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Lincoln Rhyme #11.5
The Deliveryman
"Forensic detective Lincoln Rhyme and his partner Amelia Sachs return in this short story from "New York Times" bestselling author Jeffery Deaver"
THE DELIVERYMAN
"A Lincoln Rhyme Short Story"
A man is murdered in a back alley. Renowned forensic detective Lincoln Rhyme and his partner Amelia Sachs are left with a veritable mountain of evidence collected from the trash-filled alley, and their only lead is a young the man's eight-year-old son, who was riding along on his father's delivery route.
But the murder victim may have been more than just a simple deliveryman. Rhyme and Sachs uncover clues that he might have been delivering a highly illegal, contraband shipment--which is now missing. And someone wants it back...
THE DELIVERYMAN
"A Lincoln Rhyme Short Story"
A man is murdered in a back alley. Renowned forensic detective Lincoln Rhyme and his partner Amelia Sachs are left with a veritable mountain of evidence collected from the trash-filled alley, and their only lead is a young the man's eight-year-old son, who was riding along on his father's delivery route.
But the murder victim may have been more than just a simple deliveryman. Rhyme and Sachs uncover clues that he might have been delivering a highly illegal, contraband shipment--which is now missing. And someone wants it back...
75 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 2, 2016
369 people are currently reading
3035 people want to read
About the author
Jeffery Deaver
521 books11.8k followers#1 international bestselling author of over thirty novels and three collections of short stories. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into 25 languages. His first novel featuring Lincoln Rhyme, The Bone Collector, was made into a major motion picture starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. He's received or been shortlisted for a number of awards around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
September 12, 2021
Coincidence?
Lincoln Rhymes and Amelia Sachs are working together to investigate the murder of a delivery man.
Echii Rinaldo is found dead in an alley. His delivery truck empty. His young son a witness.
Is his murder a random event, or is he the victim of a gang killing of revenge?
Rhymes and Sachs take on the 128 Lords, a violent street gang. Will this be their ending?
Lincoln Rhymes and Amelia Sachs are working together to investigate the murder of a delivery man.
Echii Rinaldo is found dead in an alley. His delivery truck empty. His young son a witness.
Is his murder a random event, or is he the victim of a gang killing of revenge?
Rhymes and Sachs take on the 128 Lords, a violent street gang. Will this be their ending?
January 18, 2026
Jeffrey Deaver has always interested me. I find his writing quite addictive and devoured the first number novels. Once a well-established and sought after criminalist with the NYPD, all this changed for Lincoln Rhyme when a workplace accident left him a C4 quadriplegic. While he has spent time trying to reassemble what pieces are left of his life, Rhyme cannot let life pass him by. In this short piece, Detective Amelia Sachs tells of her most recent investigation, where a man was found killed in an alley. He was tasked with delivering something, but there is nothing at the scene. The victim’s son was with him in the truck and proves to be the only potential witness to the crime. Left with only a pile of garbage from the alley, Sachs has Lincoln Rhyme look for clues that might help them find the killer. With the feds breathing down their necks once the truth behind the delivery is revealed, this investigation is sure to get hot before long. A young boy might be the key to the case, but his safety is also not guaranteed. Deaver sends readers down quite the rabbit hole with this short story.
Jeffrey Deaver has kept my series binge intense, as I can never guess what awaits me next. The narrative provides another case for Rhyme and Sachs to decipher, with little on which to go. As the story progresses and the reader finds themselves questioning everything they think is clear and Deaver tosses in something that takes events in another direction. Two chapters divide the story and propel things along, as time is of the essence with a killer on the loose and a child in the crosshairs. Deaver keeps Rhyme sharp as he rushes to find solutions in short order.
Characters add something to the story, both series regulars and those new to the game. This piece has an especially great selection, with Rhyme still his sharp self. He posits theories throughout the short story, pushing ideas along. Sachs shows her detective abilities in a minor role and balances this with great leadership, which has been her forté of late. The various one-offs provide great addition to the story, flavoring things well aa they entertain the reader. A wonderful linking of character developments between full-length novels.
Plot points prove useful to push this short piece along. Surprises are present as Deaver weaves twists into the story. Strong ideas complement the criminal element, as Rhyme provides wonderful forensic analysis. While this was a one-off, it proved a great reprieve as readers prepared to tackle some cliffhangers left at the end of the previous novel.
