Jeffery Deaver Books

I am an avid fan of the Lincoln Rhyme/Amelia Sachs duo. But this story left me feeling disappointed. It started out with a bang, and made you keep the pages turning. I even survived the first AND second turn.(the rest were predictable!) But, the ending! Enough with the domestic militia and the Ted Kascinski types. Plus, the "perp" gets away. Left a big fan with a big disappointment. I hope the follow-up book serves it's readers a better plate of satisfaction. :)

Having read all of the Lincoln Rhyme novels I feel that this is one of the best. Rhyme and Sachs face their most cunning killer yet. Sachs is working on two separate cases. In addition, a retired cop shares some information to Sachs concerning her father. This book also involves cops on the take, more murders and clocks. Also when something goes wrong on the case that Sachs is the primary on, she finds her self being the scapegoat and endangering her career. Lin gets help from a detective who specializes in reading body language. Linc is skeptical but eventually finds her help invaluable. This was a page turner for me. I am looking forward to the next book which comes out in June. Get this book, you wont be sorry.

After the curiously depressing The 12th Card, this entry in the series is lots more fun, although the twists and turns get dizzying and a little predictable. (Whenever the point of view switches to the doer -- you know he's about to get nabbed.) Maybe Deaver's reliance on super villians is getting a bit tired. The guys on C.S.I. manage to walk the grid without having to go up against a genius to rival Professor Moriarty each week. I don't recall that was the case with the series' best -- The Empty Chair. Also, this time a round there's a hint of socio-political commentary, but it's so vauge you're not sure what he's advocating except not offending anyone.

The plot changes so fast toward the end of the book, what you thought was going to happen does not happen. Deaver's plots are astonishing. I often wonder how he comes up with some of this stuff. There is no thriller writer like Jeffery Deaver. The Cold Moon will give you what you want in a thriller book. Read it tonight!
d_may

I was disappointed in this book. It's not completely bad, but enough twists already! Lincoln Rhymes novels are interesting enough on their own (for fans of forensic and those of us who are interested in the actual main and usual characters). It doesn't need that many and sometimes outrageous twists! Leave that for the "Twisted" book series.

Ms. Dance is a "human lie detector" who works for California's version of the FBI. So, when an unsolved murder involving a mass murderer behind bars hits her desk, she has Daniel Pell (the murderer) brought to a prison near her (why not go where he's already incarcerated, you ask? -- Don't!). This percipitates a fiendishly complicated escape plot that is executed perfectly and then the chase is on with Dance trying to understand what Pell is doing while he outsmarts her at every step. The bodies keep piling up as Dance is always almost catching Pell and more and more devilish twists come up.

For a mystery thriller there does not seem to be much mystery as we follow Pell through the book and know that he is the main subject. However, this is definitely a thriller and the pages keep turning and the book cannot be put down. Just when you think the plot is getting ready to be resolved, you learn of some new twist and turn - reading the other reviews here, I note that this is vintage Deaver.

I was completely taken in by the plotting and the twisting and certainly never expected the two major plot twists that came up at the end of the book. One was acceptable to me and had me rooting for Deaver for having come up with such a delightful thing, the other one I did not care for. I will not write what they are as they will ruin the book for others.

Of course, this kind of thriller requires you to suspend reality completely. I mean, what is the reason for Dance not to go interview Pell in the super-secure prison that holds him? Why bring him out to a different facility where he manages an escape? Even more baffling is exactly how smart and up to date Pell is. He frequently manages to pre-think the scrapes he will be in and have prepared for them well in advance. Also, even though he has been in prison for almost a decade, he manages to know exactly which locations to drive to that are completely deserted to perform various nefarious deeds. Dance is always a step behind until the very end of the book when the obligatory shoot out takes place.

So, a great summer or airplane read and I highly recommend it for that purpose.

