Now, darlings, you know I read A LOT of books. So, several weeks back, while volunteering at the Center Library, some Tess Gerritsen books crossed my path, I decided to take them home, and give them a look. Especially as one of them had the eye catching title "The Mephisto Club".
The second reason was, having recently succumbed to enjoying the TV series "Rizzoli And Isles", I wanted to read some of the original books that led to the series, and I ended up with a group of them. So, I started with "The Mephisto Club," which started out nicely, being not only a Rizzoli And Isles book, but a nice, relaxing serial killer story!!!! Which my girls know I just LOVE!!!!!!!!!
However, something odd began happening about 60 pages in, about the time a character named Lily Saul comes into the picture. Bells began to ring loudly in my head. They chimed dimly with the final sentence of the first chapter--"Amy Saul had no idea what she had brought home with them."--but, with Lily, they went off loud and clear. I thought, "Have I read this book before?"
Towards the end, bells began to go off about another character, one named "Edwina." I still did not know who the killer was, but I had a sneaking suspicion this Edwina was somehow connected to the killer. Turns out she is the killer's mother. "How did I know that?" I thought.
So I Googled, and when I typed in the title, I found book covers for different editions, When I saw the one for the original hardcover edition, I recognized it instantly, knowing I had read it. At the time, I must have been intrigued by the title, and put it on hold at the library. This would have been back in 2006.
The plot thickens, darlings. Since fifth grade, I have kept an index card box (leftover from a school assignment on library skills, which you know I aced!!!) and, since 1968, I have kept lists of every book I have read, on these cards. And, since 1970, the same for movies attended at the theater. Yet, when I searched for "The Mephisto Club" here, it was nowhere to be found. How could I have forgotten to list it, since it was so compelling it came back to me five years later???? The other thing that is interesting, is that, while it was a Rizzoli And Isles book, my memories had nothing to do with them, since, at the time, they did not make as much as much of an impression on me as Lily and her family story. Now, having seen the series, and being able to unmistakably visualize Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander as the leads, it is fascinating they did not register with me in the first place.
In fact, if they were smart they would use Angie and Sasha to dramatize this as a feature, because the story is so compelling.
Lily Saul is the traumatized survivor of a serial killer/family annihilator's extermination of her entire family. And she knows who did it. The summer she was fifteen, her traumatized cousin, Dominic, came to stay with them. Dominic's father, Peter Saul, had died, and his mother, Margaret, who worked in Egypt, had to go back after, so she left Dominic with his relations for the summer. Seemingly innocent, Dominic is not. He has incestuous lust for his cousin, Lily, which he does wants to act upon, but never does. Lily has his number from the start. As the summer goes on, a series of inexplicable deaths come upon the Saul family--all but Lily. Younger brother Teddy, age 11, is found floating face down in a lake, down a aways from where he had been fishing the day before...and chatting with his cousin, Dominic. Mother Amy takes a fatal tumble down the stairs several days later, due allegedly to not thinking clearly from grief. And a short time after that, their father locks himself in the den, and puts a bullet through his head. But Lily confronts Dominic, knowing he is responsible. His only remark to her is, "You should have been nicer to me." Classic serial killer behavior.
Supposedly, Dominic's mother returned, took him away, and Lily finished out the school year with friends, before leaving for college. When we meet her in the present, she is in Europe, and clearly on the lam from someone. We find out that it is Dominic, except for one thing. Lily maintains Dominic is dead; that, being unable to prove his guilt, she whacked him with a shovel, put his body in a car, drove out to a nearby lake, and got rid of both. She fabricated a letter from the mother, to support Dominic's departure. But, as things go on, it is apparent that Dominic is still alive!!!! But where is he???? Because, at the climax, when Dominic finally appears, and Edwina reveals herself as his mother, out with Dom to avenge not only what Lily did to her son, but the entire Mephisto Foundation, it is never revealed who we have seen previously in the book (Malcom, the grad student???) is Dominic, or if any of the red herrings were, or where his mother had been hiding him. It takes a nasty Mama to make a serial killer, and Margaret/Edwina is some piece of work; instead of the usual emotional/physical abuse, she uses her academic background into convincing her son they are descended from a race of fallen angels, who are destined to take over Earth, with their power. Nice, huh???? And, of course, this also feeds into Dominic the required sociopathy which every serial killer needs, so, of course, once he escaped from the car in the lake, which he did, his agenda is to seek direct vengeance on Lily.
No wonder it all came back to me, though I would like some points mentioned explained. Tess Gerritsen is pretty thorough, so I am surprised there were these flaws. I would also like to know if she based the Saul family murders on any real life case, because, honey, if so, I want to know about THAT!!!!!!!!
So I ended up reading a book I did not realize, at first, I had read before!!!!
Hope this isn't Alzheimer's, darlings!!!!! But I am telling you, you should read "The Mephisto Club!" And if it is ever dramatized, don't miss it!!!!!
By the way, I now think Dominic and his mother killed Dominic's father, who dies at the beginning. And if any serial killers come after you girls, do NOT hesitate to fight back!!!!!!
Force them to listen to Streisand CD's. That will stop them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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