No, not the movie by the same name. I’m talking about Tess Gerritsen’s excellent new Rizzoli and Isles novel.

As you expect from a Rizzoli and Isles story, there is a medical angle to the plot of Listen to Me. But that’s not the major theme. The book is primarily about your neighborhood and your relationships with neighbors. It’s about not taking things at face value and not jumping to conclusions. It’s about not sharing everything with your friends and family.

There are some odd similarities to Gerritsen’s previous novel, co-written with Gary Braver, especially in the first chapter, which seemed so familiar that I wondered if I had read this book before and had just forgotten the details. But no, they are entirely different books, and Listen to Me is much the better one. Just read it, especially if you like books where all the major characters are women (ranging from teens to grandmothers). I can’t say more without committing an inadvertent spoiler, so let’s just stop here.

Categories: Books