Somewhat off-key

This is the second book in a row I’ve read that has dual story lines whose tone and atmosphere clash with each other as if written by separate authors. In this case, a current day story focuses on a haunting piece of music that appears to have near magical sway over some who hear it, leading to unexplained violent acts. Violinist Julia’s attempts to find the music’s secrets cause those closest to her to suspect her of being insane. The behavior of the principal players did not seem genuine, especially Julia’s husband, and the plot devices that tried to rationalize the behavior just muddied up the story.

The second story line takes us to WWII Italy and the composer of the music. His story is familiar to anyone who has read any Holocaust stories. It is moving as all such stories are moving, but there is nothing here to make this story unique.

Forcing these two threads together was a stretch that never really made a convincing connection. The narration was just ok. Julia Whelan was unfortunately horrible at character voices, especially any male voice. Will Damron was better, but his female voices were also lacking, though not as egregious as his female counterpart. I’ll give this a 3 since I was able to finish it and the ending was satisfactory. What probably lifted this up the most was the inclusion of musical interludes and at the end a full performance of the music in the story – I wish I knew who wrote it because it really is lovely.

82 of 85 people found this review helpful

Playing with Fire

I have a habit of picking up books of my favorite authors without reading the description. So with that in mind I assume this was another Rizzoli and Isles book. It took a few chapters before I realized what I was reading was a stand alone book. I must say I enjoyed it enormously! Very lovely book. I would encourage others to read it even if they are not fans of the R&I series. The mix of music and history was enchanting.

31 of 33 people found this review helpful

Coulda Been Better

Not a bad read, but an average one, especially given the quality of the author's other stand alones... The historical look backs are the best part of the book, and possibly saves the whole w/ an excellent and rich little bit of storytelling... The contemporary sections were so so and felt uneven... The ending was better and had an unexpected little twist that was deftly done... The narration was good enough, but the female narrator did a poor male voice and should have stuck w/ speaking in her own voice... Decent enough quick easy read, but just...

27 of 29 people found this review helpful

Playing With Fire (Can be hard for some to handle)

Now this is something everyone should read!! What an amazing, true and horrible ( because humanity can be so cruel) adventure!! Couldn't put this one down, couldn't stop listening!!
I couldn't figure out how Tess Gerritsen would meld the main story into the back story OR was it the back story (the main story) into the present !!
I don't usually like music or other sounds in the narration, but this was done very, very well!! Loved the music at the end!!
Ironic that my son is also going to New England Conservatory of Music (Bass)
Narration was excellent!

36 of 39 people found this review helpful

Gripping, haunting and exquisitely delivered.

A mystery turned thriller as well as a tale about love and the passion and power of music, the story takes place both in current day America and in Italy and during the years in Italy, WW II.
While on tour in Italy, a young woman, wife, mother and professional violinist, purchases an old book of gypsy melodies and finds an original, unpublished, hand written composition. The events which follow are entwined throughout with the story of the young Jewish composer. This book gripped me within the first chapter and did not let go. The audio version is a must-have. The background insertions of the violin music had me captured throughout, yearning to hear more. Long after the last word was spoken and the last note played I stayed in the story. It held me captive.It will be awhile before this tale relaxes it's hold over me.

25 of 27 people found this review helpful

Playing With Fire

Any additional comments?

Written by Tess Gerritsen, narrated by Julia Whelan and Will Damron, an unabridged audiobook approximately seven hours long. This book came to me via an Audible Daily Deal which I jumped into based on previous Gerritsen books that I’ve enjoyed reading.

Playing With Fire has many, many reviews - ergo I’ll skip plot synopsis which you will easily find elsewhere.

Why I liked this book? Well, it is a heart-wrenching story of the holocaust, vividly descriptive in areas. If you’re squeamish about what took place in the camps during WWII this book isn’t for you - it’s pretty explicit. The audio production is superb, great narration, excellent with regard to the violin solos. I’ve no doubt that listening to Playing With Fire is much more satisfying than an ebook read. Very good audio production. Transitions between modern day and the war years is very smooth, nicely done.

Complaints? Not many, but a few. The book is only seven hours in length, ergo room enough for Gerritsen to flesh out the ending to a more satisfying conclusion. It seemed like efforts were being made to pull all the loose ends together quickly and wrap things up — and the story suffers as a result. Playing With Fire is really great tale that falls apart with a too-neat-and-tidy finish. Second complaint, believability with regard to the behavior of the main character. You’ll have to stretch imagination if you want to buy into her ‘black outs’ … but, hey … it’s fiction. For me this creates a dichotomy that pulls legitimacy from the rest of the book - the holocaust was very real.

Overall, Playing With Fire is recommended - especially in the audiobook format - with an ending you may find rushed and disappointing. A haunting and sad story, well narrated.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Heartbreaking

I'm a fan of Gerritsen. This story has touched me, as a Jew and as a music lover. Thank you, Tess, for writing both.

24 of 27 people found this review helpful

Beautiful - Haunting - Suspenseful

I loved this book and thought that it was beautifully written and narrated.

Woven between the present and the past, it was intriguing to listen to and difficult to leave once it ended. Moreover, the fact that it was essentially historical fiction with an overarching musical foundation, accompanied by the prominent presence of the tragic and horrific mistreatment of Italian Jews during WW II made it even more compelling. For me, the true test of what makes a book a five star read is that I can't wait to reach the ending but am very depressed when I do because it means that I'm no longer a part of the characters' lives.

I highly recommend "Playing with Fire", especially for classical music lovers, lovers of intrigue, as well as lovers of historical fiction, particularly the Holocaust.

16 of 18 people found this review helpful

Romantic confection witha nice twist - a bit slow

A young Jewish musician is deported from Fascist Venice in the early Forties. A contemporary young mother, decades later, purchases a mysterious piece of music from a dusty Rome antique store, plays the music and apparently as a result her sweet three year old turns into a monster. Husband thinks she is crazy (her mother was) and of course enlists the support of a psychologist who specializes as an expert witness causing the removal of children from inadequate mothers and the committing of people who "might be a danger to themselves or others" to mental lockdown. The psychiatrist is also beautiful and has met with husband several times. You get the idea - everybody is against her thinking she is crazy and yet to her "this stuff really happened!". This is where I almost gave up on the book.

However, as we went back in time and experienced the sad saga of some Italian citizen's abuse of their Jewish neighbors, told through the fate of the young musician, the story gained some gravitas (if not narrative force - still a bit slow) and the ending delivered up a sweet twist, totally believable, and somehow this made the whole thing fun. Bonus - much to learn about how the fate of Italian Jews was somewhat unique.

My recommendation is to give the book a chance - it may be a little trite and slow in some places, but, at the end, I enjoyed the journey, and I think many others will as well.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Absolutely outsanding!

Would you consider the audio edition of Playing with Fire to be better than the print version?

Yes, the narration was very good.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Playing with Fire?

The flashbacks to the 1940s and the lives of the Jews in Italy.

What does Julia Whelan and Will Damron bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Emotion of the moment.

Any additional comments?

I love Tess Gerritsen's books ... and this is one of the best she has written!

18 of 21 people found this review helpful