The Steel Kiss: Lincoln Rhyme Book 12 (Lincoln Rhyme Thrillers)

This book is no exception. From the initial appearance of a paralyzed, wheelchair bound riveting intern in now Professor Lincoln Rhyme’s classroom, we are taken on a journey of twists and turns whose outcomes are unexpected, shocking, and devious. Deaver is the master of the tantalizing turn of events. I couldn’t put this one down. But, that’s pretty much par for the course.

Rhyme has ended his work with the police and gone into academia. Sachs, chasing a suspect, is diverted by a fatal accident involving an escalator. At first a civil case, with Rhyme enlisted to help, more deaths make it clear that someone is using the Internet of Things to kill people. But when the truth is known ... you may find yourself empathizing with the killer. And reconsidering the very concept of a "smart home" and the Internet of Things.

There was a time when Jeffery Deaver’s books were day one reads for me – instant purchases, to be devoured and enjoyed. My enthusiasm for his books has waxed and waned over the years, though, as Deaver has turned more and more formulaic, and for every great read he writes (The Kill Room, The October List), he turns out a few generic, forgettable, or even bad ones (Trouble in Mind, Roadside Crosses).

And so, when I first started to read The Steel Kiss, I got annoyed with what I felt like were Deaver’s usual tropes – the obvious misleads and feints, the half truths – and quit. But I’m glad I went back to The Steel Kiss, because what I got as I read was an engaging, really fun read, and a firmer grip on what Deaver has become over the years: basically, he’s become CSI or NCIS, the very shows I always felt like his books inspired, complete with the rhythms and patterns that come along with such entertainment.

Now, with that being said, there’s no denying the fun that can come out of a Deaver book. The Steel Kiss is simple but effective, following Rhyme as he helps out with a civil case inspired by the horrific death of a man in a malfunctioning escalator. Meanwhile, Sachs is trying to track down an anti-consumerist killer who’s killing people using the devices that make their lives easier. Will these two cases come together? Of course they will. And does it all somehow connect a bit to Pulaski’s extracurricular activities with local drug dealers? More or less.

And yet, even while I recognized all the formulas at play, and many of Deaver’s usual tools and tricks, I enjoyed The Steel Kiss pretty well. Deaver’s made an effort to mix things up a little here and there in the series, and while this doesn’t result in the really fantastic read of The Kill Room, it’s still a lot of fun, delivering some good thrills, at least one genuinely big surprise (even if I rolled my eyes at the explanation afterward), and an engaging antagonist who kept me involved.

I don’t think Deaver is the favorite author for me that he was once, but I think I’ve realized along the way that it’s not that he’s gotten worse, either. It’s just that Deaver has a formula that works, by and large, and he’s pretty happy working in that formula. And while I prefer my books a little more adventurous, a little more original, there’s no denying the pleasure that comes from watching Deaver construct his puzzles and unravel the clues, nor the fun of watching him tie all of his various plot threads together in more elegant ways than you assumed – or the fun of being fooled by him, even when you think you have him figured out. Are these day one purchases for me anymore? No, not really…but will I buy them as the equivalent of beach reads? More than likely.

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.

Jeffery Deaver's The Steel Kiss is a long and convoluted Lincoln Rhyme thriller. I nearly abandoned the book a couple of times, but kept reading and when I reached nearly half way, the plot took off and the twists and turns began.

There are several stories going on at the same time in The Steel Kiss, and Amelia Sachs and Rhyme work together to solve a string of murders that involve a lot of technology. This killer is elusive, smart and angry. At the same time someone from Amelia's past enters the story.

I found the first half of the book to be slow and boring and wondered if the plot would ever move forward and turn into a real thriller. It did, but the book would have been more satisfying to me if it was a bit shorter and if the reader didn't have to wait so long for the suspense and chilling ending.