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"An FBI agent, tormented by a death he wasn't able to prevent, a crime he's never been able to solve and a love he's never forgotten, discovers that his true conflict resides not in his past, but in a ... past life"--Dust jacket.Tags
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I was first introduced to M.J. Rose's writing through her crime fiction series, featuring a sex therapist Dr. Morgan Snow. I enjoyed the series and so was excited when she came out with the Reincarnationist series, especially given the subject matter. Like so many books, however, the series went on my wish list, and I hadn't had the opportunity to read any of the books until now, beginning with the third book in the series, The Hypnotist. Although labeled a series, the Reincarnationist books (The Reincarnationist, The Memorist and The Hypnotist) can be read in any order. Their only connection seems to be the fact that they deal with past lives at their heart. The stories and the characters are independent of one another.
The above show more synopsis only covers a piece of what can be found in The Hypnotist. So much is going on that I would not recommend setting the book aside once you start for days a time before returning to it. You may lose a thread or forget an important detail. I had the luxury of reading most of this book in one sitting and found it captivating all the while. It was never dull and each thread of the story seemed carefully crafted to create a suspenseful and fascinating ride. As I read, I could hardly wait to see how everything would come together in the end.
The idea of past lives has long interested me, and so I was especially drawn to that aspect of the book. I haven't done nearly as much research into the subject as the author has, but my interest has been piqued. While the novel itself stretches believability, it does not do so in a way that interferes with the suspension of disbelief. I was hooked from the start and lost in the novel right through to the end. The characters were well developed, some more complex than others.
Art history has never been one of my strong suits, but I am fascinated by history itself and find the world of art theft intriguing. One issue the novel brought up that especially caught my interest was the trail of ownership a piece of art may leave, the complexities of it and just how difficult it could be to trace the art back to its origin. History is full of its own mysteries. It is no wonder I love it so.
Having been reading so many books about the Vietnam War recently, The Hypnotist was a nice change. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series. show less
The above show more synopsis only covers a piece of what can be found in The Hypnotist. So much is going on that I would not recommend setting the book aside once you start for days a time before returning to it. You may lose a thread or forget an important detail. I had the luxury of reading most of this book in one sitting and found it captivating all the while. It was never dull and each thread of the story seemed carefully crafted to create a suspenseful and fascinating ride. As I read, I could hardly wait to see how everything would come together in the end.
The idea of past lives has long interested me, and so I was especially drawn to that aspect of the book. I haven't done nearly as much research into the subject as the author has, but my interest has been piqued. While the novel itself stretches believability, it does not do so in a way that interferes with the suspension of disbelief. I was hooked from the start and lost in the novel right through to the end. The characters were well developed, some more complex than others.
Art history has never been one of my strong suits, but I am fascinated by history itself and find the world of art theft intriguing. One issue the novel brought up that especially caught my interest was the trail of ownership a piece of art may leave, the complexities of it and just how difficult it could be to trace the art back to its origin. History is full of its own mysteries. It is no wonder I love it so.
Having been reading so many books about the Vietnam War recently, The Hypnotist was a nice change. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series. show less
The Hypnotist is the third novel in M.J. Rose's "Reincarnationist" series, but it can very definitely be read as a stand-alone work. I haven't read either of the earlier novels, and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Rose does a good job of introducing the reader to the overall reincarnationist back story, without letting it dominate or slow the action of the current work. And even though the book keeps multiple narratives afloat, and includes dozens of characters to keep track of, Rose manages to keep it all pretty straight-forward and easy to follow. All the characters are distinct, even the ones who only have a minute or two onstage; there's plenty of suspense, humor, and romance along the way; the plot continues to twist and surprise show more right up to the end. And I loved it that one of the characters was a librarian delving through unexplored files in a secret library – what a great job, even if your boss is possibly criminally insane!
The only real disappointment I experienced was at the very end – I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say I found the ending just a bit too predictable. Not a bad ending, just a little more wrapped-up than I was expecting. Still, it's not enough to change my mind about the book – this is one terrific read! After finishing The Hypnotist, I may not believe in reincarnation, but I certainly believe in M.J. Rose. show less
The only real disappointment I experienced was at the very end – I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say I found the ending just a bit too predictable. Not a bad ending, just a little more wrapped-up than I was expecting. Still, it's not enough to change my mind about the book – this is one terrific read! After finishing The Hypnotist, I may not believe in reincarnation, but I certainly believe in M.J. Rose. show less
Ooooh, what a fun book!
It took me a bit to get control of the characters but once I did this was a wild ride of a book. I have always been fascinated by the idea of reincarnation - wouldn't it be interesting to have lived before? And I am an art history major from college so this book tied two interests together in one.
The plot is full of twists and turns and I will tell you I did not see the ending coming. I love a book that provides surpises up until the very last page. The characters are varied and there are some to hate and some to cheer for.
