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Tavistock Family #2
Stolen
Book by Gerritsen, Tess
330 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
861 people are currently reading
3460 people want to read
About the author
Tess Gerritsen
204 books21.1k followersInternationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen took an unusual route to a writing career. A graduate of Stanford University, Tess went on to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was awarded her M.D.
While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. In 1987, her first novel was published. Call After Midnight, a romantic thriller, was followed by eight more romantic suspense novels. She also wrote a screenplay, "Adrift", which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.
Tess's first medical thriller, Harvest, was released in hardcover in 1996, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her suspense novels since then have been: Life Support (1997), Bloodstream (1998), Gravity (1999), The Surgeon (2001), The Apprentice (2002), The Sinner (2003), Body Double (2004), Vanish (2005), The Mephisto Club (2006), and The Bone Garden (2007). Her books have been translated into 31 languages, and more than 15 million copies have been sold around the world.
As well as being a New York Times bestselling author, she has also been a #1 bestseller in both Germany and the UK. She has won both the Nero Wolfe Award (for Vanish) and the Rita Award (for The Surgeon.) Critics around the world have praised her novels as "Pulse-pounding fun" (Philadelphia Inquirer), "Scary and brilliant" (Toronto Globe and Mail), and "Polished, riveting prose" (Chicago Tribune). Publisher Weekly has dubbed her the "medical suspense queen".
Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.
While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. In 1987, her first novel was published. Call After Midnight, a romantic thriller, was followed by eight more romantic suspense novels. She also wrote a screenplay, "Adrift", which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.
Tess's first medical thriller, Harvest, was released in hardcover in 1996, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her suspense novels since then have been: Life Support (1997), Bloodstream (1998), Gravity (1999), The Surgeon (2001), The Apprentice (2002), The Sinner (2003), Body Double (2004), Vanish (2005), The Mephisto Club (2006), and The Bone Garden (2007). Her books have been translated into 31 languages, and more than 15 million copies have been sold around the world.
As well as being a New York Times bestselling author, she has also been a #1 bestseller in both Germany and the UK. She has won both the Nero Wolfe Award (for Vanish) and the Rita Award (for The Surgeon.) Critics around the world have praised her novels as "Pulse-pounding fun" (Philadelphia Inquirer), "Scary and brilliant" (Toronto Globe and Mail), and "Polished, riveting prose" (Chicago Tribune). Publisher Weekly has dubbed her the "medical suspense queen".
Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 261 reviews
September 12, 2025
Wasn't what I originally expected from Tess Gerritsen but after 50 pages or so I did get really into it, and I enjoyed it.
Three stars.
Three stars.
February 22, 2016
I get back what I've said in my review of In Their Footsteps. This is my least favorite Gerritsen book. I struggled to finish this one.
January 27, 2022
Klėja ir iš visos širdies nori pabėgti nuo savo nusikalstamos praeities, tačiau tai padaryti ne taip paprasta kaip atrodo. Praeities bando ją pasivyti. Dėl kilnaus tikslo Klėja pasiryžo dar vienai vagystei. Nusikaltimo vietoje ji sutinka Džioraną, kuris nori ją į teisingą gyvenimo kelią sugrąžinti.
August 3, 2014
Hmmm what can i say about this book... That i regret spending any money to buy this book even though it's on sale and that I hope Gerritsen's Rizzoli and Isles series are nothing like this. Because if it is, i might as well donate them all.
The reason i bought this book was because i heard good things about the rizzoli and isles series, so when i saw this book in the 3 for 2 bargain bins at Borders, I bought three of Gerritsen's earlier books. but this is nothing like the mystery-thriller type of books that i like. This is just like those crappy romance novels, with a mystery flair thrown on the side. The characters are cheap-y and not interesting at all. And the story i think put more focus on the romance side of the stories. I could not relate at all. I would have given this book 0.5 stars if there are such system on Goodreads... And since it was on the 3 for 2 bargain bins, i have two other like this... *sigh* what a huge waste amount of money and time...
