The Twelfth Card

A Lincoln Rhyme Novel

By: Jeffery Deaver

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris

Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Best-selling master of suspense Jeffery Deaver is back with a brand-new Lincoln Rhyme thriller. To save the life of a young girl who's being stalked by a ruthless hit man, Lincoln and his protege, Amelia Sachs, are called upon to do the impossible: solve a truly "cold case", one that's 140 years old.

The Twelfth Card is a two-day cat-and-mouse chase through the streets of uptown Manhattan as quadriplegic detective Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs try to outguess Thompson Boyd, a man whose past has turned him into a killing machine as unfeeling and cunning as a wolf. Boyd is after Geneva Settle, a high school girl from Harlem, and it's up to Lincoln and Amelia to figure out why.

The motive may have to do with a term paper that Geneva is writing about her ancestor, Charles Singleton, a former slave. Charles was active in the early civil rights movement, but was arrested for theft and disgraced. Lincoln and Amelia work frantically to figure out what actually happened on that hot July night in 1868 when Charles was arrested.

Deaver's inimitable plotting keeps this story racing at a lightening-fast clip. With breathtaking twists and multiple surprises, this is Deaver's most compelling Lincoln Rhyme audiobook to date.

©2005 Jeffery Deaver (P)2005 Simon & Schuster Inc. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Well-written, suspenseful." (Booklist)
"Lincoln Rhyme, Deaver's popular paraplegic detective, returns in a robust thriller that demonstrates Deaver's unflagging ability to entertain." (Publishers Weekly)

Beep Beep

This reminded me of Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, and I don't mean that in a good way. There was busting a manequin instead of a person, electrified door knobs, poison gas, bombs, shoving someone under a bus, shooting of course, beatings, knives, various booby traps, and on and on. Instead of interesting plot twists, these were just cheap plot distractions toward what I figured out early on anyway. I was not expecting great literature, but this was downright silly.

The narrator kept saying jewlery instead of jewelry and that drove me up a wall.

Not Deaver's Best

I'm a staunch Deaver fan, but this one just didn't have the zing of some of his previous novels. The last minute resolution left me thinking 'huh'? Did Mr. Deaver run out of time and need to finish up? I hate when that happens.

Quixotic

I am only half way through the book but I'm having difficulty following the story line. Skipping from character to character with mindnumbing cultural detail has detracted from a typical mystery. Also the plot is so tenuous (but immediately obvious) its difficult to develop any intrigue.

History in a mystery.

This is an unusual story of a smart, lonely, black high school student being stalked by a killer and her past. Deaver uses real history of 19th century NYC to make a really good modern mystery.

Dennis Boustsikaris is one of my favorite narrators, but I think he struggled with the Ebonics and black accents. He doesn't get in the way of the story, however, so I rate this performance a 3.5.

The Twelfth Card - Excellent

I love all of Jeffery Deaver's "Lincoln Rhymes" novels!! As soon as I am about 3/4 of the way through one I am anxiously awaiting the NEXT one to be released! I can hardly wait for them. He has a wonderful writing style that keeps you on the edge till the last minute and I just love the exhilaration. Lincoln and his merry band of cohorts are a riot, but Linc always has the last word! He is very funny, and serious at the same time. It's splendid the way Jeffery can write like that. I wish I had a quarter of his talent. Thanks Jeffery for another great book!! :)

I found it really entertaining!

This is only the 2nd review I've ever written, but when I read the negative comments, I just had to put in my two cents' worth. I found this a highly absorbing book to listen to. It isn't the best of his books, and I did anticipate most (but not all) of the plot twists. Even so, with my 3 hour near-daily commute, it kept me glued to my iPod each time I climbed in the car. I thought the narrator did a really nice job with the voices. For sheer entertainment, I felt this book was a really great value.

140 year old cold case!

The story is fascinating and excellent; it's too bad a better author did not write it so it could earn 5 stars. Lincoln Rhyme works with protege Amelia Sachs to solve this mystery. Narration is excellent.

Is Deaver paid by the word??

I give up - I keep buying Deaver's books in hope that one day they won't annoy the crap out of me. The plot is not bad and much more believable than his last few books, but Deaver's need to beat you over the head with the same thing over and over is tiresome. I swear he went over the "evidence board" in it's entirety at least 3 times. Deaver's writing style is enough to get me to use the fast forward button. He's way too fond of adverbs.
Bottom line - this is the last Deaver book I waste my money on.

Twists and Turns Take You Through a Good Story

Deaver hits a home run with this story AND Dennis Boutsikais is a great voice actor. You will enjoy both the story and the narration.

classic Deaver

As always Jeffrey Deaver captures and then hold one's interest to the very end. I listen as I drive to work. Wanted to stay in the car all the time until this one was finished