The Stone Monkey

I haven't read a Lincoln Rhyme book since Bone Collector and I now see what I have missed. Stone Monkey was a great addition to the series, again featuring Lincoln Rhyme, Amelia Sachs and some great new characters, particularly Chinese cop, Sonny Li.The scene is set off Long Island on a Chinese ship carrying illegal aliens who come to the U.S. to avoid persecution in China. When the human smuggler, the Ghost, sees that the ship is to be intercepted by the Coast Guard, he blows it up. Thus begins a cat-and-mouse tale of intrigue, following the trail of the escaped Chinese aliens, the Ghost determined to track them down and kill them, and Lincoln Rhyme, FBI, INS, and NYPD, looking to find the Ghost before he kills the Chinese.Good forensic investigation of trace evidence at the crime scenes, including one nifty search of the submerged ship, produces some near dramatic near-misses and face-offs. The plot twists and red herrings really surprised me and turned the plot in new directions that I would not have suspected. Deaver also uses the tool of letting the reader know some pertinent info before the police so you are almost shouting at them to look at the new evidence to catch the Ghost.I really liked the new character, a chinese cop named Sonny Li. He describes himself as "one good f--- cop, I'm saying". His Tao philosophy and insights at first annoy Rhyme and Sachs but when some of his guesses prove right, they begin to pay attention. Li also provides some insights to Rhyme who is considering some risky surgery that might give him more movement in his hand. I also enjoyed the discussion of Chinese medicine and Feng Shui, the art of designing to provide good luck.Many stories either start slow, plod in the middle or drag on in the ending. This plot took off at a breakneck pace and never slowed down. Highly recommended.

The movie "The Bone Collector" started me reading Deaver and his characters of Rhyme and Sachs got me hooked, so I read the other 2 in the Rhyme series. I could not put "The Stone Monkey" down once I started reading. It is really that good, and as usual, suspenseful. I agree with another reviewer that the relationship between Rhyme and Sachs should be explored more fully, but no complaints about this book; I only wish I hadn't read it so fast.

Yet another excellent work by Deaver. Having the saavy, irascible Lincoln Rhyme back in action is like seeing an old friend again. Deaver seems to be at his best with Lincoln - and this new novel ranks among his most compelling, but also with the most heart (e.g. chapter 29). Our usual cast of characters is back, and although I agree that I would've liked more development on the relationship between Amelia and Lincoln, I was not disappointed. The plot is masterful, and the addition of Sonny Li will tug at the heartstrings and funny bones of all faithful Deaver followers. Simply a must-read. Thank you Jeffery.

Simply put, Jeffery Deaver is one of the best suspense novelist writing today. No other author can match his plot twists or attention to intricate detail. Best of all, he seems to be improving with each novel he writes, particularly with his Lincoln Rhyme series of books. The Stone Monkey is no exception.The Stone Monkey is the fourth book in the Lincoln Rhyme - Amelia Sachs series (the others are, in order, The Bone Collector, The Coffin Dancer, and the Empty Chair). Rhyme is a quadriplegic and a famous forensic scientist. His partner, Sachs, is a redhead who acts as Rhyme's legs, 'walking the grid' at crime scenes. Together, they make a formidable crime fighting team.The Stone Monkey picks up with the Coast Guard closing in on a ship filled with illegal immigrants trying to enter the US. Rhyme has found the ship and the police are trying to apprehend the notorious human smuggler known as the ghost. After blowing up the ship and killing most of the passengers, the Ghost escapes. Rhyme must find him before he kills the two familes that survived.From this point, the plot rides like a roller coaster. The trademark Deaver twist are present and nothing is as it seems. The characters are well developed and interesting. Sonny Li makes a great addition to the team and provides some comedic relief. As readers have come to expect from Deaver, the ending is great as well.Highly recommended to fans of Jeffery Deaver, James Patterson, John Sandford, and anyone else looking for a suspenseful thriller.

As usual Deaver takes a subject and covers it thoroughly. This story is about illegal Chinese aliens. You think you have the story figured out and than he throws in one of his curves and you have to try to figure the story out all over again. My friends and I wish he would put more in the story about the personal side of Lincoln and Amelia's relationship.