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Sami Rizzo #2
Resuscitation
This free Kindle download gives you an early look at the first three, unedited chapters of Resuscitation from D.M. Annechino, due to be released October 11, 2011.
457 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 11, 2011
178 people are currently reading
431 people want to read
About the author
D.M. Annechino
7 books24 followersIt wasn't until I hit my 40's that I discovered my God-given talent for the written word. I'm not totally clear on how the first book came about. I wrote it in 1992. I think it was on a dare. I had been working as a General Manager in the retail automotive business, and a colleague suggested that someone should write an intelligent guide on how to buy a car and beat the dealer at his own game. It was a challenge that beckoned me, and for some reason the whole idea excited me. With pen in hand--I didn't own an early computer or word processor back then--I wrote the entire book longhand. I tackled this undertaking without an outline or even the most remote idea how this book would unfold. My approach was totally unorganized and unconventional. I just started writing, and the chapters poured out of my head. I could barely keep pace with my thoughts and ideas. For fear a fresh idea would fade to oblivion, I often had to stop writing long enough to scribble notes about a new idea that popped into my head.
To date, Amazon Publishing has published three of my novels: They Never Die Quietly, Resuscitation, and I Do Solemnly Swear. The three books combined have sold 150,000 copies worldwide. I'm not yet hanging up there with the big guns--not even close--but for a skinny kid who nearly flunked English in high school, I think I've done pretty well.
Hypocrisy, my fourth novel was released March of 2014, and A Piece of You, novel number five, should be released later this year. The moral of the story? If you have a passion for writing, don't let rejection hold you back or discourage you. Persevere and remember that rejection is a prerequisite to success. Keep those fingers poised above the keyboard and write, write, write.
To date, Amazon Publishing has published three of my novels: They Never Die Quietly, Resuscitation, and I Do Solemnly Swear. The three books combined have sold 150,000 copies worldwide. I'm not yet hanging up there with the big guns--not even close--but for a skinny kid who nearly flunked English in high school, I think I've done pretty well.
Hypocrisy, my fourth novel was released March of 2014, and A Piece of You, novel number five, should be released later this year. The moral of the story? If you have a passion for writing, don't let rejection hold you back or discourage you. Persevere and remember that rejection is a prerequisite to success. Keep those fingers poised above the keyboard and write, write, write.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
May 15, 2012
Sami Rizzo used to be a really good detective until she went chasing after a serial killer and almost became his next victim. Now, Sami has nightmares about him and sees a shrink.
When a new serial killer appears and Sami's boyfriend and lead detective, Al, has to leave for a family emergency, it is up to Sami to become the hunter instead of the hunted.
This book had my attention the whole time. Of course, my down fall was that I took it to work with me. I would read it on breaks and lunches and hurry to time by so that I could get back to it. My only complaint was that I believe that the wrong man was caught in the end. So much so that in fact, when the endinging happened, I had to re-read it to make sure that I read it right. Than, I did a silent loud scream of "Noooooooooooo".
I really liked that I had a clear vision as to why the killer did what he did and got to view his victims through his eyes.He was not pure evil but had a caluclated mind about him that made him evil. The killer started out with emotions and regret but as the story line progressed, he grew cold and distant towards his victims.
Sami brought good depth to the story. She had to deal with some emotional turmoil that helped with her character. Seeing she she did survive a serial killer of her own. This is why it made her a perfect candidate to try and stop the current serial killer. Although, I felt that Sami and her boyfriend, Al, brought nothing to the table.
If you have a sick, twisted mind like me and do not mind a little blood with your autopsy, than you should check out Resuscitation.
When a new serial killer appears and Sami's boyfriend and lead detective, Al, has to leave for a family emergency, it is up to Sami to become the hunter instead of the hunted.
This book had my attention the whole time. Of course, my down fall was that I took it to work with me. I would read it on breaks and lunches and hurry to time by so that I could get back to it. My only complaint was that I believe that the wrong man was caught in the end. So much so that in fact, when the endinging happened, I had to re-read it to make sure that I read it right. Than, I did a silent loud scream of "Noooooooooooo".
I really liked that I had a clear vision as to why the killer did what he did and got to view his victims through his eyes.He was not pure evil but had a caluclated mind about him that made him evil. The killer started out with emotions and regret but as the story line progressed, he grew cold and distant towards his victims.
Sami brought good depth to the story. She had to deal with some emotional turmoil that helped with her character. Seeing she she did survive a serial killer of her own. This is why it made her a perfect candidate to try and stop the current serial killer. Although, I felt that Sami and her boyfriend, Al, brought nothing to the table.
If you have a sick, twisted mind like me and do not mind a little blood with your autopsy, than you should check out Resuscitation.
November 12, 2011
This medical thriller was $5 as an Amazon Kindle version. It was seriously bad, so bad I had to get to the end to be sure there wasn't a plot twist that would redeem it. Nope, not redeemable. Really poor writing. I'll know to avoid Amazon's deal of the day in the future--you get what you pay for I guess. Aargh.
December 21, 2015
Resuscitation is the second of three books I am reviewing by this author featuring San Diego homicide detective Sami Rizzo. Each of the three offer truly creepy serial killers who off their victims in unique ways and are driven by strong personal motives. As a psychological thriller, this book is just over the line, enough to get your heart pounding but still let you fall asleep at night.
Two years have passed since Sami almost met her end at the hands of a serial killer. She has walked away from the police force - something her dad asked her to pursue on his death bed - and headed back to school to study Social Work. She was now married to her former partner, Al Diaz. When the police discover a mutilated body, Sammi is torn. It's time to admit she isn't enjoying her studies and missed being a detective. With the support of the police chief and mayor, she heads back into the office and onto the trail of a new serial killer. Diaz has been called away on a family emergency, so his character has only a minor role this time around.
One of Annechino's strengths is creating believable creepy serial killers. In Resuscitation we are introduced to Julian, a successful cardio-thoracic surgeon with a failing marriage and an intense drive to attain serious recognition for his skills at the highest levels. When he receives notification that his research grant has again been turned down because it needs more data, he makes the horrifying decision get that data through research on live people. They are picked up through random encounters starting in bars, and Julian lures them in knowing full well none of them will survive the ordeal he has planned. It's not so bad when they are fully anesthetized, but the story crosses into truly disturbing when Julian begins working on them while chemically paralyzed but wide awake and in excruciating pain.
Again, Amazon reviews run the full range. I think it all comes down to what you want from this genre. Do you like creepy serial killers that just cross the line - disturbing but not super gory? Then this series is for you.
Two years have passed since Sami almost met her end at the hands of a serial killer. She has walked away from the police force - something her dad asked her to pursue on his death bed - and headed back to school to study Social Work. She was now married to her former partner, Al Diaz. When the police discover a mutilated body, Sammi is torn. It's time to admit she isn't enjoying her studies and missed being a detective. With the support of the police chief and mayor, she heads back into the office and onto the trail of a new serial killer. Diaz has been called away on a family emergency, so his character has only a minor role this time around.
One of Annechino's strengths is creating believable creepy serial killers. In Resuscitation we are introduced to Julian, a successful cardio-thoracic surgeon with a failing marriage and an intense drive to attain serious recognition for his skills at the highest levels. When he receives notification that his research grant has again been turned down because it needs more data, he makes the horrifying decision get that data through research on live people. They are picked up through random encounters starting in bars, and Julian lures them in knowing full well none of them will survive the ordeal he has planned. It's not so bad when they are fully anesthetized, but the story crosses into truly disturbing when Julian begins working on them while chemically paralyzed but wide awake and in excruciating pain.
Again, Amazon reviews run the full range. I think it all comes down to what you want from this genre. Do you like creepy serial killers that just cross the line - disturbing but not super gory? Then this series is for you.
November 17, 2011
I have just had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of “Resuscitation” by Mr. D.M. Annechino. Mr. Annechino has written a previous thriller titled “They Never Die Quietly” which carries on with the same central character Detective Sami Rizzo. This is a novel about a vicious serial killer, a crime which Ms. Rizzo has demonstrated considerable expertise and brilliance in bringing killer/s to justice
The plot basically revolves around an extremely competent heart surgeon who has recently had a government grant rejected for further research into the medical problem of atrial fibrillation, the evaluation committee felt there wasn’t enough germane data. The surgeon Dr. Julian is extremely disappointed and determines to solve the problem by abducting innocent people and performing experimental operations on them all designed to result in their death, in order to obtain the required data for the grant. Yet one survives, giving Ms. Rizzo the hook she needs to reel him in (no spoiler).
