It begins at a prestigious music school in New York City. A killer flees the scene of a homicide and locks himself in a classroom. Within minutes, ...
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Feb 02, 2009
Christy
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A music school student is murdered and the killer flees into a locked classroom with no way out. When the police break down the door, the killer has vanished. Criminalist Lincoln Rhyme and his partner Amelia Sachs are called in to investigate. It doesn’t take them long to figure out the police were duped by the killer, whom they name “the conjurer” due to his magical feats in escaping. The conjurer leads the police on a meandering investigation as he continues on his killing spree, leaving behin
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Jun 11, 2011
Manugw
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VANISHING QUALITY
The plot is long, convoluted and enthralling, however having read most of Jeffrey Deaver's work and realizing that he really entertains in all his stories as a master of the "wild twist", I can see that in this book he has abused too much of this resource, losing "the magic" that makes readers gasp.
Particularly I agree with another reader (Mr Gavin H from Sidney, Australia) below that the way "Malerick", the bad guy of this stor More...
The plot is long, convoluted and enthralling, however having read most of Jeffrey Deaver's work and realizing that he really entertains in all his stories as a master of the "wild twist", I can see that in this book he has abused too much of this resource, losing "the magic" that makes readers gasp.
Particularly I agree with another reader (Mr Gavin H from Sidney, Australia) below that the way "Malerick", the bad guy of this stor More...
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Jul 04, 2010
Jerry
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Our first Lincoln Rhyme -- interesting look at magicians !
We've read only one other Deaver novel ("The Blue Nowhere") so had not previously met Rhyme, the author's quadriplegic forensic expert from four prior books, and featuring his sidekick Amelia Sachs and a few other regular supporting characters from the NYPD and FBI. What captured our attention almost immediately was the subject matter -- magic and magicians! -- and the similarity to Rex Stout's long-running Nero Wolf More...
We've read only one other Deaver novel ("The Blue Nowhere") so had not previously met Rhyme, the author's quadriplegic forensic expert from four prior books, and featuring his sidekick Amelia Sachs and a few other regular supporting characters from the NYPD and FBI. What captured our attention almost immediately was the subject matter -- magic and magicians! -- and the similarity to Rex Stout's long-running Nero Wolf More...
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Nov 30, 2009
Alex
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So having gone on vacation again it was time for me to pick another thriller to read. Now, in rating said thriller, The Vanished Man, I realized that at Goodreads 5 stars means you found a book to be "amazing". While this book pales in comparison to my last vacation thriller, staring the super genius albino plays by his own rules detective of The Cabinet of Curiosities, obviously the most amazing book possibly ever, this one stars a quadriplegic super genius cranky forensic scientist
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Nov 28, 2009
Tony
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Jeffery Deaver- The Vanished Man (Pocket Books 2004) 4.25 Stars
Police consultant Lincoln Rhyme and his police contact Amelia Sachs are called in to assist in the investigation of an illusionist who is committing murders and vanishing before the eyes of witnesses. Each victim is posed in a different illusionist’s trick. Just when they think they have the killer figured out, everything changes. The pair must unravel the illusionist’s tricks in order to find out the true meaning behind More...
Police consultant Lincoln Rhyme and his police contact Amelia Sachs are called in to assist in the investigation of an illusionist who is committing murders and vanishing before the eyes of witnesses. Each victim is posed in a different illusionist’s trick. Just when they think they have the killer figured out, everything changes. The pair must unravel the illusionist’s tricks in order to find out the true meaning behind More...
Sep 22, 2011
Terri Lynn
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How different this one was! I am a Jeffery Deaver fan and especially of the novels involving Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs though I do love the Kathryn Dance ones as well.
Usually Lincoln Rhyme is the expert who can figure out the physical evidence but in this case, he and Amelia need the help of a young woman Kara who is a budding magician who works in a magic shop because the killer- the Conjurer- is a professional magician who leaves plenty of dead bodies but no evidence and use More...
Usually Lincoln Rhyme is the expert who can figure out the physical evidence but in this case, he and Amelia need the help of a young woman Kara who is a budding magician who works in a magic shop because the killer- the Conjurer- is a professional magician who leaves plenty of dead bodies but no evidence and use More...
