The Bone Collector is the first book in the Lincoln Rhymes series by Jeffery Deaver. We are introduced to Lincoln Rhyme as one of the world's foremost forensic criminalists who also happens to be a quadriplegic who is paralysed from the neck down. First written in 1997 it reflects the New York City of the time and the changing Manhattan.

T.J. Colfax and her boss land at JFK two hours late and the car service has long since disappeared, so they decided to hop into a yellow cab. Unfortunately, neither will ever reach their destination and so begins The Bone Collector’s journey.

When NYPD patrol officer Amelia Sachs is the first to a crime scene, she closes down the railway and the main road above. This is not good as there is a UN conference in town and when the head of forensics arrives at the scene he gives her a dressing down. Jim Polling makes a request to the police commissioner and the mayor that they bring in Lincoln Rhymes to solve the case.

Amelia Sachs is asked to report to Lincoln Rhymes house opposite Central Park and explains what she did and why. When a call comes in about the missing Colfax, Rhymes sends Sachs to the scene to work for the victim and then work the crime scene. She becomes the eyes and ears and nose for Rhymes as she collects the evidence for analysis. Sachs slowly begins to trust Rhymes and vice versa and so build up a working relationship that will bring this to a successful conclusion.

This is a fast paced thriller and a wonderful opening to the Lincoln Rhymes series. ( )

sometimes I just need a book that makes me race through the pages. this one was fun in that it kept you reading. ( )

Review to follow ( )

I can't believe that I not only enjoyed this, I am now reading the rest of the series in order. The main characters are absolutely ridiculous and I am intrigued and interested in them nevertheless. I am not sure how long I will be able to tolerate the structure nor am I sure that the CSI aspect will sustain my interest indefinitely but the plus side to all of it is that Deaver can actually write sentences and, aside from the main melodrama, seems to have a nice feel for a lot of secondary characters. ( )

the first of Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme novels....terrific ( )