This is truly Jack the Ripper “light” minus the government grant. The novel is brutal and gory, certainly a fast paced page turner. There are some parts that may be a little much for the squeamish amongst us, I encourage you to persevere. I look forward Mr. Annechino”s next novel, I think, you will too.
The plot basically revolves around an extremely competent heart surgeon who has recently had a government grant rejected for further research into the medical problem of atrial fibrillation, the evaluation committee felt there wasn’t enough germane data. The surgeon Dr. Julian is extremely disappointed and determines to solve the problem by abducting innocent people and performing experimental operations on them all designed to result in their death, in order to obtain the required data for the grant. Yet one survives, giving Ms. Rizzo the hook she needs to reel him in (no spoiler).
This is truly Jack the Ripper “light” minus the government grant. The novel is brutal and gory, certainly a fast paced page turner. There are some parts that may be a little much for the squeamish amongst us, I encourage you to persevere. I look forward Mr. Annechino”s next novel, I think, you will too.
January 2, 2012
I got about one-third of the way through before giving up. Accidentally borrowed it when I was testing out the Kindle's new lending library and decided to go ahead and read it.
This book in a word: embarrassing. Chock full of cliches. Silly, forced dialogue. Amateurish plot development (show, don't tell). Annechino apparently spent more time researching the technical details of cardiology than she spent on formulating an original or interesting thought.
And with nonsensical lines like: "He tasted a forkful of the sea bass and made a yummy sound," odd descriptions (describing a woman in the throes of passion): "moaning like a wounded cat," and downright stupid writing full of contradiction and cliche: "Al tried to negotiate a delicate balance between his personal life and his career. But police work demanded his undivided attention" ... I couldn't care less that "Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is caused by untreated hypertension."
Do not bother reading this book.
This book in a word: embarrassing. Chock full of cliches. Silly, forced dialogue. Amateurish plot development (show, don't tell). Annechino apparently spent more time researching the technical details of cardiology than she spent on formulating an original or interesting thought.
And with nonsensical lines like: "He tasted a forkful of the sea bass and made a yummy sound," odd descriptions (describing a woman in the throes of passion): "moaning like a wounded cat," and downright stupid writing full of contradiction and cliche: "Al tried to negotiate a delicate balance between his personal life and his career. But police work demanded his undivided attention" ... I couldn't care less that "Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is caused by untreated hypertension."
Do not bother reading this book.
October 15, 2013
There's a part of me that wants to give this book five stars, but while it's fast paced and a great read, I'm not sure it can be called a truly brilliant book. I really enjoyed it, although the bit towards the end was obviously coming. Damn good read!
December 24, 2011
I usually really enjoy medical thrillers, But the writing was not that great and the plot was not very believable.
February 10, 2016
FIRST IMPRESSION:
There are benefits and disadvantages to reading a book that is part of a series. Especially for such series where each book can be treated as a standalone and therefore must have at least some form of conclusion for the current problem, the author has to get the attention of the reader in me to make me want to read the next one. As a reader, if the first impression of the first book fell flat or below my expectations, it gets a tad difficult for me to patiently look forward to the next book.
But I really tried to look at Sami as a strong character and read this book, knowing (obviously) that her retirement was temporary and she will be back on force due to some new serial killer looming on the horizon.
REVIEW:
'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few'
This Star Trek quote, according to the author plagiarised from Aristotle, is what this chilling novel is about. Julian is a brilliant doctor who knows his craft. But his breakthrough finds were pushed under the carpet due to the lack of grant. When he approaches someone else for a grant, they refuse the same under the grounds of lack of data. So what does Julian do? He tries to get more data. And how does he go about doing that? He finds hapless, live victims instead of patients who are really suffering. He picks up his 'healthy' victims in public places and takes them to his lair and performs his experiments on them.
I should have to agree that Julian has the most realistic and saddening character development of all the characters in the book. He is portrayed as the brilliant doctor who regretfully begins to do this just because his grants were reduced and the 'needs of many' were ignored. But slowly (and though it is predictable, it was nicely written) he starts enjoying what he is doing and indulges in his other basic carnal desires on his victims. When he so 'rightly' remembers his Hippocrates' Oath before killing his first victim, his murders after that seem more like acts aimed at giving pleasure to himself rather than the purely scientific approach. This goes on to show that human weaknesses always overpower morals in the lesser mortals and once the first mistake is made, there is no turning back.
Detective Sami Rizzo - seriously traumatised after her crucifixion by a serial killer Simon, gives her job up and tries to go along the 'Social Work' path. But she soon realises that she was not cut out for the profession and would rather be a detective than anything else. On the personal front, her mother is ill and she is not spending much time with her boyfriend. To top it all, her upbringing gives her conscience pricks about living in without marriage. And then there is the presence of a serial killer who is out to kill the public and Sami just cannot sit back twiddling her thumbs while a mad man is at large. She convinces the high and mighty to let her into the job again but her boyfriend has to go back to his only remaining immediate family member who suffered an accident. Alone and clueless, Sami chases the killer.
The story unfolds much like this review does. Two different people, each with their own characteristics. One wronged, delusional serial killer and the other a strong, traumatised detective. It has a lot of potential to develop into a complex chase and give the readers an 'edge of the seat' experience. It could have chilled the readers with the villain becoming more and more powerful and elusive and the detective doing everything right and still being outsmarted, only to finally culminate in a climax where the good triumphs over the evil. But it falters heavily in many places. There are novels where even after finding the lair of the culprits, police could find no leading evidence to catch the killer and incriminate him. And then there is this. All it takes is a single thread to get to Julian and once that is done his sloppiness will incriminate him by itself.
Then there is Sami herself. While I have got nothing against female detectives undergoing a strong personality struggle and still managing to be realistically strong and weak simultaneously, somehow I am not able to connect with Sami as a detective. I do not want to restate the fact that having read about many strong female detectives before her, she does not live up to what I consider as the requisite of a strongly written female protagonist. But if I do put aside this comparison and for once, read the book without thinking and comparing, Sami has a few very good redeeming qualities.
Coming to the plot itself, A delusional serial killer is on a rampage and the detective is hot on his tail. A victim miraculously escapes and the police find the lead that eluded them forever after the dead ends. All of a sudden, the chase is the other way round with the police detective being hunted by the serial killer. Stripped off all the story and the surrounding dialogues, this is the plot. And yeah, whether or not the detective escapes the killer and nails him forms the rest of the story. (This it not the reviewer's take. This is just a paraphrasing of the summary. Yes, really!)
While some people would call this a page turner, I felt that the story followed the predictable path and the twists, when they did come, failed to create a sense of awe in me. To put it in words, when a twist is revealed, the reader should be left reeling with the shock and realisation that it was this way all along and it was only the misinterpretation on their part about what the other told them. Readers should hurry up to reread the book and realise that the facts were, indeed, pointing one way and not the other. But if the same twist leaves the reader with a feeling of 'wait, what is going on here?' the story loses the hold it had over the reader. This is akin to the frustration police might feel when a witness is intentionally misleading them on a wild goose chase.
Overall, the writing needs to be a bit more planned and evoke a sense of better connection between the reader and the characters. The language, though correct, sometimes does leave one wondering if it was fitting. Certain metaphors and similies could have been done better to make the reader go 'ah, yeah wow!' instead of 'ewww'. (Yes, that was an intentional usage of lexical fillers.) The book is a good attempt, but falls flat due to too many cliches, unnecessary twists and the lack of interesting suspense to hold the attention of the reader and stimulate their imagination.
WHAT I LIKED:
•The subtle but brilliant character shift of the killer from a regretful wronged doctor to the cold, calculative serial killer.
•The prologue
•The medical details, for which the author has obviously worked hard.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:
•Next time around, keeping the identity of the killer a secret for a bit longer can help creating an interest. The twist at the end seems forced and leaves the reader feeling, 'Wait.. What?'.
•The usual complaint : the book could have a bit more new surprises and twists to offer rather than going in the formulaic route.
•Removing the focus light from important characters abruptly will not work in the favour of the book and plot (yes, I am talking about Al). While a strong lead is important, the book's success lies in the strong supporting cast.
