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Amazon.co.uk Review
It's not easy being NYPD detective Lincoln Rhyme, the world's foremost criminologist. First of all, he's a quadriplegic. Secondly, he's forever being second-guessed and mother-henned by his ex-model-turned-cop protégé, Amelia Sachs, and his personal aide, Thom. And thirdly, it seems that he can't motor his wheelchair around a corner without bumping into one crazed psycho-killer after another.
In The Empty Chair, Jeffery Deaver's third Rhyme outing--after 1997's The Bone Collector and 1998's The Coffin Dancer--Rhyme travels to North Carolina to undergo an experimental surgical procedure and is, a jot too coincidentally, met at the door by a local sheriff, the cousin of an NYPD colleague, bearing one murder, two kidnappings, and a timely plea for help. It seems that 16-year-old Garrett Hanlon, a bug-obsessed orphan known locally as the Insect Boy, has kidnapped and probably raped two women, and bludgeoned to death a would-be hero who tried to stop one of the abductions.
Rhyme sets up shop, Amelia leads the local constabulary (easily recognised by their out-of-joint noses) into the field, and, after some Holmesian brain work and a good deal of exciting cat-and-mousing, the duo leads the cops to their prey. And just as you're idly wondering why the case is coming to an end in the middle of the book, Amelia breaks the boy out of jail and goes on the run. Equally convinced of the boy's guilt and the danger he poses to Amelia, Rhyme has no choice but to aid the police in apprehending the woman he loves--no easy task, as she's the one human being who truly knows the methods of Lincoln Rhyme.
Rhyme's specialty combines the minute scientific analysis of physical evidence gathered from crime scenes and his arcane knowledge of, it would seem, every organic and inorganic substance on earth. Deaver combines engaging narration, believable characters, and his trademark ability to repeatedly pull the rug out from under the reader's feet. Lincoln Rhyme's back all right, and the smart money's betting that his run has just begun.
--Michael Hudson --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.Review
Praise for Jeffery Deaver's novels
(: )'The best psychological thriller writer around' (The Times )
'The most creative, skilled and intriguing thriller writer in the world . . . [Deaver] has produced a stunning series of bestsellers with unique characterisation, intelligent characters, beguiling plots and double-barrelled and sometimes triple-barrelled solutions.' (Daily Telegraph )
'This is a novel that will chill your blood on the warmest day of any summer holiday. Keep looking over your shoulder . . .'
(Independent on Sunday )
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She came here to lay flowers at the place where the boy died and the girl was kidnapped. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
She came here to lay flowers at the place where the boy died and the girl was kidnapped. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have more books written by Jeffrey Deaver than any other author, and that's because he is so consistent, he never seems to come up with a dud. The Empty Chair is one of his Rhyme/Sachs series, Rhyme being the C4 quadriplegic criminalist who pursues the baddies from the confines of his Storm Arrow powered wheelchair or his bed in his apartment off Central Park, and the only part of his body he can move (from the neck down) is his 'ring finger', and even then only very slightly. I saw the film The Bone Collector some years ago, and as a result I can't but imagine that Denzel Washington in the part of Lincoln Rhyme in any of these novels, even though I believe that Deaver's vision of the man is white caucasian. And somehow I believe Amelia Sachs is far more attractive than Angelina Jolie (who played the part in Bone Collector), but maybe I just love tall redheads who love fast driving....... Anyway The Empty Chair is another example of Deaver making a complicated story out of ostensibly a simple plot, a skill he is very adept at. While in North Carolina for experimental surgery that might improve (or worsen) his disability, Rhyme is drawn into a local police hunt for a 16-year-old known as The Insect Boy, and who is alleged to be responsible for murder, rape and abduction. One of his female victims is thought to be alive but she needs to be found quickly in the intense August heat of the humid Carolina swamplands. As usual, nothing is what it initially seems, and although I constantly tried to guess the next twist, more often than not I was wrong - and I'm becoming a seasoned Deaver reader. The Empty Chair is as much a puzzle as a piece of entertaining fiction, and I admit I wasn't always able to come up with the answers before they were revealed. Standard Deaver fare, then, but a high standard nevertheless and worth adding to your personal library.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I had never heard of Deaver; I was on holiday in Lanzarote this December and spotted the title in the supermarket across from the Hotel. At first I had to write a list of the characters out to refer to, as I was a bit muddled, but then I twigged, but only as far as I clicked who the people were - the pace and the twists and turns were spell-binding and brilliant. I was completely and utterly hooked; I wanted to go out and buy every single one of his books. It was so gripping I had it with me everywhere and could not put it down. Never before have I been so anxious and absorbed by a book that I have had to peek to the end, but I had to this time if I was to get any sleep. I was very near the end, but just had to look to see what was going to happen; I couldn't stand it any more. Once I knew, I read it at peace. It must be the sign of stunning writing, that even knowing the outcome, as I read it I thought, 'I must have made a mistake....'but wasn't going to cheat and look again, I kept reading. Maybe for people who have read more of his books in this group, it is easy to be blase about it 'not one of his best' etc etc, but for me it was a highlight of the holiday and that was in a superb 5* hotel on the beach. I had nipped across for some nibbles to eat in the room and picked this up by chance as the synopsis looked good and I wanted a holiday read. It was the best 5.98 Euros I spent.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have to admit this is the first Deaver novel I have read and although I found it a little confusing in parts, I will be reading more.
