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Rizzoli & Isles #7
The Keepsake
New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen knows how to expertly dissect a brilliantly suspenseful story, all the while keeping fascinated readers riveted to her side. By turns darkly enthralling and relentlessly surprising, The Keepsake showcases an author at the peak of her storytelling powers.
For untold years, the perfectly preserved mummy had lain forgotten in the dusty basement of Boston’s Crispin 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 Jane Rizzoli, the forensic evidence is unmistakable, its implications terrifying. And when the grisly 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 familiarity with post-mortem rituals suggests to Maura and Jane that he may have scientific expertise in common with Josephine. Only Josephine knows that her stalker shares a knowledge even more personally details of a dark secret she had thought forever buried.
Now Maura must summon her own dusty knowledge of ancient death traditions to unravel his twisted endgame. And when Josephine vanishes, Maura and Jane have precious little time to derail the Archaeology Killer before he adds another chilling piece to his monstrous collection.
From the Hardcover edition.
For untold years, the perfectly preserved mummy had lain forgotten in the dusty basement of Boston’s Crispin 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 Jane Rizzoli, the forensic evidence is unmistakable, its implications terrifying. And when the grisly 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 familiarity with post-mortem rituals suggests to Maura and Jane that he may have scientific expertise in common with Josephine. Only Josephine knows that her stalker shares a knowledge even more personally details of a dark secret she had thought forever buried.
Now Maura must summon her own dusty knowledge of ancient death traditions to unravel his twisted endgame. And when Josephine vanishes, Maura and Jane have precious little time to derail the Archaeology Killer before he adds another chilling piece to his monstrous collection.
From the Hardcover edition.
528 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2008
1982 people are currently reading
15350 people want to read
About the author
Tess Gerritsen
202 books21.2k followersInternationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen took an unusual route to a writing career. A graduate of Stanford University, Tess went on to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was awarded her M.D.
While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. In 1987, her first novel was published. Call After Midnight, a romantic thriller, was followed by eight more romantic suspense novels. She also wrote a screenplay, "Adrift", which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.
Tess's first medical thriller, Harvest, was released in hardcover in 1996, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her suspense novels since then have been: Life Support (1997), Bloodstream (1998), Gravity (1999), The Surgeon (2001), The Apprentice (2002), The Sinner (2003), Body Double (2004), Vanish (2005), The Mephisto Club (2006), and The Bone Garden (2007). Her books have been translated into 31 languages, and more than 15 million copies have been sold around the world.
As well as being a New York Times bestselling author, she has also been a #1 bestseller in both Germany and the UK. She has won both the Nero Wolfe Award (for Vanish) and the Rita Award (for The Surgeon.) Critics around the world have praised her novels as "Pulse-pounding fun" (Philadelphia Inquirer), "Scary and brilliant" (Toronto Globe and Mail), and "Polished, riveting prose" (Chicago Tribune). Publisher Weekly has dubbed her the "medical suspense queen".
Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.
While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. In 1987, her first novel was published. Call After Midnight, a romantic thriller, was followed by eight more romantic suspense novels. She also wrote a screenplay, "Adrift", which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.
Tess's first medical thriller, Harvest, was released in hardcover in 1996, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her suspense novels since then have been: Life Support (1997), Bloodstream (1998), Gravity (1999), The Surgeon (2001), The Apprentice (2002), The Sinner (2003), Body Double (2004), Vanish (2005), The Mephisto Club (2006), and The Bone Garden (2007). Her books have been translated into 31 languages, and more than 15 million copies have been sold around the world.
As well as being a New York Times bestselling author, she has also been a #1 bestseller in both Germany and the UK. She has won both the Nero Wolfe Award (for Vanish) and the Rita Award (for The Surgeon.) Critics around the world have praised her novels as "Pulse-pounding fun" (Philadelphia Inquirer), "Scary and brilliant" (Toronto Globe and Mail), and "Polished, riveting prose" (Chicago Tribune). Publisher Weekly has dubbed her the "medical suspense queen".
Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,331 reviews
May 22, 2023
Muszę sobie zrobić przerwę od książek Gerritsen na jakiś czas.
February 5, 2017
This is book 7 in the Rizzoli & Isles series. I recommend reading them in order . Tess Gerritsen is a doctor and uses her medical knowledge very well in this police procedural/medical mystery. It is a very creepy mystery, opening with the discovery of body thought to be an Egyptian mummy. The museum has arranged for a CT scan of the mummy. They have already determined the outer wrapping to be 2,000 years old through carbon dating. But the CT scan shows a bullet and they soon realize that this is a suspicious death. More horrific discoveries turn up, including shrunken heads. Detectives Rizzoli and Frost are assigned to the case and soon decide that they are looking for a serial killer with a taste for the macabre. This is a gripping thriller. I read it in two days, reading almost 300 pages on the second day.
Some quotes--
Forensic psychologist profiling the killer: "He didn't want to let them go, so he turns them into keepsakes that will last forever."
Detective Rizzoli: " He preserved her as a keepsake. She became part of his harem, Josephine, a harem of dead souls."