Kudos, Mr. Deaver, for a gripping short read!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Jeffrey Deaver has kept my series binge intense, as I can never guess what awaits me next. The narrative provides another case for Rhyme and Sachs to decipher, with little on which to go. As the story progresses and the reader finds themselves questioning everything they think is clear and Deaver tosses in something that takes events in another direction. Two chapters divide the story and propel things along, as time is of the essence with a killer on the loose and a child in the crosshairs. Deaver keeps Rhyme sharp as he rushes to find solutions in short order.
Characters add something to the story, both series regulars and those new to the game. This piece has an especially great selection, with Rhyme still his sharp self. He posits theories throughout the short story, pushing ideas along. Sachs shows her detective abilities in a minor role and balances this with great leadership, which has been her forté of late. The various one-offs provide great addition to the story, flavoring things well aa they entertain the reader. A wonderful linking of character developments between full-length novels.
Plot points prove useful to push this short piece along. Surprises are present as Deaver weaves twists into the story. Strong ideas complement the criminal element, as Rhyme provides wonderful forensic analysis. While this was a one-off, it proved a great reprieve as readers prepared to tackle some cliffhangers left at the end of the previous novel.
Kudos, Mr. Deaver, for a gripping short read!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
May 7, 2020
The Deliveryman is a 45 minute short story from the Lincoln Rhyme series. I’ve been working my way through it from the beginning, but haven’t read one for a few years now, for no particular reason - I’ve enjoyed most of them although they do get a bit samey, but it’s more that I’ve just mostly been reading ebook/ARCs, but always intended to come back to it. For completeness’ sake, I decided to read this before starting The Steel Kiss.
Quadriplegic forensic consultant Lincoln Rhyme is tasked with solving the brutal murder of a truck driver in a New York alley. His partner Amelia Sachs has brought mounds of evidence, and the victim’s eight year old son, Javier, who was with him. They’re not the only ones interested in what the boy knows - a shipment is missing and the intended recipient is determined to get it - no matter the cost...
This had all the elements of a full Rhyme book, including introductions of all the regular characters, which took up quite a bit of an already short story, so there wasn’t much time for the plot. The trademark twists are there, but it was all so compacted that it felt a bit pointless and the ending was rather a letdown. If you love this series, you’ll just wish it were longer, but if you’re new to it, this may not be enough to convince you to try a full book. It hasn’t put me off continuing it though so I’m going to move straight on to book twelve.
Quadriplegic forensic consultant Lincoln Rhyme is tasked with solving the brutal murder of a truck driver in a New York alley. His partner Amelia Sachs has brought mounds of evidence, and the victim’s eight year old son, Javier, who was with him. They’re not the only ones interested in what the boy knows - a shipment is missing and the intended recipient is determined to get it - no matter the cost...
This had all the elements of a full Rhyme book, including introductions of all the regular characters, which took up quite a bit of an already short story, so there wasn’t much time for the plot. The trademark twists are there, but it was all so compacted that it felt a bit pointless and the ending was rather a letdown. If you love this series, you’ll just wish it were longer, but if you’re new to it, this may not be enough to convince you to try a full book. It hasn’t put me off continuing it though so I’m going to move straight on to book twelve.
June 4, 2016
A quick read by Jeffery Deaver featuring 'Lincoln Rhyme'.
When a man is murdered in a back alley, forensic detective Lincoln Rhyme and his partner Amelia Sachs are left with a mountain of evidence collected from the trash-filled alley, and their only lead is a young eyewitness. The man's eight-year-old son, who was riding along on his father's delivery route.
But the murder victim may have been more than just a simple deliveryman. Rhyme and Sachs uncover clues that he might have been delivering a highly illegal, contraband shipment which is now missing and someone wants it back.
I have read all the Lincoln Rhyme books so the characters were already familiar to me so I found it a quick easy read. Like a lot of shorter stories they have a lot of promise but a lack of pages stops the novel from becoming a very good read and for me this was the case with this one.
Well written but far too short for my liking.
When a man is murdered in a back alley, forensic detective Lincoln Rhyme and his partner Amelia Sachs are left with a mountain of evidence collected from the trash-filled alley, and their only lead is a young eyewitness. The man's eight-year-old son, who was riding along on his father's delivery route.
But the murder victim may have been more than just a simple deliveryman. Rhyme and Sachs uncover clues that he might have been delivering a highly illegal, contraband shipment which is now missing and someone wants it back.
I have read all the Lincoln Rhyme books so the characters were already familiar to me so I found it a quick easy read. Like a lot of shorter stories they have a lot of promise but a lack of pages stops the novel from becoming a very good read and for me this was the case with this one.
