Vũ Điệu Của Thần Chết

Lincoln Rhyme #2

by Jeffery Deaver

Vũ điệu của Thần Chết là sự trở lại đầy ấn tượng của nhà hình sự học lừng danh Lincoln Rhyme cùng nữ cảnh sát xinh đẹp Amelia Sachs và đồng nghiệp. Lần này họ phải lần theo dấu vết của tên giết người chuyên nghiệp mà Rhyme đã hiểu quá rõ, kẻ mang hình xăm kỳ quái trên bắp tay: hình Thần Chết đang nhảy múa với một phụ nữ ngay phía trước chiếc quan tài, vũ khí đáng sợ nhất của hắn không phải là dao hoặc súng mà là sự hiểu biết đến kỳ lạ về bản chất con người…

Đọc Vũ điệu của Thần Chết một lần nữa bạn đọc sẽ được hòa mình vào những cuộc đấu trí nảy lửa, những cuộc rượt đuổi ngoạn mục trong suốt hành trình tìm kiếm Vũ công Quan tài, kẻ nắm giữ sức mạnh ghê gớm của Tử Thần.

“Đừng nghĩ đến chuyện có thể nuôi chim ưng làm cảnh. Ở đây không có chỗ cho sự ủy mị. Xét ở góc độ nhất định, đó là nghệ thuật của một bác sĩ tâm thần. Là một cuộc đấu trí giữa hai bên với động cơ và lợi ích chết người!

(Chim ưng, T.H.White)

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Detective

587 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 1998

About the author

#1 international bestselling author of over thirty novels and three collections of short stories. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into 25 languages. His first novel featuring Lincoln Rhyme, The Bone Collector, was made into a major motion picture starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. He's received or been shortlisted for a number of awards around the world.

Reviews

[RedemptionDenied · Rating 4 out of 5]

As good as the first book in the series - though, some of the characters were a bit more grating, this time round. Sachs' seems to have forgotten about self preservation and nearly gets vaporised after going to a supposed victims home. Actually, she did a few things that were impromptu - which seemed a bit out of character. Dellray (FBI) is still talking in his street lingo (or whatever it is) - so that was a bit annoying; especially when he's not undercover. He probably thinks he sounds cool - but he sounds like a doofus. Then again, they all talk in lingo, every so often. Dellray is the worst offender, though. And Rhyme has the occasional tantrum. I think my favourite character was Stephen Kall: hitman. It was quite amusing, listening to his inner monologue.

Lightning strikes twice, when Rhyme has two visitors, Lon Sellitto and Jerry Banks, requesting his assistance. Linc is already working on a case for Thomas Perkins, as one of Dellrays' boys, Tony Panelli, has gone missing. Disappeared. Poof. All that was found at the scene of his disappearance is: a few dozen grains of odd sand.

Anyway, Rhyme becomes interested in what Sellitto and Bank's' has to say, when they tell him: the Dancer is back in town. Linc has a personal (vendetta?) stake in catching the Coffin Dancer; because, five years earlier, two of his techs were killed in a blast. So Tony Panelli will have to stay missing for a bit longer, when Rhyme puts that case on hiatus, and helps Selitto and Banks, catch his nemesis.

The first victims of the Dancer are Ed Carney and his co-pilot. Ed's wife, Percey Clay, was supposed to be flying with him - but she had a migraine and cancelled - so didn't get vaporised, when the plane blew up. Carney, Percey, and Brit Hale, were to give testimony, before a grand jury in a case against, Phillip Hanson. So it's up to Rhyme and his team: Amelia, Mel Cooper, Sellitto, Banks, Dellray, etc, to catch the Dancer before he can eliminate the other two witnesses. Can Rhyme outwit the Dancer?

In Summation: I'm really enjoying this series, so far. The evidence collected and analysed - is what makes it intriguing - with Cooper looking through his Gas-Chromatograph, Scanning Electron Microscope and Compound Microscope; checking for trace evidence, for any clues, as to where the Dancer is likely to strike next, and to ascertain who he is. The conversations were interesting, too.

Why isn't there a movie or, better still, a TV series? Abrams' make it happen.

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lincoln Rhymes book No. 2: The quadriplegic criminologist, and his scene of crime officer side-kick Amelia Sachs, return in this, their second case - a wealthy organised crime leader is alleged to have hired a killer 'The Coffin Dancer' to kill three witnesses that are prepared to testify against him at a Grand Jury. What follows is a cat and mouse game between Rhymes and the American authorities as they strive to keep the three witnesses alive. Some brilliant curve balls are thrown in this novel; the one weak spot are the trite romantic sub plots. 6 out of 12, Three Star rad.