I rate this library book a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
Some quotes--
Forensic psychologist profiling the killer: "He didn't want to let them go, so he turns them into keepsakes that will last forever."
Detective Rizzoli: " He preserved her as a keepsake. She became part of his harem, Josephine, a harem of dead souls."
I rate this library book a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
September 18, 2018
Maura Isles shows up at the Crispin Museum as a guest for the unveiling of Madam X, a preserved mummy recently discovered in their basement. However, she’s soon asked to assume her role as medical examiner when it becomes clear that this is no ancient relic. She and Detective Jane Rizzoli now have a modern day Murder on their hands.
As with the earlier books in this series, this one begins with a mysterious and exciting prologue that tugs at you to find the connection to what follows. This was a true puzzler as everytime I thought I had things worked out, my hypotheses would get crushed with the introduction of a new curve ball. The mix of past and present made things even more complicated. I enjoyed the intrigue and subterfuge as the story moved very quickly.
Another new narrator, Dierdre Lovejoy, who was very good! She told the story with the right inflections in the right places, adding spooky and dramatic flourishes at the right times. I really enjoyed her performance, making a good story even better. I also liked the archeological settings and topics, once again learning something new. This came very close to being categorized as a mystery with historical elements.
As with the earlier books in this series, this one begins with a mysterious and exciting prologue that tugs at you to find the connection to what follows. This was a true puzzler as everytime I thought I had things worked out, my hypotheses would get crushed with the introduction of a new curve ball. The mix of past and present made things even more complicated. I enjoyed the intrigue and subterfuge as the story moved very quickly.
Another new narrator, Dierdre Lovejoy, who was very good! She told the story with the right inflections in the right places, adding spooky and dramatic flourishes at the right times. I really enjoyed her performance, making a good story even better. I also liked the archeological settings and topics, once again learning something new. This came very close to being categorized as a mystery with historical elements.
June 26, 2024
Wow.. double WOW!
Great story, lots of twists and turns— fascinating victim(s) and even more fascinating deaths.
This book, in more than one way, felt like a race against time. Not only are characters being hunted and on the run, but the intersection of past and present complicates the resolution— which is great because there are a few great twists in this one— but those complications amp up the suspense and keep the pages turning! Certainly my favorite installment in a series that just keeps getting better and better!!
More back story on our protagonists Maura and Jane, but also Barry Frost gets some attention paid to his personal life. And I must have missed something along the way.
This is not the Barry I had imagined (40-something, stodgy, slightly paunchy detective partner). No, apparently Barry is a blond good-looking Boy Scout (decent cop) in his early 30s— huh? How did I miss that? I like that Gerritsen gives Barry some background because he always felt like the long-suffering partner— not really a dude with a life beyond following Jane around.
Certainly looking forward to the next book— who knows what will happen next!!
(Reviewed 2/16/20)
Great story, lots of twists and turns— fascinating victim(s) and even more fascinating deaths.
This book, in more than one way, felt like a race against time. Not only are characters being hunted and on the run, but the intersection of past and present complicates the resolution— which is great because there are a few great twists in this one— but those complications amp up the suspense and keep the pages turning! Certainly my favorite installment in a series that just keeps getting better and better!!
More back story on our protagonists Maura and Jane, but also Barry Frost gets some attention paid to his personal life. And I must have missed something along the way.
This is not the Barry I had imagined (40-something, stodgy, slightly paunchy detective partner). No, apparently Barry is a blond good-looking Boy Scout (decent cop) in his early 30s— huh? How did I miss that? I like that Gerritsen gives Barry some background because he always felt like the long-suffering partner— not really a dude with a life beyond following Jane around.
Certainly looking forward to the next book— who knows what will happen next!!
(Reviewed 2/16/20)
April 16, 2018
How in the world do Dr. Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli get involved in a case involving a two-thousand-year-old mummy? The Keepsake, Tess Gerritsen’s seventh Rizzoli & Isles book, sounds like it could be a creepy Halloween thriller. I found it to be an intriguing puzzle.
Who was “Madame X”, and how did she come to be at the Crispin Museum in Boston? Moreover, why do other well-preserved, pseudo-ancient remains keep appearing? Are the deaths of these women related? Unable to determine a cause of death without organs, Dr. Isles cannot proceed. It is up to Jane Rizzoli and her partner, Barry Frost, to investigate. Jane gets weird vibes about a young female archaeologist who is employed at the museum. Frost seems smitten by her. Oh-oh. Frost is a married man. What’s going on there? And will it affect his work on this case?
Who is Josephine Pulcillo? What is she running from? And what kind of monster kills women then keeps them by preserving their remains? What message is he sending, and to whom?
The book gets a little off track with Maura’s romance with Daniel and the re-appearance of Anthony Sansone from The Mephisto Club, but I was thoroughly enthralled with this story. I couldn’t wait to see who was behind it, and while I was sure that the bad guy was hiding in plain sight, I was way off base.
