5. The Mephisto Club, Tess Gerritsen

[kethlenda.livejournal.com]

Mystery/thriller is one of those genres that I don't read often, but that I do read occasionally when I need a change of pace. I've been reading a lot of fantasy lately, and needed a break. I saw this at a friend's house, saw that it was a thriller with a mythological aspect, and thought it sounded like just the thing, so I borrowed it.

What I didn't realize is that it's a later book in an ongoing series, featuring detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles. However, Gerritsen brought me up to speed pretty quickly on Jane's and Maura's histories, without getting info-dumpy. I never felt like I was lost.

The two women are investigating the murder of a young woman. Their investigations lead them to other murders, and to a strange group of scholars fascinated by the concept of evil. These scholars believe that the killer is not exactly human, but instead is one of the Nephilim, who are said to be the offspring of angels and mortal women. It's an interesting use of the mythology. Gerritsen doesn't give a definitive answer to the question of whether the Nephilim actually exist in her "universe," or whether it's just a myth that attempts to explain why some people lack empathy for their peers.

The plot of The Mephisto Club is exciting and often scary. It's "beach read" type stuff, but it was just what I needed; it had just enough mythological material to suck me in, but was different from my usual fantasy fare and gave me a "break."