Review: The Vanished Man

Imagine, revered readers, this scene…two police officers enter the hall of an old gothic music school after screams are heard. The room is dull dusty. But, in the corner they can see the form of a bearded man, leaning over a body. He looks up, sees them. There is a single blinding lash, and he is gone. He rushes into one of the classrooms, and begins barricading the door. Then, a scream, a gunshot. The officers break down the door. And the room is empty.

This is only one of the many tricks The Conjurer will perform or your delight over the next two days. He has a large repertoire, designed to make you gasp and applaud, and is all too happy to use his illusions to confound both you and the investigators who seek him. Sleight of hand, sleight of mind, misdirection, illusions, escapes. All of which, and more, he will joyously employ in his preparation for the final devastating act of our show.

The question, revered readers, is this Will Lincoln Rhyme and his partner Amelia Sachs be able to see beyond the illusions and misdirection, past the smoke and mirrors, in order to discover what is truly going on, and to catch this vicious, cold-blooded killer, who still has several more devastating tricks up his sleeve? So, sit back, relax, prepare to be dazzled with magic, and enjoy The Conjurer’s masterful performance.

Fantastic. Everything I could possibly say rom here on will simply be a rehashing of that word. Fantastic. This is a stunning performance from Deaver, who is arguably (and probably!) the best thriller writer working today. The subject matter illusions and magic is fascinating not just for its cleverness and originality, but for the fact that the misdirections and tricks used by the killer are exactly those Deaver himself uses to constantly twist his story and keep the truth hidden from the astounded reader. The Vanished Man is a marvellous display o all these techniques, and it’s wonderful to occasionally delve into the world of magic as well.

I don’t think I can claim that this is Deaver’s best book, but I can say that it is on an equal par with his best (after all, there are so many of them. The Empty Chair, The Stone Monkey, The Devil’s Teardrop, A Maiden’s Grave, to give but our other examples.) The fascinating Lincoln Rhyme is on excellent deductive form once again, as is the up-for-promotion Sachs, but this time they are joined by the mysterious Kara, a young illusionist whose advice they have sought. Like Sonny Li in The Stone Monkey, Kara is a strong, powerful and very likeable character who would be a great presence in future novels.

Deaver’s plotting is rich, sumptuous and devious. Here he has weaved a wonderful Shiraz rug of a story that cannot fail to delight the reader as Deaver constantly pulls it out from under them. He twists, turns, and shifts his plot, and the pace carries on relentlessly. The action and suspense begins right on the first page (excellent first paragraph, by the way!) and continues right up to the multiple - punch finale. This is a fantastic book, which contains everything we expect from Deaver and everything I as a reader could possibly desire. So, sit back, relax, prepare to be dazzled with magic, and enjoy Mister Deaver’s masterly performance.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Fiona Walker

Book Review: The Vanished Man