New York Times Best-selling author
Jeffery Deaver’s latest book, The Kill Room, is
a fascinating exploration of targeted assassination. The emphasis
of this political thriller is on the “political.”
At the heart of the story is a complex debate where the author
brilliantly presents both sides of the case of when and which
American citizen should be targeted for assassination, as
they are deemed dangerous to the safety of this country. He
also delves into the issues of collateral damage, and, in
a brief discussion, on gun control.
The novel begins with an assassination, in the Bahamas, of
a self-made millionaire, Roberto Moreno and two others who
were caught in the crossfire. Moreno is an American citizen
who hates the US, campaigning against what he sees as the
exploitation of those in Latin America. Deaver has the readers
wondering if Moreno was an activist or a terrorist. Is he
just vocally opposed to US policy or is planning an attack
on the shores of the US?
The plot of The Kill Room centers on New York assistant
district attorney Nance Laurel, who is attempting to prosecute
the assassin and the chief of a CIA-style government agency,
the National Intelligence and Operations Service (NIOS). She
approaches Lincoln Rhyme and his assistant Amelia Sachs to
find evidence to use in the prosecution.
Deaver commented, “ I wanted to look at this issue where
the government takes out US citizens. As you go through the
book you see both sides arising, where the debate goes back
and forth throughout the whole book. The question readers
should think about is should someone be targeted if they present
an imminent threat and something horrific can be prevented?
I wanted to raise this issue which will resonate in people’s
hearts and minds.” He does this very well and at the
end of the book there is a powerful discussion, which summarizes
both sides.
He presents the issues through his characters with powerful
interactions between them. Laurel, a new character, is driven
by her desire to succeed and advance, putting that above all
else. People could easily describe her as the bleeding heart
liberal that never looks at the big picture. She is countered
by Shreve Metzger, the director of the NIOS who believes almost
anything is justified to make sure Americans are kept safe.
Deaver feels that the readers should be the ones to determine
if characters will reoccur, “If people like Laurel or
Metzger they will probably come back.”
The main characters are Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs. Rhyme
is a retired forensic scientist who has been a quadriplegic
since a job accident, which almost killed him. Amelia Sachs
is an NYPD detective who is Rhyme’s sidekick, and does
the actual investigative work. Deaver commented about his
characters, “Rhyme became a quadriplegic because I wanted
a character that was purely cerebral. All he is able to do
is think, but that does not make a very exciting book. I needed
someone who would go out into the field and kick butt, a sidekick
who can get into the head of the criminal and understand the
evidence. Thus, Amelia Sachs was created to compliment Lincoln.
She uses her body while he uses his mind. I made them a romantic
couple to complete the whole picture.”
The eerie villain is Jacob Swann whose task is to eliminate
witnesses and stop Laurel, Rhyme, and Sachs through his weapon
of choice, knives. The book shows how a knife can inflict
grotesque damage, and in it there is a brief debate on the
issue of the 2nd Amendment. Deaver stated, “Our friend
Jacob Swann can do some really bad things with his carving
knife. What is an interesting point is that the story shows
the damage that can be done with a weapon other than a gun,
and sometimes it is even more horrific. Look at the UK where
it is almost impossible to own a gun yet people are slaughtered
with knives. Why just the other day, a British soldier was
murdered by two men who seemed to be self-professed Islamists,
wielding knives and machetes or cleavers. The vicious killing
brings home the fact that evil will persist, whatever weapons
are at hand. In thinking about this soldier, and being a part
of a military family, I have nothing but respect and honor
for all those who keep us safe. G-d bless every soldier.”
Deaver is able to incorporate in the plot both knives and
cooking by presenting clues through Swann’s hobby as
an amateur cook. “I know something about cooking since
I consider myself an amateur chef. I wanted to have him use
some of the cooking techniques for his dastardly deeds, and
to give my character an interesting quirk. I also plan on
publishing on my website recipes from Jacob Swann.”
The Kill Room is very powerful in its exploration
of current issues. The novel is also entertaining as the reader
tries to solve the crime. This book is a page-turner with
nothing as it seems to be, culminating in many surprise endings.
Reviews
of other titles in the Lincoln Rhyme series
The
Bone Collector #1
The
Empty Chair #3
Kill
Room #10
The
Steel Kiss #12
The
Burial Hour #13
The
Cutting Edge #14 (includes Kathryn Dance)
Kathryn
Dance Series
Solitude
Creek #4
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