KEEPING THE DEAD

TITLE: KEEPING THE DEAD
AUTHOR: TESS GERRITSEN
Pages: 349
Date: 24/02/2009
Grade: 5
Details: no. 7 Rizzoli and Isles Thriller
Library

A mummy has been found in the cellar of a museum. Dr. Maura Isles is present when the mummy goes through a CT scan, only to call in detective Jane Rizzoli when the supposedly old mummy has a very modern bullet inside her.
It is soon discovered that the mummified woman must have been killed in recent times, after having been kept prisoner and tortured.
When a second preserved modern body is found it becomes clear that Rizzoli and Isles are dealing with a depraved killer. Someone who is still actively stalking women and is somehow connected to the museum where the mummy was found and the beautiful archaeologist working there. But Dr. Josephine Pulcillo is a mysterious woman with secrets she means to keep, although they do leave her in terrible danger.
I do like the books in this series a lot more than Gerritsen's other novels. I don't know if that is because of familiarity with the characters or for some other reason, but whereas the non-series books tend to leave me somewhat dissatisfied, this series pushes all the right buttons for me.
This book finishes with Tess Gerritsen sharing the real life murder mystery in her community that inspired her to write mysteries. And it is as fascinating as her fiction is, even if the outcome is less polished or satisfying than you'd get in a novel.