Playing with Fire

A Novel

By: Tess Gerritsen

Narrated by: Julia Whelan, Will Damron

Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

In a masterful standalone thriller by New York Times bestselling author of the Rizzoli&Isles series, Tess Gerritsen, a mother is haunted by a very old piece of music she finds in a strange antique shop in Rome.

The first time violinist Julia Ansdell picked up the "Incendio Waltz" in a darkened antique shop in Rome, she knew it was a strikingly unusual composition. The minor key and complex feverish arpeggios have a life of their own. But when she plays the piece, Julia blacks out and awakens to find her small daughter implicated in acts of surprising violence. When she travels to Venice to find the previous owner of the music, she uncovers a heart-stoppingly dark secret that not only dates back to the horrors of the Holocaust, but also directly involves a dangerously powerful family who would stop at nothing to keep Julia from bringing the truth to light.

©2015 Tess Gerritsen (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Playing With Fire

More than just a story. It's an experience you will enjoy a lot ! !

Beautiful story.

Nice stand alone piece by Gerritson. Good flow and pacing, keeps you turning the pages.

Anticlimactic

I didn't like the female narrator; thought the wrap up of the story was lame

This book was identity-confused

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would not recommend this book to anyone. There was a lot of potential here that went unrealized. First, the link from the past to the present started out very engagingly with the supernatural phenomenon associated with the sheet music Julia found in an eerie book shop in Rome. This mystical element was further enhanced by the name of Lorenzo's violin and the violent events that happened the first few times Julia played the waltz. However, by the end of the book, there wasn't a scrap of supernatural left in the plot which made for a very flimsy connection premise between the past and present characters.
Second, the rich drama, tragedy, and relationships of the characters in the past story line were strong enough to stand alone. The effort to tie the past to present day characters distracted from what could have been a tremendous story: The Jewish experience in Italy leading up to, during, and after WII.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

The ending felt rushed and contrived.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Will Damron did a good job narrating the characters from the past, however Julia Whelan really struggled portraying the male character dialogue in the present day story line. Her narration of the husband and the doctors' dialogues were read in such an over-the-top "male" voice that I was frustrated and pulled out of the story.

Could you see Playing with Fire being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

NO! Unless there was a lot of creative liberty taken by the screen writers to amp up the mystical elements.

Engaging with musical interludes

Alot was packed into this tale. At times maybe too much. The pace kept interest high and confusing enough to make the reveal suprising.

Couldn’t stop listening

The narrators were great. The story was easy to get hooked on. I couldn’t wait to listen!

Masterful

As a historian and one who loves a good mystery, thus is one of the BEST audio books I have listened to .

Excellent narration and a beautiful love story as well.

This is a must read if you like mysteries , Love stories, history or orchestral music.
Terri

Not a Light Hearted Read

This is a dark and sad story. I found it worth listening to, but at times emotionally difficult to get through. It is a fascinating story of how the past influences the present, but if you are looking for an upbeat, feel good story, this is not the one for you. It is well written and well narrated, but having lived in Berlin, Germany when the wall was still up, I related very strongly to the suffering that went on in WWII.

Incredible audio book!

Amazing story and strong performance to match. I truly enjoyed & highly recommend. Music was a surprisingly well done compliment.

Lots of twists in this one!

Inside of the main story another story resides, this is where the heart of the entire book takes shape. A great tale with lots of twists and turns, but in the end what brings this home is the note by the author in the epilogue.

On the narrators:

I am not too keen on Julia Whelan's men voices. I instantly remembered her from a zombie series she narrated. I will tell you this. If her voice is what made me want to punch the husband's face in this story because she made him sound like a condescending @$&! and that is what the author wanted from her performance; then choice for her as the female narrator was well played, because, that is exactly what I wanted to do!

As for the male narrator Will Damron, I have no complaints.