occur throughout. Other characters helped try to make this a strong story, but it was as though Gerritsen could not help returning to this silly theme that really sullied the story for those who have enjoyed her thrillers in the past. The story could have been great, as it had all the needed ingredients, but it flopped on a few occasions and left me wondering why she might want to go in these directions. All the power to those who want to read ‘his pulsing member’ novels, but when you add ‘his pulsing apparition member’, you lose even more level-headed readers. Not all is lost, but some readers like me may not be able to simply ignore it.
Kudos, Madam Gerritsen, for the attempt, but let’s stick to Boston’s crime scene and more Rizzoli & Isles, if you please.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
While I have always enjoyed the Tess Gerritsen books I’ve read, this one was surely out in left field for me. I cannot be sure if this ties in to some of her other standalone novels, but other reviewers seem to be on the same page as I am. Paranormal soft-core pornography is not a genre I want to read about, especially from someone like Tess Gerritsen, so I will have to be very careful about what I read of hers in the future. Ava Collette began as quite the interesting protagonist. Fleeing issues in her life, she settles in a rural community to lose herself, or perhaps find her writing groove. Her backstory emerges throughout the book, which tells an interesting narrative all its own. The development that occurs, particularly in relation to the haunting/paranormal activity. I felt this really lessened the impact of the story, adding to that the sexual encounters that occur throughout. Other characters helped try to make this a strong story, but it was as though Gerritsen could not help returning to this silly theme that really sullied the story for those who have enjoyed her thrillers in the past. The story could have been great, as it had all the needed ingredients, but it flopped on a few occasions and left me wondering why she might want to go in these directions. All the power to those who want to read ‘his pulsing member’ novels, but when you add ‘his pulsing apparition member’, you lose even more level-headed readers. Not all is lost, but some readers like me may not be able to simply ignore it.
Kudos, Madam Gerritsen, for the attempt, but let’s stick to Boston’s crime scene and more Rizzoli & Isles, if you please.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
June 10, 2021
Captivating And Suspenseful!
Ava Collette is a national food writer working on a new book about some of New England best- loved recipes and her book is way behind schedule. So Ava rented an oceanfront house (sight unseen) in a historic town (Tucker's Cove) in Maine thinking she might be inspired by by the nostalgia of the area and the ambience of the sea. Ava's only companion is her Maine coon cat (26 pounds) who goes everywhere with her. Shortly after she moves in, Ava feels as if she is being watched especially at night and she is having disturbing dreams about Captain Brody who had built and lived in this house in the 1800's and had suffered an untimely death at The young age of only thirty-nine years of age. Ava hears noises and whispers, whether it is day or night and begins to drink hoping to settle her nerves and to help her sleep. Unfortunately, this does not work and she continues to drink more than she ever has and feels her house may be haunted or she is starting to lose her mind from all the stress and emotional baggage that she has carried with her from her apartment in Boston. Ava makes a few new friends and also a handsome town doctor who seems interesting but she still feels alone and lonely, except now, in her home. Ava knows she is not alone anymore, After she investigates the history of her current residence she finds there have been several tragic deaths that have occurred over the past century, all women living alone in seclusion in "Brodie's Watch". the name of her property. Are these just coincidences and Ava is having delusions and hallucinations from a drunken stupor or is there a real possibility that "Brodie's Watch" is haunted?
I found "The Shape Of Night" to be an atmospheric and satisfying gothic-styled story. The book encompassed a little bit of everything including suspense, murder, romance, the paranormal and mystery. Tess Gerritsen is a wonderful writer and storyteller and I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys a great storyline with many twists along the way and a touch of the supernatural. (Maybe or maybe not, let the reader be the judge!I
I want to thank "Random House Publishing -Ballantine Books" and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this terrific book!
I highly recommend this story and have given a rating of 4 Mesmerizing 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
Ava Collette is a national food writer working on a new book about some of New England best- loved recipes and her book is way behind schedule. So Ava rented an oceanfront house (sight unseen) in a historic town (Tucker's Cove) in Maine thinking she might be inspired by by the nostalgia of the area and the ambience of the sea. Ava's only companion is her Maine coon cat (26 pounds) who goes everywhere with her. Shortly after she moves in, Ava feels as if she is being watched especially at night and she is having disturbing dreams about Captain Brody who had built and lived in this house in the 1800's and had suffered an untimely death at The young age of only thirty-nine years of age. Ava hears noises and whispers, whether it is day or night and begins to drink hoping to settle her nerves and to help her sleep. Unfortunately, this does not work and she continues to drink more than she ever has and feels her house may be haunted or she is starting to lose her mind from all the stress and emotional baggage that she has carried with her from her apartment in Boston. Ava makes a few new friends and also a handsome town doctor who seems interesting but she still feels alone and lonely, except now, in her home. Ava knows she is not alone anymore, After she investigates the history of her current residence she finds there have been several tragic deaths that have occurred over the past century, all women living alone in seclusion in "Brodie's Watch". the name of her property. Are these just coincidences and Ava is having delusions and hallucinations from a drunken stupor or is there a real possibility that "Brodie's Watch" is haunted?
I found "The Shape Of Night" to be an atmospheric and satisfying gothic-styled story. The book encompassed a little bit of everything including suspense, murder, romance, the paranormal and mystery. Tess Gerritsen is a wonderful writer and storyteller and I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys a great storyline with many twists along the way and a touch of the supernatural. (Maybe or maybe not, let the reader be the judge!I
I want to thank "Random House Publishing -Ballantine Books" and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this terrific book!
I highly recommend this story and have given a rating of 4 Mesmerizing 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
September 3, 2019
In a departure from her usual books, Tess Gerritsen has written a gothic paranormal stand-alone mystery. Having loved gothic books, I was eager to read this one, and it did not disappoint!
