Part of Lincoln Rhyme, book 6
First published 2005
Geneva Settle visits the New York Public Library to research her ancestor when someone tries to kill her. The sixteen-year-old Harlem student becomes the target of a deadly conspiracy that reaches back through generations of her family's history. Detective Lincoln Rhyme and his partner Amelia Sachs take the case, racing to uncover why someone wants Geneva dead. The investigation leads them through layers of deception involving historical documents, family secrets, and a killer who will stop at nothing to keep the past buried. As Rhyme analyzes forensic evidence from his wheelchair, Sachs works the streets to protect Geneva and hunt down the assassin. The case forces Geneva to confront painful truths about her heritage while fighting for her life. The story weaves together past and present as three people discover how far someone will go to hide the truth.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, investigation
Setting: New York, Harlem, New York Public Library
Period: 21st-century
816 pages · Simon & Schuster