A review by weaselweader
The Burial Hour by Jeffery Deaver
3.0
In which a “multiple” killer is not necessarily a “serial” killer
Forensic investigator extraordinaire Lincoln Rhyme and his partner, now fiancée, Amelia Sachs, are tasked with the investigation of a killing which involves a noose made of a cello string left at the scene of the crime and videos of the actual deed being posted on social media. Deaver’s treatment of the analysis of forensic evidence has been compelling and technically informative without being pedantic from the very first novel in the Lincoln Rhyme series and THE BURIAL HOUR is certainly no exception to that pattern.
However, movement of the plotline from a typical serial murder suspense thriller to a geopolitical espionage-oriented potboiler set in a foreign country is a definite change of direction. Despite the continuing use of Rhyme’s skills as a forensic investigator, I thought that the substantive theme change was not effective. First, the solution to the string of murders and kidnappings came as a deus ex machina revelation that no reader could possibly have predicted (Boo! on that idea). Secondly, the fact that the bad guys were far right-wing Republicans focused on neo-Nazism and global nationalism was, frankly, banal and utterly pedestrian in its message. The actual individuals involved weren’t specifically predictable but the overall theme was as unsurprising as the sun rising this morning at dawn.
That said, the introduction of a small handful of new characters – procuratore Dante Spiro, forestry officer Ercole Benelli and forensics technician Beatrice Renza – was delightful. I hope that we’ll see more of them somehow in future novels. These characters, their personalities, their quirks and all of the associated conduct and dialogue was what rescued THE BURIAL HOUR from a more bleak 1- or 2- star rating and ensured that I would continue to read the series. But it was a close call. When I read Deaver and Lincoln Rhyme, I want a murder set in a suspense or a psychological thriller. If I want a geopolitical espionage thriller, I look to other authors. Goodness knows, there are plenty of them out there!
Paul Weiss
Forensic investigator extraordinaire Lincoln Rhyme and his partner, now fiancée, Amelia Sachs, are tasked with the investigation of a killing which involves a noose made of a cello string left at the scene of the crime and videos of the actual deed being posted on social media. Deaver’s treatment of the analysis of forensic evidence has been compelling and technically informative without being pedantic from the very first novel in the Lincoln Rhyme series and THE BURIAL HOUR is certainly no exception to that pattern.
However, movement of the plotline from a typical serial murder suspense thriller to a geopolitical espionage-oriented potboiler set in a foreign country is a definite change of direction. Despite the continuing use of Rhyme’s skills as a forensic investigator, I thought that the substantive theme change was not effective. First, the solution to the string of murders and kidnappings came as a deus ex machina revelation that no reader could possibly have predicted (Boo! on that idea). Secondly, the fact that the bad guys were far right-wing Republicans focused on neo-Nazism and global nationalism was, frankly, banal and utterly pedestrian in its message. The actual individuals involved weren’t specifically predictable but the overall theme was as unsurprising as the sun rising this morning at dawn.
That said, the introduction of a small handful of new characters – procuratore Dante Spiro, forestry officer Ercole Benelli and forensics technician Beatrice Renza – was delightful. I hope that we’ll see more of them somehow in future novels. These characters, their personalities, their quirks and all of the associated conduct and dialogue was what rescued THE BURIAL HOUR from a more bleak 1- or 2- star rating and ensured that I would continue to read the series. But it was a close call. When I read Deaver and Lincoln Rhyme, I want a murder set in a suspense or a psychological thriller. If I want a geopolitical espionage thriller, I look to other authors. Goodness knows, there are plenty of them out there!
Paul Weiss