Jun 07, 2009
Beth
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This was my very first Jeffery Deaver book (out of the order, I know, but I didn't at the time!) and I absolutely adored every word of it. It is quite possibly the cleverest and most suspenseful book I have ever read, usually in mystery/crime thriller books it is possible to work out who the perp is and what they are upto, if you work at it. With this book, I had absolutely no idea whatsoever what was going on, and it was astonishingly well written.
The entire story captivated me, it More...
The entire story captivated me, it More...
Sep 14, 2010
Skyring
rated it:
My first Lincoln Rhyme. I think.
Incredible. Unbelievable. Fabulous. Ridiculous.
OK, blockbusters should have characters larger than life, able to do impossible things, plots that are extraordinary, but this just went far too far. Twists on twists on twists.
How is the reader supposed to believe a quarter of all this? Bodies pile up over a day and a half, the cops are racing around doing more cop stuff than any cop would do in a year, the mastermind solves it all More...
Incredible. Unbelievable. Fabulous. Ridiculous.
OK, blockbusters should have characters larger than life, able to do impossible things, plots that are extraordinary, but this just went far too far. Twists on twists on twists.
How is the reader supposed to believe a quarter of all this? Bodies pile up over a day and a half, the cops are racing around doing more cop stuff than any cop would do in a year, the mastermind solves it all More...
Jul 13, 2010
David P
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Good book and an entertaining read but was about 50 pages too long in my opinion - story seemed to drag on a bit after it had really concluded and I felt a lot of the characters were superflous and just there a bit for window dressing without having much in the way of charecterisation to make them interesting. Which is a bit contradictory I know, especially as I have already said it was too long - but a lot of the characters were not really necessary. Like his other book "The Bone Collecto
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Jul 14, 2009
Stephanie
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Deaver comes back for #5 of the Lincoln Rhyme series with everything you love about him--the ability to drop fully into a world that you (probably) know nothing about and make it seem like your new environment. In this case it is magic, from illusionists to quick change artists and everything in between. As always, Deaver does a great job wrapping you up in the story and making it feel authentic. Maybe the only two negatives I had for this one were (a) just a few too many twists and turns, espec
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Aug 07, 2011
Jeff
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My first experience with Deaver's master criminalist, if you don't count watching the movie The Bone Collector. The premise of this book was a good one. A serial killer takes out his victims by using inspiration from famous stage magician acts. The plot twists and misdirections are plentiful along the way. Three subplots happen also. Lincoln Rhyme's protege Amelia Sachs is taking a series of tests to get promoted within the polic force. There is also a pending trial for a militia man for co
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Jun 27, 2009
Regan
rated it:
Brilliant is probably the best word to describe this thriller. Overall this is a very enjoyable read indeed that was nearly impossible to put down due to the highly suspense-filled plot keeps coming the whole way through, right until the last few pages.
Twists and turns and turns and twists Jeffrey Deaver keeps you guessing and more importantly page turning up to the very end. Forensic Science meets the world of Magic, Illusion and sleight of Hand. Earlier Deaver books are somewhat da More...
Twists and turns and turns and twists Jeffrey Deaver keeps you guessing and more importantly page turning up to the very end. Forensic Science meets the world of Magic, Illusion and sleight of Hand. Earlier Deaver books are somewhat da More...
