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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Something old, something new, June 6, 2007
This review is from: Little Tiny Teeth (A Gideon Oliver Mystery) (Hardcover)
I usually begin reviews of Aaron Elkins's novels by calling him "the best writer of classical mysteries working today". That's still true, but _Little Tiny Teeth_ represents a bit of a departure from the format. It's part straight mystery, part thriller--and all delightful.
Most of the usual delights of a Gideon Oliver story are, happily, still present. There's a terrific setting, even more evocative than usual. There's a soupçon of dry wit. There are some clever deductions by Gideon and his sidekick John Lau, and a nice twist ending. And, of course, there are fascinating forensic tidbits galore.
But this time around, we also get: Jungles! Piranhas! Headhunters! Drug smugglers! More piranhas! Giant spiders! Poisoned blowgun darts! Still more piranhas! With a setup like that, how can you go wrong?
Mystery aficionados will note some shifts in the story's structure, to accommodate its thriller-esque aspects. The actual crime doesn't happen until midway through the book, although the lead-in is so interesting that you probably won't mind. The cast of suspects, while deftly sketched, gets relatively less attention than usual; there's no room in the tale to trace their alibis, set them up as red herrings, or unearth their long-buried secrets. That's probably a sensible choice, given the book's relatively rapid pacing--it's not an action-adventure by any means, but it does move smartly along.
Elkins does, perhaps, reveal too much too soon. The nefarious doings of one major character are fully laid out in an early expository chapter, before the narrative really gets going; I'd have preferred to see these matters left nebulous, and only gradually revealed. Contrarily, the murder calls for some damned quick thinking on the perpetrator's part, which could have used more foreshadowing.
These, however, are mere niggles. Gideon Oliver first appeared in thriller form (_Fellowship of Fear_), but it's been quite some time since he sojourned there. Elkins, in ringing some changes on his typically cerebral approach, gives his hero and his series a whiff of novelty, while still keeping a foot planted firmly in the classical-mystery camp. Bravo!
P.S.: If you check out the author's website, you'll find some photos from his own Amazon cruise ("research", he calls it). They'll give you some striking visuals to accompany the narrative.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Glancing, lite Gideon, January 25, 2008
This review is from: Little Tiny Teeth (A Gideon Oliver Mystery) (Hardcover)
This is a very enjoyable read, ideal for vacation time, particularly while floating down a tropical river somewhere. It is very good at describing tropical heat and enervating humidity, the languid pace of river voyages, and the endless forest of the Peruvian Amazon, in its subtle variety. Prof. Gideon Oliver, and his trusty FBI friend, John Lau, have joined a botanical "fishing" expedition in the selva. Elkins does a wonderful job differentiating the scientists and sending them off together with contentious differences you just know have to result in violence. Oh, so many motives targeted on their arrogant leader. But people just sorta...vanish, from the old steamer boat. Serious modern crises form the distant backdrop to this story, never directly confronted: drugs good and bad, nature, logging, eco-disaster and -tourism, tribal survival. Perhaps the most exciting moment in any Oliver adventure is here. Prodded into the trackless jungle toward undoubted death, all Gideon can think of is the amazingly splayed toes of his tree-dwelling captors. Only a Gideon Oliver fan will understand how hilarious that is.
Oh right, what's the mystery? This is more of a shaggy suspense story. Surely there's a murder? Only if people don't vanish for other reasons. But there has to be more about bones, besides hallux varus, no? After all, this is about "The Skeleton Detective." Well, barely. Mainly this is a well-told tourists-over-their-heads-in-the-tropics adventure story. Elkins has it down, even to the ubiquitous jars of Nescafé powdered instant coffee. He does forget to make much of the biting bugs that would plague you at every stop, something else the glossy tour brochures don't tell you about. Get this book, sit back, and enjoy this story on your cruise. Douse yourself with repellent and turn up the heat, just for atmosphere.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
What Is The Most Dangerous Predator in the Amazon Jungle?, July 9, 2007
This review is from: Little Tiny Teeth (A Gideon Oliver Mystery) (Hardcover)
Rarely have I read a beginning of a mystery with a more chilling start. Little Tiny Teeth's prologue features three graduate students who are lost in the upper Amazon basin and are being trailed by poisonous blow-dart carrying Chayacuros, an indigenous people who had never been conquered by the Spanish who are known for "harvesting" heads of their enemies. The threat in the beginning sets an eerie tone for the rest of the book that makes the Amazon basin the most interesting aspect of the story.
As the main part of the book opens, an unlikely group is introduced who are to embark on an ethnobiological tour of the upper Amazon led by Professor Arden Schofield. Of the professionals in the group, the one thing they have in common is a dislike for Schofield. There are also three tagalongs: Gideon Oliver (an physical anthropology professor who is known as "the skeleton detective") and John Lau ( an FBI agent friend) have been cut loose by their wives to take a vacation together with Gideon's old friend from graduate school, Phil Boyajian, who runs an economy vacation service called On the Cheap.
From there, you'll enjoy great descriptions of the Amazon and the people there. The word pictures are so vivid I felt like I could see them in my mind.
Danger lurks everywhere from both the uncivilized beasts and the so-called civilized people with hidden, uncivilized plans. Naturally, the Amazon's piranhas play a role in the story.
Soon, there are two missing people following a series of attacks. What will happen next?
Despite the wonderful job of working the Amazon into the story, Little Tiny Teeth has two important drawbacks: There's little room for Gideon to employ his forensic skills and the explanation for what happened to the two missing people is pretty easy to figure out. With a better mystery, this would have been a five-star book.
Fans of the series will probably be disappointed that Julie plays only a cameo role in the story.
If you don't think that the upper Amazon presents fascinating story potential for a mystery, you could skip this book without harming your enjoyment of the series.
Most people are afraid of what's new to them. After you read this book, I suggest you check into what the odds are of being harmed by a variety of sources. Then, be careful where the risks are actually the highest . . . rather than where you feel most afraid.
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