I had a hard time putting it down at night and it was a fast read. I'm going to keep it to read it again and I want to try and get my hands on the other books in the series.
It took me a bit to get control of the characters but once I did this was a wild ride of a book. I have always been fascinated by the idea of reincarnation - wouldn't it be interesting to have lived before? And I am an art history major from college so this book tied two interests together in one.
The plot is full of twists and turns and I will tell you I did not see the ending coming. I love a book that provides surpises up until the very last page. The characters are varied and there are some to hate and some to cheer for.
I had a hard time putting it down at night and it was a fast read. I'm going to keep it to read it again and I want to try and get my hands on the other books in the series.
Welcome to spoilerville!
Malachi is front and center again and this time presents as a malevolent figure, not an avuncular one. He’s still driven to steal another Memory Tool in hopes that he will manifest some kind of past life memory despite having not done so when the rest of the concert attendees did when the flute was played for all of them and all hell broke loose. He’s so determinedly delusional. This installment has another convoluted plot involving past lives, buried memories and conspiracy. It was choppy and disjointed and I have to attribute that to its complexity. For example I still don’t know how Shabaz knew about the Hypnos statue and what it hid which was the reason for his decades-long art theft. I put the show more timeline together and it makes no sense.
I enjoyed the book despite its faults. With novels like these you have to really suspend disbelief in order to go with the flow, but once in the flow it can be a lot of fun. There are others that follow these three, but I’ll be giving them a miss. show less
Malachi is front and center again and this time presents as a malevolent figure, not an avuncular one. He’s still driven to steal another Memory Tool in hopes that he will manifest some kind of past life memory despite having not done so when the rest of the concert attendees did when the flute was played for all of them and all hell broke loose. He’s so determinedly delusional. This installment has another convoluted plot involving past lives, buried memories and conspiracy. It was choppy and disjointed and I have to attribute that to its complexity. For example I still don’t know how Shabaz knew about the Hypnos statue and what it hid which was the reason for his decades-long art theft. I put the show more timeline together and it makes no sense.
I enjoyed the book despite its faults. With novels like these you have to really suspend disbelief in order to go with the flow, but once in the flow it can be a lot of fun. There are others that follow these three, but I’ll be giving them a miss. show less
I finally got round to reviewing this, although it's been a while since I read it. I should point out that when I received this book I had no idea it was the third in a series!
On the face of it, this sounds like the kind of book I would enjoy.
Interwoven plots, thefts, museums. And to some degree, it worked.
But not entirely. For me it was lacking something. It's one of those plots that sounds quite good on paper, but the actual experience left me feeling empty. There was no lasting impression left by this book.
Perhaps it's because it tried to draw in paranormal phoenomena as well - although I do enjoy the occasional read of those genres, I rarely enjoy them when mixed up with other plots.
Overall a book that has potential, but wasn't show more quite the right cup of tea for me; although I'm sure it will be for others. show less
On the face of it, this sounds like the kind of book I would enjoy.
Interwoven plots, thefts, museums. And to some degree, it worked.
But not entirely. For me it was lacking something. It's one of those plots that sounds quite good on paper, but the actual experience left me feeling empty. There was no lasting impression left by this book.
Perhaps it's because it tried to draw in paranormal phoenomena as well - although I do enjoy the occasional read of those genres, I rarely enjoy them when mixed up with other plots.
Overall a book that has potential, but wasn't show more quite the right cup of tea for me; although I'm sure it will be for others. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.This, to me, was a perfect summertime escapist read: exciting settings, a large cast of easy to remember characters, some improbable plot twists, and a bit of romance. Set (mostly) in New York City, the story follows a number of characters including Lucian, an agent with the FBI's Art Crime Team who witnessed his girlfriend's murder twenty years ago; Emeline, a young woman who may or may not be a reincarnation of that girlfriend; Samimi, an Iranian man tasked with recovering (or stealing) a sculpture of immense importance; and Dr. Malachai Samuels, a past-life researcher desperate to locate 'Memory Tools', artifacts thought to assist in accessing past life memories.
Although this is the third book in M.J. Rose's Reincarnationist series, show more I had no problem getting into the story and understanding the plot and premise. The story moves at a very brisk pace and I could easily race through the chapters; the characters are pretty notable; and the reincarnation element was a great twist on the standard crime thriller. There were a lot of coincidences I usually hate in these types of thrillers, but given that the characters are connected by their past lives, I was willing to forgive that to see where the story would go.
I do have to confess, however, I was disappointed that one of the major criminal factions in the novel were Iranian Muslims. Given the Islamophobia in the US, I find it dangerous to feature Muslims as criminals (and worse, pointedly as 'terrorists' at one point) and it ultimately took away some of my enjoyment of the story. (I rather wish Rose had invented a country to feature as the historical home of the sought-after statue, perhaps.)
