This is one of those books where I guessed the ending within the first few moments of reading but was compelled to read on, hoping against hope that the author would surprise me. But he didn't.That doesn't make Blood Memory and less interesting. Cat Ferry is a 31-year-old odontologist who was born into a rich Mississipian family, but that hasn't stopped her from growing up troubled. She works her speciality on some cases for the New Orleans Police Department and on occasion, with the knowledge she gained during med school before she was expelled, solves other murder cases with her married lover, Sean. She's drunk and has been since she was a teenager, tormented not only by the unexplained murder of her father but also by something she doesn't know; her memories have been repressed. Her sexual proclivities would have given Freud a headache. Now she's pregnant and working on a serial case, but she suffers panic attacks at some of the scenes, recurring nightmares and a desperate need to find out what happened to her as a child.
It takes you for a ride through the discovery of Cat's lost memories of childhood sexual abuse and the heartache that comes with it. Greg Iles takes this topic which could have turned into a modern day cliche that you wanted to bang you head against, but he somehow manages to make it worth the read, even if for the predictable ending.
I at times felt let down by how half hearted her emotions were- I'm sure most people would be a lot more emotional when trying to quit drinking while wondering if your lover is going to leave his wife to be with you. But her emotions were clinical and flat, not heart wrenching or thought provoking as they should be.
It's one of those books that doesn't really stick around after it had been read, which is a shame because Iles has some good ideas.
Labels: Greg Iles
