The Bone Collector

The Bone Collector
By Jeffery Deaver

The Bone Collector was recommended by one of you -- thanks for your recommendations, keep them up! I had never read anything by Jeffery Deaver and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I really liked having the main character to be someone with weaknesses: Lincoln Rhyme is a quadriplegic and his mental attitude is somewhere between dictatorial and suicidal. In 1999 this book was made into a movie starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie which I didn't realize until I was doing this review. I wonder if that would have changed the way I pictured the characters in my head.

This book is a mystery as well as a suspense novel. Lincoln is called out of his "retirement" to work a serial killer case from his bedroom. Amelia Sachs is a beat cop who is ready for a desk job. However, Lincoln is impressed with the way she handles coming upon the first crime scene and forcibly recruits her to be his arms and legs. Their interaction is one of the best parts of the novel. He seems to be unfeeling and she is totally reluctant. Both have been hurt by previous lovers and come to establish an odd relationship by the end of the book.

What I did not enjoy is the point of view of the killer and his victims. I always hate that about suspense novels but I guess that is what makes them suspenseful: "seeing" first-hand the pain of the victim and the depravity of the killer. Then you cheer on the good guys, hoping that they will make it in time to save the killer's latest target.

I also felt that setting up a crime lab in Lincoln's bedroom was purely in the realm of fiction. This is something that would never happen in real life! Neither would the quick response of several NYPD employees to the barked orders of a retired quadriplegic be in the realm of reality. Thank goodness that this is, well, fiction!

What did the book have to do with my faith? Euthanasia is what Lincoln is serious contemplating when he is called out of retirement. He still struggles with it at the end of the book as well. The idea of euthanasia is not something we talk about in church very often. In fact, many of our prayer requests are to keep someone alive: we constantly request healings. However, if we are really focused on eternal life that begins now and continues after death, why are we so reluctant to let our loved ones go? If their quality of life is poor or non-existent, wouldn't it be better if they went on to be with the Lord? What makes someone's life purposeful? Do we follow our belief system or what "miracles" medical science can do? These are the questions that I find myself struggling with after reading The Bone Collector.

I recommend this book!

Happy Reading!

Amelia