I am not sure that serious archeologists would truly appreciate this book, and I don’t know if Dr. Gerritsen had Halloween in mind when she wrote it, but whatever inspired her to come up with this premise, it made a terrific plot.
4 stars
Who was “Madame X”, and how did she come to be at the Crispin Museum in Boston? Moreover, why do other well-preserved, pseudo-ancient remains keep appearing? Are the deaths of these women related? Unable to determine a cause of death without organs, Dr. Isles cannot proceed. It is up to Jane Rizzoli and her partner, Barry Frost, to investigate. Jane gets weird vibes about a young female archaeologist who is employed at the museum. Frost seems smitten by her. Oh-oh. Frost is a married man. What’s going on there? And will it affect his work on this case?
Who is Josephine Pulcillo? What is she running from? And what kind of monster kills women then keeps them by preserving their remains? What message is he sending, and to whom?
The book gets a little off track with Maura’s romance with Daniel and the re-appearance of Anthony Sansone from The Mephisto Club, but I was thoroughly enthralled with this story. I couldn’t wait to see who was behind it, and while I was sure that the bad guy was hiding in plain sight, I was way off base.
I am not sure that serious archeologists would truly appreciate this book, and I don’t know if Dr. Gerritsen had Halloween in mind when she wrote it, but whatever inspired her to come up with this premise, it made a terrific plot.
4 stars
June 24, 2023
The 7th book in the Rizzoli and Isles series immerses us in the world of archaeology and the fascination of mummification processes, but with a horrifying twist. This is another dark and creepy thriller that kicks off with an astounding public revelation before settling into a pulse-quickening stalker case that grows in intensity.
Pathologist Maura Isles has been invited to the Crispin Museum where a mummy, dubbed Madame X, is about to be put through a CT scan to reveal what lies beneath the bandages. But rather than revealing an ancient body, the scan identifies aspects of the body that can only be interpreted as that of a far more recently deceased person. A murdered, recently deceased person.
The Egyptologist at the Crispin Museum is Josephine Pulcillo, a very attractive woman for sure, but she’s also hiding some secrets. When Jane Rizzoli, along with her partner Barry Frost, start asking questions about Madame X, she senses that there’s something not quite right about Josephine. Rizzoli’s instincts are well developed and she can tell when someone is holding back on their answers.
When a second mummified body shows up, this time in the trunk of Josephine’s car, Rizzoli is more certain than ever that there’s something more going on than first meets the eye. And it all revolves around Josephine Pulcillo. It all kicks off big time when she’s proven to be correct.
The Keepsake is a psychological thriller that builds effortlessly around an archaeological theme, drawing in all sorts of horrors such as shrunken heads, bog people, tanned bodies displaying rictus death masks. Behind it all is a killer long history of collecting bodies as personal keepsakes.
There’s plenty of historical lore dished out as the story unfolds and, if nothing else, I found it quite interesting albeit not a subject I previously knew much about and cared even less. Kudos to Tess Gerritsen for her ability to convey the potential excitement others get for simply digging in the dirt in the hopes of finding old stuff.
It appears that Anthony Sansone (The Mephisto Club) is going to become one of the regular characters in the series. He makes an unexpected appearance in this story, offering some advice and hinting that he was privy to some inside information. Ultimately, he was fairly inconsequential to the outcome and may have been added simply as a reminder of what he could potentially bring to an investigation.
The guts of The Keepsake is centred around a terrifying psychopath who is closing in on his victim with unerring inevitability. The skeleton is the ongoing character development of the main players who make this a series to keep wanting to return to. The clock is ticking for Jane Rizzoli and Barry Frost as they attempt to pick apart events that are decades old in the hopes of stopping the killer today.
The Rizzoli and Isles series continues to impress and this episode exhibits the exquisite pacing married with an intricate plot. You can take nothing for granted as the red herrings are well hidden and only revealed when Ms Gerritsen wants you to know about them.
Pathologist Maura Isles has been invited to the Crispin Museum where a mummy, dubbed Madame X, is about to be put through a CT scan to reveal what lies beneath the bandages. But rather than revealing an ancient body, the scan identifies aspects of the body that can only be interpreted as that of a far more recently deceased person. A murdered, recently deceased person.
The Egyptologist at the Crispin Museum is Josephine Pulcillo, a very attractive woman for sure, but she’s also hiding some secrets. When Jane Rizzoli, along with her partner Barry Frost, start asking questions about Madame X, she senses that there’s something not quite right about Josephine. Rizzoli’s instincts are well developed and she can tell when someone is holding back on their answers.
When a second mummified body shows up, this time in the trunk of Josephine’s car, Rizzoli is more certain than ever that there’s something more going on than first meets the eye. And it all revolves around Josephine Pulcillo. It all kicks off big time when she’s proven to be correct.
The Keepsake is a psychological thriller that builds effortlessly around an archaeological theme, drawing in all sorts of horrors such as shrunken heads, bog people, tanned bodies displaying rictus death masks. Behind it all is a killer long history of collecting bodies as personal keepsakes.