Well written but far too short for my liking.
March 31, 2020
I've never read anything in this series before & my library doesn't have much by Deaver. I thought this would be a good place to get a taste. I think it was, but I didn't care for it much. Rhyme wasn't in it much, but his few appearances didn't make me want to read more about him. The rest of the story was standard fare & the writing was acceptable, but not great. The narration was good.
I won't be searching hard for more in this series or by this author, although I might give him another try.
I won't be searching hard for more in this series or by this author, although I might give him another try.
May 30, 2018
2,75
Non sarà stato un capolavoro, ma mi ha aiutata ad uscire da un vortice di letture deludenti.
•••
Un’indagine che non c’è, in realtà, perché succedono tante cose, e l’osservazione degli indizi ed i loro collegamenti - insomma, le caratteristiche che fanno delle indagini Rhyme-Sachs le indagini più interessanti al mondo - mancano. Più un racconto ad alta azione che un “esempio” dei tipici romanzi con Lincoln e Amelia. Comunque piacevole e veloce.
•••
Sarebbe stato un ottimo romanzo di trecento pagine, giusto per dire.
Non sarà stato un capolavoro, ma mi ha aiutata ad uscire da un vortice di letture deludenti.
•••
Un’indagine che non c’è, in realtà, perché succedono tante cose, e l’osservazione degli indizi ed i loro collegamenti - insomma, le caratteristiche che fanno delle indagini Rhyme-Sachs le indagini più interessanti al mondo - mancano. Più un racconto ad alta azione che un “esempio” dei tipici romanzi con Lincoln e Amelia. Comunque piacevole e veloce.
•••
Sarebbe stato un ottimo romanzo di trecento pagine, giusto per dire.
July 29, 2021
This is a short, short story, but a decent read! Lincoln and company, well most of them, investigate why a deliveryman was killed. Was it random, or was it because of what he was delivering? And what does his son know? It's a quick spin through the Rhyme universe, and it wet my appetite to get on to book number 12!
February 17, 2016
The Deliveryman
This was a pretty good story I just wish it would have been longer. I'll be reading a lot more of Jeffery Deaver in the future.
This was a pretty good story I just wish it would have been longer. I'll be reading a lot more of Jeffery Deaver in the future.
May 14, 2025
Deaver is quite adept at maximizing WTF moments in a story. There are three here. He could probably do it in a paragraph. I thought I would checkout the short stories of this series before the books. It'a go.
July 11, 2016
Reviewed at Brunner's Bookshelf
September 22, 2019
Beh, che dire? Un bel racconto, poco più di cento pagine, essenziale, ma nello stesso tempo ricco di particolari, tanto da poterci infarcire una storia e con quel minimo di azione e di suspence che non guastano.
Soggetto discreto che sarebbe potuto benissimo diventare un classico di JD.
Così, anche nel corto, il nostro si dimostra un Maestro.
Tre stelle quasi piene.
🌎 LdM-> USA: New York
📚 RC 2019: Lo scaffale traboccante
🌎 AdN -> 🇺🇸 USA: New York
✍️ JD
Soggetto discreto che sarebbe potuto benissimo diventare un classico di JD.
Così, anche nel corto, il nostro si dimostra un Maestro.
Tre stelle quasi piene.
🌎 LdM-> USA: New York
📚 RC 2019: Lo scaffale traboccante
🌎 AdN -> 🇺🇸 USA: New York
✍️ JD
December 14, 2021
** Same review for both short stories currently available, since the problems with both are the same.
Short stories featuring established characters should allow an author to stretch his wings and do something a little different, experiment on a smaller scale. Deaver instead merely offers up a condensed form of one of his books, and seeing that he can wrap up a storyline in under 50 pages just makes the novels seem bloated in comparison.
Short stories featuring established characters should allow an author to stretch his wings and do something a little different, experiment on a smaller scale. Deaver instead merely offers up a condensed form of one of his books, and seeing that he can wrap up a storyline in under 50 pages just makes the novels seem bloated in comparison.
July 23, 2018
Very short story, and for these characters (Ryhme/Sachs) perhaps not enough "book" to make a solid story. Deaver excels in his other shorts (i.e. Twisted/More Twisted), but falls short in this story. It was a decent read, but I felt no affinity to any of the characters as I typically would in his other stories. Meh.
April 8, 2021
An underworld delivery man is murdered and his son may be the only witness. Sachs and Rhyme must encourage the young boy to help them catch the killer.