2011 read

[*TANYA* · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!!! It's official! I have new favorite author and series. All the clues used, the evidence solved by Rhymes and Sachs are fascinating.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forensics expert Lincoln Rhyme might be a quadriplegic now, unable to physically search crime scenes and hunt down criminals, but there's nothing wrong with his brain. With his state of the art forensics lab in his home and crime scene technician Amelia Sachs, he’s well equipped to rapidly investigate any crime scene. Once he has a perpetrator in his sights they'd better not underestimate his brilliance or tenacity in bringing them to justice.

The Coffin Dancer is a highly paid assassin, a master of disguise, deception and getting his targets. He derived his name from a tattoo of the Grim reaper dancing with a woman infant of a coffin. Rhyme came across him once before when he killed two of his crime scene technicians with a booby trapped wastepaper basket. Now he's hunting him again as the Dancer has been hired to kill three pilots who witnessed an illegal arms dealer loading large bags into a plane and returning without them, not long after his warehouse was searched for stolen weapons.

After the Dancer kills one of the witnesses, Rhyme finds himself having to think fast to stay ahead of him. However, the dancer is wily and is already one step ahead of the police who have to protect the remaining witnesses until they can appear in court in 48h time. The suspense is fast paced, and intense with a constant cat and mouse chase between the hunter and the hunted. As the Dancer is very careful and leaves no clues at his crime scenes, Amelia and rhyme have little to go. And just when you think they are getting closer to finding their man, a major twist will change everything. An excellent, high octane thriller!

[Bobby Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bone Collector was this reader’s introduction to paralyzed Detective Lincoln Rhyme, and Amelia Sachs, who became his pupil in scene-of-the-crime gathering of evidence. While the first book was a very enjoyable thriller, the second entry in the series, might have been better.

Coffin Dancer is about a killer who has eluded Rhyme, a fact which haunts the detective. He became known as Coffin Dancer during the slayings because of a tattoo of the Grim Reaper dancing near a casket. In this entry, the hitman has returned after a long absence. Rhyme must once again use Amelia as his legs in this quickly paced and complex thriller. Rhyme’s personal connection with a woman involved in the case forces Amelia to confront her feelings for Rhyme, changing their personal landscape by the end of the narrative.

Through the streets of New York, from airports to subways, the narrative has Rhyme and Amelia moving swiftly through a complex maze, toward a surprise few readers will see coming. The familiar characters from the first entry are back, but not all of them will survive their last waltz with Coffin Dancer. I eventually ceased following the series, as I found later entries disappointing. But Coffin Dancer is an excellent read, full of atmosphere and character development as Rhyme and Amelia become closer. This is a fine book in the genre and worth reading.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that hooked me into reading suspense novels. Back in 2002, I was at Super-Walmart waiting for my car to get an oil change so I decided to kill some time in the book aisle. I picked up a John Grisham book and was reading the plot summary when somebody said to me "if you want to read a good book then read that one". She was pointing to THE COFFIN DANCER so I took her advice and bought it. I have read about 120 novels since and nothing has topped it yet. I felt the first chapter was the best that I have ever read and the ending was a pure shock for me. Since that was my first Jeffery Deaver novel, I now know what to expect from him. So if anybody thinks they can suggest a book in the genre that will top this for me then let me know.

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS!

As I was cleaning up my bookshelf the other day, I came across The Coffin Dancer and a few other books in the Lincoln Rhyme series.

I thought, "Why haven't I gotten back to this series?!"

After reading this book, I have no damn idea why I haven't gotten back to it sooner!

The Coffin Dancer was fantastic from beginning to end. It was face paced, intense and the forensics in this book were in depth.
Jeffery Deaver has really gotten to the nuts and bolts of the forensics in this book and series.
If you’re not a fan of details like this, it might not blow you away like it did for me. I've always been a science nerd and this was a great experience for me!

I honestly felt like I was in an action packed movie, eating popcorn and just blowing through the pages.

Deaver also has a great ability to pull you into the case along with the characters! You like or hate them. It's amazing how detailed and personal his characterization is for Lincoln Rhyme, Amelia Sachs and all the other secondary characters in this series. They each have a voice and different personality. It's fantastic.

