Jeffery Deaver

May 2006

Question: The Cold Moon is the seventh Lincoln Rhyme novel. When you wrote The Bone Collector, did you know that you were writing the first in a series?
Jeffery Deaver: I had no idea. It never occurred to me that he would become such a popular character (the books are selling in 150 countries and translated into 35 languages; Iceland is the latest on the list). But my goal is to give readers something they enjoy, and because so many people enjoyed The Bone Collector, I thought I’d follow up with another. Good thing I didn’t kill him off at the end of the story, which I thought about doing.

Q: How does writing for the series differ from writing a stand-alone novel, like Garden Of Beasts?
JD: There are two problems with a series. First, you have to write the same thing, but make it different. For instance, all of the Rhyme/Sachs books have to involve forensic science, police procedure and issues of Rhyme’s physical condition. But at the same time, I’m always looking for ways to make the story fresh. The second problem is that authors can’t truly put their continuing characters in danger. So I need to come up with clever ways to jeopardize them (like personal relationship stories, or giving them sidekicks whom they love and care for—and whom I gleefully murder in chapter five).

Q: Throughout these books, Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs have faced many smart, complicated, and evil characters. Do you have a favorite “villain” from the books?
JD: That’s a good question—and a hard one, since it’s such a pleasure to create bad guys. Not to be self-serving but I must say that my favorite is the Watchmaker, the villain in The Cold Moon. I say this because he’s so smart and distant and calculating and . . . . Well, I can’t say any more. It might give something away.

Q: Lincoln’s aide, Thom, has become a favorite character for many readers. Does the affection that readers have for the smaller characters, like Lon, Thom, Mel, and Fred, ever surprise you? (And why did you not give Thom a last name?)
JD: Yes, a lot of people like Thom. One reader said if I ever kill him off, she’d tell all her friends never to read a Deaver book again. I like to think that the characters in a series book are like friends. We like to depend on them, spend time with them, allow them into our lives. Readers feel the same way. Every time a book comes out, it’s like a reunion. As for Thom’s last name, I like to keep a bit of mystery in my characters.

Q: In The Cold Moon, Amelia goes through a particularly difficult time professionally and personally, doubting herself and the job. Do you start each book already knowing how you want particular characters to evolve and change or does it happen naturally during the writing process? Do you already have long-term plans for each individual character?
JD: Because I outline extensively, I know exactly what kind of agony I’m going to put my characters through before I start writing. Each of the books has the core plot—the crime. But our lives are not one-dimensional; neither should a book be. I like to get at least two or three subplots and conflicts going, then, of course, resolve them. As for the long-term plans, I’m not as certain, though I do know my goal is emotional enjoyment of the book, not writing reality. There’ll be plenty of carnage and loss in the future of the series, but readers can rest assured that generally the heroes will be around for the next book in the series.

Q: How long do you plan on writing this series? And can you give us any insight on what to expect down the road for Lincoln and Amelia?
JD: I’ll write the series for as long as readers want to read it. I hear some writers say, “I write for myself.” No way. You write for your readers, and I intend to do everything in my power to keep giving them what they want. Lincoln and Amelia will continue to be both personally and professionally linked, which isn’t to say that there might not be changes in the future—especially if, say, figures from the past were to show up. . . . All I can say is: Stay tuned.

Q: There’s a fascinating character in The Cold Moon, Kathryn Dance, a policewoman from California, who is an expert in interrogation and kinesics, body language. Any chance she might make an appearance in future books?
JD: Yes, I enjoyed creating Kathryn. A young widow with two children, she’s a former jury consultant and is now an agent with the California Bureau of Investigation. And indeed she’ll be the main character of a new series I’ll be starting next year and alternating with the Lincoln Rhyme books.

 

Riddle

You can’t see me, but I’m always present.
Run as fast as you can, but you’ll never escape me.
Fight me with all your strength, but you’ll never defeat me.
I kill when I wish, but can never be brought to justice. Who am I?

Old Man Time.

12:02 a.m. Tuesday

Time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only when the clock stops does time come to life.
— William Faulkner

Chapter 1

“How long did it take them to die?”