VERDICT:
A one time read. And it failed to impress me much, mostly because I am a loyal fan of this genre and expect better. But for new readers, this book offers some thrill and gore. Based on how much violence you can handle, this book can make or break it.
RATING: 3/5
There are benefits and disadvantages to reading a book that is part of a series. Especially for such series where each book can be treated as a standalone and therefore must have at least some form of conclusion for the current problem, the author has to get the attention of the reader in me to make me want to read the next one. As a reader, if the first impression of the first book fell flat or below my expectations, it gets a tad difficult for me to patiently look forward to the next book.
But I really tried to look at Sami as a strong character and read this book, knowing (obviously) that her retirement was temporary and she will be back on force due to some new serial killer looming on the horizon.
REVIEW:
'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few'
This Star Trek quote, according to the author plagiarised from Aristotle, is what this chilling novel is about. Julian is a brilliant doctor who knows his craft. But his breakthrough finds were pushed under the carpet due to the lack of grant. When he approaches someone else for a grant, they refuse the same under the grounds of lack of data. So what does Julian do? He tries to get more data. And how does he go about doing that? He finds hapless, live victims instead of patients who are really suffering. He picks up his 'healthy' victims in public places and takes them to his lair and performs his experiments on them.
I should have to agree that Julian has the most realistic and saddening character development of all the characters in the book. He is portrayed as the brilliant doctor who regretfully begins to do this just because his grants were reduced and the 'needs of many' were ignored. But slowly (and though it is predictable, it was nicely written) he starts enjoying what he is doing and indulges in his other basic carnal desires on his victims. When he so 'rightly' remembers his Hippocrates' Oath before killing his first victim, his murders after that seem more like acts aimed at giving pleasure to himself rather than the purely scientific approach. This goes on to show that human weaknesses always overpower morals in the lesser mortals and once the first mistake is made, there is no turning back.
Detective Sami Rizzo - seriously traumatised after her crucifixion by a serial killer Simon, gives her job up and tries to go along the 'Social Work' path. But she soon realises that she was not cut out for the profession and would rather be a detective than anything else. On the personal front, her mother is ill and she is not spending much time with her boyfriend. To top it all, her upbringing gives her conscience pricks about living in without marriage. And then there is the presence of a serial killer who is out to kill the public and Sami just cannot sit back twiddling her thumbs while a mad man is at large. She convinces the high and mighty to let her into the job again but her boyfriend has to go back to his only remaining immediate family member who suffered an accident. Alone and clueless, Sami chases the killer.
The story unfolds much like this review does. Two different people, each with their own characteristics. One wronged, delusional serial killer and the other a strong, traumatised detective. It has a lot of potential to develop into a complex chase and give the readers an 'edge of the seat' experience. It could have chilled the readers with the villain becoming more and more powerful and elusive and the detective doing everything right and still being outsmarted, only to finally culminate in a climax where the good triumphs over the evil. But it falters heavily in many places. There are novels where even after finding the lair of the culprits, police could find no leading evidence to catch the killer and incriminate him. And then there is this. All it takes is a single thread to get to Julian and once that is done his sloppiness will incriminate him by itself.
Then there is Sami herself. While I have got nothing against female detectives undergoing a strong personality struggle and still managing to be realistically strong and weak simultaneously, somehow I am not able to connect with Sami as a detective. I do not want to restate the fact that having read about many strong female detectives before her, she does not live up to what I consider as the requisite of a strongly written female protagonist. But if I do put aside this comparison and for once, read the book without thinking and comparing, Sami has a few very good redeeming qualities.
Coming to the plot itself, A delusional serial killer is on a rampage and the detective is hot on his tail. A victim miraculously escapes and the police find the lead that eluded them forever after the dead ends. All of a sudden, the chase is the other way round with the police detective being hunted by the serial killer. Stripped off all the story and the surrounding dialogues, this is the plot. And yeah, whether or not the detective escapes the killer and nails him forms the rest of the story. (This it not the reviewer's take. This is just a paraphrasing of the summary. Yes, really!)
While some people would call this a page turner, I felt that the story followed the predictable path and the twists, when they did come, failed to create a sense of awe in me. To put it in words, when a twist is revealed, the reader should be left reeling with the shock and realisation that it was this way all along and it was only the misinterpretation on their part about what the other told them. Readers should hurry up to reread the book and realise that the facts were, indeed, pointing one way and not the other. But if the same twist leaves the reader with a feeling of 'wait, what is going on here?' the story loses the hold it had over the reader. This is akin to the frustration police might feel when a witness is intentionally misleading them on a wild goose chase.
Overall, the writing needs to be a bit more planned and evoke a sense of better connection between the reader and the characters. The language, though correct, sometimes does leave one wondering if it was fitting. Certain metaphors and similies could have been done better to make the reader go 'ah, yeah wow!' instead of 'ewww'. (Yes, that was an intentional usage of lexical fillers.) The book is a good attempt, but falls flat due to too many cliches, unnecessary twists and the lack of interesting suspense to hold the attention of the reader and stimulate their imagination.
WHAT I LIKED:
•The subtle but brilliant character shift of the killer from a regretful wronged doctor to the cold, calculative serial killer.
•The prologue
•The medical details, for which the author has obviously worked hard.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:
•Next time around, keeping the identity of the killer a secret for a bit longer can help creating an interest. The twist at the end seems forced and leaves the reader feeling, 'Wait.. What?'.
•The usual complaint : the book could have a bit more new surprises and twists to offer rather than going in the formulaic route.
•Removing the focus light from important characters abruptly will not work in the favour of the book and plot (yes, I am talking about Al). While a strong lead is important, the book's success lies in the strong supporting cast.
VERDICT:
A one time read. And it failed to impress me much, mostly because I am a loyal fan of this genre and expect better. But for new readers, this book offers some thrill and gore. Based on how much violence you can handle, this book can make or break it.
RATING: 3/5
January 7, 2016
My So-Called Review:
Resuscitation is book #2 in the Sami Rizzo series by author, D.M. Annechino. When I signed on for this blog tour I requested to review all three published books since I don’t like to read books mid series, even if they can be read as stand alones. I’m not sure how or why (let’s blame it on the holidays!) but somehow I thought this was book #1 so I read it first. All three books can definitely be read on their own merit but I was a little confused when I started reading this one because there were clearly references to an earlier story. I finally figured out that I started with the wrong book, which was totally my fault of course and by that point I was invested in the story and decided to continue reading. Once I finished I did go back and read They Never Die Quietly, book #1 in the series and I’ll be posting my review soon!
This story takes place two years after book #1 and we find that Detective Sami Rizzo has resigned from the San Diego police force due to her brush with death while hunting down a previous serial killer. She’s decided to return to school and try her hand at Social Work and is now living with her boyfriend and former partner, Al Diaz. But life isn’t as grand as Sami had hoped, she misses being on the police force and isn’t really enjoying school or her new career path so when the police discover a mutilated body she decides to return to work and hunt down this new killer while Al is out of town dealing with a family emergency.
I love crime thrillers that put you inside the mind of the killer and find it fascinating to get their perspective of why they do what they do. Sometimes an author paints their villains in such a way that you almost empathize with them and other times an author paints them as truly evil and terrifying. What’s unique in this story is that Annechino does a bit of both. The killer is an excellent heart surgeon who’s trying to obtain a research grant for further study into the problem of atrial fibrillation but has been turned down once again due to the lack of data. The good doctor decides that in order to get the data he needs he must take matters into his own hands and abducts people so that he can perform experimental and horrifying operations on them. At first his victims are sedated so they feel nothing but as he becomes increasingly comfortable with what he’s doing he begins taking pleasure in other people’s pain. He then begins “working” on his victims after chemically paralyzing them which allows them to be fully awake and in pain.
Once I got through my initial confusion over which book I was reading I was totally sucked in kept on the edge of my seat the entire time. Certain parts of this book are really gruesome and I found I had to take a break a few times just to clear my head so don’t read this one if you’re easily sensitive to these types of thrillers! Luckily the gruesome parts weren’t so much that I didn’t want to continue, I kept picking it back up because I was dying to know how it all ended. And wow, what an ended that was!! I really thought I had this one all figured out, you’re pretty much told right from the get go who the killer is but once I got to the end I was completely floored and pleasantly surprised over the big reveal.
