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Tess Gerritsen's tenth novel features that doughty duo of heroines, Dr Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli as they once more swim through rivers of blood interspersed with reefs of body parts in order to bring to justice evil-doers. In this tale, the villains are portrayed as being, quite literally, the essence of evil. The author refers to a race of creatures mentioned briefly in the Bible but more fully in the formerly lost texts of the books of Enoch and Jubilee. The beings are the product of miscegenation between mortal man and the fallen angels: the Nephilim. They are evil incarnate. The novel begins with a teenage boy attending the funeral of his father and his subsequent welcoming into the family of his uncle. From there, the action jumps ahead 12 years to Christmas Eve and Maura Isles attending a service conducted by Daniel Brophy, a Catholic priest whose vows preclude his ever taking more than a spiritual interest in the medical examiner. Daniel is now acting as police chaplain so when Maura and Jane investigate an horrendous murder involving the dismemberment of a woman, Daniel is also on call. Someone far less welcome than Brophy is also occupied with the case: Dr. Joyce O'Donnell, a psychiatrist loathed by Rizzoli, a friend to murderers on whose fantasies she seems to feed. Joyce is a member of the Mephisto Club, an organisation that Jane and Maura learn is specifically pitted against the Nephilim, at whose feet the current murder – as well as several others – is laid. Lily Saul, cousin of the boy seen at his father's funeral in chapter one, is on the run in Italy. She dare not stay in any one place for long, living a hand to mouth existence, forced into unspeakable actions in order to survive and, at times, even fleeing without money and possessions so she may escape a nameless something that is pursuing her. The first murdered woman is a friend of hers and it is not long before both the police and the Mephisto Club are added to her pursuers. This book tends to veer from practical, hard science into realms with a foundation rather less well grounded than the medical science with which the author is so familiar. It is up to the reader to decide how well the two aspects blend. The Mephisto Club is an interesting construct with some members having a lot of potential for action in future books. Gerritsen is always generous with back stories for her two protagonists. Jane's family takes precedence this time, although her husband Gabriel and baby are mentioned. Her parents quarrel loudly throughout the narrative as mother Angela decides to make a bid for personal empowerment. Maura's future is far from clear as her relationship with Daniel becomes more complicated, despite the inscription of 'Peccavi' (I have sinned) on her door as it is at the sites of the murder victims' remains. Seemingly, there are more threads left untied in this book than is customary with Tess Gerritsen, so impatient readers will just have to wait, wondering, for future episodes in the adventures of these two strongly-drawn women.
Reviewed by Denise Pickles, September 2006
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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