Rating: 
Summary: Better than THE BONE COLLECTOR
Review: THE STONE MONKEY is by far the best in Deaver's Lincoln Rhymes series. The main plot line revolves around Lincoln's effort to stop THE Ghost, a notorious Chinese "snakehead" (human smuggler) from killing what's left of two dozen illegal Chinese immigrants. When the coast guard zeroed in on the ship carrying the "undocumenteds," The Ghost had dynamited the ship, killing most everyone on board, except for two families and an undercover cop who manage to make it to shore.
This is the best of the series because of the research Deaver did on Chinese culture, specifically smuggling of human cargo. The book is generously sprinkled with such terms as "ju-jia" or piglets, the derogatory term for the people in the hold of the ship; "Meiguo," Chinese for Beautiful County or America, and "bangshou," the lieutenant who helps The Ghost accomplish his task.
The book is also replete with solid characterization, the best of which is Sonny Li, a Chinese detective disguised as one of the illegals. He clashes with Lincoln by smoking unfiltered Camels at crime scenes and by taking a much more humanistic approach to crime detection, as opposed to Lincoln's emphasis on the evidence. Li's favorite expression is "Ten Judges of Hell" in reference to the Chinese myth that the judges of hell keep a record of everyone who has ever lived, their faults and good points.
I've had problems with Deaver's loosey-goosey approach to plotting in the past; however, in this work, he manages to keep it real for the most part, except for one minor glitch where he has the Ghost switch places with one of the Chinese dissidents. The dissident has police protection, since the Ghost is out to kill all of the survivors, but that doesn't stop Deaver from having him sneak out and get involved in a gun battle or two. Despite this slight quibble, I'd put Deaver right up there with Ed McBain as one of the best at police procedural. It's easy to follow the case as it progresses as Rhymes has his assistant Thom write the clues on a bulletin board. We see these several times throughout the book as Rhymes analyzes new crime scenes. This is a good one; you'll get your money's worth.
Rating:
Summary: Very, very good
Review: I am a big fan of Deaver and am glad to report that he is back up near his best in this book. As always, his characters are always working against time, his pace is fast and his plot wrenches back and forth--his story turns are almost impossible to pick. Deaver loves closing a chapter vaguely, letting you *think* you know what happened, then suddenly changes direction when you pick the thread back up a few scenes on. You realise that what he wrote *was* entirely accurate, but that it was some assumption of yours that caused you to jump to a conclusion. He also loves leaving the reader off-balance, dying to know what comes next.
The Stone Monkey is a very good cat and mouse tale, with (for once) the bad guys just a step or two behind the good guys. Just when you think one is going to outsmart the other, something happens to ratchet the tension up another notch. His prose is terse yet eloquent, with no unnecessary flab, just razor-sharp observations and great scene-sketching that disclose a superb authorial eye.
There were a couple of things I found niggling, but not enough to put me off. One was a habit he picked up in the Blue Nowhere which I find annoying and hope he stops--Deaver goes a bit over the top in trying to salt the novel with little bits to add verisimilitude (here, dividing chapters into "the hour of the rat", "the hour of the rooster" to add a bit more supposedly authentic Chinese flavour) which I found a bit forced and hollow. It's like he consciously hunts for little gewgaws to stash in his prose, but they just feel ... fake. The other is that it became a little easy to pick the Ghost towards the end--his general motivations weren't all that clear, and a few confusing sequences needed to be explained, but it suddenly became clear what Deaver still had stashed up his sleeve, and, sure enough, it let the book down a bit to see I was right.
That said, the Stone Monkey still has Deaver's trademark suspense--the underwater sequence in particular will have you white-knuckled, and you can really feel the tension mount in some beautifully-written scenes. Great stuff, and glad to see the Blue Nowhere was just a bit of an aberration. 4 1/2 stars.
If you like this, you will like his others, and also check out his "location scout" series--some of the most gorgeous prose I've seen in a thriller, as well as a great plot.
Rating:
Summary: Rhyme Keeps You Guessing Right Up the End as Usual
Review: This latest installment in the Rhyme and Sachs duo is a good one. We are kept on the edges our seats as usual with Deaver's fast-paced plot. There are all kinds of twists and turns and reading the book leaves you breathless. I espeially liked the Chinese Cop - Sonny Li in this book. Rhyme continues to become more human, and we see that his realationship with Sachs has progressed since the last book. The story is based on the lucrative human smuggling business, and we learn about the sad people that are reduced to trusting these very criminal and sadistc traders in human flesh. We also get a rare insight into the Chinatowns that are found in various cities throughout the US and Canada. This is an excellent book, and I'm finding Deaver's characters are becoming more and more real and believable.
Rating:
Summary: A Chinese Ship Filled with Illegals and a Killer...
