The Twelfth Card (A Lincoln Rhyme Novel) (Hardcover)

by Jeffery Deaver (Author) "His face wet with sweat and with tears, the man runs for freedom, he runs for his life..." (more)
Key Phrases: rape pack, allegedly committed theft, stolen microfiche, New York, Geneva Settle, Thompson Boyd (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Lincoln Rhyme, Deaver's popular paraplegic detective, returns (after The Vanished Man) in a robust thriller that demonstrates Deaver's unflagging ability to entertain. But even great entertainers have high and lows, and this novel, while steadily absorbing, doesn't match the author's best. Geneva Settle, who's 16 and black, is attacked in a Manhattan library while researching an ancestor, a former slave who harbored a serious secret (not revealed until book's end). Amelia Sachs, Rhyme's lover/assistant, and then Rhyme are pulled into the case, which quickly turns bloody. After Geneva are a lethally cool white hit man and a black ex-con—but even when they're identified, their motive remains unclear: why does someone want this feisty, hardworking Harlem schoolgirl dead? To find out, Rhyme primarily relies, as usual, on his and Sachs's strength, forensic analysis; the book's tour de force opening sequence consists mostly of a lengthy depiction of their painstaking dissection of evidence left during the initial attack on Geneva, and every few chapters there's an extensive recap of all evidence collected in the case. Deaver offers more plot twists than seem possible, each fully justified, but this and the emphasis on forensics give the novel more brain than heart. Geneva, a wonderful character, adds feeling to the story, and there are minor personal crises faced by other characters, but as the novel's focus veers from police procedure to odd byways of American history, execution techniques and one more plot twist, the narrative loses grace and form. Even so, this is one of the more lively thrillers of the year and will be a significant bestseller.
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From Booklist
A new Lincoln Rhyme novel is cause for excitement among fans of twisty-turny thrillers. This time out, Rhyme, the quadriplegic forensic investigator, is trying to find out why a man was stalking a high-school student. Turns out it might have something to do with the death of one of the student's ancestors nearly 140 years ago. Deaver, who must have been born with a special plot-twist gene, somehow manages, in every book, to pull two or three big surprises out of his hat. He also has a knack for drawing us immediately into the story. For some readers, it's his detailed description of investigative techniques; for others, it's Rhyme himself, the crusty, bad-tempered (but secretly lovable) detective who, with the help of his protege (and lover), the beautiful Amelia Sachs, solves crimes that most other investigators couldn't begin to crack. The Rhyme novels are among the cleverest of contemporary detective fiction. It is disappointing, however, to report that this one has a rather noticeable flaw. He attempts to render the dialogue of an African American character, in a kind of written Ebonics ("'S'up, girl?") that is very distracting to read and pulls us right out of the story. One of Deaver's strong points has always been his ability to write flowing dialogue; the awkward effort here to translate oral idiom into written language is an unfortunate slipup. Aside from that, though, it's a typically well-written, suspenseful story. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (June 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743260929
• ISBN-13: 978-0743260923
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #396,866 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 6 in The Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Deaver loves the wild twist, August 1, 2005

By	Dave Schwinghammer "Dave Schwinghammer" (Little Falls, Minnesota USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I have been a Lincoln Rhyme fan every since I saw THE BONE COLLECTOR, then realized there was a mystery/thriller series by Jeffery Deaver featuring the same character. There's something about a paralyzed forensics expert who solves complicated cases with the aid of a beautiful redheaded sidekick that fascinates.

That said I've always had some reservations about Deaver. He loves the wild plot twist for one thing, and that's still the case with THE TWELFTH CARD. Through most of the book we think the attempted assault on Geneva Settle, a high school student doing research at the Museum of African-American Culture and History, has something to do with her ancestor, Charles Singleton, an emancipated slave who'd inherited land from his former master. But that's too easy for Deaver. Soon we're dealing with Arab terrorists, bombs going off right and left, and two or three more people trying to kill Geneva. It's all a little too much for the patient reader.

Then there's the matter of ebonics (I can't remember the more politically correct term). Every African-American character in the book sounds the same, including Geneva Settle, when she's around her friend Keesha and a potential boyfriend. Can you say the word s-t-e-r-e-o-t-y-p-e?

The saving grace in THE TWELFTH CARD is the villain, Thompson Boyd. He's a professional hit man who's been "numbed" by his profession. What's interesting is that he's trying to cure himself by cohabiting with a woman and her two little girls. He figures if he goes through the motions of family life, some of their normalcy and zest for life will rub off on him. Thompson goes down a bit too easy about a hundred pages before the end of the book, again because of Deaver's penchant for the wild twist.

Despite the reservations mentioned above, I highly recommend this book. The Lincoln Rhyme, Amelia Sachs team is top notch; the police procedural (with its recurring evidentiary lists) is fun to follow, and the cast of recurring characters, including Fred Dellray, Mel Cooper, Lon Sellitto, and Thom, Lincoln's physical therapy aide, are all well-rounded and interesting. If you haven't read any of the other five novels in the series, you're in for a treat.

33 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Murder case that goes back 140 years!, June 7, 2005

By	Jenny Blickman "from the block" (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is only the second Jeff Deaver Novel I have read, the first being the "Bone Collector" a few years ago. No excuse as to why I have not read more Deaver as I liked "The Bone Collector" and I liked this novel "the Twelfth card." The author has a wonderful talent for the unexpected twist and or turn that makes this kind of book fun. He also does a great job of developing his characters and writing believable dialog. I think the quadriplegia Lincoln Rhyme is just great, a tough exterior but a big marshmallow inside. And an inspiration as to how he handles his Handicap.

In this installment Rhyme is investigating why a man has been stalking a highschool student. Could it have something to do with the 140 year old death of the student's ancestor. I wont give away the plot but it takes off from here and leads the reader on a suspenseful tale full of thrills and twists and turns! I highly recommend "The Twelfth card" you won't be disappointed! You also might want to check out "Tourist in the Yucatan" great Mystery/thriller that has become a cult classic!

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lincoln Rhyme rides again, June 7, 2005

By	Robert Busko (Waynesville, NC USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

When I learned that a new Lincoln Rhyme novel was due out in June I was elated along with many of our library patrons. Jeffrey Deaver and his stories are greatly anticipated by many of our patrons.

In The Twelfth Card teenager Geneva Settle is attacked and nearly killed while doing research in a library in the City. Chased by the assailant she narrowly escapes. She eventually ends up in front of Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs where she is debriefed and put in protective custody. It is this part of the book that seems contrived. Lincoln Rhyme is a high powered piece of manpower. If he were used to investigate every suspected assault on a teenager he wouldn't have any time for other crimes. Of course WE know that there is a major crime to be prevented/solved because we can see the book. However, Lincoln doesn't know that this isn't just what it looks like, a possible attempted sexual assault.

Aside from this minor point, The Twelfth Card is everything we have come to expect from Jeffrey Deaver. The Twelfth Card is a great story with more than its share of plot twists. The plot is believable and keeps the readers turning the pages.

Finally, Deaver continues to offer fresh stories that rely on good authorship. This is refreshing considering some of the trite and contrived novels being published by other authors.