The Kill Room

Starred review from April 8, 2013
In bestseller Deaver’s extremely timely 10th Lincoln Rhyme novel (after 2010’s The Burning Wire), Rhyme, partner Amelia Sachs, and other regulars conduct a highly irregular investigation that points up the moral ambiguities involved in what are euphemistically called STOs (Special Task Orders). At issue is the killing of a U.S. citizen, Roberto Moreno, who’s been operating as an anti-American crusader in the Bahamas. Shreve Metzger, the director of the National Intelligence and Operations Service (NIOS), a secret government organization, ordered the hit from NIOS headquarters in Manhattan. A.D.A. Nance Laurel is determined to prosecute those responsible for Moreno’s murder. Rhyme and Sachs engage in a continuously exciting game of cat-and-mouse with a host of adversaries, including sadistic killer Jacob Swann, at the same time they face important personal decisions. This is Deaver at his very best and not to be missed by any thriller fan. Agent: Deborah Schneider, Gelfman Schneider Literary Agents.

Starred review from July 29, 2013
Deaver returns to his popular Lincoln Rhyme series with this latest installment that finds Rhyme and his partner heading to the Bahamas to investigate the murder of an American citizen by the United States government. Narrated by the trio of Jay Snyder, January LaVoy, and Edoardo Ballerini, the novel comes to life via a series of inspired performances, each as convincing and entertaining as the last. Snyder shines in the lead role, but LaVoy and Ballerini also bend and twist their vocal cords to realistically portray the book’s characters. This is a thoroughly enjoyable listen. A Grand Central hardcover.

Wheelchair-bound detective Lincoln Rhyme and a cast of associates meet again to investigate the assassination of an American citizen. As the strands of the story unfold, Rhyme finds himself facing a series of events that result in his solving the crime and resolving an important personal issue. Three narrators deliver this book with Jay Snyder narrating the main body of the book, January LaVoy voicing Amelia Sachs, and Edoardo Ballerini voicing Lincoln Rhyme. While the multiple voices take a little getting used to, after a while the narration melds together and sounds quite natural. However, Jay Snyder is an accomplished narrator, and whether the multiple narration brings anything to the listening experience that he couldn't have achieved on his own is debatable. K.J.P. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine