The Rosary Girls – Richard Montanari
Summary: A young girl is found murdered in a local Catholic girls school in Philadelphia, and it becomes evident that this isn’t just a one off killing. But determining who the serial killer is isn’t easy – don’t be too sure you’ve guessed it because there are plenty of twists and turns in this novel.
Pace: Fast and twisty. Make sure you have a long train journey to read it in because you won’t want to put it down.
Main Characters: Detective Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano
This book is like… an early episode of Law and Order, but with depth.
Bookshop Shelf: Crime Fiction
Pages: 544 pages
Rating: 8
The Book Tiger’s Review
The Rosary Girls is a very well written whodunnit introducing a gruesome murderer and two troubled, but likeable police detectives. Set in the crime-ridden city of Philadelphia, Detective Kevin Byrne – police veteran with a damaged life, a near death experience and a whole lot of anger is partnered with Jessica Balzano, young, pretty and a champion featherweight female boxer.
On the first day of Jessica’s new job, a young girl is found murdered – her neck broken and her hands bolted together in prayer. A teenager from one of the local Catholic girls schools, within hours it becomes evident that there is a serial killer on the loose who is preying on Catholic school girls, mutilating them and leaving them to be found by the local police.
I thought I had figured it out who was responsible within the first 100 pages. Not that it mattered – the writing was intelligent and fluid and the storyline was paced perfectly. After several red herrings were thrown in, I was still confident I knew…and only at the very end did I discover that in fact I was wrong. I love that in a murder mystery. I love thinking that I have worked it out, only to have the author surprise me in a twist I just didn’t expect. It makes for a thoroughly enjoyable read.
The Rosary Girls is the first book written by Montanari introducing Byrnes and Balzano. Fortunately, he has continued this pair into later books because they had such depth as characters, it would have been sad to let them rest after a single book. I think Montanari is a great writer with a strong ability to write pithy but poignant prose and to keep the reader interested and continually guessing.
ISBN: 0-434-01555-5
Publisher: William Heinemann
Year: 2006
Date Finished: 15 December 2007
Buy via Amazon.co.uk: The Rosary Girls – Richard Montanari
Buy via Amazon.com: The Rosary Girls – Richard Montanari
If you don’t believe me, try another opinion:
- http://blogs.westdeptford.lib.nj.us/reader_reviews/2007/08/09/the-rosary-girls-by-richard-montanari/
- http://harrietklausner.wwwi.com/review/the_rosary_girls
- http://www.bookaid.org.uk/Blog/tabid/712/EntryID/443/Default.aspx
