Jeffery Deaver Books

When I first saw the title of this book all I could think of was oh no, another saves the century for the ages with one more literary anthology. The Ancient Library at Alexandria could never have contained more papyrus than we have currently available some short story theme involving the century. Though I have fully enjoyed each of the previous collections leisurely reading them over a couple of weeks (which seems like a century when compared to my normal pace), I vowed no more. Than I opened this book just to glimpse at who contributed and soon was hooked again all because Lawrence Block submitted a Batman tale.

Once again the quality is top rate as the thirty-six well-written stories run much of the suspense gamut submitted by a notable cast of writers. The tales include police and legal procedurals as well as the classic private sleuth investigative story among the assortment of other twist and turn tales. None of the stories shortchanges the ensemble, as this is a triumphant aggregation that is worth unhurriedly reading over a couple of weeks.

Harriet Klausner

Certainly Jeffery Deaver should know good mysteries when he sees them, and in his
personal compilation of a century of these great stories, the reader should assume it's just that, a
collection of great stories! And they are! Deaver exercises an ecumenical spirit here, practically
running the gamut of the genre!

It goes without staying that short stories generally don't carry the impact that novels do on
the same subject (not to patronize short stories, of course, as they are great in their own "write").
With the exception of some personal favorites of mine, such as P.D. James and Ellis Peters, which
he omits, Deaver's wide assortment of writers is a real treasure! For students of the history of the
suspense story, Deaver shows off Anna Katherine Green's story (Ms Green is often considered to
have written the first American suspense novel) to provide a historical perspective, and then
continues on down the time line. Such luminaries as Ellery Queen, John D. MacDonald, Ruth
Rendell, Mickey Spillane, Ed McBain, Sara Paretsky, and Robert Barnard light up these pages.
Indeed, a nice collection to keep around. Fun reading, too! (...)

This was the first of Jeffrey Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme series books. It was also the first time I read any books by this author, and definitely enjoyed the book!

Lincoln Rhyme, who is a depressed quadrapeligic had to retire his work from the force due to his disabilities. But that didn't stop him from using his mind with his co-worker friends to solve this case of a diabolical killer on the run.

This killer was fascinated with his victims bones. He would kill them mailiciously, and keep the bones hidden away. The usual pattern would be to drive a taxicab to the airport, pick up his victims, and then terrorize them before he murdered them.

Lincoln and his friends draw clues from the tiniest pieces of evidence, and put this crazy picture together. The surprising fact is, that this monster has been really close to Lincoln all along- and the ending has a real surprise in store for readers.

This is an especially suspenseful thriller made more so by the personal angst of the main character, Lincoln Rhyme. A quadriplegic, forensic ex-detective for the New York City Police Department, Rhyme is brought out of retirement by the police department to assist them in the apprehension of an apparently psychopathic killer who is loose on the streets of New York.

The forays into bits of arcane New York history, as well as the sleuthing done almost entirely through the application of forensics and deductive reasoning, make for a very interesting read. While at times it seems that no one could be as uncannily accurate as Rhyme in deciphering the meaning of the physical evidence, this contrivance does serve to move the plot along. With the story line so engrossing and the crime scenes horrific, as well as ingenious, it is the kind of book that is hard to put down, because you simply cannot wait to see what happens. The surprise ending is the icing on the cake.

Assisting Rhyme with his work is Police Officer Sachs who, while not as compelling a character as Rhyme, is essential to the story. It is her character who does the 'heavy lifting' so to speak. Highly intelligent and resourceful, with an innate appreciation of the importance of physical evidence, she inspects and preserves the crime scenes, as well as gathers the physical evidence from which Rhyme ultimately weaves his magic. She also serves as somewhat of a Deus Ex Machina in that she saves the day in more ways than one.

Sachs is a wonderful foil for Rhyme in that she runs hot to his cold. She is driven by her desire to help others, as well as by her own personal demons, while he is ever the calm, cool, collected clinician, whose desire to preserve a crime scene may supercede the milk of human kindness latent within his emotionally atrophied soul. The personal connection that Rhyme ultimately develops with Officer Sachs is one that leaves you hoping that they will be teamed up again in yet another novel.

I received this book as a present & couldn't put it down -- soulful, fascinating stories, all loosely wrapped around music, ranging from jazz clubs to John Lennon & Johnny Cash meeting to an old man dropping dead while dancing ecstatically, claiming "I was the best dancer! I was the best dancer!"

I love the bios in the back with each writer explaining their tastes in music & what they listen to when they write.

