Jeffery Deaver has been the creative mind behind a number of successful series in his long and prolific career. Among the most popular are the ones starring forensic criminologist Lincoln Rhyme and reward seeker Colter Shaw.

Now Deaver brings us DECEPTIONS, a collection of short stories that allows him to show off the biting and clever storytelling prowess that has made him one of the world’s greatest thriller writers. Thankfully, we get to enjoy multiple appearances by Rhyme and his partner, Amelia Sachs, as well as a couple of adventures starring Colter.

Here are some of my favorite stories:

"DECEPTIONS is full of edgy and interesting tales. Reading Jeffery Deaver in the short form was a fun ride, made that much more comfortable by the three faces we know and love."

“The Bookkeeper”: In a departure from the territory he usually covers, Colter Shaw takes on a killer from the streets of Manhattan. An NYPD detective sees his involvement as a nuisance and wants to push him away as just another reward seeker. But Colter will prove his worth as the victim the authorities are dealing with is the same person he has been sent to find. Now, working alongside the police force, he will be put to the test against a killer called The Bookkeeper, and it may be his most dire case yet.

“The Deadliest Sense”: This story featuring wheelchair-bound investigative genius Lincoln Rhyme and Detective Amelia Sachs of the NYPD involves a serial killer who is on a wild murder spree that they must work to bring to an end as quickly as possible. The handful of recent deaths have been women, but finding a link among them initially proves to be difficult. When they eventually find the culprit, their evaluation of him following a very interesting interaction makes this one of the most unique cases of their careers.

“Hard to Get”: This is a straight-on espionage tale featuring Dr. Albert Lessing, a U.S. spy who is called upon to assist with a situation involving a Russian figure, and a curious group called the Cincinnati Network. Lessing has his hands full with an enemy who is indeed hard to get.

“Where the Evidence Lies”: In my favorite story of the collection, Rhyme and Sachs are called away from New York to offer insight into a case involving a small plane that crashed into the ocean within Puerto Rico territory and sank to the deepest part of the Atlantic. They are contacted by Preston Gilette, an agent who is asking the impossible from Rhyme --- to discover the reason the aircraft went down, even though he is unable to physically see any of the evidence that lies so deep below the waves that it cannot be reached. This one is a real treat with a huge twist at the end.

“Forgotten”: Colter Shaw is seeking to find evidence that may overturn the conviction of a young man accused of murdering a known drug dealer. His family believes strongly in his innocence, but the local police and media feel otherwise. Whether this was a justified homicide or a case of mistaken identity, Colter will go all out to learn the truth.

DECEPTIONS is full of edgy and interesting tales. Reading Jeffery Deaver in the short form was a fun ride, made that much more comfortable by the three faces we know and love.