Ava is a food writer in Boston who is writing a cookbook on traditional New England cooking. She rents a house in a small town on the coast of Maine, where she can write her book and escape a tragedy in her life and find healing from her feelings of shame and guilt.
She finds the house dark, creepy, and foreboding, but soon she feels accepted and relishes being alone to write. Or is she alone? Almost immediately she feels a presence in the house. The ghost of the original owner, a sea captain from 100 years ago, shows up in her room at night, touching her, and she is certain he is real. She begins to welcome the presence.
This was a fun book I read quickly. It held my interest throughout. I would recommend this to fans of mystery and paranormal gothic suspense novels.
Ava is a food writer in Boston who is writing a cookbook on traditional New England cooking. She rents a house in a small town on the coast of Maine, where she can write her book and escape a tragedy in her life and find healing from her feelings of shame and guilt.
She finds the house dark, creepy, and foreboding, but soon she feels accepted and relishes being alone to write. Or is she alone? Almost immediately she feels a presence in the house. The ghost of the original owner, a sea captain from 100 years ago, shows up in her room at night, touching her, and she is certain he is real. She begins to welcome the presence.
This was a fun book I read quickly. It held my interest throughout. I would recommend this to fans of mystery and paranormal gothic suspense novels.
January 20, 2024
In general, I like Tess Gerritsen's books and I read a lot of them. But this book is a bit different from her other books.
After listening to around 15% of the book I was ready to abandon it as I thought it was about romance and ghosts which are not my favourite genres. But I decided to try and listen a bit more and happened something unexpected: I liked the book.
Ava Collette is not proud of what she did in the past and she flees Boston and rents an old home named Brodie’s Watch on a remote coastal peninsula of Maine. Here she plans to finish her book about food she is long overdue. She falls in love with the house and with it its ghost.
Trying to find out more about Captain Brodie and the house, she uncovers some strange deaths and disappearances related to the house.
The story is a bit unusual, but the book is very captivating and it is worth to read/listen.
After listening to around 15% of the book I was ready to abandon it as I thought it was about romance and ghosts which are not my favourite genres. But I decided to try and listen a bit more and happened something unexpected: I liked the book.
Ava Collette is not proud of what she did in the past and she flees Boston and rents an old home named Brodie’s Watch on a remote coastal peninsula of Maine. Here she plans to finish her book about food she is long overdue. She falls in love with the house and with it its ghost.
Trying to find out more about Captain Brodie and the house, she uncovers some strange deaths and disappearances related to the house.
The story is a bit unusual, but the book is very captivating and it is worth to read/listen.
February 1, 2020
Maniau, kad čia bus trileris (o taip ir parašyta ant galinio viršelio), o pasirodo, čia... EROTINIS! MISTINIS! NESĄMON... trileris.
Toliau gal parašysiu kažkiek spoilerių, bet net nežinau, kas čia yra spoileris šioje knygoje, o kas ne, bet, kita vertus, gal gerai žinoti, ko tikėtis.
Gerai, pagrindinė veikėja išsinuomoja paslaptingą KAPITONO BRODŽIO namą, ir jame jaučiasi stebima, kažką kažką, be to, ji turi Paslaptį, kuri yra visiškai neįdomi, kaip ir pati veikėja. Na, bet prasidėjo knyga visai nieko, aš nieko prieš truputį mistikos, ypač jei gerai kuriama atmosfera, jau vien su jausmu, kad esi stebimas, gali važiuoti pusę knygos.
Bet kas gi ją ten stebi, jei ne prieš 150 m. miręs pupulis Kapitonas Brodis, ir netrukus mūsų herojė pradeda gauti GOOD GHOST DICK!
Turbūt įmanoma parašyti erotiką taip, kad būtų nejuokinga ir gal net sexy, bet nežinau, kas galėtų kažkaip rimtai susijaudinti skaitydamas šią knygą. Pirmiausia, tai įdomu, kaip prieš pusšimtį metų miręs kapitonas galėjo perskaityti "50 pilkų atspalvių", bet ryškiai kažkaip perskaitė ir vedasi mūsų heroję į "malonumų kambarį", kur ją ten visaip tvatija
"ankščiausiu šakumu"!!! What!!! Turbūt numirčiau iš juoko, jei išgirsčiau rimtu balsu sakomą frazę "ankščiausias šakumas", vaiduoklis ar nevaiduoklis taip sakytų.
Bet herojė nemiršta iš juoko, jai ok, jinai labai susijaudinusi yra, štai vieną rytą apžiūri save prieš veidrodį, bet ant kūno nelikę jokių audringos nakties su Kapitonu Brodžiu paliktų žymių, tik...Tarp kojų išsiskyrusi "drėgmė", o gal tai... EKTOPLAZMA!! :DDD
Paskui vienu metu knygoje pasidarė netgi visai ��domu, nes kilo įtarimas, kad gal kapitonas Brodis (blemba, negaliu, ir tas vardas jo koks juokingas) yra ne geranoriškas vaiduoklis, o... siaubingas DEMONAS! Kas nutiko buvusioms šio namo gyventojoms? Kokią baidyklė buvo įsisukusi į kažkokius kitus namus? Ar herojė pajėgs nusimauti nuo to ektoplazmos pimpalo ir pabėgti iš grėsmę keliančio namo?
Paskui šita linija visai užmirštama ir vystoma kita, tarsi ir trilerio linija, bet ji atsiranda taip vėlai ir lieka tokia neišbaigta, kad net skaudu. Viskas baigiasi kažkaip nei šiaip, nei taip. "O gal aš viską išsigalvojau?" - svarsto herojė, ir net man, mėgstančiai racionalius paaiškinimus, nervas ima - privertė mus skaityti pusę knygos apie ektoplazmą šakume, o dabar "išsigalvojo" ji matai. Tuoj aš tau išsigalvosiu!
Toliau gal parašysiu kažkiek spoilerių, bet net nežinau, kas čia yra spoileris šioje knygoje, o kas ne, bet, kita vertus, gal gerai žinoti, ko tikėtis.
Gerai, pagrindinė veikėja išsinuomoja paslaptingą KAPITONO BRODŽIO namą, ir jame jaučiasi stebima, kažką kažką, be to, ji turi Paslaptį, kuri yra visiškai neįdomi, kaip ir pati veikėja. Na, bet prasidėjo knyga visai nieko, aš nieko prieš truputį mistikos, ypač jei gerai kuriama atmosfera, jau vien su jausmu, kad esi stebimas, gali važiuoti pusę knygos.
Bet kas gi ją ten stebi, jei ne prieš 150 m. miręs pupulis Kapitonas Brodis, ir netrukus mūsų herojė pradeda gauti GOOD GHOST DICK!
Turbūt įmanoma parašyti erotiką taip, kad būtų nejuokinga ir gal net sexy, bet nežinau, kas galėtų kažkaip rimtai susijaudinti skaitydamas šią knygą. Pirmiausia, tai įdomu, kaip prieš pusšimtį metų miręs kapitonas galėjo perskaityti "50 pilkų atspalvių", bet ryškiai kažkaip perskaitė ir vedasi mūsų heroję į "malonumų kambarį", kur ją ten visaip tvatija
Kai atsisuku, paaiškėja, kad jis gniaužia nublizgintą medinę policininko lazdą.
- <...> Čia pažintinė mokymo priemonė, tokia siaura, kad tinka skaistuolei ankščiausiu šakumu. - Jis nužvelgia mane. - Bet tu nesi skaisti.
"ankščiausiu šakumu"!!! What!!! Turbūt numirčiau iš juoko, jei išgirsčiau rimtu balsu sakomą frazę "ankščiausias šakumas", vaiduoklis ar nevaiduoklis taip sakytų.
Bet herojė nemiršta iš juoko, jai ok, jinai labai susijaudinusi yra, štai vieną rytą apžiūri save prieš veidrodį, bet ant kūno nelikę jokių audringos nakties su Kapitonu Brodžiu paliktų žymių, tik...Tarp kojų išsiskyrusi "drėgmė", o gal tai... EKTOPLAZMA!! :DDD
Paskui vienu metu knygoje pasidarė netgi visai ��domu, nes kilo įtarimas, kad gal kapitonas Brodis (blemba, negaliu, ir tas vardas jo koks juokingas) yra ne geranoriškas vaiduoklis, o... siaubingas DEMONAS! Kas nutiko buvusioms šio namo gyventojoms? Kokią baidyklė buvo įsisukusi į kažkokius kitus namus? Ar herojė pajėgs nusimauti nuo to ektoplazmos pimpalo ir pabėgti iš grėsmę keliančio namo?
Paskui šita linija visai užmirštama ir vystoma kita, tarsi ir trilerio linija, bet ji atsiranda taip vėlai ir lieka tokia neišbaigta, kad net skaudu. Viskas baigiasi kažkaip nei šiaip, nei taip. "O gal aš viską išsigalvojau?" - svarsto herojė, ir net man, mėgstančiai racionalius paaiškinimus, nervas ima - privertė mus skaityti pusę knygos apie ektoplazmą šakume, o dabar "išsigalvojo" ji matai. Tuoj aš tau išsigalvosiu!
October 15, 2019
Loved this gothic twist on a classic thriller set up.
November 15, 2019
Note: I read the Advance Uncorrected Proof paperback copy sent to me by the publisher, not the final hardcover edition.
I received The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen as a Goodreads Giveaway. My thanks to the publishers for sending me a free copy—although they will not like the review that is to follow.
While reading this book, I physically and intellectually rolled my eyes so many times over how terrible I found it that I’ve been inspired to start a new book review score: the eye-roll. Only certain books will receive it, and the higher the score, the worse the book. So, Tess Gerritsen, congratulations: this new book of yours receives an eye-roll score of about a million. Whether you were going for a ghost story, a mystery, a romance or a psychologically damaged/unreliable narrator story—this book fails as any of those. However, if you were going for “it’s so incredibly bad it’s funny,” then hurrah! You have succeeded.
Ava Collette and her cat Hannibal escape from Boston to the small Maine town of Tucker Grove where she is renting a large house known as Brodie’s Watch. Ava is a cookbook writer who claims she needs the solitude to finish her latest book, but really she’s running from a tragedy in her recent past. At first, she thinks this old and beautiful home will provide the rest she needs, but soon she begins to feel as if someone else is in the house, someone she didn’t invite. When a body is discovered in the town’s harbor, Ava wonders if perhaps the town and its inhabitants aren’t as inviting as they seem.
I’m really surprised that this book sucks as much as it does. I’ve read several of Gerritsen’s Rizzoli & Isle books and one standalone called Gravity—I’ve enjoyed them all. Her books are generally smart, well-written with good plots and complex characters. I don’t know what the hell happened with this one. I’ve heard of romance writers turning into mystery writers, but this was like a mystery writing trying for paranormal romance. Or something. Whatever she was going for, it doesn’t work.
No matter how you view this novel, the plot is seriously underdeveloped. The mystery aspect (the missing previous tenant, the dead body) is barely present. Gerritsen throws around so many obvious clues about the missing tenant (Charlotte) that any reader with half a brain should not be surprised when The investigation—well, there really is no investigation. Gerrittsen sets up red herrings by casting suspicion on a few characters but again, it’s so clumsy that you should know immediately who the killer is. I’m not convinced about the killer’s motivations; the sudden change from one personality to crazy jealous murderer is lame and overdone. This killer and the crime is so lazy—and that’s what I find so disappointing. Gerrittsen has written excellent police procedurals/crime/mystery novels, but that aspect of the book is terrible; frankly, I don’t give a shit about any of it.
So much of this book reminds me of Paula Hawkins’s The Girl on a Train because the plot of that shitty book depends on a drunk narrator and so does this one. Ava is drunk quite often. She yammers on and on about drinking, her wine, needing a few glasses to unwind, her surprise at how quickly the bottles empty (and then she shrugs and opens another one)—yes, yes, I understand, poor Ava is traumatized and feeling incredibly guilty by the Awful Thing That Happened in Boston on New Year’s Eve. The author does not come right out and reveal what this Awful Thing is, no, no—bits and pieces are revealed gradually, usually when Ava is drunk off her ass. I hate it when authors do this. It’s such a cheap way of creating suspense and keeping the reader glued to the pages—oh no! what did the MC do? And Gerritsen reveals enough (plus you get the impression fairly early on that Ava is a lush who likes to sex up just about all the men she meets) that by the time the Big Reveal happens (near the end of this blissfully short novel at the conclusion of a weird trial by ghosts), it’s no damn surprise. It’s like, yup, already knew that.
If the mystery and Ava’s tragic past bore you, then you should get a few giggles out of the ghost sex. This is what earned the book its eye-rolling score of a million. First, none of the ghost stuff is scary. It’s dopey. Worse than that, it’s hysterically funny. I mean, try reading some of that dialogue out loud. It’s terrible. It’s like Gerritsen read a ton of really bad bodice busters and was inspired by the dialogue. Here are some examples of dialogue between Ava the Seriously Sloshed and her ghost lover, Jeremiah Brodie, a 19th century sea captain:
The Shape of Night is a mess. It’s mostly bad ghost porn (is there good ghost porn?). Ava is a drunk with apparently a very leaky vagina (go see your OBGYN, Ava). The dialogue is embarrassingly bad and the prose isn’t much better. Ava isn’t an appealing main character. Her Awful Thing is pretty bad, but not as bad as her response to it is. At the end of the book she compares herself to Lady Macbeth which caused me to howl with outrage. Do NOT compare yourself with Lady Macbeth. She killed a king. You merely She doesn’t seem to be all that smart. She lacks analytical thinking skills (she’s so surprised that when she searches “my house is haunted” on the internet she actually comes up with websites to support her dubious evidence—and even finds someone who investigates ghosts! Well, golly gee! Who’d expect the internet would full of “evidence” that ghosts exist?). Plus, she’s a writer who never seems to write, but her editor sends her gushing emails about how great her last two chapters are! Maybe she wrote them between bouts of ghost sex. On top of all this, she overfeeds her cat and then fat shames him for being so fat. As a cat owner myself, I think she’s pretty shitty to Hannibal.
The story, despite the author employing cheap tricks to keep the suspense alive, is not very interesting or suspenseful. Any halfway intelligent reader should figure out the book’s “mysteries” before they are revealed. The paranormal aspect is silly and not believable. I absolutely love the laughable overnight ghost investigation and how Ben, the only intelligent character in the book, is portrayed negatively for his skeptical and intelligent response to the whole ludicrous undertaking. I don’t recommend this book. Instead, I recommend Gerritsen’s earlier books from her Rizzoli & Isles series. Even a less than stellar book from that series is way better than this.
I received The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen as a Goodreads Giveaway. My thanks to the publishers for sending me a free copy—although they will not like the review that is to follow.
While reading this book, I physically and intellectually rolled my eyes so many times over how terrible I found it that I’ve been inspired to start a new book review score: the eye-roll. Only certain books will receive it, and the higher the score, the worse the book. So, Tess Gerritsen, congratulations: this new book of yours receives an eye-roll score of about a million. Whether you were going for a ghost story, a mystery, a romance or a psychologically damaged/unreliable narrator story—this book fails as any of those. However, if you were going for “it’s so incredibly bad it’s funny,” then hurrah! You have succeeded.
Ava Collette and her cat Hannibal escape from Boston to the small Maine town of Tucker Grove where she is renting a large house known as Brodie’s Watch. Ava is a cookbook writer who claims she needs the solitude to finish her latest book, but really she’s running from a tragedy in her recent past. At first, she thinks this old and beautiful home will provide the rest she needs, but soon she begins to feel as if someone else is in the house, someone she didn’t invite. When a body is discovered in the town’s harbor, Ava wonders if perhaps the town and its inhabitants aren’t as inviting as they seem.
I’m really surprised that this book sucks as much as it does. I’ve read several of Gerritsen’s Rizzoli & Isle books and one standalone called Gravity—I’ve enjoyed them all. Her books are generally smart, well-written with good plots and complex characters. I don’t know what the hell happened with this one. I’ve heard of romance writers turning into mystery writers, but this was like a mystery writing trying for paranormal romance. Or something. Whatever she was going for, it doesn’t work.
No matter how you view this novel, the plot is seriously underdeveloped. The mystery aspect (the missing previous tenant, the dead body) is barely present. Gerritsen throws around so many obvious clues about the missing tenant (Charlotte) that any reader with half a brain should not be surprised when The investigation—well, there really is no investigation. Gerrittsen sets up red herrings by casting suspicion on a few characters but again, it’s so clumsy that you should know immediately who the killer is. I’m not convinced about the killer’s motivations; the sudden change from one personality to crazy jealous murderer is lame and overdone. This killer and the crime is so lazy—and that’s what I find so disappointing. Gerrittsen has written excellent police procedurals/crime/mystery novels, but that aspect of the book is terrible; frankly, I don’t give a shit about any of it.
So much of this book reminds me of Paula Hawkins’s The Girl on a Train because the plot of that shitty book depends on a drunk narrator and so does this one. Ava is drunk quite often. She yammers on and on about drinking, her wine, needing a few glasses to unwind, her surprise at how quickly the bottles empty (and then she shrugs and opens another one)—yes, yes, I understand, poor Ava is traumatized and feeling incredibly guilty by the Awful Thing That Happened in Boston on New Year’s Eve. The author does not come right out and reveal what this Awful Thing is, no, no—bits and pieces are revealed gradually, usually when Ava is drunk off her ass. I hate it when authors do this. It’s such a cheap way of creating suspense and keeping the reader glued to the pages—oh no! what did the MC do? And Gerritsen reveals enough (plus you get the impression fairly early on that Ava is a lush who likes to sex up just about all the men she meets) that by the time the Big Reveal happens (near the end of this blissfully short novel at the conclusion of a weird trial by ghosts), it’s no damn surprise. It’s like, yup, already knew that.
