A great read
A great plot
Plenty of twists
Will have you hooked
This author never disappoints
Thanks NetGalley

After a little hiatus, Lincoln Rhyme is back. As ever he’s assisted by the usual suspects. You know what you’re going to get with a Rhyme novel and it doesn’t disappoint. A great, fast-paced thriller where Rhyme and all he holds dear are once again thrown into dangerous territory. A perennial favourite when I need an easy comfort read.

As we reach the end of the year I realise there are several books which I started but never finished. They remain on my Netgalley shelf and I'd rather feedback my thoughts than ignore them and pretend they are not there.

So in an attempt to sping clean (in December) I am sharing my thoughts on the titles I didn't finish and which I will not be reviewing on my blog.

For The Midnight Lock I had actually reached the 70% mark so I got well through the book. I have seen lots of positive reviews from the bloggers I rely upon to guide me towards good stories and it puzzles me as to why I didn't get the same buzz from this book as they did. However, after racing through the first third of the story I fell away from the book. I dipped in and dipped out and just could not get back into what was going on.

While I had thought the initial premise was really fascinating and had been delighted to see the return of Rhyme (a character I have followed for many years) this one just didn't click. Apologies but this one wasn't for me - we can't love em all I suppose.

This is my first Jeffery Deaver book. I love his written style. This is well written with great world building. The mystery was well thought out with some unpredictable twists. Rhyme and Amelia are well developed characters that I couldn’t help but fall in love with. I am definitely going to have to read all the previous Lincoln Rhyme books.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK for this advanced copy.

Reading this new Lincoln Rhyme novel was like being back with old friends after such a long time… how I have missed Rhyme and Sachs and the rest of the familiar team!

This story really plays on some deep fears - the fear of someone invading your personal space, your home. I was gripped and the terror was a theme throughout the book.

As with every Deaver novel, there were twists, and then more twists, and just when you think the book is finished, yet another twist - I loved it!

Another classic Jeffrey Deaver/Lincoln Rhyme book. You always know that this means a cleverly crafted, engaging read. You can read it as a standalone but if you haven't read any of the earlier books why not? You are missing out.
This brings us right up to date with references to social media and influencers, and makes you consider what is available online.
The story has twists, some of which I half anticipated and some that came like a bolt out of the blue!
So overall a very satisfying read.

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins for the advance copy in return for my honest review

I'm only familiar with this author through the use of his original material for the Bone Collector movie and the subsequent TV series of the same name. I'm not entirely sure why I've not read anything of the author previously however I can say that this did not disappoint me and kept me engaged throughout.
There are various storylines and sub plots going on throughout the book although the main plot relates to a criminal who is able to use his lock picking skills to enter, any property, with the aim of terrorising the occupant and the attempts by Lincoln Rhymes and his colleagues to capture the individual, whilst he is suffering a backlash from the Police department and Mayor's office in relation to an earlier case.
As I said, I was thoroughly engaged by the story and would recommend this to anyone who enjoys thrillers and police procedural type stories.
Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins for the advance copy in return for my honest review.

The Midnight Lock is Jeffery Deaver's fifteenth novel featuring wheelchair-bound quadriplegic consulting criminalist Lincoln Rhyme. I have never read any other books from this series though I have read by others by this author, namely Captivated and The Never Game, the introductory and first books from his Colter Shaw series. The Midnight Lock did not disappoint; it was a long and windy road to the conclusion but I loved every moment. The characters were well-drawn and the plot was complex but not so much that I lost interest. I was kept hooked by the suspense, twists and various threads, along with a pressing need to find out the who & why. I highly recommend The Midnight Lock and I aim to read the previous instalments at some point. A special thank you to HarperCollins, Jeffery Deaver, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read. This review is my unbiased opinion.

Another action packed, fast paced and highly entertaining book by Jeffery Deaver.
I had a lot of fun and couldn't put it down.
Mr Deaver never fails to write entertaining book and everything works: storytelling, plot, characters, pace.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Lincoln Rhyme series continues with The Locksmith. This is a chilling tale and a salutary warning to those unwary people who put the details of their lives on social media, all the better for stalkers and trolls to target them. It is scarily believable, and the details of how easy it is to pick a lock, even a sophisticated lock, are frightening. Home alone for a couple of nights, I found myself unable to continue reading this book it was so unsettling, until my husband came home again.
The mark of a very clever storyteller, to make the reader feel like this.
Jeffery Deaver has written another winner to keep his considerable fan base satisfied.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title.

Another superb, twisty and entertaining story from the brilliant Jeffrey Deaver. Again he features Lincoln Rhymes and his wife Amelia Sachs who end up chasing a creepy person (The Locksmith) who can open any lock and gain entry to mainly young ladies' homes,

Lots of sub plots involving crooked policemen and I cannot spoil it further as It is a multi layered storyline with an excellent ending.

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins for the chance to read and review..

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Midnight Lock’ by Jeffery Deaver in exchange for an honest review.

This is Book 15 in Deaver’s popular Lincoln Rhyme series of forensic crime thrillers. I also took part in the online book group hosted by The Pigeonhole, reading the novel in daily staves and exchanging comments with other readers.

While I had previously read some of the early books in this series, it’s been a while. Still, it worked fine as a stand-alone and enough background was provided so I didn’t feel lost.

New York City is being terrorised by a criminal who calls himself ‘The Locksmith’. He breaks into the homes of women that he has targeted at night to watch and wait. No lock or security system can keep him out.