I've been a fan of Jeffrey Deaver for quite some time now and have read several of his novels. The Sleeping Doll is one of his best yet, delivering action, suspense, and the surprise twists that Deaver has become known for. Kathryn Dance (first introduced in the Lincoln Rhyme novel The Cold Moon: A Lincoln Rhyme Novel (Lincoln Rhyme)) has quickly become one of my favorite characters and her specialty of kinesics is a fascinating one. Deaver specializes in combining technical knowledge and compelling personal traits, forging eminently believable people. California Bureau of Investigation Agent Dance is charged here with capturing escaped murderer/cultist Daniel Pell, himself a well-drawn, intelligent criminal, who specializes in bending weak-minded people to his will, as well as leaving a trail of carnage. Dance must use her own knowledge and insights to try and stay one step ahead of Pell, whose motives remain a mystery until the end. She's also a single mother with two kids, one of whom is having issues with her dating again after the death of her husband. These personal details never seem forced or unwelcome in Deaver's able hands, but make for a complete picture of each of his characters.

Everything readers have come to expect from Deaver is on full display: the building suspense, the intricate plot machinations and surprises, and very human characters. There's even an interlude with fan favorites Amelia Sachs and Lincoln Rhyme, if only via phone conversation. Kathryn Dance makes for a very intriguing new heroine and I look forward to Deaver's next novel featuring her. An excellent read, highly recommended.

The book started off with a bang but had a very boring and anticlimatic ending in my opinion.

A secondary character from the last Lincoln Rhyme novel takes center stage in this very satisfying thriller that finds Jeffrey Deaver back in top form. Maybe it's the left coast setting, but the author is back to basics in this vibrant offering. Even those of us who know how he springs his tricks on readers will be blindsided a few times. The villain here is very compelling but not super-human as some in the recent Rhyme books have been. And some of the dramatic scenes with the surviving cult members have a tense dramatic feel to them and are some of Deaver's best writing. Maybe the book's a little bloated in length but a welcome comeback.

This book kept you interested up until the final paragraph, trying to second guess everything that happened. It was great - just as everything else by Jeffrey Deaver.

Oh dear! Nice idea; distinctly average execution. The obvious faults with this effort have been mentioned elsewhere so I won't labour these. The clunky narrative device, too, has also been given a good `going over' so again, I'll refrain from sticking the boot in here. It's okay for a holiday read if nothing else is available; let's put it this way, if I had lost the book half way through it would not have bothered me.

Deaver writes first-rate thrillers featuring a compelling hero in Lincoln Rhyme but, in common with some of his contempories, I suppose he cannot help wondering if his success depends solely on this, his main and most popular character. Michael Connelly had one superb deviation from the `straight and narrow' Bosch series with The Poet but, in contrast, Chasing the Dime might just as well have been entitled Chasing the Dire! Similarly Deaver has failed to achieve even a modicum above the very ordinary with this lame effort that attempts to cover the same ground as Philip Kerr's brilliant Berlin Noir.

No spoilers

I'm a big Deaver and have thoroughly enjoyed every book I've ever read by him. I read this book after finishing the Lincoln Rhyme series because those books have been among my favorite reads of the genre in recent memory. I've read a few of Deaver's other stand-alone books and enjoyed them so I figured this one would be just as good.

While this book was enjoyable and I got into in enough to finish it as quickly as usual, it wasn't as great of a novel as any in the Rhyme series or his other stand-alones (like Blue Nowhere, which is great). Basically, the best advice is that if you like Deaver's other stuff and want something else to read by him, then you'll enjoy this book just enough to make it a worthwhile read. However, if you're new to Deaver, go for the gold and read, in order, the Lincoln Rhyme series.

Paul Schumann, an American hit man, is given a choice: face Tom Dewey or face the Nazis. Not surprisingly (since it would be a boring book otherwise) he chooses to undertake a clandestine mission to assassinate Reinhart Ernst, a high ranking Nazi official in charge of rearmament.

Along the way his cover is compromised, and he is tracked not only the Gestapo, but the German police.

Without going into great detail on the plot points, suffice it to say that there are a number of twists and turns in the plot, and most of the canidates are multi-dimensional. The Nazis have their good points and the "good guys" have their bad points.

