Tess Gerritsen - The Mephisto Club.

I recently read The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen and was hooked from start to finish. I just could not put the book down. So when I spotted this book for £2 at a car boot sale I could not believe my luck.

===The Author====

Tess Gerritsen is a qualified doctor and she brings her expertise to all her books. She also has a keen interest in ancient cultures and her passion for such things is all t obvious (especially in this book). She enjoys travelling and currently lives in Maine with her husband. If you would like to learn more about her you can visit her website www.tessgerritsen.com.

====The Plot=====

The Mephisto club is a group of well educated individuals that enjoy hunting down the evils of this world by getting up close and personal with the horrors it creates. They are run by the wealthy Mr Sansone who pulls stings when necessary to get what he wants. I did find this a little unbelievable at times. Sure this character could be rich, but he could not really buy the police at every crime scene. There are a few new characters in this group, but one of its members is very interesting (being a very unlikable character from a previous book).

When the police find the body of a mutilated woman it is not the murder that draws attention but the religious markings on the walls. Upside down crosses and the phrase "I have sinned" in Latin are written on the walls. When these markings are discovered at more crime scenes Detective Rizzoli and Dr Isles have to pull out all the stops to catch the killer before anyone else gets slaughtered.

There is a sub plot running alongside the main plot. This explains the background of our serial killer and when everything began. Of course this gives away who is committing the murders, but it is done in a way that you don't really learn much until the end of the book.

=====My Opinion=====

Of course I don't want to give too much of the book away to you. It was gripping filled with plenty of gruesome murders and an interesting subplot. What I enjoy most about Tess's books is that you learn a lot whilst you are reading them. But it does not feel like you're learning at all. In this particular book you pick up a lot of information about the time predating Christ. You learn all about Adam and Noah's children from the bible. Parts of the bible that are overlooked of missed out completely.

Ok for some this is not that brilliant but for the history buffs out there (like me) you can just get lost in the book. The detail is as always brilliant, Tess being a doctor can go to extraordinary lengths to explain something a decomposing body or the effects of slitting someone's throat. This really plays wild with your imagination and makes certain ideas stick in your mind.

My only criticism of this book (and it is only small) is that I felt that the ending was rushed. You have followed these characters for 464 pages/ 37 chapters and then it's all over in half a chapter. Don't get me wrong the ending was excellent, but I felt it could have been prolonged a little longer. Keep me in suspense for just a few more pages. But this is just me being picky.

Otherwise a fantastic, can't put the book down read and I would recommend to anyone.