The Stone Monkey: A Lincoln Rhyme Novel
by Jeffery Deaver(paperback - April 14, 2003)
"Embrace your limitations...Fate make you this way, Laoban. And make you this way for purpose. Maybe you best detective you can be because of what happen. Your life balanced now, I'm saying."
Lincoln Rhyme, a forensics expert, is confined to a wheelchair, a quadriplegic barely able to move much more than his head. However, assisted by the latest equipment and technology in his office, he is able to direct an investigation of a ship that's carrying illegal immigrants from China into U.S. waters. The boat is blown up in the water with the passengers locked in the hold below; the culprit is the wanted and illusive man known as Ghost, a snakehead, or human smuggler wanted by Interpol. Rhyme has a team of men from the FBI, INS, and NYPD helping with the investigation, and also Amelia Sachs, his protege.
A Hong Kong undercover policeman assists them in the frantic search for Ghost, who is hunting down about a dozen of the immigrants who managed to escape the sinking of the boat. The policeman also teaches Rhyme about looking at the tragedy of life from another point of view.
My comments: An excellent plot with more twists and turns than you expect in this suspenseful novel. The author Jeffery Deaver weaves his knowledge of Chinese culture, folklore, and history into his thriller, and also uses the more recent tragedy of human smuggling and illegal immigration into his plot. I gave The Stone Monkey five stars for story, fast paced action, and characterization.
Challenge: Thriller & Suspense Reading Challenge
