David Schwinghammer's Blog - Posts Tagged "david-schwinghammer"
The Steel Kiss
Sometimes bookworms like me like to revisit certain writers because of the cast of characters rather than an anticipated plot. Ed McBain's 87th Precinct; Stuart Kaminsky's Porfiry Rostnikov novels. And now Jeffery Deaver Lincoln Rhyme series, featuring a paraplegic forensic investigator and his homicide detective girlfriend, Amelia Sachs.
This episode is different in that Lincoln has decided to quit working as a consultant for the NYPD because he feels he got an innocent man killed in his last case. But he's still working forensics in civil cases. A lawyer has hired him to prove an escalator was faulty when it suddenly popped open and ground a man to death with it's internal gears. Meanwhile Amelia is unknowingly working on the same case as she tracks a serial killer who has just murdered a man with a ball peen hammer. He gets away because she tries to save the man who fell into the escalator.
Something else new is Lincoln's hiring of an intern who also happens to be a paraplegic. She's pretty smart; she beats him at chess. Amelia's old boyfriend is also back in town, just released from prison on good behavior. He claims he took the rap for his brother in a hijacking caper. She seems conflicted, and we're worried she might be tempted to ditch Lincoln for Nick.
As usual in a Deaver novel, we learn a few things. The killer is suffering from a genetic disorder, sometimes known as giantism (Think Andred the Giant), but he's only 6'4” and weighs 150 or so. His brother had the disorder as well. He's been picked on all his life, being called “Stringbean” and similar insults. He's also a master craftsman; he makes miniature furniture; he even keeps a “Toy Room” in his apartment.
Here's the thing about Deaver. In his author's notes in one of his novels he thanks an editor for stopping his excesses when it comes to plotting. So . . . he's aware he has a problem with suspension of disbelief. There are several hard to believe twists in this one as well. That guy must've been on vacation. I hope I can be forgiven for giving just one example. One of the culprits avoids prison after it's proven he wasn't who he claimed to be. He goes to work as a snitch for one of Lincoln's undercover detectives to run down the top notch dealers in the drug trade. But one of the things he did was to order a hit on his best friend. The friend was saved, but correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that still attempted murder?
I will buy the next Lincoln Rhyme novel; I usually wait until I can order two books at the same time to avoid postage, but I wanted this one right away. After all, it's not the plot that keeps me coming back to the Lincoln Rhyme characters, it's Lincoln and Amelia and the other cast members.
This episode is different in that Lincoln has decided to quit working as a consultant for the NYPD because he feels he got an innocent man killed in his last case. But he's still working forensics in civil cases. A lawyer has hired him to prove an escalator was faulty when it suddenly popped open and ground a man to death with it's internal gears. Meanwhile Amelia is unknowingly working on the same case as she tracks a serial killer who has just murdered a man with a ball peen hammer. He gets away because she tries to save the man who fell into the escalator.
Something else new is Lincoln's hiring of an intern who also happens to be a paraplegic. She's pretty smart; she beats him at chess. Amelia's old boyfriend is also back in town, just released from prison on good behavior. He claims he took the rap for his brother in a hijacking caper. She seems conflicted, and we're worried she might be tempted to ditch Lincoln for Nick.
As usual in a Deaver novel, we learn a few things. The killer is suffering from a genetic disorder, sometimes known as giantism (Think Andred the Giant), but he's only 6'4” and weighs 150 or so. His brother had the disorder as well. He's been picked on all his life, being called “Stringbean” and similar insults. He's also a master craftsman; he makes miniature furniture; he even keeps a “Toy Room” in his apartment.
Here's the thing about Deaver. In his author's notes in one of his novels he thanks an editor for stopping his excesses when it comes to plotting. So . . . he's aware he has a problem with suspension of disbelief. There are several hard to believe twists in this one as well. That guy must've been on vacation. I hope I can be forgiven for giving just one example. One of the culprits avoids prison after it's proven he wasn't who he claimed to be. He goes to work as a snitch for one of Lincoln's undercover detectives to run down the top notch dealers in the drug trade. But one of the things he did was to order a hit on his best friend. The friend was saved, but correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that still attempted murder?
I will buy the next Lincoln Rhyme novel; I usually wait until I can order two books at the same time to avoid postage, but I wanted this one right away. After all, it's not the plot that keeps me coming back to the Lincoln Rhyme characters, it's Lincoln and Amelia and the other cast members.
