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The Mephisto Club
(Rizzoli & Isles #6)
by
In Gerritsens latest New York Times bestseller, medical examiner Maura Isles and detective Jane Rizzoli take on a society of scholars that studies the history of evil--and the grisly killer it has spawned.
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Hardcover, 355 pages
Published
September 12th 2006
by Ballantine Books
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Start your review of The Mephisto Club (Rizzoli & Isles, #6)

Ever since Maura Isles got the spotlight in this series, I've been complaining how pathetic she is when it comes to her love life. Seriously, she keeps on trying to fall in love to every attractive guy who looks at her. How come a logical and level-headed medical examiner can make such stupid moves is beyond me.

Anyway, The Memphisto Club is the sixth book in the Rizzoli and Isles series. We got some stabbings here, some bullets flying between the good and the evil, a weird club and a ton of med ...more

Anyway, The Memphisto Club is the sixth book in the Rizzoli and Isles series. We got some stabbings here, some bullets flying between the good and the evil, a weird club and a ton of med ...more

Homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles are called to the scene of the brutal murder of a young woman. Strange symbols and a cryptic message are clues that lead them to an even stranger group of people who are members of the Mephisto Foundation, a group of scholars who believe in and study the history of evil. Even more disturbing is the discovery that Dr. Joyce O’Donnell is a member and evidence suggests the killer is somehow connected to her.
This was a creepy story th ...more
This was a creepy story th ...more

The least Christmas kind of story line for a Christmas vacation read. An unspeakable crime on Christmas Eve gets the action rolling in this Rizzoli and Isles novel. Lots of blood, victims, evil and plenty of creepy flashbacks.
One of my favorites so far as there’s a mix of ancient mythology and modern demon hunters at work here. Multi-layered story plus a few personal dramas at home for Maura and Jane.
Although I guessed most of the ending, it really was a page turner. Great way to start off the ...more
One of my favorites so far as there’s a mix of ancient mythology and modern demon hunters at work here. Multi-layered story plus a few personal dramas at home for Maura and Jane.
Although I guessed most of the ending, it really was a page turner. Great way to start off the ...more

Jun 18, 2019
Jim
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery-suspense-thriller,
books-read-2019
"You can study a face all you want, but you never really know what lies beneath the mask.”
The sixth book in the Rizzoli & Isles series. I have enjoyed reading the books in this series but this is probably my least favorite. It was still an enjoyable read but it was too Dan Brownish. Too much demons / the devil, the bible, secret societies, etc. I understand how Jane Rizzoli felt in this story.
It is Christmas Eve and both Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles draw the short straws when they are called out ...more
The sixth book in the Rizzoli & Isles series. I have enjoyed reading the books in this series but this is probably my least favorite. It was still an enjoyable read but it was too Dan Brownish. Too much demons / the devil, the bible, secret societies, etc. I understand how Jane Rizzoli felt in this story.
It is Christmas Eve and both Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles draw the short straws when they are called out ...more

Peccavi.
“I have sinned.” This Latin word, along with three upside down crosses, is found on the wall of a lurid murder scene on Christmas Eve. The Mephisto Club, Tess Gerritsen’s sixth book in her much-liked Rizzoli & Isles series, features more graphic murder scenes than several of her previous novels. Mephisto takes its name from the legend of Dr. Faustus. Mephistopheles was the evil spirit that appeared to Faustus after he drew secret symbols. The result: Faustus sold his soul to the dev
...more

The Mephisto Club is book #6 in the Rizzoli & Isles series and in my opinion its the weakest. I think book 6 was a little too inspired by Dan Brown and his books.
The Mephisto Club is about demons, Satan, secret societies, and lost books of the Bible and it was just less fun then the other books in the series.
I still love this series and I won't let one disappointing book effect my opinion of the rest of the series. ...more
The Mephisto Club is about demons, Satan, secret societies, and lost books of the Bible and it was just less fun then the other books in the series.
I still love this series and I won't let one disappointing book effect my opinion of the rest of the series. ...more

May 06, 2008
Jennifer Wardrip
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-personally-by-moi
It amazes me that Tess Gerritsen is able to write such awesome thrillers, time after time. And yet she does, proving that she is, quite simply, at the top of her game--and at the top of the psychological thriller/mystery genre!
Many others have outlined the plot of THE MEPHISTO CLUB, so let me just say a few things: this is a great storyline, original, and handled deftly. The action-adventure is non-stop throughout the book, and although you know, basically from the beginning of the story, who t ...more
Many others have outlined the plot of THE MEPHISTO CLUB, so let me just say a few things: this is a great storyline, original, and handled deftly. The action-adventure is non-stop throughout the book, and although you know, basically from the beginning of the story, who t ...more

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 ...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 ...more

I really didn't like this one all that much. I was actually able to put it down and walk away from it.
I was not thrilled with the character development in this one, there was really only two surprising things...(view spoiler)
The overall plot wasn't that good. I was not truly scared reading about the boy's perspective, it was interesting only ...more
I was not thrilled with the character development in this one, there was really only two surprising things...(view spoiler)
The overall plot wasn't that good. I was not truly scared reading about the boy's perspective, it was interesting only ...more

