Playing With Fire

Playing With Fire 
Tess Gerritsen

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I've been in a bit of a slump when it comes to reading lately. I know us bookworms go through funks when we just can't seem to find that one book that gets us back into the swing of turning pages, but after reading City of Dark Magic and A Short History of Women, my zest to start another book was lacking for fear any book I choose would be a disappointment. I haven't even mustered up the energy to write reviews for either of the above mentions books as I don't have much of anything constructive to say about them other than I didn't like them...at all.

I'm happy to report a quick trip to the grocery store led to the purchase of Playing With Fire,  and brought an end to my reading funk! Yay! (It also brought an end to my ban on sugary drinks as I ended up purchasing a gallon of Apple Cider, but hey, can't win them all!)

Being that I am normally not one to browse the books in the magazine aisle of the grocery store, I was pleasantly surprised to find such an intriguing book purely by accident. It was meant to be!  

Playing With Fire is an awesome mix of historical fiction and modern day thriller, not to mention the author, Tess Gerritsen, is my new idol. She started writing fiction when on maternity leave from her physician's position. Now she's completely retired from the medical profession and writes full-time. *Sign* Some day that'll be me....

Anyways, Julie Ansdell is a professional violinist who when in Rome, purchases a book of old music from an antique store. Little does she know a hand written piece titled "Incendio" would change her life in ways she never expected. From the first time she plays the piece, she notices it's beautiful yet haunting tones and finishes only to find her three year old daughter, Lilly, has murdered the family cat. (Normally this would have been immediate cause for me to put the book down, being the huge animal lover that I am, but something told me to keep going, and I'm glad I did)! 

Parts of the book take place in modern day Massachusetts where Julie lives with her husband and daughter, but the rest of the book follows the history and creation of "Incendio" as heartbreaking and haunting as its history is. Playing With Fire  is multi-faceted and so, so good playing on almost every emotion a reader can imagine; suspense, happiness, love, fear, sympathy, wonder, so many emotions and the ending! Oh, the ending! I never saw it coming and I don't think you will either, but it definitely doesn't disappoint! It's one of those endings that shocks the reader, but isn't overly dramatic. 

I highly, highly recommend making a pit stop in the magazine aisle to pick up Playing With Fire ​ on your next trip to the grocery store!