The Steel Kiss by Jeffery Deaver

Published by Grand Central Publishing on March 8, 2016

I’m happy to report that Jeffery Deaver has returned to form with The Steel Kiss. Or maybe I just like Lincoln Rhyme more than Kathryn Dance, the lead character in Deaver’s last (and thoroughly forgettable) novel.

Without the assistance of Lincoln Rhyme, who is teaching forensic science in lieu of employment with NYPD, Amelia Sachs is trying to catch a suspect who killed someone with a ball peen hammer. The villain is, of course, a serial killer. He resorts to hammers only of necessity. His weapon of choice is a controller that operates “smart” products -- ovens, microwaves, and any other product that can be told what to do via an internet connection. His targets appear to be conspicuous consumers, although the reader (like Rhyme) is challenged to identify the rationale that underlies his choice of victims. His manner of killing is inventive, as is his personality, which makes him one of the more imaginative villains Deaver has concocted.

As usual, Sachs plays a central role in the novel, and the return of her ex-con ex-boyfriend, who may or may not be innocent, adds some zest to the story. A young woman in a wheelchair is turning her attention to forensic evidence, giving Rhyme a new friend, but is she in competition with Sachs? Other familiar characters round out the cast, including Lon Sellitto and Mel Cooper.

I appreciate Rhyme’s stand-offish personality, which seems natural for a character with his intellectual gifts. It’s certainly a refreshing change from the self-aggrandizing chatter of other fictional forensic experts, who can’t stop trying to gain the reader’s approval with constant reminders that they care so much more about crime victims than anyone else in the world possibly could. Rhyme cares about evidence and where the evidence leads him, which is exactly how a forensic scientist should be, even if it makes him seem callous. Sympathy impairs objectivity, which is why so many fictional forensic examiners strike the wrong note.

Like most thrillers, some parts of the novel are hard to believe. When Sachs rushes into a burning building to save evidence -- not knowing what the evidence might be or how she will recognize it -- I had my doubts about the story’s credibility. But it’s a good scene, which made it easy to suspend my disbelief.

Some plot twists and surprises await the reader near the end of the novel. One of the surprises is a bit of a cheat -- Rhyme knows facts that Deaver conceals from the reader -- but I’m giving Deaver a pass for that. Other parts of the novel also use misdirection, but the facts concealed from the reader are unknown to the investigators, so that didn’t strike me as cheating. A final surprise at the end isn’t very convincing at all, but I suppose it was necessary to set up the next novel.

The subplot involving Sachs’ ex-boyfriend is a bit forced. A subplot that relates to Rhyme’s decision to resign from NYPD is more interesting. On the whole, The Steel Kiss is a solid entry in the Lincoln Rhyme series and a welcome return to form for Deaver.

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