A cleverly crafted novel with lots of twists and turns, I found the insight into Lincoln Rhymes and the frustration of being unable to move interesting and informative without being patronising. I hadn't a clue who'd done what, whether this was solely clever plotting or the fact that occasionally there were too many people involved and my poor brain couldn't handle it - I don't know.
The dynamics between Lincoln and Amelia are also well drawn and I am looking forward to reading later novels to see how this develops.
The insight into a criminalists work and mind set was interesting, however if you are not 'into' reading about the importance of very small pieces of information - then give this one a miss.
The major disappointment for me was the ending. It came wrapped up in a silk bow and was over so quickly after such a monumental build-up, I had to re-read it to see if I'd missed something - I hadn't.
If you havn't read this author before give it a try, it's very well written and generally flows well the characters are interesting and varied - but we are not given a great deal of insight into the majority of them.
A cleverly crafted novel with lots of twists and turns, I found the insight into Lincoln Rhymes and the frustration of being unable to move interesting and informative without being patronising. I hadn't a clue who'd done what, whether this was solely clever plotting or the fact that occasionally there were too many people involved and my poor brain couldn't handle it - I don't know.
The dynamics between Lincoln and Amelia are also well drawn and I am looking forward to reading later novels to see how this develops.
The insight into a criminalists work and mind set was interesting, however if you are not 'into' reading about the importance of very small pieces of information - then give this one a miss.
The major disappointment for me was the ending. It came wrapped up in a silk bow and was over so quickly after such a monumental build-up, I had to re-read it to see if I'd missed something - I hadn't.
If you havn't read this author before give it a try, it's very well written and generally flows well the characters are interesting and varied - but we are not given a great deal of insight into the majority of them.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Empty Chair
The Empty Chair starts out quite slow but gets better and better. In the beginning I really thought "this isn't a challenge for Rhyme" but of course as Jeffery Deaver does, he put... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Duane
Different but good
I have slowly worked my way through the entire Lincoln Rhymes series and they were starting to get a little predictable. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. Stuart White
disappointing compared to previous books
The Empty Chair is the 3rd book in the Lincoln Rhyme series. (after The Bone Collector and The Coffin Dancer)
I really enjoyed the first two books and looked forward to... Read more
I really enjoyed the first two books and looked forward to... Read more
Published 11 months ago by poppy74
Empty
This murder/kidnap story is not as good as "The bone collector", although the central characters are the same. It is an interesting but not gripping tale.
Published 20 months ago by avidreader
"This goes way beyond stupid."
The quotation at the head of this comment appears about mid-way in this book. It is the one line in the volume with which I agree most strongly. Read more
Published 21 months ago by L. E. Cantrell
The Devils teardrop and the Empty Chair
Anything written by Jeffrey Deaver is a cracking good read Just when you think the whole thing is over something else is dropped into the mix fantastic!!!
Published on 30 July 2009 by Mrs. A. F. Packer
Very Good
In this novel, Rhyme and Sachs are in North Carolina, as Lincoln Rhyme is about to go through a medical procedure, to help with his condition. Read more
Published on 23 April 2008 by J.Flood
Great stuff
I really enjoyed this, and its almost as good as Coffin Dancer!
Two girls have been kidnapped by a misfit adolescent nicknamed the 'insect boy'. Read more
Two girls have been kidnapped by a misfit adolescent nicknamed the 'insect boy'. Read more
Published on 14 Aug 2007 by Clive
One of Deavers Best Yet
Deaver is back with another brilliant Lincoln Rhyme thriller, this time Rhyme is in small town USA searching for a young boy suspected of murder and kidnap. Read more
Published on 20 May 2007 by Christopher Morgan
Deaver does it again.
Once again Jeffery Deaver has produced a brilliant thriller that will keep you waken until you finish the last page. Read more
Published on 28 Aug 2006 by G. M. Buchanan
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