Although I've been aware of Jeffery Deaver's work for decades, I've never gotten around to reading one of his novels so, when Amazon offered his latest (251-page) novella 'The Rule Of Threes' for free, I decided to give it a try.

'The Rule Of Threes' was entertaining in a magic-trick kind of way. My first impression was that it was a conventional but well-done clever cop versus cunning serial killer story with both the cop and the killer being distinctive enough to keep the story fresh. The storytelling valued pace over detail but the dialogue worked well, the action scenes were exciting, the peaceful small-town setting amplified the impact of the violence and the level of tension kept rising.

Towards the middle, I started to realise that this wasn't the conventional story I thought it was going to be. The main investigator wasn't the out-of-towner-who-fearlessly-follows-the-evidence type I'd thought she was. The more I learned about her, the more dangerous and unpredictable she seemed to be. The Sherrif, who'd initially seemed like a central casting version of a grumpy disillusioned middle-aged wannabe-cowboy bully Sherif turned out to the someone quite different. Then something started to feel off about the obsessed-with-things-that-come-in-threes killer and I wondered how Jeffery Deaver was going to pull everything together in such a short time.

Then came the big twist. A twist so big that it almost felt like a cheat. I found myself going "How was I supposed to see that coming?" Then I accepted that this wasn't a book where I was being invited to solve the mystery before the detective did, this was a rollercoaster ride thriller that I had to surrender control to and enjoy the ride. The momentum of the story pushed me forward and dropped me through twist after twist to an ending that I thought was very satisfactory.

'The Rule Of Threes' was entertaining and has left me with an appetite for some more Jeffery Deaver. I think I'll try his most recent books first. ( )

Absolute quality a Master of this genre

Absolute quality from a Master of this genre.
Totally gripping from first to last page clever descriptive intelligent with more than enough twists and surprises for this reader to cope with. Classed as a novella but 260 pages so more a short book. Excellent characters throughout and I was particularly pleased to see the return of our heroine lead Detective Constant Marlow. She featured in the Authors quality linked series of four novellas and I suggested she must have her own series, and I would like to think the Author took note, but I suspect not. The possible great news is the ending of this book suggests a follow up. I certainly hope so.
Completely and utterly recommended. ( )

Bait and Switch, but Write Your Own Ending
Review of the Amazon First Reads Kindle eBook edition (February 1, 2024), released in advance of the official publication by Amazon Original Stories in eBook format & by Audible Originals in audio format (March 1, 2024)

He slings the backpack over his shoulder and walks to the door. Three deep breaths. Then outside into the damp end-of-summer day, in which there is nothing to do . . . . . . but get to work and end a life.

I am usually disappointed with the Amazon First Reads, but by choosing a veteran like Jeffery Deaver this month I thought I could expect a reasonably competent outing. And I'll admit that I was fooled by the setup and when the reveal came at about the 2/3rds mark it came out of left field for me.

Illinois Department of Criminal Investigation special agent Constant (not Constance!) Marlowe comes to a small town to investigate a possible serial killer whose second victim has been discovered. In another POV there is a mysterious character who appears to be psychologically obsessed with the number 3. Mystery person appears to be stalking possible witnesses in the town and then Constant as well.

Meanwhile there is a native treaty settlement afoot which may end up redrawing the local boundaries and a local white supremacist group is possibly working to undermine the situation. Soon Constant and her local Deputy ally face personal attacks and assaults. Is it because of the murderer or the racists?

Even with several of the characters straight out of central casting, i.e. the ultra-competent outsider, the cranky local sheriff, the loyal ally, the creepy stalker, the small town racists, etc. Jeffery Deaver managed to pull off several twists which I had not expected. So not so bad for an Amazon First Read this time.

The reader will have to write their own ending as otherwise there is a significant final development which is left unresolved. This might be due to a planned sequel, which is not otherwise mentioned. An Unsatisfactory Ending Alert™ is required ahead of time so that you will be prepared.

Trivia and Links
Amazon Prime First Reads advance reading copies (ARCs) are available to Amazon Prime subscribers. They offer advance reads of books in Kindle eBook format one month before the date of official release. The current month's selection is available here (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region). ( )

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