Overall this was a book I really enjoyed with great character development and really unique premises. I also appreciated Annechino’s clear research with regards to the medical terms and descriptions, I found it all easy to understand and follow. If you enjoy gory thrillers with complex villains then I highly recommend that you read the Sami Rizzo series, you won’t be disappointed!
A huge thank you to iRead Book Tours for inviting me to participate in this tour and for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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This review was originally posted on My So-Called Book Reviews
June 21, 2017
I quite reading this book at 38%. It just did not hold my interest. The book is very wordy with not much content to grab and keep you going on the story. I know others have found it a good book, and that is fine. It just did not keep me going.
April 29, 2018
Loved loved loved this book!!!
This book kept me intrigued and the plot twist was completely unexpected!! I would recommend this book over and over again! Medical and law enforcement came together and it was amazing!!
This book kept me intrigued and the plot twist was completely unexpected!! I would recommend this book over and over again! Medical and law enforcement came together and it was amazing!!
May 6, 2018
Kept my attention
Very good book. It kept my attention all the way through. Only thing I had a bit of trouble with was no discernable break when switching characters, just a new paragraph.
Very good book. It kept my attention all the way through. Only thing I had a bit of trouble with was no discernable break when switching characters, just a new paragraph.
June 18, 2018
Intriguing
The story held my interest. The disconcerting part was the jumps between characters and scenes without even an extra line of space to make the transitions less jarring. Other than that and a few typos, I found the premise, plot, and characters quite interesting.
The story held my interest. The disconcerting part was the jumps between characters and scenes without even an extra line of space to make the transitions less jarring. Other than that and a few typos, I found the premise, plot, and characters quite interesting.
February 21, 2021
Certainly a gripping story although some of the medical facts were incorrect.
I found it irritating that there were no clear gaps between passages of texts when switching from one part of the story to another. The ending was somewhat confusing. Altogether a worthwhile tread.
I found it irritating that there were no clear gaps between passages of texts when switching from one part of the story to another. The ending was somewhat confusing. Altogether a worthwhile tread.
October 30, 2022
An uneven read, with some elements predictible, some unrealistic and some very good. Anything more said would reveal spoilers. Butter than the typical television program, not great literature, but a fast read.
November 11, 2025
you know what kinda of ending i hate? random ass Pregnancy announcement in the last chapter. Also, yes girl go forgive him for cheating just because he is so perfect? tf
Rest was good, love the psycho doctor trope
Rest was good, love the psycho doctor trope
August 28, 2018
As strange as it sounds, part of why I liked this so much was because I spent so much of it thinking the killer was someone they weren’t. And who doesn’t love a happy ever after ending?
September 17, 2019
A plot which lacks credibility and poor characterisation
February 12, 2020
Struggling to get into it . Keep switching to another book . I'll keep trying . I like page turners that keep me up all night ...this is not ...yet
November 8, 2021
Needed medical expert
This is just a picky point for the nurse in me. A cardiologist and a cardiovascular surgeon are not the same thing. Otherwise, a nice days read.
This is just a picky point for the nurse in me. A cardiologist and a cardiovascular surgeon are not the same thing. Otherwise, a nice days read.
December 12, 2015
Resuscitation by D. M. Annechino Note: Even though this is Book 2 in the series, it works fine as a stand alone novel.
Sami Rizzo quit the force at the end of Book 1 (They Never Die Quietly) to go back to school. Now, two years later, things are different. She and Al are living together, Angelina (Sami’s daughter) is 4 years old, and Sami’s mother is ill with a heart condition. Also, Sami has discovered that she isn’t all that interested in becoming a social worker after all. Now, a new serial killer is loose in San Diego and Sami wants back om the force and on the case.
As with Book 1 in the series, this book is written from several different view points: Sami’s, Al’s, and the serial killer’s, among others. So us readers have some idea of who the killer is in this case (Julian) and what his motives are. He’s a heart surgeon and is spearheading research into a new technique that could help folks with a certain type of heart condition. However, his application to proceed with live human trials was denied. So now he feels the overwhelming need to snatch people and perform test procedures on them to prove his point.
Julian starts his hunt at a nightclub figuring it would be easiest, and perhaps as close to anonymous as he can get, to pick up a victim using his looks and charm. His first victim is experimented on while she is fully sedated, feeling no pain. However, with each victim, his viciousness escalates. Rape becomes part of his routine and he performs other unnecessary surgeries on the victims. But luckily for the police, he is also sloppy. If and when he does get caught, they will have all sorts of evidence to tie him to the case.
Julian was an interesting character. He started off with these altruistic motives, holding to the idea that the needs of the many are greater than the needs of the individual. At first, I saw him as a kind of mad but well meaning scientist and doctor. But as things escalated it became clear that he took pleasure in other people’s pain and suffering. At that point, I couldn’t wait for Sami and Al to take him down.
I did feel a little cheated by the final big reveal. OK, a lot cheated. In Book 1, we knew from the beginning who the killer was. In this book, I thought I knew from the beginning which heart doctor Julian was and I felt a bit cheated to find out differently at the end. However, if I were to reread this book, I might find clues I missed and think differently. Still, I can’t shake that feeling of being lead astray on purpose by the author.
Meanwhile, Sami has a personal life. She and her mom have never really gotten along but now she’s going to be spending quality time with her. Also, she’s having a little mid-life crisis in that she’s already given up one career to pursue social work only to find she’s not that well suited for it. She and Al haven’t had much time for romance and her Catholic upbringing has her questioning why she’s living with a man she hasn’t married. Then Al has to go off to Rio de Janeiro because his sister (and only living relative) had a very bad car accident. So many stresses for Sami!
On top of all that, she’s still having nightmares about Simon, the serial killer from Book 1. He held her captive for a time, preparing to kill her in a ritual of sorts. She’s wrestled with this for a while and has tried to work through it with a therapist, who has recommended seeing Simon or writing him a letter to help face that residual fear. At first, I wasn’t too sure why this little bit was in here. In fact, I was a bit annoyed with Sami for putting so much emotional energy into fussing over this. Simon is scheduled to be executed and that will be that! However, later in the book she has a small epiphany over what was bothering her about the incident and it all became clear then and I was satisfied with what she realized.
The ending, after that big reveal that I felt cheated by, was pretty good. It tied up the loose ends of the case, including the very questionable activities of a fellow police officer. Then Sami and Al have a significant conversation and I am sure the ramifications of that will carry into the next book. Everything was made tidy and overall, I was pretty satisfied with the story.
I received a copy of this audiobook at no cost as part of the iReads Book Tour in exchange for an honest review.
The Narration: Christina Traister was, once again, a great voice for Sami. She really does a good job of imbuing the characters with emotions, especially Sami and later on Al when he is concerned over his sister. She had no problems at all with the medical lingo.
Sami Rizzo quit the force at the end of Book 1 (They Never Die Quietly) to go back to school. Now, two years later, things are different. She and Al are living together, Angelina (Sami’s daughter) is 4 years old, and Sami’s mother is ill with a heart condition. Also, Sami has discovered that she isn’t all that interested in becoming a social worker after all. Now, a new serial killer is loose in San Diego and Sami wants back om the force and on the case.
As with Book 1 in the series, this book is written from several different view points: Sami’s, Al’s, and the serial killer’s, among others. So us readers have some idea of who the killer is in this case (Julian) and what his motives are. He’s a heart surgeon and is spearheading research into a new technique that could help folks with a certain type of heart condition. However, his application to proceed with live human trials was denied. So now he feels the overwhelming need to snatch people and perform test procedures on them to prove his point.
Julian starts his hunt at a nightclub figuring it would be easiest, and perhaps as close to anonymous as he can get, to pick up a victim using his looks and charm. His first victim is experimented on while she is fully sedated, feeling no pain. However, with each victim, his viciousness escalates. Rape becomes part of his routine and he performs other unnecessary surgeries on the victims. But luckily for the police, he is also sloppy. If and when he does get caught, they will have all sorts of evidence to tie him to the case.
Julian was an interesting character. He started off with these altruistic motives, holding to the idea that the needs of the many are greater than the needs of the individual. At first, I saw him as a kind of mad but well meaning scientist and doctor. But as things escalated it became clear that he took pleasure in other people’s pain and suffering. At that point, I couldn’t wait for Sami and Al to take him down.
