HOLY SHIT THIS BOOK. Watch me not sleep soundly for the rest of the week and be paranoid. DAMN WHY DID I READ THIS KNOWING FULL WELL I'LL SCARE THE SHIT OUT OF ME. This is such a good october reads.

suspenseful, a little gruesome, good characters, parts about raising a deaf child are good

De titel is wat ongelukkig, maar de inhoud is precies wat een moordmysterie zou moeten zijn. De lezer wordt samen met de detectives van het verhaal voortdurend op het verkeerde been gezet. Zelfs toen ik dacht "oh maar nu is het wel HEEL duidelijk" bleek het toch niet te zijn wat het leek dat het was. Bijna alle losse eindjes worden aan elkaar geknoopt, tot in het haast perfecte toe. Ik ben hier binnen 24 uur doorheen gesjeesd, dus qua leesbaarheid van de vertaling zit het wel goed.

The first in the Balzano/Byrne series, I enjoyed the plot and characters in this novel. Catholic schoolgirls are getting murdered but why? Some gripping moments, and for me - an enjoyable and easy to read thriller.

Richard Montanari had me on the edge of me seat the entire book. There seemed to be so many red herrings in this book; which is a nice refresher. Most crime novels I have read seem to blatantly point to who the evil doer is; but this book constantly had me questioning who it could be, that by the time the suspect was revealed I had never even suspected who it was.

I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. The dynamic between Jessica and Bryne is one that I cannot wait to read as it progresses into not only a partnership but a friendship as well.

“The chilled rain slicks the black granite, joining my tears, flooding my heart full of storms”

The Rosary Girls by Richard Montanari is the story of veteran detective Kevin Byrne and his rookie partner Jessica Balzano who are set out to capture the elusive killer causing fear In Philadelphia who mutilates his victims, all catholic woman that clutch a rosary in their bolted lifeless hands.

When I started reading this book it thought I wasn’t going to like it because of its synopsis but I was pleasantly surprised. The story is a fast paced cop thriller where the lead detectives are trying to find the killer of the “Rosary Girls”. Both detectives carry baggage before they are paired together in this case. We are introduced to them individually and then join them on their journey watching the relationship change as the desperation of catching the killer gives them common ground. The details of the murder are brutal, the killer has dialogue which is haunting and makes the reader uneasy. The way the story is written suspects are presented at different stages almost like a criminal line up but just when I think I know who the killer is I’m abruptly proven wrong. I thought this was an interesting story that was horrifying, thrilling and creepy. This is the first book in the series and I already have the next two which I’ll definitely be reading to see how things progress.

This book was a great book that was completly different from any other book.

Jessica Balzano is teamed up with Kevin Byrne, a veteran cop with a history and a mental state on the edge. His life is upside down and he’s not afraid about breaking every rule in the book and taking risks. Being teamed up with a rookie partner is all that he needs, especially with his past catching up with him.

The Balzano name is held high amongst law enforcement as everyone knows her father, a famous Philadelphia cop, but Jessica is determined to make her own mark.

It’s Jessica’s first day in Homicide, and her first case already has her gripped: stop a killer who is targeting devout young women, bolting their hands together in prayer and leaving them in the city for all to find.

Read the full review here: https://sincerelyyoursannie.com/2021/05/25/the-rosary-girls-by-richard-montanari-book-review/

The Rosary Girls by Richard Montanari

Right from the off, I didn't like Kevin Byrne which was one of the main reasons I only gave this three stars. I thought he was a thug and he twisted the law to suit himself, but the addition of Jessica saved this book. She's a likable character, even if she's unrealistic. There were also more characters than necessary, extra cops that I don't think added anything to the book.
The plot on the other hand was good. I felt like Montanari had done his research about the Catholic church as well as the Philadelphia Police Force. I thought I'd figured out who the murderer was, but Montanari was one step ahead of me and actually surprised me. I also love how he tied everything together. A few words mentioned at the beginning of the book were more relevant than I ever realised! I will read some more Montanari books, in hope that I grow to like Detective Byrne.