Review: My first from Mr. Deaver and this series. Filled with action and suspense, this one delivers! I was pleased to see that the paralyzed lead detective shows that his disability will not slow him down on order to track down a sadistic killer bent on murdering an entire ship full of illegal Chinese immigrants.The main character, a disabled criminologist named Lincoln Rhyme and his beautiful protege Amelia Sachs must track down a Chinese ship headed for New York City carrying over two dozen illegals.
The problem? The ship is run by notorious human smuggler and brutal killer known as the 'Ghost'.
When the Ghost's capture goes horribly wrong, the FBI and the Immigration and Naturalization Service mut do the immpossible...find him before he tracks down the surviving two familes from the ill-fated ship.
Finding the families will be tricky as they have vanished in the labryinth known as Chinatown deep in New York City. Over the next tense 48 hours, Amelia is on a race against the clock while Lincoln guides her from afar. She forms an unusual alliance with one of the immigrants that may have bad consequences in her relationship with partner and lover Rhyme.
Very tense and action-packed. Also very different from what I've read, not the usual fare here. Some really good plot twists and a surprise. I was completely pulled in! Kudos to Mr. Deaver for a great getaway and a very unique look into the world of human smuggling and immigration... Tracy Talley~@
Rating: 
Summary: Jeffrey Deaver, You never let me down
Review: Lincoln Ryhme is still going strong as is Deaver.
As usual, I was sorry to see this book end.
Rating:
Summary: Intrigue at its Best
Review: In "The Stone Monkey," Deaver and his popular character Lincoln Rhyme once again draw readers into the midst of a case that has the INS mystified. Rhyme pits his wits against the invisible and infamous 'Ghost.' Deaver is a master at the twists and curves of a supurb suspenseful narrative. Lincoln Rhyme fans will not be disappointed with this page turning well-plotted tale. A not-to-be-interrupted read.
Beverly J Scott author of Righteous Revenge
Rating:
Summary: The author of Unusual Destiny says...
Review: A revealing departure! Despite the cover, this novel isn't all about Lincoln Rhyme, but rather -- and refreshingly -- we see his protegee, Amelia Sachs featured. Her past relationship with her father, her present mind set and her possible future with Rhyme are put forth in a whole new light. The reader discovers who Sachs is, what she wants and how her physical limitations may demand compromise. That said, inventing a believable super sleuth with Lincoln Rhymes' physical limitations was no small endeavor. Keeping him in the good graces of his fans given his fits of temper and at times grumpy nature is even harder. We do however forgive and understand Rhymes' psychological scarring and focus instead on his strengths; his mind and the considerable body of forensic knowledge stored there. For all of this Mr. Deaver has earned our respect as a skillful craftsman. Also notably developed in this offering is the character of Sonny Li, an engaging Chinese detective whose street smarts and dogged use of shoe leather trump technology on more than one occasion. He jumps from the page, real and likable, many times dominating a scene. Others have outlined the plot, so I'll offer this in closing: For those interested in exploring other cultures, Stone Monkey offers some interesting facts and insightful asides that run the gamut from downright tragic to most amusing. Mr. Deaver's story of "the Ghost" is compelling, complex and well worth any mystery buff's time ... and admiration. A great read.
Rating: 
Summary: An Entertaining Read.
Review: I have always been a loyal fan of Jeffery Deaver, but his latest piece fell a little short of my incredibly high expectations. The Stone Monkey is the fourth Lincoln Rhyme novel, and it doesn't live up to the high standard it's predessessors had set. The novel is about a human smuggler known as the 'ghost', who while sneaking a few families into the big apple run into trouble from none other than the hero we've all come to know and love, Lincoln Rhyme, and his beautiful sidekick Amelia Sacks (note: they changed the surname in The Bone Collector Movie). After these immigrant flee from his grasp, the ghost being the meanie he is decides to kill em all before they can expose his vast operations. The novel avoided those big plot twists that I found rather disappointing, and although still a good novel, it's nowhere near the quality of Deaver's other books, but overall it's a decent read and should provide you with a good days entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: Deavers best in a while
Review: This is a better book than anything Deaver has written recently. He had started falling into the James Patterson Churn Em Out regardless of quality philosophy but thankfully returned to form with this one. Very character driven and a good story....you really root for the Asian immigrants. This is his best since the Devils Teardrop. The book does not focus much on Rhyme and Sachs relationship but we are introduced to a real neat character in Chinese cop Sonny Li. Sonnys wisecracks lighten the book up and provide the books best dialog. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Good Rhyme Novel
Review: Still doesn't compare with BoneCollector but a good face paced read that keep me interested until the end. I commend Mr. Deaver on his commitment to detail and enjoy learning something new each time I read his novels.
|