When reading this book, I kept wondering -- would Paul go through with his mission and what would happen to the characters along the way -- not just the main characters, but the supporting roles.

Also I'll admit that the ending wasn't what I expected.

Well worth a read.

Garden of Beasts by Jeffery Deaver is a book full of surprises. Everybody has two sides in this one, who they are and who they were and in pre WWII Germany, it matters. The world is changing and bit by bit the characters have to decide how far they will stretch their conscience to support their countries. While they all are trying to figure it out the body count is mounting. Behind the fast paced mystery Deaver also tells the story of the German people who were not Jewish, but none the less were caught up in the nightmare that was one man's ugly dream of utopia. Besides being entertaining this book will remind you that we all have boundaries that define who we are and what we stand for.

Garden of Beasts is a historical novel by Jeffrey Deaver. Deaver is popular for his Lincoln Rhyme novels, but for this book he focuses on 1936 Germany as the Olympics are about the begin and Germany is making preparations to become a global menace. Paul Schumann is a "button man", a hit man for the mob who finally gets caught. The people that catch him work for the government and promise him his freedome if he will go overseas to Germany and kill a man named Reinhard Ernst. Ernst is Hitler's right hand man in charge of rearming the German army. Ernst's genius lies not only in rearming the country, but in hiding it from the Western allies.

Schumann is given a cover as a sports journalist and travels to Germany. Once there, he is in immediate danger as he is acosted by an undercover German officer. His contact saves him, but in the process kills the German. Willi Kohl is the police investigator that is in charge of finding out who killed the unknown man in the alley. From the beginning of the book, Kohl is right on the tale of Schumann, and the chase is on. Schumann speaks excellent German and fits right in. However, he makes a few mistakes and is saved by Otto Webber, a scam artist that can help Schumann get anything he wants.

Will Schumann succeed in killing Ernst? Read the novel and find out. If you do read, you will get to enjoy some fascinating characters along the way. Willi Kohl is an older man, proud of his profession and mistrusting of the Nazis. Kohl is afraid of losing his kids to the intoxicating power of the Hitler Youth. Ernst is portrayed as a kindly grandfather who spends tons of time with his grandson. Ernst wants only what is best for Germany, and thinks that soon HItler will be out of power. This is a book that sneaks up on you. I read where Deaver wrote about an all encompassing evil when writing this book. The evil is truly there when you her about the persecution of the Jews and other minorities. There is even a greater evil present that personifies how a country full of civilizied people can so quickly turn to barbaric methods to achieve their goals. The presence of this evil becomes apparent at the climax of this novel and makes what came before it that much more chilling.

I've always enjoyed novels centered around World War II and fans of the genre should enjoy this book as well. I've only read one Lincoln Rhyme novel, and didn't like it that much. I may give Deaver another try since I really liked Garden of Beasts. It is an inriguing, haunting historical thriller.

Rune is 20 years old, works as a clerk in a East Greenwich Village video store and spends much of her time fantasizing. She befriends an elderly gentleman who keeps renting the same movie repeatedly. She goes by his apartment to deliver a video and discovers that he has just been murdered. She feels that the police will not devote enough resources to solve the case. So, she begins her own search for the killer. There are many exciting and unexpected twists and turns along the way. This was a quick enjoyable read.

Jeffrey Deaver is often called the master of ticking time bomb suspense. While it is true of most of his works, the Rune books, starting with Manhattan is my beat lacks the ticking time bomb, but instead immerses the reader into the world seen through the vivid imagination of a young woman who sees things through fairy-tale glasses.

Rune is an almost perfect portrait of an ENFP, who vividly lives in a world half real and half of possibilities, which would both attract me to her... though she'd drive me crazy at the same time. In this book, her quest is one half of justice for a kindly old man who kept renting the same videotape over and over again, and half on a quest for a mythical treasure of great worth. However, when the worlds of her fantasy and the worlds of reality crash, the result is a strange mixture of the two world that only a person like Rune could survive.

