Cyndi J. (cyndij) reviewed on 4/1/2017 + 1032 more book reviews

It's been a while since I read one of Jeffrey Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme books. This is the sixth in the series. I have never read them in order, and it doesn't seem necessary to do so; there's enough backstory sprinkled in that a new reader won't lack info about the characters. In THE TWELFTH CARD, the brilliant and quadriplegic forensic detective is tasked to solve the attempted rape of a teenaged girl. Of course it doesn't turn out to be as simple as that. I enjoyed reading all the details of the analysis they go through; every couple chapters Deavers shows us the big evidence chart they put together.

I did feel as though this book required more suspension of disbelief than I needed for other Lincoln Rhyme books. The story starts with teenager Geneva Suttle being attacked in a small museum while doing research. She escapes and reports it to a patrol officer. Suddenly there are police everywhere, and they call in Rhyme and his team to "run the scene". The reader knows something momentous is happening, but in NYC an attempted rape gets major police attention? My mind was busy trying to wrap around that instead of going along with the story. Of course it all quickly escalates, but still. I also had a big question about Geneva's living arrangements towards the last third of the novel, and couldn't figure that out either, but oh well. Like the TV show BONES, it doesn't help your enjoyment to be too critical.

Deaver throws in a number of interesting twists to the action, maybe more than it really needed, but still rather fun. You know something is left when it looks like they've wrapped up the case but there's still 100 pages to go. Rhyme and partner Amelia Sachs are interesting characters, the supporting case felt real enough, and Geneva is very appealing as a smart kid determined to better herself.

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