Die Again

Die Again is the 11th book in the Rizzoli and Isles series and therefore this review may contain spoilers for the previous books.

Six years ago, a group of tourists head into the Botswana bush to experience the “real Africa”. One death can be discounted as a tragic accident, but when the bodies start to pile up, the group turn against one another. Who can be trusted and will anyone return alive? Back in Boston, a man is found murdered, hung and gutted like a piece of meat. What could possibly connect these murders?

The bush is not merely a holiday destination; it’s where you learn how insignificant you truly are.

Tess Gerritsen’s books are such easy, page-turning reads whilst dealing with grizzly crimes. I have grown tired of many formulaic crime series but I keep coming back to Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles. The characters’ lives are as much a draw as the mysteries they solve.

I enjoyed the tension of the chapters in Botswana, told in first person by Millie, a woman dragged into the wilderness by her boyfriend who has already grown tired of her. At first, she seems like a bit of a wet blanket, being rough ridden over by a man more interested in nature and the two attractive blondes that are part of their group. But she soon comes to prove herself resilient and the key to the whole thing.

Tonight might be date night, the one evening a month where they vowed not to talk about work, but it always came back to murder. How could it not, when this was what they both lived and breathed?

Without too much of a spoiler, cats large and small are a big part of the story. The Boston victim’s cats are taken in, one by Maura who doesn’t adjust well to the life of a cat owner. It doesn’t quite fill the gap left by Father Brody. There’s ever present danger of the big cats in Botswana and the less obvious danger of those in captivity. The story also touches on hunting and the ethics, whether for food or for sport.

Die Again is published by Transworld and is available now in hardback and ebook editions. Thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy for review via NetGalley.

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Also reviewed @ For Winter Nights | Savidge Reads

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free of charge for review purposes only. Receipt of a book does not guarantee a review or endorsement. My reviews are my honest opinion and are not biased for the purpose of personal gain.