I did feel a little cheated by the final big reveal. OK, a lot cheated. In Book 1, we knew from the beginning who the killer was. In this book, I thought I knew from the beginning which heart doctor Julian was and I felt a bit cheated to find out differently at the end. However, if I were to reread this book, I might find clues I missed and think differently. Still, I can’t shake that feeling of being lead astray on purpose by the author.
Meanwhile, Sami has a personal life. She and her mom have never really gotten along but now she’s going to be spending quality time with her. Also, she’s having a little mid-life crisis in that she’s already given up one career to pursue social work only to find she’s not that well suited for it. She and Al haven’t had much time for romance and her Catholic upbringing has her questioning why she’s living with a man she hasn’t married. Then Al has to go off to Rio de Janeiro because his sister (and only living relative) had a very bad car accident. So many stresses for Sami!
On top of all that, she’s still having nightmares about Simon, the serial killer from Book 1. He held her captive for a time, preparing to kill her in a ritual of sorts. She’s wrestled with this for a while and has tried to work through it with a therapist, who has recommended seeing Simon or writing him a letter to help face that residual fear. At first, I wasn’t too sure why this little bit was in here. In fact, I was a bit annoyed with Sami for putting so much emotional energy into fussing over this. Simon is scheduled to be executed and that will be that! However, later in the book she has a small epiphany over what was bothering her about the incident and it all became clear then and I was satisfied with what she realized.
The ending, after that big reveal that I felt cheated by, was pretty good. It tied up the loose ends of the case, including the very questionable activities of a fellow police officer. Then Sami and Al have a significant conversation and I am sure the ramifications of that will carry into the next book. Everything was made tidy and overall, I was pretty satisfied with the story.
I received a copy of this audiobook at no cost as part of the iReads Book Tour in exchange for an honest review.
The Narration: Christina Traister was, once again, a great voice for Sami. She really does a good job of imbuing the characters with emotions, especially Sami and later on Al when he is concerned over his sister. She had no problems at all with the medical lingo.
December 12, 2015
Note: Even though this is Book 2 in the series, it works fine as a stand alone novel.
Sami Rizzo quit the force at the end of Book 1 (They Never Die Quietly) to go back to school. Now, two years later, things are different. She and Al are living together, Angelina (Sami’s daughter) is 4 years old, and Sami’s mother is ill with a heart condition. Also, Sami has discovered that she isn’t all that interested in becoming a social worker after all. Now, a new serial killer is loose in San Diego and Sami wants back om the force and on the case.
As with Book 1 in the series, this book is written from several different view points: Sami’s, Al’s, and the serial killer’s, among others. So us readers have some idea of who the killer is in this case (Julian) and what his motives are. He’s a heart surgeon and is spearheading research into a new technique that could help folks with a certain type of heart condition. However, his application to proceed with live human trials was denied. So now he feels the overwhelming need to snatch people and perform test procedures on them to prove his point.
Julian starts his hunt at a nightclub figuring it would be easiest, and perhaps as close to anonymous as he can get, to pick up a victim using his looks and charm. His first victim is experimented on while she is fully sedated, feeling no pain. However, with each victim, his viciousness escalates. Rape becomes part of his routine and he performs other unnecessary surgeries on the victims. But luckily for the police, he is also sloppy. If and when he does get caught, they will have all sorts of evidence to tie him to the case.
Julian was an interesting character. He started off with these altruistic motives, holding to the idea that the needs of the many are greater than the needs of the individual. At first, I saw him as a kind of mad but well meaning scientist and doctor. But as things escalated it became clear that he took pleasure in other people’s pain and suffering. At that point, I couldn’t wait for Sami and Al to take him down.
I did feel a little cheated by the final big reveal. OK, a lot cheated. In Book 1, we knew from the beginning who the killer was. In this book, I thought I knew from the beginning which heart doctor Julian was and I felt a bit cheated to find out differently at the end. However, if I were to reread this book, I might find clues I missed and think differently. Still, I can’t shake that feeling of being lead astray on purpose by the author.
Meanwhile, Sami has a personal life. She and her mom have never really gotten along but now she’s going to be spending quality time with her. Also, she’s having a little mid-life crisis in that she’s already given up one career to pursue social work only to find she’s not that well suited for it. She and Al haven’t had much time for romance and her Catholic upbringing has her questioning why she’s living with a man she hasn’t married. Then Al has to go off to Rio de Janeiro because his sister (and only living relative) had a very bad car accident. So many stresses for Sami!
On top of all that, she’s still having nightmares about Simon, the serial killer from Book 1. He held her captive for a time, preparing to kill her in a ritual of sorts. She’s wrestled with this for a while and has tried to work through it with a therapist, who has recommended seeing Simon or writing him a letter to help face that residual fear. At first, I wasn’t too sure why this little bit was in here. In fact, I was a bit annoyed with Sami for putting so much emotional energy into fussing over this. Simon is scheduled to be executed and that will be that! However, later in the book she has a small epiphany over what was bothering her about the incident and it all became clear then and I was satisfied with what she realized.
The ending, after that big reveal that I felt cheated by, was pretty good. It tied up the loose ends of the case, including the very questionable activities of a fellow police officer. Then Sami and Al have a significant conversation and I am sure the ramifications of that will carry into the next book. Everything was made tidy and overall, I was pretty satisfied with the story.
I received a copy of this audiobook at no cost as part of the iReads Book Tour in exchange for an honest review.
The Narration: Christina Traister was, once again, a great voice for Sami. She really does a good job of imbuing the characters with emotions, especially Sami and later on Al when he is concerned over his sister. She had no problems at all with the medical lingo.
Sami Rizzo quit the force at the end of Book 1 (They Never Die Quietly) to go back to school. Now, two years later, things are different. She and Al are living together, Angelina (Sami’s daughter) is 4 years old, and Sami’s mother is ill with a heart condition. Also, Sami has discovered that she isn’t all that interested in becoming a social worker after all. Now, a new serial killer is loose in San Diego and Sami wants back om the force and on the case.
As with Book 1 in the series, this book is written from several different view points: Sami’s, Al’s, and the serial killer’s, among others. So us readers have some idea of who the killer is in this case (Julian) and what his motives are. He’s a heart surgeon and is spearheading research into a new technique that could help folks with a certain type of heart condition. However, his application to proceed with live human trials was denied. So now he feels the overwhelming need to snatch people and perform test procedures on them to prove his point.
Julian starts his hunt at a nightclub figuring it would be easiest, and perhaps as close to anonymous as he can get, to pick up a victim using his looks and charm. His first victim is experimented on while she is fully sedated, feeling no pain. However, with each victim, his viciousness escalates. Rape becomes part of his routine and he performs other unnecessary surgeries on the victims. But luckily for the police, he is also sloppy. If and when he does get caught, they will have all sorts of evidence to tie him to the case.
Julian was an interesting character. He started off with these altruistic motives, holding to the idea that the needs of the many are greater than the needs of the individual. At first, I saw him as a kind of mad but well meaning scientist and doctor. But as things escalated it became clear that he took pleasure in other people’s pain and suffering. At that point, I couldn’t wait for Sami and Al to take him down.
I did feel a little cheated by the final big reveal. OK, a lot cheated. In Book 1, we knew from the beginning who the killer was. In this book, I thought I knew from the beginning which heart doctor Julian was and I felt a bit cheated to find out differently at the end. However, if I were to reread this book, I might find clues I missed and think differently. Still, I can’t shake that feeling of being lead astray on purpose by the author.
Meanwhile, Sami has a personal life. She and her mom have never really gotten along but now she’s going to be spending quality time with her. Also, she’s having a little mid-life crisis in that she’s already given up one career to pursue social work only to find she’s not that well suited for it. She and Al haven’t had much time for romance and her Catholic upbringing has her questioning why she’s living with a man she hasn’t married. Then Al has to go off to Rio de Janeiro because his sister (and only living relative) had a very bad car accident. So many stresses for Sami!
On top of all that, she’s still having nightmares about Simon, the serial killer from Book 1. He held her captive for a time, preparing to kill her in a ritual of sorts. She’s wrestled with this for a while and has tried to work through it with a therapist, who has recommended seeing Simon or writing him a letter to help face that residual fear. At first, I wasn’t too sure why this little bit was in here. In fact, I was a bit annoyed with Sami for putting so much emotional energy into fussing over this. Simon is scheduled to be executed and that will be that! However, later in the book she has a small epiphany over what was bothering her about the incident and it all became clear then and I was satisfied with what she realized.
