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Summary: Deaver is still the master of the crime scene novel!
Review: The Fuzhou Dragon nears the shores of Long Island bearing its cargo of undocumented Chinese citizens (piglets) who are being brought to America by a snakehead (smuggler) known as the Ghost. It has come by a most circuitous route and its captain believes he will be able to deliver its human cargo to the shores of the United States undetected until a fast moving radar blip alerts him to an approaching Coast Guard cutter. How could this small and unobtrusive ship have been intercepted? Who knew? Back in Manhattan, Lincoln Rhyme nods in satisfaction when told by the Coast Guard that his deduction as to the location of the ship was correct. His anticipation that the ship will be routinely intercepted and boarded with the arrest of the Ghost could not have been more wrong however, and the operation spins dangerously out of control when the Ghost sabotages the ship and send her to the bottom of the ocean. The Ghost and some from the ship make it to shore and the chase is on. Two chases actually. The first is the hunt for the Ghost and those who made it to shore by crime scene specialists, Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs, and the FBI, INS and NYPD. The second is the hunt for all who survived the sinking so that they can be silenced by the Ghost. In his usual fashion, Deaver has created interesting characters and an intricate plot which introduces the reader to the vaguries of international smuggling as well as the importance of proper crime scene investigation. The plot twists and turns with the reader sometimes wondering if some of the good guys are really good and if some of the bad guys are really bad. Getting to that answer is a real treat for the reader. If you have not found Mr. Deaver's books before, this is your lucky day. If you have, you know the good reading that awaits you. A win, win situation for all concerned.
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Summary: Deaver is simply the best!
Review: I think Jeffery Deaver is the best suspense writer working today. But I was a little disappointed when I discovered the subject of the Stone Monkey. Chinese culture tends to confuse me, but I gave it a shot and this book is every bit as good as Deaver's other books. There is a certain formula to the book but, Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs unforgettable characters, that it doesn't really matter. And what mystery series doesn't fllow some type of formula. It will keep you guessing until you've finished it and then wishing that the book. was longer
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Summary: i love these books
Review: i didn't expect to like this book given the subject matter . once again jeffery deaver enthralled me in the web of his story . really enjoyed this , although i did figure out who the " bad " guy was .
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Summary: It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business.
Review: In the real world a ship ran aground off Long Island a few years ago leaving it's cargo of illegal Chinese immigrants wandering the grounds of multi-million dollar homes in the Hamptons. The next day the wags of Wall Street contended that half of them were already driving cabs in Manhattan. "The Stone Monkey" feels like Jeffrey Deaver took that picture and blew it up into his latest forensic thriller, probably laughing all the way to the bank. Along the way he expects the reader to accept that: -it makes sense to run a smuggling ship from China to NY with a total of 20-30 "piglets" (Deaver's term for the human cargo),
-his villain "The Ghost" has the money, connections and mobility to easily outmaneuver the NYPD, FBI and INS,
-most of the piglets were resourceful enough to escape certain death when the ship blew up (If they were that good, why were they on it to begin with?),
-Rhymne and Sachs, simply by looking at nine photos of footprints from the crime scene, can figure out most of what happened to create the crisis at hand. There is one bright spot in the story, a suspicious loner among the piglets called Sonny Li. When Sonny finally meets up with Lincoln Rhyme, the story takes a sharp turn with a great new character in the game. In the end there are at least four head fakes as to who The Ghost really is and what he was up to. The interaction between Rhyme and Sachs, which I have enjoyed in prior Deaver novels, is just plain annoying in this one. Maybe if Deaver let Sonny Li rise above the supporting role he wrote for him in this story, it would have made for a more satisfying conclusion. This one didn't work.
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Summary: Deaver At His Best!
Review: There's not much more you could ask for in a book than what Deaver provides in his latest excellent thriller, The Stone Monkey. Very strong plot, very well developed primary and secondary characters, lots of suspense,and quality writing. Once you start this book be prepared to not get up until you finish it. The only thing I wished Deaver spent more time on was the continuing relationship between Lincoln Rhyme and Amanda Sachs. But there's always the next book in this terrific series! Do yourself a favor and put this book on the top of your to-be read list. I'm sure you'll be glad you did!
