A woman trying to outrun her past is drawn to a coastal village in Maine—and to a string of unsolved murders—in this novel of romance and psychological suspense from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.“Suspenseful, sexy, and soulful.”—J. R. Ward, bestselling author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood seriesAfter an unspeakable tragedy in Boston, Ava Collette flees to a remote village in … Ava Collette flees to a remote village in Maine, where she rents an old house named Brodie’s Watch.
In that isolated seaside mansion, Ava finally feels at peace . . . until she glimpses the long-dead sea captain who still resides there.
Rumor has it that Captain Jeremiah Brodie has haunted the house for more than a century. One night, Ava confronts the apparition, who feels all too real, and who welcomes her into his world—and into his arms. Even as Ava questions her own sanity, she eagerly looks forward to the captain’s ghostly visits. But she soon learns that the house she loves comes with a terrible secret, a secret that those in the village don’t want to reveal: Every woman who has ever lived in Brodie’s Watch has also died there. Is the ghost of Captain Brodie responsible, or is a flesh-and-blood killer at work? A killer who is even now circling closer to Ava?
Praise for The Shape of Night
“Gerritsen is at her atmospheric best in this spine-tingling tale of a lone woman, an old house, and all the secrets everyone tries to hide.”—Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“With a twisty mix of dangerous passion, obsession, and suspense, Tess Gerritsen reinvents the Gothic novel, giving it a razor-sharp, modern edge.”—Jayne Ann Krentz, New York Times bestselling author of Untouchable
“Curl up in your favorite reading chair and let Tess Gerritsen whisk you away to a coastal town reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier’s best settings. You are in for a dark and sexy night, and you will be up very late with Tess’s twisted, haunting tale.”—Iris Johansen, #1 New York Times bestselling author
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Wow! This book drew me in from the start and I could barely put it down until I got to the end.
Ava arrives at Brodie’s Watch hoping to escape her life and work on her next book. Little does she know what she is going to find when she first moves in.
The book is full of suspense. The author paints vivid pictures with her words. I was totally absorbed into the story. There were a number of twists and it continually had me wondering what was real and what wasn’t.
It’s full of surprises all the way to the end. I would have liked a little more resolution for Ava, but the book was really intense and was a great read.
I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
While I don’t usually try to read this genre, I enjoyed Tess Gerritsen’s other books & decided to give it a try. There are several parts that are consist with the Rizzoli & Isles series & her medical thrillers. The characters are well developed & lifelike. The pace of the story comes to a crescendo at the perfect moment for maximum impact. While I enjoyed the writing & the characters, I couldn’t seem to connect to the story like I have the rest of her books. I feel this is due to the genre & my reaction to it, not anything in Ms. Gerritsen’s writing. I feel that if you enjoy gothic romantic thrillers, you will love this book.
OK, this book was not what I was expecting. But to be honest, I had no preconceptions as I did not read the blurb about it and had not read anything previously from this author. Based on the cover alone, I assumed it was a thriller (which it was), however it was also a ghost/entity story and a murder mystery with some BDSM thrown in for good measure (nothing too graphic). Needless to say I was a bit surprised.
While the writing/story was fine, I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. Ava was even a bit annoying, and while I think the author wanted me to feel sympathy for her, I did not. I was also able to guess the outcome fairly easily. Not really my cup of tea.
Thanks to #NetGalley , #RandomHouse and #BallantineBooks for providing the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.
A true modern gothic, The Shape of Night had me up all night. I couldn’t put this story of a young woman who moves into a house haunted by a darkly handsome sea captain down. She is smitten, but there the similarities to Mrs. Muir and her captain end.
Ava, our not so virginal heroine, carries a lot of guilt with her when she moves into Brodie’s Rest. She’s there to finish writing an overdue cookbook and is trying valiantly to drown her guilty memories. She soon meets Captain Brodie himself – or is he an alcohol-infused fantasy? – as well as a handsome doctor and other assorted and interesting townies.
On the surface, this is a simple tale, but the deeper you get into the book, the more layers you begin to see. Is the eroticism born of sexual desire or is it something else, or something more? What is Ava’s secret and how does it affect her actions? This story is intelligent, gripping, and frightening, and contains plenty of humor and heart. Without giving anything away, all I can say about the resolution is that it is perfect. I’ve never been more satisfied.
This is the first non Rizzoli & Isles book I’ve read by Tess Gerritsen but I can tell you it won’t be the last! I’ve read every Rizzoli & Isles book because I love her style, the characters, and the multiple twists and turns. The Shape of Night goes beyond any of the R&I books.