The ending, after that big reveal that I felt cheated by, was pretty good. It tied up the loose ends of the case, including the very questionable activities of a fellow police officer. Then Sami and Al have a significant conversation and I am sure the ramifications of that will carry into the next book. Everything was made tidy and overall, I was pretty satisfied with the story.
I received a copy of this audiobook at no cost as part of the iReads Book Tour in exchange for an honest review.
The Narration: Christina Traister was, once again, a great voice for Sami. She really does a good job of imbuing the characters with emotions, especially Sami and later on Al when he is concerned over his sister. She had no problems at all with the medical lingo.
January 5, 2013
Ein guter Thriller mit sympathischen Ermittlern und einem guten Plot. Jedoch hätten ihm meiner Meinung nach etwas weniger Seiten gut getan.
Inhalt
Ein geritzter und äußerst intelligenter Killer treibt sein Unwesen. Er sucht sich seine Opfer aus, setzt sie unter Narkose und führt Versuche an Ihnen aus. Speziell auf die Herzen seiner Opfer hat er es abgesehen. Nachdem immer mehr Leichen bzw.Opfer dieses Killers aufgefunden werden schrillen bei den Detectives Diaz und Rizzo die Alarmglocken.
Charaktere
Fangen wir bei den beiden Detectives an. Alberto oder auch Al Diaz und seine Kollegin Samantha Rizzo sind ein sympathisches Ermittlerduo das auch privat mit einigen Problemen, speziell Beziehungsproblemen, zu kämpfen haben.
Samantha Rizzo ist eine starke,taffe Frau die in ihrer früheren Detective Laufbahn einiges mitgemacht hat und vor Jahren ihren Dienst quittierte. Nun ist sie bereit sich ihren Ängsten zu stellen.
Al ist ein Mann der auch gerade einiges mitmachen muss. Nicht nur die Beziehungsprobleme zwischen ihm und Samantha oder die Suche nach dem Killer machen ihm zu schaffen sondern auch der Punkt das seine Schwester im Krankenhaus liegt und ums Überleben kämpft.
Dadurch das man als Leser auch sehr viel über die privaten Probleme der Ermittler erfuhr konnte man sich umso besser in die Personen hineinfühlen.
Der Kardiologie namens Julian hat seinen hippokratischen Eid gebrochen da seine Fördermittel in Millionenhöhe nicht bewilligt wurden. Denn die Ergebnisse seiner Forschungen um das Vorhofflimmern am menschlichen Herzen wurden nicht anerkannt. Nun hat er nur noch 6 Monate Zeit um seinen Antrag einzureichen. Es müssen Menschen her, an denen er seine Forschungen weiter betreiben kann. Doch im Laufe des Buches steigert er sich immer mehr in seinen Wahn hinein und wird immer brutaler und skrupelloser. Gleichzeitig erfährt man als Leser das er als Kind ein schweres Trauma erlitten hat.
Schreibstil & Aufbau
Der Schreibstil ist sehr flüssig und der Aufbau sehr abwechslungsreich. Die Erzählperspektiven wechseln oft zwischen Julian und den Detectives , was die Spannung sehr gut aufbaute.
Jedoch fand ich die Handlungsstränge der beiden Detectives Al und Samantha, teilweise sehr langatmig und uninteressant. Zum Glück hatte man immer Julian als Anreiz weiterzulesen. Denn die Kapitel in denen sich alles um Julian und seine Versuche drehte waren dafür umso spannender.
Ansonsten war das Buch, trotz medizinischer Fachbegriffe gut zu lesen.
Fazit
Dieses Buch war der zweite Band von Daniel Annechino rund um das Ermittlerduo Al und Samantha.
Doch auch wenn man, wie ich, den ersten Teil nicht gelesen hat kann man sich getrost diesem Buch widmen.
An sich hat mir der Thriller gut gefallen, allerdings hab ich schon spannenderes gelesen und ein paar weniger Seiten hätten diesem Buch sicher nicht geschadet. Dadurch das man auch sehr viel über die Ermittler und deren Probleme erfahren hat, blieb die Spannung des Öfteren auf der Strecke.
Jedoch war das Ende wirklich super und die ganze Idee die hinter diesem Thriller steckte hat allein schon Pluspunkte verdient.
Inhalt
Ein geritzter und äußerst intelligenter Killer treibt sein Unwesen. Er sucht sich seine Opfer aus, setzt sie unter Narkose und führt Versuche an Ihnen aus. Speziell auf die Herzen seiner Opfer hat er es abgesehen. Nachdem immer mehr Leichen bzw.Opfer dieses Killers aufgefunden werden schrillen bei den Detectives Diaz und Rizzo die Alarmglocken.
Charaktere
Fangen wir bei den beiden Detectives an. Alberto oder auch Al Diaz und seine Kollegin Samantha Rizzo sind ein sympathisches Ermittlerduo das auch privat mit einigen Problemen, speziell Beziehungsproblemen, zu kämpfen haben.
Samantha Rizzo ist eine starke,taffe Frau die in ihrer früheren Detective Laufbahn einiges mitgemacht hat und vor Jahren ihren Dienst quittierte. Nun ist sie bereit sich ihren Ängsten zu stellen.
Al ist ein Mann der auch gerade einiges mitmachen muss. Nicht nur die Beziehungsprobleme zwischen ihm und Samantha oder die Suche nach dem Killer machen ihm zu schaffen sondern auch der Punkt das seine Schwester im Krankenhaus liegt und ums Überleben kämpft.
Dadurch das man als Leser auch sehr viel über die privaten Probleme der Ermittler erfuhr konnte man sich umso besser in die Personen hineinfühlen.
Der Kardiologie namens Julian hat seinen hippokratischen Eid gebrochen da seine Fördermittel in Millionenhöhe nicht bewilligt wurden. Denn die Ergebnisse seiner Forschungen um das Vorhofflimmern am menschlichen Herzen wurden nicht anerkannt. Nun hat er nur noch 6 Monate Zeit um seinen Antrag einzureichen. Es müssen Menschen her, an denen er seine Forschungen weiter betreiben kann. Doch im Laufe des Buches steigert er sich immer mehr in seinen Wahn hinein und wird immer brutaler und skrupelloser. Gleichzeitig erfährt man als Leser das er als Kind ein schweres Trauma erlitten hat.
Schreibstil & Aufbau
Der Schreibstil ist sehr flüssig und der Aufbau sehr abwechslungsreich. Die Erzählperspektiven wechseln oft zwischen Julian und den Detectives , was die Spannung sehr gut aufbaute.
Jedoch fand ich die Handlungsstränge der beiden Detectives Al und Samantha, teilweise sehr langatmig und uninteressant. Zum Glück hatte man immer Julian als Anreiz weiterzulesen. Denn die Kapitel in denen sich alles um Julian und seine Versuche drehte waren dafür umso spannender.
Ansonsten war das Buch, trotz medizinischer Fachbegriffe gut zu lesen.
Fazit
Dieses Buch war der zweite Band von Daniel Annechino rund um das Ermittlerduo Al und Samantha.
Doch auch wenn man, wie ich, den ersten Teil nicht gelesen hat kann man sich getrost diesem Buch widmen.
An sich hat mir der Thriller gut gefallen, allerdings hab ich schon spannenderes gelesen und ein paar weniger Seiten hätten diesem Buch sicher nicht geschadet. Dadurch das man auch sehr viel über die Ermittler und deren Probleme erfahren hat, blieb die Spannung des Öfteren auf der Strecke.
Jedoch war das Ende wirklich super und die ganze Idee die hinter diesem Thriller steckte hat allein schon Pluspunkte verdient.
December 17, 2015
D.M. Annechino in his new book, “Resuscitation” Book Two in the Sami Rizzo Series has been released in audiobook format by Brilliance Audio and is performed by Christina Traister gives us another adventure with Sami Rizzo.
From the back cover: Two years ago, after narrowly escaping the clutches of a psychotic serial killer who held her hostage with intentions of crucifying her, San Diego homicide detective Sami Rizzo hung up her badge. Tortured by nightmares of her near death experience, Sami tries to convince herself that social work will fulfill her need to help and protect victims. But when a second serial killer surfaces—a doctor who is using his victims as guinea pigs for horrific surgical experiments—Sami abandons her goal to be a social worker for a chance to get back on the force and find this monster.
