Sunday Synopsis

Madonna and Corpse by Jefferson Bass
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Technically this book is part of the Body Farm series by the authors (Jon) Jefferson (and William M.) Bass. However, none of the "cast members" from the Body Farm appear in this book, and it is not set in Tennessee. As a prequel to The Inquisitor's Key, book 7 in the series, this short story is set in Avignon, France. Inspector Rene' Descartes is investigating what appears to be a theft at the Palace of the Popes museum. He then ends up investigating a death. There is no end to the story. It's a complete cliffhanger. The next section is actually the beginning of the next novel, so I didn't read it because I don't want to read it until I'm ready to read the rest of the novel.

The story was a lot shorter than I expected, and didn't tie in with the characters in the Body Farm series. Perhaps they will tie in somehow in the next book. The characters were not very likeable, and the story was too short to include any depth in character development. Reading this short story (it can't even be classified as a novella) felt more like reading a Dan Brown book with a historical, secretive atmosphere, maybe because of the focus on art. I didn't dislike the story, but it didn't end, and that bothers me. It feels like I was deceived into purchasing this "book."

Note: The Inquisitor's Key is known as The Bones of Avignon in the UK.

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