There’s plenty of historical lore dished out as the story unfolds and, if nothing else, I found it quite interesting albeit not a subject I previously knew much about and cared even less. Kudos to Tess Gerritsen for her ability to convey the potential excitement others get for simply digging in the dirt in the hopes of finding old stuff.
It appears that Anthony Sansone (The Mephisto Club) is going to become one of the regular characters in the series. He makes an unexpected appearance in this story, offering some advice and hinting that he was privy to some inside information. Ultimately, he was fairly inconsequential to the outcome and may have been added simply as a reminder of what he could potentially bring to an investigation.
The guts of The Keepsake is centred around a terrifying psychopath who is closing in on his victim with unerring inevitability. The skeleton is the ongoing character development of the main players who make this a series to keep wanting to return to. The clock is ticking for Jane Rizzoli and Barry Frost as they attempt to pick apart events that are decades old in the hopes of stopping the killer today.
The Rizzoli and Isles series continues to impress and this episode exhibits the exquisite pacing married with an intricate plot. You can take nothing for granted as the red herrings are well hidden and only revealed when Ms Gerritsen wants you to know about them.
August 18, 2019
Mummies, shrunken heads, and bog bodies ... this story has the most unusual murder victims that I can recall in any story. Bog bodies? There is even a mysterious museum with a secret room. Reminds me of when I was young and was reading the Hardy Boys!
The story opens with Maura Isles arriving at a hospital. The Crispin Museum, a small and relatively unknown Boston museum, has discovered a mummy in their basement. The museum's records are poor to non-existent and they are excited about the discovery. Carbon dating has shown the outer wrappings to be 2,000 years old. Before putting the mummy on display they want to perform a CT scan. Maura has been invited as a guest. Everyone is shocked when the scan shows a bullet in the body. Instead of heading back to the museum the mummy is destined for the morgue where Dr. Isles will perform an autopsy.
Detective Jane Rizzoli and her partner, Barry Frost, head to the Crispin Museum. They want to check out the basement where “Madame X”, the name they have given the mummy, was found. This is one creepy museum. What they discover is a secret room with shrunken heads. Turns out one of these tsantsas is not what it appears to be. It is not a shrunken head of the Jivaro Indians of South America. Clearly they are dealing with a serial killer who likes to preserve his "keepsakes".
Josephine Pulcillo is an Egyptologist with the Crispin Museum. She is very smart and very attractive. Barry Frost appears to have fallen for her. Jane Rizzoli is suspicious of her. Something is off. There is something else there. Something she is holding back. When Josephine discovers a body in the trunk of her car, a body that appears to have been preserved in a bog, and then disappears Rizzoli is convinced she is right. Josephine Pulcillo is the key. Find out what secrets she is hiding.
The story takes Rizzoli and Frost from Boston to New Mexico to Texas to Maine as they work to unlock long buried secrets. It kept me turning pages and up at night as I had to read just one more chapter. The only negative is with Maura Isles and her love affair with Father Daniel Brophy. There is too much of her "woe is me", divorced and in love with a priest. I am not sure why Tess Gerritsen gets off track and brings this into the story. I usually found myself thinking the character is sad and pathetic.
The story opens with Maura Isles arriving at a hospital. The Crispin Museum, a small and relatively unknown Boston museum, has discovered a mummy in their basement. The museum's records are poor to non-existent and they are excited about the discovery. Carbon dating has shown the outer wrappings to be 2,000 years old. Before putting the mummy on display they want to perform a CT scan. Maura has been invited as a guest. Everyone is shocked when the scan shows a bullet in the body. Instead of heading back to the museum the mummy is destined for the morgue where Dr. Isles will perform an autopsy.
Detective Jane Rizzoli and her partner, Barry Frost, head to the Crispin Museum. They want to check out the basement where “Madame X”, the name they have given the mummy, was found. This is one creepy museum. What they discover is a secret room with shrunken heads. Turns out one of these tsantsas is not what it appears to be. It is not a shrunken head of the Jivaro Indians of South America. Clearly they are dealing with a serial killer who likes to preserve his "keepsakes".
Josephine Pulcillo is an Egyptologist with the Crispin Museum. She is very smart and very attractive. Barry Frost appears to have fallen for her. Jane Rizzoli is suspicious of her. Something is off. There is something else there. Something she is holding back. When Josephine discovers a body in the trunk of her car, a body that appears to have been preserved in a bog, and then disappears Rizzoli is convinced she is right. Josephine Pulcillo is the key. Find out what secrets she is hiding.
The story takes Rizzoli and Frost from Boston to New Mexico to Texas to Maine as they work to unlock long buried secrets. It kept me turning pages and up at night as I had to read just one more chapter. The only negative is with Maura Isles and her love affair with Father Daniel Brophy. There is too much of her "woe is me", divorced and in love with a priest. I am not sure why Tess Gerritsen gets off track and brings this into the story. I usually found myself thinking the character is sad and pathetic.
August 20, 2019
The Keepsake is book 7 in the Rizzoli & Isles series, so I won't give a full review.
