The Bone Collector: The First Lincoln Rhyme Novel

From my blogThis is an action packed thriller with many edge of your seat moments, that takes place in Manhattan. I did like the idea of using an ex detective and criminologist because of his skills, experience and overall talent. When Rhyme meets Amelia Sachs, you feel the immediate energy and it was a mysterious working relationship energy throughout the book. Having a serial killer leaving clues behind for the detectives to figure out where the next victim was hidden were my favourite parts of the book. He was also inspired from a book which in the end became a great clue. This is truly a talent for detectives to have. The forensic details reminded me of the great Patricia Cornwell books.I thought this may be a book that passes the test of time but it was slow at times and missed something even though it did have technology in it. I also think the ending was brilliant, it really all came together with a wtf moment and gruesome violent killing, oh my. Some parts were over the top but I still enjoyed it and these parts were some of my favourite even if they were unbelievable.I watched the movie when it came out years ago but only remember I enjoyed it. I am going to try and watch this weekend. I love Angelina Jolie so was able to see her while reading but I don't remember Denzel, shocking.

  The Bone Collector wasn’t the type of book I’d like to read. It was very difficult to follow, even in the first fifty pages of the book. It was too fast paced, there were moments with confusing messages, and in my opinion, there was a bit too much dialogue. As a strong reader who enjoys curling up with a good book, The Bone Collector disappointed me just a few pages in. As far as I’m concerned, this sort of plot occurs frequently in books. Something terrible happens to either the guy or girl, and they get assigned to figure out what happened together. This has occurred in movies and books, and many love to watch/read this particular plot in some form. It seemed repetitive. Also, the perspective changed rapidly from one person to another. One second I would be reading in the perspective of Amelia Sachs then the next another person. I dropped this book for the several reasons listed and explained, but the detail was amazing! I loved his descriptions the most. I could actually visualize the scene! He made it very clear and it was a scary, creepy, disgusting book.

I read this a long time ago and, hard to believe, didn't know there was a series of books with Lincoln Rhyme. I must read the rest. This was maybe the best crime thriller I've read.

Book Description: The hero of Jeffery Deaver's thriller The Bone Collector is Lincoln Rhyme, a forensic scientist known to his peers as "the world's foremost criminalist." Rhyme will need all his reason--and his considerable stock of high-tech tools--about him to solve this latest brain-twister: a serial killer with method to his madness. In tried and true thriller fashion, the killer's crimes are described in lurid detail, as is the astounding technological equipment with which Rhyme examines the evidence--everything from an energy-dispersive x-ray unit to a mass spectrometer. Every fictional detective has his or her gimmick, from Sherlock Holmes's violin to Nero Wolf's orchids, and Rhyme is no exception. He is a quadriplegic who can move nothing but a single finger. Gadget-philes will be in seventh heaven reading about Lincoln Rhyme's tools; other readers might feel the book could do with a few more plausible characters and a little less technology. My Thoughts: This is my first Jeffery Deaver book and I thought it was an outstanding work of fiction. The Bone Collector movie was based on this book and I have to say that the movie stays pretty close to the original story. I really enjoyed this book a great deal. Lincoln (Linc) Rhyme is a former criminalist and accomplished author who is a quadriplegic after being injured in the line of duty. When we first meet Linc, he is a bit ornery and loathsome of his physical state. He only has the use of his shoulders, neck, head, and ring finger. He has contacted a doctor turned euthanist about killing him and eliminating his physical tomorment. But then the serial crimes begin and he is contacted by a former colleague with a request that he use his profiling abilities to help them apprehend the suspect. Link meets Officer Amelia Sachs who discovers the body of the first victim. Linc finds her intelligent, bold, and perceptive. The two quickly develop a rapport and Amelia becomes his protégé.Now I will cast one disparaging stone at this line of the story. I am not going to say that this isn’t possible. However, I would guess that it is highly unlikely that a brilliant, well known, and accomplished criminalist would choose a nobody officer to be his protégé, regardless of her potential. The instant connection between the characters feels a bit contrived.Amelia begins to operate and think like a criminalist (again unlikely without proper training) as she is receiving on the ground guidance from Linc. Linc, Amelia, and the team of officers embark on a mission of trying to beat the clock and outwit the killer before he kills his next victim. They lose the second victim because there are unable to reach her before she is virtually boiled alive but manage to save a few others. They save the last victim and her daughter only to have that salvation blown to smithereens by the victim at the end. This was a fast paced suspense/thriller that keeps you guessing right up to the very end. I was aghast when I realized who the actual killer was. Truly, he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Brilliant and captivating!

