South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Substance of interest the key to Deaver’s ‘Midnight Lock’; fear vs. greed in ‘Reprieve’
Jeffery Deaver’s series about criminalist Lincoln Rhyme has always been about the power of the brain rather than the brawn. Left a quadriplegic because of an accident on the job, Lincoln can move only one finger, but his intelligence is as sharp as ever and his skills at pinpointing criminals are still respected.
But in “The Midnight Lock,” Lincoln’s keen abilities are questioned and his career as a forensics consultant to the NYPD in jeopardy. During the murder trial of a gangster, Lincoln’s testimony about sand traces — yes, he does know just about everything — is discredited. Lincoln knows he is right but the defense attorney’s tactics convince several jurors to acquit gangster Viktor Buryak.
Politics enters as this occurs in the middle of a tight, and nasty, race for governor. The New York City mayor, who is one of the gubernatorial candidates, bans relying on civilian consultants, even former police detectives such as Lincoln.
Undeterred, Lincoln continues to work on his own time to uncover the identity of the Locksmith, who has been breaking into women’s apartments, rearranging their things and leaving evidence behind so they will know he’s been there. So far there’s been no violence but this is a Jeffery Deaver novel so it’s just a matter of time.
Deaver continues to meld solid suspense with character studies in his novels about Lincoln,
making his 15th appearance in “The Midnight Lock.” Often prickly, Lincoln also maintains strong relationships with his team, which included NYPD detective Amelia Sachs, who is now his wife.
While police often mention a person of interest, Lincoln focuses on “a substance of interest,” in which the criminologist looks at items or materials that were “the odd thing out, appearing at a crime scene when there was no reason for it to be there.”
“The Midnight Lock” is keyed to strong storytelling.
Listen to the author
Jeffery Deaver discusses “The Midnight Lock,” Alison Gaylin discusses “The Collective” and Rachel Howzell Hall discusses her novel “These Toxic Things” as part of the Sun Sentinel PRIME Expo, a free virtual event geared for adults ages 55 and over through Nov. 20. To register or for more information, Visit SunSentinel.com/ Prime for free registration or more information.
Greed wins
The Quigley House combines the best and the worst in escape rooms and haunted houses, luring those who love to be scared, but also those who are greedy in “Reprieve,” James Han Mattson’s second novel that smoothly combines tenets of the mystery and horror genres with issues of race and sexuality.
Located just outside Lincoln, Neb., the Quigley House doesn’t offer a benign experience with a mannequin or two jumping out or funhouse mirrors. Instead, it’s a full-contact adventure in which participants can expect to be physically attacked, drenched in human blood, handcuffed, even shocked with electricity or bound with electrical tape. Some customers have limped out in pain. The team who makes it through without yelling the safe word “reprieve” might reap at least $60,000. To date, only one foursome has completed the challenge.
To date, no one has died.
But that’s about to change.
During the latest challenge, hotel manager Leonard Grandton bursts in during the challenge, killing one of the contestants, all of whom think it is part of the act. Even Leonard thinks it is made up.
Leonard used to be a nice guy, a hotel manager with aspirations of owning a business. Then he became friends with the creepy, manipulative John Forrester, owner of the Quigley, and Leonard began to change, succumbing to the basest of human depravity. It’s not just Leonard whose personality undergoes a radical alteration. The Quigley’s shadow of doom spreads to each person who comes in contact with the house, or who plans to.
“Fear is the purest emotion,” John says. “It’s what left when everything else is stripped away. … Fear
reminds us that life is an illusion” causing people to “do and say things you never thought you’d do or say.” Only one thing “triumphs” fear — greed.
The chilling plot of “Reprieve” is told in flashbacks recounted by each character and transcriptions
during Leonard’s trial.
Mattson uses diverse characters to show how themes of horror, fear and greed permeate contemporary times in a brisk plot.