The Bone Collector (Four Stars)

suspense/horror
The Bone Collector
Jeffery Deaver
Signet Books
©1997
ISBN 0-451-18845-4
427 pages
USA $6.99/CAN $8.99

"Lincoln Rhyme was once one of the nation’s most brilliant criminologists, a genius in the field of forensics. Now an accident has left him physically crippled and emotionally stunted. But he’s about to be dragged into the most explosive case of his already distinguished career. A diabolical killer known as the Bone Collector has been stalking unsuspecting prey on the streets of New York, and it will take all of Rhyme’s investigative skills to stop him.

"With beautiful police detective Amelia Sachs at his side, Rhyme must uncover a labyrinth of clues to prevent the next grisly crime. But a race against the clock becomes a terrifying battle of wits as Rhyme is drawn, step by chilling step, into the mind of a monstrous madman who won’t stop until he has stripped life down to raw bone…."

What a terrifying book. Deaver has created a protagonist that the reader sometimes loves and sometimes hates. It seems that there is nothing more important than the crime scene, and, since Rhyme can’t be there himself to process it, he commands novice Sachs to process scenes, even though she’s never been trained in forensics. She is horrified with Rhyme when he once asked her to cut a victim’s hands off so he could examine the handcuffs without opening them.

But throughout the course of these horrifying days (yes, the whole novel takes place in about a week of real time), Rhyme comes to rely on Sach’s growing sense of the criminal mind, as she realizes that he is the only one who can figure out the Bone Collector’s clues in time to save the next victim. I must admit that Deaver is sometimes too graphic, and some descriptions of the crimes being perpetrated were heinous, far more chilling in the almost matter-of-fact language Deaver uses. However, if a reader can get past the blood, the ending is phenomenal. For anyone who loves suspense, this is a good read. And a whole lot better than the movie.

Life Expectancy (Five Stars)

suspence/horror
Life Expectancy
Dean Koontz
Bantam Books
©2004
ISBN 0-553-58824-9
476 pages
US $7.99/$11.99 CAN

"Before he died on a storm-wracked night, Jimmy Tock’s grandfather predicted there would be five dark days in his grandson’s life – five dates whose terrible events Jimmy must prepare himself to face. The first is to occur in his twentieth year, the last in his thirtieth. What terrifying events await Jimmy on these five critical days? What challenges must he survive? The path he follows will defy every expectation and will take all the love, humor, and courage he possesses. For who Jimmy Tock is and what he must accomplish on the five days his world turns is a mystery both dangerous and wondrous…. Life expectancy… enjoy it while you can."

Another one of Janna’s recommendations, this has turned into one of my favourite books. From the opening paragraph, Dean Koontz leads the reader through the life of a baker, an ordinary guy, forced to live through five horrendous days. Compelling, gripping, I flew through this book, unable to put it down. Despite being a ‘horror’ book, this is also truly humorous, moments of laugh-out-loud pleasure. I have never known a protagonist who is a baker, and I loved hearing stories about the baker’s life. Every character in this book is well-thought out and rounded.

In short, I love this book. I will likely read it again and again. It may be my favourite Dean Koontz book, though ‘Lightning’ is the other of his novels that is also fabulous. Koontz’s craft only excels as he ages, and I look forward to reading more of him.