The Stone Monkey

Starred review from March 1, 2002
Hidden aboard the cargo ship Fuzhou Dragon, approximately two dozen illegal Chinese immigrants head for the promise of a better future in the United States. The ruthless man in charge of this cargo is a professional human smuggler and killer nicknamed the Ghost. When the Coast Guard tries to stop the ship and capture the Ghost, the ship takes on water, and the Ghost blows up the cargo hold. The surviving immigrants grab hold of a lifeboat and make it to land. Trying to start their new lives, they must remain in hiding because the Ghost is tracking them, determined to kill every single immigrant left. The task of stopping the Ghost before he accomplishes his goal falls to Lincoln Rhyme and his partner, Amelia Sachs, characters first introduced in Deaver's The Bone Collector. The mind game that follows will push Rhyme to the limit of his abilities and call into question the loyalty of the people working with him. With this elaborate thriller, Deaver has written his best book to date. He balances the complexities of Chinese culture with the page-turning suspense we expect. Highly recommended. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 1/ 02.] Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2002
This title got pushed up from May to March, moving readers that much closer to Deaver's harrowing tale of a smuggler whose cargo is human.

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2002
Adult/High School-The FBI and immigration officials are ready to intercept a cargo vessel filled with illegal Chinese immigrants who have paid huge sums of money to be smuggled into the United States. The man at the helm and ruthless organizer of the smuggling enterprise is code-named "the Ghost." As the authorities approach, he blows up the boat, locking the Chinese inside while he flees. Two families survive the explosion and swim to shore. Wheelchair-bound forensics-expert Lincoln Rhyme and his partner/lover Amelia Sachs begin the race against time to find the families before the Ghost kills them. With enough twists and turns to make readers dizzy, Lincoln and Amelia track him down. Time and again readers are convinced of the Ghost's identity and location only to realize they have been misled. This action-packed novel will keep YAs entertained and guessing until the last page.-Katherine Fitch, Rachel Carson Middle School, Fairfax, VA

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2002
Deaver's latest page-turner begins aboard " Fuzhou Dragon," a ship full of undocumented Chinese seeking refuge in " Meiguo," "the Beautiful Country," America. The "snakehead" (refugee smuggler) on this voyage is the Ghost, whose plan for a quiet, unnoticed landing on Long Island goes awry when, a few miles from shore, he notices FBI agents waiting at the dock. Not one for loyalty, the Ghost, at the peril of women and children and many other terrified passengers, sabotages the vessel with explosives and boards a raft to safety. Having thwarted his attempted capture, the Ghost goes into hiding among the millions of Chinese immigrants in New York. So, too, do two lucky families who managed to escape the sinking " Dragon." Thus begins the manhunt for the Ghost, led by forensics specialists Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs. But the Ghost is on a hunt himself, eager to kill the two families before they have a chance to rat him out. The methodical, technical way in which the detectives conduct their search stands in stark contrast to the Ghost's paranoid, frenetic manner; thankfully, Rhyme's and Sachs' characters, first introduced in " The Bone Collector" (1996)" ," are more well developed here than they were in earlier outings. The series' mass popularity, however, is certain to continue with or without improved characterization.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)