The Coffin Dancer starts off with a plane exploding in the air.
A professional killer, known as the Coffin Dancer has been hired to take out three witnesses. Lincoln Rhyme and his forensic crew must figure out who he is before the next witness gets killed.
The killer is so cunning and smart that you have no idea who it is until the last pages are turned.

This was a fantastic book and will keep you guessing constantly. I never felt like the book was too long or if there was unnecessary filler.

The Coffin Dancer was a ticking-time bomb of a thriller and I'm glad I finally cleaned out my book case to get back to this series!

[Mihaela Abrudan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asta numesc eu thriller psihologic e chiar mai mult decât poți duce. Am ales speciala să nu citesc primul volum, fiindcă am văzut adaptarea făcută după acesta de vreo 5 ori, dar nu mă așteptam ca volum al 2-lea să fie la același nivel. Interesantă este că avem în acelasi timp și perspectiva criminalului și pe cea a detectivului. Lincoln Rhyme, un detectiv quadriplegic, țintuit la pat, dar cu o mine care ajunge acolo unde nu îl pot duce picioarele, iar când este nevoie să " ajungă" într-un loc o face cu ajutorul parteneri sale Amelia Sachs. Niciun element cât de mic nu a fost lăsat deoparte, iar finalul a fost KO.

[John Culuris · Rating 3 out of 5]

★ ★ ★ 1/2

I’ve heard several movie aficionados say some version of: “I’m glad I saw it but I have no need to ever see it again.” I had similar thoughts as I was finishing The Coffin Dancer. There is a lot of bad in this novel. There is also a lot of good. I’m not sure if it’s for better or worse but most of the bad came first.

This novel is the sequel to the acclaimed The Bone Collector, which introduced paraplegic forensic genius Lincoln Rhyme and his protégé, NYPD officer Amelia Sachs. This is where we run into the first problem. Having met these interesting characters, we eagerly return for more and what do we get? They are plopped into a room with a bunch of other people and they say or do nothing of interest. We learn absolutely nothing new about them as they are drowned out by numbers and reduced to mouthpieces needed to introduce the parameters of the new case. In fact, for the first quarter or so of the book, the most interesting character is the target of the assassin for whom the novel is named.

Having just lost her husband to an airplane explosion--a flight on which she was supposed to be the pilot--Percey Clay must now be protected by Rhyme and his team. Which brings us to the second problem. We follow the man who killed her husband, share his thoughts, and as often as not this “professional” escapes capture by pure luck. He is clever; but not brilliant. He should be no match for Lincoln Rhyme.

A lot of these issues stem from Deaver’s apparent love of interspacing plot twists throughout his books. There’s nothing wrong with this--except when those plot twist are transparently obvious. Such as:

It doesn’t take long to figure out that the killer we are following is not the Coffin Dancer. And once “Jodie,” initially introduced as an innocent homeless person, is allowed to stick around, it becomes obvious he’s the Coffin Dancer in disguise. And then there is this mysterious woman who Rhymes loved between his wife’s departure and his accident; what experienced reader doesn’t realize that she was one of the aforementioned earlier victims of the Dancer?

There are also problems with the portrayal of Amelia Sachs. Mistakes that were allowable in The Bone Collector when she was new to the job are unacceptable a year later. She blunders into a situation ahead of SWAT because she was frustrated with their orders to wait. And she loses her weapon not once but twice. It borders on incompetence. And then there is her ridiculous jealousy of Percey Clay regarding Rhyme, something that could easily be settled by just saying something--anything!--by either of them; as befitting two people who work together closely and presumably like and respect each other.

But I said there were good things too and, yes, Amelia is allowed to shine. Her oft-mentioned intelligence is eventually displayed. And she has a crisis of confidence that doesn’t reflect on her competence. Her struggle to overcome it is well worth following. But the best parts of this novel surface when Deaver settles down to simple, basic storytelling. There is an extremely suspenseful airplane ride. And all the action sequences read great, particularly the final one. Not coincidentally, it’s where we see Amelia at her best.

And Percey Clay is not the only new character of interest. The man assigned to protect her is equally as compelling. Even the killer is appropriately twisted. As the reader becomes more engaged with these characters, the plot twists become more than mere sleight-of-hand.

Not that I begrudge Deaver his plot twists, particularly as it seems to be the part of the process he enjoys most. And in all honesty, because some of the bigger ones didn’t work, it’s easy to forget that most of them do. The moves and countermoves once the killer finds the safe house are without question engrossing. And the final out-the-door twist--which is the trickiest to pull off--is absolutely fair. If not set up properly it can appear as if the author is posturing, essentially calling attention to how brilliant he is. Deaver absolutely knows how to layer in what he’ll need later. It’s when he fails to disguise it properly, when the reader sees ahead of the curve, that’s when it begins to detract from his accomplishments.

