|
[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
Special Agent Kathryn Dance returns for a second outing in this spin-off series from Jeffery Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme novels. Dance, an expert in kinesics – the reading of body language – is involved in an investigation into a series of killings in which the murderer places roadside memorials to his victims, notable in all cases for preceding the 'accident' to which they bear witness. Dance uses her kinesics' skills to assess numerous people involved in the case, with varying degrees of success, throughout a complex and, generally entertaining, tale, which did manage to keep me involved, despite the twists and turns of the main plot. The book revolves around the fascinating world of online blogs and their user dynamics, and also leads us into the more arcane world of live-action online role-playing games. Dance, and the reader, are given a tour of what Deaver refers to as 'the synthetic world' by her latest possible love-interest, computer expert Jon Bolling, although whether he will return in later books remains to be seen. The complexity of the main storyline is complimented by a thread carried forward from Dance's debut novel, THE SLEEPING DOLL: the possible involvement of her mother, a nurse, in what is believed to be the 'mercy killing' of a young policeman, badly injured in the line of duty. Dance's mother is charged with his murder, providing the agent with an unwelcome distraction from the pressures of her hunt for the 'roadside crosses' killer. I had some difficulty maintaining a grasp on the host of minor characters, some of them in the ranks of Dance's colleagues, and others introduced along the way to provide the inevitable red herrings. The main plot twist did manage to come as a surprise to me, however, and provided a satisfying end to an interesting book. However, the resolution to the side-story of Dance's mother was somewhat less satisfactory, being wrapped up rather too neatly for my liking. All in all, the book was a good read, although I have my doubts as to whether Dance will prove to be as durable a main character as Lincoln Rhyme has been, and she probably lacks the depth to escape the inevitable comparisons.
Reviewed by Linda Wilson, November 2009
[ Top ]
QUICK SEARCH:
Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]
| 
