Product Description
Behind the well-known U.S. security organizations— the FBI and CIA among them—lies a heavily guarded, anonymous government agency dedicated to intelligence surveillance and to a highly specialized brand of citizen protection.

Shock waves of alarm ripple through the clandestine agency when Washington, D.C., police detective Ryan Kessler inexplicably becomes the target of Henry Loving, a seasoned, ruthless “lifter” hired to obtain information using whatever means necessary. While Loving is deft at torture, his expertise lies in getting an “edge” on his victim—leverage—usually by kidnapping or threatening family until the “primary” caves under pressure.

The job of keeping the Kessler family alive falls to a man named Corte, a senior federal protection officer known as a “shepherd.” Uncompromising, relentlessly devoted to protecting those in his care and a passionate board game aficionado, he applies brilliant gaming strategy to his work. For Corte, the reappearance of Loving—the man who, six years earlier, had tortured and killed someone close to him—is also an opportunity to avenge his friend’s death. The assignment soon escalates into a fast-paced duel between Corte and Loving, a dangerous volley of wits and calculated risks.

As he shepherds the Kesslers to a concealed safe house, Corte must anticipate Loving’s every step as the lifter moves in on his prey, and with the help of razor-sharp investigator Claire DuBois and his longtime ally, FBI agent Paul Fredericks, pinpoint which of Kessler’s seemingly insignificant cases has triggered Loving’s return. As the team digs deeper, each of the Kesslers comes under close scrutiny, and in captivity their family bonds are stretched to the breaking point—as the lifter draws near, Corte must ultimately choose between protecting his charges and exposing them to a killer in the name of long-awaited revenge. ... Read more

Product Description
Lincoln Rhyme is back, on the trail of a killer whose weapon of choice cripples New York City with fear.

The weapon is invisible and omnipresent. Without it, modern society grinds to a halt. It is electricity. The killer harnesses and steers huge arc flashes with voltage so high and heat so searing that steel melts and his victims are set afire.

When the first explosion occurs in broad daylight, reducing a city bus to a pile of molten, shrapnel-riddled metal, officials fear terrorism. Rhyme, a world-class forensic criminologist known for his successful apprehension of the most devious criminals, is immediately tapped for the investigation. Long a quadriplegic, he assembles NYPD detective Amelia Sachs and officer Ron Pulaski as his eyes, ears and legs on crime sites, and FBI agent Fred Dellray as his undercover man on the street. As the attacks continue across the city at a sickening pace, and terrifying demand letters begin appearing, the team works desperately against time and with maddeningly little forensic evidence to try to find the killer. Or is it killers . . . ?

Meanwhile, Rhyme is consulting on another high-profile investigation in Mexico with a most coveted quarry in his crosshairs: the hired killer known as the Watchmaker, one of the few criminals to have eluded Rhyme’s net.

Juggling two massive investigations against a cruel ticking clock takes a toll on Rhyme’s health. Soon Rhyme is fighting on yet another front—and his determination to work despite his physical limitations threatens to drive away his closest allies when he needs them most . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (64)

Another Entertaining Lincoln Rhyme novel
As an avid reader of all books containing Lincoln Rhyme, I found this story to be overall fun to read.Learning about electricity and the different ways it was used is quite entertaining.I thought the story moved at a good pace and kept my interest.Having said that, I do agree with the sentiment that Jeffrey Deaver is at a crossroads with the characters and series.Things are becoming very formulaic.I made several correct guesses about story progression which rarely happens with a Deaver novel.I understand that it must be hard keeping the series feeling fresh when your main character is a quadriplegic and is stuck in his house.I am glad Deaver is taking a few years off from writing another Rhyme novel.I think he needs to plan out the series future before he writes again.I remember Deaver hinting at the possible return of the Sach's ex-boyfriend cop that is currently in jail in an interview I read, but I guess it never happened.Hope to see him make an appearance in the books and shake some things up.

Deaver is Brilliant

Jeffery Deaver has the unique ability to write exceedingly well in all area's that he has approached.Brilliant, edge of your seat, impossible to put down.

The Burning Wire
Great book to keep you going through the very end.Worth the time to read.

ENTERING THE CLOUD ZONE
If a fast moving, exciting suspense thriller is what you're seeking, steer clear of Jeffrey Deaver's latest offering THE BURNING WIRE.

The ingredients necessary to infuse the story with drama are there.We have Lincoln Rhymes, a quadriplegic criminalist who lives in his mind once again matching wits with his nemesis, The Watchmaker.There is also a perpetrator attempting to bring an electrical company to its knees using electricity and arc flashes as his weapon of choice (particularly frightening when one considers that he attacks at random and his weapon (electricity) is in every home, office and commercial building).Added to the mix are some fairly interesting secondary characters like FBI agent Fred Dellray and inventor Charlie Sommers.Unfortunately, the story is cluttered with a plethora of peripheral information that inhibits its flow.Subjects like the electrical system in New York City, the use of regional grids, the symptoms and treatment of autonomic dysreflexia associated with spinal cord injuries, the pros and cons of "green energy", not to mention the repeated and never-ending practice of "walking the grid" and reviewing of evidence.Granted, little background information is always helpful, but Mr. Deaver has taken it to the extreme.After reading this book I could probably re-wire my house plus give a half way decent presentation on the care of spinal cord injury patients and the various treatments available to them.
Mr. Deaver in the future please give us more story and less instructional "filler". 2 1/2 stars

Best Lincoln Rhyme book
I am a big fan of the Lincoln Rhyme series, as it brings together many things I enjoy: mystery, csi, light romance, disability awareness, quality of life, caretaking, while always educating me on a new topic. In Burning Wire, the topic is electricity.I never knew how much I didn't know.I have a new respect for and appreciation for the topic.Sachs and Rhyme continue their partnership in solving a NY City terrorist killing via electricity while at the same time continuing to follow the Watchmaker case.I love a mystery where the end isn't predictible but is realistic.Deaver delivers again. Real characters solving a realistic situation. I sure hope he didn't give anyone any ideas though. ... Read more

Product Description
Involved in a murder case, dedicated cop Bill Corde little suspects that the killer responsible for the death of a college student will befriend and run away with his own learning-impaired daughter. Reprint. PW. K. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

One of his first I believe.
What can I say? I should buy books by the pound, I always look to see how many pages a book had before I choose to buy it. I could not finish this one,I just could not get into it. His later books I've devoured.

A dissapointment
I have read almost all of Deaver's novels. About 1/4 of the way into this book, I had to question if this was written by the same author! The book is not like the other Deaver books I have read. The story is hard to follow. It is very fragmented, and seems to go nowhere. It did not hold my interest at all and I had to keep going back to keep up with the ever changing storyline and addition of characters. Was this really written by Jeffery Deaver?

Early Deaver - See the Future!
I have read a lot of Deaver's books, and over the years I have seen him grow into an incredibly excellent writer.My personal guideline is that a great writer makes you feel as if she/he is in the room, telling you the story.Not that you are tediously - at times - reading from a book.

Deaver these days - it is now December of 2009 - is one of those writers who make it feel as if he is there with you, and is telling you a story.This book, The Lesson of Her Death, is not one of those books.He makes you work a bit too hard for the enjoyment.

But this book is very good, and the hard work is worth it, since you get to see the future, so to speak.You get to see where Deaver is going to be years later, and it is worth the peek into that future.

One other note:In this book, he uses his middle name.I have not been aware of him doing that in other books.There have been other writers who either dropped or picked up a name over the years.Jeffery Wild Deaver is an excellent writer, even though he "lost" the wild along the way.

Dean Koontz is another author who "lost" a middle name or, in his case, a middle initial, as he became more well-known.A novel he wrote way back in his early days titled, "A Werewolf Among Us," was made into a Star Trek episode.In those days, he wrote under the name "Dean R. Koontz."I am not aware of when he dropped the middle initial, but became aware of it when I realized that he was the same person who wrote the Star Trek Episode.

I have a cousin who also wrote for Star Trek.He had what I thought was a unique contract with Gene Roddenberry.It basically specified that if my cousin did not approve of the changes they made, to prepare the script for being made into an episode for Star Trek, he was allowed to change the name of the writer of that episode, such that his real name would not be associated with what he thought might be a "turkey" of an episode.

I will not mention his name, having not gotten his permission to do so, but you can find him on the Internet, if you look for a Web Site with a title having to do with TV Writer type content.

Back to Deaver:This book is an interesting peek into the future of Jeffery Deaver, and well worth the read.

Hate not to finish a book
I have never been one to not finish a book once I start one.Even though I did finish The Lesson of Her Death, I wish I would have thrown it in the trash. The Story line was interesting enough but the sexual tone of the book was dirty and too graphic for my taste and not needed to enhance the story. I have read hundreds of mystery book and with the rating this book received from its Amazon readers I thought I would welcome Jeffery Deaver into my library. Big mistake, the book got thrown out with the trash.

some nice puzzles
I picked this one up used because I'd heard good things about Deaver's books--I'm guessing they apply to his newer books, because I was less than impressed.

A murder of a female student (I absolutely refuse to use the term "coed") at a small private liberal arts college in a small town throws the college and the town for a loop.

Deputy sheriff Bill Corde is on the case, but he's hampered from every direction--from the sheriff, who's decided it's a serial/cult killer, because the sensationalism will ensure his reelection, to the college administrators who are more concerned about drops in enrollment and endowments, to marital problems exacerbated by arguments over how to deal with their learning-impaired daughter Sarah.

Everyone has secrets they're hiding, and different reasons for pushing their own agendas, only some of which are germane to the case.

In that respect, The Lesson of Her Death works. It is full of twists and turns, and that's always fun.

