The Bone Collector

I've seen the movie years ago and didn't know there was a book until I saw it at a thrift shop. Picked it up and started reading that night. The author did a really good job of keeping me interested with the details, and switching from different point of views. I will for sure look at the authors other books!

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.

In The Bone Collector, the first in a series featuring Lincoln Rhymes, we are introduced to probably one of the best criminalist minds that have ever been written about. Perhaps it's because the main character, Lincoln Rhymes, does not have the day to day trivialities that cloud up one's mind on a daily basis. Rhymes is a quadriplegic and can only move one finger. He is a former NYPD criminalogist whose spine was severely injured while working a crime scene. Now he is confined to his townhouse apartment in Manhattan where, with the help of some state of the art electronics and equipment, he is still able to help the NYPD solve some gruesome crimes.Enter Amelia Sachs, a beautiful policewoman, who becomes Lincoln's protege, possible love interest and eyes and ears on upcoming crime scenes. I read this book after the movie trailers were out so it was easy to picture Denzel Washington as Rhymes and Angelina Jolie as Sachs. Deaver is a master at explaining and detailing police procedure and is so adept at analyzing a crime scene that by the time I was finished, I felt as if I could "walk the grid" and "bag the evidence". The homicidal maniac in this book is as evil as they come but Lincoln is able to stay one step ahead of him. If there is a book that can honestly be termed a "page-turner", this is it. Upon its completion, however, I don't know if I'll ever be able to ride in a NYC cab and, if I do have to and I see some little toy hanging from the rear view mirror, "I'm outta here".

Wow-- a top forensic police officer working from his bed as a quadriplegic. Such a great idea that has NEVER been thought of before! And from the very beginning, where police find a man buried alive with one hand sticking out of the ground, a finger shaved of skin and wearing a woman's ring, the depraved of New York City shine through this book about a serial killer/kidnapper. A beautiful woman must help our "crip," as he calls himself, solve each crime, for which the killer leaves clues to the next victim, before the victim dies.A great suspense novel, one which I wanted to read before I saw the movie with the gorgeous Denzel Washington playing the quadriplegic and newcomer Angelina Jolie playing the red-headed "partner" for this forensic, bedded genius.Deaver has created two superb characters who work together with superb sexual tension between them. Readers should check out the next book, "The Coffin Dancer," which features the same players. Hopefully Deaver has more coming for us.Deaver is Patricia Cornwell caliber, a hard task to accomplish!

Jeffery Deaver is one the great writers of today -his thrillers are wonderfully twisted, intelligent and fast paced.This was recently made into a movie which did not do the book justice. Lincoln Rhyme, the NYPD's best and considered to be the world's foremost criminalist - is paralyzed in an accident and seeks solace in silence yet the police desperately need him.Walking the beat, Amelia Sachs discovers a body buried beneath an overpass (all but his ring finger) and she seals the area off in hopes of salvaging what clues might be left. This action brings her to the attention of Lincoln. The NYPD teams them up to hunt down what might be the cities most deranged killer.This book was fabulous - but it had a major flaw -it ended! I fell in love with Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs and I couldn't put the book down. It was thriller through and through - and as a bonus it was well written and the characters were so real that you almost felt like you were there with them.I can't wait to see where Jeffery Deaver takes us next