This work by JD is really fast-paced and intricate at the same time! a page-turner if you ever saw one! if you're a native of NYC as I am, you'll like the way he describes the Village and Downtown Manhattan! really accurate; the story is fast-paced; Rune is kind of ditzy but determined to get what she wants regardless of the consequences. If you want to pass sometime and have some fun-reading, this is the book for you!

We see the roots of Deaver's work in this early effort from him featuring Rune (later to be seen in "Death of a Blue Movie Star" and "Hard News"). While not perfect - I personally didn't see the point to the whole Richard sub-plot - it's overall a satisfying mystery with enough twists to keep you guessing until the end - all three of them.

Rune is a young woman who has come to New York from Ohio and is squatting in a gazebo while the building is being renovated around her. She works for a video store and one day while out to pick up a video from a customer, she discovers the customer has just been murdered. She had been friends with the customer - Robert Kelly - and they had shared a love of movies; she decides that the murder has something to do with Mr. Kelly's favorite movie - "Manhattan is My Beat," which was based upon a true story about a bank robbery. She decides that Mr. Kelly had found the money from the robbery (which had never been recovered) and therefore had been killed for it. So she sets out to solve his murder herself, and to find the money.

There isn't much else of the plot that can be outlined without spoiling the plot for those who haven't yet read it. Suffice it to say that those who are fans of Deaver, those who enjoy mysteries and thrillers - they should enjoy this book. Just keep in mind it is an early effort and Deaver hadn't quite shaken all the knots out of his style yet. That said, I enjoyed it a great deal. Recommend from me!

Although not as highly publicized as his Lincoln Rhyme series, Jeffrey Deaver still delivers a suspense filled, highly entertaining book with MANHATTAN IS MY BEAT.

A whole review could be dedicated to Rune, the main character in this epic. She's punk, she lives in an abandoned apartment on a rooftop, and she doesn't care what anyone thinks of her. The reader is enraptured by her antics and I wished I could have such a carefree attitude, or at least know someone like her. The term colorful doesn't do her justice!

Rune works for Washington Square Video owned by an overbearing jerk. When customer Robert Kelly has a late movie that needs to be picked up, Rune is given the assignment. This simple task is muddied when Rune discovers Kelly's body, an obvious case of murder. As she exits his apartment, she and a jogger see a green car speed away that she guesses is the murderer. The police don't move fast enough, so Rune decides to investigate on her own. She's sure Robert Kelly's murder is somehow tied to the movie he constantly rented, "Manhattan is My Beat". As she plugs along looking for clues, the hit men are intent upon eliminating Rune and the jogger who witnessed the car.

Thrown into Rune's world is Richard, her boyfriend who is anything but what the reader expects. Rune is unpretentious to Richard's rigidity. It was almost as if Deaver had to put Rune in a relationship with a businessman so she wasn't so bizarre she would offend some readers. I would much rather have enjoyed Rune on her own and not have her fenced in by Richard. But then again, Richard only has a minor role, so he could easily be overlooked.

Some of the scenes are very predictable but Deaver always has a few that catch the reader by surprise. This mix, along with Rune's antics, make for a story that will have you not only trying to catch the killers with Rune, but also wanting to befriend her and just hang out. I laughed so hard at times that I had to stop reading and wipe the tears out of my eyes. Seldom does a character touch the reader like Rune, and when that happens, it's definitely a fun read.

MANHATTAN IS MY BEAT is a fast paced book that will capture you from the beginning. Not as mentally challenging as figuring out the villains in the Lincoln Rhyme series, it will leave you smiling and is a few hours well spent.

I'm a huge fan of Deaver's non-Lincoln Rymes writings. I loved "Twisted" as each short story I eagerly took in every word to figure what the twist was that I was reading. I am a reader that "always figures it out" too soon in books. "Twisted" kept me captivated. I was so anxious to read "More Twisted" but was utterly and sadly disappointed. NONE of the stories were written with the same verve as those found in "Twisted". Dull would be a closer description of the ending of most of the stories in "More Twisted". I am hoping the next book of short stories by Deaver will be as good as "Twisted" - but just like movies, book sequels are never as good as the first.

