Jeffery Deaver is an international number-one bestselling author. His novels have appeared on bestseller lists around the world. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into over twenty-five languages. He has served two terms as president of Mystery Writers of America, and was recently named a Grand Master of MWA, whose ranks include Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, Mary Higgins Clark and Walter Mosely.
The author of over forty novels, three collections of short stories and a nonfiction law book, and a lyricist of a country-western album, he’s received or been shortlisted for dozens of awards. His “The Bodies Left Behind” was named Novel of the Year by the International Thriller Writers association, and his Lincoln Rhyme thriller “The Broken Window” and a stand-alone, “Edge,” were also nominated for that prize. “The Garden of Beasts” won the Steel Dagger from the Crime Writers Association in England. He’s also been nominated for eight Edgar Awards by the MWA.
Deaver has been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, the Strand Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Raymond Chandler Lifetime Achievement Award in Italy.
His book “A Maiden’s Grave” was made into an HBO movie starring James Garner and Marlee Matlin, and his novel “The Bone Collector” was a feature release from Universal Pictures, starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. Lifetime aired an adaptation of his “The Devil’s Teardrop.” NBC television recently aired the nine-episode prime-time series, “Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector.”
You can find out more about Jeffery on his website www.jefferydeaver.com, Facebook page facebook.com/JefferyDeaver, and follow him on Twitter @JefferyDeaver.
I chose this book as I’ve never read a book by Jeffery Deaver before and have heard great things about them. This one came upon a NetGalley recommendation, and the blurb sounded good, so I thought I would give it a try.
I read this as a stand-alone as I didn’t initially realise it was part of a long series, and what a wonderful treat it is! This is a pacy, well-plotted read full of entertainment with plenty of twists and turns. The plot is somewhat complicated, with many strands pulled together brilliantly, all very impressively tied up by the end with no lost strands.
The plot is realistic and will have you checking that you have locked your doors before bed and wondering how quickly the ‘Locksmith’ could get in. the sense of threat is so understated and yet terrifying at the same time. The consequences are almost worse than death in some ways. I felt I needed to be alert to read this due to so many threads, so it took me longer than usual but was immensely enjoyable.
The characters are brilliant and key to the plot. Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are potent characters, fastidious, astute and very capable; they make great partners who have great chemistry and even better dialogue. Despite Rhyme being technically sacked from the NYPD, Sachs is keen to keep him in the loop, and he can’t help but investigate discreetly as much as possible.
I loved the stalker-like qualities of the very talented ‘Locksmith’ who has so much devotion and dedication to his craft, which is impressive; alongside his terrifying acts, he is a great character.
The ending felt a little too long for me, I usually complain that they are too short, to be honest, and need more detail, but this one almost went the opposite way. However, each strand of the story was well tied up by the end, and I wasn’t left guessing at all; it even answered some questions I didn’t even know I had until I read the answers!
I enjoyed my first glimpse into the world of Lincoln Rhyme and will fund time to go back to the beginning and read the others at some point too.
Thanks to the Author, Publisher and Netgalley for an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review.
| Title | The Midnight Lock |
| Author | Jeffery Deaver |
| Series | N/A |
| Format | eARC |
| Page Count | 448 Pages |
| Genre | Psychological Thriller |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Release Date | 25th November 2021 |
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