Another thriller with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing - although I did begin did guess the true identity of The Ghost a few pages before it was announced, but this did not diminish my enjoyment of the book, especially as the final dénouement explained a major element of the plot which needed further explanation. ( )

I am not always a fan of Jeffery Deaver books, but this one took me by surprise. And that's just it: sometimes his surprises are too cute, to convoluted. This one had a couple good, believable plot twists, and it was worth reading right to the end.

The story focuses on The Ghost, a predictably nasty villain trafficking in human smuggling and worse. When he is forced to scuttle a ship of human cargo en route from China to America, he sets out to exact revenge. Revenge on the "piglets" who are his passengers, as well as the man who foiled his venture: Lincoln Rhyme.

What follows is a race through the seedier side of New York's China Town, as Rhyme, Sachs, and their team vie to find the survivors before the ghost does. The pace slows a little during the middle of the book, but the end result is a good, solid thriller.

Not bad. There were a few leaps of faith in here but overall I liked it. ( )

Tone of language: Deadly realistic tempered by philosophical musings
Characters: At the top of their game, savvy and focused
Plot twists: Clever maneuvers countered by brillliant deductions and a few surprising switched identities
Pace: Unrelenting, ruthless
Values: Embrace your limitations and accept the challenges
Sexuality: Mostly sane, stable committed relationships.
Background research: Chinese culture, spinal cord injury, forensics, deep sea diving
Objectionable to any group: Chinese, the FBI
Target audience: Everyone
Flaws: One major flaw concerning why the smuggler would kill the immigrants on the boat instead of simply escaping from the boat is resolved at the end. ( )

Lincoln Rhyme ( )