The Bone Collector

Author: Jeffrey Deaver
Genre: Suspense
Series: #1 in the Lincoln Rhyme series
Type: Hardcover
Source: Local Public Library
Pages: 432
Publisher: Viking Adult
First Published: March 1997
First Lines: "She wanted only to sleep."

Book Description from GoodReads:  Lincoln Rhyme was once a brilliant criminologist, a genius in the field of forensics -- until an accident left him physically and emotionally shattered. But now a diabolical killer is challenging Rhyme to a terrifying and ingenious duel of wits.

With police detective Amelia Sachs by his side, Rhyme must follow a labyrinth of clues that reaches back to a dark chapter in New York City's past -- and reach further into the darkness of the mind of a madman who won't stop until he has stripped life down to the bone.

My Review:  I picked up this older read based on a recommendation from a library customer.  I had, of course, heard of Jeffrey Deaver and knew that this book had been made into a movie years ago with the main character being played by Denzel Washington.  Always on the lookout for a new suspense writer I thought I'd dive into a new series.

Unfortunately this book just wasn't my cuppa tea.  It definitely had its suspenseful moments.  At first the forensics/scientific side of things interested me but it soon became clear that this book was more about the forensics than the suspense.  There were pockets of suspense throughout the book (which honestly is what kept me reading) but the science bogged down the story.  I'm sure for someone more interested in forensics it would have been great but for me who finds it mildly interesting it was a little too much.  I think that because it was all written (and not laid out on TV like in CSI: NY format that I could view) it became really heavy in the scientific descriptions. Add to the fact that there were very gory descriptions and I didn't love this book.

I also found it hard to believe that Lincoln and his team could figure out some of the clues so easily.  The explanation was often given but it was told in such scientific mumbo-jumbo that I wasn't sure if it was even feasible for them to come to the conclusion so quickly.

What I did like was Lincoln and his rapport with Sachs as they learn to work with each other.  Lincoln's mind set and his physical limitations made him a very unique and interesting character.  Getting a chance to understand what he lives with, as a quadriplegic, on a daily basis (emotionally and physically) was something that I didn't expect to get from a suspenseful read.

Overall, I was let down by this book.  While it did have a unique main character the science bogged down the pace of the book, the scenes with the 'bad guy' were just too creepy and graphic for my weak stomach and Lincoln and Sachs came off as just too smart for their own good.

My Rating: 2.5/5 stars