Barb's Book Reviews: Review of "The Burial Hour: A Lincoln Rhyme Thriller" by Jeffery Deaver

Friday, February 21, 2025

Review of "The Burial Hour: A Lincoln Rhyme Thriller" by Jeffery Deaver

In this 13th book in the 'Lincoln Rhyme' series, the forensic expert and his team investigate crimes in Italy. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a plus.

*****

Criminalist Lincoln Rhyme was head of the NYPD's forensic unit until an accident at a crime scene left him a quadriplegic. Rhyme can operate his 'miracle of mobility' wheelchair with his left ring finger, and thanks to advanced medical procedures, can now use his right arm.

Lincoln is the 'Sherlock Holmes' of forensic evidence, and can recreate entire scenarios from trace evidence (For example: The presence of stearic acid and myristic acid - found in shaving cream - tells Lincoln that the perp shaved his head and beard to disguise his appearance.)

Lincoln is now engaged to his forensic partner, NYPD Detective Amelia Sachs, and as the book opens, is contemplating a honeymoon in Greenland.

Rhyme's personal assistant Thom Reston observes Greenland isn't romantic, and suggests Florida or California, but Lincoln resists. It seems a lab in Nuuk is doing important research in horticultural spectrographic analysis, which (apparently) supersedes amour. 😊

Lincoln postpones his holiday musings when NYPD Detective Lon Sellitto requests help with an urgent case. A businessman named Robert Ellis was kidnapped off a Manhattan street, and a small-scale noose made of catgut was left at the kidnap site.

Now a video is streaming online, showing a bound, blindfolded Robert Ellis with a noose tugging his neck upward. The video is accompanied by an eerie soundtrack in which a recording of Ellis gasping is used as the downbeat for 'The Blue Danube' being played on a keyboard. Sachs collects forensic evidence at the kidnap site, and Rhyme uses it to determine where Ellis was taken, but the perpetrator - dubbed 'The Composer' - escapes.

When 'The Composer' is next heard of, he's kidnapped a Libyan immigrant from a refugee camp in Naples, Italy, and repeated the hanging scenario described above. The supervisor in charge of the case is Prosecutor Dante Spiro.....

......and the investigators are Detective Inspector Massimo Rossi of the Police of State and Forestry Officer Ercole Benelli, who happened to be chasing a truffles counterfeiter in the vicinity of the kidnapping.

When Rhymes hears of the Naples' abduction he hightails it to Italy with Amelia Sachs and Thom Reston. Lincoln wants to help catch 'The Composer', but Prosecutor Spiro is hostile to these American interlopers and insists they go home. Then (of course) Lincoln demonstrates his formidable skills with forensic evidence, and the Americans are allowed to stay and assist.

Before long 'The Composer' abducts another refugee, and the investigation goes into high gear. Some of the novel's best scenes occur when Sachs partners up with Forestry Officer Benelli. The twosome race around Naples, get shot at, examine dark dangerous sites, have interesting conversations, etc.

In the meantime, Rhyme gets a request from the American Embassy. It seems an American college student has been accused of rape, and the Embassy wants Lincoln to examine the forensic evidence to determine if the college boy is guilty, or if some other dude did it. Once again, Lincoln uses his uncanny abilities to recreate crimes using trace evidence.

About two-thirds into the book 'The Composer' investigation takes an unexpected turn and strays into the arena of politics and immigration. To me this pivot felt forced and not credible. Regardless, Rhymes and his team carry on to uncover the truth about everything. Then they relax with the Italian police and enjoy grappa, wine, and delicious Italian food.

To top it off, there are warm moments at the end of the book when Lincoln plans a REAL honeymoon for himself and Amelia, in beautiful Italy.

The Neapolitan setting for the book makes an interesting change from New York, and it's instructive to observe the Italian justice system. Author Jeffery Deaver has a knack for creating weird, devious, and frightening protagonists, and 'The Composer' is no exception. I'd recommend the book to readers who enjoy suspense novels, especially Lincoln Rhyme fans.

Rating: 3.5 stars

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Barb's Book Reviews

Friday, February 21, 2025

Review of "The Burial Hour: A Lincoln Rhyme Thriller" by Jeffery Deaver

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