Mar 24, 2011
David
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This is the fifth book I have read by Deaver and the one I have enjoyed the most since The Coffin Dancer. I did not particularly like The Empty Chair and was interested in The Stone Monkey more for its content about Chinese culture than for the plot. So The Vanished Man was a nice surprise. The theme is illusion, and Deaver joins right in with his characters in tricking and misleading the reader in a way that is a lot of fun. This is not the sort of book where you will be able to "figur
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Jun 08, 2011
Debbie
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Started May 21, 2011. I really enjoyed the movie 'The Bone Collector' and this is by the same author and includes the same paraplegic forensic scientest (played by Denzel Washington). This was a very interesting way to learn about "illusionists" and magicians, and how easily and quickly we can be deceived. The author clearly did a significant amount of research about these talents. I especially like the quote in the book which says, "yesterday is only a memory and tomorrow is
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Jul 04, 2010
Debra
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I was completely out of my comfort zone with this book. Normally, I like to read books written by people like Nicholas Sparks and Jodi Picoult but this one my partner's mum was reading and I had a sneeky read of the back cover and immediatley knew that I had to read this book. It is a bit like a cat and mouse game with detective Lincoln Rhyme (paralysed and bedbound) with the help of his assistant, tracks down a murder who seems to escape from locked rooms... Absolutely brilliant but I have t
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Feb 08, 2011
Metta
rated it: 
Entah kenapa saat membaca buku ini saya merasa bosan. Berulang kali saya skip2 halamannya. Walaupun di buku ini banyak dijelaskan trik2 sulap dan metode forensik yang menarik serta ending cerita dengan si pelaku yang tidak disangka-sangka, tetap saja semua itu tidak bisa menimbulkan rasa ketegangan atau ketertarikan saat saya membacanya.
Mungkin kalau buku ini dibuat filmnya seperti The Bone Collector, ceritanya bisa lebih menarik dan menegangkan. Apalagi kalau masih Denzel Wahington yang m More...
Mungkin kalau buku ini dibuat filmnya seperti The Bone Collector, ceritanya bisa lebih menarik dan menegangkan. Apalagi kalau masih Denzel Wahington yang m More...
Aug 21, 2010
Sandy
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I am not a fan of magic shows, magic tricks or anything having to do with magic with the exception of my two favorite Harry's (Potter and Dresden) but both of them are wizards. There is a difference.
That said, I loved this book! The element of magic in this book: the slight of hand, the misdirection, protean (my absolute favorite but now I'm extremely nervous of people- wondering if they really are who they appear to be), mentalism and ventriloquism were excellent. I thought it wa More...
That said, I loved this book! The element of magic in this book: the slight of hand, the misdirection, protean (my absolute favorite but now I'm extremely nervous of people- wondering if they really are who they appear to be), mentalism and ventriloquism were excellent. I thought it wa More...
Aug 21, 2011
Mohnish
rated it:
This Deaver book is unputdownable. The reason that it becomes interesting is the way Deaver explains the various nuances used in the world of magic ans the way he inculcates those tricks in actual plot of the story is what makes this novel a mandatory reading! And what a great protagonist! Lincoln Rhyme is undoubtedly the finest creation of all time according to me. I may call him a paraplegic Sherlock Holmes. And obviously as in every Deaver book the final twist is a masterful one. Great series
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Feb 05, 2010
Martha
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I haven't read a Jeffery Deaver book in a couple of years. The last one I read was a stand-alone novel and I enjoyed it quite a bit. In fact, I like Deaver's writing and story-telling quite a bit.
My problem is that no matter what I cannot get Denzel Washington and Angeline Jolie out of my head when I'm reading a Lincoln Rhyme novel. No matter how hard I try I can't get them to disappear and I truly want them gone.
The character, Amelia Sachs, that Jolie plays with dark hai More...
My problem is that no matter what I cannot get Denzel Washington and Angeline Jolie out of my head when I'm reading a Lincoln Rhyme novel. No matter how hard I try I can't get them to disappear and I truly want them gone.
The character, Amelia Sachs, that Jolie plays with dark hai More...
May 31, 2011
Catherine
rated it:
A usual page turning, thrilling Deaver full of unexpected twists. The added storyline that the hunted is a magician with first class skills of vanishing and illusion. With Rhyme & Sachs managing to be only constantly reactive and one too many "oh no not again" moments in the middle it started to get a little tedious, however the tables suddenly turned and ended with a gripping, twisting unexpected page turning read. I like how Deaver has done his homework thoroughly again on a skill
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Aug 23, 2009
Afsana
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book and the twist and constant chanfges of motive kept you guessing
I have only really just started reading Jeffery Deaver books's but so far have enjoyed them all!!!
There is always seems to be an unexpected twist and I like it a nice mystery and it has only encouragedme to read more
Only reasons I haveen't given it 5 star is I am leaving those for the really exceptional books like pride & prejudice, jayne eyre etc.. the ones you could ju More...
