Customer Reviews

Good Blood

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let me declare my prejudices up front. I think Aaron Elkins is the best writer of "classical" mysteries working today, bar none. I'll buy any book he writes as soon as it comes out. _Good Blood_ is an engaging read, with characters whom I'd love to meet in the flesh and an honest puzzle.

That said, the book is merely very good--not great. The plotting is fine, but the editing and structural choices are a little odd. For instance:

* There's a substantial prologue that explicitly gives away what could have been a major plot point. Furthermore, if you're an experienced mystery reader, you will *immediately* guess one of the book's later twists when you finish the prologue.

* Gideon himself doesn't have as much to do as I'd prefer. He's absent for a surprising number of scenes. He gets one skeleton to work with, but has to ask a minor walk-on character (via telephone!) for the information he needs.

* The family of suspects is under-developed, compared to other Elkins books. None of them gets enough face time to be convincing. This is particularly true of the love interest, who's very sketchy; Elkins handled a similar dynamic more deftly in _Old Bones_.

All the same, aficionados of the true mystery will probably want to read this one. Too many "mystery" authors are either (a) Chandler knock-offs who conflate meanness with truth, or (b) lazy plotters, who offer "surprise" endings that are simply dropped on the reader out of thin air. Aaaron Elkins knows his stuff. (If you're new to Elkins, though, I'd recommend starting with one of his earlier books--_Old Bones_ is a good one.)

I just hope Elkins isn't getting tired of Gideon Oliver, that's all!

Aaron Elkins has set his eleventh Gideon Oliver mystery in the Piedmont region of Italy. The action takes place in the charming town of Stresa on Lake Maggiore, which is a refreshing pleasure for fans of Italian mysteries and a stark departure from the frequently used locations of Venice, Florence, or Rome. The story begins with a gripping 1960s prologue that introduces us to Domenico de Grazia's aristocratic family and sets the stage for the present day story that involves the next two generations of his family. When the present day story begins, Domenico has been dead for a decade and his son, Vincenzo, has inherited the responsibility of maintaining the estate and the good family name. When Vincenzo's rather obnoxious son, Achille, gets kidnapped, the case gets assigned to the Carabinieri's Colonel Tullio Caravalle.

Up to this point in the story it is very easy for the reader to forget that this "is" the next mystery in the Gideon Oliver series. One asks oneself just how could that famous American forensic anthropologist "Skeleton Detective" possibly get involved in this case. Well, Gideon and his wife Julie are assisting their friend Phil, from Seattle, put on a tour of the Italian lake country. Much to their surprise Phil is really Filiberto Ungaretti and a close relative of the de Grazia family in Stresa. So when, shortly after their arrival, a skeleton is found, Gideon is asked to help identify the remains and therefore gets deeply involved in this case and the kidnapping along with the very competent Colonel Caravalle. Together by combining their talents, Gideon and Caravalle proceed to unravel these two interesting and complex cases. Over the course of the story, we get introduced to all of the members of the extended de Grazia family thus furnishing a long list of suspects.

I commend Elkins for his research on this one. I loved his Italian references, particularly the occasional phrases and the food descriptions. His Lake Maggiore setting makes one want to go visit and explore more. Except for protagonist Gideon and his wife Julie, all of the characters were Italian. As a regular visitor to Italy, I found these characters credible and loved all of the petty family infighting. In my opinion, this the best mystery novel Aaron Elkins has written. I would really like him to do more novels set in Italy.

It was supposed to be a peaceful vacation in Italy, but when his friend's relative is kidnapped, American forensic anthropologist Gideon Oliver offers his assistance. The kidnapping was badly botched--resulting in the death of the chaufeur, but Italian police Colonel Caravale can't see any use for a high-powered bone man. They know what killed the chaufeur. Still, bones do turn up--on property owned by the aristocratic family of the kidnapped boy. And Caravale doesn't believe in coincidence. Still, could a skeleton that looks to have been underground for a decade have anything to do with a kidnapping?

Caravale and Gideon overcome initial distrust and begin to work together as a team--but someone is watching and knows too much. Gideon finds that the decade-old murder poses real danger to him--in the present. What started out as a vacation just might end up terminal.

Author Aaron Elkins combines the best elements of an Italian opera, forensic science, and an old-fashioned cozy in his well written and entertaining GOOD BLOOD. The aristocratic Italian family, with their internal feuds and snobish belief in the 'good blood' of the family, rings true as do Gideon and his friend Phil--the distant but looked down-on relative of the family who now makes his living giving cheap tours of the world. Elkins' strong descriptions make Italy come to life.

