Review: The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen

The Keepsake (Book 7 in the Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles Series)
by Tess Gerritsen
2008 Ballantine Books
Hardcover Edition; 355 Pages
ISBN:978-0-345-49762-8
Genre: Thriller/Suspense

4 / 5 Stars

Summary (Press Release)
For untold years, the perfectly preserved mummy had lain forgotten in the dusty basement of Boston Crispin's Museum.  Now its sudden rediscovery by museum staff is both a major coup and an attention-grabbing mystery.  Dubbed "Madam X", the mummy - to all appearances, an ancient Egyptian artifact - seems a ghoulish godsend for the financially struggling institution.  But medical examiner Maura Isles soon discovers a macabre message hidden within the corpse - horrifying proof that this "centuries-old" relic is instead a modern-day murder victim.

To Maura and Boston homicide detective Jana Rizzoli, the forensic evidence is unmistakable, its implications terrifying.  And when the ghastly remains of yet another woman are found in the hidden recesses of the museum, it becomes chillingly clear that a maniac is at large - and is now taunting them.

Archaeologist Josephine Pulcillo's blood runs cold when the killer's cryptic missives are discovered, and her darkest dread becomes real when the carefully preserved corpse of yet a third victim is left in her car like a gruesome offering - or perhaps a ghastly promise of what's to come.

The twisted killer's familiary with post-mortem rituals suggests to Maura and Jane that he may have scientific expertise in common with Josephine.  But only Josephine knows that her stalker shares a knowledge even more personally terrifying: details of a dark secret she had thought forever buried.

My Thoughts
In this novel, Tess Gerritsen blends superb storytelling with a great plot that left me quickly turning the pages in thrall.  I was hooked right from the beginning, caught up in the suspense, with plot twists and turns that left me guessing right until the end.  As soon as I thought I had it all figured out, the author would throw in another twist, and I'd have to start all over again, trying to fit the pieces together.  There were quite a few surprises and some plot twists I was not expecting at all.  This is unusual for me, as I am usually pretty quick to figure out who did it in a novel such as this.

What I really liked in this novel is that the plot flows quickly, from detail to detail, without a lot of things bogging down the mind.  Everything in the novel has a purpose, every event is important, and you can miss important details if you don't pay attention to the dialogue.  The language is clear and crisp, the dialogue can be witty, but sticks true to the characters, and it really helps with the flow of the novel.  I personally enjoyed the banter between the characters and the conversations that were included; it made everything seem much more real. 

Behind everything, of course, is the character development.  You learn more about Daniel and Maura and their frustrating relationship, about Frost and his wife and the difficulties they are facing, and there are problems between Jane and Frost because of what is happening with Frost.  To say that one's private life never interferes with work would not be true to real life and I am glad that was included in the novel as it made the characters seem more real.  Given all that, I still found the character development somewhat thin.  I thought Maura took the role of a secondary character and I was somewhat disappointed by that and also, the difficulties in Frost's life were underplayed quite a bit.  I like these characters and would love to learn more about them, and not just the role they play in the suspense.

Verdict
Tess Gerritsen has written another excellent novel, one that is at once very suspenseful with an array of twists and turns until you don't know what is happening, one that contains a great mystery, and one that contains a lot of adventure.  There is some intriguing archaeological elements to it where you learn a bit about how to embalm people and a few other things about how to preserve dead bodies (so for those who are a bit squeamish there are some elements in this novel that may not be for you).  I found the characters to be very engaging, and I liked how they interacted with each other.  Despite the lack of some character development, this is still an engaging read, and works well at a stand-alone book if you are not familiar with the series.  These are always a fun read with which to finish a day of work.

Review: The Moses Stone by James Becker

The Moses Stone
by James Becker
2010 Onyx Books
476 Pages
Softcover Edition
ISBN:978-0-451-41287-4
Genre: Thriller

4/5 Stars

Summary (Press Release)

In Morocco, an English couple discovers a clay tablet covered in ancient writing. One day later, they are dead.
And the hunt for a priceless relic is on...

Called to North Africa to investigate, Detective Chris Bronson follows a trail of clues that leads him from the hustle of a Moroccan market to the deserted caves of Qumran; from the sinister echoes of a water-filled tunnel under the city of Jerusalem to a windswept fortress whose name spells death.

Threatened on every side by ruthless men with their own agendas, Bronson is plunged into a mystery that has gone unsolved since biblical times. For the stone he must find is older and far more dangerous than he could ever have imagined.

My Thoughts
The book is an entertaining, fast-paced read with many plot twists and turns. I found that even though the plot moved quickly, it was easy to understand, the characters' motives easily comprehensible to the reader. While it does have its moments of violence, and they are very clearly detailed and explained, this does not deter from the novel as they are few and far between. I really enjoy mystery and suspense, but I am not one for a lot of violence and big explanations on how people are killed; I can do without all the gory details.

I really enjoyed the historical aspect to this novel. As my family already knows, toss the following words around, 'quest', 'treasure', 'historical', 'Biblical', long lost', 'clues', and 'maps' and you've got one hooked reader. I loved learning about all the history and the explanations about all of the different places that Angela and Chris visited. Any history buff would enjoy this aspect of the novel.