Rating:
Summary: Good
Review: This plot is very contemporary, regarding the immigrants, and is a page-turner, too. The best thriller since Craig Furrnas' THE SHAPE. I carried it with me to read in idle moments, I liked it so much.
Rating: 
Summary: Absorbing but simplistic
Review: Deaver's bedridden criminologist Lincoln Rhymes and his assistant/lover Amelia Sachs are back and this time are involved in a crime involving illegal immigrants from China. They race against time as they try to nab the human smuggler, known as 'the Ghost', who has already killed most of a boatload of illegal immigrants and is now after those who escaped. The deductions by Rhyme as he analyzes the evidence from the crime scenes have always been my favorite parts of the books in the Rhyme series and fortunately, there are several such scenes here too. The book is basically made up of two chases - the Ghost is after the immigrants while Rhyme is after the Ghost - and both these are grippingly told. From the attention given to the Ghost's assistant in the beginning, I expected a lot more from that track too but the way it was handled was a letdown. As far as characters go, the Ghost is suitably chilling but the winner is undoubtedly the streetwise Chinese cop, who grows on us as easily as he grows on Rhyme and Sachs. But on the whole, the story seemed too straightforward and simplistic compared to Deaver's earlier works. Sure there are the trademark twists and turns to help keep the story moving fast but barring one, most of these are minor and even the big one is not of the jaw-dropping type. If not for the forensic details, one could be forgiven for mistaking this to be a novel by Sidney Sheldon!
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Summary: Disappointing
Review: I truly love Deaver's books especially the Rhyme's series. Deaver knows how to keep you in the dark, surprising you until the very last page. There are great insights in forensics without overwhelming you too much with science. Though his latest effort was a bit of a disappointment. I am usually not one to figure out the twists and endings before I finish a book. But in this case it did not take me long to figure it out -even if only partially. The reason why I kept reading The Stone Monkey is because I was really hoping that Deaver would show me wrong. Unfortunately it did not happen. I was also very disappointed with the characterizations of Rhyme and Sachs. Though I do understand that it is primarily a thriller, there seem to be a total lack of warmth between those two characters; on a professional and personal level. There was not any character development (apart of his decision for the surgery). I hope his next book in this series will be back in the tradition of the three first ones.
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Summary: Lincoln Rhyme with a twist.
Review: After I read the Bone Collector a few summers ago, I tore into everything else that Jeffery Deaver had produced. If you are just getting to know Deaver through the Lincoln Rhyme novels, some of his best fiction still awaits you. Praying for Sleep, A Maiden's Grave, The Devil's Teardrop, and many other equally devious books are in your future if you so desire. The Stone Monkey is an excellent detective story filled with intriguing forensic details and engaging characters. It also contains the Jeffery Deaver trademark twists and turns in the plot that will keep you guessing. If there is any weakness to Deaver's style it is that ALL his books have a major plot twist in them and so his fans are no longer surprised when the big knockout punch comes. Even knowing that about Deaver, as I read this book, I made my predictions and smugly assumed that I knew how this one was going to turn out...and while I did see one major event coming, I was certainly fooled by the big twist. If you loved the first three Lincoln Rhyme books you will not be disappointed. If you've only read the Lincoln Rhyme books, delve deeper into the other books of the Deaver library...there are plenty of twists lurking in their pages too.
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Summary: A thrilling story
Review: Jeffrey Deaver's latest tops all his previous works, in a story that's well worth your time. Lincoln Rhyme's talent as a criminologist is highly sought after. This time around the INS, FBI and NYPD are using his expertise in capturing an infamous snakehead nicknamed the 'Ghost'. Snakeheads are "smugglers crawling furtively through borders to deliver human cargo". When the 'Ghost' destroys and sinks a ship carrying his cargo of Chinese dissidents--in an attempt to kill all on board-- Rhyme and his girlfriend Amelia Sachs, an NYPD officer, go in search of this mysterious criminal. Working with a philosophical Chinese police officer that survived the sinking, they discover that there are survivors and that the 'ghost' is out to kill them. Rhymes and Sachs's work with the crime scenes alone makes this top notch entertainment. The story of illegal Chinese immigrants and the reasons and hardships of some of their travels are somewhat eye-opening. The suspense and the mystery, as well as the unexpected turns, should help give this book, in my opinion, a spot on your shelf. Highly recommended
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