Title:	Playing with Fire
	Author:	Tess Gerritsen
	Published:	Ballantine, 2015
	No. of Pages:	272
	Cover Price:	$28.00 Hardcover, $14.95 Paperback, $13.95 Kindle

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Tess Gerritsen's stand-alone novel, Playing with Fire is a change from her excellent series starring Rizzoli & Isles, but it is equally well-written, and fascinating. When Julia Ansdell, a violinist performing in Rome, purchases an old musical manuscript, and takes it home, her life changes drastically. The piece, Incendio, has a mysterious affect on Julia's daughter, Lily, and Julia travels to Venice to learn the history of the manuscript. During her time there, Julia finds herself in grave danger; somebody powerful doesn't want her to learn about the manuscript, and is willing to kill to keep it a secret.

In 1943, Lorenzo is chosen to be a violinist in a Nazi concentration camp. He is saved from death but must endure the horrific scenes of torture of death everywhere, knowing that if he makes a mistake, he will also end up dead. Before being taken by the Nazi's, he was in love with Laura, and wrote Incendio for her.

Gerritsen does an excellent job of keeping up the suspense, both with Julia, and also with Lorenzo, and is able to merge the two time periods into a fascinating story that is difficult to put down. The suspense is palpable throughout, and most readers will find themselves reading way into the night because it's almost impossible to put down.

Tess Gerritsen doesn't add graphic sex or violence to her novels, making them suitable for most readers who enjoy thrillers. The historical portions of the novel ring true; Gerritsen does do her research, which is nice for those who like to learn some real facts, even though it's fiction. Playing with Fire is recommended for all readers who enjoy a good story with historical undertones.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying an advanced review copy of this book.

This book may be purchased at Amazon:
Playing with Fire: A Novel, hardcover
Playing with Fire: A Novel, paperback
Playing with Fire: A Novel, Kindle