The Mephisto Club - Tess Gerritsen

The Mephisto Club
Tess Gerritsen
Ballantine Books


Mystery/Thriller

On Christmas Day in Boston, medical examiner Maura Isles and police detective Jane Rizzoli are confronted with a bizarre crime scene. A woman lies dead and mutilated in a bloody scene that includes candles, occult symbols, and the word “Peccavi” written across one wall in the victim’s blood. The word is Latin for “I have sinned.” Is the word a message from the killer about the victim? Or a message of guilt from the murderer? The murder is not isolated, and the serial killer begins to taunt the psychologist on the case with messages.

It isn’t long before the investigation leads to a world of occult researchers and scholars. The Mephisto Club is a group dedicated to hunting down demons in the world; demons they believe came into being when, as told in the Old Testament, angels lay with human women. As the body count continues to rise, only one thing is clear: the killer, whether human or demon, evil or divine, must be stopped.

This is the latest in a series of novels that follow the investigation of Isles and Rizzoli. Clearly, there’s a lot of history here, but newcomers will not find it difficult to join the series at this point. The action moves from Boston to Europe and back again, and deals with some supernatural ideas. One of the author’s strengths is that she seems to know exactly how far to stretch the reader’s credulity. With the swift pace and gruesome killings, this is one of those books that will keep you up long after your bedtime, turning pages.

Rating: 8 ½
September 2006
ISBN# 0-345-47699-9 (hardcover)