Tess Gerritsen takes the reader on a trip with so many twists and turns that you’ll literally be dizzy with excitement from the first sentence to the very last word.
I love when the author leaves me wanting more and she has definitely done that. I hated to see this book end. And unlike most books (I’m an avid mystery and suspense/thriller reader) I didn’t see the ending coming the way it did. Perfect!!
I received a free ARC copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.
Wow! Suspense with a side of creepy, Tess Gerritsen delivers plenty of it in The Shape Of Night. This book is well-written with a fantastic cast of characters. Ava is a food writer working on a new book of recipes. Her guilt has driven her to a different state where she rents a house for the summer. Ava’s story is full of moments where readers will be telling her, “Don’t do it!” There’s lots of humor, spice and suspense along with a paranormal twist. I enjoyed reading The Shape Of Night and look forward to reading more from Tess Gerritsen soon. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I read an advanced copy of The Shape of Night and found it to be thoroughly entertaining and spooky read. The setting was in Maine in a house high on a cliff overlooking the sea. The ghost of Captain Brody was a seductive nightly visitor, and the suspense mounted as I quickly turned the pages to an unexpected ending. I recommend this to readers who look a scary read!
This book was unlike any of Ms Gerritsen’s I’ve ever read. I went into it with one idea and came out with a totally different, no less intense, story. It did not have a clear path to a criminal and was, actually, quite surprising at the end. I believe this is a story of how your conscience can guide you if you let it.
It turns out to be two stories in one. Drinking heavily lets our main character to believe something most people would think quite unbelievable. In the end, did it really happen or not? Only time will tell.
What I don’t know is….did she get a happily ever after?
This book was gifted to me by the publisher in return for an honest review..
The Shape of Night is the perfect title for this edgy suspense thriller with a touch of the paranormal. This book will gently hypnotize you with its provocative pull into a world filled with personal conflicts, a bit of gothic romance, family drama, and a seductive spectral element. The Shape of Night is the first book by Tess Gerritsen that I have read and look forward to reading more from her.
Our heroine, Ava Colette, is running from the painful memories of life in Boston, where she has made a disastrous mistake that has left her life in shambles. She finds a seaside house to rent, Brodie’s Watch, on the coast of Maine. She is trying to forget her life in Boston and finish writing her latest cookbook that is well overdue. Initially, she is uneasy in the house, but she gradually falls in love with the house and everything is going well until the house starts to reveal its insidious secrets. Ms. Gerritsen writes Ava as a strong woman with many flaws, but even with all her faults, she is a likable character. She also thoroughly develops the supporting characters in this book. They add an element that ranges from evilness to goodness.
The Shape of Night is well written with a multi-layered plotline. There is a slow build-up of tension and suspense that will keep you turning the pages, and you will not want to put this book down. At the start of this book, I was reminded of a TV show that I watched as a child, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. But that is where the similarities ended. Ms. Gerritsen weaves the perfect amount of ghost story, murder mystery, tension, and just the right amount of eroticism that makes this story sizzle.
Overall this was an excellent read, although I did have one problem. I would have liked for the family drama element to be resolved on the page. It was left up to the reader to fill in the blanks. I guess I am just one of those people who like more of an ending and I felt like this one was a little rushed.
I am looking forward to reading more of Tess Gerritsen’s books.
***I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion .***
I’m gonna start off by saying this book was totally different from any other Tess Gerritsen book I’ve ever read. Ava is hiding from a horrible event that changed everything in her life. She moves to a old house in Tucker Cove, Maine and gets way more than she bargained for. This book is part paranormal, part murder mystery. I love a good ghost story and this book certainly delivers that. It also had kind of a Gothic romance feel to the whole thing.I did not see that ending coming at all. Overall this is another great story and goes to show you whatever Ms Gerritsen writes is a page turner.
Absolutely amazing book!! Couldn’t put it down once I started. It was insanely suspenseful and kept me on the edge of my seat. It kept me guessing all of the way through and that ending absolutely blew me away.
A really great read, I would class it as a suspenseful, supernatural, thriller with a murder mystery thrown in!! Ava is a writer that is going through guilt and stress in her life causing her to be behind in her work so she rents a old house by the ocean that is haunted by the captain that built the house. He is a demon that interacts with her . During the story it comes to light about other people who have gone missing from the house over the years . This story draws you in as you follow along with Ava to find out what is really going on. Very well written story with plenty of ins and outs to keep your attention.