I picked this up, recognising Deaver as the guy who wrote the film I had liked- 'The Bone Collector'. There are lots of videos of Deaver on the Internet which show off the care he ostensibly takes in plotting his novels via a million post-its and boxes on a whiteboard. But the work displayed in More Twisted doesn't betray all that effort. The stories are simplistic and use only one trick in the book-that the good guy is bad and vice versa. The quality of the stories is further dragged down by staid and plainly written revelations in the end which left me feeling cheated-since none of the information to come to the twisted conclusions were made available to the reader in the story. This mistake was made only by the early writers of crime and detective fiction. Later practitioners gave the readers enough clues to have fighting chances of being sleuths themselves. One story "Born Bad" (awarding winning as it turns out) is bearable. However, its not because of its plot twist for it is the same old black is white and vice versa but because it is relatively well-written. As for "Afraid", which Deaver showcases in an afterword, it wouldn't scare even a five year old.

Afterword-I have given him one more chance and have picked up his new novel, 'The Sleeping Doll'. May be he has put those post-its to good use in this one.

It's been 4 years since I picked up Twisted Vol 1 and I still remember the kick I got from flipping the pages. Somehow, that kick is missing in Vol 2 but nevertheless, it is still a fairly good read.

I am a Jeffery Deaver fan and have read all of his novels. I looked forward to his short stories in this collection and was not diasppointed. He is a master storyteller with interesting twists. He also has a chapter where he shares some of his techniques with the reader. I am reminded of another short story master named O'Henry, but Deaver succeeds in making his endings truly twisted in ways O'Henry never did. If you enjoy short stories, and are a Deaver fan, or just would like to become acquainted with him, you should definitely read this collection.

In each of the 16 stories in this volume, Deaver keeps you guessing as the twists and turns keep coming. A master of the thriller, Deaver will definitely give you thrills and chills, and keep you reading well into the night. Fans of Deaver will not want to miss this exciting collection of short stories. Ranging from the 1800s (with a surprise guest!) to the present day, comprised of murder mysteries, swindles and scams, you won't be able to put it down. High recommend from me!

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.

The cover art doesn't do this book justice. Jeffery Deaver creates a rich archectural landscape for his mystery rather than putting it in some vague cliched archetypal buildings or rooms. The blury red building with yellow lit window does not capture this richness of set and scene!

All through the book not one character nor one scene is wasted. It's an extremely tight and satisfying mystery. The last thread that is tied up as a coda is perhaps one that doesn't need to be addressed. One loose end would have giving the piece complete plausability but to explain the protagonist's motivation for being such a good samaritan is unnecessary and overwritten.

Jeffrey Deaver is a bestselling author of detective thrillers. His most famous creation is Lincoln Rhyme the quadraplegic detective. He is highly acclaimed and very well established. Therefore, it is a bit of a surprise to find him nominated in the best paperback original category. This category usually consists of either authors just establishing themselves or those that cannot get a hardback contract for whatever reason. Jeffrey Deaver comes out with at least one bestseller a year. His work is, typically, a high octane thriller in which the action doesn't let up. This work is quite different from what he usually writes. In some ways it is superior.
John Pelham is a filmmaker who has decided to film a documentary on the residents of Hell's Kitchen, a tough neighborhood in Manhattan. He chooses Ettie Washington, an elderly black woman living in a tenement, as being his eyes and ears. He interviews her and invests hours of taping. AS he goes to interview her one last time, an explosive fire rages from the basement of the tenement. Both Pelham and Ettie barely escape with their lives. Ettie, incredibly, becomes a suspect on hiring a professional to set the fire for insurance purposes. However, it soon becomes apparent to both the police and Pelham that a serial pyromaniac is on the loose with the stakes going up with each successive fire.
Jeffrey Deaver has changed his writing style from his other books. This is a much more introspective work. The plot moves along at a much more lugubrious fashion. Characters are more well rounded than a typical Deaver novel. However, the style of writing remains superior and the plot is certainly compelling enough to keep the pages turning but not compelling enough to keep the reader turning the pages late at night in lieu of sleep. A solid nomination.

