Playing with Fire by Tess Gerritsen

I feel like I have had a long relationship with Tess Gerritsen (except that I still cannot spell her surname without checking!). I started with Rizzoli and Isles, and feverishly got every latest book, then went back and read her earlier novels - which were more romantic - and I enjoyed those too. Yet the latest one I read (Die Again) had me wondering if Tess was not a teensy bit bored. It was good, but not up to her usual standards.

So, when my husband suggested this one, for a long car trip, on audio, I thought - great idea. If we hate it, we can switch off, and I can continue with my current read (which I still haven't finished).

Oh how I love it when my negative expectations are wrong about books. Wow, this book grabbed me. It may have been the music; it definitely helped that it was a standalone; and the fact that it was half historical fiction was brilliant. But it still had a mystery to be solved, and the danger and threats lurked in the murky distance.

It is the story of Julia Ansdell, who finds a rare and old piece of music in Italy. Awful things happen when she plays it, and she must investigate why, which leads her back to Venice. And that is all I am saying.

It made me remember all the reasons I stuck with Tess. She is a Master Storyteller of Note. I often wondered why she bothered to become a doctor first. (Not that I wasn't glad she did.)

A strong 4 star read. Until I discovered that the author composed The Incendio Waltz too - the strange piece of music (the composition is played in the audiobook). Ok, 5 stars it is. I am impressed.

If you do read the written words, the music is available on Tess’s website, and I strongly recommend you listen to it.

ISBN: 9781101884348

You may also enjoy The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.

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