I enjoy Deaver's novels and especially his Lincoln Rhyme thrillers. It's something to do with the strong setting and the collegiality of Rhyme and his group of friends/ helpers, but it doesn't hurt that, as Deaver described on a recent online session to launch The Midnight Lock, the author knows he's competing for attention with social media, games, video and countless other channels and he sets out to write books that grab the attention.

And how. In this latest visit to Rhyme's townhouse forensics lab - we've been away for a coupe of years following the doings of new Deaver protagonist Colter Shaw, on the West Coast - there is, as always, plenty of action, but behind it all, a distinct air of menace. Rhyme has learned that he's being targeted by old adversary The Watchmaker; he's also fluffed a case, and the crime boss who's free as a result want revenge for Rhyme's involvement all the same; 'Verum', an online purveyor of fake news and rabble-stirring conspiracy theory highlights Rhyme's failure as the outworking of a vast conspiracy; and, perhaps worst of all, the Mayor and the City authorities have turned against him, forbidding any police officer to work with or even speak to him.

It's all getting very dark, and though this we see, in a first person narrative, the mysterious stalker known as 'The Locksmith' lay their plans and carry them out. This figure, who will be Rhyme's main opponent in The Midnight Lock, is a master of burglary, entering women's apartments are night and disarranging things just enough to alarm. In some truly tense scenes, we see him break in, move around and make himself at home, toying with thoughts of going further still. Deaver gives us the dry, technical background to the lockpicking, with serves both to cast light on the depth of the Locksmith's skill and knowledge and to undermine any faith I had in the ability of locks to protect. Bolts, bolts are the thing, and don't trust electronics either.

As usual in these books, it's very much a game of cat and mouse - or several games, in fact; Rhyme can't of course let the fact that he's still looking into the case come out, and there are other hands at work too, with their own agendas, their own truths. The malleability of truth here is something of a theme, the story covering not only Verum's bizarre ravings but also the activities of a sleazy tabloid which monetises lies for the sake of sales.

Amidst all this, Rhyme's absolute faith in the truth as revealed by evidence (by which he means, scientific evidence, not testimony) is a rather helpful touchstone and pointed up something I should perhaps have spotted sooner, that Deaver is pitching Rhyme as a modern day Sherlock Holmes. Certainly the setting of the two men is similar, solving crimes from their homes at the heart of the world-cities of their age, London and New York, but the focus in The Midnight Lock on samples of material from shoes to enable identification of movements put me in mind of Dr Joseph Bell, whose deductions Conan-Doyle reflected in Holmes. More prosaically, I think Rhyme has some of Holmes' disdain for "unnecessary" information, even for commonplace knowledge if it isn't related to crime or forensics. And the same sense of ennui when not actively engaged on a case.

I wouldn't take this parallel too far - Rhyme has married! - but the presence of The Watchmaker as a Nemesis does also create a parallel. In this book, the first question to be determined is, of course, whether The Locksmith and The Watchmaker might be the same person, a possibility that adds to the sense of threat in the air, a sense that only builds as the unknown stalker becomes aware of Rhyme's interest and builds it into his plans...

As always with Deaver's books, The Midnight Lock is terrific, page-turning fun and I was pleased to re-acquaint myself with Rhymes after the break (although also glad to hear on that Zoom event that Shaw will also be back again).

A spine chilling narrative about a crazy killer who is called The Locksmith. I found the story wandered too much and I didn't connect with the characters. Not for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins publishers for this advance read of Lincoln Rhyme's 15th outing.

The bone collector is one of my favourite books and introduced me to Jeffrey Deaver and Lincoln Rhyme/Amelia Sachs and I've since read many in the series. This one follows them as they are met with a master lock picker who is breaking and entering, seemingly with intent. Whilst this goes on Rhyme is removed as consultant by the police due to an inconclusive evidence on a previous trial that made the Mayor look bad.

