Jeffery Deaver is one of my favourite authors and I especially enjoy the series of books he has written with Lincoln Rhyme as the central character.

The Blue Nowhere is outwith this series and I was disappointed not to meet Lincoln and Sachs on another adventure at first. My disappointment was forgotten very quickly however, as I was sucked into this tale of multiple murder, which I read in one night.
A taster from the dust-jacket
"Imagine yourself in a bar. A man approaches you. He doesn't seem familiar but he knows your past, your job, your hobbies and your ex-boyfriend's name. You go for a drink. This is your first - and last - mistake."

In this novel, the victims are selected using the information we all transmit into the ether, from our computers. Because of the vast knowledge accumulated on the victim, the murderer is able to get very, very close. The victim comes to believe that she must know this character. You know what it's like - you don't remember them but they remember you? Would you be too polite to admit the truth? I found this scenario chilling.

The cop assigned to the case, Frank Bishop, would rather be working on another, high profile case involving cop killers. Computers are not his thing. Drawn into the complexities of the victim's selection, he is forced to find an expert hacker to help use the murderer's own medium against him. The trouble is, our hacker has been incarcerated for hacking into the most security sensitive sites in the USA. Frank manages to get Wyatt Gillette out of prison for long enough to work with him. But, can he be trusted? Does Wyatt have his own agenda?
And what purpose has Patricia Nolan, lent to the department as an online security consultant? The woman who constantly paints nail hardener onto her fingers appears almost in awe of Gillette.

The plot is pacy, with several sub-plots in the mix, not least Wyatt's wish to be reunited with his wife.
I won't spoil the story for you. There are enough twists to keep you guessing and the whole premise put me off using the internet for weeks. Dialogue, as always with Deaver, is sharp and witty on occasion. But, in my opinion, it is the depth of characterisation that sets him apart from other crime authors.

Deaver always looks into what maketh the man. To the point that I often find myself sympathising with the baddie. The Blue Nowhere is no different. An interesting factor here is the intermittent reminder that the super hackers in the story will soon be surpassed by the talent found in the likes of Jamie Turner, a school pupil. The idea of mortality and replacement is strong. Does this fear of mortality contribute to the decision to carry out these heinous crimes?
As I said, I was rendered afraid of the Internet, however another theme throughout the book is this. It is accepted that we don't really know the people we are talking to electronically, but how well do we know those whom we spend most of our time face to face with? And which is the more scary scenario?