In summary, a bang-up good job and highly entertaining read. My next in this series will be #7. Can't wait! 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.) The main character becomes Lily Saul with a "evil" Christianity spirit & a "fallen" angel (Devil) after her? Her parents & Teddy (brother) killed. 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 experience become involved making the investigation difficult for the police officer Rizzoli. The medical examiner Isles works with her.

This was a creepy story that focused on one of my least favorite topics. Mythical demons and their spawns are not my cuppa, which negatively influenced my rating. So, if this is a subject you find intriguing, I highly recommend the story as it’s well researched and written. There’s a secondary storyline involving Maura and Daniel Brody that I did find interesting as well as the story surrounding the killer who is identified at the beginning.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! 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.

I loved that Father Brophy and Dr. Maura Isles finally "got together," but I need this relationship to go beyond THE THORN BIRDS!! There has got to be a resolution to this plot line, and soon!A gruesome murder calls both Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles out on Christmas Eve with the crime scene displaying numerous signs of devil worship. Upside down crosses, a pentagram, confronting displays of body parts and blood indicates that an extremely deranged individual has been at work. On tony Beacon Hill, the club's acolytes devote themselves to the analysis of evil: Can it be explained by science? Does it have a physical presence? Do demons walk the earth? Drawing on a wealth of dark historical data and mysterious religious symbology, the Mephisto scholars aim to prove a startling theory: that Satan and his demons actually exist among us. Personally, I don’t mind the blood and gore linked to serial killer books, although I can see where some might have a problem with it. You should go in knowing there will be some confronting moments. Let’s face it, when one of the lead characters is a medical examiner you’re going to strike a higher than normal number of graphic scenes involving human body parts. Tess Gerritsen did a good job in portraying the horror of her crime scenes without going too far over the top. I really didn't like this one all that much. I was actually able to put it down and walk away from it.