The Stone Monkey: A Lincoln Rhyme Novel (4)

The Fuzhou Dragon nears the shores of Long Island bearing its cargo of undocumented Chinese citizens (piglets) who are being brought to America by a snakehead (smuggler) known as the Ghost. It has come by a most circuitous route and its captain believes he will be able to deliver its human cargo to the shores of the United States undetected until a fast moving radar blip alerts him to an approaching Coast Guard cutter. How could this small and unobtrusive ship have been intercepted? Who knew? Back in Manhattan, Lincoln Rhyme nods in satisfaction when told by the Coast Guard that his deduction as to the location of the ship was correct. His anticipation that the ship will be routinely intercepted and boarded with the arrest of the Ghost could not have been more wrong however, and the operation spins dangerously out of control when the Ghost sabotages the ship and send her to the bottom of the ocean. The Ghost and some from the ship make it to shore and the chase is on. Two chases actually. The first is the hunt for the Ghost and those who made it to shore by crime scene specialists, Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs, and the FBI, INS and NYPD. The second is the hunt for all who survived the sinking so that they can be silenced by the Ghost. In his usual fashion, Deaver has created interesting characters and an intricate plot which introduces the reader to the vaguries of international smuggling as well as the importance of proper crime scene investigation. The plot twists and turns with the reader sometimes wondering if some of the good guys are really good and if some of the bad guys are really bad. Getting to that answer is a real treat for the reader. If you have not found Mr. Deaver's books before, this is your lucky day. If you have, you know the good reading that awaits you. A win, win situation for all concerned.

This book is extremely fast paced.

Once again, Jeffery Deaver has proven himself. I didn’t doubt him for one minute. The characters in the story, “Stone Monkey” were well developed and believable. This fast paced, action packed, suspenseful crime fiction story sent me on an exciting mental roller coaster ride that I will never forget.

I always try to solve the crime before I finish the story. I thought, “Darn, why did he tell me who the killer was? I could have figured it out.” In this book, Jeffery Deaver solved the puzzle for me, but I was still confused, go figure. Every time I think I have all of the answers Jeffery Deaver changes the questions. The book kept me guessing and that’s one of the things I liked about the book.

I do see a slight pattern in the series because the police unknowingly confides in the killer as in one of the previous books in the Lincoln Rhyme series. I say, slight because I have only seen this in one other book in the series. Of course, the murderer is able to stay ahead of the police because he has inside information. But, Lincoln Rhyme out thinks the killer once again.

Lincoln Rhyme is a brilliant quadriplegic criminalist that plays a significant part in keeping the story moving. Lincoln Rhyme is the main character in the series. His clever, precise, detailed investigation is what solves the crime and brings the villain, “The Ghost” to justice. The gorgeous Amelia Sachs is his girlfriend and she does all of the legwork. Poor Amelia Sachs suffers from endometriosis. Amelia Sachs performs a dangerous stunt while investigating the crime when she thinks of saving a child. She’d do just about anything for a child. She wants children of her own badly. A child is part of her motivation for going after the Ghost.

I especially remember the climax of the story when the killer was about to be caught. I laughed out loud as it seemed my insides would explode from the suspenseful anticipation.

I did have a problem with the pronunciation of some of the Chinese words and names, but they were relevant to the story. The story was about a shipload of Chinese immigrants being smuggled into America by The Ghost. I wondered why the immigrants were being hunted throughout the story. Lincoln Rhyme explained it toward the end.

I really cared about the characters. I was a little upset when I thought, Fred Dellray was murdered. Fred Dellray is an FBI agent that helps Lincoln Rhyme solve cases. One of the main characters actually did die and it was a heartbreaking scene. I got a little upset when it seemed like the ghost was going to be set free after Lincoln Rhyme and his team’s effort to capture him.

The Ghost had an interesting back story that the author reveals in the middle of the story. The Ghost had been a hunter since childhood when he hunted rats and vicious dogs for food after his family was murdered in China.

I was left with several unanswered questions. I didn’t think The Ghost was very smart because he drove stolen cars. In this story, The Ghost has a lot of Guanxi, connections, so why didn’t he have a legitimate car? I wondered how the pray got the map to find the hunter. I don’t think the scene where the Chinese cop died was explained well at all. I couldn’t tell if The Ghost got the gun that he killed a cop with from a shopping bag or an ankle holster. Why didn’t the murdered cop have handcuffs? Would a cop really apprehend someone as dangerous as The Ghost single handedly? One of the characters was given $500 to buy a gun that cost $300, but he gave his father back the remaining $100, did I miss something? Amelia Sachs was given a nickname in the middle of the story, why? It wasn’t necessary, it only confuses the reader.

I’m advising you to fasten your seatbelt before reading this book.