They were promised freedom and a new life in America. What they received was a death sentence.

Jeffery Deaver takes his signature character Lincoln Rhyme and sends him in a new direction in “The Stone Monkey.”

A ship full of Chinese citizens is headed for New York. Their goal is to start a new life free of Communist rule. The group is being smuggled into the U.S. without proper visas.

The INS is aware of this attempt and plans to stop it. That is when the ship is destroyed.

The smuggler, known as the Ghost, is not about to be captured. He sets off the explosives to destroy the ship. He then starts to hunt down the survivors.

Enter Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs. Rhyme was a New York City police officer with a specialization in forensics. He is now paralyzed from the neck down.

Sachs acts as his feet as well as his eyes and ears at the crime scenes. Together these two have caught some of the world’s most dangerous killers.

Rhyme and Sachs must use the evidence to predict the Ghost’s next move. They also need to find the remaining survivors before the Ghost can eliminate them.

Jeffery Deaver has been very successful with the character of Lincoln Rhyme. The three previous books in the series have all been on the New York Times bestsellers list. The first book, “The Bone Collector,” was turned into a movie starring Academy Award winners Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie.

Deaver had a large challenge facing him when it came to writing this book, because the previous book “The Empty Chair” had a weak story. Deaver needed to recreate his characters while staying true to who they were. In order to do this he took a major chance.

“The Stone Monkey” is not a typical Lincoln Rhyme story line. This is not a secretive killer that is stalking the city. They know who they are looking for. They just cannot find him.

Having Rhyme work with the INS is also a big stretch. But in this case it works. The story is strong and interesting.

Deaver also plays subtle games with the reader. He allows one to collect clues in the story that can be pieced together to solve the crime. Collect all the clues and the outcome will not be a surprise.

It will be a challenge, however, and the smallest overlooked clue may spell defeat.

In this way the book is very interactive. Each word tells a story and pulls the reader through.

Deaver made an effort not to refer to the other books, which makes the story friendly to new readers.

His use of detail is amazing and his insight into the Chinese culture gives it a realistic feel.

Deaver also cuts down on how graphic the killings are. This also adds another element of friendliness to the story.

By putting his original characters into a new situation, Deaver has created a nearly perfect novel.

Matthew Carlson is a senior in journalism and mass communications from De Witt.