The Empty Chair - Jeffery Deaver

Lincoln Rhyme, the renowned criminalist from The Bone Collector and The Coffin Dancer, faces his ultimate opponent: a kidnapper and murderer dubbed the Insect Boy. But Rhyme is in for a surprise when he learns that catching a criminal is one thing ... keeping him is another. Now Rhyme finds himself hunting a ruthless killer in the heart of a southern swampland--and going head-to-head with his protege, Amelia Sachs, in a rivalry that tests the limits of both their expertise and their love.

Book nº 3 of the Lincoln Rhymes series, it begins with Rhymes decided to undergo a new surgical procedure that might help his quadriplegia. He may very well die on the operating table which leaves Amelia very worried. When the local police force asks for their help in a murder / kidnapping case she doesn't hesitate to accept just to postpone Lincoln's operation.

With their usual methods Rhymes and Amelia follow the suspect’s tracks and lead the police force to him. But all is not what it seems and Amelia let’s herself be convinced by the boy’s pleas and manages to get him out of jail thus starting a second persecution, this time with both of them as targets.

I think Deaver managed to insert several surprises in this story. It was interesting that they were out of their usual setting, by bringing them to a small not only did they have to investigate their subject but the whole town to understand what going on. There are many other plot twists but I can’t really go into them as that would definitely ruin the story. Let’s just say I was several times surprised with how the action developed and that Deaver loves to lead us one way just to show us that that was not the thing at all.

Some of those parts are almost a bit unbelievable, and some of the characters could have been better developed, but they make for a good page turner read where you just can’t put the book down till you finish it.

I also never thought I would like to read about bugs but some things were actually interesting.

Grade: 4.5/5