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Kathryn Dance, an investigator with the California Bureau of Investigation, returns from Deaver's The Cold Moon(where she was a secondary) in this post-prison break pulse-pounder. Dance is the lead cop handling the escape of psychopathic killer Daniel Pell, dubbed "Son of Manson" by the press for his "family" of young runaways and his most horrendous crime, the murders of computer engineer William Croyton, Croyton's wife and two of their three children. The only child left alive, nine-year-old Theresa, is known as theSleeping Doll. Pell, charismatic and diabolically intelligent, continually eludes capture, but Dance, a specialist in interrogation and kinesics (or body language), is never more than a few suspenseful minutes behind. Dance is nicely detailed, and procedural scenes where she uses somatic cues to ferret out liars are fascinating. The book sags in its long middle, but toward the end Deaver digs into his bottomless bag of unexpected twists and turns, keeping readers wide-eyed with surprise, and leaving them looking forward to more of the perspicacious Dance. (June)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
Upon earning his B.A. in journalism from the University of Missouri, Deaver realized that he lacked the necessary background to become a legal correspondent for the high-profile publications he aspired to, such as The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal, so he enrolled at Fordham Law School. Being a legal eagle soon grew on Deaver, and rather than continue on as a reporter, he took a job as a corporate lawyer at a top Wall Street firm. Deaver's detour from the writing life wasn't to last, however; ironically, it was his substantial commute to the law office that touched off his third -- and current -- career. He'd fill the long hours on the train scribbling his own renditions of the kind of fiction he enjoyed reading most: suspense.
Voodoo, a supernatural thriller, and Always a Thief, an art-theft caper, were Deaver's first published novels. Produced by the now-defunct Paperjacks paperback original house, the books are no longer in print, but they remain hot items on the collector circuit. His first major outing was the Rune series, which followed the adventures of an aspiring female filmmaker in the power trilogy Manhattan Is My Beat (1988), Death of a Blue Movie Star (1990), and Hard News (1991).
Deaver's next series, this one featuring the adventures of ace movie location scout John Pellam, featured the thrillers Shallow Graves (1992), Bloody River Blues (1993), and Hell's Kitchen (2001). Written under the pen name William Jefferies, the series stands out in Deaver's body of work, primarily because it touched off his talent for focusing more on his vivid characters than on their perilous situations.
In fact, it is his series featuring the intrepid and beloved team of Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs that showcases Deaver at the top of his game. Confronting enormous odds (and always under somewhat gruesome circumstances), the embittered detective and his feisty partner and love interest made their debut in 1991's grisly caper The Bone Collector, and hooked fans for four more books: The Coffin Dancer (1998), The Empty Chair (2000), The Stone Monkey (2002), and The Vanishing Man(2003). Of the series, Kirkus Reviews observed, "Deaver marries forensic work that would do Patricia Cornwell proud to turbocharged plots that put Benzedrine to shame."
On the creation of Rhyme, who happens to be a paraplegic, Deaver explained to Shots magazine, "I wanted to create a Sherlock Holmes-ian kind of character that uses his mind rather than his body. He solves crimes by thinking about the crimes, rather than someone who can shoot straight, run faster, or walk into the bar and trick people into giving away the clues."
As for his reputation for conjuring up some of the most unsavory scenes in pop crime fiction, Deaver admits on his web site, "In general, I think, less is more, and that if a reader stops reading because a book is too icky then I've failed in my obligation to the readers."
Two of his books have been made into major feature films. The first was A Maiden's Grave (the film adaptation was called Dead Silence), which starred James Garner and Marlee Matlin. The Bone Collector came next, starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie.
In addition to being a bestselling novelist, Deaver has also been a folksinger, songwriter, music researcher, and professional poet.
Deaver's younger sister, Julie Reece Deaver, is a fellow author who writes novels for young adults.
In our interview with Deaver, he reveals, "My inspiration for writing is the reader. I want to give readers whatever will excite and please them. It's absolutely vital in this business for authors to know their audience and to write with them in mind."
The interrogation began like any other.
Kathryn Dance entered the interview room and found the forty-three-year-old man sitting at a metal table, shackled, looking up at her closely. Subjects always did this, of course, though never with such astonishing eyes. Their color was a blue unlike sky or ocean or famous gems.
"Good morning," she said, sitting down across from him.
"And to you," replied Daniel Pell, the man who eight years ago had knifed to death four members of a family for reasons he'd never shared. His voice was soft.
A slight smile on his bearded face, the small, sinewy man sat back, relaxed. His head, covered with long, gray-black hair, was cocked to the side. While most jailhouse interrogations were accompanied by a jingling soundtrack of handcuff chains as subjects tried to prove their innocence with broad, predictable gestures, Daniel Pell sat perfectly still.
To Dance, a specialist in interrogation and kinesics -- body language -- Pell's demeanor and posture suggested caution, but also confidence and, curiously, amusement. He wore an orange jumpsuit, stenciled with "Capitola Correctional Facility" on the chest and "Inmate" unnecessarily decorating the back.
At the moment, though, Pell and Dance were not in Capitola but, rather, a secure interview room at the county courthouse in Salinas, forty miles away.
Pell continued his examination. First, he took in Dance's own eyes -- a green complementary to his blue and framed by square, black-rimmed glasses. He then regarded her French-braided, dark blond hair, the black jacket and beneath it the thick, unrevealing white blouse. He noted too the empty holster on her hip. He was meticulous and in no hurry. (Interviewers and interviewees share mutual curiosity. She told the students in her interrogation seminars, "They're studying you as hard as you're studying them -- usually even harder, since they have more to lose.")
Dance fished in her blue Coach purse for her ID card, not reacting as she saw a tiny toy bat, from last year's Halloween, that either twelve-year-old Wes, his younger sister, Maggie, or possibly both conspirators had slipped into the bag that morning as a practical joke. She thought: How's this for a contrasting life? An hour ago she was having breakfast with her children in the kitchen of their homey Victorian house in idyllic Pacific Grove, two exuberant dogs at their feet begging for bacon, and now here she sat, across a very different table from a convicted murderer.
She found the ID and displayed it. He stared for a long moment, easing forward. "Dance. Interesting name. Wonder where it comes from. And the California Bureau...what is that?"
"Bureau of Investigation. Like an FBI for the state. Now, Mr. Pell, you understand that this conversation is being recorded?"
He glanced at the mirror, behind which a video camera was humming away. "You folks think we really believe that's there so we can fix up our hair?"
Mirrors weren't placed in interrogation rooms to hide cameras and witnesses -- there are far better high-tech ways to do so -- but because people are less inclined to lie when they can see themselves.
Dance gave a faint smile. "And you understand that you can withdraw from this interview anytime you want and that you have a right to an attorney?"
"I know more criminal procedure than the entire graduating class of Hastings Law rolled up together. Which is a pretty funny image, when you think about it."
More articulate than Dance expected. More clever too.
The previous...
Anonymous
Posted January 11, 2012
I am a big fan of Deaver and I love the first book in this series. Very entertaining. Kathryn Dance is as brillant as Kay Scarpetta. Great plot and surprise ending. I highly recommend.
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Posted July 28, 2010
This is a poor effort from a pretty talented author of the Lincoln Rhyme series. Too many contrived pieces of the plot and Kathryn Dance is a one-dimensional character who is particularly tedious by the end.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I believe this book has a lot of inconsistencies in the story. For the most part it was a good plot which included the two-dimensional Kathryn Dance, a Private Detective, her children, Daniel Pell (the bad guy), and Daniel Pell's accomplice. Daniel Pell was a supposed Manson worshipper, who is a cold-blooded killer. In the beginning he and a mysterious accomplice organize a jail break where many policemen and killed. Pell then goes on the lam and the whole book is about the chase. Slightly disappointing.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.ndpndnt
Posted April 18, 2010
I just finished the Sleeping Doll and in some parts of the story, I didn't want to stop reading! I like the new character of Kathryn Dance, along with the other law enforcers.
Suspense was high in this story and also the psychological baseline with the twisted ending was great and very unexpected.
I admire Jeffery Deaver as a writer that can go from Lincoln Rhyme on the forensic science kind of law enforcement to Kathrn Dance who is on the typical leg/field work side of law enforement.
I really liked how all characters in this story came with a vivid description. The story line was edgy and very real to actual police work.
It takes a very talented author to invent and tell this story!
The are pluses to this one, I like Katheryn Dance, I like what she does and she is believable. The plot is good and kinistetics (sp?) is a ew way to go with books. However, if Deaver tells me one more time how it works within this book, I am going to have to bury it in the back yard. He goes into the mothods more than once and repeats himself constantly. I wanted to explain to him that I am not an indiot and I got it. Once you learn to skip these parts, the book was a good read.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.California Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Kathryn Dance is a renowned interrogator with an expertise in kinesics. Kathryn is sent to question prisoner Daniel Pell, known as the "son of Manson" due to his cult activities and the brutal slaying of the wealthy Croyton family in Carmel, mimicking the murders committed by the Manson family years earlier. Pell has recently been linked to another murder and Kathryn hopes to learn more about Pell and his reasons behind the murders. After the interview, Pell manages to escape and begins a murderous rampage, targeting those he feels have maligned him in the past in some way. Kathryn leads the investigation, aided by her good friend Michael O'Neil, chief deputy with the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, and Winston Kellogg, a cult expert from the FBI. Kathryn turns to the three women who were part of Pell's family years before, as well as the one victim he left behind when he murdered the Croytons, in hopes they can offer clues as to where Pell may be hiding.
This series is a refreshing addition to the mystery genre; exploring the intriguing world of kinesics and the role it plays in criminal investigations as well as everyday life. Kathryn Dance is captivating, an intelligent woman who is now widowed and whose priority is keeping her small family together. As always, Deaver offers his reader plenty of forensics information packed within a suspenseful plot.
Conway1937
Posted September 6, 2009
This is a book you simply can't put down. Just when you begin to believe you know where the story is going, Mr. Deaver shifts gears, reverses direction, and heads down another lane.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Again, I learned someting new by reading one of Mr. Deaver's books. His research [see Author's Notes at back of book] add much to the interrogation sceens. Story could have moved a little faster.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I want to start with I am a HUGE Kay Scarpetta fan. Thank you Mr. Deaver for creating another character in this vein. I'm hooked. Keep writing. And if you haven't read this yet, dear reader friends, buy it!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.RBC10
Posted July 21, 2009
IT WAS A GIFT
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 13, 2009
A real pager-turner, all the way to the end.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Readers of Deaver's The Cold Moon will be familiar with the heroine in this story, Katherine Dance, a kinesics expert who assisted Lincoln Rhymes. Her area of expertise is the interpretation of human body language, and its application to criminal investigation. I enjoyed her character in The Cold Moon and found this area of kinesics to be fascinating, and I was excited to read a story that featured her as the heroine.
The story itself was pretty good, and had the usual plots twists one expects from a Deaver novel. But in this story, I felt Deaver was struggling a bit with Katherine as the lead. Different aspects of her character were very disjointed, and dry. I felt like the author would be telling a story and then it would be time to tell the reader a whole lot about kinesics, so he would have Katherine interview a suspect. But then it was like he felt it was time to show some "girly" stuff, so he would include random bits about her shoes. Then back to the regular plot. It felt like Deaver was giving us pieces of how he felt a female heroine should be portrayed, rather than the complex, insightful character she could have been.
This is a great read if your looking for something light that you can loose yourself in for a little while, but don't expect more than that.
This was my first book by Deaver. I picked up the hardcover edition at a bargain price. I have to say that I have some mixed emotions. Would I say it was great? No. Would I say it was bad? No. The storyline was good, a Charles Manson type killer escapes from prison & agent Katherine Dance must find him before more people die & he disappears forever. The basis of Dance is an interesting one, a human lie detector who can interrogate criminals & know by body language & speech if they are being truthful or not. When she's not working she is the mother of 2 children. I liked Dance with a few exceptions. This woman is hunting down a killer but there are many comments on the shoes she is wearing with big flowers on them. Apparantly she keeps spare sandals in her closet in her office too. When she interrogates people she slips on a pair of black glasses that shows she means business. These are just a few of the small details that started to annoy me & caused me to take her a little less seriously. She is a widow, yet she still has the same last name as her parents, did she not change her name when she was married? Why? This is never touched on. Aside from the main character, the character of the killer, Daniel Pell, is an intriguing one. 95% of the book was interesting enough to keep me reading but no real suspense. The end got a little better, some unexpected twists. I think the main reason I liked the book was because of the "bad guy", Daniel Pell. I'm giving it 4 stars because in the end, overall, I would have to say I enjoyed it. I'm not sure I enjoyed it enough to follow Katherine Dance through future books though.
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Posted May 9, 2009
I would buy the next Kathryn Dance book. The characters are interesting and even though you know who they are looking for, the story-line holds your attention. A couple of good twists and turns.
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Posted March 9, 2009
I absolutely love this new character, Kathryn Dance. I couldn't read fast enough to find out what happened and I can't wait until the next novel featuring her comes out.
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Posted December 2, 2008
I really liked this book. I look forward to more books with Kathryn Dance. For someone who has yet to read anything by Jeffery Deaver, however, I would suggest they start out with the first in the Lincoln Rhyme series.
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Posted November 4, 2008
If this is Deaver's regular writing style, I'll pass on his other books. He needs a strong editor to cut the chaff from the wheat. There's way too much pedantic, smug "let me tell you about kinesics to show you how smart I am" that weighs down the plot, along with so-called character development. The characters are flat and the 'twists' in the plot are so frequent as to call attention to themselves as devices and unnecessary to good story-telling.
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Posted August 8, 2008
Deaver as we all know is the king in this genre, well at least in my opinion but this book was actually boring more than it was exciting. I thought the story idea was pretty intense. The lunatic (Pell) was believeable to a point but I just thought the fella was a Harvard grad. He was pretty bright, always knew the perfect trick to escape but hey its fiction, right! Agent Dance was pretty good. Her walking lie detector self was in top form for this one but at times Deaver went back to her personal life taking some enjoyment away from me. I would just get amped up about something good and here would come a reflection about her dead husband or how hot Winston was.............. Ouch! In the end the book was well written but seriously wasnt it a bit long. Dont get me wrong I love the long ones but only if the extra 100 pages is worth the time. This one was not! It was at least 100-120 pages of filler material for what I have no clue. Characters were good, plot, twists and so on were typical Deaver and all great. Nothing he writes comes close to the Rhyme series but I am glad he keeps trying since some of his other books are pretty decent.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 5, 2008
This was the first of Deaver's books I have read and I absolutely enjoyed it. I thought it was thrilling and interesting. Deaver did an amazing job intertwining fact and fiction, as well as parallels between the main plot and his characters' lives. The struggle for power and control not just with Pell, but with all the character's throughout the novel really kept you entertained.
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Posted February 19, 2008
Jeffrey Deaver tells a strong story of the search for a murderous cult leader on California's coast, with an engaging heroine as the California investigative agent. Kathryn Dance is an expert in body language, facial expressions, and language use. The description and explanation of her interrogation techniques using these skills is fascinating. I felt the story could have been told in under 428 pages as it seemed to drag in parts, especially those going into Agent Dance's personal life. Still, this is a well-written book which I highly recommend.
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Overview
When Special Agent Kathryn Dance -- a brilliant interrogator and kinesics expert with the California Bureau of Investigation -- is sent to question the convicted killer Daniel "Son of Manson" Pell as a suspect in a newly unearthed crime, she feels both trepidation and electrifying intrigue. Pell is serving a life sentence for the brutal murders of the wealthy Croyton family in Carmel years earlier -- a crime mirroring those perpetrated by Charles Manson in the 1960s. But Pell and his cult members were sloppy: Not only were they apprehended, they even left behind a survivor -- the youngest of the Croyton daughters, who, because she was in bed hidden by ...