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The Stone Monkey

by Jeffery Deaver

Jeffery Deaver has written a mystery novel here that incorporates all the elements necessary to tell a gripping, fast-paced, edge-of-the seat story - and then some. What is even more unusual is the fact that the book is mostly about the Chinese of a certain province - their habits, their language, and their beliefs - none of which has particularly interested me in the past. When I read The Stone Monkey, however, I was completely intrigued by both the characters and the story. Jeffery Deaver has always written well. In The Stone Monkey he writes even better than usual. The plot has enough twists, near-misses, and suspicious characters to keep you wanting the obvious killer taken along with all his helpers.

The Stone Monkey begins with a shipload of illegal immigrants in the hold of a Chinese ship, the Fuzhou Dragon, shepherded by the captain and a snakehead, or overseer, called simply The Ghost. When the ship is discovered by the Coast Guard off the coast of Long Island in a raging storm, the Coast Guard sets out to intercept it. The Ghost seals the hold with its human cargo inside, and blows up the ship, leaving everything behind and taking his chances in a life raft among the huge waves. Some manage to escape the hold, also huddling in a life raft - but The Ghost follows them, determined to track them down and shoot them all dead, so there will be no witnesses left.

One of the escapees is a Chinese doctor, John Sung, who wears the Stone Monkey around his neck as a pendant. Another man who managed to get out of the hold before the Fuzhou Dragon sank was Sonny Li - a Chinese policeman, who escaped in his own raft alone. Those in the raft with the doctor were the Wu and Chang families, along with members of the ship's crew. That raft smashed against the rocks instead of the beach, but most were able to reach safety. By the time the Coast Guard gets to the site, no survivors are evident and the illegals are long gone - as is The Ghost.

Enter Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs. Rhyme, although quadriplegic in a state-of-the-art wheelchair, is a famed criminologist and forensics expert. Sachs, an NYPD officer with their crime scene unit, is Rhyme's lover. (How they do it with Rhyme immobilized from the neck down is something I don't even want to think about)... Anyhow, Along with representatives from the FBI and INS, they're aware that The Ghost is ferrying more Chinese illegals to America. The Ghost is also wanted for other crimes, including many murders. All are gathered in Lincoln Rhymes living room, which is filled with computer equipment and other gadgetry rather than furniture. As soon as they learn The Ghost has destroyed the ship, the hunt is on.

I liked the way each section of The Stone Monkey begins with a quote about the Chinese game of Wei Chi, which some call the war game, and others the game of life. The goal is to surround the opposing side so there's no possible escape - something like checkmate in chess - and the similarity to cornering and tracking own The Ghost is very evident. With each new piece of information and each new bit of evidence, Lincoln Rhyme is able to get figuratively closer to The Ghost. Yet every time it seems inevitable that this sociopath be captured, he slips through their fingers. Somewhere, somehow, there seems to be a leak.

Impossible. Every person on the side of the law is accounted for. Their histories are impeccable. Yet when it's disclosed that the Chinese families are dissidents, and they're moved from one supposedly safe place to another (to keep The Ghost from finding and killing them) The Ghost is always able to track them down. Only quick action and fate keep the Wu and Chang families from death.

Sonny Li, the Chinese cop, contributes his own brand of evidence while John Sung gives Amelia partial relief from her arthritis with his herb tea and acupressure. Then Sonny is killed by The
Ghost, but manages in his last moments to leave Rhyme the clue which breaks the case at last. Capture of The Ghost is swiftly followed by a deportation ruling - but Lincoln Rhymes uncovers The Ghost's collaborator, and the murderer is kept in the U.S. to face the results of his horrendous crimes.

The Stone Monkey is one of Jeffery Deaver's finest accomplishments. Like it or not, your sympathy with the 'undocumented' immigrants is aroused, an every threat to their safety increases your desire for The Ghost's downfall. If you're one of those who remember the suppression of dissident students by the Chinese Communist regime some years ago, you'll have a better idea of why so many Chinese people will pay enormous sums to get to America. Jeffery Deaver reminds us that in China there is still a government as bad or worse than Russia's ever was. That's not the only reason you should read The Stone Monkey, however. You should read it because it's simply an excellent book.

Alan Paul Curtis

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