Tess Gerritsen Fans Group Link
A nice read with Rizzoli & Isles, Christmas Eve is spoiled in Boston. A Latin word "Peccavi" & crosses (written upside down) are left in blood on bodies. The Latin word means "I Have Sinned". Upside down crosses are against "Chtistanity".
Severed body parts from one murder are swap with another part at the next murder. A symbol is left on Maura's door causing her fear.
A Mephisto Club member, Dr. Joyce O'Donnell (psychiatrist), appears but not much "help" ...more
A nice read with Rizzoli & Isles, Christmas Eve is spoiled in Boston. A Latin word "Peccavi" & crosses (written upside down) are left in blood on bodies. The Latin word means "I Have Sinned". Upside down crosses are against "Chtistanity".
Severed body parts from one murder are swap with another part at the next murder. A symbol is left on Maura's door causing her fear.
A Mephisto Club member, Dr. Joyce O'Donnell (psychiatrist), appears but not much "help" ...more

Peccavi
The Latin word is scrawled in blood at the scene of a young woman's brutal murder: "I HAVE SINNED". It's a chilling Christmas greeting for Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, who swiftly link the victim to controversial celebrity psychiatrist Joyce O'Donnell - Maura's professional nemesis and member of a secret society called "The Mephisto Club."
On tony Beacon Hill, the club's acolytes devote themselves to the analysis of evil: Can it be explained by science? D ...more
The Latin word is scrawled in blood at the scene of a young woman's brutal murder: "I HAVE SINNED". It's a chilling Christmas greeting for Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, who swiftly link the victim to controversial celebrity psychiatrist Joyce O'Donnell - Maura's professional nemesis and member of a secret society called "The Mephisto Club."
On tony Beacon Hill, the club's acolytes devote themselves to the analysis of evil: Can it be explained by science? D ...more

Superbly crafted
this book reads like a horror novel but is a mystery nonetheless. The author does a nice job developing the characters and it is clear that this tendency began earlier in the series. I started with this book and it worked as a stand alone, but there are references to previous books in the series that loyal readers no doubt recognize.
The story begins with a murder on Christmas Eve that appears to be a satanic ritual. A group of amateur sleuths with a lot of money and less experien ...more
this book reads like a horror novel but is a mystery nonetheless. The author does a nice job developing the characters and it is clear that this tendency began earlier in the series. I started with this book and it worked as a stand alone, but there are references to previous books in the series that loyal readers no doubt recognize.
The story begins with a murder on Christmas Eve that appears to be a satanic ritual. A group of amateur sleuths with a lot of money and less experien ...more

Loving these books, very much enjoyed this one.
(I have skipped #5, though, as it involves a crime in a hospital setting with a hostage situation, etc. I don't like those kinds of stories; I find them tedious with everyone kind of holding static in place.)
Anyhow, Jane Rizzoli, homicide detective with a new baby and husband, and Dr. Maura Isles, forensic pathologist, (hope I got that right!) get involved with some rather morbid murders involving demons, the devil, mysterious markings found on vict ...more
(I have skipped #5, though, as it involves a crime in a hospital setting with a hostage situation, etc. I don't like those kinds of stories; I find them tedious with everyone kind of holding static in place.)
Anyhow, Jane Rizzoli, homicide detective with a new baby and husband, and Dr. Maura Isles, forensic pathologist, (hope I got that right!) get involved with some rather morbid murders involving demons, the devil, mysterious markings found on vict ...more

WARNING FOR SLIGHT SPOILERS
As usual, on/off partners in crime-fighting, Detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner, Doctor Maura Isles, are having difficulties in their personal lives.
At the start of The Mephisto Club, Isles’s yearning for handsome Catholic priest, Father Daniel Brophy, remains unrequited, but as he is equally attracted to her, how long that status will last is anyone’s guess. Meanwhile Jane Rizzoli, an experienced homicide investigator with the Boston PD, has a happily-marrie ...more
As usual, on/off partners in crime-fighting, Detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner, Doctor Maura Isles, are having difficulties in their personal lives.
At the start of The Mephisto Club, Isles’s yearning for handsome Catholic priest, Father Daniel Brophy, remains unrequited, but as he is equally attracted to her, how long that status will last is anyone’s guess. Meanwhile Jane Rizzoli, an experienced homicide investigator with the Boston PD, has a happily-marrie ...more

This is a series that has almost become a diamond in the rough. I remember, the first book did not really strike me as great, but it was good enough for me to want to read the second one. Ever since, this series has really caught my attention. The setting has been mostly Boston, but this book travels to upstate New York. The Binghamton area, Lourdes Hospital, Norwich and even Syracuse are mentioned. Jane and Maura are tracking an evil force. With the unwanted assistance of the Mephisto Club, the
...more