However, some of those turns don't make sense, and that starts with the very first scene: a young girl and a man in a car, she's protesting, he's pitiless. Turns out it's not abuse--he's just her dad, taking her to school, and she doesn't want to go. It's bait and switch. It pissed me off and let me know that I could not trust the author. Really not a good way to start a book, if you ask me.

So right from the beginning, I feel like I'm behind, like this is a sequel (it's not), or like there are a couple of chapters missing. From the way the father and daughter acted, I'd assumed the mother was dead, and was confused when she showed up at the end of chapter 2.

It was a short step from confused to irritated. Diane Corde is... well, she's stupid. And she's proud of that. Consulting a psychologist about Sarah's problems in school, she demands that the psychologist simply tell Sarah to stop "acting out." There's more, but you get the gist. Bill's not particularly bright either--at one point he makes an issue of looking up words he doesn't understand--quite a few of them are pretty simple, ordinary words. I wasn't impressed.

It seemed like there was an anti-intellectual message, which is odd, because The Lesson of Her Death is just full of words Bill would have to look up. It reads as if it were written with a thesaurus next to the keyboard. Nobody walks when they can stride; wrinkles are deep furrows; and light doesn't just shine through the trees--it's "magical--golden yellow and filled with dust and steam and dots of spring insects that glowed in the river of radiant light." (This last was in the learning-impaired child's POV, by the way--yeah, like I buy that she'd think that.)

As for the mystery case, the whole cult-killer premise is insanely, ridiculously thin--it all hinges on the fact that the killing took place on the night of.... *drumroll*... the quarter moon. Uh, right. Because cult wackos are always scheduling things for the quarter moon.

Then the one person who I thought acted most suspiciously turned out not only innocent of murder but also secret-less. I'm not going to give anything away, but even if this character wasn't guilty, I'd have liked a little bit of explanation for their actions--besides saintliness.

It was a little hard keeping some of the characters straight, because it was a little like Peyton Place, with everybody sleeping with everybody else--apparently these small liberal arts colleges are Hotbeds of Passion(tm).

A couple other things bugged me--the diatribe on the evils of science fiction movies, which really shouldn't have surprised me. I mean, given how stupid Diane and Bill are, you'd kind of expect that their teenage son would think that science fiction movies are real.

And... the book first came out in 1993. Who the heck shined their kids' shoes in 1993? In 1993, I had an 8-year-old and a 3-year-old. Neither of them had shoes that needed to be shined. I wouldn't have had time to shine them if they did. Please, feel free to set me straight on this--tell me you had a 9-year-old in 1993, and you shined their shoes once a week... and that they were proud of their shiny shoes and careful not to scuff them.

*deep breath* Funny how little things can just stick in your head, isn't it?

My last complaint has to do with the writing style. It inexplicably bounces back and forth between third person past, and third person present--sometimes in the same paragraph. If I'd been invested in the story, if I'd cared about the characters, or been anxious to see what happened next, I might never have noticed. But once I did, I couldn't un-notice it, and every time it happened, it bounced me right out of the story, and made me snarl. My kids now know that switching back and forth between present and past tenses is A Bad Idea.

I'd probably have rated this even lower if I didn't enjoy the puzzle twists. Granted, some of the twists were illogical or irritating, like the quarter-moon or the science fiction movie connections, but at least they were nicely convoluted. ... Read more

Product Description

Bestselling master of suspense Jeffery Deaver is back with a brand-new Lincoln Rhyme thriller.

Lincoln Rhyme and partner/paramour Amelia Sachs return to face a criminal whose ingenious staging of crimes is enabled by a terrifying access to information....

When Lincoln's estranged cousin Arthur Rhyme is arrested on murder charges, the case is perfect -- too perfect. Forensic evidence from Arthur's home is found all over the scene of the crime, and it looks like the fate of Lincoln's relative is sealed.

At the behest of Arthur's wife, Judy, Lincoln grudgingly agrees to investigate the case. Soon Lincoln and Amelia uncover a string of similar murders and rapes with perpetrators claiming innocence and ignorance -- despite ironclad evidence at the scenes of the crime. Rhyme's team realizes this "perfect" evidence may actually be the result of masterful identity theft and manipulation.

An information service company -- the huge data miner Strategic Systems Datacorp -- seems to have all the answers but is reluctant to help the police. Still, Rhyme and Sachs and their assembled team begin uncovering a chilling pattern of vicious crimes and coverups, and their investigation points to one master criminal, whom they dub "522."

When "522" learns the identities of the crime-fighting team, the hunters become the hunted. Full of Deaver's trademark plot twists, The Broken Window will put the partnership of Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs to the ultimate test. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (122)

Quick fun read!
7.5/10

That's my personal review of the book.Deaver weaves a page turning thrill ride in another Lincoln Rhyme case.The best part of the books is learning how amazingly scary the amount of information that's available online.The book's a quick read, fun and suspenseful.I recommend it!

FANTASTIC perspective on our "Brave New World"
WOW, this book is NEAR PERFECTION!!!Great story, wonderful complexity without being confusing, great perspective on the whole loss of privacy issue that's so "in the news" these days.Loved how they brought in Rhyme's cousin as a reason for Rhyme to get involved in the case.The 'bad guy' was totally believable and cunning and scary but Deaver did an outstanding job of getting into his head, could really suspend disbelief on all of it, was so caught up in it, just WOW!!!Amazing!I loved how Rhyme loosened up a tad personally with his medical aide, that was a great side mini-story.And, yes, it has a lot of pages, almost 600, but it's not a long book and this coming from someone who rarely reads a book over 400 pages.I wouldn't cut out a thing!Just great.

Others by him that are amazing include:Bone Collector, Coffin Dancer, both Rhyme novels and A Maiden's Grave (an oldie, but just great), and Praying for Sleep, another oldie.His works aren't quite as consistent as I'd like, there are some that were not interesting to me at all (Blue Nowhere and Empty Chair), so be cautious on which ones you choose to read.I mean, there are tons of great books out there, why settle???

THIS ONE IS ONE I will reread several times, I'm sure!

Now here is a fine mystery writer....
There are so many novels that pupport to be mysteries, and so many series with a dedicated following.
So often they are mediocre, plodding and after a few chapters, you think ...'who cares!'
This was my first Jeffrey Deaver mystery...a Lincoln Rhyme, thoroughly engrossing, defined characters.
Look forward to reading more of Mr. Deaver's literary efforts.

Frighteningly Informative
The Broken Window by Jeffery Deaver will shake you to your foundations.It is so riveting you can't put it down and so terrifying you almost wish you'd never picked it up in the first place.This is most frightening story I've ever read and probably the most gruesome.The murders in this story aren't especially grisly, but what happens to the people accused of those murders is almost worse than dying.Though they are innocent, they sit in jail and watch as their lives are butchered.There are scary things in this book that you should know to protect yourself, but the problem is how do you protect yourself in the electronic world.
Lincoln Rhyme is a very busy man considering he's a paraplegic, but everybody prefers him working because the brilliant forensic crime solver is unbearable when he's bored.Rhyme depends on electronics to expand his world, without them he would be condemned to a life with little or no stimulus.He has many enemies, but boredom is the most dangerous until he's pitted against the man looking through the broken window.This book will entertain you as much as it frightens you.Definately a must read.

The concept really blows the reader away
This book is vintage Lincoln Rhyme. In this thriller, Deaver graphically portrays murder(s) via computers. The concept really blows the reader away. We are all vulnerable in cyberspace. As the plot twists and turns, the romantic team of Lincoln and Amelia face the ultimate amoral mastermind. This reader was breathless and involved until the last word of the last page. ... Read more

Product Description
"Astonishing" (New York Times Book Review) suspense master Jeffery Deaver brings back investigative agent Kathryn Dance (The Sleeping Doll) in a timely and chilling bestseller.

Roadside crosses are appearing along the highways of the Monterey Peninsula, not as memorials to past accidents but as markers for fatalities yet to come . . . and someone, armed with information gleaned from careless and all-too-personal blog postings, intends to carry out those killings. Kathryn Dance and her C.B.I. team know when the attacks will take place, but who will be the victims? Her body language expertise leads her to a recent fatal car crash, and to the driver, Travis Brigham, a gaming-obsessed teen who’s become the target of vicious cyberbullies. And when Travis disappears, Kathryn must lead a furious manhunt in the elusive world of bloggers and social networking, where nothing is as it seems. . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (96)

Good Condition - Great Price
This used book I bought was in very good condition. The story itself was very interesting! I wish I would have read it sooner. It's a good book. =)

Boring & Uninteresting
This could have been a very good murder mystery. It has all the makings of it until the author just kills it with a great deal of Techie computer talk, blogging info, & endless repetitive dialogue.
Who cares about all the blogging info? I'm here to read what I thought was a mystery. Mr. Deaver seems to want to lengthen his book with endless dialogue which essentially says the same things.
Not one of his better books by any stretch of the imagination. I found myself scanning through the book & not caring what happened in the end.
A boring chore to get through. Just pass on this one. It doesn't come close to a Lincoln Rhyme novel in quality.

Like New
Book received within 7-8 days and it was in excellent condition - like new.Very happy with service and product

Roadside Crosses
A killer leaves roadside crosses to warn of a murder he will commit that day. As the CBI tries to track down a teenage boy whom they believe is the killer, their trail leads to the world of blogging and gaming.

Although, there are twists and turns, as the lead detective searches for the killer I found the whole gaming and blogging tale fairly unappealing. Not one of Deaver's best.

Roadside Crosses: Techno Savvy
I've been traveling quite a bit lately so I've been reading a lot.

Actually, I've been reading more than ever since I bought a Kindle because I keep it in my purse so I can always whip it out and read from any of the books I've downloaded. I'm going broke populating my Kindle with books. However, Roadside Crosses by Jeffery Deaver was a hard copy book, not a Kindle edition. Just let me say that I've been a fan of Mr. Deaver's books since The Blue Nowhere, still one of my favorite books.

