When I see that Jeffery Deaver has written another novel, I hit the one-click purchase button without a second thought. The next time, I will do some research.

This book has its moments. It's just that they are few and far between, being mostly seperated by a never ending chase through a state park containing several thousand acres, at night, with two fairly accomplished armed killers trying to catch and kill two women and a kid who have a couple of knives for weapons. The improbables and impossibles of what goes on during that endless episode would amount to a lengthy listing if I had bothered to jot them down as I read through it.

There is a typical Deaver scary start to the book which is very well done. There is a somewhat interesting aftermath to the cat and mouse hunt in the park, too many interpersonal relationships to sort through and an imponderable ending to one of the main characters in the book.

The only mystery when you get to the last page is who killed "the killer." There is no answer. Not now. Not ever. If you ever see Mr. Deaver, ask him.

Check that. There is another mystery. Which is why in the name of Heaven did Deaver write such a clunker?? Let's hope it is a question we don't have to ask again.

The new Jeffery Deaver standalone is a thriller, not a procedural. And we're in Wisconsin, not New York. And we're in the woods, not in the city. And the protagonist is a woman. And the antagonists are . . . anybody's guess. A rural deputy answers a 911 call, finds murder and mayhem in a home in the woods, escapes (barely) with one of the putative victims and is then chased across a state park replete with water traps, briars and brambles, rock cliffs, and, yes, a meth lab.

Since this is Jeffery Deaver, the plot seems to be proceeding (at breakneck speed) from point A to point B, but, of course, there are twists/turns X, Y, and Z before we get to B. The setting could have been claustrophobic, but it is not. The characters are engaging, the setting is nicely realized, but some of the action is a tad implausible and sometimes things work out a little too conveniently (or potential problems are anticipated a little too cleverly). Nevertheless, the story is strong, the action insistent, the conclusion satisfying. If you're up for a trip to the woods, with potential bad guys galore and putative good guys perhaps not quite what they seem, go for it.

Jeffrey Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme novels are cerebral mystery thrillers. He adds suspense and tension that bring the novels to the near thriller from the mere mystery. In "The Bodies Left Behind" he forsook the cerebral part and went with a plain thriller.

The first third to one-half is as terrific a chase-thriller as can be written. A team of killers hunt the female deputy and damsel in distress through dark woods. The moves and counter-moves by the lead killer and the deputy sheriff are great. At times a bit over the top, but of what are thrillers made?

Once the book gets out of the woods, it seemed that Deaver did not know how to finish the it. There is a savory twist, but then the book just fizzles. The resolution(s) are unexplained and just sort of "happen".

This is a fun read, but it will not impart the same knowledge of esoteric areas or sense of wonder that Deaver's others books provide. The first part that takes place in the woods makes the book worth reading. Just don't judge Deaver's talents on this novel.

I agree with most of the 1 and 2 star reviewers, here. Starts out exciting, then quickly devolves into unbelievable nighttime cat and mouse games in the dense dark woods. There was definite ingenuity on Brynn's part and some surprises that kept it from getting too boring and repetitious, but overall, pretty tedious and not up to Deaver's usual finesse. Michelle's identity was a surprise. But what I want to know is WHO SHOT HART? It was a professional killing...none of the major players were left except for that union boss and his skinny minion. Why were we given no clues as to who the shooter was? Unlike Deaver--he usually wraps things up so we don't have to "guess" about any dangling string.

It would be nice if other reviewers just gave their opinion of the book and not try to summarize it!

This was a good (not great) book. If you like Jeffery Deaver, this is right in line with what you've come to expect.

See how easy that was? I gave my opinion and didn't feel the need to give away the book! Try it.

I thought this was one of the best mysteries I have read in a while. It gripped me from the first page, had surprises and just really, really was good. Very different for Jeffrey Deaver, I thought. His other books are good too but this was pretty awesome.

Jeffrey Deaver's "The Bodies Left Behind" takes place in Kennesha County, Wisconsin, where someone calls 911 from a cell phone. Unfortunately, the caller says only one word before the connection is broken. Using a special system, the technicians are able to pinpoint the origin of the call to Lake Mondac in the middle of Marquette State Park. The phone is owned by Steve Feldman, who works for the Milwaukee Department of Social Services. He is married to Ellen, a high-powered lawyer. The couple uses their remote vacation home in Lake Mondac as a weekend getaway.

When the police are unable to get a response from Steven and Ellen's mobile phones, Sheriff Tom Dahl asks Deputy Brynn McKenzie to check out the situation. Little does Brynn know that she is about to face one of the most harrowing and violent nights of her life. She will need all of her tactical training to outwit a pair of relentless hit-men who want no witnesses around to identify them. One of the two, a killer named Hart, develops a grudging respect for Brynn; he does not make the mistake of underestimating his cunning adversary. Brynn, accompanied by a shallow young woman named Michelle, hopes that guile and her well-honed survival skills will enable them to make their way back to civilization ahead of their pursuers. The odds are against them, but Brynn has always been a fighter and she is much tougher than she appears.

"The Bodies Left Behind" could have been just another formulaic adventure novel, but Deaver adds depth by fleshing out his characters and developing a complex and involving plot with a number of unexpected twists and turns. Brynn is far from the standard spunky heroine. Her first marriage to a fellow cop was a disaster and she is far too easy on her twelve-year-old son, Joey, who is fast becoming a little hoodlum. Her second husband is a landscaper named Graham Boyd, who would like his wife to be firmer with Joey. Unfortunately, Brynn constantly undermines her husband's authority and lets the boy off too easily. Another reason that Graham is annoyed with Brynn is that she always seems to place her job ahead of her family.

Deaver keeps the suspense at a high level as the narrative unfolds. We wonder whether Brynn and Michelle will be able to elude their well-armed attackers as they make their way through dangerous terrain. Even if she does survive the inevitable confrontation, will Brynn be able to salvage her faltering marriage and straighten out her wayward son? Besides creating intriguing characters and a fast-paced, multilayered plot, the author makes good use of his setting, depicting the forest in such detail that we can almost see the dense foliage and the plentiful wildlife that roam there. Although no one would call "The Bodies Left Behind" realistic, it is an entertaining yarn. Most Deaver fans will willingly suspend their disbelief to go along for the thrill ride.

This book fortunately was a quick read. A suspenseful beginning turned into an incredible journey into the forest. I also thought that the ending was anti-climactic.

One aspect of the book I did enjoy was the main character, a female police officer who used her book-smarts to help her out of some tight situations.

I have Deaver at the top of my authors list - but I wouldn't want him as a neighbor or a friend. This man has the mind of a master criminal. The story line of the book is simple - cabin in the woods, hit men, unsuspecting cop, a wild chase - normal Friday night movie - but NOT with Deaver. He could turn a P&J sandwich into a nuclear heart attack. This book is a maze - when you think you have it = you DON'T. If you are on medication find another author. This is an insane book written by a master writer.

After The Broken Window, I couldn't wait for this new book. Sorry, it just wasn't his best effort. Jeez, how many pages can you run through the woods, twist an ankle, stumble upon a new murderer...yiikes Frankly, I couldn't wait for it to be over.

What starts out as another of Jeffrey Deaver's signature murder thrillers quickly transforms into something else entirely, and unfortunately, not very successfully. It appears that Deaver was attempting to perform a riff on the 1924 Richard Connell story "The Most Dangerous Game" or Household's classic "Rogue Male". Think David Morrell's "First Blood" (later transformed into the first "Rambo" movie, Morrell credited "Rogue Male" as his inspiration): one resourceful individual being hunted in the wild by a tenacious and implacable foe.

Problems abound. First and foremost, the setup was for a terrific murder mystery/thriller, and that fell completely by the wayside, almost incidental to what turned out to be the main point of the book: the hunt in the woods.

Unfortunately, that hunt was simply incredible beyond words, to the point that it became almost cartoonish. The heroin tries to trick the villains; the villains figure out it's a trick, and counter her trick with ANOTHER trick; but she anticipates this counter-trick, and counter-counter-tricks, and...... SHEESH!

This was like a Roadrunner cartoon. All that was missing was the "meep meep!" soundtrack.

These people are all tromping around in a wilderness forest in the depths of darkness, no artificial lighting anywhere, only some moonlight; and yet they can see details such as footprints, small lost articles, and even each other at distances of two to three hundred yards... including what types of weapons they're each carrying!

Let me tell you something. When I was in the Army, I participated in night combat operations in the jungle, and you can't see diddley-squat without some kind of night-vision equipment. At best, if the moonlight's strong enough, you can make out ridgeline silhouettes against the lighter sky, but certainly no details. Definitely not with your unaided eyes at those ranges. And what about all those trees? Did they become transparent?

Anyway, when all of this is finally resolved - about ¾ of the way through the book - and we return to the original murder mystery, it is dispatched in the most perfunctory manner imaginable. It was almost an afterthought, as if Deaver was simply fulfilling an obligation to tie up the loose ends.

Too bad; not anywhere near up to his usual par.

This was an edge of your seat thriller. One of the best books I have read this year. You will not be disappointed.

"A contract killer, two bodies, and two women fleeing through the forest in the state park at night. Deaver's bloodthirsty tale is not for the faint of heart or the weekend hiker."

As an avid Jeffery Deaver fan (not just his Rhyme series), I was supremely disappointed in his latest effort. Yes, it was kind of a fast read, but there are too many "are you kidding me?" scenarios - I have to agree with Barry's review on this page. It did start out pretty well - he always has an engaging first chapter. But the majority of the story takes place in the forest of a state park and Deaver writes in the book that there are tens of thousands of acres of dense forest and yet the killers and their prey (three of whom have never even been in this particular state park) know exactly where to go and what traps to set and then one of them knows it's just a set-up (each and every time - no joke). This goes on and on and on ad nauseum. After this played out the fourth or fifth time, I was like "Come on!". Oh, and did I mention that it's the middle of the night without a full moon? Hart and Comp could tell from TWO TO THREE HUNDRED YARDS away in almost total darkness that Michelle was using a pool cue as a crutch?! Totally unbelievable! Anyone familiar with Deaver's previous books knows he has a tendency to set up a scene one way where you think you know what's happened and then a couple of pages later he neatly explains how it actually occurred. I'm okay with that, but in this particular book, it's just too over the top, too far-fetched. The dialogue is wooden and stilted and his usual keen sense of description is seriously lacking. If I didn't see Jeffery Deaver's name on the cover of this book, I don't know if I would have even believed that he wrote it because it doesn't quite sound like his "voice". Pressure from his publishing house to crank out material = subpar work? This book was not scary, suspenseful, or thrilling. Read his early novels if you're looking for that - you will not be disappointed. I've never written a review before, but I was truly excited when I heard this book was coming out and feel very unsatisfied after reading it. It's kind of like when Patricia Cornwell has veered off the Scarpetta books and into a ditch...a waste of time and money. I am a voracious reader and this is probably only the second time in my life where I have come close to not finishing a book. Read at your own risk!

Deaver is one of my favorite thriller writers, and this one is especially entertaining. Most interesting of all, he introduces a new detective, Brynn.

The first chapter is amazing. A lawyer and her social worker husband, along with a friend, Michelle, arrive at their secluded vacation home and prepare to relax. Situated close to a lake and with only a few other empty homes nearby, and surrounded by deep forest, the couple are surprised to hear footsteps. But who could be walking around their very private home?

Suddenly they spy a man wearing a stocking mask at their window. He is carrying a rifle. The husband quickly tries to dial 911, but only gets to say, "This--" before the call is interrupted.

Far away, the police must decide whether or not to respond.

The first 100 pages move like lightening. Deaver has introduced a terrific new main character, Brynn, a policewoman with a teenage son and new marriage. To say the very least, she is in desperate trouble, pitted against a man named Hart. She's very different from the other main character in Deaver novels, Lincoln, but the book is just as good as any of the Lincoln novels.

I don't want to give away much more than this. But it's a fast, fun book.

As an avid Jeffery Deaver fan (not just his Rhyme series), I was supremely disappointed in his latest effort. Yes, it was kind of a fast read, but there are too many "are you kidding me?" scenarios - I have to agree with Barry's review on this page. It did start out pretty well - he always has an engaging first chapter. But the majority of the story takes place in the forest of a state park and Deaver writes in the book that there are tens of thousands of acres of dense forest and yet the killers and their prey (three of whom have never even been in this particular state park) know exactly where to go and what traps to set and then one of them knows it's just a set-up (each and every time - no joke). This goes on and on and on ad nauseum. After this played out the fourth or fifth time, I was like "Come on!". Oh, and did I mention that it's the middle of the night without a full moon? Totally unbelievable! I've never written a review before, but I was truly excited when I heard this book was coming out and feel very unsatisfied after reading it. It's kind of like when Patricia Cornwell has veered off the Scarpetta books and into a ditch...a waste of time and money. I am a voracious reader and this is probably only the second time in my life where I have come close to not finishing a book. Read at your own risk!

The best thing about the book is that it gets right to the action in the beginning of the book. After the action starts it rarely stops and that is entertaining, but the cat and mouse gets old after a while and I find myself welcoming the end of the book instead of that feeling when reading a great book where you don't want to finish the book because it is so good. The characters are good, some better than others. There are plot holes and things you will have to suspend disbelief for. All in all it is a fun fast read, but there is nothing life changing in these pages.

April seventeenth is a day that will affect many lives in Kennnesha County, Wisconsin. It begins with Emma and Steven Feldman enjoying a drink in their mini-mansion vacation home on Lake Mondac. They hear noises outside followed by two gunmen barging into their home. Before they shoot Steven, he connects to the Sheriff's Office for a brief moment.

Sheriff Tom Dahl traces the 911 call and sends Deputy Brynn McKenzie to check it out. She finds the Feldman couple dead on their floor and the two killers Terry Hart and Compton Lewis eerily sitting casually nearby. She gets away running into the nearby woods where she meets Michelle, a friend of the Feldmans, who was visiting them. The two hit men chase after the women because they must have no witnesses to the murders. Brynn leads Michelle into a nearby state park while Hart and Lewis follow them. As they flee the thugs, they soon run into meth manufacturers in a place they thought they can call for help. Even if they somehow survive, Brynn's nightmare will not be over as the worst is yet to come.

This is a superb cat and mouse thriller made even more exciting once the reader concludes that Hart and McKenzie are similar personalities in spite of being on opposite sides of the law. With actions scenes that will translate easily into a movie thriller starring females who prefer to live but will do what it takes to Die Hard if at all as they refuse to break. Fans will enjoy this exciting outdoor wintry thriller with two born killers chasing two strong women.

Harriet Klausner