John Pellam is a former stuntman and location scout filming an oral history of New York's Hell's Kitchen. While working on the documentary he meets Ettie Washington, a septuagenarian who lived in that New York City area for most of her life. They get together for several days a week where Pellam records Ettie's memories of life in Hell's Kitchen. One day on his way to see Ettie, John witnesses her building being engulfed by flames. Ettie manages to escape but gets arrested shortly thereafter on suspicion of arson and insurance fraud. The police have strong circumstantial evidence against Ms. Washington and they plan to indict her for the death of one of the building's tenants. Pellam is not convinced of her guilt and he will do everything in his power to prove her innocence.

During the course of his investigation he meets several characters that show life in Hell's Kitchen. Carol Wyandotte is a pessimistic social worker that does not have any hope for the youth living in that area. Roger McKennah is a real estate developer who wants to replace the tenements with new buildings. Sonny is a pyromaniac who is burning buildings all over Ettie's neighborhood for some mysterious motive that will be made clear later in the novel. There are other secondary characters that help bring the book to life, everything from Irish gangs to male prostitutes. Everyone has a story to tell and they make sure John hears all about it.

Jeffery Deaver (or William Jefferies) gives a bleak portrait of this infamous New York area. There is a sense of hopelessness and despair shown throughout the book. It has an interesting plot and it was just recently nominated for an Edgar Award for Best Paperback Mystery Novel. The author's work had certain twists and turns that surprised me as a reader. I strongly recommend this book but be warned, it is a downer. Hopefully the next book I read will lift my spirits.

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."

Deaver does a good job here of pulling off a surprise ending that I doubt you will see coming. I found the protagonist, a young female film maker named Rune, an engaging and interesting character, and her relationship with the bomb squad officer was an important aspect of the book for me, but the other characters, with the possible exception of Nicole, one of the porn actresses, were, as far as I was concerned, only there for the plot. The book was a good read for me, and I enjoyed the plot twists.

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!

This is the second Rune novel. I was quite impressed with the first one, but this second one literally blew me away!

Rune is an absolutely great character. She is likeable, amusing, and great company. Deaver's writing is puncy, to the point, and exciting. I found myself turning the pages rapidly.

the plot is really good, as always with a Deaver novel. there is also some emotion packed in with it. There is excitement, tension, intrigue...all the things you need to make a good thriller. these Rune books are really easy, they're light, too, but not over simple. I find them even more pageturners than his normal stuff. i don't know why...i just really cant wait to find out whats going to happen and why. the characters are compelling and the plot great.

i really cannot describe what i like so much about this series, but i absolutely love it! It is a breath of fresh air, and i am really sad that there is only one book left. i really hope Deaver writes another Rune book sometimes, because this really is a great series.

With "Death os A Blue Movie Star" he creates his usual complex plot, and packs it with stuff. it's fast paced, and fairly races along to what is an absolutely stunning climax, in true Deaver style. As always, there are several twists throughout the book, and its great fun trying to guess what they'll be...and i was not right once!

Deaver is the best thriller/suspense writer out there. I love his books to pieces.

The main character Rune does not continue her unique development and insight to the world, as she did in Manhattan is My Beat. And while it does deal with an interesting story of those that are sometimes forgotten by a society who considers some less than worthwhile, it never really gets enough steam to say that they shouldn't be forgotten. On the other hand, it does get into the personality quirks of several people, including those that society would deem worthwhile, but have secrets the world doesn't know.
Reading this story will be ok, but don't expect the same level of enjoyment as from Manhattan is My Beat.
EJ

My favorite Deaver character, Rune, returns in DEATH OF A BLUE MOVIE STAR and continues to entertain her reading audience. What's not to love about this street-savvy young woman who definitely marches to the beat of her own drummer? She lives up to her own expectations and doesn't care what others think about her - she has her goals and that's her only focus.

