Date published: September 2008
ISBN: 978-0345-49762-8
Romantic Suspense
Hardcover
Reviewed by Gina
Barry Frost, Jane Rizzoli’s partner has found himself a new interest. While his wife is studying law and spending some time visiting her mother, he has become increasingly curious about mummies and their preservation. Jane finds his latest fascination a tad odd and believes it is merely that Barry needs to have a sit down with his wife.
When medical examiner Maura Isles is called in to witness the unveiling of a thousand year old mummy discovered in the bowels of the Crispin Museum, the last thing she expects to see is a bullet in the mummy’s leg. The CT scan to reveal the mummy’s story is quickly terminated and Maura and Jane begin their newest investigation. When a shrunken head and a body turn up, the case begins to take even odder and more disconcerting turns. Each twist and turn leads them back to quiet Egyptologist, Dr. Josephine Pucillo. When the body is found in Josephine’s car and she takes off without a word, Jane has no doubt the woman who has also captured Barry’s attention holds all the answers to just who the grizzly serial killer is. The problem is, the killer has Josephine in his sights and will stop at nothing to make her his own.
Tess Gerritsen’s THE KEEPSAKE was well worth the wait and at the same time I was most impatient to see Jane and Maura’s latest case. The enigmatic Anthony Sansone of the Mephisto Society is back, certain that only pure evil could be mummifying and preserving unsuspecting young women—all who bear a striking resemblance to Josephine. He is a fascinating character with so much depth I would enjoy seeing him in a larger role in an upcoming book. In fact, if wishes came true, he’d have his own series based on THE MEPHISTO CLUB. His views on evil and the nephilum are fodder for some wonderful stories. While only a few months have passed within the story from Maura’s investigation in THE BONE GARDEN, both heroines have grown and developed into even more intriguing characters. It is a testament to Ms. Gerritsen’s storytelling that her characters do not remain stagnant, but are as changeable and fully developed as you or I.
With my own fascination of the ancient Egyptians, Barry Frost’s input into the history is a bonus. He too has developed since the last case, making him an appealing secondary character. While I personally wait impatiently for the next Gerritsen to arrive, I appreciate the depth of her research. From her earliest work through this most recent “can’t put down” book, readers are along for the ride of their lives. If you haven’t read Tess Gerritsen you do not know what you are missing. If you have, this one is a must have.
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