The Reincarnationist

(reposted from Dirty Little Secret)

The Reincarnationist, by M.J. Rose, is a suspense novel that encompasses historical fiction, romance and mystery into one exciting story. The novel mainly focuses on Josh Ryder, a former photojournalist whose life has been turned upside down by memories of someone else’s life. No matter how you feel about reincarnation you can’t help but be pulled into the story.

As I was reading it, I was reminded of how I felt while I was reading The Da Vinci Code. I was so pulled in by the plot that I didn’t notice (until much later) that the characters were a bit two-dimensional. While I think the characters in The Reincarnationist had more depth than those in The Da Vinci Code, I didn’t even contemplate their lack of complexity until I was writing this review.

I simply can’t remember much about them, but I do recall all of the thrilling twists and turns of the plot. I also loved how much history I learned while reading. The book made me curious enough to do some research into the historical periods mentioned, which I have only been inspired to do with a few other books (North and South way back in high school and the Anne Perry mysteries series, for example). I was also very intrigued by the reincarnation aspect of the book. I’ve not thought much about reincarnation but the characters’ explanations are so accessible and fascinating that I’ve been inspired to research that as well.

I’m going to recommend this book to my book club, and not simply because most of them are history dorks like I am. The Reincarnationist never failed to hold my interest. The plot was complex and crossed genres with ease. The characters, if a little thin, were (generally) likable. I’m so glad MotherTalk let me review this book. I probably never would have picked it up on my own, but I certainly enjoyed it.

The Reincarnationist