The man this question was posed to didn’t seem to hear it. He looked in the rearview mirror again and concentrated on his driving. The hour was just past midnight and the streets in lower Manhattan were icy. A cold front had swept the sky clear and turned an earlier snow to slick glaze on the asphalt and concrete. The two men were in the rattling Band-Aid-mobile, as Clever Vincent had dubbed the tan SUV. It was a few years old; the brakes needed servicing and the tires replacing. But taking a stolen vehicle in for service would not be a wise idea, especially since two of its recent passengers were now murder victims.

The driver—a lean man in his fifties, with trim black hair—made a careful turn down a side street and continued his journey, never speeding, making precise turns, perfectly centered in his lane. He’d drive the same whether the streets were slippery or dry, whether the vehicle had just been involved in murder or not.

Careful, meticulous.

  How long did it take?

Big Vincent—Vincent with long, sausage fingers, always damp, and a taut brown belt stretching the first hole—shivered hard. He’d been waiting on the street corner after his night shift as a word processing temp. It was bitterly cold but Vincent didn’t like the lobby of his building. The light was greenish and the walls were covered with big mirrors where he could see his oval body from all angles. So he’d stepped into the clear, cold December air and paced and ate a candy bar. Okay, two.

As Vincent was glancing up at the full moon, a shockingly white disk visible for a moment through a canyon of buildings, the Watchmaker reflected aloud, “How long did it take them to die? Interesting.”

Vincent had known the Watchmaker—whose real name was Gerald Duncan—for only a short time but he’d learned that you asked the man questions at your own risk. Even a simple query could open the door to a monologue. Man, could he talk. And his answers were always organized, like a college professor’s. Vincent knew that the silence for the last few minutes was because Duncan was considering his answer.

Vincent opened a can of Pepsi. He was cold but he needed something sweet. He chugged it and put the empty can in his pocket. He ate a packet of peanut butter crackers. Duncan looked over to make sure Vincent was wearing gloves. They always wore gloves in the Band-Aid-mobile.

Meticulous . . .

“I’d say there are several answers to that,” Duncan said in his soft, detached voice. “For instance, the first one I killed was twenty four, so you could say it took him twenty four years to die.”

Like, yeah . . . thought Clever Vincent with the sarcasm of a teenager, though he had to admit that this obvious answer hadn’t occurred to him.

“The other was thirty-two, I think.”

A police car drove by, the opposite way. The blood in Vincent’s temples began pounding but Duncan didn’t react. The cops showed no interest in the stolen Explorer.

“Another way to answer the question,” Duncan said, “is to consider the elapsed time from the moment I started until their hearts stopped beating. That’s probably what you meant. See, people want to put time into easy-to-digest frames of reference. That’s valid, as long as it’s helpful. Knowing the contractions come every twenty seconds is helpful. So is knowing that the athlete ran a mile in three minutes, fifty-eight seconds, so he wins the race. Specifically how long it took them tonight to die . . . well, that isn’t important, as long as it wasn’t fast.” A glance at Vincent. “I’m not being critical of your question.”

“No,” Vincent said, not caring if he was critical. Vincent Reynolds didn’t have many friends and could put up with a lot from Gerald Duncan. “I was just curious.”

“I understand. I just didn’t pay any attention. But the next one, I’ll time it.”

“The girl? Tomorrow?” Vincent’s heart beat just a bit faster.

He nodded. “Later today, you mean.”

It was after midnight. With Gerald Duncan you had to be precise, especially when it came to time.

“Right.”

Hungry Vincent had nosed out Clever Vincent now that he was thinking of Joanne, the girl who’d die next.

Later today . . .

The killer drove in a complicated pattern back to their temporary home in the Chelsea district of Manhattan, south of midtown, near the river. The streets were deserted; the temperature was in the teens and the wind flowed steadily through the narrow streets.

Duncan parked at a curb and shut the engine off, set the parking brake. The men stepped out. They walked for a half block through the icy wind. Duncan glanced down at his shadow on the sidewalk, cast by the moon. “I’ve thought of another answer. About how long it took them to die.”

Vincent shivered again—mostly, but not only, from the cold.

“When you look at it from their point of view,” the killer said, “you could say that it took forever.”

