I can always count on Jefferey Deaver to deliver a well-written crime novel where nothing is at it seems. If you have read Deavers previous books, then you know what I mean. That is why I suspected that not everything is what it seemed when everything seemed to go smoothly in the book.

Newly married Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are tasked with finding not only a crazed killer that seemed to be targeting couples that are to be married but also a witness to the first crime. A triple murder in Manhattan's Diamond District. Of course, this is not easy tasks, the killer is maiming and killing his way and looking for the young witness while the witness tries to get away from the town.

And, this is just a small fraction of the story. And, the rest of it well spoilers! It's darn hard to review a book like this because there are so many things going on that you just need to find out for yourself when you read the book. All I can say that Jeffrey Deaver has done it again! As usual! The book is thick, but never boring, filled with fabulous twist and an absolutely marvelous ending. Kind of cliffhanger-ish, but still a satisfying ending. I had a blast reading this book and it's a series that keep going strong with each book deliver a satisfying story. I can't wait to read the next book!

If you have never read a Jeffery Deaver book before, then I urge you to do so. Start with the first book in the Lincoln Rhyme series, The Bone Collector!

I want to thank Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review! ( )

A diamond robbery with three people murdered, and one witness. Done by a Russian man, and his utility knife. He is known as The Promisor - the serial killer murdering young couples who’d just bought their engagement rings. Creepy.

Good, quick read, but like the previous book in this series, there is a way too coincidental link to another case that Rhyme gets involved in, and they all wrap up, and tie together, way too neatly. I think this book would have been much better with just the plot that I noted above. This connecting to another case thing is just way too unbelievable.

Some enemies can be ignored; other enemies must die.

p.s.- just how many times does the word ‘kimberlite’ appear in this book? ( )

I'm going to go with 3.5 stars on this book which I was so looking forward to read. I have only recently started with this series so the ending although surprised me was underwhelming since I didn't read all Lincoln Rhyme books. ( )

Good but not great Lincoln Rhyme series book. Two loosely related plots, and very late connection to an earlier protagonist (Watchmaker) and book that is revealed in the last few pages. There is a clear indication of an additional b book involving this character. Many chapters end with resolution of the events discussed pages to chapters later. ( )

After I read the last couple of Lincoln Rhyme novels, I promised myself I wouldn't read anymore. But I read this one anyway. I think I've had enough. I only gave this as many as 2 stars because I was able to read it to the end.

These novels always spend a lot of time explaining things. In this book we learn about diamond mining, diamond cutting, geothermal energy extraction, the enmity between Muslims and HIndus in Kashmir, earthquakes, and sculpting. Some of this explaining was due to say, evidence being examined. A lot of it was just Deaver telling us stuff he thought we needed to know. Did all this stuff hang together into a story? Well, sort of.

The story is a classic onion layered story. Peel away one layer, the seemingly senseless murder of a diamond cutter, and another layer, the finding of diamonds at a geothermal mining operation is revealed. It was all very implausible to me. It was like Deaver had taken a random Wikipedia walk and wove together a story.

Oh, and if you manage to stick through to the end, there's an entirely unexpected tie in to a past Rhyme bad guy.

My biggest problem with these stories has always been the cliff-hanger chapter endings. For example, in this one, Amelia gets pitched face first into a mud pool. She struggles, gets sucked further in, can't hold her breath, and the chapter ends. Then several paragraphs into the next chapter, she's rinsing mud out of her hair while telling the paramedics that she's ok. This happens several times (although not always with Amelia). In another, a retired couple couple is trying to escape from their burning house. It's quite dramatic. They make it to the garage door and hit the button on the door opener. The chapter ends. We don't learn their fate until chapters later, and in an off-hand fashion.

And worst of all, Lincoln and Amelia are hardly in the story. Most of it is told from the viewpoint of a witness and the bad guy.

Never again. ( )