If the mystery and Ava’s tragic past bore you, then you should get a few giggles out of the ghost sex. This is what earned the book its eye-rolling score of a million. First, none of the ghost stuff is scary. It’s dopey. Worse than that, it’s hysterically funny. I mean, try reading some of that dialogue out loud. It’s terrible. It’s like Gerritsen read a ton of really bad bodice busters and was inspired by the dialogue. Here are some examples of dialogue between Ava the Seriously Sloshed and her ghost lover, Jeremiah Brodie, a 19th century sea captain:
“Here in my house, what you seek is what you will find…I know what you desire…I know what you need…And I know what you deserve” (Ghost to Ava, 62).All the ghost sex is funny/annoying but when Jeremiah introduces whips and billy clubs, it’s like 50 Shades of Grey: the Paranormal Edition. After wrist-shackled sex (“I do not resist as he grasps my hips and uses me like the whore I am. The whore I’ve proven myself to be. I am nothing but flesh, bought and paid for.”), Ava thinks, “No real man can match him. No real man could understand my desires so completely” (139). Really, Ava? Well, let me introduce you to Christian Grey. You just sign a few papers and he’ll handcuff you and whip your ass all you want. He’ll throw in the creepy stalking and possessiveness as a bonus. All of the ghost sex is ridiculous. What’s borderline gross is how often Ava mentions she is wet with desire for her ghost lover: “Even now, I am still wet and aching for him” (62); “I am wet, so wet with desire that I feel moisture trickle down my thigh” (89); “Are you not already wet, your body preparing itself to accommodate what is to come?” (136); (and possibly the worst) “I reach between my legs and feel the slick evidence of my arousal, so wet and copious that it might be his leavings that now trickle down the inside of my thigh” (142). Yes, we get it, you’re hot for ghost. Damn. This is a really short book and about 75% is all about her sexual obsession and longing to be fucked (and fucked again) by this bossy dead sea captain. Tess, is this really the book you wanted to write?
“What would you have me do?” I ask. “As much as you are willing.” “Tell me.” “You are no virgin. You have known men.” “Yes, I have.” “Men with whom you have sinned.” My answer is barely a whisper. “Yes.” (88)
When Ava sees something she didn’t expect: “How can this be? Is this a dream?”
(Ghost to Ava after BDSM-light sex, 108): “And it excites you, does it not? To be taken the way I took you tonight? Ridden hard and given no choice about what I choose to do to you?”
“It’s what whores do, Ava. You learn to please. Because you never know who will walk in the door and what he will demand. Some men just want to ride you. Others prefer to watch. And then there are those who want to see how much you can endure.” (138)
“Tonight you sleep. Be unafraid,” he whispers. “I will let no harm come to you.” And that night I do sleep, safe in the circle of his arms (170).
The Shape of Night is a mess. It’s mostly bad ghost porn (is there good ghost porn?). Ava is a drunk with apparently a very leaky vagina (go see your OBGYN, Ava). The dialogue is embarrassingly bad and the prose isn’t much better. Ava isn’t an appealing main character. Her Awful Thing is pretty bad, but not as bad as her response to it is. At the end of the book she compares herself to Lady Macbeth which caused me to howl with outrage. Do NOT compare yourself with Lady Macbeth. She killed a king. You merely She doesn’t seem to be all that smart. She lacks analytical thinking skills (she’s so surprised that when she searches “my house is haunted” on the internet she actually comes up with websites to support her dubious evidence—and even finds someone who investigates ghosts! Well, golly gee! Who’d expect the internet would full of “evidence” that ghosts exist?). Plus, she’s a writer who never seems to write, but her editor sends her gushing emails about how great her last two chapters are! Maybe she wrote them between bouts of ghost sex. On top of all this, she overfeeds her cat and then fat shames him for being so fat. As a cat owner myself, I think she’s pretty shitty to Hannibal.
The story, despite the author employing cheap tricks to keep the suspense alive, is not very interesting or suspenseful. Any halfway intelligent reader should figure out the book’s “mysteries” before they are revealed. The paranormal aspect is silly and not believable. I absolutely love the laughable overnight ghost investigation and how Ben, the only intelligent character in the book, is portrayed negatively for his skeptical and intelligent response to the whole ludicrous undertaking. I don’t recommend this book. Instead, I recommend Gerritsen’s earlier books from her Rizzoli & Isles series. Even a less than stellar book from that series is way better than this.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
November 17, 2019Well, it had a pretty good start with a 19th century house on a cliff, a heroine trying to escape a bad personal situation, a restless ghost, and the promise of a Maine murder mystery. At about 40% it went in a direction that I'm simply not interested in. No thanks on a 50 Shades redo. Maybe if the mystery had been built up more to hook me I would have continued, but as it was I decided to call it quits. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
September 26, 2019
The Shape of Night is a gothic paranormal mystery from the author of Rizzoli & Isles series. When I picked up this book, I did not expect it to be quite so creepy and erotic at the same time. I was pleasantly surprised.
The main heroine Ava leaves Boston and moves into an old house on the coast of Maine to write her cookbook and to escape some traumatic events of her past. The house appears to be haunted by the original owner, Captain Brodie, who died more than a hundred years ago. Also, the previous tenant, Charlotte, mysteriously disappeared. Was the ghost the reason for Charlotte's disappearance or someone even more sinister? The longer Ava stays in the house, the more she believes she is in danger herself.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As soon as I started reading it, I was engrossed and could not put it down. I did have to stop reading at night because I was too spooked. The Shape of Night is the perfect fall read; it's creepy and atmospheric, an excellent ghost story to read in time for Haloween.