I really love the "Lincoln Rhyme" series. I started reading them after seeing "The Bone Collector" movie starring Denzel Washington. I am fascinated with how crimes get solved by brilliant detectives.

The Bone Collector is the second Deaver's book I have read and, again, I found it very interesting. Deaver excels at building dark and spooky atmosphere and keeps you reading chapter after chapter. The longer you follow the story the more twisted and wicked things get leading to a surprising and breathtaking ending.The author skilfully applies both his great ideas and extensive knowledge of crime scene investigation which results in a well written crime story. Moreover, at certain times very detailed narration turns it into horror and sometimes I felt tempted to take a quick look two pages further to see how things would turn out.However, some plot twists were really far-fetched. Even though generally I don't care about realism very much, at times I couldn't stop thinking about how impossible some things were. But hey, it is called fiction for a reason.To sum up, it is another good Deaver's book I found and I enjoyed it. Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs, although not my favourite fiction characters, make a really well working duet and I will certainly follow their other scary cases.

 The Bone Collector is a gory, suspenseful horror that will keep you on the edge of your seat.The first chapter starts with Officer Sachs, who is checking out a crime scene. Little does she know that she will find the mangled remains of the first victim of the Bone Collector.Lincoln Rhyme is a brilliant person. He’s the anal retentive character you can’t help but like. He is an angered man because many years ago he was in an accident that made him a quadriplegic, but when the killings get brutal, the police have no one else to turn to but him.The Bone Collector is also an angry man. He seeks revenge on everyone, and even thinks he’s helping his victims.All three characters are thrown together for a deadly game of cat and mouse. Sachs and Lincoln must figure out the clues, while the Bone Collector fights to stay sane before time runs out, and another person goes missing.

 This book was overall a well written and good read. the cons of this book are that at some points the dialogue gets confusing and that it is downright scary, which is also its best quality. The pros of the book are that it is very descriptive and the attention to detail is one of the books best qualities.This story is exciting, scary, mysterious, suspenseful, and action-packed and as scary as tripping during a stampede.

Excellent read. I really enjoyed this and was almost shouting at the main characters. This story really pulls you along with an excellent twist at the end (I've not seen the film). Wish I'd read this sooner, thoroughly enjoyable.

