A gripping standalone thriller by the New York Times bestselling author of the Rizzoli & Isles seriesINTERNATIONAL THRILLER WRITERS AWARD FINALIST • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY LOS ANGELES TIMES AND SUSPENSE MAGAZINE In a shadowy antiques shop in Rome, violinist Julia Ansdell happens upon a curious piece of music—the Incendio waltz—and is immediately entranced by its unusual … music—the Incendio waltz—and is immediately entranced by its unusual composition. Full of passion, torment, and chilling beauty, and seemingly unknown to the world, the waltz, its mournful minor key, its feverish arpeggios, appear to dance with a strange life of their own. Julia is determined to master the complex work and make its melody heard.
Back home in Boston, from the moment Julia’s bow moves across the strings, drawing the waltz’s fiery notes into the air, something strange is stirred—and Julia’s world comes under threat. The music has a terrifying and inexplicable effect on her young daughter, who seems violently transformed. Convinced that the hypnotic strains of Incendio are weaving a malevolent spell, Julia sets out to discover the man and the meaning behind the score.
Her quest beckons Julia to the ancient city of Venice, where she uncovers a dark, decades-old secret involving a dangerously powerful family that will stop at nothing to keep Julia from bringing the truth to light.
Praise for Playing with Fire
“Compelling . . . I defy you to read the first chapter and not singe your fingers reading the rest.”—David Baldacci
“One of the best and most original thrillers of the year.”—Providence Journal
“[A] novel brimming with emotion, literary description, and psychological suspense.”—The Huffington Post
“Will make readers drop everything to immerse themselves in its propulsive dual narrative.”—Los Angeles Times
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I read PLAYING WITH FIRE when it first came out. Now, three years later, I still think about it. Tess Gerritsen is one of the few authors who can immerse me in a world that’s dark, terrifying, and at the same time hopeful. That’s what she does in this stand alone, which takes us back in time to the 1930s in Italy when fascism ruined the lives of so many good people. The pull of a piece of music in the present unlocks the history of a musician whose work might have been lost to history were it not for the persistence of a concert violinist. A unique premise, to be sure, but when Gerritsen adds what might be a touch of the supernatural to the mix, what emerges is a compelling, unputdownable read. I just might like Tess’s stand alones more than her Rizzolli and Isles series, which is really saying something! Read this book.
I can usually guess the ending of a thriller, but the twist at the end of Playing with Fire caught caught me by surprise.
Browsing in an antique store in Italy, the main character, a violinist, discovers an original musical composition by an unknown composer. Intrigued, she buys the score. Back home, she plays the piece, which is weird and intense and difficult. Afterward she discovers that her young daughter has viciously stabbed their pet cat. She believes the music is responsible, but her husband and everyone else thinks she’s crazy. She must discover the truth. The mystery takes her back to Italy where she searches for the truth about the mysterious composer.
An excellent thriller.
Another hit by Tess Gerritson.
In my opinion her worst book ever.
Slow start. Worth staying with it to the end. Gave it 4 because of the slow beginning.
Tess Gerritsen never disappoints!
Got hooked right away. Kept my interest. Excellent ending!
She is marvelous and I have read and loved everything she has written.
I loved that book. It is full of surprise an brings so many different emotions.
Good read and characters Goodbplot
Love the author and the plots of her stories never know what’s going to happen next.
the surprise ending
Ee joy learn some reality on facts
This author always tells a compelling story and tells it well. Maybe too well this time. I found the situations too intense and quit less than halfway through. I have no doubt readers who like psychological thrillers–especially with young children involved–will enjoy this book.
One of the best spy stories ever written. Maybe the best ever, which is saying a lot considering what’s out there. This will literally grab you from the first paragraph and won’t let you go till the very last page. Truly a masterpiece of writing and intrigue. organifi green juice
Beautiful interplay between WWII Italy and the modern day. Lovely plot, interlaced with a violin melody that you can’t help but listen to at the end. A beautifully portrayed tragedy with a great ending. A great read.
Not my favorite Tess Gerritsen.
Unusual story line, but so well done. I very much like her “stand-alone“ books more than the Rizzoli and Isles series.
It disappointed me. I’ve read this author before, and this book was not consistent with her other books.
This is a very original book which goes back and forth between the past and present without disrupting the reader’s concentration. The ending is unpredictable and it does a good job of holding the reader’s interest.