Customer Reviews

Skeleton Dance: A Novel (Gideon Oliver Mysteries)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I wanted to wait a few days after I got this book to read it because I knew that if it was a good one, it would only take a day to read - and it only took a day. My house is a mess, but I spent a very enjoyable day with my nose stuck in this book, and it was nice to revisit some old friends in this latest Gideon Oliver book. I highly recommend it.

Aaron Elkins has written another enjoyable Gideon Oliver mystery. Anyone who enjoys richly detailled exotic settings and an unusual assortment of clues to puzzle over will enjoy this book. The author regales the reader with lovely descriptions of pastoral France as well as some pretty intriguing anthropological data (e.g. the current new twists on an old debate about the human qualities of the Cro Magnon vs. the Neanderthal add color to the central conflict of this mystery). Unfortunately, the dialogue between characters in SKELETON DANCE is not as witty and smooth as in earlier books of the series. Since Elkins relies primarily on dialogue to flesh out his characters, the book suffers a bit in this regard. Still, as the season of lazy afternoons is almost upon us, the book is a good addition to any bach bag or picnic pack.

I have read "Loot" by Aaron Elkins and found that art can be a great center for a mystery novel. I was a little skeptical that Elkins series revolving around an archaeology would be as good. I am glad I gave it a shot. Gideon Oliver the main character in this series is a wonderful character that any mystery fan can get into.

The story starts when a local dog starts bring home human bones from a cave in France. However these bones are no remains of any old Cro-magnon. These are much to new. Oliver is brought in to determine the age of the bones, and slowly uncovers a scandal in the local institute of archaeology. At the institute is a group of possible suspects of the unknown victim in the cave. Oliver along with detective Joly must put all the pieces together to solve this tricky murder.

This novel remains me of Agatha Christie, with it's uniquue locatons and list of suspects. Elkins has a great ability to weace a great story along with not the most enthralling topics. However he makes it work and should be on everyones too read list.

Sports announcers like to use the expression "mail it in" to refer to an occasion when a normally gifted athlete performs poorly in a given game, mainly due to lack of effort. In "Skeleton Dance," Aaron Elkins mails it in.

Elkins has proven himself a talented writer and a creator of compelling and highly readable mysteries. He won much deserved acclaim for his Gideon Oliver series, and his most recent novel, "Loot" (which is not in the series), is even better. "Skeleton Dance," his latest Gideon Oliver mystery, is a mess. Elkins is barely going through the motions here, and in a not very successful manner. The plot is as thin as can be, the characters are all two-dimensional stereotypes, and the writing is at times terrible. Consider this sentence from the very first page of the book:

"A moment later a squarish, black head with glistening, excited eyes and a mouth filled with shearing, crushing teeth thrust itself into the entrance, low to the ground."

To my mind, that's a textbook example of bad writing (why use one adjective when you can use six?). Or consider this chapter opening:

"Inasmuch as the session wasn't scheduled until two in the afternoon, they decided to take the morning off and relax."

"Inasmuch"?

Later in the story, in a bid to create tension, Elkins reverts to the cheapest and most hackneyed of mystery-writing devices. A key witness calls the detective on the phone, and tells him, "I have a dreadful confession..." Naturally, he cannot reveal his startling news over the telephone, and our hero agrees to meet with him in person. I'm not giving anything away by saying that, of course, the detective arrives at their arranged meeting place only to find the witness murdered (and I say "I'm not giving anything away" because even a reader unfamiliar with mysteries will have already guessed as much, the set-up is so clichéd and obvious).

Worst of all, when the story finally gets interesting, it ends very abruptly and the murderer is peremptorily revealed, almost as if Elkins has just given up and decided to get it over with. In fact, at a mere 246 pages, this reader at least feels he certainly didn't get his $23.00 worth. My advice is to skip this one and try one of Elkins's early Gideon Oliver novels, or even better, the excellent "Loot."

Forensic anthropologist Professor Gideon Oliver and his wife Julie are on vacation when his old friend Inspector Lucien Jolly asks for his help. The finding of bones in caves near Les Eyzies-de-Tayac is the norm as this locale is the center of numerous prehistoric finds including skeletons. However, these bones are human remains of the late twentieth century.

Gideon was planning to come to the area to do research on hoaxes for his book. He changes his schedule and arrives at the famous site. Gideon begins an investigation into the modern bones. Other murders soon follow as Gideon gets closer to the truth that prove scientists can be as cold blooded as the extinct species they study.

