Marianne Perry's Blog - Posts Tagged "safari"
When you are afraid, everything zooms into sharp focus. Die Again by Tess Gerritsen.
Book Review: Die Again by Tess Gerritsen
It’s been quite a while since I’ve read a book in this series about the crime solving team of Boston Detective, Jane Rizzoli and Medical Examiner, Dr. Maura Isles. For this reason, I appreciated the backstory threaded throughout the novel as it helped me regain familiarity.
The plot centers around unsolved murders on a Botswana safari six years ago and those recently committed in Boston and elsewhere. I must admit it was the African setting that prompted my reading as I’ve travelled to an east African safari in Tanzania and Kenya. On this note, Gerritsen’s descriptions are spot-on and her depiction of wildlife and the environs, excellent. The Leopard intrigued me while there and I witnessed the amazing animal carry a gazelle up a tree then sprawl on a large branch. He is the supreme hunger and Gerritsen did him honour!
Chapter Twenty-One in particular was well-written. It explores the issue of fear from Millie’s POV. As the sole survivor of the safari murders, she adopts the Leopard’s habit and sleeps in trees at night to survive during a two week period in the wild. She also slathers herself with mud for protection and we see her change from human to animal prey. The quote cited is from this chapter.
Gerritsen also explores themes related to family dynamics that deepen our understanding of the characters and cause us to reflect on pertinent social issues. Rizzoli is concerned with her parent’s marital problems and Isles, whose estranged mother is a convicted murder, must deal with how to respond to a terminal diagnosis.
Die Again is a suspenseful novel and the presence of a domestic cat adds humour plus reveals character and advances plot. The chapters are short and end on a note of “what’s next.” The point of view switches from first -person, Millie to third-person, Jane or Maura.
The story builds slowly and deftly links the Boston crimes to those in Botswana. I was disappointed, however, with the final five to six chapters and felt the explanation thin and the solution, flat. The highlight of this novel was Africa; nevertheless, I will seek out another book in this series.
Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
www.marianneperry.ca
It’s been quite a while since I’ve read a book in this series about the crime solving team of Boston Detective, Jane Rizzoli and Medical Examiner, Dr. Maura Isles. For this reason, I appreciated the backstory threaded throughout the novel as it helped me regain familiarity.
The plot centers around unsolved murders on a Botswana safari six years ago and those recently committed in Boston and elsewhere. I must admit it was the African setting that prompted my reading as I’ve travelled to an east African safari in Tanzania and Kenya. On this note, Gerritsen’s descriptions are spot-on and her depiction of wildlife and the environs, excellent. The Leopard intrigued me while there and I witnessed the amazing animal carry a gazelle up a tree then sprawl on a large branch. He is the supreme hunger and Gerritsen did him honour!
Chapter Twenty-One in particular was well-written. It explores the issue of fear from Millie’s POV. As the sole survivor of the safari murders, she adopts the Leopard’s habit and sleeps in trees at night to survive during a two week period in the wild. She also slathers herself with mud for protection and we see her change from human to animal prey. The quote cited is from this chapter.
Gerritsen also explores themes related to family dynamics that deepen our understanding of the characters and cause us to reflect on pertinent social issues. Rizzoli is concerned with her parent’s marital problems and Isles, whose estranged mother is a convicted murder, must deal with how to respond to a terminal diagnosis.
Die Again is a suspenseful novel and the presence of a domestic cat adds humour plus reveals character and advances plot. The chapters are short and end on a note of “what’s next.” The point of view switches from first -person, Millie to third-person, Jane or Maura.
The story builds slowly and deftly links the Boston crimes to those in Botswana. I was disappointed, however, with the final five to six chapters and felt the explanation thin and the solution, flat. The highlight of this novel was Africa; nevertheless, I will seek out another book in this series.
Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
www.marianneperry.ca