My quibble aside, in the end this was the kind of novel I can understand being described as a 'romp': it's just straight-up fun. For folks in the market for an entertaining series to become addicted to, this might be it. show less
Although this is the third book in M.J. Rose's Reincarnationist series, show more I had no problem getting into the story and understanding the plot and premise. The story moves at a very brisk pace and I could easily race through the chapters; the characters are pretty notable; and the reincarnation element was a great twist on the standard crime thriller. There were a lot of coincidences I usually hate in these types of thrillers, but given that the characters are connected by their past lives, I was willing to forgive that to see where the story would go.
I do have to confess, however, I was disappointed that one of the major criminal factions in the novel were Iranian Muslims. Given the Islamophobia in the US, I find it dangerous to feature Muslims as criminals (and worse, pointedly as 'terrorists' at one point) and it ultimately took away some of my enjoyment of the story. (I rather wish Rose had invented a country to feature as the historical home of the sought-after statue, perhaps.)
My quibble aside, in the end this was the kind of novel I can understand being described as a 'romp': it's just straight-up fun. For folks in the market for an entertaining series to become addicted to, this might be it. show less
Lucian Glass has had a hard life. A talented artist, he is rocked by the death of his lover, Solange Jacobs in her father’s gallery. Mr. Jacob restored art and, after closing one evening; someone breaks in and steals a priceless Matisse, killing the girl in the process. Nearly killing Glass as well which might have been a blessing since he obsesses with Solange and cannot find a way to let her go.
He is with the FBI Art Crimes Team and researches art theft, fraud, etc. Someone wants a statue that is in the care of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A very, very old statue of Hypnos, the god of sleep. Nothing sleepy going on here, though. A group of folks called Resurrectionists, thinks the statue contains certain gems to help people show more recall their past lives. They will stop at nothing to get their hands on it, and some folks right in New York also want it for the same reason – it contains what they refer to as Memory Tools.
The best way for Lucien to investigate the New York contingent is to pose as someone in need of help. The hypnotist he sees isn’t involved in the plot but is determined to help Lucian find his past lives. And find them he does.
In a very interesting tale which is part of a series beginning with The Reincarnationist followed by The Memorist, we learn quite a bit about memory regression and if you are immersed in this it’s a great way to gain some knowledge. Rose has violence, murder, history and art all married into this novel and it works perfectly. I could not put this down until the final page and am now looking for parts one and two to satisfy my curiosity. Excellent work! show less
He is with the FBI Art Crimes Team and researches art theft, fraud, etc. Someone wants a statue that is in the care of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A very, very old statue of Hypnos, the god of sleep. Nothing sleepy going on here, though. A group of folks called Resurrectionists, thinks the statue contains certain gems to help people show more recall their past lives. They will stop at nothing to get their hands on it, and some folks right in New York also want it for the same reason – it contains what they refer to as Memory Tools.
The best way for Lucien to investigate the New York contingent is to pose as someone in need of help. The hypnotist he sees isn’t involved in the plot but is determined to help Lucian find his past lives. And find them he does.
In a very interesting tale which is part of a series beginning with The Reincarnationist followed by The Memorist, we learn quite a bit about memory regression and if you are immersed in this it’s a great way to gain some knowledge. Rose has violence, murder, history and art all married into this novel and it works perfectly. I could not put this down until the final page and am now looking for parts one and two to satisfy my curiosity. Excellent work! show less
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4,666 works; 199 members
Author Information
42+ Works 5,337 Members
MJ Rose is a former advertising executive who used her expertise working on major accounts, such as Harlequin Books, to propel her self-published debut novel, Lip Service in to the public eye. She lives in Greenwich, CT. (Bowker Author Biography)
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Hypnotist
- Original publication date
- 2010
- Important places
- New York, New York, USA
- Epigraph*
- Often, in the cosseted quarters of a museum, we forget that every work of ancient art is a survivor; a representative of untold numbers of similar artworks that perished. This triumphant exhibition makes us remember, while de... (show all)monstrating that every survivor saves much more than just itself: long strands of culture, identity and history waiting to be woven back together.
Roberta Smith, writing in the New York Times about the exhibit Silent Survivors of Afghanistan's 4,000 Tumultuous Years. - Dedication*
- To Mad Max Perkins
- First words*
- Time played tricks on him whenever he stood in front of the easel.
- Last words*
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And then the gap was closed.
- Publisher's editor*
- Mira Books
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genres
- Fiction and Literature, Historical Fiction, Suspense & Thriller, Mystery
- DDC/MDS
- 813.54 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 1900-1999 1945-1999
- LCC
- PS3568 .O76386 .H97 — Language and Literature American literature American literature Individual authors 1961-
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 233
- Popularity
- 139,848
- Reviews
- 44
- Rating
- (3.30)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 16
- ASINs
- 3
