THE MIDNIGHT LOCK

5 stars out of 5

I've read and loved every single book featuring criminalist Lincoln Rhyme (this is the 15th), and I'm pretty sure of one thing: I probably wouldn't like him a lot - he's more than a little bit on the arrogant side. That said, there's no one I'd rather have investigating a case in which I'm an innocent suspect than the master of evidence. This book did nothing to change that opinion and maybe enhanced it given the restraints that are placed on him and his team of experts.

Testifying for the prosecution in a case involving a known gangster, the defense attorney drills holes in Rhyme's evidence-collection skills and the accused is acquitted. When that happens, the powers-that-be put the blame squarely on Rhyme and declare that the department no longer has need of his consulting services. That presents a bit of a dilemma since his current case - involving a break-in artist known as the Locksmith, a person who slips into residences and rearranges things while the victims are sleeping - is just starting to get interesting. 

Needless to say, Rhyme and his team, which includes police Detective Amelia Sachs (also his wife), have no intention of shutting down, but they do need to be careful not to run afoul of the police muckity-mucks. For those who have followed the series for a while, there are several references and comparisons to the Watchman, another Rhyme nemesis, who is believed to still be "out there" somewhere.

I will say that the story has several threads that make it a little harder to follow than some of the others (including an incognito conspiracy theorist and a mega-wealthy family that owns a highly successful "sensationalist" newspaper), and some of the explanations - such as how locks work - tend to get a little tiresome at times. But Rhyme's thought process, and Sachs's instincts, more than make up for those transgressions. One scene in particular is one of the most nail-biting I've experienced in many, many books (thank goodness it didn't last longer than it did - I couldn't have held my breath much longer).

In the end, most things are resolved with a few surprises thrown in, setting Rhyme's team up for their next adventure (for the record, I'm hoping that one character new to this book gets tapped for more). I'm more than ready, so bring it on. Meantime, many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for once again allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of this one. Good job!

The Midnight Lock by Jeffery Deaver (G.P. Putnam's Sons, November 2021); 448 pp.

THE BURIAL HOUR

4.5 stars out of 5

At nearly 500 pages, I'm pretty sure this is one of the longest Jeffery Deaver books I've ever read - at least of the series starring forensic detective Lincoln Rhyme. What it is not, however, is the best of the bunch.

To be sure, though, it's very good; and despite my grousing that I'd be reading it for several days, I surprised myself by polishing it off in just two. And for the most part, I enjoyed the experience from beginning to end - starting with the kidnapping of a man from New York's Upper East Side witnessed only by a young girl even though it took place in broad daylight. The perpetrator left behind a miniature noose made from a musical instrument string. Rhyme and his co-investigator (and soon to be wife), Amelia Sachs, are called in; shortly thereafter, a video is posted online showing the victim as he is slowly being hanged. Stranger still is that his gasps for air are synced to music, and the video is "signed" by someone called The Composer.

Search and seizure efforts by Rhyme and Sachs are only partly successful, and the kidnapper gets away. But then, a near identical incident takes place near Naples, Italy (noose and all), and in the flash of a private jet, the dynamic duo - accompanied by Rhyme's faithful and tough-nosed caretaker, Thom - make their way to the City of the Sun. The Italian police higher-ups clearly resent help from the Americans, but as Rhyme and Sachs sift through forensic evidence and prove their worth, the Italians grudgingly accept their insights. 

Meantime, readers learn the kidnapper's identity through interspersed chapters written from his perspective. Then fairly early on comes another case as a young American living and playing hard in Italy is arrested for battery and rape. Rhymes and Sachs are asked by the defense to help with this one as well - to look for evidence that suggests someone else could have done the dirty deed. As they begin to work on both cases, they learn that the Italian prosecutor on the rape case is the same guy who's carrying a chip on his shoulder about interference from the American duo on the kidnapping case. Oops - not exactly the way to win him over.

The original kidnapping case leads to an Italian camp that provides sanctuary for the thousands of immigrants who have fled their home countries in search of a better life (clarifying the meaning of the book's title and adding an element of timeliness to the plot). Clearly, there's plenty going on here.

But sometimes, plenty is too much. The details of the plot, the number of characters and the geographic settings seem to go on and on unnecessarily and, alas, with a lot less interaction than I like to see between Rhymes and Sachs. On the plus side, the loose ends (well, perhaps all but one) are tied up neatly. And, clues led me to suspect that many of those details and characters are meant to lay the foundation for a future book or books, so I'm willing to back off a bit on my criticism. In any event, it's for sure I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment - love this series!

The Burial Hour by Jeffery Deaver (Grand Central Publishing, April 2017); 480 pp.