They work covertly to try unmask the ID of the locksmith whilst trying to uncover little inconsistencies in the forensic evidence left in each instance.

I adore the forensic detail in these books, the research and knowledge of science never fails to impress me in these books and keeps me guessing. Also, Deaver never fails to surprise me with the ID of his culprits, this one in particular I didn't guess at all.

The 4 star rating was due to at some places I did zone out just a little , the devil is in the detail but sometimes getting there can be a slog.

My highlight was the fire scene with Pulaski. My heart was racing reading it. Fantastic writing.

Really enjoyed it overall, another solid installment in the series.

The wee book lady xx.

Cracking story, all the twisty, turny stuff you expect from a Jeffrey Deaver and fabulous characters and a new slant on a crime.

A great read.

Highly recommend.

I have yet to read a Jeffery Deaver that I haven’t enjoyed and this one did not disappoint. As ever it is rich in facts and detail. Some reviewers have said that there were perhaps too many facts for them, particularly concerning the amount of information about locks, but I found it fascinating and it enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

However, you really need to keep your wits about you. This is not a book you can read with one eye on the kids. There are so many threads to this storyline. We have the Locksmith. Who is he? What motivates him? Will he get the chance to step up to murder? That is one I didn’t figure out until the big reveal, although I really thought I had it sussed. We have the gangster, Buryak. Will he ever be brought to justice? Will he get his revenge on Lincoln through Amelia? We have the mystery of who murdered Alexos Gregorios. Who can be trusted, who is the villain? All is revealed in not one but several dramatic climaxes.

One thing’s for sure. I will never post another on-line video from my home and I will never again trust the burglar alarm to protect me.

The Midnight Lock by Jeffrey Deaver
This is another outing for Jeffrey’s Deaver’s forensic consultant Lincoln Rhyme. Although I have read a number from the series I had not read one for a while and although this book began well I did find the plot became rather convoluted and introduced a variety of different themes.
At the beginning Lincoln is giving evidence in the trial of Viktor Buryat who has always managed to escape prosecution. Lincoln’s evidence is brought into disrepute and the case is dismissed. Lincoln too is released by the police department and they are told to give him no information about the current case which they are investigating related to a man who enters women’s homes, leaves obvious evidence that he has been there and then relocks the doors. He is nicknamed The Locksmith.
In tandem with this story are other storylines related to the owner of a media empire which traded in sleaze, a conspiracy blogger and a moderator for View Now (a version of You Tube). How do these different aspects of the story come together?
I must admit that although I found the research to do with locks exemplary I did sometimes find myself skimming through these sections. I found there were a few too many threads for me. I did however enjoy the climax of the story. Many thanks to Net Galley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I chose this book as I’ve never read a book by Jeffery Deaver before and have heard great things about them. This one came upon a NetGalley recommendation, and the blurb sounded good, so I thought I would give it a try.

I read this as a stand-alone as I didn’t initially realise it was part of a long series, and what a wonderful treat it is! This is a pacy, well-plotted read full of entertainment with plenty of twists and turns. The plot is somewhat complicated, with many strands pulled together brilliantly, all very impressively tied up by the end with no lost strands.

The plot is realistic and will have you checking that you have locked your doors before bed and wondering how quickly the ‘Locksmith’ could get in. the sense of threat is so understated and yet terrifying at the same time. The consequences are almost worse than death in some ways. I felt I needed to be alert to read this due to so many threads, so it took me longer than usual but was immensely enjoyable.

The characters are brilliant and key to the plot. Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are potent characters, fastidious, astute and very capable; they make great partners who have great chemistry and even better dialogue. Despite Rhyme being technically sacked from the NYPD, Sachs is keen to keep him in the loop, and he can’t help but investigate discreetly as much as possible.

I loved the stalker-like qualities of the very talented ‘Locksmith’ who has so much devotion and dedication to his craft, which is impressive; alongside his terrifying acts, he is a great character.

