The Mephisto Club by Tess GerritsenMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Mephisto Club is the sixth Rizzoli and Isles book, and if I’m being honest it is probably my least favourite thus far. It was still an enjoyable read, but I didn’t love it in the way I loved the five prior books. I’m unsure if this is because it has been so long since I read Vanish or whether it was the story itself but I’m hoping I’ll enjoy The Keepsake a lot more.
The one thing I can clearly attribute to my lowered enjoyment is the attention paid to the private life of Isles. Ever since we started to get glimpses into her private life, I’ve found myself somewhat disinterested in the events outside of the criminal elements of the story. I positively adore following Rizzoli’s life – I’ve become so invested, I always want more – yet I cannot bring myself to feel the same way about Isles. I’m not sure what it is about her in particular, but I’m nowhere near as invested in her life.
In terms of the specific story of this one, it’s quite different to the prior books. The Mephisto Club deals with evil in more abstract terms rather than looking at a single crime. Whilst there is the one single crime story being told throughout, the overall story comes together in relation with the overall concept of evil more than it does the individual storyline. I feel as though the usual hard hitting elements of a Rizzoli and Isles story was lost in the background in this attempt to address evil on a much bigger picture.
I have no issue with such stories. They can be very interesting. They can make for great reads. However, it didn’t quite fit with what I expect from a Rizzoli and Isles story. It almost felt as though the characters were slipped into a storyline that was meant for another, with little bits of their own stories being pulled in and lost in the background of everything else that was going on.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read but it wasn’t all I had been hoping it would be. I’m certainly continuing on with this series, but I’m hoping the future books return to what we’re used to.
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