Notes:
The Bone Collector
Detective Story Unit
Author–Jeffery Deaver
He’s a little scary, no?
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Characters
Clues and evidence
Holmes vs Rhyme
The Characters
In order of appearance (sort of)
Lincoln Rhyme
Richard Thompson a.k.a. Marcus Andrews
Dr. Barry Lehman
Thelma
Amelia Donaghy
Captain Howard Cheney
Det. Paulie Sellitto
Det. Kenny Soloman
Eddie Ortiz
Lincoln Rhyme—
Detective, writer, forensic expert
Richard Thompson—
medical technician
Also know as Marcus Andrews
Dr. Barry Lehman—
Friend and physician to Rhymes
He has agreed to assist Rhyme in suicide
Thelma—
Nurse to Rhyme
Killed at the end of the movie.
Officer Amelia Donaghy
Rhyme’s Watson
Capt. Howard Cheney
Head of the Department (replaced Lincoln Rhyme)
Jealous of Lincoln Rhyme
Det. Paulie Sellitto
works with Rhyme
Det. Kenny Solomon—
assist. to Sellitto
Eddie Ortiz—
Crime lab technician
He is used for comic relief.
EVIDENCE
Evidence
The first victims
Evidence 1st crime
Clues
Hand with wedding ring
Bone put into hand of second
victim
Asbestos
Ground Oyster shells
Newspaper article w/ date
Book page number with 119
Old “iron” bolt
Clues 1st crime
•Hand with wedding ring--He’s got the woman
•Bone put into hand of second victim—lead to second crime
•Asbestos—Steam pipe
•Ground Oyster shells—Pearl Street
•Newspaper article w/ time—time/crime at Woolworth
building
•Book page number with 119—November 9
•Old “iron” bolt—Underground rails
Clues 2nd crime
•Cow Bone, not human found—stock yards
•Shaved hair from a rat—underground (murder
w/rats)
•Nitrate—fertilizer—stock yards
•Finger prints—red herring
Previous crimes
Rhyme concludes that previous crimes
are connected to these series of crimes.
The killer has been sending messages
w/clues for a long time but no one has
put them together.
Clues 3rd crime
•Matchbook—fingerprint
•Piece of paper (several pieces of the paper
together were the logo of an old publishing
house). Paper is from old book on crime
stories—The Bone Collector.
•Odor of diesel fuel on paper (by the port)
Clues 4th crime
•Old Map—subway tunnel
• Bone—finger bone – the finger he is going to
remove from Rhyme
• Metal (Perhaps badge of NYPD)
• Number on subway train 78499 (Rhyme’s
badge number)
Earliest clue to the
murderer in opening
of the movie
Introduction
Meet Lincoln Rhyme


Learn of his ability
Learn of his disability
Meet Amelia


Learn of her disconnection to others
See how she reacts to processing a crime scene
See meeting Rhyme and Donaghy for first
crime
See confrontational attitude of Lieutenant
and Rhyme.
Rising Action
The processing of the first crime
The continuation of crimes and how
they are examined and processed.
Climax
Kills Capt. Howard Cheney
Kills Thelma
Reveals himself and is Richard
Reveals his hatred of Rhyme
Reveals he is really Marcus Andrews
Attacks Rhyme.
Climax a little different
In this climax we get a little of the
resolution. We learn Richard Thompson
is Marcus Andrews and is after Rhyme
and why.
On Rhyme’s report Marcus Andrews, a
forensic officer, was sent to prison for
six years for falsifying evidence and
sending innocent men to jail.
Climax
Is Rhymes going to be saved?
Falling Action
Donaghy figures out clues returns and
kills Richard/Marcus
Denouncement
Christmas party
Rhyme is alive and has forgone his desire
for suicide
 Rhyme surrounds himself with friends
 Rhyme is reunited with his family through
Amelia
 Rhyme and Amelia forge a friendship and
partnership that continues for several
books.

Similarities
between Holmes and Rhyme
Holmes
A rolodex of information
(Scandal in Bohemia).
Knows the city of London
even to its different soils.
Police captain uses
Holmes for his skills in
analysis and deduction but
dislikes acknowledging the
Holmes is superior.
Rhyme
A computer collection of
information.
Knows the city of New York
even to its different soils.
(Pearl Street)
Police captain uses Rhyme
for his skills in analysis and
deduction but dislikes
acknowledging the Rhyme
is superior.
Similarities
between Holmes and Rhyme
Holmes
Has a vast knowledge of
past crimes.
Has Watson to direct and
bounce ideas off of.
A cold detachment (vies a
murder without emotion-is
able to “test” things out on
himself as well as others.)
Rhyme
Has a vast knowledge of
past crimes.
Has Donaghy direct and
bounce ideas off of.
A cold detachment (asking
Donaghy to process the
body)
Differences
between Holmes and Rhyme
Holmes
Is able to personally
investigate the crime
scenes.
Most of Holmes’ cases
dealt with theft, deception,
blackmail, and murder.
Watson was a doctor and
had no knowledge of
Holmes’ profession and
one of his skills. He is an
objective observer.
Rhyme
Is restricted to his bed and
must rely on others to
gather clues on his
direction.
Rhyme’s cases deal with
serial killers and murderers.
Donaghy is trained as a
policeman. She has
knowledge of forensics and
is actively involved in the
crime investigation.