The ending felt a little too long for me, I usually complain that they are too short, to be honest, and need more detail, but this one almost went the opposite way. However, each strand of the story was well tied up by the end, and I wasn’t left guessing at all; it even answered some questions I didn’t even know I had until I read the answers!

I enjoyed my first glimpse into the world of Lincoln Rhyme and will fund time to go back to the beginning and read the others at some point too.

It has been a while since I've read anything by Jeffrey Deaver and I had forgotten how much I enjoy reading his books.
A night stalker is breaking into women's homes, he moves items and helps himself to food and drink. Enough for the women to be completely freaked out as their doors and windows are locked. Eventually he leaves a note calling himself The Locksmith.
Meanwhile Lincoln's testimony at the trial of an "untouchable" criminal is debunked in court resulting in the Mayor declaring that he must not be used in any investigation and anyone helping him will be prosecuted.
A man is killed and the police decide that a homeless man has killed him.
Lincoln is approached by the owner of a media company to help find his son.
Are all of these things connected? You need to read the book to find out. Once you start you won't be able to put it down.
I really enjoyed this.

This is the 13th in the Lincoln Rhyme novels, so the disabled criminalist (consulting forensic scientist) and his wife, Detective Amelia Sachs, need no introduction. The story starts with the usually infallible Rhyme apparently messing up some forensic evidence which results in a major criminal, Buryack, going free. A number of unconnected cases have fallen through recently and the Mayor, who is up for re-election, orders a clampdown, starting with Rhyme being banned from all consultancy work with the NYPD. Active cases, including a murder, have to be transferred to the central labs.
This is unfortunate timing since it coincides with the appearance of ‘The Locksmith’, an expert at lockpicking who breaks into the homes of young women while they sleep, moves things around, steals a pair of panties and a kitchen knife, then leaves without waking them. A strange sort of stalker. However, he also leaves a page from a sensationalist newspaper embellished with the word “Reckoning” written with the young woman’s lipstick. Is there some connection to the paper? Separately, Buryack is convinced that Rhyme is out to get him, fit him up, and sets in motion a plan to get Rhyme first. Needless to say, Rhyme has no intention of ignoring the cases and contrives with his wife, and other police officers with whom he usually works, to ensure that he sees all of the evidence and can feed his findings back without him being implicated.
The separate plot-lines are threaded together very well and the result is a complicated bit of intellectual macrame. However, I did feel that there was a bit too much dependence on discoveries springing from concealed information. Otherwise this is a solid read, very much in the style of the other novels in the series and you will also learn a great deal about locks and how to pick them.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

The prolific Jeffery Deaver can do no wrong! All of his series are appealing but this is the best. Lincoln Rhyme is a genius and the plots are always clever, baffling and ultimately very satisfying. Although Linc is officially sidelined in this instalment, his presence is all-pervasive. Wonderful!

Wow what a read. The long awaited new instalment in the Lincoln Rhyme series certainly does not disappoint. Lots going on here and you need to keep your wits about you. Home invasion, murder, confusing clues, and the staple of these books, expect the unexpected, right down to the last few pages!
A brilliant read that will no doubt be top of the book charts.
There’s a reason these books are number one bestsellers

This book kept me guessing with twists and turns right up to the end! I do love how Jeffrey Deaver has new ideas for Rhyme still, after all these years.

I really enjoyed this book, having not read a Lincoln Rhymes book for a while, but am now wondering why I haven't!

The book is well written, with enough technical jargon in it but not too much to baffle or bore.

A truly gripping thriller. someone who is able to get into your home, watches you sleep and commits murder. Known as "The Locksmith" no-where in New York is safe, or no-one.
Another hard to put down book by Jeffery Deaver with great characters and gritty storyline. Reading this gave me shivers and sleepness nights. A great recommended read.

The latest instalment in Jeffery Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme series is exactly what you'd expect - pacy, entertaining, well plotted & cinematic.