I still am loving these books! However, this one was a little on the eh side for me. I enjoyed the story, but was a bit lost when the talk about mythology and religion came into play. I felt at times that took over the story when there needed to be more focus on the killer and the investigation.
I know my reviews are vague, but I don't like throwing out too many details that will ruin a reader's decision to read any book. So I apologize for that!!
I'm excited to start the next rizzoli and isles ...more
I know my reviews are vague, but I don't like throwing out too many details that will ruin a reader's decision to read any book. So I apologize for that!!
I'm excited to start the next rizzoli and isles ...more

This one didn't work for me. The guilty party was identified early and then we go through a history lesson on the myth of demons. The Mephisto Club itself was a group of creepy people. Although I did like a certain character getting in too deep (I won't spoil). I didn't like Maura having the affair with the Priest and wished their relationship hadn't progressed that far. The ending set up at a remote location seemed too much like a plot device versus something that would happen.
Although this one ...more
Although this one ...more

I hate it when this series focuses on Maura's boring love life. How a smart woman can make nothing but stupid choices where her romantic relationships are concerned is beyond me.
...more

Jul 13, 2011
Sheila Beaumont
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
mysteries-suspense-thrillers,
adult-fiction
Loved it! I'm reading these in series order, and this is my favorite so far.
...more

The 6th book in the Rizzoli and Isles series by Tess Gerritsen.
This is an excellent series of books that features Jane Rizzoli a police homicide detective and Maura Isles a medical examiner.
The books are very well written and show a very good knowledge of Police procedure. The interaction between the main two characters is very effective and makes very entertaining reading.
This is an excellent series of books that features Jane Rizzoli a police homicide detective and Maura Isles a medical examiner.
The books are very well written and show a very good knowledge of Police procedure. The interaction between the main two characters is very effective and makes very entertaining reading.

Very good addition to this great series as cop Rizzoli and Doctor Isles investigate cult murders linked to satanical fanatics. Brutal, violent and very dark. Some developments in their home lives and a compelling story of a young girl hiding from the chasing darkness. Read in one sitting. Excellent.

I absolutely loved The Mephisto Club. This does not come as a surprise at all, as I really enjoy all of Gerritsen's books. This one contains some mystery- and thriller-tropes that I find very intriguing (e.g. satanism, occult symbols, an apparently psychopatic/socipathic killer) and combines them with a number of plot twists I did not necessarily see coming.
Since I did not read the Rizzoli and Isles series in order, this is in fact one of the last volumes I had yet to read. (view spoiler) ...more
Since I did not read the Rizzoli and Isles series in order, this is in fact one of the last volumes I had yet to read. (view spoiler) ...more

Jun 01, 2014
ScrappyMags
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
mystery-or-horror,
chic-lit-guys-might-like
Probably my favorite R & I to date!! Weird, creepy, supernatural (or is it?), this book was suspenseful, full of fast-paced mystery and also had me adding some creepy books to my "to read" shelf! Not trying to spoil but the only storyline I was "meh" on was Isles' love . I'm sure it will be pertinent in the next book but it was just cheesy enough to earn a "chic lit" tag from me.
...more

Tess Gerritsen spins another magical web of mystery in her novel, The Mephisto Club. Here, the story is tied to The Book of Enoch, an ancient text written some two hundred years before Christ. Gerritsen uses Enoch as a foundation for her tale of intrigue to discuss the age-old question of evil. The reader doesn’t need to get bogged down with the historical details of The Book of Enoch to enjoy The Mephisto Club. To buy into the pre-biblical & biblical stories covered in this novel is not asked o
...more

I don't know what happened but this is my least favourite Rizzoli & Isles so far. Maura seemed stuck in her own head for having fallen in love with a priest and worrying whether anything's going to happen or what is going to happen. Ugh, get a grip woman! For a 41-year-old woman she seems a bit too much like a teenager at times.
The crime part of the story reminded me quite a bit of one of the Robert Langdon stories because there was a lot of talk about God, christianity and its symbols. Gerritse ...more
The crime part of the story reminded me quite a bit of one of the Robert Langdon stories because there was a lot of talk about God, christianity and its symbols. Gerritse ...more

Another Rizzoli and Isles book draws to a close for me. A great story with quite a bit of excitement.
I still feel sorry for Maura. She's heading down a road that is going to leave her with nothing but heartbreak. She deserves happiness.
As for the friendship between Maura and Jane I still want in the books what I see in the tv series. They are friends but it just doesn't feel like a deep friendship. I don't see a great deal of closeness, just judgement and anger at times. I don't know if they ju ...more
I still feel sorry for Maura. She's heading down a road that is going to leave her with nothing but heartbreak. She deserves happiness.
As for the friendship between Maura and Jane I still want in the books what I see in the tv series. They are friends but it just doesn't feel like a deep friendship. I don't see a great deal of closeness, just judgement and anger at times. I don't know if they ju ...more
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Internationally 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 ...more
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 ...more
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“I know there’s evil in the world, and there always has been. But you don’t need to believe in Satan or demons to explain it. Human beings are perfectly capable of evil all by themselves.”
—
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“You can study a face all you want, but you never really know what lies beneath the mask.”
—
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