The Secrets of Life and Death, by Rebecca Alexander

The Secrets of Life and Death, by Rebecca Alexander has two story lines. In the present day, Professor Felix Guichard is called in to consult on mysterious symbols found on the body of a dead girl. In his research, he meets Jack, who we learn is dead. Or was. She was supposed to die, but magic keeps her alive. However, people with her condition need to have certain sigils on their body and remain inside magic circles for a certain amount of time (hence the girl dying when she left them). It soon becomes clear though, that there is a bigger danger. With Maggie, a witch, Jack saves other people from dying so that they can live full lives and so their blood (which has magical properties) can be used to help others. Someone is hunting for revenants and they've focused on finding the one Jack just saved: a teenage girl. They don't know who this woman is. However, they know one thing: her intentions aren't pure.
In the past, Edward Kelley and John Dee (occultists/spiritualists) have been called to the court of Istvan Bathory. It seems his niece, Erzsebet, is ill with a debilitating condition that both weakens her and has left her barren. The mission seems simple. Using their knowledge and skills, Kelley and Dee will save this woman's life. However, as they learn more about the Bathory family, it becomes clear that saving Erzsebet may lead to an even greater danger.
The overall story line is interesting. It makes the reader want to keep reading to find out what happens next and how the magic works. However, there were two things that made it impossible for me to fully enjoy this book. The first is that Erzsebet is portrayed as a victim of a curse that has been in her family for generations. She is possessed by a demon, which leads to her becoming quite possibly the most prolific serial killer of all time. Erzsebet Bathory was a messed up woman. We might never know if she had some disease or psychological illness that made her behave the way she did. But, despite any circumstances that might have contributed to her torturing and murdering hundreds of girls, she was not a victim. There might be more things in Heaven and Earth than we understand but, unless we rule out every single scientific solution for a condition/problem/event, we should not assume that the person is besieged by supernatural assailants. Erzsebeth was a monster but, to the best of our knowledge, she was responsible for her actions, not a demon or a curse. To pretend otherwise is insulting to her victims. They may have lived a long time ago but they were just as human as we are and they don't deserve to have their murderer pitied.
The second feature is that the romance that develops between Felix and Jack seems a bit rushed. They go through a lot together and maybe it's only natural that their relationship progresses beyond the category of just friends, but it seems to happen too fast. One day they meet and, over a course of a few days, Felix is declaring his love for her. It just seems like it should have been slowed down a bit.
In conclusion, the basic plot line is entertaining, but the aforementioned points detracted from the story. I'd give this book a three out of five.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through the Blogging For Books program in exchange for an honest review.