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley
The main heroine Ava leaves Boston and moves into an old house on the coast of Maine to write her cookbook and to escape some traumatic events of her past. The house appears to be haunted by the original owner, Captain Brodie, who died more than a hundred years ago. Also, the previous tenant, Charlotte, mysteriously disappeared. Was the ghost the reason for Charlotte's disappearance or someone even more sinister? The longer Ava stays in the house, the more she believes she is in danger herself.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As soon as I started reading it, I was engrossed and could not put it down. I did have to stop reading at night because I was too spooked. The Shape of Night is the perfect fall read; it's creepy and atmospheric, an excellent ghost story to read in time for Haloween.
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley
September 19, 2019
The Shape of Night , Tess Gerritsen’s new standalone novel, is nothing like her Rizzoli & Isles series. Fans of Jane and Maura may – or may not – love this paranormal chiller.
Ava is a food writer who needs peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of Boston to finish researching and writing her new cookbook. When Brodie’s Watch, a late-1800s mansion in the small town on the Maine coast becomes available for rent, Ava feels that she has found the ideal spot. She can cook and write. She can also escape and try to heal from a horrible mistake in her recent past that has left her feeling estranged from her sister.
What she discovers is a creaky, creepy, mouse-ridden old house that is in the process of being renovated. While it is a delight for her super-sized Maine Coon cat Hannibal, Ava thinks she may hightail it back to Boston. But she feels “accepted” by the house, and she soon becomes intrigued by the presence of another, shall I say, “occupant.”
This is where the book gets dicey for me. I have no problem believing in ghosts. I really don’t. But this specter is beyond imagining. Is he real? Or is he a product of Ava’s guilty conscience and her unfulfilled needs?
Between the nighttime apparitions and the cooking scenes, there is plenty here to electrify your senses and get your juices flowing. Ava is an emotional and psychological mess, and she is prime picking for a malevolent spirit, and perhaps for a live human predator as well. As the history of the house unfolds, it becomes more and more apparent that Ava has gotten herself into a dangerous situation. The question becomes, where does the danger come from? Who is the threat?
There is enough here that I was able to remain engaged throughout, but I didn’t love this book. I’d prefer to stick with Rizzoli and Isles, thanks. But I commend Ms Gerritsen for branching out to try something totally different. I imagine this was quite fun for her to write.
Thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and the author for this ARC copy of The Shape of Night . My opinions are my own.
3 stars
September 29, 2019
Ava Collett is a chef who writes cookbooks. Shes also feeling guilty about something she has done. She decides to get away from it all for a short while and rents Brodie's Watch, a very old house with a sea view in Maine. The house had originally been built by sea captain, Jeremiah Brodie, but it's now being restored to its former glory. Its ot long before Ava sees a ghost, the ghost of Jeremiah Brodie. He tells Ava he wishes her no harm. Ava starts to look forward to Jeremiah's visits. But then Ava starts to question her sanity and contacts Meave Cerridwyn, a ghost hunter, to see if the house is haunted. It also looks like the previous Tennant moved out in a hurry. Was she also spooked?
I have read all of Tess Gerristen's books and I've loved them all. This story has a modern gothic feel to it. The characters (even the ghost) are well rounded. There is an every vibe to this tale that I was not expecting as it's not usually what the author writes about. You get a sense that something creepy is about to happen from the moment Jeremiah is introduced. I did not know where this story was going to go or what the outcome was going to be. I just know that I loved everything about it. I do recommend this book.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and the author Tess Gerristen for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I have read all of Tess Gerristen's books and I've loved them all. This story has a modern gothic feel to it. The characters (even the ghost) are well rounded. There is an every vibe to this tale that I was not expecting as it's not usually what the author writes about. You get a sense that something creepy is about to happen from the moment Jeremiah is introduced. I did not know where this story was going to go or what the outcome was going to be. I just know that I loved everything about it. I do recommend this book.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and the author Tess Gerristen for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 21, 2019
Having enjoyed many of Tess Gerritsen’s novels in the past, I was looking forward to this new offering. This psychological horror theme is a change from the medically based suspense thrillers of yesteryear.
In the first half the plot seemed to be “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” meets “50 Shades of Gray”. Then the character who had disappeared (prior to the beginning of the book) turned up murdered so that added a murder and suspense element to the plot. And OH! Of course, we had the current requisite “secret” that had ruined lives and shattered sisterhood. All of this would have been OK with a decent follow through. But then the plot became more and more implausible, based on the foundation Gerritsen had laid. And the finale was most unsatisfying.
Unlike her other books, it was difficult to decide what she was trying to say, where she was going or what she was attempting to accomplish. Was this supposed to be a murder mystery? A paranormal suspense thriller? A family drama? A 150 year old series of unsolved murders? A ghost story set in a sleepy Maine town?
There were simply too many disparate elements which never worked together nor came to a conclusion.
I received this Kindle copy as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
In the first half the plot seemed to be “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” meets “50 Shades of Gray”. Then the character who had disappeared (prior to the beginning of the book) turned up murdered so that added a murder and suspense element to the plot. And OH! Of course, we had the current requisite “secret” that had ruined lives and shattered sisterhood. All of this would have been OK with a decent follow through. But then the plot became more and more implausible, based on the foundation Gerritsen had laid. And the finale was most unsatisfying.
Unlike her other books, it was difficult to decide what she was trying to say, where she was going or what she was attempting to accomplish. Was this supposed to be a murder mystery? A paranormal suspense thriller? A family drama? A 150 year old series of unsolved murders? A ghost story set in a sleepy Maine town?
There were simply too many disparate elements which never worked together nor came to a conclusion.