Reading a Jeffrey Deaver novel was this month’s book group task and I was fortunate enough to grab the first book in the Lincoln Rhyme series. ‘Fortunate’ because I usually find the books I end up reading as a result of the book group are the seventh or nineteenth in a series and I always wonder what I’m missing as a result of simply diving in.The PremiseLincoln Rhyme is a world leading forensic criminalist – or rather, he was. Rendered a quadriplegic by an accident at work, Rhyme has gradually rejected the world around him and has now only wishes to die. As he is only able to move one finger below his neck, he is trying to talk someone into helping him commit suicide. When old colleagues approach him seeking help with a new and gruesome case, he is drawn back into the tense world of crime solving. At each crime scene, the killer leaves clues to the next. Can Rhyme solve them in time? And will he still want to die when the case is over?Waiting to dieThis novel is a psychological / forensic thriller and Rhyme is a fairly typical detective for this genre: he is lonely, disillusioned, divorced, and finds refuge in a bottle of Scotch. However, his physical flaw is an unusually harsh one and does make this story have a different feel to those with similarly grouchy lead characters. His disability has allowed him to gradually restrict his interest and involvement with the world to his interaction with one aide, Thom, and his misery is apparent. His condition guarantees a certain level of sympathy, so even when he treats victims with shocking carelessness he never becomes a cruel figure but remains vulnerable. So he’s a bit miserable but his condition at least gives him the right to be miserable.Equally typically, he’s a genius. Despite the introduction of various other characters, including NYPD officers and FBI agents, only one other character even comes close to Rhyme’s brilliance – and he overshadows her intellectually. Part of me is annoyed by the character’s arrogance and Deaver’s stereotypical approach, (young, smartish female learns from older, arrogant genius male,) but the fact that the story essentially follows the way he solves these clues means that the reader can’t get that step ahead and is instead gripped by the narrative. What could the skeleton of the snake possibly mean? Where exactly did that dirt come from? Why the fondness for the name Hanna?Of course, this novel is introduced as the first in a new series, so the reader never really believes that he will die, but it’s an unusual enough twist to be interesting. (There are at least seven books in the series now so I’m guessing the death wish has receded somewhat.)The Portable’s DaughterAlthough the blurb only mentions Rhyme, the book (and I assume the rest of the series) actually features two main characters. Amelia Sachs is enduring her last day of Patrol before transferring into Public Affairs when she is asked to investigate a sighting of a body. A man has been buried and his hand is stretching out of the earth. Upon meeting Rhyme, Sachs finds herself ‘walking the grid’ at crime scenes, trying to save victims and collect valuable evidence. Initially furious at Rhyme’s presumption and apparent omnipotence, she soon becomes deeply involved in the case.As the main female character in a crime novel, Sachs also has to have secrets, flaws and be generally unhappy. Fine. Fair enough. But – it is obvious very early on that the two main characters will form a special bond as Sachs becomes Rhyme’s eyes and ears. I found the deepening relationship the only boring aspect of the novel. I really dislike the apparent requirement to have a love interest and found the whole ‘sparks-flying-mask-mutual-meeting-of-souls’ stuff a bit too sappy. I don’t need them to have human sides; I just want them to do their jobs! Sachs’ character plays a crucial role in the story and I didn’t object to that; I just wished the ‘tender bonding’ wasn’t included.Interestingly, her past is one that could come back someday, so I thought Deaver laid the groundwork effectively for something to happen later on in the series.Neodymium:yttrium aluminium garnet lasersNo, I have no idea what that means either, but it’s something Rhyme uses to do something forensic-y. Reading parts of this book was a little like watching CSI. That didn’t bother me: I just skimmed over the names of complicated equipment and procedures and focused on what the characters found out as a result. However, I can imagine that some readers might find the sheer wealth of technical terms a little annoying and / or intrusive. Personally, I felt that the details were very relevant since the criminal actually knew forensics too and was trying to play some kind of game with the police. Of course, I really enjoy watching CSI precisely because of the focus on evidence, so the similarity would appeal to me.Although the forensics are the main focus there is sufficient focus on running about trying to save lives, interviewing witnesses and developing motives for the plot to feel well rounded. The killer turns out to have an interesting blueprint and as that is gradually revealed his motives begin to come to light. I liked that I couldn’t guess the killer in advance but also that when I had finished the book I could see how the reveal worked and that there were some hints along the way.Neatly tied upWhen I finished reading the book I felt pleasantly satisfied. Everything was resolved in a sufficiently plausible manner and the book felt self-contained. I liked that there was no pressure to read the next book in that there are no big cliff-hangers forcing you to purchase number two in the series. I would be interested in the next book, but I like not feeling pressurised by a false ending.I liked the twists and turns as the ending approached. I particularly liked the punch line involving the final victims, which tied off a thread that had seemed a little random. I felt the story kept my interest very well because, by the end, I had forgotten a detail that I meant to keep in mind because I was following events so closely. When that detail returned I liked the way it fitted in with what had gone before.The chapters are organised into sections which are headed up by days and times. The whole action of the story takes place over four days and there is so much happening in terms of the investigation that I did find it hard to find a good stopping point. The actual ending is a bit gruesome and, I’ll be honest, I thought it was slightly ridiculous. However, it wasn’t weak enough to detract from my overall enjoyment of the novel.Some readers have complained about the realism of the novel. Not being a police officer myself I don’t feel that I can comment on how realistic it is to set up a lab in a civilian’s bedroom and have a Patrol officer act as a CSI. I have to admit that it does not sound particularly feasible. However, I thought that more generally the protocols and behaviour of the various officers was convincing and I did not find the rather less realistic elements distracted from my interest in the story.Final thoughtsI wasn’t really expecting much from this book but I was pleasantly surprised. I found it to be tightly plotted and consistently interesting. The characters are rather stereotypical and their burgeoning relationship a slight distraction from the real story, but I found it interesting following the threads of the case as they unravelled. The structure of the story (trying to keep one step ahead of the killer) is not new but is well handled. If you like crime fiction that focuses on forensics and genius detectives then this would suit you. Recommended.

This is the first in the Lincoln Rhyme series of crime novels. It has one of the most deadly killers who commits some truly horrendous murders throughout the book. Anyone reading this series would do well to take the books in strict order if at all possible. As is usually the case with me,I read them as I find them,and of course started late and have only just read this,the first one !.Rhyme is virtually immobile from a terrible accident and is paralysed from the neck down. Before the accident he was a brilliant forensic criminalist but now he is strongly considering suicide. Then a case comes along of such fascination,that he becomes interested in spite of himself.It helps that a beautiful,but deeply flawed police officer called Amelia Sachs is part of the investigation of the murder of a man,buried up to his neck and with his finger literally scraped down to the bone. The man's companion has been abducted. This is just the start of a number of awful killings committed by the man they call The Bone Collector.Rhyme and Sacks work together,with Sacks doing the leg-work and Rhyme doing the brain-work. Eventually they evolve into a partnership that really works for both of them.This is a brilliant story and a real page-turner. Not however for the faint-hearted.

