Customer Reviews

The Apprentice

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

In the book The Surgeon we met Jane Rizzoli a hard as nails detective with the Boston Police. She is responsible for the arrest of "the surgeon" the serial killer that had been hunting on the streets of Boston.

A year later and with many emotional as well as physical scars later Detective Rizzoli is called to another murder scene with chilling similarities to the Surgeon Case. After the investigation gets under way FBI agent Gabriel Dean shows up and is given all access to the investigation. Jane does not understand why he is there, he won't tell her anything but he does have the uncanny ability to know where to look for evidence and what kind of evidence to look for. Then just when things start to get going Warren Hoyt "the surgeon" escapes from prison and looks to have hooked up with the Dominator. Working together these two murders led investigators on a chase that includes some shocking twist and turns.

This was a well-written book that allowed you to get to "know" detective Rizzoli and perhaps even like her this time around. The characters were all well developed and the use of medical terminology was not left undefined so a layperson could understand what was going on. This is a sequel to the book "The Surgeon" but it can still stand-alone. You will not have a hard time following the storyline or how characters interact with each other. This was a true edge of your seat read but be aware that some of the descriptions of murder scenes , and autopsies are very vivid. A great read for the fan of Thrillers!

I have been patiently waiting to get my hands on this book and finally I have. I have read every single book that Gerritsen has released and in The Apprentice I have not been disappointed. It is more or less a continuation of her earlier novel, The Surgeon. The big difference is that this novel focuses more on the female detective that helped crack the case in the first one. Jane Rizzoli was to me not a very likable character in the first book, but in this book she takes on a new light. She was portrayed as a very masculine type of female in The Surgeon, but in The Apprentice she takes on the role of the strong woman who is feminine yet at the same time a spitfire.
When murders start happening in Boston a year after the Surgeon has been in jail, Rizzoli is the only one who sees the connection at first. But as the body count mounts suddenly an FBI agent appears on the scene. Rizzoli who in all of her years as a detective has never seen the FBI work in this way, is very puzzled. Her puzzlement only deepens as her attraction to the FBI agent Gabriel Dean does also. When The Surgeon, Warren Hoyt, who she put behind bars in the first book, escapes from prison, all hell breaks loose. Rizzoli has suspicions that The Surgeon and their new killer, The Dominator are working together to fulfill their murderous fantasies. Tensions increase as Rizzoli and her fellow officers keep coming up with dead ends and no suspects in sight. The only problem that I had with this story was its abrupt ending.
Once again, I am impressed with Gerritsen's style and attention to detail. She is a wonderful story teller and I fully intend to keep reading her books and I highly recommend them to anyone!

Tess Gerritsen has written a serial-killer novel. Other reviewers has said the same thing, and I will repeat it: it is not good enough, it has been done better before! The Apprentice is a rip-off of great serial killer/frustrated police-woman/gruesome medical examiner facts-books by Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs and others, who does it much better than Ms. Gerritsen. There is not much new in this book, and it is hard to feel anything for the characters. Even the serial killer is just annoying. Jane Rizzoli, the frustrated police-woman, battling not only with sexist issues at the station but also the mental and physical scars from the same serial killer in a previous book, is trying hard to find him again, when he escapes prison. She cannot admit that she is scared to death, and while we try hard to gain some sympahty for her, the killer is getting closer and also playing gruesome mindgames with her. She is almost too stubborn for her own good. When the story is about to get going, it ends. Too much space in this book is used to descibe Jane Rozzoli's mental health, and her angst and anxiety and it gets boring. I was not impressed with this book, but - will not rule out that I could pick up another Tess Gerritsen book another time.

Detective Jane Rizzoli returns to match wits with the diabolical killer from the best-selling novel `The Surgeon'. We last saw Warren Hoyt behind bars for a series of sadistic killings... killings that almost pushed Jane over the edge, but now a new series of killings has sent the city of Boston into a state of panic.

Wealthy business men are made to see their wives tortured and killed before they themselves are killed. Jane knows this is the work of Warren "The Surgeon" Hoyt, but how could it be? He's locked away!

The further Jane dives into the current crimes she realizes these are new crimes committed by a copy-cat killer. A killer dubbed "The Dominator". It becomes clear this new killer has had contact with Hoyt, and before anyone knows what's going on Hoyt escapes...leaving the city paralyzed with fear as two madmen are running loose.