Deaver has a skill of using established characters in his short stories to lend depth to an intriguing narrative.
Deaver has a skill of using established characters in his short stories to lend depth to an intriguing narrative.
October 13, 2019
Un racconto breve con Lincoln alle prese con un bambino di nome Javier. Gradevole.
April 19, 2020
A Jeffery Deaver short story with Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs. Very nicely done. A deliveryman a new his 8 year old Son. Deliveryman is killed by a gang lord and his henchman. Included is a corrupt ATF agent as a bad guy.
April 15, 2020
Avevo voglia di leggere qualcosa di Deaver, ma non volevo leggete un mattonazzo e quindi questo racconto sembrava perfetto. Invece è stata una delusione
February 8, 2016
This was a fun little short. I liked the exasperation of Lincoln at the start with all the evidence that Amelia brought in. Of course if a crime was committed in an alley there is bound to be all sorts of crap!
I loved the way that Lincoln's mind works, how from random things he can figure out things and how then Amelia becomes his legs to get the bad guy. I was a bit stunned at the ending, how the one bad guy was taken down.
I loved the way that Lincoln's mind works, how from random things he can figure out things and how then Amelia becomes his legs to get the bad guy. I was a bit stunned at the ending, how the one bad guy was taken down.
October 23, 2020
I feel like this was just a random short story that Jeffrey Deaver had laying around and he threw Lincoln Rhyme and crew in the mix to boost sales. Evidence had nothing to do with the story and it was all based on a hunch. Actually, they didn't even solve the murder they were investigating. Glad this was a library loan and I didn't actually pay for it.
February 25, 2016
Deaver's short stories never really deliver (excuse the poor pun) as well as his full length novels. His ability to write great twists is limited in this format, but this Lincoln Rhyme story still has some good moments.
July 13, 2016
A Lincoln Rhymes short story.. A murder with a witness... the victims son. Rhymes and Sachs are on it and using every bit of evidence they can to develop leads.. and the smallest mistake cost the criminals..
February 21, 2016
Kort, maar krachtig! Nu wachten tot in maart het nieuwste boek verschijnt.
July 30, 2018
The Deliveryman: A Lincoln Rhyme Short Story by Jeffery Deaver; (4*); kindle; library book; MYSTERY; (JULY, 2018)
My G'ma gave one of the 'Little House' books to me when I was a youngster way back in the 1950s. I don't even remember which one it was but today at 70 I am still reading them. They enrapture me and I love how Ingalls minutely describes the manner in which they built the items they needed to accomplish their tasks.
Stories such as these remind you of what family ties, loyalty, respect and responsibility mean. ( )
I enjoyed this short story given us by Deaver. While not horribly frightening (as I find most of his work to be) I was on the edge of my seat. Perhaps a part of that was that there was a child whose safety was at stake.
The little boy's father works for the syndicate/gangland as a driver for goods needing to be delivered. Much of it is legal but obviously not all. The father is killed while leaving a bodega in between deliveries. It just so happens that he has brought his young son to work with him on this day. The boy is waiting for the father in the van and is a witness to a part of the crime. The father's boss and henchmen do not know what all the boy has seen and are attempting to find him in order decide if they want to bump him off as well.
Enter Rhyme and Sachs and a very good short!
My G'ma gave one of the 'Little House' books to me when I was a youngster way back in the 1950s. I don't even remember which one it was but today at 70 I am still reading them. They enrapture me and I love how Ingalls minutely describes the manner in which they built the items they needed to accomplish their tasks.
Stories such as these remind you of what family ties, loyalty, respect and responsibility mean. ( )
I enjoyed this short story given us by Deaver. While not horribly frightening (as I find most of his work to be) I was on the edge of my seat. Perhaps a part of that was that there was a child whose safety was at stake.
The little boy's father works for the syndicate/gangland as a driver for goods needing to be delivered. Much of it is legal but obviously not all. The father is killed while leaving a bodega in between deliveries. It just so happens that he has brought his young son to work with him on this day. The boy is waiting for the father in the van and is a witness to a part of the crime. The father's boss and henchmen do not know what all the boy has seen and are attempting to find him in order decide if they want to bump him off as well.
Enter Rhyme and Sachs and a very good short!
August 20, 2019
Un breve racconto che vede come protagonisti Lincoln Rhyme e Amelia Sachs (il collezionista dossa) impegnati a risolvere un omicidio avvenuto in un vicolo di Manhattan.
