Gerritsen, Tess. The Apprentice. New York, NY: The Ballantine Publishing Group, 2002. Print.
344
pages
Reviewed
by Jess d'Artagnan Love
The
Apprentice is the second book in Tess Gerritsen’s Rizzoli and Isles series. It
picks up from The Surgeon with a killer that has eerie similarities in his
calling cards to the Surgeon that Jane threw in jail a year ago. Jane Rizzoli is back while Thomas Moore has retired. New on the
scene is Maura Isles and this is the first-time readers meet Maura. This book,
like the first book, is told from third person limited primarily from Jane
Rizzoli’s point of view.
As
mentioned in my review of The Surgeon, I am re-reading the entire series this
year, paying close attention to how Gerritsen explores the concept of evil. In
The Apprentice the theme of evil focuses on how everyone has dark secrets. It
also explores the question of whether people are born evil or if they are made
evil through a combination of biology and environment—the age old “nature
versus nurture” question. The book does not take a firm stand on either side of
the debate but rather finds a grey area in between. It seems that, while some
people may be born evil, others are turned that way as a result of their life
experiences, part of which includes brain trauma to the frontal lobe.
Gerritsen’s background as a doctor really shines in this novel.
Another
story I wanted to track into the second novel was that of, Karl Pachecko, the unarmed man Rizzoli murders in The Surgeon. This event is one that I
don’t think would simply be brushed aside as it would have lasting effects on
Jane’s psychology as well as her standing as a police officer. It took a while
for The Apprentice to get there, but there is mention of this situation. Rizzoli
expresses regret and a sense of being haunted by the incident that I felt was
in line with what may happen in reality. Jane is also closely monitored and
often thought unstable throughout the book. She is threatened multiple times to
be sent to mandatory counseling and to be taken off her current case due to mental health concerns which I
think would also line up accurately following the events in The Surgeon.
Overall,
this is a solid second novel and provides readers with an exciting glimpse into
a character that will soon play a huge role in the series (Maura Isles).
Would
I read it again?
Yes
Recommended
for
Fans
of murder mysteries, crime dramas, and thrillers.
Not
Recommended for
Anyone
who has experienced violence. This gets pretty graphic.
Word
Bank
Sylvan (77)
Introitus (86)
Punchy (91)
Tony (93)
Pugilist (151)
3
stars out of 5
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