The Rosary Girls

By: Richard Montanari

Narrated by: Scott Brick

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.©2005 Richard Montanari; (P)2005 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

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

Great Listen!

Always enjoy Scott Brick, my favorite reader. This is my first book by this author and I certainly plan on reading more. Excellent book,
nice twists and turns. Great character development. Highly recommend!

Great Beginning to a Series with a Great Narrator!

Would you listen to The Rosary Girls again? Why?

Yes, the characters are complex. I like that Burns is not your ordinary detective. This book had a lot of twists and the end had me at the edge of my seat.

What other book might you compare The Rosary Girls to and why?

Maybe similar to the John Lutz novel, only because both killers are twisted however "the rosary girls" can stand on its own as creepy.

Have you listened to any of Scott Brick’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I can't say enough about Scott Brick, he could read me the dictionary. I chose this book because Scott was the narrator and I'm delighted to see he is the voice for the rest of the series. I will be listening to the second book in this series next.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

****SPOILER***** The ending in the basement during the storm was intense. That's all I'm going to say.

Any additional comments?

Great book, I highly recommend it.

Dark Beginnings

This is my second book with Balzanno and Byrne, but their first adventure together. This is a pretty solid police procedural thriller. You get some insights into each of the main character's lives and who they are. Balzanno is the rookie in homicide, and Byrne is a grizzled veteran. The story of the Rosary girls is an interesting story, but there is some dark things that happen away from the case. Byrne does some very questionable actions and some characters conveniently die or show up as needed. I cut it some slack as Montanari's first foray into these characters.

Scott Brick does what he does best and that's deliver a solid performance that brings the highs and lows to the story.

Fans of police procedurals, thrillers and crime stories should go into this book. Be warned, it's dark and twisted, and a wild ride.

Worth listening to!

I liked this book it was interesting and it kept my interest. I would recommend it.

Well told story but extremely violent

I have thoroughly enjoyed two of the Byrne and Balzano stories. The characters are fully drawn and engaging. My only caveat is the extreme violence.