If you've read the first 6 books in this series and enjoyed them. Than you'll enjoy The Keepsake.
Its a really good book!
If you've read the first 6 books in this series and enjoyed them. Than you'll enjoy The Keepsake.
Its a really good book!
March 6, 2014
Gerritsen is the master of putting all of the little pieces together to form one large puzzle. Her earlier novels displayed her penchant for lifelike and likable characters, dramatic issues, and surprising plot twists. This book marks a step forward in her development as a writer in the detective/mystery genre as she spins riddles and clues with ever increasing skill.
As with classic mystery novels, there are red herrings and layers of plot development That intertwine. It started a little slow, but quickly picked up speed as Gerritsen displays yet again her talent for creating tense, creepy scenes utilizing setting and atmospheric elements to build suspense. All of the characters/suspects are introduced early in the story, and when the end arrives it left me feeling like I could have solved the puzzle but did not.
It reads quickly and easily, the skill not in the complexity, but rather in the twists and turns of deft plotting. I also enjoyed the Mephisto Club appearances and theories.
Highly recommended for fans of the mystery genre.
As with classic mystery novels, there are red herrings and layers of plot development That intertwine. It started a little slow, but quickly picked up speed as Gerritsen displays yet again her talent for creating tense, creepy scenes utilizing setting and atmospheric elements to build suspense. All of the characters/suspects are introduced early in the story, and when the end arrives it left me feeling like I could have solved the puzzle but did not.
It reads quickly and easily, the skill not in the complexity, but rather in the twists and turns of deft plotting. I also enjoyed the Mephisto Club appearances and theories.
Highly recommended for fans of the mystery genre.
July 30, 2025
I love this series so much.
I read this in a day and it's just as good as the others. All the trademarks of a good Tess Gerritsen novel, twists, turns and whole lot of gory blood.
These books should give me nightmares!
Loved the Egyptian connection.
Five stars.
I read this in a day and it's just as good as the others. All the trademarks of a good Tess Gerritsen novel, twists, turns and whole lot of gory blood.
These books should give me nightmares!
Loved the Egyptian connection.
Five stars.
August 6, 2012
It's not that The Keepsake is "worse" than the other Rizzoli & Isles books I've read so much as it brings to light the fact that a couple of things that frustrate me about the series are actually series staples.
1.) There always seems to be a guy pinging the interest of either Maura Isles or a book-specific secondary female character in some creepo way (i.e. long stares or persistent attempts at trying to "help" her). These dudes are rarely the bad guys. Is the Edward Cullen "stare and relentlessly, almost aggressively rescue" tactic really romantic nowadays? I mean, Maura Isles is a doctor and Josephine Pulcillo in this one is a pretty smart archaeologist, so it's hard for me to believe that ladies with such brains are really charmed by lingery and/or unassertive weirdos.
2.) There will be a lot of breathless twists at the end, including the revelation that Someone! We! Know! is actually bad! Or "We made a mistake! The evidence actually points to _______ [while he's IN THE HOUSE]!" Which, I'm sure mistakes happen sometimes in the real world of detection, but meh. I'm gonna go back to Patricia Cornwell here: I respected her, back when the Scarpetta books were great, for not going for the cheap thrill of this sort of twist. She just told a straightforward investigation and discovery story.
Bonus number 3.) Gerritsen really cannot let go of the fact that her ME-based medical examiner, Dr. Singh, wears a Sikh headdress but also LL Bean boots. This is the second time in the span of three books (he was not in Vanish) that these exact details are mentioned within sentences of each other.
I guess the problem is really that I'm no longer in the mood for silly page-turner mass market mysteries anymore.
1.) There always seems to be a guy pinging the interest of either Maura Isles or a book-specific secondary female character in some creepo way (i.e. long stares or persistent attempts at trying to "help" her). These dudes are rarely the bad guys. Is the Edward Cullen "stare and relentlessly, almost aggressively rescue" tactic really romantic nowadays? I mean, Maura Isles is a doctor and Josephine Pulcillo in this one is a pretty smart archaeologist, so it's hard for me to believe that ladies with such brains are really charmed by lingery and/or unassertive weirdos.
2.) There will be a lot of breathless twists at the end, including the revelation that Someone! We! Know! is actually bad! Or "We made a mistake! The evidence actually points to _______ [while he's IN THE HOUSE]!" Which, I'm sure mistakes happen sometimes in the real world of detection, but meh. I'm gonna go back to Patricia Cornwell here: I respected her, back when the Scarpetta books were great, for not going for the cheap thrill of this sort of twist. She just told a straightforward investigation and discovery story.
Bonus number 3.) Gerritsen really cannot let go of the fact that her ME-based medical examiner, Dr. Singh, wears a Sikh headdress but also LL Bean boots. This is the second time in the span of three books (he was not in Vanish) that these exact details are mentioned within sentences of each other.
I guess the problem is really that I'm no longer in the mood for silly page-turner mass market mysteries anymore.