I received this Kindle copy as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 20, 2019
This is a great ghost story! I couldn't put the book down - just had to keep racing through to see what was going to happen next. Although of couse it's unbelievable. I couldn't decide if the main character, Ava, was imagining things in an alcohol-induced stupor or if the things that were happening to her were real.
I didn't expect supernatural/paranormal from Tess Gerritsen, so I was surprised, but it is well done! This ghost story should have an "R" rating though, so be forewarned. The suspense is well-paced and the plot moves quickly. I totally enjoyed this read.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't expect supernatural/paranormal from Tess Gerritsen, so I was surprised, but it is well done! This ghost story should have an "R" rating though, so be forewarned. The suspense is well-paced and the plot moves quickly. I totally enjoyed this read.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2019
Ava rents a old house in Maine to spend some time writing her new book.
From the start she feels that she is not alone in the house and that she is being watched. At night she can hear noises and she can see shadows. She begins to wonder if its her imagination or if there is someone else in the house.
A ghost story full of suspense that had me hooked from the beginning.
This is the first Tess Gerritsen book that I have read and I will be looking out for more of her books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publisher for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
From the start she feels that she is not alone in the house and that she is being watched. At night she can hear noises and she can see shadows. She begins to wonder if its her imagination or if there is someone else in the house.
A ghost story full of suspense that had me hooked from the beginning.
This is the first Tess Gerritsen book that I have read and I will be looking out for more of her books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publisher for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 27, 2019
Wow. Crazy and spooky story!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just love it when a book blows me away. I’ve had several instances this month that a book completely surprised me. The Shape of Night is one of those books.
This is a story within a story. You know she is escaping from something, you just don’t know what or why, but we get glimpses along the way.
You know the house is more than what it seems. The town thinks it’s haunted and it very well may be. But there’s also secrets about this house. Things have happened in the past. Things are happening right now.
The Shape of Night definitely sets your emotions on edge. It’s incredibly sensual and explosive in many ways. It’s also very creepy and in several places I was thinking “why am I reading this at night before I go to bed??!!”
The reason is I could not stop reading it. I was consumed by the story. Ultra sexy but so very bizarre. A bit of paranormal romance that just is off the rails and takes you on a wicked journey. It’s loaded with suspense and thrills.
It is just one of those books you have to experience as it’s very difficult to explain how this author really got to me. I am not giving any spoilers either!
If you want a story you will never forget, you have to grab this book. It is intense, twisted, psychologically creepy, and even a bit scary! You’ll love it!
* copy received for review consideration
Full Review - https://amidlifewife.com/the-shape-of...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just love it when a book blows me away. I’ve had several instances this month that a book completely surprised me. The Shape of Night is one of those books.
This is a story within a story. You know she is escaping from something, you just don’t know what or why, but we get glimpses along the way.
You know the house is more than what it seems. The town thinks it’s haunted and it very well may be. But there’s also secrets about this house. Things have happened in the past. Things are happening right now.
The Shape of Night definitely sets your emotions on edge. It’s incredibly sensual and explosive in many ways. It’s also very creepy and in several places I was thinking “why am I reading this at night before I go to bed??!!”
The reason is I could not stop reading it. I was consumed by the story. Ultra sexy but so very bizarre. A bit of paranormal romance that just is off the rails and takes you on a wicked journey. It’s loaded with suspense and thrills.
It is just one of those books you have to experience as it’s very difficult to explain how this author really got to me. I am not giving any spoilers either!
If you want a story you will never forget, you have to grab this book. It is intense, twisted, psychologically creepy, and even a bit scary! You’ll love it!
* copy received for review consideration
Full Review - https://amidlifewife.com/the-shape-of...
August 13, 2019
In a departure from her usual books, Tess Gerritsen has written a gothic paranormal stand-alone mystery. Having loved gothic books, I was eager to read this one, and it did not disappoint!
Ava is a food writer in Boston who is writing a cookbook on traditional New England cooking. She rents a house in a small town on the coast of Maine, where she can write her book and escape a tragedy in her life and find healing from her feelings of shame and guilt.
She finds the house dark, creepy, and foreboding, but soon she feels accepted and relishes being alone to write. Or is she alone? Almost immediately she feels a presence in the house. The ghost of the original owner, a sea captain from 100 years ago, shows up in her room at night, touching her, and she is certain he is real. She begins to welcome the presence.
This was a fun, quick read and held my interest throughout. I would recommend this to fans of mystery and paranormal gothic suspense novels. (less)
Ava is a food writer in Boston who is writing a cookbook on traditional New England cooking. She rents a house in a small town on the coast of Maine, where she can write her book and escape a tragedy in her life and find healing from her feelings of shame and guilt.
She finds the house dark, creepy, and foreboding, but soon she feels accepted and relishes being alone to write. Or is she alone? Almost immediately she feels a presence in the house. The ghost of the original owner, a sea captain from 100 years ago, shows up in her room at night, touching her, and she is certain he is real. She begins to welcome the presence.
This was a fun, quick read and held my interest throughout. I would recommend this to fans of mystery and paranormal gothic suspense novels. (less)
November 5, 2019
My very first Gerritsen read but definitely not my last. Boy was I really impressed with this one!! I needed something that was vintage haunted house since I read it at the end of October and this it pretty much every single one of my requirements to be an excellent read. The only thing it lacked was a little bit more spook towards the end, then it would have undoubtedly been a five-star read for me! as it stands this is a very high four-star read and I would recommend anyone into creepy settings, spine tingling horror/mysteries go out and get this!
March 21, 2021
It's a good story, although a bit different than I expected and not everything worked out for me. It also seems to me that I may not be the right reader for this book.
The general atmosphere of the story surprised me the most. This book had a lot more from the atmosphere of horror than I expected. Maybe it's because I was partially listening to the audiobook and in the evenings I had a real problem, because being alone in my apartment I felt uncomfortable. But it's more a matter of personal preference, I don't like horror movies and I don't like being scared, so it wasn't quite a story for me. Of course, I was expecting the paranormal threads, but these were scarier than I anticipated.
