How to write

Readers were first introduced to Kathryn Dance in Jeffery Deaver’s The Cold Moon.  She assisted Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs (forensic investigators who have appeared in several Deaver novels) hunt for calculating killer; the Clockmaker.  Dance possesses extraordinary interrogation skills, observing and interpreting body language as a human lie detector.  Her skills are showcased in The Sleeping Doll.

A young girl, christened The Sleeping Doll by the media, survived a night of horror 10 years ago, when her family was brutally slain by cult leader Daniel Pell.  Now Pell has escaped from prison and Special Agent Kathryn Dance must predict his next move in order to bring him back into custody.  There are few leads to follow and so Kathryn looks to Pell’s past and enlists the help of his former “Family” members, three damaged women who know the cunning killer better than any one else.

Michael O’Neil, fellow agent and friend, assists in the manhunt, along with Michael Kellogg, a specialist in cults and cult leaders. Dance begins a romantic relationship with Kellogg which creates distance between her and O’Neil.  Despite the fact O’Neil is married, there is sexual tension lurking just below the surface. Deaver does a good job of rounding out all the characters with lives and complicated relationships unrelated to the investigation.

Pell is up to his old tricks, manipulating a desperate young woman and searching for new members to lure to his mountaintop, where he can reign once more.  There are just a few loose ends to tie up and Pell destroys anyone who gets in his way.

Throughout the novel, leaps of deduction, going from A to B to X, defy logic. Similarly, the character’s motivations are thin excuses to manipulate the plot and provide a dozen twisty turns to keep the reader guessing.  If you are willing to accept the characters and plots at face value, then you’re in luck, because The Sleeping Doll is a fast paced, entertaining read.  Deaver’s writing is revitalized as he explores a new cast of characters and his enthusiasm is evident.