Overview

In the #1 international bestselling sequel to The Bone Collector, Lincoln Rhyme must untangle a twisted web of clues before a criminal inspired by the Bone Collector targets more victims -- or Rhyme himself.

The killer's methods are terrifying. He stalks the basements and underground passageways of New York City. He tattoos his victims' flesh with cryptic messages, using a tattoo gun loaded with poison, resulting in an agonizing, painful death.

When a connection is made to the Bone Collector-the serial killer who terrorized New York more than a decade ago-Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are immediately drawn into the case.

Rhyme, Sachs, and the NYPD must race against time to answer the many questions the investigation uncovers: Whom will the killer attack next? What is the message behind the victims' tattoos? Does the killer's own inking--a fanged centipede sporting a woman's face--hold any significance? And what is his ultimate mission?

As time runs out, Rhyme discovers that the past has returned to haunt him in the most troubling way imaginable... **

From Booklist

Someone is murdering people, killing them by injecting poison as he creates exquisitely detailed tattoos on their bodies. Lincoln Rhyme, the quadriplegic criminalist, and his team race against time to identify and stop the villain before the body count rises. To make matters more perplexing, the unknown perpetrator appears to have learned how to keep his crime scenes clean and evidence-free, from Rhyme’s own writings (specifically an article about an old case involving a killer known as the Bone Collector). How do you catch a killer who’s learned how not to get caught by the best criminalist in the business? Meanwhile, the Watchmaker, the fiendishly clever killer introduced in 2006’s The Cold Moon (but referred to in intervening books), still haunts Rhyme, even after the man’s death in prison, making it hard for the investigator to devote his full concentration to the murder case at hand. Another suspenseful and twist-filled entry in this always-exciting series. --David Pitt

Review

"Outstanding...the endgame remains in doubt to the end. Deaver proves himself a grandmaster of the genre as each surprise leads to an even bigger surprise, like a series of reverse Russian nesting dolls."―Publishers Weekly -- Starred Review

"Jeffery Deaver has brought a unique voice to the thriller genre, mixing high energy action into novels about a brilliant criminalist...Lincoln Rhyme has become one of the genre's most iconic characters."―South Florida Sun Sentinel

"Deaver's ability to tell the reader everything and still manipulate the story with diabolical twists is the sign of a master at work. Readers unfamiliar with Lincoln Rhyme will find a detective that rivals Sherlock Holmes, and fans will enjoy the familial and reflective aspects of previous cases."―Associated Press

"Like all of his books, the storytelling is intricately plotted, with plenty of feints, misdirections and endgame twists to keep the reader guessing."―Raleigh News and Observer

"For those who have never read a Deaver book this is definitely the time to start. Once you are hooked you will find yourself searching for everything he has written in the past and that is plenty. He is one of the premiere writers of mysteries and each and every one of his books is a reading pleasure from beginning to end. So get a copy of THE SKIN COLLECTOR and settle yourself in for hours of reading satisfaction."―Huffington Post

"Another suspenseful and twist-filled entry in this always-exciting series."―Booklist

"[A] page-turner full of Deaver's signature moves: frantic pacing, forensic minutiae, blindsides, gotchas and hairpin plot turns...a true return to classic form for Deaver."―Winnipeg Free Press

"'Deavotees' will expect and gratefully receive the many twists and sudden turns...No one is better at narrative misdirection. Just at the point you think "That's impossible!" Deaver demonstrates the exact opposite...Once again the depth of his research and characterisation has created a superb example of modern American Gothic."―The Evening Standard (UK)

"This is Deaver at his very best and not to be missed by any thriller fan."―Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Kill Room - A "Best Summer Book of 2013"

"Chillingly effective...Jeffery Deaver's quadriplegic detective has never been better...Equal parts Marathon Man and top-notch political thriller, this is Deaver at the top of his game. Rhyme remains the most original hero in thriller fiction today who may have met his match in Swann. Not to be missed."―Providence Sunday Journal on The Kill Room

About the Author

Jeffery Deaver is the #1 international bestselling author of more than thirty novels, three collections of short stories, and a nonfiction law book. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into 25 languages. His first novel featuring Lincoln Rhyme, The Bone Collector, was made into a major motion picture starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. He's received or been shortlisted for a number of awards around the world. A former journalist, folksinger, and attorney, he was born outside of Chicago and has a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a law degree from Fordham University. You can visit his website at www.JefferyDeaver.com.