Rune is trying to get a break in the film industry and she uses the bombing of a Times Square porn theater as her catalyst. Utilizing this bombing as background information, she begins a documentary on the porn industry. With luck on her side, and a persistence that is similar to a bulldog, Rune gets an interview with top porn star, Shelly Lowe. Needing to wrap up the interview sequence, Rune meets Shelly at her office. As she waits outside, she glances up as Shelly waves and tells her she'll be right down after she's off the phone. In the next minute, Shelly's building is devastated by a bomb instantly killing her which thrusts Rune on another case trying to figure out who is responsible for Shelly's death.

Deaver introduces us to another quirky character in Sam Healy, a bomb squad detective. He seems to pop up and save Rune every time she gets into hot water. Yes, Rune is great at getting into trouble - she is going to solve this crime no matter what measures she has to take, including breaking into offices, buying false IDs, etc. Sam is soon involved with Rune and the two compliment each other and battle each other. It makes for an interesting side plot and having this team solve the case brings a new, fun, dimension to story.

DEATH OF A BLUE MOVIE STAR focuses on pornography and the seedy side of filmmaking. Most of the main plot is believable, but some is far-fetched. The way Deaver describes Shelly Long as a "gifted actress" is just a bit much. If she were truly a gifted actress, she'd be making a fortune in the legitimate film industry, not wasting away as a porn star. Other aspects are more believable.

I enjoyed this novel; it was a fast read and kept me entertained the entire time. However, I didn't enjoy it as much as the first Rune epic, MANHATTAN IS MY BEAT. I'm hoping this 21-year-old will continue her journeys and when Deaver takes a break from Lincoln Rhyme, he'll give us a glimpse into Rune's current world.

This is one of the author's earlier works, and while it is not one of his best efforts, it is still a cut above what is currently proffered by other writers of this genre. Jeffrey Deaver writes with a decidedly contemporary feel, his prose always spare and lean. While he does not dwell unduly on character development, it does not deter from the book, as it is wholly plot driven, with enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the last minute. It makes for a quick, enjoyable read.

The book revolves around a decades old bank robbery in which the million dollars heisted was never recovered. This robbery was memorialized in an old bete noire film entitled "Manhattan is My Beat". Enter the story's unlikely heroine, twenty year old Rune of the purple hair, who works in a video store, squats in an abandoned loft that she calls home, and has an imagination that doesn't quit.

When one of her video customers is killed execution style in his apartment, Rune is drawn into events of the past, as they converge upon the present. The now dead customer had repeatedly rented the film, "Manhattan is My Beat", and Rune firmly believes that there is a connection between his death and the age old bank heist. Her do-or-die resolve to discover why her customer was killed leads the moxie endowed Rune on a merry and dangerous chase. It is one that keeps the reader fully engaged and entertained.

Buyer beware of the Publishers Weekly and AudioFile reviews on this webpage. If Dennis Boutsikaris is an "accomplished" actor and narrator, then George W. Bush is an "accomplished" orator and Paris Hilton is an "accomplished" actress. Boutsikaris's performance is not "glib" either, as they claim. His attempts at rendering street language of African-Americans sounds like a black comedian's parody of a clueless white guy trying to sound cool in that way. His normal English narration is also awful. Case in point: throughout the book he mispronounces the word "garrotte" as though it were the word "garret." This came as no surprise to me, I regret to say, as I previously had the misfortune of listening to Boutsikaris narrate another audiobook, The Traitor (see my review), throughout which he mangles French words with a horrific accent and frequent mispronunciation and also attempts to render English spoken with a French accent with all the skill and grace of a bull elephant in a tutu. (Yes, I bought both audiobooks at the same time; had I heard the other performance beforehand, I never would have purchased this one!) That book was already mediocre, so the damage was not as great as it is here, where an otherwise well-crafted thriller, of the sort we've come to expect from Jeffery Deaver, is nearly ruined. Note to Simon & Schuster: If this is the best performer you can find for a project like this, abandon it!

