The Steel Kiss. Finished 11-6-16, rating 4/5, thriller, pub. 2016

Unabridged audio read by Edoardo Ballerini. 14.5 hours.

Lincoln Rhyme series #12 (1st-The Bone Collector, 2nd- The Coffin Dancer, 3rd- The Empty Chair, 4th- The Stone Monkey, 5th- The Vanished Man, 6th- The Twelfth Card, 7th- The Cold Moon, 8th- The Broken Window 9th- The Burning Wire, 10th-The Kill Room)

Amelia Sachs is hot on the trail of a killer. She’s chasing him through a department store in Brooklyn when an escalator malfunctions. The stairs give way, with one man horribly mangled by the gears. Sachs is forced to let her quarry escape as she jumps in to try to help save the victim. She and famed forensic detective Lincoln Rhyme soon learn, however, that the incident may not have been an accident at all, but the first in a series of intentional attacks. They find themselves up against one of their most formidable opponents ever: a brilliant killer who turns common products into murder weapons. As the body count threatens to grow, Sachs and Rhyme must race against the clock to unmask his identity–and discover his mission–before more people die.                   from Goodreads

So, it happened.  I got behind in this series and skipped one.  I was not happy when I started listening and realized that I was missing some information.  Sure enough I missed #11.  I almost stopped, but since it was the only thing I had to listen to I soldiered on.

Lincoln Rhyme was a brilliant criminologist for the NYPD until he was injured in the line of duty and this series takes him from suicidal to productive to hopeful.  He is a quadriplegic who works from his townhome in New York City with his trusty aide and detective girlfriend by his side.  At the beginning of this book we find Lincoln not working for the NYC police department because of a case that happened in the last book (the one I missed :(), but through some of Amelia’s sly moves they end up working on the same case anyway.

Amelia’s ex is back in the picture as is a new wheelchair bound intern for Lincoln.  The escalator scene at the beginning of the book will have you reassessing the moving stairs when you’re out and about this busy holiday season.  The main story was good but it was subplots that kept the book moving for me.  I always enjoy my time with Lincoln and his friends.

I recommend this series for those of  you who like police procedurals and appreciate a different kind of protagonist.  Start with The Bone Collector though since it sets it the series nicely.