Mr. Deaver is a former journalist and lawyer. His bio says he's also a former folk singer. (Was there anyone who was a teen in the 60s who didn't fancy a career as the next Peter, Paul, or Mary?). His books have hit the best seller lists around the world, and he's a perennially nominated author and winner of the awards that honor his type of books.

Again, Mr. Deaver explores our emerging technological environment that's changing the way we work and spend our leisure time. This book is all about the synthetic world that some perceive as more real than true reality. Most of you know about Second Life, now the Internet's largest user-created, 3D virtual world community. That's synthetic life.

You've all seen those Roadside Crosses that dot the landscape. Sometimes you probably wondered what happened at a shrine dotted with dead flowers and a weather-bedraggled teddy bear. In Mr. Deaver's latest book, an entry in the Kathryn Dance series, roadside crosses start appearing, and then a murder is committed at that site within the next few days. How creepy is that?

Heroine Kathryn Dance of the California Bureau of Investigation, an organization most of America is now familiar with thanks to TVs The Mentalist, finds herself wading into the world of social networking and blogs to find the truth. I don't want to spoil the read if you haven't picked up this gripping tale yet. Suffice it to say that you'll find yourself nodding in agreement as Dance discovers how addictive and invasive technology has become.

One thing I like is that Mr. Deaver writes good women characters who are strong and smart. None of the running women who twist an ankle and fall so the villain can capture, torment, and kill. Intelligent, in other words, like the women I know. Be warned. This is one of those that will make you stay awake turning pages. By the way, the websites mentioned in the book are real if you want to take the book to your PC and click away.

You won't be disappointed by this techno-savvy thriller, and you may well be surprised by the final twist. ... Read more

Product Description
John Pellam had been in the trenches of filmmaking, with a promising Hollywood career - until tragedy sidetracked him. Now he's a location scout, travelling the country in search of shooting sites for films. But in a small town in upstate New York, Pellam's illusionary world is shattered by a savage murder, and he is suddenly centre stage in an unfolding drama of violence, lust and conspiracy in this less-than-picture-perfect locale. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Perfect Setting for Murder
Jeffrey Deaver's SHALLOW GRAVES is a republication of an earlier work. John Pellan is a location scout. Up state New York has all the marks of the perfect film location until a brutal murder shatters the allusion.
John discovers is right in the middle of the fast paced drama not of his own choosing. Cleary his own home town has changed.
Good read with no major hangups.
Nash Black, author of QUALITYING LAPS.

Simply Couldn't Read This One
I've read a lot of Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme novels and like them and I thought The Devil's Teardrop which had a different protagonist was excellent.So when I saw this one in the bookstore, I snapped it up.Big waste of money!I couldn't even finish the book, and that is not something that I do very often.At the very beginning I didn't like the main character at all because he didn't seem the least bit sympathetic to me, although I realize that's simply a matter of personal taste and not something that you can give a bad review for.More serious was the total "no thought" stereotyping of "bad cops" and local townspeople.Still not enough to deep eighty-six it, but it was starting to get there at that point.No, the thing that made me toss this book is that while it is supposed to take place in upstate rural New York, Deaver tried to write this using colloquial English.Not a problem if he'd used the colloquial speech for the area.He didn't.He used the speech of rural areas of Virginia and other areas to the south of NYS.As a life long resident of upstate rural NY, I felt it insulting to get something that basic wrong and it opened up the whole suspician that nothing else in the book could be right, either, if that's the amount of research he put into it.It's incredibly lazy writing, and I don't have time to read poor writing.Too many other really good books out there to waste on a disaster like this one.Save your money and pass it by, or at least get it used if you feel you must read it.

Great suspense, dialogue
I just love Jeffery Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme books and began reading some of his other books. This one was easy to get into and very heart-jerking when character John Pellam's friend is blown up in a van and accused post-mortem of being involved in drugs. As seems a bit unusual, the death causes Pellam to be fired from his film producing job, but that's OK because it gives him time to solve his friend and co-worker's death. He's certain it's murder, and he's right. He also gets a taste of small town life in the process. Highly recommended!

Awesome Book!
This book was amazing, it took me a matter of days to finish it because I could not put it down. I strongly recomend it! Its entertaining from start to finish!

Shallow Graves
Shallow Graves is a story in a small country village. The main character John Pellam is shooting site for films here, until all the trouble starts to begin. He get's involved in a shooting involving drugs. The local police isn't supporting and he is even been trown in jail. It's my first read of J. Deaver and I expected more from him. I hope the other book I got from him will be better, called: The coffin dancer. ... Read more

Product Description

NYPD criminalist Lincoln Rhyme joins his beautiful protégé, Amelia Sachs, in the hunt for the Coffin Dancer -- an ingenious killer who changes appearance even faster than he adds to his trail of victims. They have only one clue: the madman has a tattoo of the Grim Reaper waltzing with a woman. Rhyme must rely on his wits and intuition to track the elusive murderer through New York City -- knowing they have only forty-eight hours before the Coffin Dancer strikes again.Amazon.com Review
This return engagement for quadriplegic criminologist Lincoln Rhyme isstrong on forensic details as Rhyme tracks an elusive assassin known onlyby the tattoo that gives this fast-paced thriller its title.

Three witnesses to a murder could put a millionaire arms dealer behind barsfor good. When one of them, the co-owner of Hudson Air, is blown up in aplane bombing with the Dancer's fingerprints all over it, the FBI takes theother witnesses into protective custody. Only Rhyme can decipher a crimescene, read the residue of a bombing, or identify a handful of dirt wellenough to keep up with the killer. Helped by Amelia Sachs, his brilliantand able-bodied assistant, Rhyme traces the Dancer through Manhattanstreets, airports, and subways. The psychological tension builds rapidlyfrom page one all the way to the stunning and unexpected denouement. At thesame time, Jeffery Deaver slowly develops the against-all-odds love affair betweenRhyme and Sachs. Fans of Patricia Cornwelland others in the growing subgenre of forensic thrillers will find a lot toenjoy in Deaver's latest. --Jane Adams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (228)

Enjoyable, but not credible
1) The killer is unstoppable even by all the forces of the police and the FBI combined, and 2) The criminologist is a Sherlock holmes with none of the credibility of Holmes. To the point that the total lack of credibility ruins the novel for the reader.

So good a driving distraction
Bought this to listen to during an eleven hour drive to the Outer banks of North Carolina. It was so well read by Joe Montagna that I became completely engrossed to the point of missing two different exits and once getting on I 64 west instead of east. I would caution parents that it has strong adult language and would not recommend listening with kids in the car.

Another in the line of Lincoln Rhyme Novels
Another great job in suspense and twists. Keeps you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out which way the twist will go next!

Throws a few curveballs
This book has a sophomore slump feel to it.It just didn't have the same solid drive as The Bone Collector.Characters were static and got into a lot of cliched situations.It's during the last third to quarter that the book really picked up and proved itself.The airplane parts were interesting, something not found that often in books of this ilk.

A Time pass read
Though i am averse to fiction stuff yet i sometime fiddle with these when i am too saturated with reality. This novel really took me offto a non-real world and pace of the story never let its hook off me . I never felt like reading 500 pages . Though the theme was quite the same as other rhyme novels (lincoln chasing a ghost like criminal who leaves no trace)yet there are brief interesting interludes like gay feeling of coffin dancer for his accomplice or The seducing of Linclon by Sacks (which might be given more space in future novels) . Overall a return on investment though not a overthetop kinda stuff. ... Read more

Product Description

Forensics expert Lincoln Rhyme and his protégée Amelia Sachs have been recruited by the FBI to capture "the Ghost" -- a homicidal immigrant smuggler. But when they corner him aboard a cargo ship, the bust goes disastrously wrong and the Ghost escapes. Now, he must eliminate the only witnesses -- two families who jumped ship and vanished into Chinatown. Against a ruthless adversary, Lincoln and Amelia race to find the families before the Ghost can silence them...Amazon.com Review
When a vicious smuggler known as the Ghost scuttles a ship filled with undocumented Chinese immigrants less than a mile from New York harbor, only a handful of survivors--and the Ghost himself--manage to escape the burning vessel. Lincoln Rhyme, the quadriplegic NYPD forensic detective first introduced in 1997's The Bone Collector, and Amelia Sachs, his partner and lover, must stop the Ghost before he murders the two families who made it to shore. The families have gone to ground in the all but impenetrable world of Manhattan's Chinatown, a fact that makes the pair's two allies--Sonny Li, a Chinese cop, and Dr. John Sung--invaluable partners.

The group's race against time showcases Jeffery Deaver's many talents, particularly intricate plotting, plenty of surprising twists, and breakneck pacing. This is a real standout from a writer whose previous thrillers have earned him a solid following among mystery fans. --Jane Adams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (124)

Possible Weaker Link, But No Big Deal
Getting to read Jeffery Deaver is always great! I always love his stuff, and the twists just add to the enjoyment of being drawn in all the more. From what I've read so far, I love "The Empty Chair" the most. And so far, I'm not convinced that Deaver has topped that level yet. Ok, ok, at least not until I read more adventures with Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs. Right? Well, reading about "The Stone Monkey," there were no real big endorsements that made you want to go out and get this quick. For me, it was simply the 4th book featuring Lincoln Rhyme and Sachs. That was enough for me to get out there and see what was happening! After all, too many stories speak of Chess matches, right? Maybe we'll find out how this compares to Wei-Chi! Game on!

This starts out with a disaster involving Chinese immigrants on a ship, and a lot of them being killed in the process. Behind that would be a menace known as The Ghost. And he isn't intimidated by our cops either! But he hasn't exactly tangled with the likes of Rhyme and Sachs, has he? The Ghost is out to kill other families that survived while on the ship. Lincoln and Amelia are set to prevent such a thing, and they have the help of a cop from China, and others on their side. And without a doubt, Chinatown plays a role in this, and the hunt is on! Who's ready to play with fire and ten judges of Hell? You know somebody's gonna get messed up.