March 1, 2023
Estuvo bastante entretenido. Como siempre en esta saga, en los finales sube bastante la emoción. Esos detalles de los distintos tipos de momias y sus fabricacion me resultaron muy interesantes.
Destripadoras.
Destripadoras.
August 31, 2024
When a bullet is found in the leg of an ancient mummy, that is about to go on display in the Crispen Museum, Detective Jane Rizzoli & forensic pathologist Maura Isles find themselves investigating one of the strangest cases they have ever encountered.
Tess Gerritsen brings us anoter fine thriller, as she pulls the reader into the fascinating world of archeology & museums. The subject matter is completely absorbing & every chapter fies by in no time at all.
For me this felt like a great combination of modern dteective fiction & a throw back to the golden age of crime writing. It's Agatha Christie for the 21st century. Terrific stuff.
Tess Gerritsen brings us anoter fine thriller, as she pulls the reader into the fascinating world of archeology & museums. The subject matter is completely absorbing & every chapter fies by in no time at all.
For me this felt like a great combination of modern dteective fiction & a throw back to the golden age of crime writing. It's Agatha Christie for the 21st century. Terrific stuff.
December 25, 2019
Not my favorite in this series. It seemed to me hastily put-together and as I read I kept saying, I bet this happens next, or similar, and then it did. Possibly I read too many mysteries; possibly because I also was familiar with some of the circumstances (scientific ones) which were revealed in the book. I'm no archaeology expert, but I've read a zillion books on the subject. Okay, maybe just a couple dozen or so...
It's an important day for a small museum which houses a full 'cabinet of curiosities,' everything from old suits of armor to paleolithic tools and one mummy in a coffin which is about to be examined via a CAT scan. Yep, they're gonna look through all the mummy wrappings to see what's really underneath all that hardened resin and endless embalming bandages. Problem is this: this mummy has a bullet in her leg, and where it is possible that someone did shoot an ancient, 1,000+ year old mummy, there's another twist here: the bone shows signs of healing before the mummy person died.
Hence, mystery, a big one, and this leads both Rizzoli and Isles on a forensic and criminal quest. What the heck is going on HERE? The premise was great; I read this one in two days. I like Ms Gerritsen's writing style: swift action, lots of suspense, great background development of her two MCs: Jane Rizzoli, tough streetwise cop with a new husband and baby; Maura Isles, gorgeous forensic specialist in love with a priest. They are well presented and I believe every word they say, every move they make, but...
The story was predictable with few surprises. It's a bit graphic in places, but not overly so. It felt too small for me - like it needed another 100 pages to flesh some things out, including the mummy and a few other weird dead bodies which turn up.
Thus, three stars. That's a low rating for me.
It's an important day for a small museum which houses a full 'cabinet of curiosities,' everything from old suits of armor to paleolithic tools and one mummy in a coffin which is about to be examined via a CAT scan. Yep, they're gonna look through all the mummy wrappings to see what's really underneath all that hardened resin and endless embalming bandages. Problem is this: this mummy has a bullet in her leg, and where it is possible that someone did shoot an ancient, 1,000+ year old mummy, there's another twist here: the bone shows signs of healing before the mummy person died.
Hence, mystery, a big one, and this leads both Rizzoli and Isles on a forensic and criminal quest. What the heck is going on HERE? The premise was great; I read this one in two days. I like Ms Gerritsen's writing style: swift action, lots of suspense, great background development of her two MCs: Jane Rizzoli, tough streetwise cop with a new husband and baby; Maura Isles, gorgeous forensic specialist in love with a priest. They are well presented and I believe every word they say, every move they make, but...
The story was predictable with few surprises. It's a bit graphic in places, but not overly so. It felt too small for me - like it needed another 100 pages to flesh some things out, including the mummy and a few other weird dead bodies which turn up.
Thus, three stars. That's a low rating for me.
June 14, 2018
Tess Gerritsen Fans Group Link
Not a difficult plot/read & manageable number of characters to keep track of as you read the book. Tess able to add chapters from the main plot to make it enjoyable.
Archaeologist Josephine Pulcillo discovers a mummy in Boston's Crispin Museum.
Det. Jane Rizzoli & Dr. Maura Isles perform CT scans to find the 10+ year old body has a "modern day" bullet & the body wrapped in ancient mummy cloth, hence the Archaeology Killer is called "Madam-X".
A 2nd mummy is found then a 3rd in Josephine's car. Medea Sommer (mom) comes to help Josephine. They fear she will be the next victim. Angry Kimball Rose (he is a dad of a missing son that is not found & he is a wealthy patron of the Crispin Museum) & Carrie Otto(she is a sister of a missing brother not found), both appear to help identify if the 10+ year old "mummy" body is their missing family-related body? Why hadn't the police solved this crime already?
Why are these people killed, wrapped but are being found?
Not a difficult plot/read & manageable number of characters to keep track of as you read the book. Tess able to add chapters from the main plot to make it enjoyable.
Archaeologist Josephine Pulcillo discovers a mummy in Boston's Crispin Museum.