The reason i bought this book was because i heard good things about the rizzoli and isles series, so when i saw this book in the 3 for 2 bargain bins at Borders, I bought three of Gerritsen's earlier books. but this is nothing like the mystery-thriller type of books that i like. This is just like those crappy romance novels, with a mystery flair thrown on the side. The characters are cheap-y and not interesting at all. And the story i think put more focus on the romance side of the stories. I could not relate at all. I would have given this book 0.5 stars if there are such system on Goodreads... And since it was on the 3 for 2 bargain bins, i have two other like this... *sigh* what a huge waste amount of money and time...
July 20, 2018
This book was much better than the first book in this series. Our heroine is much more interesting. She is an ex-con who is caught by the hero while they are both breaking into the same room.
Lots of fun and thrilling adventures spiced up with some romance.
Lots of fun and thrilling adventures spiced up with some romance.
June 13, 2022
Clea wpakowała się w kłopoty. Duże kłopoty. Jedyną jej szansą na udowodnienie niewinności jest zdobycie niepodważalnego dowodu, który ukryty jest w posiadłości bogatego, podstarzałego bawidamka. Kiedy udaje jej się włamać do domu, na gorącym uczynku przyłapuje ją… inny złodziejaszek. Skąd nagle taka kolejka złoczyńców czyhających na tę posiadłość? I dlaczego ten drugi włamywacz jest takim przystojnym mężczyzną?
No jak to dlaczego – żeby żyli długo i szczęśliwie :) Tess w akcji sensacyjno-romantycznej, ogólnie to nie polecam, chyba że macie ochotę na sztampowe romansidło z serii – ona biedna, ale z pazurem, a on przystojny i bogaty.
5/10
No jak to dlaczego – żeby żyli długo i szczęśliwie :) Tess w akcji sensacyjno-romantycznej, ogólnie to nie polecam, chyba że macie ochotę na sztampowe romansidło z serii – ona biedna, ale z pazurem, a on przystojny i bogaty.
5/10
July 18, 2012
Extremely predictable plot, a female protagonist that made me want to bash my head into a wall and a completely unbelievable romance. I'm trying to think back to when I read the first book and if it was this bad, since I remember liking it. But then again I was fifteen, so maybe these books are more suited for teenagers.
In favor of this book, it isn't too long and it's easy to read. If I had brain damage, I might have enjoyed it more.
In favor of this book, it isn't too long and it's easy to read. If I had brain damage, I might have enjoyed it more.
January 7, 2017
Stolen, also known as Thief of Hearts, is the second Tavistock book and whilst it’s an improvement upon the first book I do consider it to be one of Tess Gerritsen’s weakest reads. In fact, I consider the two Tavistock books to be my least favourite Gerritsen reads. Neither were as strong as other books by the author, and such a thing saddened me, as I’d hoped I would really enjoy them.
Stolen was much closer to being a four star read, making it a massive improvement upon the first one. Whilst in the first book there were only glimmers of the four star possibilities, this one gave us more than mere glimpses. Nevertheless, it still didn’t quite reach the four star rating.
As with In Their Footsteps, this one promised us many things. It suggests all that Tess Gerritsen has to offer in her romantic suspense books… yet I was never really pulled into the story as much as I had hoped to. There was more action in Stolen than there was to be seen in the first Tavistock book, yet it still didn’t feel as though the book offered us as much as it could have. We’re given such promise at the start – such a big thing kicks off the read – and yet we spend a lot of our time strolling along dealing with false action.
As I said with the first book, if you’ve yet to read a Gerritsen book, I certainly recommend starting somewhere else. She really can do – and has repeatedly done – better than the Tavistock books. Yes, she improved with the second book, but neither display what she is truly capable of.
Overall, a disappointing read from one of my favourite authors. You’re always going to find them – the books where your favourite authors didn’t quite reach their usual high – I’m just disappointed two books with so much promised turned out to be the Gerritsen books I didn’t enjoy.
Stolen was much closer to being a four star read, making it a massive improvement upon the first one. Whilst in the first book there were only glimmers of the four star possibilities, this one gave us more than mere glimpses. Nevertheless, it still didn’t quite reach the four star rating.