Deaver's a genius, no doubt about it. But despite all the great research he did, and the pandemonium he put in his plot, I thought it came off kind of choppy. In the end, I was satisfied, but I also felt like Deaver tried too hard. Either that or "The Vanished Man," was just too good for me to fully appreciate this effort. But if this is truly what you call a weak link in Deaver's efforts, no big deal! He cranked out a good story, along with many more after this one. This hasn't slowed him down in the least! Jeffery Deaver is still a bestselling author, and people are always on the prowl for the latest and greatest his pen produces. So I'm going to stick with him. And when it comes time for me to read "The Vanished Man," I can't wait! Maybe it'll be a Chess match next time, but I enjoyed the Wei-Chi concept as well.

The Stone Monkey
I really liked this book.This is the second Lincoln Rhyme book and I really like these.

Jeffery Deaver
Good book, lots of sadness but all in all, very good as only Deaver can do.

Steady thriller
This book had many of the twists and turns Deaver is known for.It moved at a steady pace and didn't completely overwhelm the reader with over the top research.There wasn't a lot of character development but Lincoln and Co. stayed true enough to be accessible to readers who pick up the series here.

One of my Favorite Authors
Jeffery Deaver is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE AUTHORS! He has so many twists & turns in his books, you never know what to expect next! Although each novel in the "Lincoln Rhyme Series" stands alone, you will probably want to start with the first book in the series, titled "The Bone Collector". It enables you to get to know and appreciate the characters so much more as they grow & develop throughout the books. If you've read some of Deaver's earlier books/series, namely, the "The Rune Series" or the "The John Pellam Series", and did not enjoy them, please do not judge ALL of his books by those. His writing style changes completely with the "Lincoln Rhyme" books and if you like mystery & suspense, you will LOVE these!This is book #4 in the series! ... Read more

Product Description
Unlocking a cold case with explosive implications for the future of civil rights, forensics expert Lincoln Rhyme and his protégé, Amelia Sachs, must outguess a killer who has targeted a high school girl from Harlem who is digging into the past of one of her ancestors, a former slave. What buried secrets from 140 years ago could have an assassin out for innocent blood? And what chilling message is hidden in his calling card, the hanged man of the tarot deck? Rhyme must anticipate the next strike or become history -- in the bestseller that proves "there is no thriller writer today like Jeffery Deaver" (San Jose Mercury News). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (103)

Absolutely boring
I was really surprised that this book was so poor in content since I have read many of Mr. Deavers's books. The
worst part was the reader trying to imitate the black characters accents. Too long, he really stretched this novel
out.

Enjoying CD Now
Received the CD on time and in great shape. We enjoy the Lincoln Rhyme series and this book is a vital step in that series.

Not his best but more than ok
Jeffrey Deaver is a talented writer who can write a novel that is fast-paced and is easy to read.

He is not an author who writes books that are aimed at becoming literature (eg Cormac McCarthy, James Lee Burke, George Pelecanos etc) but he writes to entertain in a light fashion.

In this book, a teenager is targeted by a would-be killer while she is researching the history of a distant relative from the 1860's. Why was she targeted?

That is the problem that the unlikely team of the quadriplegic Lincoln Rhymes and his girlfriend Detective Amelia Sachs need to find out. It is forensic work that will get you thinking and trying to find where are the red herrings that Deaver is notorious for. The red herrings are good but the problem lies in that we expect the red herrings so when the author reveals them, we aren't massively surprised. My hope is that Deaver surprises us one day and writes a book with no twists.

I found the book to be ok but rather lacking in character development and it just felt like the author had written the novel in haste as the story lacked that special oompth that makes some books great. Some of the dialogue did not ring true to me.

There are some little moments of education in the novel that are interesting but I would not recommend this book if you haven't read Deaver before. Try some of his earlier works.

Suspense
Another very good read by Jeffrey Deaver.I find Lincoln Rhyme's forensic work so interesting and educational.It's amazing how he can break down a tiny piece of evidence, put all the pieces together and solve a crime.

Deaver pulls out a joker in THE TWELFTH CARD.
For over the past decade, bestselling mystery writer Jeffery Deaver has astonished readers with the creation of Lincoln Rhyme, the fictional quadriplegic who, throughout the notorious series, has successfully answered the one question lingering from everyone's mind: how can you solve a crime that you cannot see? Throughout the books, fans have become aware of not only the elevated brilliance of the well known criminalist, but also of the love interest that he shares with his partner, Amelia Sachs. Despite of the some of the graphic crime scenes that two have had to encounter behind the yellow police tape, Deaver fails to deliver in THE TWELFTH CARD.

In this sixth series entry, the duo take on a case that they have never took on before; one that has gone cold for 140 years. Throughout the entire case, both Rhyme and Sachs try in their best efforts to protect Geneva Settle, a sixteen-year old Harlem student who nearly gets ambushed by a crazed assassin in the beginning scenes of the book. By digging further into the investigation, Rhyme and Sachs later discover that the ruthless assassin may be after her because of a term paper she is working on regarding Charles Singleton, a former slave and an ancestor of Geneva's. Moreover, they find out that the madman who skulks Geneva leaves his calling card of the Hanged Man, the "twelfth card" in the tarot deck. They also discover that Charles witheld a devastating secret that he found to be too ahamed to reveal. Thoughout the investigation, questions linger through Rhyme and Sachs: Why is this crazed madman on the hunt for innocent blood? What secrets are lied within his calling card? And most important, what type of "secret" would Charles have had been veiling for all this time?

Sad to say, Deaver disappoints his fans in this entry. Throughout the majority of the narration of the book, readers will become exposed with various slang that they will happen to find tedious. Such figures of speech impedes Deaver's main talent in psychological writing. As he did in THE STONE MONKEY, the author yet again fails to deliver what makes this series enjoyable for readers.

A key literary element that seems to torpedo Deaver's attempt lies within the one-dimensional character development of not only Rhyme, but of also the majority of the other remaining characters. Througout the investigation, the interaction of characters made by Rhyme lackes the ecstacy that made the disabled criminalist popular.

Without a doubt, Deaver fans will also get the impression of having their intelligence insulted. Thoughout the book, the author provides a myriad amount of historical detail based on hearsay rather than actual research. Fans will become annoyed by his deversion from the well-known police procedural into a tale of historical uncertainty. Sure enough, readers will realize sooner or later that the details provided in this book was not anything in which they have learned or studied in history class.

THE TWELFTH CARD is yet indeed another disappointing attempt by Deaver. By the lack of character development and research, readers can certainly argue that this churning is actually a publication deadline rather than a piece of literature. ... Read more

Product Description

New Year's Eve, 1999. After an early morning machine-gun attack by a madman man called the Digger leaves dozens dead in the Washington, D.C. subway, the mayor's office receives a message demanding twenty million dollars by midnight or more innocents will die. With the ransom note as the only evidence, Special Agent Margaret Lukas calls upon retired FBI agent and the nation's premiere document examiner Parker Kincaid, to join the manhunt for the Digger -- or for hundreds, the first moments of the new century will be their last on earth.Amazon.com Review
Thriller readers can always count on getting extra value fromJefferyDeaver--strong plots, fascinating research, believable characters,and plenty of surprise endings. Like in The Terminator, the badguys in The Devil's Teardrop just won't quit, and they createenough havoc in the last 50 pages to fill a whole new book.

Although Deaver's brilliant, wheelchair-bound forensic expert LincolnRhyme makes a guest appearance, the muscular scientist in charge hereis Parker Kincaid--an expert in document analysis who'd much rather bechecking the authenticity of letters from Thomas Jefferson thanfiguring out when a crazed shooter known as the Digger will strikeagain. But it's New Year's Eve, 1999, and the Digger has begun a reignof terror--promising to shoot into crowds in Washington, D.C., everyfour hours until he's paid $20 million. As Kincaid searches an oddransom note for clues (and tries to maintain a low profile so that hisvindictive ex-wife won't get custody of his young kids), we get toknow the Digger better. He is a frighteningly invisible character withserious brain damage, who methodically obeys a set of instructionsfrom an unknown handler. We also learn many amazing facts about paper,ink, and handwriting analysis, and watch as a relationship slowly andreluctantly develops between Kincaid and the FBI agent in charge. Allthis as the devious Deaver leads us down several garden pathsoverflowing with dead bodies. --Dick Adler ... Read more

Customer Reviews (162)

One for the Ages
Takes place on NYE 1999-2000. Times were slightly different. Excellent Deaver work. Meticulous is the word that comes to mind. Once you start you can't put it down. Many wonderful twists.

The best Deaver yet!
The devils teardrop is, in my opinion, one of the best books Deaver has put out thus far. My favorite thing about Deaver and all of his writings is that he puts a tremendous amount of research into the topic he's writing about; in this case, Forensic Document Examination.

The premise of the novel is unique... a hit man has been hired to kill as many people as possible at given, pre-determined time frames for the sum of $20 million dollars. If the demands are not met, the killer will do the same at the next time slot. If the master mind dies, then the killings will continue.

What Deaver has done, which is one of my favorite things about him and his writing, is explain in detail what the main character Parker Kincaid is thinking and doing regarding forensic document examination. This gives the reader the opportunity to learn much about document examination and also lets the reader understand the thoroughness of the research done to make the novel an outstanding read.

This novel has all of the twists and turns you'd expect from Deaver. There is a brief visit from Lincoln Rhyme, but the entire book is about a different character entirely, and that's Parker Kincaid. There are enough twists and turns in this novel to assure that you'll not figure out the ending. You'll never be bored, or think "I wish he'd hurry up already", something that I do sometimes when I'm not wholly into the story.

