Title:	The Steel Kiss
	Author:	Jeffery Deaver
	Published:	2016, Grand Central Publishing
	No. of Pages:	496
	Cover Price:	$28.00, Hardcover, $7.99 Paperback, $14.99 Kindle

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Jeffery Deaver is at it again with another excellent adventure, The Steel Kiss, with Quadriplegic Lincoln Rhyme and his partner Amelia Sachs. Lincoln has officially quit consulting with law enforcement, and only agrees to help with a civil case at Amelia’s urging.

While Amelia is chasing a suspected killer at the mall, she hears screams and rushes to help a man who has fallen inside an escalator and has been mangled; he dies and the killer gets away. The ensuing follow-up with the escalator company shows it is on the verge of bankruptcy and cannot pay out a settlement to the dead man’s family. However, other deaths and close calls are occurring around the city due to faulty appliances and devices. While Lincoln works these suspicious deaths, Amelia continues to pursue the unsub she lost at the mall.

Deaver takes the reader into the mind of the killer, who has marfan syndrome. He is tall, reed thin, with big feet, and is very distinctive looking. He is, however, elusive, and continues with his agenda as law enforcement works to capture him before he kills again. To complicate matters, Amelia’s former fiancé, Nick has been released from prison, insists he was innocent and took the rap for his brother, and tries to get Amelia to take him back.

Deaver has a style all his own, which makes this a must-read for Lincoln Rhyme fans. Deaver has an imagination like no other, and The Steel Kiss, just like his previous Lincoln Rhyme novels, is very difficult to put down. Lincoln and Amelia are going through hard times, since she is still angry at him for quitting the law enforcement end of his consulting, and there is a coldness between them. This may put off some readers, but the cause, as well as the mysteries, are sorted out in the end.

Like the previous Lincoln Rhyme novels, the suspense starts at the beginning and continues throughout. It is a “must-read” for Lincoln Rhyme fans, and should be in the queue (after the previous novels for background information) for readers who love a good, suspenseful thriller. Highly recommended.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this novel.

This book may be purchased at Amazon:
The Steel Kiss (A Lincoln Rhyme Novel), hardcover
The Steel Kiss (A Lincoln Rhyme Novel), Paperback
The Steel Kiss (A Lincoln Rhyme Novel), Kindle