The Apprentice: Summary and book reviews of The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen, plus links to an excerpt from The Apprentice and a biography of Tess Gerritsen.

It is a boiling hot Boston summer. Adding to the city's woes is a series of shocking crimes, in which wealthy men are made to watch while their wives are brutalized. A sadistic demand that ends in abduction and death. The pattern suggests one man: serial killer Warren Hoyt, recently removed from the city's streets. Police can only assume an acolyte is at large, a maniac basing his attacks on the twisted medical techniques of the madman he so admires. At least that's what Detective Jane Rizzoli thinks. Forced again to confront the killer who scarred her—literally and figuratively—she is determined to finally end Hoyt's awful influence . . . even if it means receiving more resistance from her all-male homicide squad. But Rizzoli isn't counting on the U.S. government's sudden interest. Or on meeting Special Agent Gabriel Dean, who knows more than he will tell. Most of all, she isn't counting on becoming a target herself, once Hoyt is suddenly free, joining his mysterious blood brother in a vicious vendetta. . Filled with superbly created characters—and the medical and police procedural details that are her trademark—The Apprentice is Tess Gerritsen at her brilliant best. Set in a stunning world where evil is easy to learn and hard to end, this is a thriller by a master who could teach other authors a thing or two.

Media Reviews

Booklist - Kathleen Hughes Gerritsen throws in a couple of subplots to keep things interesting, and despite the awful subject matter (rape, torture, and murder) and the ugly events, well-drawn characters and a compelling story will grab readers' interest and earn Gerritsen more admirers.   Library Journal - Stacy Alesi There is gore galore and plenty of technobabble for DNA aficionados, but readers will find no real surprises, and the ending is not very satisfying. Still, fans of The Surgeon will want to read this.   Kirkus Reviews You may need a smear of Vicks menthol under your nose to get through Gerritsen's autopsies and crime scenes in this follow-up, a masterful sequel to The Surgeon (2001).   Publishers Weekly ... at times the grisliness of the murders tends toward sensationalism. This strong thriller should sell very well, but it's not Gerritsen's best.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated of 5 by Cloggie Downunder
another Gerritsen page-turner
The Apprentice is the second novel in Tess Gerritsen’s Jane Rizzoli/Maura Iles series, and the first book in which Maura Iles makes her appearance. About a year after Rizzoli solved “The Surgeon” case and sent Warren Hoyt to jail, another hot...   Read More

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