THE BROKEN WINDOW by Jeffery Deaver
Every year about this time Christmas comes early for me when I get a copy of the new Jeffery Deaver novel. These are always “presents” I enjoy, especially when the book is a new Lincoln Rhyme/Amelia Sachs story. THE BROKEN WINDOW involves them in a new mystery and it is another satisfying winner from Deaver.
This time out we get a lot of new information about Lincoln Rhymes’ background. This comes courtesy of the fact his cousin Arthur is accused of a murder. While Lincoln is working to clear Arthur’s name he does some reminiscing about his teen years and the adventures he and Arthur shared.
The murder of which Arthur is accused is a brutal one and the evidence is certainly strong that Rhyme’s cousin did the deed. It will take Rhyme and Sach’s combined skills to prove otherwise. The investigation also includes the “team” Lincoln has assembled and used in the past.
The thrill of reading a book like THE BROKEN WINDOW is in knowing Deaver is totally in command of his story. He is one of the most intricate writers who ever put words on paper, and his knowledge of a variety of subjects is overwhelming. This is a writer who does his research and then puts it in his books in a most readable way.
You also feel as if Lincoln and Amelia are real human beings. You care about them as you would friends you have made. They have a continuing and progressing love story and that adds to the enjoyment of the story. They don’t make many strides in that area in this new novel but it is an underlying factor of the book.
Once again Rhyme and Sachs are up against a master criminal, well two really if you include the star of a subplot going on in Europe. Rhyme’s wits are tested time and time again as the true murderer eludes the police and causes havoc in a variety of areas. He even murders one of Lincoln’s team members and that is a shock in the story.
If you are not a devoted Deaver reader, well you should be. He is the best at what he does, and once you fall under his spell he will entertain you and inform you for hours on end. He has never written a bad novel and some of his stories border on perfection..
Read THE BROKEN WINDOW and then go back and catch up on all the Deaver stories you have missed. This will allow you to have Christmas in July just as I do.
THE BROKEN WINDOW is published by Simon and Schuster. It contains 415 pages and sells for $26.95.