Absolutely loved this book from Jeff Deaver. He has an ability to lure readers into his words, then make segues which are not obvious. This was one of his earlier novels, before the Lincoln Rhyme series began. While I those are my favorites, I recommend that readers who like the Rhyme novels also read this one, if nothing else for a different view of what Jeff writes.

This is an especially suspenseful thriller made more so by the personal angst of the main character, Lincoln Rhyme. A quadriplegic, forensic ex-detective for the New York City Police Department, Rhyme is brought out of retirement by the police department to assist them in the apprehension of an apparently psychopathic killer who is loose on the streets of New York.

The forays into bits of arcane New York history, as well as the sleuthing done almost entirely through the application of forensics and deductive reasoning, make for a very interesting read. While at times it seems that no one could be as uncannily accurate as Rhyme in deciphering the meaning of the physical evidence, this contrivance does serve to move the plot along. With the story line so engrossing and the crime scenes horrific, as well as ingenious, it is the kind of book that is hard to put down, because you simply cannot wait to see what happens. The surprise ending is the icing on the cake.

Assisting Rhyme with his work is Police Officer Sachs who, while not as compelling a character as Rhyme, is essential to the story. It is her character who does the 'heavy lifting' so to speak. Highly intelligent and resourceful, with an innate appreciation of the importance of physical evidence, she inspects and preserves the crime scenes, as well as gathers the physical evidence from which Rhyme ultimately weaves his magic. She also serves as somewhat of a Deus Ex Machina in that she saves the day in more ways than one.

Sachs is a wonderful foil for Rhyme in that she runs hot to his cold. She is driven by her desire to help others, as well as by her own personal demons, while he is ever the calm, cool, collected clinician, whose desire to preserve a crime scene may supercede the milk of human kindness latent within his emotionally atrophied soul. The personal connection that Rhyme ultimately develops with Officer Sachs is one that leaves you hoping that they will be teamed up again in yet another novel.

This is an especially suspenseful thriller made more so by the personal angst of the main character, Lincoln Rhyme. A quadriplegic, forensic ex-detective for the New York City Police Department, Rhyme is brought out of retirement by the police department to assist them in the apprehension of an apparently psychopathic killer who is loose on the streets of New York.

The forays into bits of arcane New York history, as well as the sleuthing done almost entirely through the application of forensics and deductive reasoning, make for a very interesting read. While at times it seems that no one could be as uncannily accurate as Rhyme in deciphering the meaning of the physical evidence, this contrivance does serve to move the plot along. With the story line so engrossing and the crime scenes horrific, as well as ingenious, it is the kind of book that is hard to put down, because you simply cannot wait to see what happens. The surprise ending is the icing on the cake.

Assisting Rhyme with his work is Police Officer Sachs who, while not as compelling a character as Rhyme, is essential to the story. It is her character who does the 'heavy lifting' so to speak. Highly intelligent and resourceful, with an innate appreciation of the importance of physical evidence, she inspects and preserves the crime scenes, as well as gathers the physical evidence from which Rhyme ultimately weaves his magic. She also serves as somewhat of a Deus Ex Machina in that she saves the day in more ways than one.

Sachs is a wonderful foil for Rhyme in that she runs hot to his cold. She is driven by her desire to help others, as well as by her own personal demons, while he is ever the calm, cool, collected clinician, whose desire to preserve a crime scene may supercede the milk of human kindness latent within his emotionally atrophied soul. The personal connection that Rhyme ultimately develops with Officer Sachs is one that leaves you hoping that they will be teamed up again in yet another novel.

We have always enjoyed Jeffery Deaver and I think we have read all the Lincoln Rhyme novels. I wish they would come out even faster. I would recommend this book to all Deaver fans and to anyone looking for a new mystery writer to follow.

Author Jeffrey Deaver does it again! This is an immensely entertaining, page turning read for all thriller enthusiasts. The story line centers around an unknown killer unleashed upon Washington, D.C.. Known as the "Digger", this maniacal killer proceeds into D.C.'s Metro Station at 9:00 AM on New Year's Eve 1999 and begins a shooting spree that leaves many dead. The Digger has been instructed by an unknown criminal mastermind accomplice to kill hordes of people at clocked intervals on the eve of the millennium, unless a twenty million dollar demand for ransom is met. The ransom note is the only communication from this criminal genius who alone can control the actions of the killer. D.C.'s mayor agrees to pay the staggering ransom, but on the way to the drop, the accomplice appears to have been killed in a freak traffic accident. Who can now stop the "Digger" from his appointed rounds?

