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Summary
Summary
Acclaimed for a mischievous wit and his intriguing mixture of forensic anthropology and real skull-duggery, Aaron Elkins is one of the best in the business and getting better all the time. Now, the author of Good Bloodreturns, and so does Gideon Oliver, professor of forensics, who uncovers a deadly family plot of greed and murder in the northern uplands of Hawaii.
Author Notes
Former anthropologist Aaron Elkins has been writing mysteries and thrillers since 1982.
He won an Edgar award for Old Bones, as well as an Agatha (with his wife Charlotte), and a Nero Wolfe Award. His major continuing series features forensic anthropologist-detective Gideon Oliver, "the skeleton detective".
Aaron speaks often at professional conferences, is a frequent contributor to the New York Times, has written for Smithsonian magazine, and is the author of several short stories. His work, which has been published in over a dozen languages, include: NASTY BREAKS (with his wife Charlotte Elkins), MAKE NO BONES, A DECEPTIVE CLARITY, SKELETON DANCE, THE DARK PLACE, and Little Tiny Teeth.
He and his wife Charlotte live in Washington.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
In Edgar-winner Elkins's solid 12th whodunit to feature forensic anthropologist Gideon Oliver (after 2004's acclaimed Good Blood), Oliver's Hawaiian vacation turns into a busman's holiday, as he and close friend John Lau, an FBI agent who's also enjoying some downtime, get involved in a decade-old mystery surrounding the deaths of two elderly Swedish brothers who owned a huge cattle ranch. One night in 1994, hit men acting for an unknown client murdered Torkel Torkelsson, then attempted to conceal the corpse with an act of arson; that same night, Magnus Torklesson and a pilot took off in a small plane, never to be heard from again. Now divers have discovered the wreckage of the long-lost plane in a lagoon, with some skeletal remains. Soon learning that none of the original police investigation's conclusions may be valid, Oliver and Lau find themselves intrigued and frustrated by the lies and evasions pitched rapidly at them by the Torkelssons' heirs, all of whom have different motives for obscuring the truth. Oliver's deductions will remind classic mystery readers of archetypal scientific sleuth Dr. Thorndyke, and his three-dimensional personality and humor will continue to attract first-timers. Agent, Lisa Vance at the Aaron Priest Agency. (Apr. 5) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Some ten-year-old remains turn forensic anthropologist Gideon Oliver's Hawaiian trip into a busman's holiday. Magnus Torkelsson's surviving sister Dagmar and his four nieces and nephews all agree on what happened on the Hoalaha Cattle Ranch back in 1994. Hours after somebody--two somebodies, from the ballistic evidence--shot Magnus's brother Torkel to death and burned down the house around him, Magnus took off for parts unknown and was never seen again. Now a fortuitous invitation from Magnus's nephew Axel means that Gideon and his FBI buddy John Lau, Axel's old college friend, are on hand when Magnus's airplane turns up with his remains and those of Claudia Albert, a pilot with a past. Gideon (Good Blood, 2003, etc.) can't imagine a better way to repay the family for their hospitality than examining the bones that have spent a decade in a warm lagoon. But the conclusions that he draws from a single skeletal foot spell trouble for rancher Axel; his brother Felix, a Honolulu land-use lawyer; his sister Inge, who runs a dude ranch on her share of the Hoalaha estate, and his sister Hedwig, who's turned her spread into a holistic wellness center. Gideon is too content with the sun to spend much time with the suspects, and the plot is a little too determined to prove wrong absolutely everything you assume about Magnus's disappearance. But it all adds up to a diverting, mildly mystifying vacation. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Elkins' writing skills are superb, his research impeccable, and his plots intriguing. We get two out of three in this new entry in his series featuring forensic detective Gideon Oliver, as Elkins provides well-crafted, tantalizing descriptions of lesser-known parts of Hawaii. After a conference in Honolulu, Gideon and his FBI agent friend John Lau travel to the Big Island\b to stay on the Torkelsson family cattle ranch. Old friends of John, the Torkelssons quickly warm to Gideon and ask for his help in identifying bones found in a sunken plane. Could it be the long-missing Uncle Magnus? Unfortunately, this story is missing the compelling plot that is usually a hallmark of Elkins' works. Gideon plays a very peripheral role in identifying the body, and readers don't have much reason to care who it is. That said, Gideon is a likable protagonist, and spending time in his company is always pleasant. Elkins has established himself as a master craftsman both in the Oliver series and in his stand-alone thrillers. --Jenny McLarin Copyright 2005 Booklist