The Bone Collector

Jeffery Deaver is good at what he does, writing thrillers with a fast-moving plot and a good amount of scientific knowledge, trivia and theory thrown in. The Bone Collector belongs firmly in his oeuvre. A clever psychopath stalks New York, leaving enough clues for quadriplegic bedpan sleuth Lincoln Rhyme to home in on his victims in barely-believable fashion. Luckily for us, and unluckily for the hapless victims, Rhyme is always a wee bit late, vicariously arriving too late at the scene of a deliciously gory cadaver, with just enough forensic data to propel him onward to the next kill.

Amelia Sachs meets Rhyme for their first case together, giving us a seasoned pro who wrote the book (literally!) on criminal forensics teamed up with a rookie beat cop who desires no part of this anatomical assaying, seeking only to patrol the mean streets as her dad did in his heyday. Unfortunately for her, she becomes Rhyme’s eyes, ears and legs, going to crime scenes that are not for the squeamish. The bone collector is slightly cleverer and ends up harming Sachs herself towards the end, but of course, she is rescued by Rhyme just in time.

All predictable plot twists aside, this book is actually made better by the non-crime-related prose. Examining the difficulties of a famous person now confined to a bed, replete with insights into their emotional, physical, sexual, financial and professional states, provides us with one of the more enriching aspects of this book. The criminal psychopath turns out to a classic avenging case, and probably won’t add to your understanding of the human condition, but is mildly entertaining nonetheless.

ISBN: 0-670-86871-X