Jeffery Deaver - The Stone Monkey (2002)
The fourth thriller featuring NYPD criminologist Lincoln Rhyme is the best one yet. Deaver has finally crafted a fascinating, twisted plot that is worthy of his compelling creation. The quadriplegic detective and his partner Amelia Sachs confront a Chinese "snakehead" known as the Ghost, a deadly smuggler who deals in human cargo.
When the Ghost's ship full of Chinese immigrants sinks off the coast of Long Island, costing the lives of several passengers, Rhyme is determined to catch him. He quickly faces difficulty, though, as the murderous gangster has disappeared into New York's Chinatown, a densely populated, but impenetrable enclave.
Fortunately, Rhyme and Sachs have some outside help: Sonny Li, an incorruptible Chinese cop, and Dr. John Sung, a sensitive healer. With their assistance, the police try to find the missing immigrants before the Ghost can hunt them down and ensure they tell no one about what happened aboard the Fuzhou Dragon.
The Stone Monkey is a fascinating thriller, rich in its intricate details and insightful portrayal of Chinese culture and the life of Chinese-Americans. The author does an excellent job of telling the story, not only of those who already live in America, but even more interestingly of those who dream of nothing more than making Meiguo, this "Beautiful Country," their own.
Particularly good is the character of Sonny Li, a man driven enough to travel halfway around the world to catch a criminal, and insightful enough to lecture Lincoln Rhyme on achieving balance in life. Deaver has continued to develop his main characters since they were introduced in The Bone Collector (1996), and they have emerged as more-rounded and interesting.
The author has also turned out the best plot so far in this series, with just the right mix of tense action, suspense, and -- his trademark -- fascinating forensic investigation. Even if Deaver can't resist throwing in at least one major twist more than he really needed, this still ranks as his best book so far.
Posted by David J. Montgomery in Book Reviews | Permalink
