Why we’re excited
An abandoned building in Spanish Harlem burns, and inside the ruins investigators find a fireproof box marked with the number one. It holds a copy of Heart of Darkness and an old whip. Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs read it as the opening move in a series of arsons with a historical message.
This is the seventeenth Lincoln Rhyme novel, the series that began with The Bone Collector, which became the 1999 film with Denzel Washington. Each book stands up alone, though the Rhyme and Sachs partnership reads better with history. A new character, a gun-carrying Long Island detective, gives longtime readers something fresh.
On our most-anticipated list since 22 October 2026. See all the most anticipated books →
What to know about The Collateral Heart
The Collateral Heart is Book 17 in the Lincoln Rhyme series. Start with Book 1, The Bone Collector. The book just before this one is The Watchmaker’s Hand.
We have reviewed one of Jeffery Deaver’s books so far: Fatal Intrusion, which we gave 4.5 out of 5.
At 416 pages it is one of the longer mystery books out in November 2026; the typical one runs about 336 pages.
From the publisher
New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver returns with a propulsive new thriller featuring forensic criminalist Lincoln Rhyme and detective Amelia Sachs (from The Bone Collector) as they investigate a series of arsons in New York City.
When a harrowing arson in Manhattan burns a building to the ground, Rhyme and Sachs are called to investigate, only to discover in the rubble a package of clues that teases where the perp will strike next. Rhyme and Sachs work feverishly to unravel the mystery, turning to an unlikely source for one of the nation's most popular history podcasters. Along the way they cross paths with Desdemona Vale, a determined detective from Long Island who is in search of the killer of a young woman from her neighborhood.
As Rhyme's team digs into both cases, it becomes increasingly clear that their suspect's plot might be more complicated than they initially thought. But can Rhyme and Sachs unpack his vile scheme, and stop the carnage in time?
Description supplied by the publisher.
We haven’t read The Collateral Heart yet. When our review goes up, it will replace this page.