As with In Their Footsteps, this one promised us many things. It suggests all that Tess Gerritsen has to offer in her romantic suspense books… yet I was never really pulled into the story as much as I had hoped to. There was more action in Stolen than there was to be seen in the first Tavistock book, yet it still didn’t feel as though the book offered us as much as it could have. We’re given such promise at the start – such a big thing kicks off the read – and yet we spend a lot of our time strolling along dealing with false action.
As I said with the first book, if you’ve yet to read a Gerritsen book, I certainly recommend starting somewhere else. She really can do – and has repeatedly done – better than the Tavistock books. Yes, she improved with the second book, but neither display what she is truly capable of.
Overall, a disappointing read from one of my favourite authors. You’re always going to find them – the books where your favourite authors didn’t quite reach their usual high – I’m just disappointed two books with so much promised turned out to be the Gerritsen books I didn’t enjoy.
November 19, 2017
This book was recommended to me by the librarian, when I said that I want to expand my reading and try genres that I normally don't read from (in this case it was crime). Sadly, to me it read more like a romance novel with a crime/mystery subplot and having seen how popular Tess Gerritsen's novels are, I was quite disappointed by the time I finished.
It's not a bad book, on the contrary it was a very easy read and I flew through it very quickly. It just isn't my taste and I found it quite predictable. Even the supposed plot twists didn't really surprise or shock me, I was pretty neutral the whole time. I decided to rate it 3 stars, because like I said, it wasn't bad, but it just definitely isn't what I enjoy to read.
It's not a bad book, on the contrary it was a very easy read and I flew through it very quickly. It just isn't my taste and I found it quite predictable. Even the supposed plot twists didn't really surprise or shock me, I was pretty neutral the whole time. I decided to rate it 3 stars, because like I said, it wasn't bad, but it just definitely isn't what I enjoy to read.
March 10, 2023
Mano nuomonė: Tess Gerritsen jau gerai pažįstama autorė ir mano viena mylimiausių autorių. Ji rašo ne tik puikius detektyvus, bet ir puikius romantinius trilerius.
Tavistokų istorija -tai sesers ir brolio istorijos, abi knygos labai susiję ir tikrai verta skaityti iš eilės. Pirmoje dalyje „Jų pėdsakais“ – skirta daugiau dėmesio sesei Berilei Tavistok , antroji dalis „Širdžių ėdikė“ skita broliui Džordanui Tavistokui.
Tiesa gali būti labai pavojinga. Tačiau teisingumo Tavistokai siekė bet kokia kaina. Pasaulyje, kuriame kasdien tenka vaikščioti lyg peilio ašmenimis, pasitikėti kuo nors rizikinga. Čia draugai tampa priešais, o priešai – žudo.
Labai patiko. Norėjosi tik vieno, kad knygos nesibigtų.
Du absolučiai įtraukiantys trileriai apie Tavistokų šeimą, pilni paslapčių, įtampos ir, žinoma, meilės. Geriau nusipirkit abi knygas iškarto, nes kitaip tik susinervinsit, kad reiks ieškoti antros dalies.
Knygai aukšti balai.
Tavistokų istorija -tai sesers ir brolio istorijos, abi knygos labai susiję ir tikrai verta skaityti iš eilės. Pirmoje dalyje „Jų pėdsakais“ – skirta daugiau dėmesio sesei Berilei Tavistok , antroji dalis „Širdžių ėdikė“ skita broliui Džordanui Tavistokui.
Tiesa gali būti labai pavojinga. Tačiau teisingumo Tavistokai siekė bet kokia kaina. Pasaulyje, kuriame kasdien tenka vaikščioti lyg peilio ašmenimis, pasitikėti kuo nors rizikinga. Čia draugai tampa priešais, o priešai – žudo.
Labai patiko. Norėjosi tik vieno, kad knygos nesibigtų.
Du absolučiai įtraukiantys trileriai apie Tavistokų šeimą, pilni paslapčių, įtampos ir, žinoma, meilės. Geriau nusipirkit abi knygas iškarto, nes kitaip tik susinervinsit, kad reiks ieškoti antros dalies.
Knygai aukšti balai.
