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You know what you're going to get in advance with Tess Gerritsen . . . two strong female characters, oceans of gore, and a damn good story. And THE MEPHISTO CLUB does not disappoint. I enjoyed BODY DOUBLE, but thought VANISH was in a rather bizarre time warp with no acknowledgement of what had happened to the characters in the previous book. Anyway, after what felt like the longest pregnancy in history, Jane Rizzoli has finally had her sprog (a girl called Regina) and Maura Isles appears to be re-enacting The Thorn Birds, as she wrestles with her feelings for handsome Catholic priest Daniel Brophy. THE MEPHISTO CLUB finds Jane and Maura investigating a sinister cabal whose members are either being bumped off, or who appear to have something to hide. They seem, as well, to have a worrying preoccupation with studying the concept of evil. And cryptic symbols found at the scene of the crime serve to confuse the investigators even more. Jane is disgusted to find that Joyce O'Donnell, a psychiatrist with a liking for the limelight, is somehow linked to what is going on. And there's also the enigmatic Anthony Sansone, a member of the cabal, who seems to have connections in high places and a fascination for Maura and her dark past. The book is mostly set in the freezing depths of a Boston winter, interspersed with some rather confusing chapters set in the heat of an Italian summer. There are flashback chapters as well, but these are helpfully provided in italics. I did feel occasionally that the flashbacks and the Italy scenes were the most predictable parts of the book. In many ways THE MEPHISTO CLUB is standard serial killer fare, with the added 'how nasty can you get' helping? But Gerritsen at her best is a multi-layered writer who has two fascinating female characters to play with. Neither Jane nor Maura are particularly nice people, but you'd want them both on your side every time, despite the fact they come with tons of personal baggage. Jane's volatile American-Italian family decide they're going to be difficult this time around. The book loses a little when it's taken out of Maura and Jane's points of view. And there are times when the lines between myth, legend and history seem confusingly blurred. But I devoured THE MEPHISTO CLUB in one day. It's a great addition to a consistently strong series which has stacks of mileage left in the two outstanding lead characters.
Reviewed by Sharon Wheeler, September 2006
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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