“The Midnight Lock” is the fifteenth installment in Jeffrey Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme series. Once again, the brilliant paraplegic forensic scientist is at his best. Rhyme only takes on cases that intrigue him and this one will require all his ingenuity.
A mysterious man who calls himself “The Locksmith” breaks into homes with the world’s safest locks only to move things around and then leave, locking up behind him. The victims are all female. Meanwhile, Lincoln is pulled off the case after his trial testimony causes a high-profile defendant to be acquitted. He is stripped of his consultancy status and has his home forensic lab decommissioned. As you’d expect, this doesn’t stop Lincoln Rhyme and his partner, Amelia Sachs.
Deaver is a master of this genre so it’s no surprise that “The Midnight Lock” is a breathtaking, visceral thriller. Multiple storylines keep the plot moving and the reader guessing. Sometimes the many story threads happening simultaneously (along with flashbacks) make the book a little tricky to follow, but it is worth the effort.
“The Midnight Lock” is highly recommended for lovers of who-dunnits and detective stories, and, of course, for Deaver and Rhyme’s many fans.