Det. Jane Rizzoli & Dr. Maura Isles perform CT scans to find the 10+ year old body has a "modern day" bullet & the body wrapped in ancient mummy cloth, hence the Archaeology Killer is called "Madam-X".
A 2nd mummy is found then a 3rd in Josephine's car. Medea Sommer (mom) comes to help Josephine. They fear she will be the next victim. Angry Kimball Rose (he is a dad of a missing son that is not found & he is a wealthy patron of the Crispin Museum) & Carrie Otto(she is a sister of a missing brother not found), both appear to help identify if the 10+ year old "mummy" body is their missing family-related body? Why hadn't the police solved this crime already?
Why are these people killed, wrapped but are being found?
February 14, 2018
3.5 stars rounded up...
I really like the archaeology aspects of the mystery with shrunken heads, mummies and other assorted aspects. The mystery was fun to read and Rizzoli was in kick ass mode which I love.
A couple items that were less than great:
The 1st POV of one of the characters wasn't needed and was definitely a distraction at the finale.
Maura didn't really have much of a role in this one except to mope about her lover, the Priest, being unavailable. Duh! I could do without this.
There was a brief part with Santone of the Mephisto Club which is annoying on two elements. It's irritating how he always has access to information he shouldn't have but every time he knows people who know something and automatically keep him informed of everything. It's just too much. And, I could do without his club and all the demon talk. He didn't add to the story and was an unneeded and irritating distraction from the story.
I really like the archaeology aspects of the mystery with shrunken heads, mummies and other assorted aspects. The mystery was fun to read and Rizzoli was in kick ass mode which I love.
A couple items that were less than great:
The 1st POV of one of the characters wasn't needed and was definitely a distraction at the finale.
Maura didn't really have much of a role in this one except to mope about her lover, the Priest, being unavailable. Duh! I could do without this.
There was a brief part with Santone of the Mephisto Club which is annoying on two elements. It's irritating how he always has access to information he shouldn't have but every time he knows people who know something and automatically keep him informed of everything. It's just too much. And, I could do without his club and all the demon talk. He didn't add to the story and was an unneeded and irritating distraction from the story.
September 6, 2022
просто обожнюю. героїв, сюжет, вбивць, авторку і КСД за те, що сумлінно радують нас продовженням (головне, не перехвалити, а то можуть і не видати весь цикл😳)
люблю до нестями. чекаю на «Убивчий холод», яку почну читати одразу ж 😂
а ще подумую переглянути однойменний серіал ☺️
люблю до нестями. чекаю на «Убивчий холод», яку почну читати одразу ж 😂
а ще подумую переглянути однойменний серіал ☺️
February 13, 2019
Kaip jau esu ne kartą minėjusi, Tess yra viena iš mano mylimiausių rašytojų. Tad visuomet paėmusi į rankas dar neskaitytą jos knygą, žinau, jog manęs laukia intriguojanti bei kupina veiksmo istorija 🤩
Šį kartą istorija mus nukelia į Bostono Krispino muziejays rūsyje. Jame netikėtai atrandama mumija, kuri yra pavadinama Ponia X. Ją apžiūrėjus yra nusprendžiama, jog ji yra senovės Egipto relikvija. Tačiau medicinos ekspertė Mora Ailz atranda vieną netikėtą radinį, kuris įrodo, jog Ponia X tapo žmogžudystės auka.
Kuomet yra aptinkami dar du šiurpūs moterų palaikai Mora kartu su Džeine Ricoli imasi šios užduoties, norėdamos išsiaiškinti, kas taip žiauriai pasielgė su nužudytomis moterimis...
Visos Tess knygos man be galo patinka, bet ši buvo labai super 🤩👌🏻
Kaip visuomet pilna intrigos, netikėtumų bei veiksmo. Įtraukė nuo pat pirmųjų puslapių ir "sukramčiau" vos per porą vakarų 🤭 Daug įdomių dalykų sužinojau apie mumijas bei jų paruošimo ritualus.
Ši knyga tikrai patiks detektyvų mylėtojams. Man joje netrūko nieko, puiki knyga 😍
Šį kartą istorija mus nukelia į Bostono Krispino muziejays rūsyje. Jame netikėtai atrandama mumija, kuri yra pavadinama Ponia X. Ją apžiūrėjus yra nusprendžiama, jog ji yra senovės Egipto relikvija. Tačiau medicinos ekspertė Mora Ailz atranda vieną netikėtą radinį, kuris įrodo, jog Ponia X tapo žmogžudystės auka.
Kuomet yra aptinkami dar du šiurpūs moterų palaikai Mora kartu su Džeine Ricoli imasi šios užduoties, norėdamos išsiaiškinti, kas taip žiauriai pasielgė su nužudytomis moterimis...
Visos Tess knygos man be galo patinka, bet ši buvo labai super 🤩👌🏻
Kaip visuomet pilna intrigos, netikėtumų bei veiksmo. Įtraukė nuo pat pirmųjų puslapių ir "sukramčiau" vos per porą vakarų 🤭 Daug įdomių dalykų sužinojau apie mumijas bei jų paruošimo ritualus.
