“The Mephisto Club,” by Tess Gerritsen; Ballantine Books, New York; 353 pages; $25.95

As listed, “The Mephisto Club” is Tess Gerritsen’s 10th book. It grabs you right from the beginning and holds your interest until the last page. It could be classified as a gothic thriller because what appears as a serial killer with a very deviant signature competes with the breakup of a family and illicit love. It works here; and since it does, we identify with the main characters and fear for them. Crime and family are given equal time. Isn’t the above one sign of a professional writer? I think so.

The text starts on page four and here’s a quote from page seven, “Amy Saul had no idea what they were about to bring home with them.” This is after an invitation to a nephew to stay with her family. The novel proceeds to the hint of illicit love, then to a murder, then to a suspect, then a holiday family problem, back to the Saul family and a nudge further in the direction that the Saul family is not what it seems. That’s for a start. It seems complicated, but it’s not. All threads are sequential and followed easily.

The text is written with élan and flows along with us as willing travelers. The murders are apparently satanic rituals and are kept on that plane by a hard-nosed detective named Jane Rizzoli. On the other hand are members of the Mephisto Club, convinced that supernatural evil is involved. But what truly is the club involvement in this matter? Is psychiatrist Joyce O’Donnell, who interviews psychopaths, in contact with the killer?

This is a contest between fact and fantasy, and the reader must decide which.

Myself? I still wonder. That’s how good this book is.

Another refreshing point is Gerritsen’s handlilng of traditional male roles. Here, the prominent detective is a female respected by her peers. The medical examiner is a woman, also respected, and a little feared due to her job. One member of the Mephisto Club is a woman described as tall and strong and no-nonsense. Add a person on the run who is a clever woman.

To me, a male, it all works naturally.

This is a type of book I don’t usually read, and I find that a disgrace on my part. It doesn’t spout femininity; and, therefore, it attracts me and prompts me to wish for more. Incidentally, I’d want detective Rizzoli on my side, and I see the main characters do, too, at the end. Talk about esteem. And I notice the author lets Rizzoli in on the narration. On page 142, writing about a woman dating Jane’s estranged father, one sentence begins “Jane ignored the bimbo. …”

Gerritsen’s obvious research and knowledge is impressive. The streets and sights of Siena and Rome are described so well that we can’t help but be convinced she visited these places in Italy. Describing a car lifted by a crane from the waters of a quarry, she writes: “The air in the tires had caused it to flip upside down. ” (I didn’t know that.)

And on page 19 are the words of the medical examiner concerning her student days, “exsanguinate” and “laparotomy.” We don’t mind these medical terms because they are used in context and remind us that the author is a physician.

According to the book flap, Gerritsen’s novels are nationwide best sellers. This primes us before we open the book to the first page. Is it hype, or is it something we would want to read? Could it be something we can sink our teeth into after the promise of so many books that fail after the first chapter? The answer is an emphatic yes.

I’ve tried not to give too much of the plot away to spoil the fun. I told my wife about “The Mephisto Club,” and she’s now reading one of Gerritsen’s earlier novels. I definitely give Gerritsen’s newest novel 4 stars out of 4. I expect my wife will agree.

Edward M. Turner is a freelance writer living in Biddeford. His novel, “Rogues Together,” won the Eppie Award for best in action/adventure.