With a little fast-talking, she convinces the police chief and the mayor to reinstate her to the homicide division and begins her hunt for the killer. But as the body count grows and every lead turns out to be a dead end, Sami begins to think that this villain has outsmarted her—until one of the victims survives her ordeal. Suddenly, their cat-and-mouse game takes a sickening turn, and now Sami is the hunted one!
There is another serial killer on the loose in San Diego. This time we know who he is, he is a heart surgeon that is trying to get a grant. Sami is back and doing her best to track this new monster down. No matter what she does this case is not going to be easy. Get ready Mr. Annechino has given us another fast-paced page-turning thriller. “Resuscitation” is loaded with twists and turns that will leave you guessing all the while you are flipping pages to find out what happens next. Christina Traister is a highly accomplished actress that knows how to use her voice to bring out the true emotion of the events. Listening to Ms. Traister will get you right into the characters of Sami, the doctor and all the supporting characters as well. This book is going to take up all of your attention so start reading early because once you get started you will not want to put this book down until you actually finish. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from IRead Book Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
From the back cover: Two years ago, after narrowly escaping the clutches of a psychotic serial killer who held her hostage with intentions of crucifying her, San Diego homicide detective Sami Rizzo hung up her badge. Tortured by nightmares of her near death experience, Sami tries to convince herself that social work will fulfill her need to help and protect victims. But when a second serial killer surfaces—a doctor who is using his victims as guinea pigs for horrific surgical experiments—Sami abandons her goal to be a social worker for a chance to get back on the force and find this monster.
With a little fast-talking, she convinces the police chief and the mayor to reinstate her to the homicide division and begins her hunt for the killer. But as the body count grows and every lead turns out to be a dead end, Sami begins to think that this villain has outsmarted her—until one of the victims survives her ordeal. Suddenly, their cat-and-mouse game takes a sickening turn, and now Sami is the hunted one!
There is another serial killer on the loose in San Diego. This time we know who he is, he is a heart surgeon that is trying to get a grant. Sami is back and doing her best to track this new monster down. No matter what she does this case is not going to be easy. Get ready Mr. Annechino has given us another fast-paced page-turning thriller. “Resuscitation” is loaded with twists and turns that will leave you guessing all the while you are flipping pages to find out what happens next. Christina Traister is a highly accomplished actress that knows how to use her voice to bring out the true emotion of the events. Listening to Ms. Traister will get you right into the characters of Sami, the doctor and all the supporting characters as well. This book is going to take up all of your attention so start reading early because once you get started you will not want to put this book down until you actually finish. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from IRead Book Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
July 3, 2013
There's a serial killer running loose in the city. He opens his victims' chests and performs odd experiments on them that leave the police baffled. When the lead on the case, Diaz, is called away by a family emergency, Sami Rizzo approaches the police and asks them to reinstate her. Still healing from her narrow escape from a previous serial killer, can Sami catch the killer before he strikes again???
Oh where to start! Well, well done! Those who have read Annechino's first novel, They Never Die Quietly, have been anxiously awaiting this sequel. For those of you who have never heard of Annechino, this is a great place to start. Resuscitation reads alone just fine, but I can guarantee you that before you finish this book, you'll be looking for the first one to read out of sheer curiosity
What made this such a great read? First, I couldn't put it down. The opening sucked me in and I couldn't stop reading. Annechino's writing style keeps you engrossed in the tale, but it's so much more than that. As a suspense/thriller, you're kept on the edge of your seat, just waiting to see where things will escalate. Parts are gruesome and creepy. This is one of the few books in my history of reading that has actually made my flesh crawl. At one point, I had to take a few minutes to breathe and clear my head because it was almost too much. The scare factor pushes you to the brink but not over the cliff.
The best part of this book for me, and the reason I'll be coming back for every Annechino novel, is that I was completely outfoxed. I spent hours reading this wonderful book and enjoying every moment of it, thinking I was reading a suspense/thriller. I was so wrong! I was reading a mystery and didn't even know it. From the very beginning of the book, I knew who the perpetrator was. I was positive. Every chapter I read just cemented that fact further and further into my brain until it was just a given and not even a variable anymore. Again, I was so wrong! Never before has the ending of a book blindsided me the way this one did.
For anyone who enjoys crime novels in any capacity, this is a must-have for your shelf!
Oh where to start! Well, well done! Those who have read Annechino's first novel, They Never Die Quietly, have been anxiously awaiting this sequel. For those of you who have never heard of Annechino, this is a great place to start. Resuscitation reads alone just fine, but I can guarantee you that before you finish this book, you'll be looking for the first one to read out of sheer curiosity
What made this such a great read? First, I couldn't put it down. The opening sucked me in and I couldn't stop reading. Annechino's writing style keeps you engrossed in the tale, but it's so much more than that. As a suspense/thriller, you're kept on the edge of your seat, just waiting to see where things will escalate. Parts are gruesome and creepy. This is one of the few books in my history of reading that has actually made my flesh crawl. At one point, I had to take a few minutes to breathe and clear my head because it was almost too much. The scare factor pushes you to the brink but not over the cliff.
The best part of this book for me, and the reason I'll be coming back for every Annechino novel, is that I was completely outfoxed. I spent hours reading this wonderful book and enjoying every moment of it, thinking I was reading a suspense/thriller. I was so wrong! I was reading a mystery and didn't even know it. From the very beginning of the book, I knew who the perpetrator was. I was positive. Every chapter I read just cemented that fact further and further into my brain until it was just a given and not even a variable anymore. Again, I was so wrong! Never before has the ending of a book blindsided me the way this one did.
For anyone who enjoys crime novels in any capacity, this is a must-have for your shelf!
November 1, 2011
It has been two years since Sami Rizzo hung up her badge after the events outlined in “They Never Die Quietly.” However, a new killer is in town, and doing hideous things to his victims – performing medical experiments, mainly on their hearts, and the dressing them in designer clothes and leaving their bodies in public places. Al is originally lead on the investigation, but when a family emergency takes him out of town, Sami finds herself wanting to get back on the force. With the help of the mayor and chief of police, she is reinstated and put in charge of the hunt. The clues are few and far between, but then the killer makes a mistake – he leaves a victim alive. Can Sami find the killer before the killer manages to clean up the mistake? Or will there be another victim of the Resuscitator?
One thing puzzled me about this story – while it is made clear many times that it has been two years since the events in the previous book, Sami’s daughter Angelina goes from two years’ old to six years’ old – aging four years in a two year period. It’s a mystery …
However, there is additional character development in this book, and a new character – Sami’s cousin, Emily – is introduced to help care for Angelina and Sami’s mother Josephine, who has developed heart problems. Another interesting thing – while we know the murderer’s name, we aren’t sure exactly who he is until the last few pages of the book – there is a true denouement, where the killer is revealed completely, which makes this book sort of a suspense/thriller/mystery cross. It should prove more satisfying to mystery fans. While there are still multiple points of view in this story, the author doesn’t hop around as much as in the first book – you can definitely see the development of the author as a writer between the two books. This should be a book that is satisfying to fans of suspense/thrillers and mysteries alike.
One thing puzzled me about this story – while it is made clear many times that it has been two years since the events in the previous book, Sami’s daughter Angelina goes from two years’ old to six years’ old – aging four years in a two year period. It’s a mystery …
However, there is additional character development in this book, and a new character – Sami’s cousin, Emily – is introduced to help care for Angelina and Sami’s mother Josephine, who has developed heart problems. Another interesting thing – while we know the murderer’s name, we aren’t sure exactly who he is until the last few pages of the book – there is a true denouement, where the killer is revealed completely, which makes this book sort of a suspense/thriller/mystery cross. It should prove more satisfying to mystery fans. While there are still multiple points of view in this story, the author doesn’t hop around as much as in the first book – you can definitely see the development of the author as a writer between the two books. This should be a book that is satisfying to fans of suspense/thrillers and mysteries alike.
December 24, 2015
This is the second book in the Detective Sami Rizzo series and it is just as good as the first book.
I received a free copy of the audiobook on CD in exchange for an honest review.
