KateTPZ's Full Review: Jeffery Deaver - The Empty Chair: A Lincoln Rhyme ...
I like Jeffery Deaver, whether he's writing about his most familiar characters, such as Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs, less popular characters such as Rune (Manhattan Is My Beat and Hard News) or introducing new characters such as Parker Kincaid (The Devil's Teardrop) and Arthur Potter (A Maiden's Grave.) And whether the story is set in New York City, Kansas or Washington, D.C., Deaver has a knack for bringing the setting to life.
The Empty Chair, set in eastern North Carolina, proves that while Deaver may falter, as he did in Hell's Kitchen, he hasn't lost his touch. Another Lincoln Rhyme novel, The Empty Chair follows Rhyme, his assistant Amelia Sachs and caretaker Thom, to North Carolina where Rhyme is preparing to undergo experimental surgery. While still in the pre-surgical testing phase, the local sheriff drops by and begs Rhyme to help him with a murder/kidnapping case. Rhyme is reluctant but Sachs, thankful for a diversion, convinces him.
And so begins the case of Garrett Hanlon, called "Insect Boy" by the locals, who is believed to have murdered a young man and kidnapped two women. A makeshift forensics lab is assembled in the sheriff's building with equipment borrowed from the state police and staff is recruited from the community. Rhyme begins analyzing evidence as Sachs visits the crime scene to search for additional evidence that might have been missed by the locals, then leads a search party to find Hanlon and, hopefully, the two women he has kidnapped.
The Strengths are in the Details
Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme is a master ciminalist, an expert in solving crime based on trace evidence, experience, and incredible instinct. Together with Amelia Sachs, his crime scene protege, they prove to be a powerful team. The detail that Deaver includes in his descriptions, character development and plot twists is impeccable and advances the story perfectly.
But We're Not All Rednecks!
The North Carolina setting is new for Deaver and he has taken quite a few liberties with the geography of the place. These liberties propelled the plot well, but to this North Carolinian it created some frustration: even in a work of fiction I like to be able to visualize and place events and locations. Tanner's Corner, where The Empty Chair is set, is fictional.
The residents of Tanner's Corner and the surrounding areas are fictional, also, and these characters were my only objection to the book. At times I wondered if Deaver based them on characters observed in Andy Griffith reruns! In all sincerity the characters aren't really that bad, just less educated, a little more backwoods, and a lot less sophisticated than the average North Carolina resident. When I put the redneck characterizations aside, however, The Empty Chair is a terrific read.
Beware of Traps Along the Path
Much like the insects studied and revered by Garrett Hanlon, this Jeffery Deaver plot is both predictable and surprising. Predictability comes where one would expect it; Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs solve the case, identify the bad guys and rescue the good guys, and are placed in danger along the way. The surprises are often that the real bad guys and the real heroes are those we least suspect. I can't say more about the story without revealing any of Deaver's masterfully crafted surprises except to say that when I thought I had it all figured out, somewhere near the end of the 411 pages, I discovered that I was way off base. Deaver does that to me a lot. That's what I most enjoy about his writing.
Compared With Others by Deaver
The Empty Chair is not the best or the most compelling of the Lincoln Rhyme novels. The puzzles are not the most complex and the character interactions are not the most graceful that Deaver has written. Aside from one editing mistake and the portrayal of North Carolina residents, however, it's very close to flawless.
Lincoln Rhyme fans will not be disappointed and readers new to the Lincoln Rhyme novels will not be confused or feel left out. Deaver does a fine job of continuing a series without leaving behind those who begin after the first installment.
Kate's Recommendation
Although I don't think reading previous Lincoln Rhyme novels is necessary to understand The Empty Chair, I'd recommend that a reader new to the series start with The Bone Collector. This is based on the quality and complexity of the two stories more than the serial nature of them, and The Empty Chair can and does stand alone very well. For a reader who has never read the works of Jeffery Deaver, I'd suggest starting with A Maiden's Grave or The Devil's Teardrop, both excellent books that are not part of the Lincoln Rhyme series.
I'm certain that even readers first introduced to Jeffery Deaver through The Empty Chair will become fans.
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