With the city in turmoil it’s up to Lincoln Rhyme and his team to untangle the web of evidence and catch him. Unfortunately Lincoln has been banned from working with the NYPD due to political machinations. If he pursues the case he and members of his team face arrest. Will he stand down? Add to this an anonymous conspiracy theorist is muddying the waters by broadcasting outrageous claims.

I found ‘The Midnight Lock’ a gripping thriller that certainly delivered on the suspense and provided plenty of twists. It also made me keen to seek out earlier books in the series.

A new outing for Lincoln Rhyme and his forensic expertise applied to a criminal who can pick any lock... The locksmith is stalking women, entering their "secure" properties and making sure they are well aware s/he has been there. Sub plots with organised crime, the police and the locksmith's childhood weave together with red herrings everywhere. Just as you think you know what's going on, there's an expected twist. The plot comes together beautifully in the end.

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book. I've read quite a few by Deaver and thoroughly enjoyed his Colter Shaw series. I've also watched the Bone Collector movie and tv series and really enjoyed them so was excited to receive this e-arc. I therefore started with a good idea of who the characters were.

Unfortunately for me, although I enjoyed it and enjoyed the locksmith storyline, it was pretty scary that they can get in so easily, it missed the mark a bit for me. Its hard to put my finger on it, maybe the relationship between Lincoln and Amelia, his NYPD Detective wife or my lack of connection with them in this book. It seemed a bit weird (but maybe something happened in a previous book as they didn't seem particularly joined up, or even barely talk to each other.

It was very readable and I enjoyed the twists and turns. I will definitely read others in this series and continue to read many other books he had written, but only 3-3.5 stars I'm afraid.

This was a fascinating story, part mystery and part police procedural. Interesting insights into forensic science investigations. A great cast of characters and a fast paced, action packed story. dramatic conclusion which was also open ended.

A Lincoln Rhyme thriller that twists and turns hither and thither where no one is what they seem and it’s glorious! Starting with a trial where Rhyme’s evidence is thrown out resulting in a not guilty verdict he loses his consultancy role with the NYPD. Still all his friends stick by him and an investigation into strange break ins to apartments where women live alone forms the main storyline. Never less than entertaining the series never fails to intrigue.

A good strong jeffery deaver, he doesnt disappoint! Steady story with good characters - nothing groundbreaking but thats not what you expect with these, a good page turner!

Another fantastic Lincoln rhyme novel. Fast paced twisty storyline that never disappoints. Was great to catch up with rhyme and sachs again, especially with such an intriguing plot

Thanks to #NetGalley and #HarperCollins for this Advanced Review Copy of #TheMidnightLock by #JeffreyDeaver

I know many people enjoy the #LincolnRhyme series and I have read a few of the earlier ones, but I found this one boring.
I couldn’t summon any interest in even one of the characters.
A no for me.

Ah, Lincoln Rhyme I have missed you! I’ve read every book in this series and each new one brings something extra to the mix. This time we have a new antagonist. And this one is speaking to us directly in a first person voice. We may not know his/her identity, but we do get chilling glimpse into someone obsessed with locks and opening them; someone with a growing deadly intent; someone who enjoys opening those locks, bypassing the alarms and watching you as you sleep…

Jeffery Deaver returns with a bang as quadriplegic criminalist Lincoln Rhyme, NYPD consultant and his wife (!) NYPD Detective Amelia Sachs come up against a formidable adversary in ‘The Locksmith’.

Their job in tracking down this adversary is made significantly more difficult because Rhyme has been frozen out of working for NYPD by the Mayor. After his testimony in the trial of crime boss Victor Buryak is trashed by a defence attorney, allowing the defendant to go free, an edict has come down that Rhyme is no longer to be used by NYPD and any police or city official caught working with him will suffer serious consequences.

This leaves Amelia, Lon Sellitto and Ron Pulaski in some difficulty. Rhyme’s lab, situated in his brownstone, is exceptionally good and analysing crime scene information is both fast and accurate – that – combined with Rhyme’s extensive knowledge of NYC and it’s chemical and soil make-up has resulted in many crimes being satisfactorily resolved. Now they’re own their own against a formidable adversary.

One of the really enjoyable elements of Deaver’s books is the way that he incorporates current affairs and sociological undercurrents into his books. In The Midnight Lock he gives us Verum, a fake news vlogger, whose claims that a vast conspiracy is underway and that America is being run and subverted by ‘The Hidden’, a conspiracy run by the elite – and that includes Rhyme whose lack of success in the Buryak case is seen as part of that conspiracy.

In ‘The Locksmith’ Deaver has created a very unsettling antagonist. Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs search for a criminal whose fascination with breaking locks terrorizes New York City. Unsettling in part because it is the methods used that really will creep you out. This is someone who waits and watches. Who analyses your social media and determines your patterns of behaviour. Someone who gets to know your daily routine, who watches, waits and follows and then enters your life in a way that ensures you will never feel safe again. Annabelle Talese is a fashion influencer who wakes up one morning to find that someone has broken into her apartment, eaten her food and left a message written in lipstick on a page of a trashy tabloid saying simply ‘Reckoning’. This is the handiwork of ‘The Locksmith’ who enters silently and eaves no trace.

Using many threads and tying together different plot lines, Deaver’s warp and weft createsan accomplished, beautiful pattern which is not fully revealed until the final chapter. I really enjoyed the introduction of a new character, Lyle Spencer, who has plenty of grit and looks to become an interesting addition to this much beloved team.

Verdict: Jeffery Deaver has created another unmissable book in the Rhyme and Sachs series. Full of twists and turns, it keeps surprising to the last chapter. It is well-plotted, beautifully structured, full of mystery and suspense and thoroughly engrossing. This is a return to be hailed and I can’t wait for more.