It's summer in Boston, and the crime rate is rising as fast the
temperature. For detective Jane Rizzoli of the Boston PD the heat
brings with it a searing reminder of the summer before, when she
faced down Warren Hoyt --- a serial killer known as "The Surgeon"
--- and narrowly missed becoming one of his victims. In THE
APPRENTICE, the Surgeon makes an encore appearance --- and this
time he's acting as a mentor to an equally enthusiastic killer who
preys on young married couples. The book opens with an ardent
reminder of the Surgeon's ruthlessness, refreshing the memory of
those who read the previous book and giving those who have not an
introduction to the man who not only haunts Rizzoli's dreams but
her every waking hour.

Rizzoli, a secondary character in THE SURGEON, takes center stage
in THE APPRENTICE. Courageous and brash, she battles not one but
two madmen with only her gun, her wits, and a chip on her shoulder
the size of the state of Massachusetts.

Even though Hoyt has been locked down in a maximum security prison
for nearly a year, Rizzoli cannot rid herself of the mental --- and
physical --- scars she bears because of him. Every night she
searches her apartment with gun in hand, a ritual that allows her a
small measure of comfort --- until the day she receives a phone
call that puts to rest any illusions she has harbored about her own
safety. A wealthy doctor has been brutally murdered in his home in
a Boston suburb, and his wife is missing. Certain details of the
crime scene suggest the work of one man: Warren Hoyt. Even from
behind bars, it is apparent that Hoyt is wielding his evil
influence. Rizzoli, called in to assist on the case, even though
it's outside her district, soon has more to fear when the killer
moves within Boston city limits and commits a murder and kidnapping
in posh Beacon Hill.

When Hoyt escapes from prison, he joins forces with the Apprentice
and is soon on the hunt for the one that got away…Rizzoli. As
Rizzoli becomes more entrenched in the investigation, she sets
herself on a collision course with the Surgeon. And the tension
escalates with the involvement of the FBI, which suggests that
there is more to the murder/kidnapping cases and the Apprentice's
background than anyone is willing to admit.

As the book speeds along, the reader knows from the start that a
confrontation between Rizzoli, the Surgeon, and the Apprentice is a
foregone conclusion. Yet when she is lured into the clutches of the
two killers, we are as surprised as Rizzoli, which illustrates the
power of Gerritsen's storytelling ability.

Tess Gerritsen writes some of the smartest, most compelling
thrillers around, and with THE SURGEON and THE APPRENTICE she has
not just given us topnotch storylines. In Jane Rizzoli, she has
also created a character that is more than worthy of our time. The
ending of THE APPRENTICE suggests that we haven't seen the last of
the diabolical Surgeon. We'll be right there with Rizzoli when she
takes on the Surgeon --- and his latest disciple --- one more
time.