Bone Key [Paperback]

Les Standiford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2004

A hustler is beaten by a cop. Two days later he's found slain. The cops claim ignorance. All John Deal has to go on are the rumors of the man's connection to a 70-year-old tale of piracy, murder, and greed.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A new Deal novel is cause for celebration, as fans of Les Standiford's series featuring the Florida contractor know. This time around, Deal's complicated family ties lure him from Miami to Key West to bid on a huge project being developed by entrepreneur Franklin Stone, an old friend of his father's. It's always a good idea to get a series hero away from his usual haunts, even if the Keys aren't that far from Florida's gold coast; the geography of the setting is key to this somewhat run-of-the-mill tale of buried treasure, vintage wine, and murder. What makes this mystery worthwhile isn't the plot, it's the people; instead of Vernon Driscoll, Deal's usual sidekick, Standiford gives us Russell Straight, and instead of Janice, Deal's estranged wife, the author sets up Annie Dodds, Deal's college girlfriend, as his love interest; it's the author's skill at characterization that renders them real rather than stereotypical, multifaceted rather than one-dimensional. Not the best of the series, but still well worth reading. --Jane Adams --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Among mystery buffs, John D. MacDonald may be the poet laureate of South Florida, but now Standiford whose work has been praised by Elmore Leonard and Stephen King, among others bids fair to be MacDonald's heir apparent. (Travis McGee fans will note John Deal's resemblance to MacDonald's "salvage consultant," and Standiford, like MacDonald, excels at depicting violence.) The novel takes its cue from John Hersey's hymn to Key West ("Many of the citizens are well acquainted with mischief, but at a cost"). The story begins in 1931 with a storm passing through the Florida straits; there's a devastating explosion aboard a freighter, The Magdalena, and then oblivion. Many years later, John Deal, who inherited the Dealco Construction firm from his late father, is visiting Key West to discuss a building project. He steps in to help a black youth, Dequarius Noyes, from being harassed by a deputy. Soon afterward, Noyes turns up in Deal's hotel room dead. In the kid's hand is the label from a bottle of rare wine, vintage 1929, worth thousands of dollars. There's more, much more, including buried treasure, an old girlfriend who reappears out of nowhere and, of course, murder. The labyrinthine plot, involving a case of rare wine worth $100,000, will delight oenophiles. Thriller buffs in general and readers of South Florida mysteries in particular should find this one well up to Standiford's standard. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (March 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425195503
• ISBN-13: 978-0425195505
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,177,335 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wine and Key West, November 30, 2002

By 

John Bowes (Oxford, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bone Key (Hardcover)

Well written page turner that, nevertheless, leaves the reader underwhelmed. Our hero should, with his history, be able to hear warning bells as soon as we do. Hoping for better next time.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good 4 star mystery, June 23, 2002

By 

Konrad Kern (OFallon, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bone Key (Hardcover)

In Les Standiford's latest John Deal novel you get a solid mystery with characters you've become familiar with but still remain fresh. This time around Deal and his newly appointed construction engineer, Russell Straight, are heading down to Key West to discuss a business proposition with a big time developer that his father once knew. Obviously with Mister Deal involved, something bad usually happens, and this time it's no exception. His unfortunate run in with a young black hoodlum is just the start of a long hard stay in the Key's. Murder, along with an old tale of piracy drive this sometime suspenseful tale to its satisfying conclusion.

Recommended.

4.0 out of 5 stars bone key is a good read for the mystery buff, February 6, 2008

By 

Phillip D. Scott "pmails" (jackson,tn) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bone Key (Hardcover)

i read bone key in one reading and enjoyed it very much. take out the prologue and all the action occurs in a couple of days in key west florida. the protagonist is a construction company owner who has come to key west to look at the pet project of a rich man named stone. while in key west he meets an old girl friend and encounters plenty of other trouble. i figured out the bad guy about two thirds of the way through but that isnt necessarily a bad thing. i plan to read some more of this series when i get the chance. written very well and plotted very well.