The Vanished Man

Jeffrey Deaver has shown a tendency to overwork the same plot mechanisms in his previous volumes, causing me to have a few second thoughts about buying and reading this volume. Nor am I a big fan of the kind of suspense story where we are introduced to the villain of the piece immediately and the only mystery is which way the plot will twist next.So I was surprised when 'The Vanished Man' caught my interest from the onset and kept it to the end. Part of the spell comes from the subject matter - stage magic and it's mysteries. Deaver shows an unexpected mastery of the subject - the tricks, the psychology, and the personalities. He introduces a you magician in training, Kara, to the investigative team, and she holds her own against the strong personalities of Amelia Sachs and the paralyzed Lincoln Rhyme.When most murderers leave glaring clues they are asking to be caught. But as Rhyme and Sachs investigate a string of gruesome crimes it becomes obvious that a skilled stage artist is dragging them through a trail of misdirection - cold-bloodedly setting a grandiose trap. It is up to the team to try to pinpoint the real object of the crimes before the last grim strike. Not without a lot of help from Kara as well.Most of the story is Amelia's, Rhyme's active counter part. She has developed quite a bit from being the foil of a brilliant quadriplegic investigator. Her character has a fluidity that makes her a vibrant character with issues of her own - independent of the challenges facing Rhyme himself. If anything, it is Rhyme who has flattened out a bit, becoming something of a caricature of himself.The story's only fault is that their opponent is a little too good and a little too lucky. Be that as it may, it is excellent reading. Between the magical overtones and a plot that never goes in the same direction for more than a chapter or two, there is enough depth to keep a readers attention. The story stands well by itself, as all of the volumes of this series do. If you haven't looked into them, and like intricate procedurals, it is time to start.

Just when I thought Jeffery Deaver couldn't put any more twists and turns into his Lincoln Rhyme books, his villian is an illusionist whose expertise is twists and turns. The story begins with a violent death which only serves to accelerate the reader into a continually frenetic journey as Rhyme and Amelia Sachs try to discern reality from illusion as they chase the Conjurer - quite possibly the best villian yet in the Lincoln Rhyme series. Readers will also love Kara, a fledgling illusionist herself, who Rhyme has enticed into helping the quadripeligic forensic detective and his partner/lover. Just like Sonny Li in The Stone Monkey, Kara holds her own against Rhyme and adds her own illusionary twists in the quest to capture the Conjurer. The Vanished Man quickly jumped up my personal list of the best all-time reads. The book is 400 pages of frenzy and chaos. Just when you know the direction that the book is taking, you have to take an about face and start sprinting in the exact opposite direction. What great fun! Keep up the great work, Mr. Deaver...but you definitely have your work cut out for you to meet or eclipse The Vanished Man.

Okay, so this should really be considered a 4.5 star review. Deaver is an amazing writer, skilled in the ways of writing truly engrossing mysteries. He gives the reader enough to figure out the mystery, but he doesn't really give the whole mystery away until the last word of the book. Kudos to Deaver for that. Deaver has become my favorite fiction writer, bar none. He's just that good.But that said, the reason this review should be considered a 4.5 star review rather than a 5 star review is because of a couple of problems with this text. This story was much more engrossing than his previous Rhyme book, The Stone Monkey (a great book, nonetheless). The villain in this book is downright spooky and fantastically evil. The murders are grotesque yet not quite over the top. And the character development, especially the Rhyme/Sachs dynamic, is good for Deaver.It should be said, however, that if you've never read a Deaver book before, this shouldn't be your starting point. And also don't read his books for tremendous insight into the human character. His books are plot driven, and, as a result, characters often develop too quickly in time to be wholly believable. But if you can suspend your disbelief, and it's usually easy to do that with Deaver, then you should have no problems enjoying his books. Scratch that. Reverse it. You should LOVE his books if you get past that point.No plot spoilers here, but my biggest problem with the book is his big twist. His GOTCHA moment. While the twist made sense, I didn't feel that the twist had been properly developed to be truly believable. It didn't detract from my interest, though, and I enjoyed the hours I spend living in Deaver's fantasy that is The Vanished Man. As soon as I finished, I gave it to a friend to read.Finally, if you've never read Deaver before, the following books should be your starting point, in my mind:1) Read the Rhyme series in order (Bone Collector, Coffin Dancer, Empty Chair, Stone Monkey, Vanished Man).2) Read non-Rhyme books: my favorites are The Blue Nowhere, The Devil's Teardrop, A Maiden's Grave.

Deaver fans will LOVE this book. Like many of his previous books, this book is packed with lots of twists and turns. Even when you know who did it - you don't know who did it. It was an incredibly fast read and you will find yourself unable to put this book down.Lincoln and Amelia are back in the spotlight in this book. That was one of my major complaints for the Stone Monkey - the book did not involve this pair that I have grown to know and love enough. The character of Kara is an excellent new addition also. Like many of Deaver's previous books, this book is based on the evidence and the "grid". This is the approach that I feel in love with in the beginning of the Lincoln Rhyme series. This is a thinking person's mystery. You will be challanged to figure out how they are going to catch this kill and what is the killers real motive in all the violence that is taking place. It is one of Deaver's best. Mr. Deaver can not write books fast enough for me. Simply stated - Wonderful.

A prestigious music school in New York City is the scene of the crime. The killer locks himself in a classroom and within minutes a scream is heard, followed by a gunshot. The police break down the door to find the room completely empty.Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are brought in to help with the investigation. The clues are few and far between, and the killer disappears as into thin air, but Rhyme and Sachs are determined to catch the killer.Dubbed "the conjurer" the killer is meticulous at planning, and changing his identity. He carefully picks his victims, kills them by using famous magic tricks (think sawing a body in half, escape from a water chamber, etc.), and taunts the police with each new body.Rhyme and Sachs realize they must move fast to catch "the conjurer" because each new death is growing more gruesome, and it?s all leading up to the ultimate "magic trick."?The Vanished Man? is EXCELLENT! A shocking murder grabs hold of you on page one, and un-bearable suspense keeps you turning 400 more thrill-packed pages. Take a complex plot, thrown in gruesome murders, put in tons of plot twists, add the hunt for a twisted killer, and you have ?The Vanished Man?, an up-all-night page-turner that will keep you guessing.Jeffery Deaver has written great page-turners in the past, but he outdoes himself with his latest novel. After a few mediocre novels, Deaver comes full- force with a roller coaster, shock filled book that surpasses his best efforts; The Bone Collector & The Empty Chair. Fans of the Lincoln Rhyme series are in for a real treat, for this is easily, one of the best thrillers to come out in some time.A guaranteed bestseller, ?The Vanished Man? is a MUST read!Nick Gonnella