Trama scorrevole e non impegnativa, che in poco più di 100 pagine evolve in un discreto finale.
Il numero ridotto di pagine che compongono questo racconto limitano molto la narrazione che in alcuni tratti risulta non solo affrettata ma con deduzioni investigative (del criminologo Rhyme) al di là di ogni immaginazione e logica umana, bruciando così quella che poteva diventare un'indagine ben costruita, coinvolgente e più apprezzabile anche dal lettore.
Racconto da leggere in pausa pranzo o sotto l'ombrellone.
Voto finale: 2 stelline e 1/2
Trama scorrevole e non impegnativa, che in poco più di 100 pagine evolve in un discreto finale.
Il numero ridotto di pagine che compongono questo racconto limitano molto la narrazione che in alcuni tratti risulta non solo affrettata ma con deduzioni investigative (del criminologo Rhyme) al di là di ogni immaginazione e logica umana, bruciando così quella che poteva diventare un'indagine ben costruita, coinvolgente e più apprezzabile anche dal lettore.
Racconto da leggere in pausa pranzo o sotto l'ombrellone.
Voto finale: 2 stelline e 1/2
December 8, 2019
I am a huge fan of Jeffrey Deaver's books especially his Lincoln Rhyme series. This was a great short read with unexpected twists that have become a signature of Deaver's writing and even though I expect them in his books they still always manage to take me by surprise. The deliveryman is killed whilst out doing deliveries with his young son and its up to Amelia Sachs and Lincoln Rhyme to solve the case whilst keeping the young son and potential witness safe from the killers. This book would make a great first read for anyone wanting to dip their toe into Deavers's Lincoln Rhyme series. But I should warn you, once you try a Lincoln Rhyme book you will want to read them all. #goodreads #litsy #tea_sipping_bookworm #bookstagram #lincolnrhyme #thedeliveryman #jeffreydeaver #amazonkindle
August 21, 2023
The one where a little boy's the last one to see his dad alive.
A deliveryman for shady goods brings his barely 10 year old son along one fateful day. He is murdered and the twist ? The intended recipients of the goods (guns,not drugs) masquerade as the orphan's foster parents to find out if the boy'd lead them to the missing goods.
Been tearing through these short stories at such breakneck speed - one's kinda blending into the other. The hard-to-believe element here is how lightly the cops seem to take to a young boy using a gun on someone, even if it was in self defense.
A deliveryman for shady goods brings his barely 10 year old son along one fateful day. He is murdered and the twist ? The intended recipients of the goods (guns,not drugs) masquerade as the orphan's foster parents to find out if the boy'd lead them to the missing goods.
Been tearing through these short stories at such breakneck speed - one's kinda blending into the other. The hard-to-believe element here is how lightly the cops seem to take to a young boy using a gun on someone, even if it was in self defense.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2020
A short story that obviously doesn't have all the detail that usually appears in the Lincoln Rhyme books but is nonetheless entertaining and a worthwhile read.
On a plus, it doesn't feature the constant repetition of reading out the clues on the whiteboard, which may work ok on paper or an ebook but in audiobook format quickly gets boring and tedious, having to listen to 5 minutes or more of every clue on an ever growing list read out again and again and again.
On a plus, it doesn't feature the constant repetition of reading out the clues on the whiteboard, which may work ok on paper or an ebook but in audiobook format quickly gets boring and tedious, having to listen to 5 minutes or more of every clue on an ever growing list read out again and again and again.
July 4, 2023
Good, but…. This feels way too short and way too fast. I prefer novels when it comes to Lincoln Rhyme and this is only a short story, but in a sense there’s too much going on that doesn’t get expanded on because it’s a short story. It’s well written, of course, that’s not the issue. Looking forward to the next Lincoln Rhyme’s novel but I think I’ll skip the short fiction in the Rhyme world because they’re not nearly as satisfying.
January 8, 2024
It delivers
A good short story has grab you from the start and hold you until the end. But it also needs to make you want more even though it has reached its conclusion. That is the way I felt with this story now sometimes I read a short story and go well that is that and go on to the next one. This one left me wondering about how I missed an important clue in the story, but oh well I got it by the end. Now to go onto the next case with Rhyme and Sach.
A good short story has grab you from the start and hold you until the end. But it also needs to make you want more even though it has reached its conclusion. That is the way I felt with this story now sometimes I read a short story and go well that is that and go on to the next one. This one left me wondering about how I missed an important clue in the story, but oh well I got it by the end. Now to go onto the next case with Rhyme and Sach.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews