I like Deaver novels but this one had a weak ending to a very good beginning and middle. I read 3-4 books at a time as I take one every where I go that I might have to wait (like doctor's office). But this one had a very good beginning such that I decided to read it through right away. The middle was quite good and I looked to forward to the conclusion but I was disappointed. I thought the ending was quite weak and too many coincidences. And the secondary plot's ending was weak also and seemed like either an afterthought or misplaced. I couldn't quite figure why Deaver included it in the first place except maybe as filler.
Overall an interesting book and worth reading if you are a Deaver fan but if you like a solid up-to-date mystery you might be disappointed.

I am a real Jeff Deaver fan and I have enjoyed every book of his that I've read but this one is really outstanding...I think this is the best book he's written yet...gripping, interesting, twisting plot...techie stuff! Excellent, must read.

This is one of the best books I have read this year!
The suspense and thrill ride Deaver provides is like none other.
The plot is fascinating and informative. The characters well developed, interesting and intriguing. This is the 8th Rhyme and Sachs novel Deaver has written and everything: plot, characters and writing are as fresh as ever.
Fantastic Read! Enjoy!

I love all the Lincoln Rhyme books, and although the subject matter of identity theft was very relevant and Deaver wove an interesting story of how its done the investigation lacked something for me...it was not as intense as previous novels and when the identity of the Unsub was revealed it was really a let down and I had a hard time even finishing the book unlike the others I've finished in a day or two. However, what was really nice was the back story of Rhymes childhood and getting to know his family life before the accident and before he became a policeman.

I think what was really distracting was the dual investigations--the one in London seemed to have been better than the one in America and would have made a better story as it would have solved a puzzle left hanging from a previous book; hopefully that will happen soon.

"1984" and "Brave New World" gave us a brief glimpse of the world they feared we were creating but "The Broken Window" takes it over the top. Every reader will shiver as they come to grips with the realization of just how much the state likely knows about their life.

In "The Broken Window", Jeffrey Deaver has pitted Lincoln Rhyme, his famous paraplegic forensic consultant, against his most elusive foe to date - "Unsub 522", a deeply disturbed obsessive-compulsive hoarder, an ingenious data-miner, a psychopathic serial killer and "the man who knows everything". The chilling theme of this novel is data - information, storage and retrieval, tracking, privacy, identity and just who has access to what. Unsub 522 is an ingenious master of the dreaded crime of the 21st century - identity theft! He steals data, reconstructs people's lives, destroys some information, rearranges the rest and is even capable of planting legitimate evidence framing an unsuspecting victim for his own brutal serial murders. Arthur Rhyme, Lincoln's estranged cousin, is one of these victims. When he is arrested, his wife pleads with Lincoln to investigate. She and Lincoln both know that, despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Arthur is not the killer that the police suspect him to be.

If you have ever experienced a frisson of paranoia about who is looking over your shoulder, you might want to think twice about reading "The Broken Window". If you insist on reading Deaver's novel despite my warning, your little shiver will blossom into a full blown fear that will sit in the pit of your stomach and keep you awake at nights wondering who is looking into the metaphorical windows of your life.

In short, "The Broken Window" is a first rate thriller with a gut-wrenching theme. But Deaver has also gone above and beyond the call of duty as an author and has brought his protagonists into the real world with a characterization and history that almost brought tears to my eyes. We learn the story of Lincoln Rhyme's father and his brilliant uncle. We discover why he hasn't spoken to his cousin for years. And have you ever wondered about the idea of a paraplegic having sex? In an absolutely fabulous sidebar that doesn't have the slightest scintilla of prurient voyeurism about it, Deaver explains how a paraplegic is capable of a loving relationship that includes a fully functional sexual relationship.

Highly recommended and then some!

Paul Weiss

This was my first Jeffrey Deaver novel and it captivated me from the first pages. With such a relevant subject, it hit home immediately. I remember thinking how "smart" this book was. Fortunately, there's a nice long list of Jeffrey Deaver novels to read.

I became a Jeffery Deaver's fan when I read "The Bone Collector" and I haven't been disappointed any of the Lincoln Rhyme series I have read since. "The Broken Window" is no exception.

We met a family member of Lincoln's in this novel. His cousin, Arthur has been arrested for murder. The boys haven't spoken since high school because of a girl. Now Arthur's wife comes to Lincoln asking him to help clear her husband's name.

Lincoln and his partner, Amelia Sachs, go to work on the case and find that an information company is involved or so they think. The killer is destroying people's lives by twisting personal information and killing others and taking souvenirs.

As Lincoln and Amelia get closer to the killer, the killer learns of their investigation and starts after his hunters. One team member gets his gun and badge taken away when he fails a drug test and another has his wife detained as an illegal. Amelia even has her car impounded and crushed to a cube. Now the team is not only fighting to save the public but their own lives as well.

There are two sub-plots to keep things moving. Pam, a high school girl Amelia has befriended is having teenage problems and Lincoln is also working a case with Scotland Yards. There is never a dull moment in a Lincoln Rhyme novel.

Dennis Boutsikaris is a great reader. He uses tones and inflections in his voice so you know who is speaking and doesn't allow any monotones to creep in. All in all, he is easy on the ears to listen to.

If you like a good mystery, be sure to get the latest Lincoln Rhyme novel, "The Broken Window" by Jeffery Deaver. You won't want to put it down until you are done.

Very fast, good price, product in great condition. Very satisfied, would buy again! Thanks!

This novel brings identity theft to a whole new level. A new age killer is on the loose in Manhattan and Lincoln and the gang are drawn into the plot when Rhyme's cousin is deliberately set up for a murder he did not commit. After some sleuthing the detectives learn that several other murders with the same MO have occurred recently. Apparantly, the killer knows everything about both victim and set-up allowing him/her to orchestrate the perfect crime thus distracting authorities from the actual culprit. This interesting plot involves a huge private institution that collects the most privaledged information on basically all citizens of this country. The secure informations is to be used by government agencies and the not so secure data is sold to marketers. However, maybe someone else has access to the information and is gathering it for more sinister reasons.

The book was great. A little frightening to think how much personal information is available. Book was delivered quickly and in good condition.

I look forward to Lincoln Rhyme novels, so I was happy when my number finally came up at the library for Jeffrey Deaver's The Broken Window. As a technology geek, I *really* got into this story line. I'll grant that there was some level of "literary licence" taken in the plot, but it's still an unsettling look at what's going on with data mining and personal privacy.

Rhyme, the quadriplegic genius who takes forensic crime science to a new level, gets involved in a new case that's personal. His cousin Arthur is accused of a murder that he swears he didn't commit. The evidence begs to differ, however. Everything at the crime scene and in Arthur's personal life points in exacting detail to his involvement. There's some bad blood between Rhyme and his cousin, and he's not all too keen on getting involved in what appears to be an open-and-shut case. But he softens a bit and decides to ask a couple of questions. What he finds is that the evidence is *too* perfect... almost as if everything was staged to the nth degree. He's also able to find a few other murder cases that share the same "perfectness", despite the protests of the accused. The investigation leads to a data mining company, Strategic Systems Datacorp, who has a seemingly infinite amount of information on nearly everyone in the US. But their operation is shrouded in secrecy, and too many people seem to be deathly afraid of crossing swords with them. If someone at the company had detailed information about what the victims and accused bought, where they went, and what they did, they *could* create perfect crimes. Rhyme and his partner Amelia Sachs have to determine who at the company had means and motive. But if the hunted has all of Rhyme's information, just who is the hunted and who is the hunter?

I liked this on a couple of different levels. From pure story and plot, I had a hard time putting down the book. The identity of the killer stays nebulous for a large part of the book, so the suspense stays at a pretty high level. The other facet of the story is the whole issue of data mining and personal privacy. If all the information that's collected about you is gathered in a single place, your life literally becomes an open book. Not only do they know everything about you, but they can start to predict what you might and might not do with surprising accuracy. I think you can draw the inference to today's society. While it's true (I hope) that an actual Strategic Systems Datacorp doesn't exist, it's no longer outside the realm of possibility. This is a very good thriller with some interesting concepts to mull over.

The author tackles a very important contemporary issue in this book, and it was a real page-turner until about halfway through when nothing really new was happening. For one thing, Rhyme is a rather boring character. He's got one emotion: cranky. I can see nothing to attract a beautiful woman like his current partner. He doesn't have an ounce of charm, and we all know a strong woman won't be with a man who is devoid of it. So there's no "chemistry" there whatsoever. The story was fun when it was a true "who-dunnit" but when the author started using clever little ploys to fool us into thinking we had the guy, then it turned out to be someone else, I felt a little cheated and it felt very blah-blah-blah, gimme a break. And then, when the person it really was turned out to be sort of a deus ex machina - from out of nowhere and a dull nowhere at that...I guess I just lost interest and wished the book would end. Also, two side stories could have been really juicy, but they fell short: the one about Pam and her married teacher boyfriend. That came to a dead halt. Then the story about Rhyme's cousin Arthur: I wanted to actually experience the cousins making it up in the end. But then, since Rhyme is such a one-note johnny, I can't imagine how a reunion would have been very rich anyway. Let's put it this way: Deaver could take note of Dave Robicheaux, Matthew Scudder and Easy Rawlins, protagonists with depth, and inner lives heartfelt by the reader.

I won't give away anything. But I will say if you are at all concerned about living on the grid read this book. Will totally open your eyes. And of course, I was kept guessing until the end. Which is a great thing.

I could not put this book down - lost a whole weekend! One of the best of the series.

Ever feel as though you are be watched? Ever wonder if someone was collecting personal information about you? In Jeffery Deaver novel The Broken Window, we are shown the underground world of identity theft. Jeff Deav explains in pain-staking detail what these creeps look for, how they access your info, the amount of time required to do such acts, and more. The story revolves around forensic science and tracing computers to solve the case and track down the bad guy...who has ties to Rhyme's past. Once again Linc is forced into the savior role and Amelia once again finds herself in trouble. The writing is top-notch. The characters are well-developed and believable and the story flows as smooth as a high-speed Internet connection.

Editor of the highly recommended novel: Fates by Georgiou, Tino Fates (2nd Edition)

It was mostly okay but was boring in some parts, especially the ones that had a lot of numbers being read.

This book was a slower than the other Rhymes books. There was so much computer information in the story. It only got faster and more interesting during the last half of the book. I'm listening to the CD now and find myself going forward on sections of the CD.

Great book -well written,clever plot-further development of main characters and a lead in to a new book.

This is your standard Jeffery Deaver novel. Since I lilke his Lincoln Rhyme novels, I enjoyed this one, too. If you have read others, you will notice that they include people from past novels and if you haven't, this will not be a deterent.
Very good CSI features and you always learn about detective work.

A great page turner from Deaver. Not as formulaic as some of his past Rhyme books - I hate that it took a real life identity theft to spark his creativity. A bit paranoia-inducing (I did re-check my credit report), but quite entertaining!

When Lincoln Rhymes reluctantly agrees to drop an important case to pursue the solution to his cousin's recent murder charge, he enters the world of identity theft and data mining. For the first time, he faces an uncommonly evil adversary who "knows everything", which is exceptionally frustrating for a person like Rhymes.

I, like many other reviewers, have read all of this series and found this one to be a super page-turner. I frequently neglected my computer or watching the Olympics to get back to my book. I remember as I read that I bet Deaver put a lot of work into his books, so be sure to watch the 3-min. video that Amazon includes after the PW review - it's amazing!

While most of us worry about identity theft, I also remember thinking, go ahead and try to quantify me (data mining companies), I just don't think I'm quantifiable. But I don't think I ever want a dossier on me as large as the one on Amelia Sachs no matter how correct or incorrect. Is this for real? Perhaps fiction based on future truth.

Well said, Mr. Deaver. At any rate, knowledge is power in anyone's book!

I liked this one a lot. Not my favorite, I think my fav is one of the first Lincoln Rhyme novel ( Bones) but this one rates right up there. For the most part Jeffery Deaver writes really good mysteries with unusual twists that keep you really interested, and this one fit the bill. If your a fan this one is a don't miss, if you have not read one of these books maybe this is the time to start. It is a good read whether on the beach or in the car.

This latest Lincoln Rhyme mystery has him chasing an intriguing criminal who uses data mining to change people's identities and backgrounds much less rob, rape and murder his victims. With his paramour and partner, Amelia Sachs, along with the rest of his partners, Lincoln has to accept some of today's computer and data-gathering techniques.

The trail leads to the largest and most successful data-gathering company, Strategic Systems Datacorp, which has amassed individual profiles on hundreds of millions of persons in the United States and overseas. This information furnishes the culprit with all kinds of knowledge to enable him to plan and execute his c rimes, including one against Lincoln's cousin, who is accused of murder.

Written with Deaver's accustomed meticulous detail, with the usual twists to keep the reader turning pages, the novel is well up there with the best of the series. Too bad we'll have to wait two years before the next one. But that's OK, the author plans to have us reading the next in the Kathryn Dance series next year, as well as a standalone--a possible new series-due out in November of `08. They too should be well worth looking forward to. Recommended.

So glad to read this novel! Once again, Deaver has brought us a thriller worthy of the characters he created. Very interesting story that included a lot of information about identity theft and data mining and gives a person a lot to think about in regard to how much information someone could possibly have on you with all the computer generated files that private companies are beginning to amass. Quite scary really. Especially what someone in possession of that info could do. As they said,
"Knowledge is power." I gave it a 4 which is the highest rating I usually give a thriller. I possibly would have given it more except for some annoying distractions in the book and some petty stuff. I wasn't interested in the England side story nor do I like those lists written down in the book. I know I'm in the minority probably over that one. Another wish of mine is that Deaver would make more effort to detail the nature of Rhyme and Sach's relationship and private personal interaction with each other. Highly recommend!!

Deaver does it again! I haven't read one bad Lincoln Rhyme novel, and this one fulfills all my expectations. Twists, turns, plot changes, several possibilites for the killer--Lincoln and Amanda are like Alice down the rabbit hole in this one. The reader never knows what to expect--I like that. My favorites about a Lincoln Rhyme novel: the forensics and the relationships all these characters have with this old curmudgeon who always turns out to be a softie at heart.

although reminescent of another Deaver book,(the blue nowhere,by the way an excellent read)this still produces all that you would expect of the author.But,not his best to date.can only give this 4 stars,not the 5 that i would usually give him.lacks a little something.not as tightly scripted and unputdownable as per usual.not the usual page turner that keeps me up half the night,but still head and shoulders above the mass produced stuff that james patterson(an ex-favourite of mine)now produces.i would sooner wait a year for a deaver than i would 4/6 months for a patterson.looking forward,in anticipation,to his next book.

If you like a good mystery peppered with cliff hangers then this book won't disappoint. Great summer read. Oh and make sure you take out the rfid tag out of the book before you start - you'll understand soon enough why..

This is one of the best books I have read this year. I spent many enjoyable hours lost in this world. While reading this book, I noticed there were times when I was actually becoming stressed out for the characters! I even noticed increased heart rate! This was a fun book to read. It kept me guessing until the very end. I have loved all of the books in the series and this was one of my favorites.

This is one of the best books I have read this year. I spent many enjoyable hours lost in this world. While reading this book, I noticed there were times when I was actually becoming stressed out for the characters! I even noticed increased heart rate! This was a fun book to read. It kept me guessing until the very end. I have loved all of the books in the series and this was one of my favorites.

I'm about 3/4 of the way through this book and it's been a very good listen. I've never read a Lincoln Rhyme novel, so I can't compare to others in the series. The story is interesting - makes you never want to use a credit card again! The reader has a good voice - not over dramatic and the characters are identifiable by voice tones and inflections.

I'm about 3/4 of the way through this book and it's been a very good listen. I've never read a Lincoln Rhyme novel, so I can't compare to others in the series. The story is interesting - makes you never want to use a credit card again! The reader has a good voice - not over dramatic and the characters are identifiable by voice tones and inflections.

I still like Deaver, but lately his books seem more formulaic. This book was good, but not exciting, about the same as his previous few novels.

I thought the last Lincoln Rhyme novel was very average so I thought I would give Deaver one more try. After reading "The Broken Window", I think I'm done.

Rhyme was his usual, cranky self. He directs investigative traffic form his "Fortress of Solitude" that is probably better equipped as a crime lab than most major city police departments. His foil, Amelia Sachs, contiunes her role as a super cop and still has time to mentor a young woman through the trials and tribulations of having an affair with a married man. This was totally unecessary and bogged down a story about information gathering that is timely and topical in today's world. The best part of the book was the back story about Rhyme's relationship with his cousin (who, coincidently, is framed for a murder he did not commit) and how he grew up to be the man he is today. This was far more interesting than the rather routine police procedural Deaver presents.

I know I will be in the minority on this one but different opinions are what make the world go round. What was original with Rhyme and Sachs has become tedious to me. There are other protagonist's that are far more interesting than Rhyme and Sachs. Unless Deaver changes it up, he will have lost this reader for sure.

Mr. Deaver has once again given us a great story featuring Lincoln, Amelia, and the gang. Whether you are an established fan, or this is your first Lincoln Rhyme novel, I am sure you will find it enjoyable and entertaining. And you might even learn a thing or two, also! That is one of best things about this series from the author.

And, without giving away too much of the story, I do want to thank the author for allowing Pulaski to make an appearance in the next book. I really like that rookie!

Enjoy, everyone!

Another enjoyable lincoln rhyme novel. I read the book in two days, could't put it down.

Written in a style similar to The Bone Collector (one of Deaver's more successful novels). The pace is fast moving, keeps the reader guessing, and incorporates today's electronically linked world into the story telling.

Good reading (or listening-CD),is light enough, yet absorbing enough to take your mind off of your problems.

One of the best novels that I have listened to this year and perhaps the best Lincoln Rhyme mystery to date.

This book was excellent; one of those thrillers that keeps you on the edge of your seat page after page. Easily one of Deavers' best novels to date! Gritty characters, unpredictable plot twists.....In terms of forensic thrillers, Jeffrey Deaver is truly one of the best authors around right now. A master of his craft!

What would you do if you woke up one day to discover that your bank accounts were at zero, your mortgage unpaid according to the bank, your car repossessed even though you'd paid it off, and your job terminating your employment because your most recent drug test came back positive even though you've never used drugs a day in your life? Even worse - what if you were arrested with slam dunk evidence for a murder you didn't commit? The Broken Window is just that - a series of murders committed by a sly and highly intelligent criminal that has access to all of the data for every person in the United States. But to the shock and horror of those arrested, he has managed to frame innocent people for the murders by planting evidence that corresponds to their recent purchases. Your favorite condom brand? He'll use it in a rape. Your favorite beer? Will just happen to be in the tread of the shoeprint he leaves behind - with your shoe brand and size!

Lincoln Rhyme has his attention brought to this scary serial killer because his cousin winds up arrested for a brutal stabbing. Lincoln hasn't been in contact with this cousin for many years, but has trouble believing that he could be a murderer. With his partner Detective Sachs and the others that typically assist Rhyme in solving crimes, they trek through the layers of physical evidence and transfer evidence in an effort to learn something about their latest adversary and try to stay one step ahead of the man that knows everything.

This thriller is Deaver at his finest. He hasn't written a Lincoln Rhyme novel this strong in a while. The bad guy is super scary, the premise frighteningly possible, and the pages just turn and turn and turn. This is a book that will be difficult to put down at night but could cause nightmares for the faint of heart. This book references past cases, characters, and killers as well as foreshadows books to come. A fantastic thriller!!

I have often commented on reading a Deaver novel, that I would not want this man's nightmares. He is solidly on his game in his latest Lincoln Rhyme novel.

Others have gone into great detail about the pieces of the puzzle that the paraplegic crime scene investigator, Lincoln Rhyme and his intrepid sidekick and lover, Amelia Sachs must piece together.

The villian (there is always a villian) in this piece is "the man who knows everything." Through his access to people's identities he is able to commit crimes and have others blamed for them. How he gets this acess and what drives him is the meat of this book and the less revealed about the plot, the better, I believe for future readers.

All one needs to know is that this is Deaver, still at his best, with a pot boiler of a story which has more twists and turns than a Le Mans race course and which will also get the reader thinking about the technology of our times, its use and its abuse and what that can mean to all of us.

Don't let this one slip by you.

No spoilers

As I've said in my last several Deaver reviews, this book is another example of Deaver being Deaver. Sometimes I wonder if it's even possible for him to come up with a boring and tedious story--especially after eight books in the Lincoln Rhyme series alone--but of course, it is not.

I'd have to say that my favorite thing about The Broken Window is what has been my favorite thing about all of Deaver's novel (both within and outside of the Rhyme series) ever since I first stumbled upon them, and that is how it is the perfect balance between an easy read and captivating story. While some easy reads are so primitive and simplistic as to not be entertaining, and some captivating stories are so complex they require absolute concentration, this novel has some elements of both, so that whether you're in your private study or the middle of Newark International Airport (like I was while reading parts of this), you'll still be enthralled either way.

Basically, as is the case with any Deaver novel at this point in the series, if you never read any of it, go back and start at the beginning (of the Rhyme series at least) with The Bone Collector. Otherwise, if you've gotten this far, why are you even reading this review? You know you're going to read and enjoy anything by Deaver so why bother?

PS: His stand-alone novels are just as good. My personal favorite is still the first Deaver book I ever read that got me hooked, called The Blue Nowhere. Read it!

Another case solved with the infamous whiteboards - and technology to help. A scary too-true description of the amount of information kept about all of us by who-knows-whom...not for those who are paranoid about computers storing TMI. Those who like the characters will not be disappointed - entertaining and exciting.

If you have not read a Jeffery Deaver book you are missing out. This book complete my whole collection of his books and they are great.

There are great joys in reading Deaver. The most obvious in the Lincoln Rhyme series is that you are always assured of a great mystery, lots of cerebral challenges mixed with action and a great cast characters. The other great joy is that the reader will always learn something about a subject - be it insects, bones, magic or, as here data mining.


In this novel, Rhyme's cousin is arrested for murder. All the evidence points to him and the case is a slam dunk. Rhyme soon sees that the evidence could well have been planted and learns other crimes have been committed in NYC with similarly possible planted evidence. The chase is on. Rhyme is the ultimate CSI investigator, but tt is soon obvious that the killer "knows everything" about his victims. This gets the book into the Orwellian world of data mining - the accumulation of data about every person, seemingly endless and extremely personal. Besides the scary nature of the mystery, the backdrop of this type of data mining is even more alarming.

Like all the Lincoln Rhyme novels, this one stands alone. If you read it, I guarantee you will go back for the earlier ones so you can get to know the cast more intimately.

This iteration of Rhyme got only four stars because there was a slow period in the middle of the book. Probably more technological folks than I would enjoy that portion more than I did. A slow portion for Deaver, though, is about 55 mph rather than his usual 70.

Highly recommended as a cerebral mystery/thriller that puts "CSI Miami" to shame.

A great read for the lovers of Lincoln Ryme mysteries, especially if you're a savvy computer expert. The story circles around computer information and if you're not up on computer-speak, you'll learn a lot from this one. The characters are colorful and Ryme is still wonderful.

Broken Window is the first Jeffery Deaver novel I've read. All in all, it was an interesting and entertaining read.

What I liked:

* I liked the character of Lincoln Rhyme. He reminds me a little of Nero Wolfe from the old Rex Stout novels.
* I found the information on identity theft interesting and well researched.
* The concept of the novel is intriguing. If evidence can be manufactured and manipulated, how do you know what evidence is real? How can you catch a killer when the evidence you are using may be a lie?

What I didn't care for:

* Deaver bogs this novel down with excessive detail, redundancies, and unrelated subplots. The subplots are a by-product of `the series', the need to develop storylines for recurring characters and keep fans of the series up to date on information that has no bearing on the current story (For example: Pam's romance with a teacher, Rhyme's efforts to track a hired killer from a previous novel). The narrative flow is further bogged down with detail and redundant information. For example: Lists of evidence are repeated over and over again throughout the novel, whenever anything new is added to the list.
* The ending is drawn out with far too many attempts at `gotcha' moments where the author leads the reader to think someone is the killer, only to reveal "surprise" they are not. I started to get a little impatient with Deaver near the end.
* The killer is revealed and one of our heroes is saved as a result of some extraordinary coincidences and some huge leaps in deductive reasoning. It strains credibility and because the novel is generally well researched and is attempting to be realistic, these improbabilities are harder to accept.
* I was troubled by inconsistencies in the motivation and behaviour of the killer in this novel and by a glaring oversight in the investigation. The plot requires these behaviours and demands that the investigation follow a specific path, and while I understand why Deaver makes the choices he does, it felt a little false to me even though they are relatively minor issues.

The bottom line: This is a smart novel with an intriguing premise. Yes, it gets bogged down with detail and features many of the same types of contrivances that are found in most crime fiction, but all-in-all Deaver delivers a well researched, interesting suspense novel. 3 ¾ stars.

I LOVED THIS BOOK AS I HAVE LOVED ALL OF MR. DEAVER'S BOOKS. HE ALWAYS KEEPS YOU THINKING UNTIL THE END AND THEN SUPRISES YOU. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO EVERYONE WHO ENJOYS MYSTERIES. I LOVE ESPECIALLY THE LINCOLN RHYME'S SERIES OF BOOK. BUT HAVE READ ALL THAT HE HAS WRITTEN.

I'm a fan of Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme series and this is my favorite of the series so far. A highly recommended read from a great mystery author!

Data mining and identity theft drive the fast-paced plot as quadriplegic detective Lincoln Rhyme and his partner/lover Amelia Sachs attempt to clear Rhyme's estranged cousin, Arthur, of murder charges.

A look at the slam-dunk evidence suggests to Rhyme, a consultant for the NYPD, that someone may have framed Arthur. A little more digging produces several other cases - closed, the supposed perps jailed - with the same anomalies. If he's right, some sophisticated identity theft is involved.

Point of view switches to the real killer, a self-satisfied collector who attaches numbers to people before he adds them to his macabre - and extensive -collection. He's awaiting his next victim, a young woman whose life has been thoroughly mapped out, as has that of the designated fall guy.

While the police are none too happy about re-opening solved cases, Rhyme comes achingly close to nabbing the guy, managing at least to intercept his manufactured evidence and get the NYPD on board. His investigation leads to a huge data mining company with clients that encompass not just corporations but government - including the NYPD.

And when the killer realizes the law is on his trail he doesn't run - he fights - with all the data at his command.

The chase twists and turns as Deaver ramps up the suspense, cutting between characters and scenes. As the pages flip by, Orwell's "1984" casts a long shadow and the reader shudders to realize how the foundations of society (to say nothing of the individual) rest on electronic data more solidly than on the bedrock of the earth. Pretty scary - and a fun read too.

As usual, I couldn't put this book down - it moves at lightening speed. I highly recommend this book!