Ava is an interesting main character. I don't know why, but I really liked that she is an author of culinary books. I guess I find it somehow unique, anyway it's an interesting thing about her. Of course, that's not the only interesting thing about her. She also has a complicated personality and deals with the demons of the past. And she's doing it, apparently drinking way more than she should. I've always wondered if Ava's getting drunk so often makes it easier for her to see Captain Brodie. There is no unequivocal explanation in the book as to whether such a dependency existed.
The plot is interesting, although in my opinion something was missing a bit and I can't even say what exactly. I mean, we all expect what the secret of the New Year's Eve is. So I didn't wait for this mystery to be solved. Fortunately, there's a second one - two in fact - what happened to Brodie's Watch's former resident and who the mysterious ghost of the house is, and whether he has good or bad intentions. This was a more interesting mystery, but I think that too little was happening for me to be fully committed to solving it. In general, the plot is dominated by the issue with the ghost of Captain Brodie, what he is and what he is actually responsible for.
That's probably why I was a bit surprised, and even disappointed, with the final explanation of what happened to the previous resident of this house. I guess I expected that this paranormal thread would prevail. Although I wonder if this solution is not better. I have mixed feelings.
I'm afraid this is not a book that I will remember. But it's an okay story, especially if you don't mind a bit of a chilling atmosphere.
The general atmosphere of the story surprised me the most. This book had a lot more from the atmosphere of horror than I expected. Maybe it's because I was partially listening to the audiobook and in the evenings I had a real problem, because being alone in my apartment I felt uncomfortable. But it's more a matter of personal preference, I don't like horror movies and I don't like being scared, so it wasn't quite a story for me. Of course, I was expecting the paranormal threads, but these were scarier than I anticipated.
Ava is an interesting main character. I don't know why, but I really liked that she is an author of culinary books. I guess I find it somehow unique, anyway it's an interesting thing about her. Of course, that's not the only interesting thing about her. She also has a complicated personality and deals with the demons of the past. And she's doing it, apparently drinking way more than she should. I've always wondered if Ava's getting drunk so often makes it easier for her to see Captain Brodie. There is no unequivocal explanation in the book as to whether such a dependency existed.
The plot is interesting, although in my opinion something was missing a bit and I can't even say what exactly. I mean, we all expect what the secret of the New Year's Eve is. So I didn't wait for this mystery to be solved. Fortunately, there's a second one - two in fact - what happened to Brodie's Watch's former resident and who the mysterious ghost of the house is, and whether he has good or bad intentions. This was a more interesting mystery, but I think that too little was happening for me to be fully committed to solving it. In general, the plot is dominated by the issue with the ghost of Captain Brodie, what he is and what he is actually responsible for.
That's probably why I was a bit surprised, and even disappointed, with the final explanation of what happened to the previous resident of this house. I guess I expected that this paranormal thread would prevail. Although I wonder if this solution is not better. I have mixed feelings.
I'm afraid this is not a book that I will remember. But it's an okay story, especially if you don't mind a bit of a chilling atmosphere.
November 24, 2019
I’m not proud I read this book but since I’m trying to do a reading challenge I guess I will count it.
Basically, a dumb girl sleeps with her sister’s husband. He’s wasted but not too wasted to freak out. So he rushes away and dies in a car crash. Being a mature person she doesn’t tell her sister and instead becomes a pathetic drunk. Then she moves to Maine for the summer which is a classic move if you are a pathetic drunk. In Maine she feels super sorry for herself that the locals don’t care to get to know her. As a person who lives in a Maine town full of summer people let me assure you: we don’t want to get to know you. We want your money and to deal with you as little as possible. Accept it. Anyway back to this train wreak: She falls in love with a sex shaming ghost of a long-dead sea captain. She meets the local hot doctor who has the most awkward manner of flirting and generally is a disagreeable whiner. She doesn’t love him because he’s not as hot as the ghost or something. But good news she doesn’t love him, because he’s a serial killer. But bad news, he’s an incel type who kills the women who reject him. But she doesn’t die because reasons and she makes up with her sister for no real reason because nothing actually changed. And she “forgives herself” and never tells the sister the truth because it’s too mean. And she stops being a drunk because idk she’s happy being the worst now.
I just saved you so much time, you’re welcome.
Basically, a dumb girl sleeps with her sister’s husband. He’s wasted but not too wasted to freak out. So he rushes away and dies in a car crash. Being a mature person she doesn’t tell her sister and instead becomes a pathetic drunk. Then she moves to Maine for the summer which is a classic move if you are a pathetic drunk. In Maine she feels super sorry for herself that the locals don’t care to get to know her. As a person who lives in a Maine town full of summer people let me assure you: we don’t want to get to know you. We want your money and to deal with you as little as possible. Accept it. Anyway back to this train wreak: She falls in love with a sex shaming ghost of a long-dead sea captain. She meets the local hot doctor who has the most awkward manner of flirting and generally is a disagreeable whiner. She doesn’t love him because he’s not as hot as the ghost or something. But good news she doesn’t love him, because he’s a serial killer. But bad news, he’s an incel type who kills the women who reject him. But she doesn’t die because reasons and she makes up with her sister for no real reason because nothing actually changed. And she “forgives herself” and never tells the sister the truth because it’s too mean. And she stops being a drunk because idk she’s happy being the worst now.
I just saved you so much time, you’re welcome.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2019
A brooding 150-year old house on the sea named Brodie’s Watch has secrets within its’ walls. It appears to draw in young, single women, the latest being Ava Collette, renting the house to get a fresh perspective and overcome writer’s block. She is harboring her own secrets. The haunting backdrop is a perfect setting for this dark, disturbing and unputdownable book.
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