From Publishers Weekly: Starred Review. In this stunning page-turner, Rose's third Reincarnationist novel (after The Memorist), special agent Lucian Glass of the FBI's Art Crime Team continues to pursue Malachai Samuels of the Phoenix Foundation as well as the list of Memory Tools (deep meditation aids that help people access past-life memories) that Malachai covets. After a stolen Matisse painting arrives back at New York's Metropolitan Museum slashed to bits, the thief warns that four more stolen paintings by major artists will be destroyed unless the museum gives him Hypnos, an eight-foot-tall sculpture, which could help a person gain paranormal powers. The Matisse was taken 20 years earlier from the gallery of Andre Jacobs, father of Lucian's first love, Solange, who was killed during the heist. Lucian becomes attracted to Emeline, Andre's niece and adopted daughter, whose mannerisms and facial expressions eerily resemble Solange's. As Lucian recovers previous-life memories, his present life takes ever more shocking turns. This series inspired Fox TV's Past Life, which debuted in February.
I wasn't favorably impressed with this novel; mostly it seemed sensational and silly. The characters were superficial, and the first love reincarnated was distasteful to me. I didn't much care for the past life incarnations either. Don't get me wrong, I usually like a good reincarnation story, but not this one. Or the twist involving Solange's father. Or much else. There were quite a few bad guys...in different times and for different reasons and conveniently all tied together.
Fiction. Supernatural/Mystery. 2010. 416 pages.
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