I enjoyed the plot line immensely and found that this is one of my most favorite books for both plot, drama and entertainment. It ranks in my top 10 all time favorite novels. I've read hundreds of novels and this one is one of the best. But then, at least 4 Deaver novels are in my top 10, giving a lot of credence to Deaver as an expert story spinner.

Best book in years
Best book I have read in years.I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who loves a "who done it".

Police Procedure Nonsense
It's not as bad as the audio book we got, another title, but it still shows what a small amount of research can do. It can produce a book with guns that don't exist and police procedure that should make strong men cry. If he got anything right it was by accident.

Great Book
I have been a long time fan of Jeffery Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme series and I was incredibly pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book.The character of Parker Kincade is great and the story is full of suspense and twists.This book will not disappoint any Jeffery Deaver fan.I only wish Mr. Deaver would write another story with Parker Kincade. ... Read more

Product Description
Taylor Lockwood spends her days working as a paralegal in one of New York’s preeminent Wall Street law firms and her nights playing jazz piano anyplace she can. But the rhythm of her life is disrupted when attorney Mitchell Reece requests her help in locating a stolen document that could cost him not only the multimillion-dollar case he’s defending but his career as well. Eager to get closer to this handsome, brilliant, and very private man, Taylor signs on, only to find that as she delves deeper and deeper into what goes on behind closed doors at Hubbard, White & Willis, she is uncovering more than she wants to know–including secrets damaging enough to smash careers and dangerous enough to push someone to commit murder. Yet who is capable of going to that extreme? With her life on the line, Taylor is about to learn the lethal answer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

You'll need to take notes...
Deaver's plot in Mistress of Justice is very elaborate and chaotic.The finger is pointed at so many people and there is so much going on that I struggled to keep track.If part of the fun for you is figuring out "whodunit", I suggest taking notes right from the start. Even with notes, I think only the very astute reader will figure out the real culprit.

Extremely Well Done
This novel was initially written in 1992 and the author modified it and updated the work ten years later. It is one of his better works, yet does appear to have a limited audience. The book is well researched and centers around the personalities in a large Wall Street Law Firm. The characters have depth and become richer as the work progresses. A good part of the book is spent in introducing the reader to the main vharacters and establishing the plot. Once the reader passes this, the book takes off rapidly and mixes suspense with a legal thriller that is difficult to put down. The writer is able to skilfully bring the reader into the world of his characters. When it appears that one has figured out the dorection of the writer, he is able to throw in unexpected twists that keep this book moving along at a rapid pace.

Not up to Deaver's normal work
This book is nowhere near as good as Deaver's other work, before or after this novel.The "goings on" at the lawfirm are too exaggerated to make the story believable.Rather than serious fiction, it seemed more like bad comedy at times.Read one of Deaver's other novels for a treat, but skip this one.

Mistress of Justice - an earlier effort
This book seems to have been written by Jeffrey Deaver just prior to his full acquisition of the unique style, creativity, pace and humor that marked his later works.The Lincoln Rhyme novels, for example.All of them employ Jeffrey's formidable writing skills, and are tremendously entertaining on many levels.Mistress of Justice falls short of these expectations, however.I got only halfway through it, skimmed the rest, then went right to the ending - which was predictable.Never thought I'd do that with one of Jeffrey's books, and I have read nearly all of them.The problems with this book are many.The pace is very slow.The plot - not very strong.Too many characters are introduced, too quickly.Too much writing space devoted to non-essential details.But there also seems to be a snooty, snobbish tone to the entire book - almost as if Jeffrey had written it to impress his cronies in the lawyering arena of NYC.While I was reading - I failed to find anyone in the story to admire, to cheer for, and more importantly, to identify with.Although some may be fascinated by that particular class-based New York / New England culture of old money, politics and snobbishness, I am not.Yet Jeffrey revelled in laying this all out in a manner that suggested the reader should love and embrace this culture.Fortunately, Jeffrey moved away from this style in his later novels - all of which are marked by rich characters, from life's many diverse walkways.Mistress of Justice reinforced my belief that you cannot hit a home run every time up - and that's fine.And, I am grateful that the mistakes made in this novel are not found in any of Jeffrey's later works.If you are as big a Jeffrey Deaver fan as I am - and you have not yet read Mistress of Justice - steel yourself for possible disappointment.

This book is so-so.
This is my first Deaver book I have read.Good thing, I borrowed the book from the library.First half of the book was slow and not real interesting until the plot gets more interesting from second half of the book till the end.I didn't figure out the correct suspect until I almost reached the end.The suspense is great, but the story and wordings could have been better.I guess that's understandable since this one was one of author's earlier books.I hope his later books are better as other people say. ... Read more

Product Description
The New York Times bestselling master of ticking-bomb suspense.

Eight vulnerable girls and their helpless teachers are forced off a school bus and held hostage. The madman who has them at gunpoint has a simple plan: one hostage an hour will die unless the demands are met. Called to the scene is Arthur Potter, the FBI's best hostage negotiator. He has a plan. But so does one of the hostages-a beautiful teacher who's willing to do anything to save the lives of her students. Now, the clock is ticking as a chilling game of cat and mouse begins. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (91)

Choppy, but has a good ending
This book feels like it's the awkward kid on the playground.It's a novel that should have been a script.Paced like a film, described like a film, dialogue like a film, it feels like A Maiden's Grave missed it's true calling.

It's a great story, just not as a novel.

Melanie's Keepin' it Simple:Cold Fire (Resolute Good) vs Cold Death (Pure Evil)
This is not a nice novel.It's reminiscent of Shane Stevens' Dead City, and Andrew Neiderman's Pin.It deals will pure evil, and the terrible toll it takes on those who dare battle it.I can't say I enjoyed the read.The novel is long, 400+ pages, but the read was relatively easy (but not painless).It's the subject matter that is disturbing:three nasty, despicable felons, scumbags, (one, the leader, Lou Handy, of course from West Virginia where I'm from) hole-up in an old meat slaughtering plant threatening to kill hostages: eight deaf girls and two of their teachers.The novel appears to be about the ensuing police barricade and the negotiation, headed up by Arthur Potter, to gain release of the deaf girls.But it's more than that.I don't want to spoil your "fun," but all is not as it seems.This book made me think about what the author was trying to say and for that reason it was memorable to me.

Not my favorite Deaver Book
Although Jeffery Deaver is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE AUTHORS, this was my least favorite book that he's written since the mid 90's. His books usually have many twists & turns, but for some reason, this book was slow for me. It's been a long time since I read this book but it just didn't hit me like most of his books do! I see that others really enjoyed it so I may have just not been in a book reading mood at the time!!!If you've read some of Deaver's earlier books/series, namely, the "The Rune Series" or the "The John Pellam Series", and did not enjoy them, please do not judge him by those books. His writing style changes completely with the "Lincoln Rhyme" books and if you like mystery & suspense, you will LOVE the "Lincoln Rhyme Series". I recommend that you start at the beginning though because it enables you to get to know and appreciate the characters so much more as they grow & develop throughout the books! I also really liked "Praying for Sleep", and "The Devil's Teardrop" is probably my favorite Deaver stand alone book. I wish he'd do a series with the characters from that book!

I couldnt put down
I had to read a book for my Deaf Culture class and out of the wind I chose this one and I couldnt have chosen a better book to read! Not only was I impressed on the aurthors knowledge of the Deaf culture but the story line was full of suspense! I couldnt put the book down! I look forward to reading more of Jeffery Deaver books, Im hooked!

The Reason Why
This was the book that made me a diehard fan of Jeffrey Deaver. I had just seen the Bone Collector and say that is was based on a book. So I went to my local library which didn't have it in at the moment. They did have this one though and from the moment I read the first few pages I couldn't put it down.

The story just grabbed me because it was something I hadn't read before from one of the main characters being deaf and how she was able to overcome her handicap inspired me. After I read this book i had to have more. ... Read more

Product Description
When a night-time call to 911 from a secluded Wisconsin vacation house is cut short, offduty deputy Brynn McKenzie leaves her husband and son at the dinner table and drives up to Lake Mondac to investigate. Was it a misdial or an aborted crime report?

Brynn stumbles onto a scene of true horror and narrowly escapes from two professional criminals. She and a terrified visitor to the weekend house, Michelle, flee into the woods in a race for their lives. As different as night and day, and stripped of modern-day resources, Brynn, a tough deputy with a difficult past, and Michelle, a pampered city girl, must overcome their natural reluctance to trust each other and learn to use their wits and courage to survive the relentless pursuit. The deputy's disappearance spurs both her troubled son and her new husband into action, while the incident sets in motion Brynn's loyal fellow deputies and elements from Milwaukee's underside. These various forces race along inexorably toward the novel's gritty and stunning conclusion.

The Bodies Left Behind is an epic cat-and-mouse chase, told nearly in real-time, and is filled with Deaver's patented twists and turns, where nothing is what it seems, and death lingers just around the next curve on a deserted path deep in the midnight forest.Amazon.com Review
Amazon Best of the Month, November 2008: Nothing is as it seems in The Bodies Left Behind, Jeffrey Deaver's quintessential can't-put-it-down thriller about an off-duty cop who investigates an aborted 911 call from a secluded vacation home and ends up on the run. From the opening scene (that'll keep even the bravest of you at home with the doors locked and the shades drawn), Deaver delivers a clever page-turner that reads like one of his tightly plotted and fast-paced short stories (fans should check out Twisted). Endlessly surprising (there is more than one jaw-dropping plot twist) and supremely gripping (two hours after cracking this stand-alone thriller, I came up for air and took a moment to shake the cramp out of my fingers), The Bodies Left Behind is one of the most entertaining thrillers of the year. --Daphne Durham
... Read more

Customer Reviews (73)

One long chase
This book was ok - it had one long chase scene with some very predictable twists and turns.I am going to try one other book by this author because everyone says that his book are wonderful....we'll see

I liked it - ALOT
Either I am too easy to please or you guys are tough!!!I think this was an excellent story - not Eve Dallas - but hey?!?!?

