The Bone Collector

I love this book because it’s the best fictional example I’ve ever seen of a character’s disability being eclipsed by his talent. Lincoln Rhyme is paralyzed, but his talent as a criminologist is far more important—and Deaver showcases Rhyme’s genius and passion as often as he details the difficulties of disability.

I find the book’s mystery compelling and the characters well-written, and I couldn’t get enough of the relationship between Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs. I’ve never seen a better portrayal of a partnership based solidly on mutual respect and admiration. I’m so grateful for how this story demonstrates that… show more.

Lincoln Rhyme is the first sleuth with paraplegia I ever encountered.

Although he can’t move more than one finger, as an expert criminalist (think forensic pathologist meets Sherlock Holmes), he runs the city-wide investigation for a serial killer terrorizing New York. At the novel’s beginning, Rhyme, at a low point, is in complete despair at his condition. What I love is how, without sentimentality, we see Rhyme rediscover his sense of purpose as his ex-colleagues bring the case to him, and he’s once again able to do the job he so clearly loves—and does better than anyone else possibly could.  

This riveting story is a classic race against the clock, police procedural thriller incorporating fascinating details about police forensics.

I enjoyed the realism. The intense gruesome killings made this book a real page-turner, with interesting and complex characters. The overall book is well-paced, well-written, and a joy to read.

Technically, this is Lincoln Rhyme’s series, and the quadriplegic criminologist is a fascinating character. But Detective Amelia Sachs, the cop he selects as his assistant, is just as important.

She’s the one out there collecting evidence and chasing down criminals, even when she isn’t necessarily supposed to be. The Bone Collector mixes forensics with good old-fashioned police work in story that’s both twisted and full of twists.

A Deaver book is a master class in plotting, and beyond that, I once read a piece of advice from him that was so brilliant, I was angry that I hadn’t thought of it first: He said (and I paraphrase) that if you think you have writer’s block, you probably instead have idea block. Since you already know how to write, you just don’t have a grasp of what you’re trying to say. 

That advice is so simple, yet so smart.

What could be more debilitating than spending your life trapped in a wheelchair, unable to move? That’s the life of Lincoln Rhyme, once a brilliant NYPD police criminologist, crippled in the line of duty. Rhyme, with the aid of a caretaker and protégé, Amelia Sachs, who stands in for his legs, continues to do what he did best, solve crimes using technology.

Deaver, through a fifteen-book series, shows how persistence, brains, and courage overcome an unthinkable disability. Rhyme and Sachs make a formidable team and eventually fall in love while continuing to solve crimes.

The series captured my interest because… show more.

Jeffrey Deaver’s principal character in this novel is Lincoln Rhyme. Rhyme is a brilliant police detective, but tragically a quadriplegic as a result of a workplace accident. He continues his work as an investigator, even though he’s confined to a wheelchair and is reliant on a team to assist him. It's very hard not to feel empathy for the character, particularly when you understand the challenges he faces just getting out of bed in the morning, let alone trying to solve murder cases!

The Bone Collector is just one of a number of books written by Deaver featuring the Lincoln… show more.

After watching the film version of The Bone Collector, I searched out the book, knowing it would be for more interesting structurally for a fellow writer. When reading the novel, I was most impressed with the massive amount of research Deaver must have done before writing the book. Weaving technical information into fiction is a tricky thing—it can get rather tedious and boring to the reader if not handled well--but Deaver does it with finesse. As a crime fiction writer, I came to realize that I had to be more meticulous with my research to maintain veracity in my… show more.