Jane Rizzoli must hunt down a killer who preserves his victims using ancient techniques.
Jane Rizzoli/ Maura Isles #7
Ballantine Books
September 2008
On Sale: September 9, 2008
Featuring: Jane Rizzoli; Maura Isles
368 pages ISBN: 0345497627 EAN: 9780345497628 Hardcover Add to Wish List
For untold years, the perfectly preserved mummy had lain forgotten in the dusty basement of Bostonโs Crispin Museum. Now its sudden rediscovery by museum staff is both a major coup and an attention-grabbing mystery. Dubbed โMadam X,โ the mummyโto all appearances, an ancient Egyptian artifactโseems a ghoulish godsend for the financially struggling institution. But medical examiner Maura Isles soon discovers a macabre message hidden within the corpseโhorrifying proof that this โcenturies-oldโ relic is instead a modern-day murder victim.
To Maura and Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli, the forensic evidence is unmistakable, its implications terrifying. And when the grisly remains of yet another woman are found in the hidden recesses of the museum, it becomes chillingly clear that a maniac is at largeโand is now taunting them. Archaeologist Josephine Pulcilloโs blood runs cold when the killerโs cryptic missives are discovered, and her darkest dread becomes real when the carefully preserved corpse of yet a third victim is left in her car like a gruesome offeringโor perhaps a ghastly promise of whatโs to come.
The twisted killerโs familiarity with post-mortem rituals suggests to Maura and Jane that he may have scientific expertise in common with Josephine. Only Josephine knows that her stalker shares a knowledge even more personally terrifying: details of a dark secret she had thought forever buried.
Now Maura must summon her own dusty knowledge of ancient death traditions to unravel his twisted endgame. And when Josephine vanishes, Maura and Jane have precious little time to derail the Archaeology Killer before he adds another chilling piece to his monstrous collection.
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