`The Apprentice' is a good thriller. Fast-paced, sharp detail, and expertly plotted, the only fault is the technical detailing sprawling throughout the novel. Page one lays the ground work for a lightning fast read but as the plot opens up Tess Gerritsen substitutes shocking thrills for very detailed medical descriptions. Halfway through the novel it seems that Ms. Gerritsen didn't know where to go with the novel, and even though the shocking ending does surprise, it does not answer many questions raised throughout the rest of the book.

Tess Gerritsen has been one of my MUST READ authors since the publication of `Harvest', and she has been consistent with good novels ever since, with the exception of `Gravity'. Gerritsen's last novel `The Surgeon' was an electrifying thriller, and while `The Apprentice' is a good read it doesn't hold up to be a solid sequel.

I am sure readers will rush out to buy this novel, and it will spend some time on the bestseller's, but devoted fans will be disappointed as this is not Tess Gerritsen's best work.

Nick Gonnella

Boston Homicide Detective, Jane Rizzoli, still bears both the physical and mental scars of her last, and almost deadly encounter with Warren Hoyt, "the surgeon," who methodically tortured, mutilated, and viciously murdered his victims in a killing spree that ended last year. Thanks to Rizzoli, Hoyt is now behind bars, in a maximum security prison, and he's there for life. So you can imagine her horror, when she's called to an eerily familiar crime scene, and it becomes immediately apparent that a copycat killer, soon dubbed "the dominator," is on the loose and has taken over "the surgeon's" work. As the body count rises, Hoyt escapes from prison and joins forces with his apprentice. This very lethal pair are now hunting together, and their next target is Jane Rizzoli, the victim who got away..... Tess Gerritsen is back with a sequel to last year's best-selling and cleverly plotted thriller, The Surgeon. The Apprentice is a fast read, tense and suspenseful, and filled with vivid scenes, and graphic descriptions. But unfortunately, if you read The Surgeon, you'll find there's not much new here, just a rehash of last year's story. The characters are well drawn and interesting, but the large chip on Rizzoli's shoulder, her drive to be always one better than any of her male counterparts, and her constant whining starts to get old and detracts from the story. With a rushed and unsatisfying ending, that leaves several plot lines hanging and too many questions unanswered, The Apprentice is far from Ms Gerritsen's best. For those looking for an intriguing and compelling thriller, read The Surgeon.

I remember Tess Gerritsen first books, "Bloodstream," and "Harvest," and then suddenly she took her stories from general hospitals, to the orbits around the Earth with "Gravity." I am glad to see that Gerritsen has not limited her stories to the confines of an E.R., but she still writes some hot Code scenes, no question about that.

In this book I can see a little bit of Tomas Harris' "Hannibal," but just a hint. It's hard not to take notice of such an original character such as him, but Tess Gerritsen, makes a whole story of her own.
There's an "apprentice" who follows the steps of a master criminal, and yearns his attention and approval. Detective Rizzoli consults the master criminal, now in jail, a Warren Hoyt and with help from hunky FBI agent Dean and Maura Isles, M.D., they save the day.
I loved every character, and the plot, of course is far more complicated. Gerritsen knows how to engage a reader. I can only imagine being her patient. She is, after all, a medical doctor.
I don't think this book needed the nude silhouette of a nude female at the front of the book, artistically wrapped in yellow police tape to grip attention. Even the paperback edition has it, so there's no way around it. I don't think it goes with the character of the book or their main character. (I can only imagine Detective Rizzoli going nuts after seeing this book in a public library!)

5 stars, Gerritsen has proven she can write about anything

Are sequels ever as good as their predecessors? Are they written because the author is running out of ideas, and so is recycling previous things?

Series fiction usually has a new case every time, and may not dwell much on the original. But Tara Moss's Makedde Vanderwall series has the Stiletto Murders still fresh in the mind with the first three novels ("Fetish", "Split" and "Covet"). Tess Gerritsen has also brought back her killer, the Surgeon, in this follow-up - "The Apprentice".

We first met homicide detective Jane Rizzoli in "The Surgeon", where the killer preyed on damaged women, and cut out their uteruses. "The Apprentice" (which should be read after "The Surgeon" as it names the killer) sees murders similar to the Surgeon's, but the victims are different - instead of damaged women, they are wealthy couples. And the Surgeon has escaped from prison.

