140. The Sinner by Tess Gerritsen

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Gerritsen, Tess. The Sinner. New York, NY: Random House Publishing Group, 2003. Print.

355 pages

This is the third installment in the Rizzoli and Isles series. Tess Gerritsen continues her exploration of evil in a story about two nuns who were murdered in their convent. The story spans across continents with a connection to a chemical plant in India. 

At this point in the series, Gerritsens’ characters have started to materialize in a more personal way. The depth of character has deepened and readers can start to feel attached to them. We’ve spent enough time with them at this point to feel like old friends. This makes the tension and suspense in the novel all the greater.

Not without scandalous affairs, The Sinner addresses evil from a number of angles. Much like The Surgeon, it explores how evil can be just around the corner. An otherwise average human can have an alternative life that we know nothing about.

In addition, this novel explores the concept of corporate greed as a source of evil in the world. Corporate greed is not only found in large corporations but in charitable organizations and smaller businesses as well. It can be the source of atrocities, including what unfolds in this story.

Reviewed by Jess d'Artagnan Love

Would I read it again? 

Yep

Recommended for

Rizzoli and Isles fans

Not Recommended for

Not for kids of those sensitive to violence.

 

3 stars out of 5

 

Tess Gerritsen’s website: https://www.tessgerritsen.com/

Tess Gerritsen on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18149.Tess_Gerritsen

 

Reviews of previous novels in the series:

The Surgeon

The Apprentice

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139. Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza and Steve Irwin

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Ilibagiza, Immaculee, & Erwin, Steve. Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust. New York, NY: Hay House, 2007. Print.

 

214 pages

 

Reviewed by Jess d'Artagnan Love

 

The Rwandan genocide happened in the spring of 1994. It is one of histories darkest events and Immaculee Ilibagiza survived it. Left to Tell is her memoir documenting how she survived the genocide. She credits her survival to her faith in God and explains how she relied on prayer while hidden in a tiny bathroom with several other women.

 

This book is horrifying and inspiring. It is horrifying because of the atrocities that Immaculee so eloquently documents. It is inspiring because of her faith and the example she sets for other Christians. Her faith and prayer was unwavering in a situation that drove many other to madness.

 

It is hard to say I loved this book because I wish she had never needed to write it. If you are someone who is sensitive to violence, please don’t read this. It will be very triggering for you. I do think it is important that she told this story and that people read it and absorb it. Like the Holocaust during WWII, the genocide in Rwanda needs to be remembered, lest we forget and repeat the mistakes.

 

 

Would I read it again? 

I’m undecided. I may read certain passages again when I need some faith-based inspiration or a bit of perspective, but this was a difficult book and I don’t know if I will read it cover-to-cover again.

 

Recommended for

Anyone over the age of 18 who is not triggered by violence. This is an important memoir.

 

Not Recommended for

Readers who have trauma in their past. The violence depicted here will trigger you.

 

 

5 stars out of 5

 

Immaculee’s website: https://www.immaculee.com/

Immaculee on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40411.Immacul_e_Ilibagiza

 

 

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138. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

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Bronte, Emily. WutheringHeights. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1974. Print.

Originally published in 1847.

308 pages

Reviewed by Jess d'Artagnan Love

Wuthering Heights is a classic. Many know the basic story and there have been film adaptations. It is a classic love story about two lovers who are unable to be together. The Bronte sisters are masters of the gothic novel and this is a masterful work worth reading.

One of things I loved about this novel is how devastatingly human the characters are. They love to the point of madness and misery. The relationships are dysfunctional and full of hyperbole.

The simplicity of their lives also stood out to me. Very few of us anymore can appreciate the simple beauty of sitting in a tree and listening to the birds or laying on the grass and watching the cloud. Bronte makes these simple activities feel like a paradise. Novels of this era delight in the depiction of long walks through lovely countryside to work through internal conflict. It is something I think more of us need to adopt in our own lives.  

This review is short, but what more do you say about a masterful work? If you read or have read this novel, let me know what you thought about it in the comments below.  

Would I read it again? 

Yes.

Recommended for

Readers 18 and older mostly because the language is complex.

Not Recommended for

Young readers. The prose will be difficult for a young person to navigate.

4 stars out of 5

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