Haunted by a twenty-year-old murder of a beautiful young painter, Lucian Glass keeps his demons at bay through his fascinating work as a special agent with the FBI’s Art Crime Team. Currently investigating a crazed art collector who has begun destroying prized masterworks, Glass is thrust into a bizarre hostage negotiation that takes him undercover at the Phoenix Foundation — dedicated to the science of past-life study — where, in order to maintain his cover, he agrees to submit to the treatment of a hypnotist.Under hypnosis, Glass travels from ancient Greece to nineteenth-century Persia, while the case takes him from New York to Paris and the movie capital of the world. These journeys will change his very understanding of reality, lead him to question his own sanity and land him at the center of perhaps the most audacious art heist in history — the theft of a 1,500-year-old sculpture from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Title: The Hypnotist (The Reincarnationist series, Book 3)
Author: M.J. Rose
Format: hardcover, 405 pages
Genre: mystery, suspense
Source: review copy, TLC Book Tours
Published: May 2010 by Mira Books
Buy the book: The Book Depository | Kindle
My Thoughts
I had not heard of this book (or the series) until Lisa from TLC Book Tours asked me if I wanted to be on the tour. I’m glad she gave me the opportunity to read The Hypnotist because had it not been for her, I probably wouldn’t have found out about this book otherwise. The Hypnotist is the 3rd book in The Reincarnationist series. I have not read the 1st two books but I had no problem reading this book as a stand alone.
The beginning of the book felt like I was getting pulled from all different directions. It was hard for me to follow the storyline at first; it kept bouncing around from one narrative to another in a way that I found somewhat confusing. But once I had my feet firmly planted in the foundation of the storyline, I was ready for the adventure. This took about 50-60 pages.
Another thing I had trouble with was following the characters. The main reason being that at one point a character would be referred to by their first name, then at another time by their last name. Because of this inconsistency, I found myself backpedalling to remind myself who a character was. I think it would have been a bit easier to follow if the characters were all referred to the same way - either by their first name or their last. There is enough going on in the storyline that needs my attention; I don’t want to have to constantly think ‘who’s this guy again?". I finally decided to keep a list of characters, to keep everyone straight.
All in all, The Hypnotist was a good read. Once I got into the story, it was hard to put the book down. It had an intricate plot with the character’s paths intertwining with one another in ways you would not expect. I am not a firm believer in reincarnation; however, the author presented very convincing theories on the subject matter. The highly climatic ending kept me on the edge of my seat. I got closure for the most part; no cliffhanger ending here. The intense-filled, suspenseful ending had me! It was not what I was expecting. I like getting an ending that I didn’t see coming. Word of insight - this book is one to savor; The Hypnotist is not a light, fluffy read.
The Book Vixen’s Rating 
Where to find M.J. Rose online
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Oooo I like an ending that surprises me! I'm glad you ended up enjoying The Hypnotist and really appreciate you being on the tour!
ReplyDeleteMakes me think of the book "Reincarnation"
ReplyDeleteI have the first two books in this series, so I'll be reading this one soon. Did you know that the short lived show Past Life was based on these books?
ReplyDeleteI just finished the book and found it hard to keep up with. But, after, all the characters starting making sense, it did turn out to be an okay read.
ReplyDelete