Neuropsychiatry is brought into this novel with an interesting take on murderers - damage to their frontal lobes causes them to kill. Detective Jane Rizzoli considers if this is true... or maybe some people are just born evil.

Tess Gerritsen's most fascinating and thrilling novel is "Gravity". Yet her other medical thrillers are of extremely high quality. Lately she's been into police procedure and life in the medical examiner's world - i.e. the novels are going more mainstream - but still manages to write complex and intriguing storylines. Can you believe this fantastically intelligent and talented author used to write romantic suspense? Tess Gerritsen proves that change really is for the better. And as a former physician, her novels have that ring of authenticity.

"The Apprentice" is well plotted, with interesting characters, curious deaths and murderers who are very clever, indeed. Tess Gerritsen's books must be read.

Homicide detective Jane Rizzoli, of the Boston Police Department, has horrible memories of a vicious serial killer named Warren Hoyt. Hoyt was nicknamed "The Surgeon" because of the surgical precision with which he mutilated his female victims. Although Hoyt is now behind bars, he left behind a legacy of shattered lives. Rizzoli still has nightmares about her close call with death. Her hands are scarred from the Surgeon's scalpel, and she knows that she was lucky to survive her encounter with Hoyt.

Suddenly, Rizzoli is called to the scene of a case that is strangely reminiscent of the Surgeon's grisly handiwork. Rizzoli senses that Hoyt is somehow connected to this and other similar cases. However, Rizzoli's superiors believe she lacks objectivity because of her prior connection to Hoyt. They cannot believe that Hoyt has somehow found a way to commit murder from behind prison walls.

Further complicating Rizzoli's life is an FBI agent named Gabriel Dean who mysteriously appears one day in order to help the Boston PD catch this new serial killer. Dean refuses to reveal why he was called into Rizzoli's case. Although she is physically attracted to this handsome agent, Rizzoli is also angry that the FBI is interfering in her investigation.

Who is this new killer and how does he pick his victims? Are the latest killings in some way connected to the incarcerated Warren Hoyt? Gerritsen ratchets up the suspense nicely, as the answers to these and other questions gradually unfold. "The Apprentice" features a strong, proud female cop, Jane Rizzoli, who refuses to let anyone see her with her guard down.

Gerritsen explores some interesting themes in this novel, such as the weird fascination that some people have with malicious killers, and the necessity for a woman to seem as macho as her colleagues in order to survive as a homicide detective. I recommend "The Apprentice." It is a suspenseful thriller with a truly frightening villain, non-stop action, and fascinating details about how the police try to catch a killer.

THE SURGEON aka Walter Hoyt has been in prison for over a year but the Boston police detective who put him away still bears the emotional and physical scars he inflicted on her at their last meeting. She is not confident in her abilities anymore and she uses three locks on her front door to keep out the predators that she knows lurks out there.

A copycat killer emulates the crimes of THE SURGEON and Jane is the lead detective on the case when Walter escapes from prison. He joins his copycat associate with both perpetrators focusing their attention on Jane and making very sure she knows it. FBI agent Gabriel Dean, who is working on his own agenda, tries to get Jane to remove herself from the case but the feisty detective is determined that she will bring down Walker and his partner with him.

Tess Gerritsen can always be counted on to give crime thriller fans a fantastic reading experience and she succeeds with her latest novel THE APPRENTICE, which is heading to all the bestseller lists. Her wounded heroine is very likable and readers feel as if they share a bond with her because of her emotional scars. Ms. Gerritsen's works appeal to readers who love the novels of Patricia Cornwell and Linda Fairstein.

Harriet Klausner

Jane Rizzoli, Boston homicide detective, faces another serial killer. She is the classic example of a woman working in a man's world; she has a huge chip on her shoulder and a need to prove that she is the best and is not emotionally affected by the horrific aspects of her job. This time she is up against a killer who reminds her too much of her previous nemesis, The Surgeon.

This book really isn't that graphically violent. The killers are certainly psychopaths and inventive in the execution of their crimes. However, we see the aftermath of the crime, rather than the crime itself, since we are looking through the eyes of a homicide detective. The book was fast-paced, but I found the ending to be anticlimactic.

This is the first Gerritsen that I've read. When I picked it up, I didn't know that this was a sequel, so if you are like me and dislike reading books out of order, read The Surgeon first.