Book Review: Vanish by Tess Gerritsen

Vanish
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Series: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel (Book 5)
Publication: Ballantine Books (August 23, 2005)

Description: Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles—the inspiration for the hit TNT series—continue their bestselling crime-solving streak. • A blessed event becomes a nightmare for pregnant homicide detective Jane Rizzoli when she finds herself on the wrong side of a hostage crisis in this timely and relentless thriller.

A nameless, beautiful woman appears to be just another corpse in the morgue. An apparent suicide, she lies on a gurney, awaiting the dissecting scalpel of medical examiner Maura Isles. But when Maura unzips the body bag and looks down at the body, she gets the fright of her life. The corpse opens its eyes.

Very much alive, the woman is rushed to the hospital, where with shockingly cool precision, she murders a security guard and seizes hostages . . . one of them a pregnant patient, Jane Rizzoli.

Who is this violent, desperate soul, and what does she want? As the tense hours tick by, Maura joins forces with Jane’s husband, FBI agent Gabriel Dean, to track down the mysterious killer’s identity. When federal agents suddenly appear on the scene, Maura and Gabriel realize that they are dealing with a case that goes far deeper than just an ordinary hostage crisis.

Only Jane, trapped with the armed madwoman, holds the key to the mystery. And only she can solve it–if she survives the night.

My Thoughts: Medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles discovers that one of the corpses awaiting autopsy in her morgue isn't actually dead. She is rushed to the Emergency Room where she kills a security guard and takes a hostage - Jane Rizzoli. 

Jane is about to give birth when she becomes a hostage in this crisis. The woman calls in a friend who is well-known to the police since he is accused of murdering a Highway Patrol officer who stopped his car and fleeing the scene. 

Both of the hostage takers have a story to tell and Jane wants to listen. But, before they can tell their story, a crisis team from Washington, DC, breaks in and kills both of the hostage takers. The woman gives Jane a final message: Find Mina. Mina knows.

Jane gives birth to her daughter, but she still has many questions about the whole experience of being a hostage. So does Maura Isles. Both wondered why the crime was taken from the Boston PD and became Federal so fast.

As they look into things along with Jane's husband FBI Agent Gabriel Dean, they discover a conspiracy reaching all the way to the White House and involving many branches of US Intelligence. From a house full of Russian prostitutes in Virginia to a major defense contractor making billions off the war in Afghanistan the conspiracy is massive. They don't know who they can trust from the FBI since everyone is keeping secrets. 

I enjoyed this fast-paced thriller. It is the fifth book in a series but the first that I have read. I'll be looking for more from this author and in this series. 

Favorite Quote:

This is what love does to you, Jane thought. It makes you afraid, not brave. It gives the world carnivorous teeth that are poised at any moment to rip away chunks of your life. 

I bought this one November 4, 2006. You can buy your copy here.