Named Book Of The Year in Japan

“Bestseller Deaver’s twisty seventh Lincoln Rhyme novel pits Rhyme, the quadriplegic NYPD detective, against a brilliant criminal mastermind called the Watchmaker. …Deaver fans won’t be surprised that the investigations overlap, or that the several apparent climaxes are building to something more, but even they will be hard-pressed to peel back all the layers of the cunning plot at work beneath the surface.”
— Publishers Weekly

“Rhyme, who has starred in a handful of very good novels, is one of the mystery genre’s most interesting and out-of-the-ordinary series leads, a brilliant investigator who rarely leaves his specially equipped home. …Fans of the series will welcome the chance to see Sachs spread her wings, and spending time with the likably crusty Rhyme is always a delight. As always, Deaver’s dialogue is exceptionally realistic, and his plotting is devilishly intricate. Recommended for fans of the Rhyme novels (naturally) and readers who like their thrillers laced with wit and sharp characterizations.”
— Booklist

“As always, Deaver educates as well as entertains, and within the novel’s pages he drops small but fascinating nuggets regarding time and clocks. If you don’t know why we say “speed up” or “slow down,” you will after reading THE COLD MOON. You will also have the pleasure of reading what is not only Deaver’s best work to date but also one of the best books of the year thus far.”
— Joe Hartlaub, BookReporter.com

Narrated by Anne Twomey. Listen to an excerpt.

The TV commercial.

Jeff on CBS News.

 

May 2007

Question: Can you describe Kathryn Dance to us — both personally and professionally?
Jeffery Deaver: Kathryn Dance is an agent with the California Bureau of Investigation, which is a bit like a state version of the FBI. She’s operating out of their fictional Monterey, California, office. She’s a young widow, whose FBI agent husband died several years ago, and the mother of two children, Wes and Maggie. The family (along with their two dogs) live in Pacific Grove, about a hundred and twenty miles south of San Francisco, an idyllic village on the water, surrounded by the agricultural fields of central California. Her parents live in even more idyllic Carmel, nearby.
Kathryn’s law enforcement specialty is one I find quite fascinating. She’s an expert at kinesics — body language — and more broadly in interrogation and interviewing witnesses and suspects. The CBI tends to investigate major crimes, like serious homicides and gang activities, and Kathryn will find herself in the thick of heavy-duty police activities.
Of course, in all my books I love to keep the heat turned up on all levels and Kathryn will not only have the challenges of tracking down the bad guys but wrestling with the issues faced by a single parent and single woman.

Question: What was your inspiration for her character?
Jeffery Deaver: Readers, actually. I try to stay attuned to what readers of my — and other — thrillers enjoy. After all, I write for them, not for myself. Readers clearly like the forensics of the Lincoln Rhyme series (and, say, The Devil’s Teardrop or The Blue Nowhere), but there is also a huge interest in psychological crime solving, which I don’t have the chance to explore too much in the Rhyme books. Hence, Kathryn, who’ll match mental wits with the villains in the series featuring her.

Question: In the first of the Kathryn Dance books, The Sleeping Doll, we’re introduced to a number of people who work for the CBI and other law enforcement agencies in the area. We learn a fair amount about these characters, more so than Rhyme’s associates in his series. Is this intentional?
Jeffery Deaver: Yes, it is. While a Kathryn Dance book will be typical of the way I write — very fast paced, lots of twists, surprise endings (yes, note the plural) — I’m focusing more on character in this series. I had a great time creating her co-workers (some naive, some quirky, some troubled, and some downright sleazy) and others who populate the area. People who have read advanced copies have let me know about those they love — and love to hate.

Question: This series takes place in the Monterey Peninsula of California, a place where you’ve spent quite a bit of time. What makes it an interesting place to write about?
Jeffery Deaver: The Peninsula is a wonderful setting for a crime novel. Geographically, of course, it’s gorgeous, rocky shores, rolling hills, forests and farmland, often shrouded in ominous fog. More important are the demographics of the area. There is phenomenal wealth in Carmel and Big Sur and the vineyards. There are vicious gangs in parts of Monterey and Salinas. There are military bases. There’s a huge mix of cultures in a relatively small area, bringing both great richness and conflict to the place. Finally, the history is very evocative for thriller writing. The Peninsula has been home to native American tribes, Spanish explorers, missionaries, Latino and Asian immigrants, ruthless magnates, cowboys, fishermen, gold-rush miners . . . not to mention a great literary tradition, thanks to writers like John Steinbeck and Henry Miller.

Question: Is your plan to alternate each year between a Lincoln Rhyme novel and a Kathryn Dance novel?
Jeffery Deaver: Yes. I’m already halfway through with my new Lincoln Rhyme novel for 2008 and starting to outline my next Kathryn Dance book for 2009.

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