So the quote above turns out not to be completely true. I can safely say I’ll never reread the whole book; but if I ever find the book in my hand at a moment where I have the free time, there are two scenes--two of the scenes referenced above--that I would reread. And that’s encouragement enough to see where the series goes.

[Pisces51 · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE COFFIN DANCER By Jeffery Deaver (LINCOLN RHYME BOOK 2)
MY REVIEW FIVE STARS*****

I finished reading THE COFFIN DANCER [1998] last night and it did not disappoint. I found myself pondering the fact that this superlative psychological thriller was written over two decades ago. There is some discussion very early on (when Sellitto and Banks come calling) about Lincoln's new computer system. Jerry comments "Whoa, two hundred megahertz?" This was mildly amusing when I read it, but I must say that this is a novel in which the reader finds himself almost immediately immersed in the storyline.

Rhyme is offered an opportunity to track and capture a lethal assassin who is not only invisible but also an accomplished chameleon who is always one step ahead of his pursuers. We are made privy to the fact that Rhyme failed to catch this sociopathic contract killer in the past and in the attempt, he lost members of his forensics team.

I would interject here that this novel is so much more than a serial killer thriller or a police procedural, a crime suspense novel, a mystery, or even a psychological suspense novel. It is all of the above but even more. It has a subplot that continues the narrative between Rhyme and Sachs, his brilliant protégé. The book boasts a colorful and interesting cast of believable and sympathetic protagonists that assist Rhyme is his compelling and relentless hunt for the enigmatic "Dancer".

The novel features several unforgettable fictional characters who veritably leap off the written page. This author's talent in character development and in writing dialogue is perhaps unparalleled in my reading experience. Percey Clay, one of the federal witnesses who need protection until Monday when they testify in front of the Grand Jury, is a case in point. She confronts Lincoln in a way that he immediately relates to and respects at the same time. This short, homely, self-possessed pilot with the piercing black eyes that appear to penetrate the soul will be remembered long after this book is closed. Percy is widowed after the assassin plants a bomb on the exterior of one of their planes. Her husband Ed is killed, and instead of Percy (who bailed at the last minute because of an intractable migraine, the young pilot who accepted the assignment of flying with Ed is murdered in her place. Percey is a fascinating character, and her interchanges with Rhyme, Sachs, and I would include Bell, are all profound, amusing, a "reality check", or a blend of these interesting ingredients. Percey also evokes contradictory emotions in the reader, as in I wanted to choke her at times, but related to her on a deep emotional level at other times.

Early in the book, following the assassination of her husband in the plane bomb, Percey is allowing her memories of Ed to pierce her heart, and the author's description is at once beautiful, profound, and delivers a powerful emotional blow to the reader's heart as well. Percey is a squat, homely women who was ridiculed in grade school, middle school, and pretty much anytime that she was in an environment that featured other women. The vicious taunting that she endured left emotional scarring but Percey was too touch to let it show. It was her memory and Ed and their lovemaking.

"When they made love, it was that juncture where he’d rest his face, bent forward, locked against her skin, and Percey Clay believed that there, where her neck flared onto her delicate shoulders, if only there, she was a beautiful woman."

The dialogue between Percey and Sachs pertaining to Lincoln Rhyme is among the most memorable in the book. It is relevant to note that some time has passed since the events in the inaugural novel THE BONE COLLECTOR. Sachs has acknowledged the depth of her feelings for Lincoln and knows that she is in fact in love with him. Their relationship has been close but platonic, and she is threatened by Percey's kinship with Rhyme. It is in the hangar prior to Percey's last flight that they finally talk "woman to woman". She clarifies why that she is not behaving perhaps like a typical widow in mourning. I believe that part of this perception is due to the fact that Percey holds her cards close to her chest. Percey does, however, share truths about hers and Ed's marriage that were initially not revealed to the reader.

Percy, often spouting off little pearls of wisdom, often reflected about "...all the stars of evening". It was during a conversation with Sachs that the reader learns the meaning behind the imprinted phrase on Percey's heart. She and Ed were both fighter pilots when Ed proposed and cash was tight, saving imperative if they were to get a charter business off the ground. Ed couldn't afford the extravagance of a ring, but one night he said 'Let's go up.' Percey explained to Sachs that she was in the left-hand seat and after takeoff she's gotten them up to about six thousand feet. She continued, "Suddenly he kissed me and (took over the aircraft), saying 'I got you a diamond after all, Perce....He throttled up, all the way to the firewall, and pulled the yoke back. The nose went straight up in the air." Percey's eyes were filled with tears as Sachs waited for her to continue. "For a moment...we were looking straight up into the night sky. He leaned over and said, 'Take your pick. All the stars of evening---you can have any one you want."..."All the stars of evening..."

Sachs is not altogether convinced that Rhyme is not still carrying a proverbial torch for another woman (Claire Trilling) and that Percey has awakened in Lincoln the hope that he can redirect that passion with Percey at his side. Percey does her best to provide Sachs with a much needed "reality check" but it mostly falls on deaf ears. She gives Sachs and Rhyme a 50-50 chance at making it. But Percy, always ready with an illuminating tale, reminds Sachs that life is about taking risks, because nothing in life is predictable or an absolutely "safe bet". She tells Amelia about a flight instructor she had a long time ago. Percey elaborated that it wasn't unusual for the instructors "to cut power for a few minutes, with altitude, just to see how you can handle it. But they always throttled up again before landing." She emphasized that this instructor was altogether different. He would force his students to land the aircraft with only one functioning engine. The moral of the tale was of course the answer that this instructor would dish out when his students would clamor about the risk and the danger of landing on one engine.

‘God don’t give out certain. Sometimes you just gotta play the odds.’ ”

Roland Bell, the NYPD Detective in charge of the security detail at the safe house, was another memorable character who felt human enough to reach out and touch. His dedication to keeping his charges alive at the cost of his own life was believable and powerfully, excitingly demonstrated when the assassin infiltrated the safe haven. The close quarters gun battle between him two guns blazing and the hired killer with superior fire power was a highlight in the novel. Bell later tags along on Percey's flight, vowing not to allow her out of his sight after the fiasco at the safe house.

Percy revels in her element ("And in this sleek silver needle, Percey Clay felt herself flying into the heart of the sky"). “We’re going two hundred miles an hour a mile up in the air and you feel safe.” Bell sighed. Percy answers Bell with " “No, we’re going four hundred miles an hour, four miles up.” Bell, shaken, can only respond with “Uh. Thanks for sharing that.”

Percey's last flight in the book is tense, suspenseful, and a nail-biting experience. I will admit, however, that I have no flight experience and aside from knowing a few of the terms, I was a bit overwhelmed attempting to follow the action sequence and the obstacles that faced Percey as she applied her own special brand of "monkey skills" ("...the esoteric, unteachable talents of a natural-born pilot...") to the biggest challenge of her life as a flight pilot commanding a large aircraft in the sky.

The conclusion of the book was a series of plot-twists that I truly never saw coming down the pike. But then, with Deaver, I never predict what incredible twists in the storyline are in store.
This author was giving us Intricate plotting, masterful storytelling, and incredibly realistic dialogue over twenty years ago!!! But Deaver's true genius lies in his mastery of words. He is like an expert card shark, or a master magician with a touch of class, an absolute master of misdirection. No one can compare to him in my own reading experience.

The last few notes of a lyrical ending featured Sachs with her “. unjacketed heart" [Champion shooter, decorated cop, a demon of a driver, and pretty good criminalist, Sachs nonetheless possessed an unjacketed heart], Rhyme pragmatically pointing out the dangers of loving her any more than he already did, and the barriers coming down between the two of them. “God don’t give out certain,” she said, their eyes locked on each other’s.

A SUPERLATIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER FROM EARLY DEAVER, GRIPPING FAST-PACED NAIL-BITER

[Ardent Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, this series becomes one of my favorite series. This is only the second book in the series and I can guess the remaining books will not let down my hopes.

Its amazing how Lincoln Rhyme deduce the facts to catch the criminal while Amelia Sachs collects the evidence through walking on the grid.

Definitely worth the read with an unexpected twist at the end...

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Kylie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Lincoln Rhyme series and certainly packed full of action and a few twists that I did not see coming.
The Coffin Dancer is a professional assassin who has eluded all efforts of capture. He has been employed to take out witnesses for a crime boss before his trial and he is not going to stop until all witnesses are eliminated.
For Lincoln this appears to be very personal and he is throwing all of his brain power into trying to bring this man down. It also brings back some characters from the first book such as Amelia Sachs and Lon Selitto.
Looking forward to book three in this series!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bone Collector hooked me and I am not disappointed with the second in the series. I really enjoy the going into the mind way of solving problems.

[Obsidian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. That's all I have. What a fantastic second book in The Lincoln Rhymes series.

It's a year since the events in the first book. Lincoln is now working as a consultant to the police and FBI with Amelia assisting him. Pulled into a case involving the hitman named as "The Coffin Dancer" Rhymes has personal reasons for bringing him down.

I loved Rhymes in this one. He was less acidic in his interactions with everyone. Though it's clear something is off with Amelia, though Rhymes ignores it since he is focused on the case and keeping her safe.

Amelia has definitely learned a lot from Rhymes. Though she's starting to realize she wants more out of the relationship. I loved all of the scenes with Amelia walking the scenes and investigating. Her reactions to one of the witnesses started to feel a bit much though.

The secondary characters shine in this one too. Rhymes and Amelia are doing what they can to track down the Coffin Dancer to stop him from killing two witnesses. One of the witnesses, a former Navy pilot has to deal with the fact she's lost a husband and is doing what she can to save their business.

We once again have the killer's POV in this one. That was the weakest part of the book. I also don't want to read the words "worm" or "wormy" for a long time.

The writing had a lot of technical aspects in it, and though I couldn't follow all of the flying jargon, I got the gist of it.

The flow was a little off when we shifted to The Coffin Dancer. Everything else was pitch perfect too.

Once again New York shines in this one. But instead of random historical areas, this time we focus on airfields and safe houses.

The ending has a great twist and a wonderful next chapter for Lincoln and Amelia.

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvelous book, one of the best I've had read. Technical, alert, impetuous, awkward, more than interesting, the plot is a good one, the final somehow unexpected. Perhaps a bit too violent for my taste and some facts do fit too perfectly (like seeing thru curtains), but finally it does not count. The author must be a very, very clever fellow. I warmly recommend...

[Mauoijenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm just starting to get into this series after a long period from reading The Bone Collector. Excellent suspense and writing. Looking forward to reading the rest of these gems!

[Arie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm working on a theory: just as every second-hand book seller has at least one, unwanted copy of The Da Vinci Code (and 2+ if it's a Hospice or Salvation Army shop), every summer holiday bach has at least one Jeffery Deaver book.

At least all the ones I visit seem to, which is great because these make the perfect beach read. Yes, even with all the violent crime, I find this series wonderfully easy-going and summery.

The Coffin Dancer is not as good as the best Lincoln Rhyme, but also not the worst. The planes were a nice touch. Somehow I'll have to find a bach that has some of the later books in the series though, eventually... I think I've made it through all the early ones now.

[Jim C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual rating is 4.5 stars.

This is the second book of a series but can be read as a stand alone novel. In this one, an assassin known as the Coffin Dancer has been hired to kill three people who have witnessed a crime. No one knows the true identity of this assassin and now it is Lincoln's turn to figure this out while figuring out how to keep the witnesses alive.

This book is a great example of a cat and mouse book loaded with misdirects that keeps the reader guessing to the final pages. It opens up with a misdirect scene and every time that I believed that either Lincoln or the assassin has finally achieved the upper hand the rug was pulled out and the cat and mouse game continued. The pace was relentless as there wasn't much set up and the author concentrated on the chess game between the two combatants. If I had to use one word to describe this book I would use the word "intelligent". I liked how the antagonist and the protagonist relied on their brains to address the situation and it felt natural.

This book will keep you guessing throughout leaving the biggest and best twist for the finale. I was enthralled with the suspense and the twists for the entire book. The first two books of this series has been excellent and I really need to read this series on more of a regular basis.

[Zach Judkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is my favorite book by Deaver and the only one I would really give five stars. It is a great, creepy, fast paced thrill/mystery book, with all the twists and forensic tidbits one might expect from Deaver. What really makes the book is it's brilliantly sadist villians. The mindplay between the main character (lincoln rhyme) and those villians is enthralling, and adds about as much action and suspense to the book as any other in the series. for anyone who has not read the other lincoln rhyme books, Lincoln is a detective who has been a quadriplegic since a accident on the scene. he was the best, but since then, he's been sucidal and it is interesting to see him battle psychopaths from his bed while battling himself and who he's become. This one is about him trying to stop his nemesis, the "coffin dancer", a hitman who is brilliant and only known for the tatoo on his arm. its a very fast paced, thrilling book with great twists and I would recomend it to anyone (well, adults and up:)!

[Erin L · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book annoyed me - a lot. Two characters were essentially too dumb to live and I had moments where I just wanted them to die. I didn't care by the end of it if they found him or not. I just wanted the book to be finished.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forensic Expert and Criminalist Lincoln Rhyme left the police force after an accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. Now the police are asking for his help. Three eyewitnesses are set to testify in 48 hours against a rich businessman. Rumors are that a known hitman, the Coffin Dancer, has been hired to kill them so they cannot testify. Last night one of them died when the plane he was piloting exploded. Police are asking Lincoln, along with his protegee Amelia Sachs, to hunt down this killer before he eliminates the other two witnesses.

This is the second book in Jeffery Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme series. I have mixed feelings about it. I thought the pacing of this story was very uneven. It felt like this book went back and forth from intense suspense scenes to long detailed forensic analysis. There were several scenes where Lincoln and the hitman are playing cat and mouse. I couldn't put the book down and had no idea what would happen next. Unfortunately, there were several times that we had pages and pages of forensic analysis. There were way too many details for me to follow.

Jeffery Deaver gave us some well-developed characters in this book. One of the witnesses, a female pilot whose husband died in the explosion, was an enigma to me. Her attitude about being put into protective custody was crazy. I would feel sorry for her on one page; and want to slap some sense into her on the next. The NYPD bodyguard that is put on her was another great character that stood out. On the flip side, we spent way too much time in the killer's head. He fantasized about being a soldier and kept talking about crawling worms. I was sick of that very fast. Overall, I liked the suspense, but had problems with other parts of the book. My rating: 3.5 Stars.

[Girish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lincoln Rhyme, the paraplegic detective and Amelia Sachs are on the trail of a serial killer, creepily named the Coffin Dancer. Only he has to protect the targets while trying to outguess the killer's next move. The book really was a page turner and you could definitely not guess all the twists.

The plot being one void of mystery we get to see both sides work. And hence, you are justified to feel mystified, why the author had to deceive the reader as well. Only, you are forgiving, since the deception works.

After a brisk start, the book slows down considerably after it turns towards the killer's past. Also, the aviation jargon was a bit of over the head writing (literally too!). But then the author does show off quite a lot his knowledge of aircrafts.

The revelations are played close to the chest. A thriller as good as the better ones out there.

[Spook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but not nearly as good as the first one

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you haven't read The Coffin Dancer, and you want the plot to surprise you, do not read my review after this first paragraph -- do not read anyone's review. I don't know whether I'm quicker or slower on the uptake than the average reader of Deaver's work, but a cursory glance at reviews here was enough to flick the switches in my brain and have me figuring things out ahead of Rhyme and co. So if you want to be left reeling, play it safe and stay out of people's reviews.

Yeah, there was some stuff that I didn't get, but it was mostly the minor stuff. The Chekhov's guns, the little details that locked possibilities into probabilities. (Which, by the way, I deeply admired. There is literal Chekhov's gun moment, and I loved it.) The betrayals, identity issues (still trying not to spoil it for the unwary reader), the motives -- that I got. I still think it was well done, in all those respects, but I envy people who get to come to this novel without any clues beforehand.

What caught me off guard was how much I care. Lincoln Rhyme could be my modern Peter Wimsey: a detective I become invested in on a personal level as well as just for the mysteries. That adds so much to these sorts of stories. Like, I was somewhat ambivalent about NCIS, because Gibbs seemed so goddamn immortal, and it was just about wrapping up the case, and then came the end of season two and then over the whole course of the show, more and more comes spilling out about Gibbs' past and just -- yeah. And I have that investment here, already, in Sachs and Rhyme. Less so in the supporting cast, but still. I found myself feeling edgy, because I wasn't sure if things would go right, on a personal level as well as in terms of the case.

Couple of things did bother me: the latent homosexuality thing, the abused as a child thing, the killer with OCD thing. Come on. I wrote essays about crime fiction from decades before doing this sort of thing. It's not new. It's a cliché. Can we move on, now?