Wow! I can't believe I haven't discovered this author before now. This book is great and I'm not surprised there's a movie. I've probably got to see that soon. The book is practically written to be made into a movie! There are elements in it that you find in such shows as Criminal Minds, CSI, The Mentalist and Bones and yet it is completely different. I was hooked from the beginning and totally absorbed by the time things were coming together to solve the crime. I'm definitely continuing on with this series.

Jeffrey Deavers book “The Bone Collector" was my first read in the first in the Lincoln Rhyme series and I became hooked. Rhyme’s is quadriplegic forensic criminologist. Amelia Sacs is his girlfriend and works as his hands and eyes on the scenes of crimes. They both believe strongly in the law and together they fight to save people’s lives each day.In this first book of the series, Rhyme is filled with his own sense of uselessness because of the limitations of his body and he wants to end it all for himself. That is until he is asked to solve a very important crime where a man is found buried alive and clues are found about the next victim. As he is pulled into this investigation, it changes his whole attitude about his own death and he begins to use his mind in extraordinary ways.I read this book and have seen the movie with Denzel Washington and still get the chills when I think of the twisted way that the killer’s mind worked. The technology that Rhyme is able to use is amazing and was an education for me. In this book the introduction to the characters that will continue to be developed in future Deavers novels will have you wanting to read more. I am a strong Jeffrey Deavers fan and encourage all mystery and thriller readers to read a Deavers book today and this is the one of the best for starting the series since it is not only the first, but tremendously exciting.

I was tempted to give up when I hit this piece of description of the female cop, Amelia Sachs, on page 23: Her Julia Roberts lips grew taut. Her incredible beauty is described ad nauseum in the novel--we're told at one point she has "iridescent blue eyes." And Sachs came off early on to me as incredibly whiny--but she did grow on me. She's partnered with Lincoln Rhymes, a quadriplegic who was a top criminologist in the New York Police Department before his accident, to be his eyes and ears, a situation that makes me think of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. He's the brain, she's the brawn. The forensic details were fascinatingly presented; because she has to be Rhymes eyes and she's new to crime scene work, it allows scenes to be described and have Rhymes explain so that we learn forensics along with her. As a New York City native and resident, I also loved the bits of city history and geography prominently featured in the mystery. Several aspects of this novel about a series of kidnappings seemed melodramatic, gruesome, and far fetched. And the resolution features a ludicrous coincidence. But the chemistry between Rhymes and Sachs ultimately redeemed the book for me, and I might someday read more in the series.

I watched this movie years ago and didn't realize at the time that it was based on a character in a long-running book series. I finally got around to listening to the book and I enjoyed it quite a lot. Granted, a quadriplegic in Rhyme's condition makes for an unusual protagonist, but the formula works well here (in addition to providing a bit of education on what life is like for people who are in such a condition). I look forward to the other books in this series.

Really great concept, not that greatly executed. I'm sick of reading books about a nerdy guy and a sexy lady going and solving a mystery and then (although it didn't happen in this book), hooking up. Overall, this book was highly unoriginal.

I read this book after my husband raved about it. I found it to be well written, interesting and not a complete "spoon-feed". As with many mysteries, the end left me a little dissatisfied, but it was worth the read to get there. I will definitely be reading more of Jeffrey Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme novels.

I enjoyed this book. It was the first of Deaver's that I have read. I really liked the details on the evidence, and how they concluded what they did. I could have done without the grotesque crime scenes and descriptions of the bodies in this book. I found myself more enjoying the backstory and life of Lincoln Rhyme along with his relationship with Amelia. A good read. I think I'll check out another one of his works in the near future too.

When I first picked up this book and started reading it I thought I had started somewhere in the middle of the Lincoln Rhyme series. Wait, what? The main character is a quadriplegic forensic analyst. What did I miss? To my delight, this was the first book in the series and I love that Jeffrey Deaver dropped me into the middle of the action without holding my hand and walking me through the unknown.Now the story, Lincoln Rhyme is a well known and respected NYC forensic scientist who has lost all feeling below the neck. Troubled by his limitations, he contemplates ending his own life until the "bone collector" case re-engages his brilliant mind. Rhyme works the crime scene through his newly found protege, Amelia Sachs, who is a beautiful up and coming police officer with balls of steel and a very limited forensic science background. Together the duo unravel the mystery that is "The Bone Collector". This a suspenseful, exciting, page turner, sure to delight those that love a good cop mystery.

