The Rosary Girls, Richard Montanari
The Rosary Girls, Richard Montanari
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The Rosary Girls
A Novel of Suspense

Author: Richard Montanari

Narrator: Richard Ferrone

Abridged: 5 hr 2 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/15/2005


Synopsis

In his sleek, visceral novels Deviant Way, Kiss of Evil, and The Violet Hour, Richard Montanari slammed into the suspense field like a force of nature. Now Montanari has written an astounding novel that pits two besieged detectives against a fiercely intelligent serial killer.

Sprawling beneath the statue of William Penn, Philadelphia is a city of downtrodden crack houses and upscale brownstones. Somewhere in this concrete crazy quilt, one teenage Catholic girl is writing in her diary, another is pouring her heart out to a friend, and yet another is praying. And somewhere in this city is a man who wants these young women to make his macabre fantasy become reality. In a passion play of his own, he will take the girls–and a whole city–over the edge.

Kevin Byrne is a veteran cop who already knows that edge: He’s been living on it far too long. His marriage failing, his former partner wasting away in a hospital, and his heart lost to mad fury, Byrne loves to take risks and is breaking every rule in the book. And now he has been given a rookie partner. Jessica Balzano, the daughter of a famous Philly cop, doesn’t want Byrne’s help. But they will need each other desperately, since they’ve just caught the case of a lifetime: Someone is killing devout young women, bolting their hands together in prayer, and committing an abomination upon their otherwise perfect bodies.

Byrne and Balzano spearhead the hunt for the serial killer, who leads them on a methodically planned journey. Suspects appear before them like bad dreams–and vanish just as quickly. And while Byrne’s sins begin to catch up with him, and Balzano tries to solve the blood-splattered puzzle, the body count rises. Meanwhile, the calendar is approaching Easter and the day of the resurrection. When the last rosary is counted, a madman’s methods will be revealed, and the final crime will be the one that hurts the most.

Relentlessly paced and vividly told, The Rosary Girls is a smart, emotionally complex, fiercely gripping thriller from an author who takes chances, breaks new ground, and leaves readers haunted and moved long after the last page is turned.

About The Author

Richard Montanari is a novelist, screenwriter, and essayist. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press, Cleveland Plain Dealer, and scores of other national and regional publications. He is the OLMA-winning author of the internationally acclaimed thrillers Kiss of Evil, Deviant Way, and The Violet Hour–all published in more than twenty countries. Visit the author’s website at www.richardmontanari.com.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Luna on August 08, 2021

Twists and turns abound. I started this series with the seventh book which was called The Stolen Ones. I really enjoyed it but I read that in Feb 2018 and it sits on page 2 of my books. I can be so stupid at times, not following up with this series sooner . Well this is the first in the series and w......more

Goodreads review by pelaio on April 28, 2020

Bien, muy bien lo primero que leo de Montanari. Bien la historia, correctamente trenzada y con unos personajes que pueden dar juego pues creo que es el primero de una serie. He visto por ahí otro de la misma serie, creo que es el segundo, que se titula "La piel de Filadelfia" que lo voy a leer a con......more

Goodreads review by Effie on March 23, 2019

Απλά υπέροχο!Είχαν γνωρίσει και αγαπήσει το δίδυμο από τις επόμενες ιστορίες του Montanari,όμως πραγματικά τα Κορίτσια του Ροζαρίου ήταν ένα από τα απολαυστικότερα "πρώτα" βιβλία σειρών που έχω διαβάσει.5⭐......more

Goodreads review by Terri on October 21, 2015

Jess starts her day as a new homicide detective on the day a body of a young teen is found, posed and mutilated. She and her partner, Kevin Byrne, soon will spearhead a taskforce hunting a serial killer targeting young Catholic schoolgirls. The killer is smart and his motive complex. Twists abound as......more

Goodreads review by Skye on December 02, 2015

This is an exceptional suspense novel that also fits well in the realms of psychological thriller. It contains police procedurals and can also be categorized as a hard, gritty cop tale . It focuses on a serial killer on the dangerous streets of Philadelphia. Although Philly has many lovely parts ( i......more


Quotes

Praise for The Rosary Girls

“The Rosary Girls is a well-written, fast-moving thriller with twists and turns galore that will keep you guessing until the end.”
–Phillip Margolin, author of Lost Lake

“Readers of this terrifying page-turner are in the hands of a master storyteller. Be prepared to stay up all night.”
–James Ellroy, author of L.A. Confidential

“A relentlessly suspenseful, soul-chilling thriller that hooks you instantly.”
–Tess Gerritsen