Lest anyone think my criticism is too harsh, I note that as of this writing, Amazon sellers are offering this audiobook on CDs for a mere 20 cents! The marketplace speaks -- caveat emptor. Should you decide to be an emptor anyway for 20 cents, well, it's your money to waste as you see fit, but don't forget the cost of shipping. In my opinion, Simon & Schuster should pay YOU to listen to this audiobook!

I've been a big Jeffery Deaver (Lincoln Rhyme) fan since I started with The Bone Collector which is his best book to date. However, this is by far his worst book for me. It was your typically Deaver book with lots of twists and turn. When it came to the climatic conclusion, I just wasn't that thrill about it. Overall, the pacing was good, the characters are ok, but not his best effort and a real disappointment for me.

I have read several Jeffery Deaver books and I think he's generally a good writer. Although, in The Twelfth Card, so far the black characters have used such timely 2005 phrases like "Righteous" (think 70's), "Word" and "Buggin'" (think 1993, Fresh Prince of Bel Air), and the term "Benjamins" as referring to a wad of twenty dollar bills that have Andrew Jackson on them, NOT "Benjamin" Franklin.
Isn't there ANY research that could have been done before the writing of this book? Like maybe turning on a TV or watching a movie made in this decade?

I am an casual Deaver fan. Even though his stories are usually not so realistic, I still enjoy his books a lot because of the action and suspense that he's known for and great at. I've read about five or six of his books so far and this one is really not up to par with the others. The book was long but nothing really ever happened. We got pages and pages of back stories and personal reflections that had very little to do with driving the plot forward. The whole story just kind of dragged, which really magnified the lack of believability of the characters. The final twists were pretty lame, too.

I love Jeffery Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme series but this one just fell way short of his previous books. It did not hold my interest very well at all. I found myself skipping ahead just so I could get to the end and start another book. The "ghetto" talk was ridiculous (sp), too over the top and that was really annoying. I have not read the next one yet but am hoping it's just as good as all the others minus this one.

I recently found this "older" Deaver novel I had somehow overlooked. It is every bit what I have come to expect and love from a Deaver novel. Simply put, the man is a master storyteller. Even by now, after reading most (13?) of his books, and knowing there are plot twists and turns . . . and knowing my head is going to get messed with . . . and knowing I would love to FOR ONCE actually get the twists right . . . I still can't. I still wind up surprised by the fifty different ways the story takes you before the end. Some people call that whiplash; I call it the cure for predictable by-the-numbers thrillers.

The plot does not need repeating here, but this does: read this book. I recommend this, and the other Deaver novels, without hesitation.

This is an old Deaver, copyright in 1994. Lincoln Rhyme was probably walking on both legs then, so he doesn't show up in this exciting novel.

Nonetheless, you can tell this is Deaver's work, because the plot races forward and you can never guess what is going to happen next. With Deaver, you never know what's what until you finish. You're sure to enjoy this one.

Brace yourself. You are going to become hunter and prey to such an extent that you will feel compassion for both. Jeffery Deaver seeps up through the floorboards of imagination and creeps into our subconscious strata in this "Look over your shoulder and under the bed" thriller.

I read the other review about this book. I dont understand how reader enjoy the book. its boring, many twisted plots is unnessery, the end is little surpising but not convincing at all.
I read the book 10 days and I just wait to see where the book will become interesting- its not happen. I never feel so boring in reading a book. This is my second book of deaver. I read the vanished man and I very enjoy but this book was inferior.
Maybe one thing in the book was enjoyable and this is the descriptions of Deaver- like the description of the childhood of
Hrubek and of Lis- this was touching and maybe this give me the fews moments of enjoy in the book.

I recently reread an out-of-print edition of Praying for Sleep that I first read in 1999. I had noticed it on my book shelf at a time when I had nothing new to read and realized I had completely forgotten the plot. So I reread it and enjoyed it immensely. There are lots of plot twists, as is usual with Deaver, and I found Deaver's look into the mind of a schizophrenic personality to be fascinating. Even the second time around, moreover, I was completely surprised by Deaver's ending. I suppose that doesn't say much for my long-term memory, but I think it says a lot for Deaver's book.