Aaron Elkins is an Edgar Award Winner and with GOOD BLOOD it's easy to see why. I recommend this one highly.

Good Blood -- not exactly an American ideal but very important to a family which traces its noble lineage back to the Holy Roman Empire. From the beginning to the end, the novel is driven by bloodlines and the strange conflicts they can bring upon us.

Gideon Oliver, his wife Julie, and their friend Phil are visiting Italy. Phil and Julie are acting as tour guides, and Gideon is on vacation. Somehow you just know a few human bones are doing to pop up from a shallow grave.

The book is very well-written, even though the mystery plot is rather weak. Some mystery authors deliberately "cheat" by holding back key pieces of information, but in this case Elkins perhaps errs on the opposite side by giving away too much, too soon. Doesn't matter, though, because the book is still fun to read. The pleasure of the novel depends on the fine characterization and witty writing, not the bare bones of the plot. (Or even the bare bones that are almost incidental to the plot -- in this case the bones really only serve to bring Gideon into the mystery. They aren't really necessary to solve the crime. Either of the crimes.)

The real star of the investigation (and the novel) is the local carabinieri colonel, who eventually gets to fulfill the wishes of both his father and his grandfather by the end of the story. Gideon's most important impact, perhaps, is to be a catalyst and sounding board for Colonel Caravale. But that's probably as it should be. He is on vacation, after all.

(And as a resident of the great Pacific Northwet, I loved the final scene of the novel. Any true NW native knows that if he wants to impress a vistor he should make sure to do it between July and September....)

Aaron Elkins knows his stuff; he was one of a small coterie of forensic anthropologists. Many of his previous stories are suspenseful, macabre, or scary, although always carrying a patina of rationality.

This story takes off with two exciting, then ominous, events in the picturesque Italian lake country. Coincidentally, Profs. Gideon and Julie Oliver are there vacationing, and visit the padrone of a family whose son has just been kidnapped.

Unfortunately, Elkins miscalculates in the too-revealing Prologue and gives away one of the most vital final twists of the plot. If you don't get it right off you'll only find one more genuine clue (and another if you know medicine) until Gideon reveals all in a final set speech. For an ostensible mystery, Elkins' suspense is lax. They find the body of a character I hadn't even realized was missing. When Gideon is attacked, he coolly thinks about the "pressure on the soft tissues of the superior carotid triangles" (rather than being choked to death). This is humorous in a manner of speaking, but undercuts the suspense. Perhaps Elkins' research stay in Italy was just too sunny a time to inspire him.

Just sit back and enjoy the travelogue Elkins provides. Good Blood is even simpler than most Elkins, but has pleasant Italian people and details along the way, as well as restaurant recommendations in case you ever visit Lago Maggiore as he did. Elkins' prose is clean and light. He distances Gideon from the occasional ugly bits by his command of emotionless medical terminology when examining a murder victim's bones, or sleuthing by telephone. If you insist on reading this sub-par Elkins, the 11th rendition of Gideon's adventures, get the pb. Editing is a bit loose, resulting in howlers on pp. 73 and 120 of the hb.

Aaron Elkins is a travelers dream. His books are well written, pleasant, fast-paced mystery adventures about a forensic anthropologist. I find them wonderful reads when traveling for work -- always fun, with enough plot and pacing to keep you reading on the plane.

A new visit with Professor Gideon Oliver, and Julie is always welcome. Mr. Elkins has the gift of description, be it a charming small lake side village in Italy, or the first sip of a local red wine. I was taken from the simplicity of old world values ,to the danger and complexity of searching for the truth of the identity of a murder victim , to the unraveling of a ingenious case of financial minipulation.
Mr.Elkins has again spun a tale of finely crafted prose, and intelligent wit.

Gideon Oliver, his wife Julie and their friend, Phil Boyajian, are traveling to Italy. Phil is a guide for a bicycle touring group and he has pressed Julie into helping. Gideon goes to be with Julie and to visit Italy again.

While Phil and Julie are shepherding the cyclists, Gideon becomes involved in an ancient death that he discovers is a murder. In the meantime, there is a kidnapping of the dead man's relative.

This is a very light book, easily read in an afternoon or evening. There was very little suspense or mystery. The best part was discovering how the person was murdered and the murder weapon.

Lots of flowery prose made me skip sections. Felt really slow, and had some frustrating lack of deductions - ended up relying on non-deductive reasoning to learn the final results...

I'm def a fan of his other work!

Great setting, cool beans premise, fun teaser start, good friends, enjoyable travel trivia, what else is there?!?! Really enjoyed this installment. It's been too long since my last Elkins' Gideon Oliver mystery!