This newest entry in the Taylor Jackson series could be termed a procedural with a twist. It includes elements of the occult: Goth, Wicca, Satanic and Pagan rituals and beliefs. In the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit that in general, “woo woo” is not my favorite genre. This novel, however, does not ask readers to believe in the occult, merely to accept that there are those that do. And on that basis, I had no problem with it at all. More to the point, I found it equally as enjoyable as the earlier books in this series, of which this is the fifth.
All events transpire over a four-day period, beginning, significantly, on October 31st [usually known as Halloween or, if one follows the occult, Samhain, which is the Wiccan New Year.] As the book opens, Taylor Jackson has just been reinstated as a Lieutenant in the Nashville Metro Police Department, heading up the Murder Squad. The squad assembles hurriedly when there are reports of multiple victims and multiple crime scenes, at least seven dead in five different houses, all victims between fourteen and eighteen years of age. The persons responsible seem to be the eponymous, if self-styled, Immortals. Is this, as it starts to appear, a case of vampires and witches running amok in Nashville, Tennessee?
Paralleling this investigation in the novel is one that revolves around events which began in June of 2004 with the discovery of the fifth victim of what the media dubs The Clockwork Killer, which involved Dr. John Baldwin, Supervisory Special Agent and Taylor’s fiancé, and which he must revisit when a hearing into the matter is being held at FBI headquarters at Quantico. In each case, the present and the past, there is an inherent threat of further loss of young lives, both aspects of the book equally suspenseful. [I couldn’t help but note that Dr. Baldwin displays good taste in writers, reading a copy of a John Connolly book in one scene.] The occult aspect becomes just another part of the background and not a deterrent to this reader’s enjoyment of the book. As is pointed out to Taylor, “Everyone needs something to believe in. Pagans just look to things that are a bit more tangible than what you and I are aware of.” The Immortals, as were the other books in the series, is recommended.