The return of Professor Oliver will please fans of anthropologic mysteries. His current tale, SKELETON DANCE, is an intriguing story that will entertain fans with its red herrings turning it into a difficult puzzler. The story line is slower than the Edgar Award winning OLD BONES although the novel remains fun to read. Action gurus should pass, but anyone who relishes a cerebral mystery will gain much pleasure from Aaron Elkins' latest who-done-it.

This is a amusing book. For readers who like their mysteries to have some basis in fact and preferably a foot in reality, this is a series with definite promise. Scientists are not as free from emotions and prejudices as the general public has been led to believe, and Aaron Elkins plays on this knowledge with terrific results. This was the first time I had picked up a mystery with the Professor Gideon Oliver in it. Since I love forensics and enjoy archaeology when it is well-written about, this book was loads of fun. The author gives plenty of background to the story plot; he makes sure that the fictional web he weaves has enough information for the general reader to understand the science behind the mystery without wasting a lot of words or time. I was fascinated by the descriptions of the 'abris', the information on how 'fakes' are made to look old, and the knowledge about the arguments in the anthropological sciences. Actually the basis of the whole story lies in professional jealousy, which is not far-fetched at all (I saw too many scientists who wanted to prove their theories at any cost, and have read about more!).

I have never been to France so I have to take Elkin's word for his descriptions of this area of the world. His detailed account of both the countryside, and the anthropological discoveries makes for outstanding color and background for the mystery plot. I got a kick out of his narration of the little towns in this area of France who are proud of their place in science, and the picture he drew of all the townspeople going to listen to lectures on the anthropology discoveries in their area. How nice it would be if Americans would put as much interest into science and their own histories!

As other reviewers have said, the story line was a tad slow, but well worth the wait. It is nice to find another intelligent mystery writer. His writing is better than good, his descriptions are wonderful, characterization is pretty good, and his plot line and the science involved are fantastic. This is a definite 'must-read' addition to my list of authors. Karen SAdler, Science Education, University of PIttsburgh

I would describe this book as well-crafted but not a page-turner. For some reason, I had trouble caring about the outcome, perhaps because I had never become attached to any of the characters. ALso, this story, which takes place at a French institute for paleo-anthropology, has too many characters introduced at one time and without giving us a feel for really knowing any of the "suspects." On the other hand, I was interested in the discussions about Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon archeological sites and theories, and the author is clearly knowledgable.

I was ecstatic when learned in February that a new Gideon Oliver mystery was about to be released. As the previous reviewer states, however, this is not as good as Elkins' earlier books. This is much better than Twenty Blue Devils, but the characters are primarily painted through their conversations, and I grew tired of how many people said "um, hmmm," etc. In his earlier Gideon Oliver novels there was much less dialogue, and thus better stories. Old Bones and Dead Man's Hearts still stand out in this series. If you love the series, read this one; if you've not yet been hooked by Gideon's discovery of murder through bones, start with an earlier title and come back for this one when it hits paperback.

"Skeleton Bones" is a delightful entry in the series of mysteries featuring Gideon Oliver, also known as the "Skeleton Detective" (a name that Gideon hates). One noteworthy aspect of the "Gideon Oliver books" is the wonderful camraderie that exists between Gideon and his wife, Julie. Rarely does a married couple add to a mystery novel, but Gideon and Julie are both intelligent and witty, and there is genuine chemistry between them. "Skeleton Dance" takes place in the small French town of Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, home to many prehistoric fossils. Gideon is there with Julie to do research for his new book, but he is sidetracked by the discovery of bones that are far from prehistoric. A very amusing police inspector, named Lucien Jolie, is an old friend of Gideon, and together the two men try to figure out who is responsible for a series of mysterious murders. The characters in the book, most of whom are eccentric scientists, are delightfully depicted and the tone is light throughout. My only quibble is that the solution to the mystery is a bit forced, but I do recommend "Skeleton Dance" for fans of light mysteries.

When a modern skeleton turns up in a French Paleolithic cave, the local police call on visiting American archaeologist and "skeleton detective" Gideon Oliver to help identify the bones. Already probing at a sensitive wound (a fossil hoax perpetrated on - or by - the Insitut de Prehistoire in that very same cave) for a popular book he's writing on archaeological blunders, Oliver soon finds relations with his old academic Institut friends strained.

Edgar winner Aaron Elkins delivers the sort of witty, well-paced bone puzzle readers of his Oliver series have come to expect. Poking gentle fun at mainstream publishing, the ferocious arguments of academia and French and American cultural differences, Elkins heaps up murder and mayhem while Oliver's wife Julie attempts to enjoy her vacation. The rural setting, in the midst of Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon fossil-filled caves, and the smattering of science adds to the enjoyment of Oliver's spectacular Holmes-like bone reading and the friendly and productive relationship with his wife.