[Toralf Saffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mörderjagd in New York

Der zweite Fall für Lincoln Rhyme und Amelia Sachs hat es in sich. Seit Jahren ist die Polizei hinter einem Waffenhändler her und endlich gibt es Belastungszeugen die bereit sind vor Gericht auszusagen. Nachdem ein Zeuge bei einer Flugzeugexplosion ums Leben kam wird Rhyme hinzugezogen um den Killer schnellstmöglich zu finden und die beiden anderen Zeugen zu schützen. Es zeigt sich schnell, das der Killer kein Unbekannter ist - der Totentänzer, dem es bislang immer gelang den Behörden zu entkommen und der dafür bekannt ist, seine Aufträge fehlerfrei zu erfüllen. Dabei hatten sich seine Wege schon mit Rhyme gekreuzt und diesem einen schmerzlichen Verlust beigebracht. So beginnt ein Wettlauf gegen die Zeit um die Zeugen zu schützen und die Schritte des Killers voraus zu sehen. Rhyme und sein Team scheinen dabei über unbegrenzte technische und finanzielle Ressourcen zu verfügen. Im Handumdrehen "lesen" sie aus ein paar Fasern heraus wo diese herstammen, wer sie verloren hat usw. Aber trotz dieser recht unrealen Erkenntnisse, gelingt es dem Totentänzer immer wieder seinen Kopf aus der Schlinge zu ziehen und faktisch den Ermittlern voraus zu sein - so das schon bald auch der zweite Zeuge stirbt. Und als wäre all die rasante Action nicht genug, wirbelt Deaver zum Ende hin noch einmal alles komplett durcheinander.

Puh, da muss man dann aber erstmal durchatmen.

Das Buch ist Spannung pur, bietet jede Menge Überraschungen und hat wirklich keine Hänger - aber....

Es ist so dermaßen übertrieben, komplizierteste Analysen erledigt man im Minutentakt, Amelia beamt faktisch von Tatortspurensuche zum Zugriff und weiter zum Zeugenschutz, Schlaf braucht auch niemand.... O.k., auf Seiten der "Guten" arbeitet ja auch ein ganzes Team - aber auf der anderen Seite ist es eine "one man show" und der Typ sieht das alles voraus, verwischt im Minutentakt Spuren, bringt Leute um, sprengt abwechselnd Flugzeuge und Wohnungen - alle Achtung! Ja, das fand ich etwas zu dick aufgetragen, deshalb leider nur 4 Sterne von mir.

[Ashish Iyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read the first book, it was really good.
This one was not as good as first book. It was particularly noticeable that story sometimes drags. It wasn’t until the very end of the book where things started to heat up and get interesting. One time read kinda book.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the twists and turns, especially the final one. Percey, the wife and third target, annoyed me, but I liked the episode of the bomb onboard, well-written.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the second instalment in the Lincoln Rhyme series and it doesn't disappoint. Fast-paced, well-written, with a surprise twist at the end it's definitely worth a read.

[Jane Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not magnetized and drawn in, but I was curious enough to keep reading.

When I finished the book my first thought was the killer’s abilities and actions were not believable. But I could accept them because it made an intricate and complicated puzzle for Lincoln to figure out. The killer was able to do too many things, too frequently, and get away too easily every time. And he always seemed to have full knowledge of everything the authorities were thinking and doing - so you need to suspend disbelief.

There’s a twist at the end which was both good and bad. The bad: it felt like a trick on the reader. It would have been better if some of it was developed earlier in the story, so the reader could see “how” it worked, instead of being “told” at the end. I have a big blank area in my mind not knowing any details about it. But the good: there is a surprise at the end - something so intricate that only Lincoln can figure it out. No clues are given to the reader prior to then.

I preferred the first book The Bone Collector (TBC). One of the reasons was the development of the interesting relationship between Amelia and Lincoln in TBC. Their relationship is on hold/not changing in this second book. Instead we see some flaws in Amelia. She was jealous of Lincoln’s relationships with others. She had a chip on her shoulder - walking off in a huff. One time she stupidly went after someone alone and was almost killed. There were other cops nearby she could have taken with her. When the main character is smart, I don’t like seeing them do stupid things.

Part of the story was a lot of chemical and technical analysis of particles collected from places. That is Lincoln’s special talent, but it didn’t wow me or surprise me. By the middle of the book I was losing interest, but I was curious enough to keep reading.

I would have liked one part shortened - the too-much-technical-talk when a pilot is flying a plane.

I loved one scene. Lincoln felt guilt and self pity because he had to rely on machines (as a quadriplegic). Percey a pilot responded by saying her life is in the hands of machines when she flies. One little thing goes wrong and she dies.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 390 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual content: none. Setting: current day mostly Manhattan area, New York. Copyright: 1998. Genre: crime suspense thriller, quadriplegic.