The story line did not drop - may have been a little drawn out - but if that is an issue - get the abridged version.

Kept me up till 2 AM to finish it - I missed church - huh oh!!!!But the ending was great - well put to bed - did not leave me guessing.

One thing that I enjoyed about this story was the underlying tale about a lady cop that sees what the bad guy is doing wrong with his life and how it parallels with her own - then she makes some necessary life changes to make sure she does not end up like the bad guy.I think that Mr. Deaver's underlying tale is the one he really wanted to write about and buried it quite nicely.Or maybe I am reading too much into that side of the story - but I don't think so.

Near Misses and Miracles
Jeffrey Deaver tells a wonderful suspense-filled story. Unfortunately, he employs too many near misses and miracles to make the story flow to its endpoint.

Bob Boan, author of An Introduction to Planetary Defense: A Study of Modern Warfare Applied to Extra-Terrestrial Invasion, Brown Walker Press; Williams Lake Was Once The Center Of The Universe, Verbal Pictures Press and Bobby Becomes Bob, Twilight Times Books.

Preposterous
I picked this up because it has won the 2009 Thriller Award for Best Novel.Are you kidding me?People keep using the word clever to describe the characters in this book, but I've never encountered a stupider group of good guys and bad guys.Hit woman who hires another hit man who hires ANOTHER hit man, so each can in turn kill the one they hire to cover their tracks.A deputy being persued by aforementioned hit persons, chooses to travel miles through a densely forested state park in the middle of the night to reach a ranger station that may or may not be occupied or have a phone.How about hiding behind a tree until help arrives.The hit persons who persue the deputy through the same dense forest, because she MIGHT have heard their last names.How about splitting post haste before you mess up further?And then when hit man does get away, surprise! knowing his last name is of no help apprehending him.Law enforcement officers letting witnesses and evidence leave the scene of the crime with no more than a fare-thee-well.The reader is expected to buy the incredible sequences of plot twists and coincidences hook, line and sinker.I suspect Deaver was going for a Tarantino-esque "Pulp Fiction" story, but it never rises above dime store pulp fiction.

Has Deaver ever been to Wisconsin?
The 911 call was canceled, but since she was already on her way, Deputy Brynn McKenzie decided to check out the address anyway.Arriving at the Wisconsin lake home, Brynn stumbles into a crime scene and just manages to get away from the killers.Brynn and a guest at the home, Michelle, flee into the woods of a Wisconsin state park.What follows is a cat and mouse game in the night in the woods in April.The two women have to rely on their wits and courage as they are the hunted.The plot contained twists and turns that should have made it a good thriller.However, I would have liked the book a whole lot better if I thought the author had ever set foot in Wisconsin.It was obvious that Deaver knew nothing about the flora and fauna of Wisconsin, being on the trails of the state parks, or the city of Milwaukee when it was mentioned. ... Read more

Product Description
Kathryn Dance must catch the convicted killer Daniel "Son of Manson" Pell who escapes from a California super-prison—before he kills again. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (106)

The Sleeping Doll
This novel starts with the city hall escape of Daniel Pell during an interrogation session. Daniel is being jailed for the murders of all of the Croyton family except for a young daughter who, nestled in bed with her animals and dolls, resembled a sleeping doll. Katherine Dance, the last interrogator to speak with him, is hot on the trail. Her special talent, kinesics, or the study of body language, is her tool. There is nonstop action in this story as we follow the gifted, highly intelligent criminal as he, too, uses his kinesics talents.

This is a very interesting storyline, but sometimes the kinesics, although central to the story, seems to be just too much. Some of the near misses on the part of Daniel's capture, seem to be too convenient and too unrealistic. But, the book is still entertaining and it wraps up well.

More twists than a rollercoaster, and just as thrilling
"The Sleeping Doll" is a griping thriller with plenty of plot twists.I loved learning about kinesics via Agent Dance. Kathryn Dance has to catch a escaped cult-like leader and killer, but there are several other criminals she nabs along the way.A good read that I found hard to put down.

just started reading and reaching p.20, but already got one big question:
how long the finger prints on a murder weapon, such as a hammer, or a wallet belonged to the murdered victim or the murderer, hidden inside a well could hold and did not disappear or vanish after 10 years? j.d. got to do some impeccable thorough research first on finger prints and how they could hold on evidences in any kind of environment. if such basic foundation failed to convince a reader like me in the beginning of a murder investigation thriller, then it would be very hard for me to read along.

Jeffrey is a great author but...
I enjoy reading Deaver's books. He is a great author. This book was complex, yet very well laid out, and easy to follow despite its complexity. I appreciate his thoroughness and the beauty of his prose. I admire how well he lays out his plots and develops his characters. He's so well organized. He's definitely an artist with his words. He is one of my favorite fiction authors. This was my first Dance experience. As much as I liked the book there was one thing that gnawed at me. There were too many plot shifts. I appreciate surprises and find that Deaver is fantastic at shifting gears and wowing readers. But, as I read this book I was ready to put it down. Too many twists. My advice would be to not overdo the twists. Too much of a good thing.

One of Deaver's Best!
In my opinion, this is one of Deaver's best novels. Sometimes he has so many characters that it is hard to remember who is who. But this novel with the Dance character was really easy to follow. I recommend reading this one before Roadside Crosses but either way I enjoyed this book. An easy read with some great insight into "kinesics." ... Read more

Product Description

The New York Times bestselling author of The Empty Chair and The Devil's Teardrop, is back displaying his "ticking-bomb suspense" (People) in this never-before-published thriller.

Every New York City neighborhood has a story, but what John Pellam uncovers in Hell's Kitchen has a darkness all its own. The Hollywood location scout and former stuntman is in the Big Apple hoping to capture the unvarnished memories of longtime Kitchen residents such as Ettie Washington in a no-budget documentary film. But when a suspicious fire ravages the elderly woman's crumbling tenement, Pellam realizes that someone might want the past to stay buried.

As more buildings and lives go up in flames, Pellam takes to the streets, seeking the twisted pyromaniac who sells services to the highest bidder. But Pellam is unaware that the fires are merely flickering preludes to the arsonist's ultimate masterpiece, a conflagration of nearly unimaginable proportion, with Hell's Kitchen -- and John Pellam -- at its blackened and searing epicenter.Amazon.com Review
Perennial bestselling author Jeffrey Deaver's alter ego, William Jefferies, knows a thing or two about Hollywood. So does John Pellam, the hero of his previous ShallowGraves and BloodyRiver Blues and the latest in the series, Hell's Kitchen.Pellam made a name for himself as a director before a stint in San Quentin took him off the fast track. Since his release he's been earning his keep as alocation scout and not so incidentally shooting a documentary about NewYork's Hell's Kitchen, which he hopes will propel him back into thecareer that skidded south after he ran afoul of the law.

Pellam has found the star of his new film, one Ettie Washington, who has lived in the neighborhood for decades and is the perfect voice to tell the story ofan area that's losing its old-time seediness to urban gentrification.But then Ettie's tenement goes up in a blaze that kills a small boy andputs her right in the public eye--as a suspect. It's only thebeginning of a series of fires, each one more deadly. The cops knowEttie couldn't have set the others, since she's been in jail, but they'reconvinced she knows who did. Pellam has his own reasons for gettingEttie off the hook and embarking on a search for the real pyromaniac. Jeffries saves the best one for the very end of this taut, well-paced, and highly atmospheric thriller. --Jane Adams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Burning Flames
The long awaited final story in the John Pellam series take the reader deep into the back streets of New York with an pyromaniac. HELL'S KITCHEN by Jeffery Deaver is an action packed fast read.
John Pellam meets Ettie Washington and asks for an interview of his non-existent budget documentary on HELL'S KITCHEN. As the interview begins to old tenement building erupts into flames. Ettie, John, and the other tenants barely escape with their lives. Ettie is arrested for arson because of her new insurance policy and John must fine the true arsonist to prove her innocence.
Nash Black, author of SINS OF THE FATHERS.

Hell's Kitchen
Good book but Deaver has written better.Lost interest in book, had to sit it down and come back to it later. Still a decent read.

Long on talk short on excitment
This was a very boring book. The story would have been better if there were less characters

2 1/2 Stars -- Just A So-So Read!
I read Hell's Kitchen mainly because Jeffery Deaver wrote it -- and I'm a bit sorry that I did. The plot's concept is fairly interesting, which involves a Hollywood location scout in NYC to film a documentary about the residents of Hell's Kitchen and coming to the aid of an elderly woman accused of having her tenement set on fire. However, Deaver's execution of the plot is somewhat disjointed and implausible, and it moves at too slow a pace. And, while the ending has a fair amount of excitement, it's too litle, too late. Further, I found the characters in Hell's Kitchen to be rather thinly developed, in that they were one-dimensional, somewhat stick-like figures. Although Hell's Kitchen, which was written earlier in Deaver's career under the pseudonym, William Jefferies, is not a BAD book,it is a book I'd advise you to skip. It is easy to understand why it was not published until after Deaver became a "household name."

Read his other books first
John Pellam, former stuntman and location scout, is now taking some time off to work on a documentary about the New York City neighborhood called Hell's Kitchen.Located on the west side of Manhattan, it is a rather run down and rough neighborhood.The focus of his documentary is an elderly black woman, Ettie Washington, who has lived in Kitchen all of her life and has been telling Pellam numerous stories about life in that neighborhood.

When Pellam goes to visit Ettie one night, the building is set on fire where both he and Ettie barely manage to survive.After the investigation but the NYFD, the fire is ruled an arson and Ettie is immediately arrested as the one who hired the arson.Pellam is conviced of Ettie's innocence and seeks out to find the truth behind the fire.In the process, he captures the attention of the twisted arsonist who begins to focus his hate and passion on Pellam and wants to see him dead.