Enter Parker Kincaid, document examiner extraordinaire and former FBI agent. Kincaid has been called back as a consultant to assist the FBI who need to stop the killer before he kills again. Kincaid is a wonderful, fully fleshed character. A single parent with his own share of troubles, he is as interesting as is Lincoln Rhyme, another of Deaver's characters around whom several of his books have revolved. Interestingly enough, Rhyme has a cameo appearance in this book which should give Deaver's fans an added kick while reading this book. Like Rhyme, Kincaid is a master of deductive reasoning and is a thinking person's detective. It is interesting how his analysis of the ransom note provides clues for the FBI to follow up in their quest to stop the killer before it is too late.

The book is filled with numerous plot twists and turns, which should provide even the most jaded devotees of thrillers with a satisfying read. This action packed book keeps the reader guessing. Just when you think it's all over, you are yet once again surprised. The only criticism is that the end of the book strains the imagination. It almost borders on the absurd. Yet such is Deaver's writing that this does not impact unduly on the absolute enjoyment one will get from reading this book. It is a riveting read!

Author Jeffrey Deaver does it again! This is an immensely entertaining, page turning read for all thriller enthusiasts. The story line centers around an unknown killer unleashed upon Washington, D.C.. Known as the "Digger", this maniacal killer proceeds into D.C.'s Metro Station at 9:00 AM on New Year's Eve 1999 and begins a shooting spree that leaves many dead. The Digger has been instructed by an unknown criminal mastermind accomplice to kill hordes of people at clocked intervals on the eve of the millennium, unless a twenty million dollar demand for ransom is met. The ransom note is the only communication from this criminal genius who alone can control the actions of the killer. D.C.'s mayor agrees to pay the staggering ransom, but on the way to the drop, the accomplice appears to have been killed in a freak traffic accident. Who can now stop the "Digger" from his appointed rounds?

Enter Parker Kincaid, document examiner extraordinaire and former FBI agent. Kincaid has been called back as a consultant to assist the FBI who need to stop the killer before he kills again. Kincaid is a wonderful, fully fleshed character. A single parent with his own share of troubles, he is as interesting as is Lincoln Rhyme, another of Deaver's characters around whom several of his books have revolved. Interestingly enough, Rhyme has a cameo appearance in this book which should give Deaver's fans an added kick while reading this book. Like Rhyme, Kincaid is a master of deductive reasoning and is a thinking person's detective. It is interesting how his analysis of the ransom note provides clues for the FBI to follow up in their quest to stop the killer before it is too late.

The book is filled with numerous plot twists and turns, which should provide even the most jaded devotees of thrillers with a satisfying read. This action packed book keeps the reader guessing. Just when you think it's all over, you are yet once again surprised. The only criticism is that the end of the book strains the imagination. It almost borders on the absurd. Yet such is Deaver's writing that this does not impact unduly on the absolute enjoyment one will get from reading this book. It is a riveting read!

Author Jeffrey Deaver does it again! This is an immensely entertaining, page turning read for all thriller enthusiasts. The story line centers around an unknown killer unleashed upon Washington, D.C.. Known as the "Digger", this maniacal killer proceeds into D.C.'s Metro Station at 9:00 AM on New Year's Eve 1999 and begins a shooting spree that leaves many dead. The Digger has been instructed by an unknown criminal mastermind accomplice to kill hordes of people at clocked intervals on the eve of the millennium, unless a twenty million dollar demand for ransom is met. The ransom note is the only communication from this criminal genius who alone can control the actions of the killer. D.C.'s mayor agrees to pay the staggering ransom, but on the way to the drop, the accomplice appears to have been killed in a freak traffic accident. Who can now stop the "Digger" from his appointed rounds?

Enter Parker Kincaid, document examiner extraordinaire and former FBI agent. Kincaid has been called back as a consultant to assist the FBI who need to stop the killer before he kills again. Kincaid is a wonderful, fully fleshed character. A single parent with his own share of troubles, he is as interesting as is Lincoln Rhyme, another of Deaver's characters around whom several of his books have revolved. Interestingly enough, Rhyme has a cameo appearance in this book which should give Deaver's fans an added kick while reading this book. Like Rhyme, Kincaid is a master of deductive reasoning and is a thinking person's detective. It is interesting how his analysis of the ransom note provides clues for the FBI to follow up in their quest to stop the killer before it is too late.

The book is filled with numerous plot twists and turns, which should provide even the most jaded devotees of thrillers with a satisfying read. This action packed book keeps the reader guessing. Just when you think it's all over, you are yet once again surprised. The only criticism is that the end of the book strains the imagination. It almost borders on the absurd. Yet such is Deaver's writing that this does not impact unduly on the absolute enjoyment one will get from reading this book. It is a riveting read!