January 31, 2020
Verhaal met liefde, wat spanning en humor.
March 30, 2024
Every cliché you can think of is in this book. ‘She was a thief, who stole his heart’ (or words to that effect - I can’t be bothered to go back and find the actual quote). Come on, you can do better than that. The plot itself is decent enough but it’s just so cringey in parts, I found myself pulling an annoyed face.
February 10, 2022
Разочаровывающее дешёвое чтиво. То, что началось как многообещающий триллер, закончилось дешевым, пошлым любовным романом.
September 7, 2025
Decent plot but sadly tainted by a cringy unbelievable romance that is so common for novels in this genre. Still, I wanted to keep reading, that should count for something. I liked that it wasn't the typical murder victims/serial killer plot and it was such a quick read, finished it within two train rides.
July 15, 2013
When Jordan Tavistock found himself in the unenviable position of first time burgler, he didn’t expect to be caught. But caught he was, and not by the inhabitants of the house, no, by another burgler! Clea Rice had burgled before, she had spent time in prison for past misdeeds, but she didn’t expect to have her plans thwarted by a bumbling, noisy amateur. As they escaped the house together, Clea without what she came for and Jordan with what he came for, he didn’t realize his aristocratic life had suddenly taken a dramatic turn. For Clea was in incredible danger, she was being hunted by people who wanted her dead.
Clea was the single and only survivor of a vicious attack which left people dead, and which lead to a huge insurance fraud. But the man who orchestrated this event didn’t know of Clea’s existence until she went to the authorities; suddenly there was a leak, and she was on the run with no-one to trust, and evidence to find so she would be believed. Keeping under the radar was exhausting her, her close calls with death were tiring her out!
Jordan was fascinated by the lovely Clea and decided to help her. But could he trust her….should he trust her? And could Clea trust Jordan? The two of them forged an uneasy alliance as they escaped once again, with danger following close behind.
I really enjoyed this book…once again Gerritsen doesn’t disappoint. The twists in the plot are excellent, with a revelation which surprised me towards the end of the book. I’d definitely recommend this one to all thriller lovers out there.
Clea was the single and only survivor of a vicious attack which left people dead, and which lead to a huge insurance fraud. But the man who orchestrated this event didn’t know of Clea’s existence until she went to the authorities; suddenly there was a leak, and she was on the run with no-one to trust, and evidence to find so she would be believed. Keeping under the radar was exhausting her, her close calls with death were tiring her out!
Jordan was fascinated by the lovely Clea and decided to help her. But could he trust her….should he trust her? And could Clea trust Jordan? The two of them forged an uneasy alliance as they escaped once again, with danger following close behind.
I really enjoyed this book…once again Gerritsen doesn’t disappoint. The twists in the plot are excellent, with a revelation which surprised me towards the end of the book. I’d definitely recommend this one to all thriller lovers out there.
April 29, 2013
Tess wrote this in 1995, BEFORE she started writing suspense novels. This is classified "Romantic suspense" others are....From Wikipedia...
Call After Midnight (1987)
Under the Knife (1990)
Never Say Die (1992)
Whistleblower (1992)
Presumed Guilty (1993)
Peggy Sue Got Murdered (1994) re-released as Girl Missing
In Their Footsteps (1994)
Thief of Hearts (1995) re-released as Stolen
Keeper of the Bride (1996)
In that genre, I really liked this book. But compared to Rizzoli and Isles, very different, and not what you'd expect. Now that Tess is famous for her suspense writing, when these earlier books are republished, there should be a note to alert readers who don't like this kind of novel. I loved it, it is lighter and faster to read.
Call After Midnight (1987)
Under the Knife (1990)
Never Say Die (1992)
Whistleblower (1992)
Presumed Guilty (1993)
Peggy Sue Got Murdered (1994) re-released as Girl Missing
In Their Footsteps (1994)
Thief of Hearts (1995) re-released as Stolen
Keeper of the Bride (1996)
In that genre, I really liked this book. But compared to Rizzoli and Isles, very different, and not what you'd expect. Now that Tess is famous for her suspense writing, when these earlier books are republished, there should be a note to alert readers who don't like this kind of novel. I loved it, it is lighter and faster to read.
