Skull Duggery (Gideon Oliver Series #16)
Gideon is happy to be in Mexico with his wife-until he's asked to examine the mummified corpse of a drifter thought to be shot to death. Gideon's findings reveal that the cause of death is far more bizarre. Then he's asked to examine the skeleton of a murder victim found a year earlier-only to discover another coroner error. The Skeleton Detective knows that two "mistakenly" identified bodies are never a coincidence. But if he isn't careful, unearthing the connection between them could make...
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Gideon is happy to be in Mexico with his wife-until he's asked to examine the mummified corpse of a drifter thought to be shot to death. Gideon's findings reveal that the cause of death is far more bizarre. Then he's asked to examine the skeleton of a murder victim found a year earlier-only to discover another coroner error. The Skeleton Detective knows that two "mistakenly" identified bodies are never a coincidence. But if he isn't careful, unearthing the connection between them could make him another murder statistic in Mexico.Publishers WeeklyWhat sounded like an idyllic winter getaway at relatives' Oaxacan dude ranch turns into a bonesman's holiday for Gideon Oliver and his wife, Julie, in Edgar-winner Elkins's atmospheric 16th mystery to feature the forensic anthropologist (after 2008's Uneasy Relations). Before the Washington State couple can even sample the quesadillas at the Hacienda Encantada, their hostess, Julie's cousin, asks Gideon if he'd mind helping the local police chief by examining the mummified remains of what appears to be a murder victim. One skeleton swiftly leads to a second—and from there smack into a suspenseful puzzle whose secret someone will apparently kill to protect. Elkins partially tips his hand before hitting the home stretch of his rapidly accelerating plot, but, even so, the final revelations should leave you—if not the unflappable Bone Detective—pleasantly surprised. (Sept.)
\ Publishers WeeklyWhat sounded like an idyllic winter getaway at relatives' Oaxacan dude ranch turns into a bonesman's holiday for Gideon Oliver and his wife, Julie, in Edgar-winner Elkins's atmospheric 16th mystery to feature the forensic anthropologist (after 2008's Uneasy Relations). Before the Washington State couple can even sample the quesadillas at the Hacienda Encantada, their hostess, Julie's cousin, asks Gideon if he'd mind helping the local police chief by examining the mummified remains of what appears to be a murder victim. One skeleton swiftly leads to a second—and from there smack into a suspenseful puzzle whose secret someone will apparently kill to protect. Elkins partially tips his hand before hitting the home stretch of his rapidly accelerating plot, but, even so, the final revelations should leave you—if not the unflappable Bone Detective—pleasantly surprised. (Sept.)\ \ \ \ \ VOYA - Robyn Guedel\ Forensic anthropologist Gideon Oliver and his girlfriend Julie are headed on a vacation to the small town of Oaxaca, Mexico. Julie has agreed to help her cousin by watching her hacienda for the week. What starts out as relaxing turns into something more than they expected. When a dead body turns up, Gideon agrees to help the local police by doing an investigation of the bones. What Gideon discovers, however, is a huge cover-up that has tremendous implications for his girlfriend and her family. It was believed that Julie's aunt Blaze ran away with another man over twenty years ago. It is soon discovered that she was not only murdered but also might have been a witness to a large family secret. Elkins nicely balances the discussion of various anthropological techniques in working with skeletons without being too technical or boring. What starts out a little slow turns out to be a real page-turner of a mystery. Readers will be on the edges of their seats trying to figure out who the dead people are and how they intertwine. Some readers may get tripped up by the extensive use of Spanish words, but overall the terms are simple and familiar. Reviewer: Robyn Guedel\ \ \ Kirkus ReviewsForensic anthropologist Gideon Oliver travels to Mexico in the latest from Elkins (Uneasy Relations, 2008, etc.). While her relatives are off having surgery and getting divorced, the Skeleton Detective's wife Julie has been asked to fill in at Hacienda Encantada, the family resort in sleepy Teotitlan del Valle in Mexico. There's nothing much for Gideon to do until rising politico Flaviano Sandoval, who's reluctantly serving as police chief while awaiting his turn at higher office, invites him to examine the mummified remains of an unsavory drifter who called himself Manuel Garcia, and then the bones of a long-dead little girl who's never been identified. Naturally, Gideon's theory about what happened to a missing .32 slug in the drifter's corpse turns the verdict of the local medico legiste on its head. Meanwhile, Julie's made some surprising and unwelcome discoveries about Blaze Tendler, the mother of Julie's cousin Annie. Although everyone knows that Blaze ran off years ago with her lover Manolo, who paused only long enough to relieve Blaze's brother Jamie of $16,000 at the point of a gun, everyone turns out to be wrong. It's only a matter of time before Gideon's present-day corpse gets entangled in the branches of Julie's family tree. But Gideon wears his customary learning so lightly that the forensics that establish that link are fascinating, and the mystery surrounding Hacienda Encantada grows more riveting with each new twist. Gideon's finest case in years proves that "Professor Oliver finds happiness in baffling the mind of the simple hardworking policeman"-and everyone else.\ \