I really enjoyed the film of this book, but the book is so much better. Lincoln and Amelia are interesting and complex characters and Deaver expertly keeps the tension flowing through the novel. The final twist at the end is unexpected and brilliant sets up the investigation for the next instalment of the series - I hope.

This is my first book from this author and it was a page turner; what an amazing story. The main character Lincoln Rhyme "walks" his assistant through her first crime scene and the reader is there by her side as she struggles through every step. Be sure to put elastic bands around the balls of your shoes so you can distinguish your footprints from everyone elses. I really enjoyed this book, and I can't wait to read another in the series.

This is the first book I've read in this series, which has been highly recommended to me. I enjoyed it, though Deaver makes Rhyme exceedingly hard to like. In fact, I'm still on the fence about him, but since I liked Amelia I'll continue on with the series. I did like how the clues were figured out piece by piece...even though there were sudden revelations, they didn't appear inconceivable.

I have to say that I was really surprised by this book, in more ways than one. First of all, it was far better than I had figured. The plot was superbly written, the pacing was perfect - it didn't feel rushed nor did it lag in places, and the characters we were supposed to root for were believable and endearing. The other thing that surprised me was the ending. Rarely do I read a 'mystery' that ends with an 'ohhhhh, so that's who it was.' Generally, I've got it figured out pretty early on. I wouldn't necessarily use the word shocked, but I will say that I was far from disappointed in the ending. Deaver has masterfully crafted a magical blend of page-turning action with a smartly written plot. Because the story focuses on a great deal of forensic science, there were probably aspects of the book that were a tad dated (it was first published in 1997), but to a non-criminalist they don't really stick out. Most books that I'd qualify as thrillers generally go the way of something to read for fun - not much on substance, but high on entertainment. The Bone Collector had huge helpings of both.

The first in this series. Grabs you by the collar on the first few pages. Starts with the locating of the first body and does not slow down from there. The quadraplegic Lincoln and the lady cop meet up for the first time in this book and the chemistry is already there as a investigating duo and on a personal level. But, by far the pace of this mystery and the attention to detail on forensic evidence pulled me in and made me a believer. Readers will be quickly buying the next book!

Good start to Lincoln Rhyme crime mysteries.

A well-written, suspenseful novel which only reveals the perpetrator in the last few pages, although it stretches credibility a little that he has gone undetected for so long!

Once upon a time, during my undergrad, I did a module on crime fiction. It was fascinating stuff, but I had major problems with the lecturer. One problem was that when I sent in an anonymous suggestion that she warn students of the level of sexual violence in one of the books, she responded that students shouldn't be such "fragile little flowers", and should have expected it on a course about crime. I constantly regret not standing up and pointing out to her that I am not weak for wanting a warning before I read stuff like that -- I am, after all, someone who has been sexually assaulted -- and that "crime" does not and should not automatically mean "rape and torture". In all the other books we read for the course, it just meant murder. Anyway, that took my breath away, but the following week was even worse.

She told us that she was thinking about adding new books to the course, and asked for suggestions. This, as near as I can get it with an imperfect memory, is what she said: "Should I add more feminist crime novels? More female detectives? Gay and lesbian detectives? A black detective? A dog detective? A disabled detective -- no, that would be really scraping the barrel."

I am extremely tempted to package this book up and mail it to her with the words "Scraping the barrel?", except that they won't stick in her mind as they did in mine and doubtless in the minds of other disability-knowledgeable people.

This is a pretty smart book. It deals with the issues of its disabled protagonist without making him a superman. It deals with the reactions to him honestly. It deals with the idea of euthanasia and the protagonist's desire to go through with that -- and other people's reactions to that. It doesn't, so far as I could see, fetishise disability (there were one or two points where I went, "uh, y'what?", but they were minor quibbles) or diminish it. We get the details of Lincoln Rhyme's bodily needs in the same way as we get crime scene info.

It is a bit graphic in some places, but there's a sort of clinical tone that carried me through it, unlike in Val McDermid's work. As far as I can remember, thinking back through it, there isn't much sexual content, at least.

The thriller aspect, for me, took a backseat to my curiosity about Rhyme, the way he thought and felt, the way he dealt with the situation. I didn't work things out ahead of Rhyme, and I'm not sure you're meant to, though this isn't to make you feel stupid -- Sachs and the other people assisting Rhyme are also intelligent and sharp, just not in the same way. I think if you know the ending or have a mind like Rhyme's you could keep following the evidence, but I stuck to the human interactions...

In any case, I enjoyed reading it, and while I'm sure that there are quibbles to be had with the portrayal of disability, I thought it was a solid effort. And I think I will send an email to the lecturer I had for that module with some more feedback...