Review: The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen

The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen

Series: Rizzoli  & Isles, #6

Ballantine Books

August 2007

Format: Paperback, 429 pages

Source: Personal copy

PECCAVI

The
Latin word is scrawled in blood at the scene of a young woman’s brutal
murder: I HAVE SINNED. It’s a chilling Christmas greeting for Boston
medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, who swiftly
link the victim to the sinister Mephisto Club, a cult of scholars who
aim to prove that Satan himself exists among us. Then, with the grisly
appearance of another corpse, it’s clear that someone – or something –
is indeed prowling the city. Soon the members of the club begin to fear
the very subject of their study. Could the maniacal killer be one of
their own – or have they inadvertently summoned an entity from the
darkness? Delving deep into the most baffling case of their careers,
Maura and Jane embark on a terrifying journey to the very heart of evil.

My thoughts: This is the 6th book in Tess Gerritsen’s Rizzoli & Isles series and each book just hooks me more into this series. I really enjoy reading psychological thrillers and find that Tess Gerritsen is really at the top of her game with these books.

In The Mephisto Club, there is non-stop action right from the first page. I was really looking forward to reading this as, having read a later book in the series last year that mentions this Mephisto Club, I needed to understand what exactly the club was. It turns out the club is a secret society comprised of a group of scholars from around the world who research the premise
that Satan exists and that there have been generations of a race of evil
persons inhabiting the earth known as the Watchers. It seems that they believe they should be involved in certain murder cases, especially when some of their own are turning up dead. 

Also in this book, our two main characters are dealing with problems in their personal lives that are clouding their judgements. The relationship between Maura and Father Brody heats up and Jane’s parents are having marital issues. Between these story lines and the search for the murderer, you find yourself turning the pages at a rapid pace to see how it all turns out.

All the questions I had when I read the latest book are slowing being answered and I can’t wait to find out the next pieces of the puzzle. I think I just might have to reread that latest book when I finally catch up, if nothing else but to see if I understand how it all came together.

Do you ever reread a book in a series, whether an earlier book or a later one, just to see if you can pick up on something or see if your own questions get answered?

Books in this series:

1. The Surgeon                                7.  The Keepsake            
2. The Apprentice                          8.  Ice Cold
3. The Sinner                                    9.  The Silent Girl
4. Body Double                                9.5  Freaks
5. Vanish                                            9.7  John Doe
6. The Mephisto Club                    10.  Last to Die