RESUSCITATION takes place two years after THEY NEVER DIE QUIETLY. Sami Rizzo and Al are now a couple. Sami is going to school for Social Work and is working towards her dream. Why then does she feel so unsatisfied?
I think most people will be able to relate to Sami’s plight. She misses detective work and isn’t sure if she made the right decision when she quit the police force. Everyone has doubts about their career path. When a huge decision is reached it is natural to second guess yourself. In my opinion, this makes Sami more relatable to the reader.
When bodies start appearing Sami is intrigued. Maybe she should return to detective work. But, that would be much easier said than done.
Also during this story which is another psychological thriller, Sami experiences family emergencies. Anyone who has aging parents will be able to relate to this part of the story line and it is extremely believable.
I absolutely loved this book. I was hooked right from the first disk. The narrator once again does an amazing job. Pacing is perfect. Her voice will now always be the voice of Sami Rizzo in my mind.
This book goes from zero to sixty very quickly and just keeps accelerating right to the very end. It is tense and the characters are believable. This story is particularly frightening because it could so easily be reality.
I rate this book as 5 out of 5 stars.
To read more of my reviews visit http://Amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
I received a free copy of the audiobook on CD in exchange for an honest review.
RESUSCITATION takes place two years after THEY NEVER DIE QUIETLY. Sami Rizzo and Al are now a couple. Sami is going to school for Social Work and is working towards her dream. Why then does she feel so unsatisfied?
I think most people will be able to relate to Sami’s plight. She misses detective work and isn’t sure if she made the right decision when she quit the police force. Everyone has doubts about their career path. When a huge decision is reached it is natural to second guess yourself. In my opinion, this makes Sami more relatable to the reader.
When bodies start appearing Sami is intrigued. Maybe she should return to detective work. But, that would be much easier said than done.
Also during this story which is another psychological thriller, Sami experiences family emergencies. Anyone who has aging parents will be able to relate to this part of the story line and it is extremely believable.
I absolutely loved this book. I was hooked right from the first disk. The narrator once again does an amazing job. Pacing is perfect. Her voice will now always be the voice of Sami Rizzo in my mind.
This book goes from zero to sixty very quickly and just keeps accelerating right to the very end. It is tense and the characters are believable. This story is particularly frightening because it could so easily be reality.
I rate this book as 5 out of 5 stars.
To read more of my reviews visit http://Amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
January 14, 2016
Two years before this second story revolving around Detective Sami Rizzo, she had barely escaped death by a serial killer, although she managed to apprehend him and ensure him to be brought to justice, an event that causes her resignation from police work. However, she soon receives word of a new killer, a doctor gone rogue that charms his victims before performing horrible surgical experiments upon them, scattering their decimated cadavers through San Diego County. This provokes Sami to appeal to her former boss and the mayor, who make her a homicide investigator again. While she seeks the culprit, she deals with her ailing mother, a turbulent relation with her lover Alberto Diaz, and is charged with protecting a victim who escapes the killer.
The narrative itself opens with a prologue where Genevieve Foster awakes disoriented, to be among the rogue surgeon’s initial victims. The doctor, Julian, who is married and has two daughters, contemplates his horrifying work while drinking at a bar, with his victims being part of his research and experimentation. In the meantime, Sami and Alberto toast to two years of being a couple, the two called to duty when they hear that the daughter of a Supreme Court Justice has been murdered. Another Private Investigator, Peter J. Spencer III, who specializes in shady surveillances and doubtful background checks, has his own agenda in his investigation of the rogue doctor, whose initial sketches don’t necessarily or completely resemble him. Overall, this is an enjoyable sequel, the only real hangup being occasional stylistic choices with phrases that could have easily been shortened.
The narrative itself opens with a prologue where Genevieve Foster awakes disoriented, to be among the rogue surgeon’s initial victims. The doctor, Julian, who is married and has two daughters, contemplates his horrifying work while drinking at a bar, with his victims being part of his research and experimentation. In the meantime, Sami and Alberto toast to two years of being a couple, the two called to duty when they hear that the daughter of a Supreme Court Justice has been murdered. Another Private Investigator, Peter J. Spencer III, who specializes in shady surveillances and doubtful background checks, has his own agenda in his investigation of the rogue doctor, whose initial sketches don’t necessarily or completely resemble him. Overall, this is an enjoyable sequel, the only real hangup being occasional stylistic choices with phrases that could have easily been shortened.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2015
This is the 2nd book in the series by D. M. Annechino featuring lead Character Sami Rizzo. This book can be read as a stand alone but if you read the first book "They Never Die Quietly" it will add more to a few references in the book. The book is a very fast paced always something going on book and I really enjoyed it.
Sami Rizzo was a homicide detective in San Diago until she was kidnapped and nearly killed by a psychotic Killer. now she is going to school to become a social worker. She is living with her ex-partner Al. She thinks she has it all. until bodies start turning up who were killed by someone who is doing vicious medical experiments on them. Sami realizes she misses police work and goes back to solve the case. The killer is good so far he has left no witnesses and no evidence. Until he gets sloppy and leaves one of his victims alive. She is barely alive and he has to figure out how to get rid of her without getting caught.
I thought I had the killer figured out in this book, but I was very surprised at the end when the killer was named.
I really enjoyed this quick moving book. I did listen tot he audio book which was read by Christina Traister. She done a amazing job with her narration. 'You were right there in each conversation. /you could hear every emotion in the book, She really brought the characters to life in the book. i will be looking for more books narrated by her.
I was given the CD Audio Book in exchange for my honest review.
Sami Rizzo was a homicide detective in San Diago until she was kidnapped and nearly killed by a psychotic Killer. now she is going to school to become a social worker. She is living with her ex-partner Al. She thinks she has it all. until bodies start turning up who were killed by someone who is doing vicious medical experiments on them. Sami realizes she misses police work and goes back to solve the case. The killer is good so far he has left no witnesses and no evidence. Until he gets sloppy and leaves one of his victims alive. She is barely alive and he has to figure out how to get rid of her without getting caught.
I thought I had the killer figured out in this book, but I was very surprised at the end when the killer was named.
I really enjoyed this quick moving book. I did listen tot he audio book which was read by Christina Traister. She done a amazing job with her narration. 'You were right there in each conversation. /you could hear every emotion in the book, She really brought the characters to life in the book. i will be looking for more books narrated by her.
I was given the CD Audio Book in exchange for my honest review.
August 12, 2013
When I finished reading They Never Die Quietly, I knew it wouldn’t be long before I read Resuscitation, the second of his Sami Rizzo thrillers. And I devoured this book just as quickly as the first. I guess holidays really are made for reading books.
Just as in the first novel, Sami has to tackle a serial killer with his own twisted motives. But the shadow of her brush with death in the previous novel still looms over her. She has regular nightmares and is still in therapy to try and deal with the aftermath. Indeed, the earlier killer’s execution takes place during the course of this novel. It’s refreshing to see the detective hero in a thriller series having to deal with the emotional and physical aftermath of her previous experiences.
And it’s not just a serial killer Sami has to deal with. She’s still struggling to decide what path she should take professionally. Is she cut out to be a homicide detective? Her relationship with her mother has improved, but when her mother suffers a major health crisis, Sami has to face the possibility of losing her forever. Her relationship with Al Diaz, her partner both at home and work is on the rocks, made worse when a family crisis takes him halfway across the world.
This is definitely a thriller worth picking up, especially if you enjoyed Sami Rizzo’s first outing. I hope Mr. Annechino writes another novel featuring her soon.
Just as in the first novel, Sami has to tackle a serial killer with his own twisted motives. But the shadow of her brush with death in the previous novel still looms over her. She has regular nightmares and is still in therapy to try and deal with the aftermath. Indeed, the earlier killer’s execution takes place during the course of this novel. It’s refreshing to see the detective hero in a thriller series having to deal with the emotional and physical aftermath of her previous experiences.
And it’s not just a serial killer Sami has to deal with. She’s still struggling to decide what path she should take professionally. Is she cut out to be a homicide detective? Her relationship with her mother has improved, but when her mother suffers a major health crisis, Sami has to face the possibility of losing her forever. Her relationship with Al Diaz, her partner both at home and work is on the rocks, made worse when a family crisis takes him halfway across the world.
This is definitely a thriller worth picking up, especially if you enjoyed Sami Rizzo’s first outing. I hope Mr. Annechino writes another novel featuring her soon.
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