I love this series because you know what you're getting. You know it'll be clever, the characters are, at this point, so well established that no time is needed to set them up & the action kicks off immediately.

These books read like action packed movies, with edge of your seat & goosebump moments, fast cars, roaring blazes & subtle clues. The Midnight Lock could work as a standalone, but the series is so good that if you haven't read the earlier ones it's worth going back to the beginning.

The Locksmith knows where you live and no door will keep him out. He watches while you sleep. He is waiting to kill.
Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are on the case but they need evidence and can they catch him in time?
Twists and turns. A great thriller.

He sees you when you’re sleeping… and then picks the locks of your apartment, rearranges all of your items, steals a kitchen knife and your underwear, leaves a threatening message and then leaves, locking the door behind him. When Lincoln Rhyme, the quadriplegic forensic scientist hears of the Locksmith, he is convinced that this behaviour is only the precursor to something worse. His home invasions have been getting more and more sinister, but what is his endgame?
Unfortunately, Rhyme is not in any position to track the Locksmith down. He made a mistake in a case against a New York gangster, contaminating the only evidence that could have convicted him. This has led to his sacking as a consultant to the NYPD, removing all of his sources of information. But with concern growing over the Locksmith’s activities – he reminds Rhyme of his nemesis, the Watchmaker – can an isolated Rhyme manage to stop the Locksmith’s reign of terror before it is too late?
Lincoln Rhyme is back – hurrah! I was a bit worried that The Cutting Edge was going to be his last hurrah, but Rhyme, along with his full supporting cast, is back in his fifteenth novel-length outing. There are some short stories too, including one which precedes this to reinforce Rhyme’s concerns about the Watchmaker. The Watchmaker has told Rhyme that their next meeting will be their last, so this has Rhyme looking over his shoulder, so to speak.
Oddly, Rhyme being fired by the NYPD never really comes into the story. There’s a bit of dodging around to make sure evidence gets to him first, rather than to the official police labs, but if you were hoping for a tale of Rhyme being out of his element, you’re out of luck – try The Empty Chair for that one.
What you do get here is a masterclass of a thriller. To be fair, a lot of the Lincoln Rhyme stories fall into that category, but this is up there with the best of them. Deaver is a master of juggling plot strands – it is quite impressive that none of them get dropped or go nowhere. What the reader doesn’t know is which strand links to which, as Deaver is perfectly willing to tell two or three parallel stories that weave in and out of each other but don’t necessarily end up in the same place.
One of the pleasures here is how the author plays “what trick am I up to?” with the long-term reader. There are only so many twists one can use, and you’d think that fifteen books into the series, the regular reader would get wise to them, but no. I certainly was looking at one character, expecting one thing, only to find out something far more satisfying about them.
Rhyme, Sachs and company are wonderful characters and it’s great to see them back in action. It’s clear that there is at least one more story to tell – let’s hope that there’s many more. I honestly think Deaver is the single finest thriller writer out there – I’ve been following his career for years and for very good reason.
The Midnight Lock is out on November 25th 2021 in hardback and ebook from HarperCollins. Many thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the review e-copy.

Well this was fun. Fun in a completely unnerving, check all the locks and try not to think about the completely freaky and unsettling notion of home invasion kind of way. With The Midnight Lock, Jeffery Deaver has created a tense, mystery laden story in which nothing is as it appears and deception and treachery seem to be the name of the game.

From the very start of this book I had a kind of creeping sensation working it's way up my spine. There is nothing immediately obvious - no singular event or grotesquely obvious act of violence that triggered it. In fact it is exactly the opposite. It's almost mundane in fact, until the realisation of what you are reading starts to set in. The implications. The sense of threat which is understated and yet overwhelming, culminating in a scenario that has the pulse pounding without anyone having to take a step. It's extremely effective and the after effects ... well surprising. This is the story of The Locksmith, a perpetrator who is capable of ruining everything their victims hold dear in just the simplest of touches. That's not to say that there isn't a threat to life, but somehow what he does is ... worse.

Although I have come to this series extremely late, there was nothing to fear in picking up with book and running with it. I was familiar with the characters (I've not been living in a hole for the past few decades and I have seen The Bone Collector film) and although there are a few differences, as you'd expect, the essence of who Lincoln Rhyme is was easy to adapt to and settle into. And Jeffery Deaver is such an accomplished writer, able to give enough background to provide context, that it felt familiar in spite of this being my first full length title. I will admit it was a little strange coming to a story where the central character, renowned for acting as a consultant to the NYPD, has been prevented from doing exactly that by an act of political one upmanship, but intriguing to see how they might overcome this particularly large obstacle to their progress.

The aspects of this case - of home invasion, stalking, potential threat to life - really do make for a heady mix. Add into this a threat to Rhyme and Amelia linked to the case that has potentially cost Rhyme his vocation, and there is an ever present need to be alert, for both the characters and the reader. Interspersed with the main investigation there are scenes from The Locksmith's point of view, scenes that give context to his behaviour, but also add to the creepiness of the character. The story looks long and hard at the propensity of people to live their lives on line, of the Influencers who invite people directly into their homes and make it easy for the voyeur. Not only this but it takes a look at the darker side of the web, of video hosting sites and the kinds of depravity that can be found if you really want to look. These scenes made for fascinating reading as they really add weight to the idea of the Locksmith as the puppeteer, and also the complexity and juxtaposition of his character. There is also a lot of information which made me think long and hard about the locks on all my doors and whether or not I need a full security overhaul.

Characters are key in this book, and aside from the very unsavory Locksmith, there are a number of other peripheral characters who add context and colour to the narrative. The tend to inform, but also misdirect the story, and add to the tension and mystery that permeates the novel. Lincoln Rhyme is a brilliant character, very astute and very capable, so seeing him wrestling with the potential end to his career is a revelation. But I do love the character of Amelia Sachs. She is so strong, so aware and so logical that she does make the perfect partner for Rhyme. She is alert to everything around her and it's great seeing her little game plays to keep Rhyme in the loop despite the potential threat to her own career as a result. Then there is Lyle Spencer a truly multifaceted character, I really grew to like him very quickly and I'm intrigued, given how the story ended, to see how he might be developed in the future.

For my first proper taste of the Lincoln Rhyme series, I really loved this thriller and can't wait to work my way through the back catalogue and whatever lovely new thrillers Mr Deaver decides to send our way. Recommended.

Part of a series,tho can be read as a standalone. Interesting characters,Rhyme is stuck in a wheelchair and his wife is a detective,together they try to solve an escalating murder. Full of twists and turns.

Firstly, thank you to #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsUK , HarperFiction for giving me a digital advanced reader's copy of #TheMidnightLock by #JefferyDeaver in exchange of a genuine review.

This is my first time reading a Jeffery Deaver book and I wasn't disappointed at all. I love the chemistry between Rhyme and Sachs. They have the perfect dialogues and the way they just banter back and forth it never fails to put a smile on my face. My first Deaver book is definitely one to remember as it was quite a roller coaster ride and it was very interesting from start to finish. I can't really say anything more about the plot or talk about it at all - it's good if you just dive in straight into this read without knowing what to expect really. I definitely recommend this book to the thriller lovers out there. A 4/5 for me, thanks again to netgalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book.

I've read a number of the books from this series but it has been awhile. Sometimes its enjoyable to delve into a book series you are familiar with without any need for getting to know characters or the setting. I do find with these famous series while I enjoy reading them there's nothing new, its just more of the same. While this isn't a bad thing and I would probably read another book in the series if I fancied an easy read I wouldn't be excited to read the new release or search it ou . That feeling is how I've based my 3 start review not on how well written it is.