Honestly, I was not too thrilled with this book.It is my first book written by Deaver and he had gotten so many positive reviews that I figured I would give him a shot.The writing style wasn't too bad, but he seems to throw in twists and turns that make no sense and the progression of the story gets jagged at times.Also, I had a problem with the description of the Kitchen.He described the neighborhood to be this nasty hole in the wall that probably should be burnt to the ground.I worked near the Kitchen for four years and I will admit it isn't the nicest of neighborhoods, but it isn't nearly as bad as he described it.Especially since the city has taken a keen interest in rebuilding a lot of it. ... Read more

Product Description
Lincoln Rhyme recognizes the calling card of the notorious Watchmaker—and realizes that the killer has more murders planned in the hours to come. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (126)

TWISTS AND TURNS
It is difficult to review a suspense novel without giving away too many details.My initial impression, however, was that the novel included two story strands that were inartfully combined.Then the plot heated up and all the individual situations started to be woven together.What one thinks is the primary story does not become the principle situation.The story continues to go deeper until three new scenarios are played out.There might be too many variations as the reader could become confused trying to analyze the action.Deaver had to write this book from back to front.I thought is was a masterpiece of story telling and would recommend it for readers that want a light adventure.

mystery
RJeffrey deaver is one my favorite authors.Cold Moon did not let me down.truly a page turner. I read all of his novels.If u r looking for an excellent #1 novel to read please order Cold Moon.

An enjoyable thriller
An evil killer is murdering innocent people, and leaving a ticking clock at the scene of the crime. Rhyme and Sachs are on the case, trying to track down this ruthless killer, before the person can strike again. But, as usual, with Jeffery Deaver, all is not what it originally seems!

I thought this book was a very enjoyable read for the most part. It seems the author has created a very devious and evil killer, in the Watchmaker. I really enjoyed how Rhyme, Sachs and the rest of the gang, slowly put together the evidence, in order to capture the ruthless killer.

However, in the last third of the book, the twists and coincidences, became a bit too ridiculous and far fetched for my liking. For this reason, I am giving the book four stars, instead of five.

The Cold Snooze
This book starts with great promise about a sadistic serial killer but becomes so unbelievable I could not continue and gave up 3/4 of the way through - and I am glad I did after learning the ending. Deaver's need to literally 'info dump' massive plot twists is a damning testimony to the ridiculous and unworkable plot. Do not invest your time in this unbelievable story. I should have learnt my lesson after the epic snoozefest that was 'the bodies left behind'.

First Time
This was the first Jeffery deaver book I've read.
It's a nice surprise. He keeps you guessing with twists and turns until the very end. I'm adding Deaver to my lists of writers to watch. ... Read more

Product Description

Renowned criminalist Lincoln Rhyme faces his ultimate opponent: a kidnapper and murderer dubbed the Insect Boy. But Rhyme is in for a surprise when he learns that catching a criminal is one thing...and keeping him is another. Now Rhyme, in North Carolina to undergo risky spinal cord surgery, finds himself hunting a ruthless killer in the heart of a southern swampland -- and going head-to-head with his protégé, Amelia Sachs, in a rivalry that tests the limits of both their expertise and their love.Amazon.com Review
It's not easy being NYPD detective Lincoln Rhyme, the world'sforemost criminalist. First of all, he's a quadriplegic. Secondly,he's forever being second-guessed and mother-henned by hisex-model-turned-cop protégé, Amelia Sachs, and hispersonal aide, Thom. And thirdly, it seems that he can't motor hiswheelchair around a corner without bumping into one crazedpsycho-killer after another.

In The Empty Chair, Jeffery Deaver's third Rhyme outing--after1997's The BoneCollector and 1998's The CoffinDancer--Rhyme travels to North Carolina to undergo anexperimental surgical procedure and is, a jot too coincidentally, metat the door by a local sheriff, the cousin of an NYPD colleague,bearing one murder, two kidnappings, and a timely plea for help. Itseems that 16-year-old Garrett Hanlon, a bug-obsessed orphan knownlocally as the Insect Boy, has kidnapped and probably raped two women,and bludgeoned to death a would-be hero who tried to stop one of theabductions.

Rhyme sets up shop, Amelia leads the local constabulary (easilyrecognized by their out-of-joint noses) into the field, and, after someHolmesian brain work and a good deal of exciting cat-and-mousing, theduo leads the cops to their prey. And just as you're idly wonderingwhy the case is coming to an end in the middle of the book, Ameliabreaks the boy out of jail and goes on the lam. Equally convinced ofthe boy's guilt and the danger he poses to Amelia, Rhyme has no choicebut to aid the police in apprehending the woman he loves--no easytask, as she's the one human being who truly knows the methods ofLincoln Rhyme.

Rhyme's specialty combines the minute scientific analysis of physicalevidence gathered from crime scenes and his arcane knowledge of, itwould seem, every organic and inorganic substance on earth. Deavercombines engaging narration, believable characters, and his trademarkability to repeatedly pull the rug out from under the reader'sfeet. Lincoln Rhyme's back all right, and the smart money's bettingthat his run has just begun. --Michael Hudson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (200)

Decent, but Rhyme acts like a child!
This book is decent...not my favorite of Deaver's novels, but not the worst either.

What I really want to mention, though, is not specific to this novel, but to all of Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme novels. Why does Deaver write Rhyme like a child? Because he's disabled, he must act childish. Thom treats him like an infant, telling him when he can and can't have alcohol (or food, etc.)...and instead of firing him on the spot (which I would do, were I in Rhyme's place), Rhyme ends up pouting and frumpy all the time. It's so frustrating.

While I'm thrilled at Deaver's efforts to highlight a gifted and brilliant disabled person in his most popular series, the way he writes Rhyme doesn't just diminish the character but also reinforces the common sterotype that people with disabilities should be treated like children (i.e., if they're physically disabled, they must have the mental capacity of a child...which is obviously not the case with Rhyme and just makes Deaver's characterization inconsistent).

The Empty Chair
Great book!I have never read anything before by Jeffry Deaver, but will definitely look for more by him.This book was a surprise at every turn.Just when I thought I had it figured out, there was always a big surprise.

loved it
I read a lot of Grisham, Demille, Patterson, and Baldacci.This was my first Jeffrey Deaver book and I absolutely Loved it!!!

Fish Out of Water, A Few Hornets Mixed In
This was quick, and I maybe saw one or two things coming when it was all said and done! Jeffery Deaver once again proves why he's a magician with the pen, using sleight of hand, and then more tricks up his sleeve. I'd read some great things about "The Empty Chair," and I really was impressed. Now, to the others out there who thought this sucked, I think you guys suck! I thought this was a great piece of writing by a great author. In North Carolina country, Jim Bell, who made an appearance in "The Coffin Dancer," asks for Lincoln Rhyme's help in this 3rd installment.

Lincoln Rhyme has business in North Carolina. But his business is getting a high-risk operation performed. And Jim Bell, knowing Rhyme is in the area, wants Rhyme's help after a local teen is dead, and two women are abducted. Set the stage for Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs! They are on the lookout for another young man known as INSECT BOY. And Insect Boy knows his insects, he knows his cat and mouse, and he knows how to elude the proper authorities. The question is, is Insect Boy the suspect they need to be tracking down?

Rhyme in his wheelchair is a genius. And Sachs isn't too bad herself. But when Sachs crosses the local authorities, not to mention Rhyme with a daring move, the ultimate showdown begins. And nobody is certain what she's up to as she goes up against Lincoln. Is Amelia doing the right thing?

I can say for certain that Jeffery Deaver is indeed one of the best authors out there. That's because he can put together a scene, and not have the reader lost. And if that wasn't enough, he does what he does so well, and that's write amazing stories, and he doesn't always let you know where he's going. Yet, you always keep flipping the pages frantically! And I'm going to be on a frantic search for "The Stone Monkey," to see what kind of Houdini is dared attempted. I'll be ready next time, Deaver, you just wait!! Yeah, right. He'll have me going again, but I'll sure enjoy the story!

Twist after twist
Just when I thought I had the culprit nailed, the story took another twist! Excellent read! ... Read more

Product Description
Twenty-one-year-old Rune is an aspiring filmmaker, but so far her only break has been scoring a job as an underpaid production assistant in Manhattan. Still, she's always on the lookout for the perfect topic for her own film--and she thinks she's found it when she witnesses the bombing of a triple-X movie theater in Times Square. Rune's got a great hook for her documentary: She plans to film it through the eyes of Shelly Lowe, the porn star whose movie was playing at the theater when it exploded.But just hours after Rune films a poignant Shelly reflecting on her dreams of becoming a serious actress, a second bomb silences the beautiful film star forever. Was Shelly in the wrong place at the wrong time--or was she the bomber's target all along? Rune vows to find out the truth behind the death of this blue movie star. But as she struggles to finish shooting her film, Rune's labor of love may be her final masterpiece--as a shooting of a more lethal kind threatens to write an ending to this story that no one wants to see....

... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

New (Old) Character
Jeffrey Deaver has a hit series with his Lincoln Rhyme books, but this book is part of an earlier trilogy featuring Rune, a New York City one-of-a-kind sleuth. She's young,intelligent,and determined. Five feet two inches of off-beat craftiness with purple hair--squatting in a Manhattan loft apartment. You'll love her. Be sure to read the other two Rune books as well: Manhattan is My Beat, and Hard News.

Slow - Not up to Deaver's standards
Lots of 'fluff' to make the book have pages.Language is xrated.I have read just about every Deaver book, and this is the first one that I have ever written a review on. I am doing this because of my disappointment in the book.It does not read like a 'Deaver' creation.CJ

wonderful book
I'm a Jeffrey Deaver fan. When I saw the Rune trilogy books I wondered if it was the same author. Though they were older books, they arrived on time and in good condition. I enjoyed the trilogy!

Deaver's twists and turns
Death of a Blue Movie Star

Typical Deaver mystery novel from early in his career. Part of the Rune trilogy, it is about a young girl in New York City who wants to be a movie producer and who tries to do a feature about a porn movie star who was killed. Typical Deaver twists and turns that do hold the attention, although, with Deaver, you would be very surprised if there was no surprise at the end.

Wonderful series, wonderful heroine!
Rune is a young woman who wants to be a film-maker.Although she doesn't have any formal education, she has managed to pick up bits and pieces from various jobs she has held, including her current one for an agency that does advertising and independent films.One day, on the way to work, she witnesses the bombing of an adult movie theatre - the professed work of a right-wing Fundamentalist group calling themselves the Sword of Jesus - and the idea of creating a film around the event captures her interest.She tracks down an actress who was in one of the films playing in the theatre that day - Shelly Lowe - and convinces her to give some interviews.However, shortly after beginning the project, a second bombing kills Shelly Lowe, so Rune must change her focus - she begins to interview Shelly's friends instead, deciding to focus the film on the life and death of this actress, while at the same time trying to solve the mystery of who exactly are responsible for the bombings.Rune develops a relationship with Sam Healy, a member of the bomb squad, who at first tries to keep her away from the scene and then later just tries to minimize the damage.

There are plenty of twists to this one - worthy of Jeffrey Deaver!He never lets us down, that's for sure!Don't miss this one! ... Read more

Product Description

His code name is Phate -- a sadistic computer hacker who infiltrates people's computers, invades their lives, and with chilling precision lures them to their deaths. To stop him, the authorities free imprisoned former hacker Wyatt Gillette to aid the investigation. Teamed with old-school homicide detective Frank Bishop, Gillette must combine their disparate talents to catch a brilliant and merciless killer.Amazon.com Review
In this 21st century version of the "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral," twocomputer wizards engage in the kind of high-tech combat that only ahacker could love. Wyatt Gillette, a cybergenius who's never used hisphenomenal talent for evil, is sitting in a California jail doing timefor a few harmless computer capers when he gets a temporary reprieve--achance to help the Computer Crimes Unit of the state police nail acracker (a criminally inclined hacker) called Phate who's using hisingenious program, Trapdoor, to lure innocent victims to their death byinfiltrating their computers. Gillette and Phate were once the kingsof cyberspace--the Blue Nowhere of the title--but Phate has gone waypast the mischievous electronic pranks they once pulled and crossed overto the dark side. While Trapdoor can hack its way into any computer,it's Phate's skill at "social engineering" as well as his remarkablecoding ability that makes him such a menace to society. As Wyatt explains to the policeman who springs him from prison so that he can findand stop Phate before he kills again, "It means conning somebody,pretending you're someone you're not. Hackers do it to get access todata bases and phone lines and pass codes. The more facts about somebodyyou can feed back to them, the more they believe you and the morethey'll do what you want them to."

Bestselling author Jeffery Deaver (The Empty Chair, The Devil'sTeardrop) ratchets up the suspense one line of code at a time; histerrific pacing drives the narrative to a thrilling andexplosive conclusion. This thriller is bound to induceparanoia in anyone who still believes he can hide his deepest secretsfrom anyone with the means, motive, and modem to ferret them out. --JaneAdams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (205)

The Blue Anywhere
After having had my computer system compromised, I am reading this novel for the second time. The first time I read it was before this had happened and I didn't pay much attention to the computer hacking parts of the story. This time I am. It is amazing just how some very talented individuals can use their superior intelligence to hack into systems anywhere at anytime. This is why I entitled my review of The Blue Nowhere as The Blue Anywhere. I would much prefer they used their intelligence to do some good in society. Since this is not the case though, we need to be well aware of their damaging potential.

THE BLUE NOWHERE
This book caught me by surprise.I like Jeffrey Deavers, especially after The Bone Collector.But this book stands on it's own proper right.This book was simply explosive.

Nice, but predictable twist
Good story, nice pacing and mostly believable. I would recommend to fans of hacker thrillers and police mysteries alike. It is easy to get into even if you know nothing about the subjects involved. Simply fun.

Good beach read
I was entertained by this novel. Being an IT person, I found the technical jargon elementary but, of course, it's perfect for the average person. I was surprised by the turn of events. I thought I knew whodunnit but Mr. Deavers surprise me!

Nahid Sewell, Author of The Ruby Tear Catcher

The Swampy Nowhere
SETUP
An evil computer hacker (John Holloway aka "Phate") is murdering people--in effect playing a computer game in the real world.With the assistance of Wyatt Gillette, an imprisoned hacker, the California Comupter Crimes Unit pursue Phate, but are thwarted at every move by a mole ("Shawn").

THE INVESTIGATIVE TEAM-Computer Crimes Unit
Thomas Anderson, Bob Shelton, Frank Bishop, Linda Sanchez, Steven Miller, Tony Mott, Susan Wilkins, and Patrician Nolan (consultant from Horizon Online, Seattle), and of course Wyatt Gillette.

Why such a large team?To confuse the reader.To disguise the identity of the "mole".Hint: In the usual Deaveresque twists, the "mole" isn't who you think it is, nor your second choice.

CAVEATS (other than the numerous technical errors)
It is implausible that no-one on this genius team suspects a mole or at least extensive bugging of the CCU headquarters--Phate obvious knows way too much about what the police are doing.

When the cops storm Phate's home, it is essential to keep Phate from erasing the computer--so obviously, they would try a ruse to get him away from the computer--such as knocking on the front door.Right?Sure, but they don't even consider such a ploy.They warn him with explosions to blow off the doorlocks, and then storm in.

Deaver's "mole" is implausible--enumerating reasons would amount to a spoiler. However, in retrospect, "Shawn" was awfully slow and inefficient in warning Phate at various points, and clearly could have done more to protect Phate--such as wiping Phate's home system after the assault.

There are many other implausibilities such as an armored supercomputer.Computers are way too vulnerable to too many things (including just shutting off the power) for bullet-proof armoring to make any sense.In the case of a supercomputer, just clogging the ventilation vents would fry the system in a few seconds. If he armored his computer, he certainly would have armored the front door of his house.

Who was the idiot who told Deaver that .jpg and .wav files are automatically deleted from your computer when you power down at the end of the day?

Attempts to thicken up the 2-D characters are particularly inept.Gillette is the only reasonable 3D character, and even he is pretty thin.

CRITIQUE
This is one of the better Deavers in a very long time, which is to say that it is less ambitious, less convoluted, and less implausible.The twists are cleaver and plausible (with a reasonable "suspension of disbelief").Deaver is a great storyteller, but I've become used to him coughing up a big stinky hairball near the end."Blue Nowhere" is hairball free.THANK YOU JEFFERY DEAVER.The result is an exciting, enjoyable read.

... Read more

Product Description
Rune is an aspiring filmmaker with more ambition than political savvy, paying her dues as an assistant cameraperson for the local news. But she's got her eyes on the prize, the network's hot newsmagazine, Current Events -- and she's got the story she knows will get her there.

Poking around in the video archives, Rune spots a taped interview with Randy Boggs, who's doing hard time in Attica for a murder he claims he didn't commit. Rune can't say exactly why, but she's sure he's innocent. If she can prove it, Current Events won't merely report the news, it'll make news -- and Rune's career.

But what she could be writing is Randy Boggs's epitaph -- and her own. Rune's newly discovered witness soon turns up dead. A hit man from Miami is on Rune's trail, and Boggs is finding prison even more dangerous than before. Someone wants this story killed, and it could be the girl with the camera who ends up on the cutting room floor.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Fair - not the best Deaver book i have read
Deaver is one of my favorite mystery writers, but this book did not do him (or the book) justice.Too much 'fillling' and not enough meat.I will not read another Rume mystery.Disappointing but OK.

wonderful book
I'm a Jeffrey Deaver fan. When I saw the Rune trilogy books I wondered if it was the same author. Though they were older books, they arrived on time and in good condition. I enjoyed the trilogy!

Fabulously flawed
Deaver's Bone Collector is still my favorite, but Rune is so totally flawed, I couldn't resist reading this one through. I do recommend it, as you do wonder what the heck could go wrong next? Keeps you turning pages. I also recommend mysteries with other fabulously multi dimensional flawed investigators: Inspector Morse or Myra Whitehawk. Polar Bears in the Kitchen

Awfully slow plot
The book's plot goes out of the main story so many times that you'll forget what were you reading. You'll know how the book'll end in the sixth chapter and that's a book's turn down. There are much better books written by JD than this one. So pick another book instead of this one.

Full of twists and turns, this one is sure to please!
The final of the three "Rune" novels (sadly - I liked this heroine!), "Hard News" is absolutely full of unforeseen twists and turns that will keep you guessing right up until the final reveal.Tight pacing kept me turning pages way past my bedtime.

Rune is working for a network affiliate as a camera operator when she is given a letter sent from a prisoner - Randy Boggs - protesting his innocence and saying that he fears for his life and must be released from his wrongful imprisonment.Deciding that she absolutely must do this story, Rune pushes her way into the anchor's - Piper Sutton - office and convinces Piper to let her do the story.However, as Rune learns more information, it seems that someone doesn't want her to do the story - just like someone doesn't want Randy to survive, as he is subjected to repeated attempts on his life.

To make things a bit more difficult, Rune's roommate Claire left for Boston to live with her mother and get her life together - leaving behind her 3-year-old daughter with Rune.Therefore, Rune has to balance taking care of Courtney with everything else.

Lots of humor as well as breath-taking suspense.I definitely recommend this for fans of Deaver and suspense/thrillers. ... Read more