Book Review - The Empty Chair

The Empty Chair

(Lincoln Rhyme #3)

Jeffery Deaver 

7.5 Stars 

Pages

Fiction / Crime / Mystery / Thriller 

We leave NY and head down into North Carolina, hunting a 16 year old boy who is a murderer several times over and has now turned into a kidnapper, hoping to get the two girls back alive they race against the clock.  The small town inexperienced police force is ill equipped to handle such a situation, and is as much a hinderance as a help. The town is ready to lynch the boy but if he is killed instead of captured those girls will die slowly of starvation hidden in the wilderness, if they are even still alive that is. Lincoln is like a fish out of water in this new place, uncertain of where the evidence is leads and as Amelia puts herself in Garrett's  shoes she finds a soft spot for the boy. Will this give our killer the edge he needs against our heroes?

The fourth Deaver book I have read and I was not disappointed. This was the most predicable book so far, although there are still several twists, I have been reading a lot of his work as well so I might just be falling into the pattern. The bugs were seriously creepy, and reminded me of so many horror books and novels I couldn't stop making comparisons! I was not drawn into Amelia and Lincoln's relationship as much with this one and I can't decide if they supporting characters where perfect or annoying. I was incredibly frustrated at many points because of how real it got with the law enforcement. I wanted the small town dynamic to be so much fiction but I have read a few true crimes highlighting small towns and how public opinion, meddling bystanders, inexperienced cops and ill-equipped cops handle cases terribly... it was sad because it is true kind of thing. 

Overall another fantastic read and gripping novel by Deaver.

Book Review - The Coffin Dancer

The Coffin Dancer

(Lincoln Rhyme #2)

Jeffery Deaver

We join Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs on another man hunt. They face off against one of the most prolific guns for hire. The Coffin Dancer. Keeping three eye witnesses alive for 45 hours until the grand jury is a tall order against this killing machine. Lincoln has faced off against the seasoned killer before and lost, getting two of his tech's killed in the process. With Amelia walking right into the line of fire and fear clouding judgement, will our dynamic duo catch this mastermind in time?

I read The Bone Collector and The Skin Collector and loved them! figured I would check out more of Deaver's series (I was in the mood for something longer) each book is self contained but I am planning to read them in order anyways. I think the diction is engaging, and while it does have a little bit of tediousness here and there, it is nothing compared to many crime novels I have read. Deaver's trademark seems to be having the story from the perspective of Lincoln "team good" and a second perspective from the killers point of view. I personally have been loving it. Faced paced, action packed, amazing characters, gripping plots, a killer twist at the end of the book.

If you like Criminal Minds or Forensic Files give these a try!
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