August 7, 2021
The 2nd book in the Tavistock Family series by Tess Geritsen. A very good read with excellent characters and full of twists and turns.
Synopsis:
Reformed cat burglar Clea Rice has witnessed enough crimes to put her on the straight and narrow. But little does she suspect that her search for justice will land her in the arms of wealthy English gentleman Jordan Tavistock. As their attraction grows, so does the danger. Now their biggest concern isn’t whether a proper gentleman and a cat burglar can find happiness...it’s whether they’ll survive long enough to find out.
Synopsis:
Reformed cat burglar Clea Rice has witnessed enough crimes to put her on the straight and narrow. But little does she suspect that her search for justice will land her in the arms of wealthy English gentleman Jordan Tavistock. As their attraction grows, so does the danger. Now their biggest concern isn’t whether a proper gentleman and a cat burglar can find happiness...it’s whether they’ll survive long enough to find out.
September 23, 2015
2.5 stars...
One of Tess' earlier works... I've read many of her early books and still found them enjoyable. This one just fell flat for me. Couldn't get into the characters and found their attraction pretty unbelievable. I never "felt" it. Maybe the fact that I just read her newest book and loved it made the sub par stuff glaringly obvious in this one.
One of Tess' earlier works... I've read many of her early books and still found them enjoyable. This one just fell flat for me. Couldn't get into the characters and found their attraction pretty unbelievable. I never "felt" it. Maybe the fact that I just read her newest book and loved it made the sub par stuff glaringly obvious in this one.
February 21, 2019
Another fab book by Tess gerritsen. Loved the continuation of the Tavistock family as well as the new characters brought in. Excellent storyline, previous and new characters were all strong, unexpected twists as usual for Tess books. Only have one more of her books left and would have read them all. So ending on that note moving on to Playing with fire xx
April 28, 2013
Tess Gerritsen's Rizzoli Isles series is one of my favorites. Unfortunately this isn't of the same standard. Nice escapist read on holiday but pretty predictable.
October 20, 2024
I reached for this book because the author was Tess Gerritsen and I already know that she can deliver a great story in a gripping way. This was a mistake. As I do not usually read romance novels, even less so the ones released by Harlequin I did not really know what to expect. The opening scene seemed to suggest this was going to be another good pick. The first quarter of the book was fine, the intrigue was keeping me interested, the cringey cliches seemed like Tess Gerritsen’s pastiche of a romance story that made me chuckle. The female hero - Clea - seemed to have skills and gumption. The second quarter - I followed the plot but started skipping cringey dialogues and Clea’s internal dialogue started to bother me. She started evolving from Catherine Zeta-Jones “Entrapment” character into a stubborn and incapable “I am better off my myself” damsel in distress of a typical Harlequin romance. Does the romance novel require and idiot damsel in distress to be saved by a handsome hero? I am sure there is a way to portray an independent and intelligent woman with skills falling in love and still regaining her character. Well, this isn’t it…
It got worse. As the romance part gains on the actual crime and adventure part the book looses it’s quality. The last quarter of the book was barely readable. The plot disintegrated to alow for more romance clishes and this time I cringed, not chuckled. I am not sure what kind of reader is this book for, but I just convinced myself to avoid Harlequin as a whole and novels classed as romance more than ever. If a great crime writer like Tess Gerritsen cannot write a good romance then one simply does not exist. Unless she started it and someone else finished it 🤔?
It got worse. As the romance part gains on the actual crime and adventure part the book looses it’s quality. The last quarter of the book was barely readable. The plot disintegrated to alow for more romance clishes and this time I cringed, not chuckled. I am not sure what kind of reader is this book for, but I just convinced myself to avoid Harlequin as a whole and novels classed as romance more than ever. If a great crime writer like Tess Gerritsen cannot write a good romance then one simply does not exist. Unless she started it and someone else finished it 🤔?
May 10, 2021
Edit: Zaten harlequin kitabıymış hoff.
Bu da 3.5'a yakındı ama yine de elim 4 yıldızı vermeye gitmedi.