Ši knyga tikrai patiks detektyvų mylėtojams. Man joje netrūko nieko, puiki knyga 😍
January 10, 2020
4 and a half stars really. Not quite as good as the previous ones, it just seemed a little bit predictable, but still a great page turner.
February 9, 2022
Dar viena įdomi ir įtempta istorija. Šioje knygoje rašoma daug įdomios informacijos apie archeologija, keistus žudymo metodus. Su daug iššukių teko susidurti detektyvams. Labai įtraukianti knyga nuo kurios sunku atitraukti akis. Net nepastebėjau kaip ištirpo knygos puslapiai.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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February 8, 2017
Decent enough crime fiction with the element I prefer them to have, which is forensic/science, which I knocked off in half a day. It's about the ninth in the series but there no need to read them all to understand what happens, like most crime fiction, unless you really want to develop any kind of long-term "relationship" with the characters (whom in this case are just like any other American forensic-cop team). Well written, but just escapism, though enjoyable (insofar as a brutal murder can be enjoyable, but you know what I mean).
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May 26, 2020
Rizzoli & İsles Serisinin 7 kitabı olan Ruh Koleksiyoncusu ilk olarak çoğu kitabında olduğu gibi gerçek hikaye ile başlarken ismen ilk olarak daha vahşi bir hikayeyi anımsatmasına rağmen çok vahşi bir hikayeyi içermeyen bir kitap. Crispin Müzesi'nin bodrum katında bulunan bir mumya olan "Bayan X", neye benzeyebileceğini belirlemek adına davetli olarak ekibe katılan Maura Bayan X adı verdikleri mumya'nın bacağında bir kurşun bulunması üzerine mumya'nın yakın zamanda öldüğü anlaşılır ve Frost ile Rizzolli katili bulmak adına yine araştırmaya koyulurlar. Birçok arkeolojik terim barındıran kitapta Tess kitaplarında ki katillerin hiçbiri için standart bir rotası olmadığını da görüyoruz. Bundan kaynaklı daha heyecanlı olan kitapta katil Mumya komplosu ile insanları avlıyor ve sonu diğer kitapları gibi fazlaca heyecan yaratıyor.
February 7, 2019
This instalments dives into the world of archeology, mummies and crazy killers. There's a pinch of beautiful women, living on the run and not too much Maura.
It's not that I hate Maura, not really, and I understand what it's like to be a woman in love, I would just like her to be... less in heat ! At least, this time, she just has one man in sight : progress.
The pacing was good, I kept wondering if such a "school" where the two men were sent really exists ?
My only drawback was that Sansone reappeared as I'm not too keen on his theories.
Anyway, I'm already on the next ! I feel like a drug addict...
It's not that I hate Maura, not really, and I understand what it's like to be a woman in love, I would just like her to be... less in heat ! At least, this time, she just has one man in sight : progress.
The pacing was good, I kept wondering if such a "school" where the two men were sent really exists ?
My only drawback was that Sansone reappeared as I'm not too keen on his theories.
Anyway, I'm already on the next ! I feel like a drug addict...
June 24, 2015
Best of the series in my humble opinion. This had all of the features of a great thriller. I picked this book up and was hooked from the beginning and could not get enough. It inspired a few moments of intense nervousness of my part. That doesn't happen often. Kudos!
August 23, 2017
Could have been my frame of mind at the time that I read this- It was just OK for me. I almost gave it 2 stars- but bumped it up to 3-
December 26, 2013
Outstanding. Complicated plot, interesting setting and background in the worlds of archeology and museums. More than a little gruesome. Unusual in that there are several characters of more or less equal standing.
First one in this series I've read. Will come again.
I'm looking forward to hearing Gerritsen speak at our Key West Literary Seminar next month.
First one in this series I've read. Will come again.
I'm looking forward to hearing Gerritsen speak at our Key West Literary Seminar next month.
July 6, 2021
4,5 Stale chwalę książki Tess i nie czuje aby kiedykolwiek się to zmieniło. Kolejny świetny kryminał trzymający w napięciu. Główne bohaterki tej serii stały się moimi faworytkami, są silne i niezależne. Mam nadzieję, że pozostałe książki będą również tak dobre!
October 3, 2024
Це було вааау🔥
Очікувала нудну історію про Єгипет і мумії але це було неперевершено 😻
Я просто не могла відірватись
Книга сповнена таких інтриг я навіть зараз сиджу і обдумую те, що прочитала
Однозначно 5/5
Рекомендую!
Очікувала нудну історію про Єгипет і мумії але це було неперевершено 😻
Я просто не могла відірватись
Книга сповнена таких інтриг я навіть зараз сиджу і обдумую те, що прочитала
Однозначно 5/5
Рекомендую!
December 20, 2016
Very long and creepy. Editing out the thinking of characters about 50% would be an improvement.
March 1, 2023
Como los anteriores de la serie, la autora consigue entretener y mantener la intriga hasta el último momento, dejando todos los cabos perfectamente atados.
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