Skin Collector - (Lincoln Rhyme Novel) by Jeffery Deaver (Paperback)

About the Book

A new type of serial killer is stalking the streets of New York - one more devious and disturbing than ever before. They call this butcher The Skin Collector: a tattooist with a chamber of torture hidden deep underground. But instead of using ink to create each masterpiece, the artist uses a lethal poison which will render targets dead before they can even entertain the prospect of escape. Drafted in to investigate, NYPD detective Lincoln Rhyme and his associate Amelia Sachs have little to go on but a series of cryptic messages left etched into the skin of the deceased.

Book Synopsis

In his classic thriller The Bone Collector, Jeffery Deaver introduced readers to Lincoln Rhyme-the nation's most renowned investigator and forensic detective.

Now, a new killer is on the loose: a criminal inspired by the Bone Collector. And Rhyme must untangle the twisted web of clues before the killer targets more victims-or Rhyme himself.

The killer's methods are terrifying. He stalks the basements and underground passageways of New York City. He tattoos his victims' flesh with cryptic messages, using a tattoo gun loaded with poison, resulting in an agonizing, painful death.

When a connection is made to the Bone Collector-the serial killer who terrorized New York more than a decade ago-Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are immediately drawn into the case.

Rhyme, Sachs, and the NYPD must race against time to answer the many questions the investigation uncovers: Whom will the killer attack next? What is the message behind the victims' tattoos? Does the killer's own inking--a fanged centipede sporting a woman's face--hold any significance? And what is his ultimate mission?

As time runs out, Rhyme discovers that the past has returned to haunt him in the most troubling way imaginable...

Review Quotes

"A taut psychological thriller from a masterful crime writer, proving Deaver just gets better with each new novel."--June 2010 Indie Next List Great Reads list on The Burning Wire

"Chillingly effective...Jeffery Deaver's quadriplegic detective has never been better...Equal parts Marathon Man and top-notch political thriller, this is Deaver at the top of his game. Rhyme remains the most original hero in thriller fiction today who may have met his match in Swann. Not to be missed."--Providence Sunday Journal on The Kill Room

"Deaver's scarily believable depiction of identity theft in a total-surveillance society stokes our paranoia. A -."--Entertainment Weekly on The Broken Window

"Jeffery Deaver has written an ace thriller to keep readers guessing and gasping with his latest Lincoln Rhyme thriller, The Kill Room. A master magician with words, Deaver misdirects with one tale while what's really going on is just off the reader's radar...The numerous twists and turns in The Kill Room are so fast and furious that by the novel's end, the reader will be dizzy - and clamoring for more."--Associated Press

"Not even the brilliant Rhyme can foresee the shocking twists the case will take in this electrically charged thriller."--Publishers Weekly, (Starred Review) on The Burning Wire

"One of the most unnerving of Deaver's eight novels featuring his quadriplegic forensic detective, Lincoln Rhyme."--New York Times on The Broken Window

"Outstanding...the endgame remains in doubt to the end. Deaver proves himself a grandmaster of the genre as each surprise leads to an even bigger surprise, like a series of reverse Russian nesting dolls."--Publishers Weekly -- Starred Review

"Rhyme is one of the mystery genre's most interesting and out-of-the-ordinary series leads...As always, Deaver's dialogue is exceptionally realistic, and his plotting is devilishly intricate. Recommended for fans of the Rhyme novels (naturally) and readers who like their thrillers laced with wit and sharp characterizations."--Booklist on The Broken Window

"This eighth novel featuring quadriplegic forensic expert Lincoln Rhyme is one of Deaver's best...Deaver has outdone himself."--The Globe and Mail on The Broken Window

"This is Deaver at his very best and not to be missed by any thriller fan."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Kill Room - A "Best Summer Book of 2013"

About the Author

Jeffery Deaver is the #1 international bestselling author of over thirty novels and three collections of short stories. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into 25 languages. His first novel featuring Lincoln Rhyme, The Bone Collector, was made into a major motion picture starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. He's received or been shortlisted for a number of awards around the world. He lives in North Carolina.