I have only really just started reading Jeffery Deaver books's but so far have enjoyed them all!!!
There is always seems to be an unexpected twist and I like it a nice mystery and it has only encouragedme to read more
Only reasons I haveen't given it 5 star is I am leaving those for the really exceptional books like pride & prejudice, jayne eyre etc.. the ones you could ju More...
Jan 28, 2009
Alyn
rated it:
a deviation from the usual Lincoln Rhyme novel. It's about a Houdini-type criminal who is always one step ahead of Sachs and Rhyme. Different in the sense that in the first part of the book, Rhyme and Sachs were running blind, entirely dependent on the help of the magician-apprentice named Kara. It was only in the last part of the book (1/3), that Rhyme, using his logical and scientific mind, connected the dots (that nobody did), outsmart Malaverick, and solved the case. A couple of times, I tho
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Jul 09, 2009
Monty
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This is the most intricate Lincoln Rhyme novel I've read so far. It includes magic and illusion, so just when you think you have something figured out, you are surprised by a twist and turn that changes everything you thought was true. I wondered, when I was halfway through reading the book, why it seemed to be ending. I found out that there were a lot more plot/subplot changes yet to come. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Oct 06, 2008
Amanda
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Bored and looking for a quick, fun read, I turned to Vanished Man. Deaver's novels have a lot of twists and surprise endings. Yet because they are all like this the structure almost becomes predictable. I like the Lincoln Rhyme series. Rhyme reminds me of the main character on the t.v. show House. He lacks social skills and has a dry sense of humor but he really knows his field. In fact, it's his knowledge and methods of arriving at conclusions that reel me in. The killer in this storyline
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Jan 16, 2011
Mady
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I'd never read anything from this author and he's one of my friend's fave author. So I was quite curious to read the book. It started by being my "transportations read", but soon it became my whenever-I-have-some-free-time-read. I really liked to read it as I've learnt quite much about the magicians world :) It's an addictive mystery/thriller (5th adventure of a detective, the same from "Bone Collector", as JD also wrote that other book, before being made into a movie) and in
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Oct 27, 2011
Marsha
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Lincoln Rhyme is a great protagonist--he is soooo smart and clever. Actually, I like all the characters in the Lincoln Rhyme books, except for the bad guy(s), of course. In this book, the bad guy is an amazing magician, and uses all kinds of tricks in his crimes. I had no idea all the different styles and specialties of magic that magicians use in their shows. A fun read for murder mystery fans.
Jun 19, 2011
Wieta
rated it:
Aku beli yang edisi terjemahan. Ini kali pertama untuk serial L.Rhyme dan buku kedua dari J. Deaver yang aku baca. Suka banget! Quick read karena di buku ini Rhyme berlomba dengan sang pembunuh, The Vanished Man, sang illusionist, pesulap, whatever julukannya, yang melakukan sederetan pembunuhan berdasarkan trick2 illusion terkenal. Sementara itu Rhyme dibantu Kara, illusionist muda dengan rambut ungu pendek yang bertindak sebagai advisor menerangkan berbagai macam tipuan dan ketrampilan di bid
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Sep 25, 2011
Roberta
rated it:
Un bel voto pieno a questo thriller di Deaver, il quinto della serie con Rhyme e Sachs. In questo caso abbiamo a che fare con un illusionista così bravo da sembrare sovrumano, che mette in campo tutti i suoi trucchi e farà faticare i nostri cari amici. Pieno di colpi scena (che importa se non sono verosimili?!?), questo romanzo mi ha dato esattamente quello che volevo!
Oct 03, 2010
Andrew
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Disappointing read, given my high expectations from his short story. Everything happened too nice and neat. I didn’t buy that they were able to solve all the clues so quickly, and correctly. There were also too many “things are not as they appear” moments, but that could be due to the nature of the story (illusionist as a criminal) … or it could be the author.
Nov 28, 2010
Linda
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Ever since I found out Angelina Jolie played Sachs on the big screen, it has tainted (negatively) my perception of the character in the books, which in turn is effecting my enjoyment of the books. What a poor choice for Amelia Sachs! So not happy about this and hopefully, I will get over it soon or I'll have to stop reading these books. ):
