The Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver
Published January 1, 2010

Book info
- Title
- Author Jeffery Deaver
- Year
- Genres
Thoughts
I’m always concerned when writers bring in secondary characters in a plot, only as a device to continue the series onwards. The worst example of this is the Clive Cussler Dirk Pitt novels, where some long-lost children were discovered just as the main character was getting on a bit. Conveniently, they both have the adventurous spirit that he does and the writing can continue!
Over to Jeffery Deaver then, and this spin off actually works pretty well. The character was introduced in a Lincoln Rhyme book, but didn’t overshadow that one, and now quite rightly has her own story to tell. I get the feeling Deaver chose this new path as a way to investigate other methods of policing, rather than sticking religiously to the forensics side of things. It’s certainly an interesting read, so I hope it was interesting for him to write.
The personal stories involved are not as compelling as the partnership between Sachs and Rhyme, but the crime side of things is up to the usual high standard. The twists and turns are all there, including that moment when you think the story might be over and you’ve still got several chapters to go. Recommended, although probably more of an acquired taste.
Rating: Unrated