Bu türde efsane kitaplar okumuşken bu kitaba o puanı veremezdim.
Kitabın konusu, ilerleyişi falan güzeldi ve aksiyon da boldu bu konuda sorun yok ama bu kitaplarda bişeyler eksik. Tutku da var ama o aşamaları yazar düzgün veremiyor yani biraz harlequin kitapları gibi bunlar. Çift bir anda birbirine aşık oluyor temelsiz, dayanaksız...
Kitapta gizem de yoktu pek fazla sadece aksiyon vardı aslında. Okutuyor mu kendini? Okutuyor ama muhteşem değil işte çerezlik.
Tess'in bu tarzdaki kitaplarını bitireceğim kararlıyım bakalım.
Bu da 3.5'a yakındı ama yine de elim 4 yıldızı vermeye gitmedi.
Bu türde efsane kitaplar okumuşken bu kitaba o puanı veremezdim.
Kitabın konusu, ilerleyişi falan güzeldi ve aksiyon da boldu bu konuda sorun yok ama bu kitaplarda bişeyler eksik. Tutku da var ama o aşamaları yazar düzgün veremiyor yani biraz harlequin kitapları gibi bunlar. Çift bir anda birbirine aşık oluyor temelsiz, dayanaksız...
Kitapta gizem de yoktu pek fazla sadece aksiyon vardı aslında. Okutuyor mu kendini? Okutuyor ama muhteşem değil işte çerezlik.
Tess'in bu tarzdaki kitaplarını bitireceğim kararlıyım bakalım.
January 6, 2022
Clea Rice is in a heap of trouble--all because she witnessed something that still gives her nightmares and which she sought to report to the police who, unfortunately, didn't believe her. Jordan Tavistock doesn't quite know what to make of Clea, but he's not going to let her traipse off into more danger without him. As a result, they find themselves in enough danger to kill them both.
The question is will they make it out of this particular adventure alive or dead? And if alive, will he be able to convince her to stay with him when it's all over?
The question is will they make it out of this particular adventure alive or dead? And if alive, will he be able to convince her to stay with him when it's all over?
September 20, 2024
Karanlığın Ayak izleri'nde tanıştığımız Tavistock ailesinin ikinci ve (iyi ki de) son macerasi. Yine aynı beyaz dizi kitapları şeklinde aşk, şehvet, tutku kısımları olan bir çeşit polisiye. İlk kitaba kıyasla daha heyecanlı sayılır ve konusu biraz daha ilginç. Yine de, eh işte. Sadece Rizzoli & Isles'i yazan birinin bu kitabı da yazmis olması tuhaf geliyor. Tabii arada en azindan bir 20 yıl olgunluk dönemi var.
June 4, 2018
Also irgendwie hat ich Gerritsen anders in Erinnerung. Diese Buch ist Zeitverschwendung wenn man auf einen Krimi hofft. Es ist eine verkitschte Liebesbeziehung zwischen dem armen gefallenem Mädchen, das seine Unschuld beweisen will und deswegen stehlen muss und dem achso hübschen und hilfsbereiten britischem Adligen....kaum zu ertragen :-)
July 10, 2022
Kaip ir pirmoji dalis ši labai lengva ir skaitytojo dėmesį išlaikanti. Tai skaitinys kiek kitoks nei įprasti Tess kūriniai. Čia nėr daug brutalių scenų. Besitikintiems trilerio, čia jo tikrai nebus, tai daugiau romanas, su šiek tiek slaptu šnipų, vagių ir korupcijos prieskoniu.
Man gal čiut šita dalis pasirodė silpnesnė nei pirmoji.
Man gal čiut šita dalis pasirodė silpnesnė nei pirmoji.
June 20, 2025
I enjoyed this book, over and above Book 1 in the Tavistock series. There was lots of ‘good stuff’ in it but some predictability too. I have read many of Tess Gerritsen’s books and will no doubt read more, however I’ll be more selective in the genre.
April 27, 2023
Not a typical Tess Gerritsen, but still a fun, quick read.
September 24, 2020
Połączenie harlequina z kryminałem. Czyta się dobrze, ale nic z tego więcej nie wynika.
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