Around the same time, Boston homicide detective, Jane Rizzoli is about to give birth to her first child. While her husband, FBI Agent Gabriel Dean, goes home to fetch her packed hospital bag, Jane waits in Diagnostic Imaging for her OB/GYN. Instead, Jane Doe comes crashing through and takes everyone in the department hostage.

Chaos ensues.

The idea of being declared dead, or buried alive, is a palpable fear that Gerritsen exploits in this fifth entry to her Rizzoli/Isles series. The media immediately latches on to the sensationalism of the event, and Dr. Isles is dodging reporters and criticisms at every turn. Meanwhile the hostage situation has everyone flummoxed. No one knows who Jane Doe is or why she’s been a hellcat ever since waking up in the morgue. She’s been impossible to control and when she shoots a security guard things get very sticky. The FBI is soon playing a turf war with Boston PD and the idea that Jane Doe is part of a terrorist plot is considered.

However, Gabriel Dean first suspects there is more to Jane Doe’s hostage taking than meets the eye. He’s frantic to save his wife and unborn child, but outside of the Boston PD negotiator, everyone seems determined to end the siege by force. Part of the charm of Gerritsen’s series is that she doesn’t always focus on one character throughout the books. Early books focused on Jane Rizzoli, later books on Dr. Isles, and now with Vanish, she spends several chapters telling the story from Gabriel’s point of view. Readers come to better understand how Mr. Gray Suit FBI came to fall in love with fire and brimstone Jane Rizzoli. It really helps bring their love story into focus.

Unfortunately, this shifting focus between characters also hinders the story a bit. There is a development towards the end of the novel that affects Dr. Isles, but she is not on hand for the climactic finish. In fact, the novel as a whole ends rather abruptly. Everything is wrapped up, and a resolution is offered, but it is the aftermath and how it affects the characters that aren’t truly explored. One suspects that Gerritsen may touch on the aftershocks in a future novel, and here is hoping she does – especially where Dr. Isles is concerned.

That said, Gerritsen is quite likely one of the most talented writers working in suspense today. This series in particular has allowed her to create interesting, multi-faceted characters and the combination of medical and crime drama leads to an exciting mix. Whether you’re a fan of medical thrillers or police procedurals, Gerritsen offers up a little bit of something for everyone. Her continued climb up the bestseller lists is certainly well deserved.

--Wendy Crutcher