I did feel that some of the elements were just too coincidental as to be entirely believable however. That Chris would be chosen to investigate a death in Morocco didn't quite ring true, especially one that was not suspicious in nature until he went to Morocco. I'm not entirely sure what the intricacies are from one nation to another, but I would be surprised if one could just walk in and interfere with another country's police investigation unless there was good reason to do so. Involving Angela in the investigation was also tricky as she was family, even though she is Chris' ex. She was also not an expert in the field of archaology they were researching, so I'm also pretty sure that she would not have been cleared officially to work on this case. When Chris and Angela started sneaking around and stealing items, it was so much more believable. I wondered at times if the author thought the reader would just gloss over these elements and see them as unimportant, or if he thought we really wouldn't know how the judicial system worked so it wouldn't matter.

I was also concerned over how quickly Angela and Chris were able to decipher clues that hadn't been deciphered in years. Becker himself mentions in the novel that it sometimes takes a team of archaeologists years to translate ancient scrolls discovered in the past, yet these two, and the enemies following them, managed to do in days, what archaeologists couldn't do in years. Too coincidental for me!

One of the things I would like to see in future books is more of a development in the personal relationship between Angela and Chris. I felt like their characters and relationship were unfinished or untouched in order to focus more on the storyline, and I would like to see as much emphasis on growth and development of the characters as on the plot.

Verdict
In summary, if you love historical and Biblical references mixed in with suspense and mystery, then you will enjoy this novel. It is fun, enjoyable, fast-paced, with enough twists to keep you interested until the last chapter as long as you are able to keep an open mind.

Note: The author includes a fascinating Author's Note that describes many of the places and events Chris and Angela visited throughout the novel. It really emphasizes the amount of research the author has done for this novel.

Book Review: The Bone Chamber by Robin Burcell

Copyright 2010 by HarperCollins Publishers

388 pages

ISBN 978-0-06-112229-3

Trade Paperback

Summary (Press Release)
Mysteriously summoned to Quantico to help re-create the face of a murdered, mutilated young woman, FBI forensic artis Special Agent Sydney Fitzpatrick knows immediately this is no ordinary crime. The hit-and-run death of the forensic anthropologist assisting her - a close friend - and Sydney's abrupt dismissal from the case by covert government investigators only strengthen her need for answers. Now her hunt for a killer is carrying her from Washington to Rome to the hidden chamber of a legendary tomb - on the trail of a fabled treasure of the Knights Templar...and a curse.

For buried deep in the mysteries of the Freemasons and the Vatican's Holy See is a secret that could rock the world. Suddenly an ancient map is pointing Sydney toward something the Templars wished to hide away forever - something that could unleash an unstoppable tide of blood and devastation.

My Review
Ms. Burcell certainly has developped an intriguing and deceptive mystery. As Sydney searches for clues to the death of her missing friend, she discovers that two researchers investigating conspiracy theories involving the government have gone missing. Several microbiologists, experts in their fields investigating deadly plagues and bio-weapons, have also gone missing or have turned up dead. Although Sydney is supposed to be on holidays, and is also considered to be a model FBI Agent, she takes matters into her own hands, and flies to Rome to discover more about what is going on around her. For the first time, she is flouting direct orders and taking matters into her own hands. While we see a more nervous Sydney at the beginning of the novel, she develops into a confident and secure Sydney towards the end of the novel, one who believes in herself, one who knows she is capable of doing anything. She is a heroine I could identify with and care about. Sydney and Undercover Agent Griffin help each other deal with their pasts and confront their fears in a satisfying way.

This novel features black ops, special ops, FBI, Knights Templar, Freemasons, the legendary Knights Templar treasure, Vatican intrigue, Biblical plagues, bio-weapons, Italian mafia, deadly curses, and lots of archaeological treasures. The twists and turns kept me interested every step of the way and kept me guessing as to what was happening. Even the way the characters were introduced, such as the priest Dumas and Professor Francesca, was done in such as a way as I didn't know if they were on Sydney and Griffin's side or against throughout the novel. I kept waiting for the 'bomb' to drop, so to speak.

Ms. Burcell has an amazing talent to describe the locale of her novels. I felt as if I was there in Rome, in the catacombs, and could 'see' them clearly with my mind although I have never visited Rome personally. It also gave me the desire to go to Rome and view these amazing monuments for myself. I was often caught up in the archaeological explorations, but I love things like that, and enjoyed the chase from tomb to tomb looking for clues to the final resting place.

Conclusion
This was a great novel in that there were many layers and puzzles to decipher. It is also filled with breathtaking moments and amazing locales, with many plot twists that will leave you feeling like you were on a rollercoaster at times. I enjoyed the relationships between the characters: they were not perfect, they had their down moments, but it made them seem more human. The race to piece the clues together left by a wealthy prince who was trying to avoid the Vatican was interesting and fast-paced. While the ending was enjoyable and satisfying, Ms. Burcell certainly did not end it cleanly. Dare we hope there will be a third book in the series?

Author Robin Burcell is a FBI-trained forensic artist who worked in law enforcement for over twenty years as a police officer, detective, and hostage negotiator. She is also the author of the Anthony Award winning SFPD Homicide Inspector Kate Gillespie novels.