Customer Reviews

twenty-seven bones

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

 

 

A new entry in the Agent Pender series. Retired FBI agent Ed Pender was known as the worst dressed agent in the FBI. He delights in continuing his forays into bad taste while helping a friend in the Eastern Carribean. It seems the tourist destination of St. Luke has become the hunting ground for a serial killer. Bored with retirement, Pender is happy to help out the Chief of Police.

Interesting characters abound, from a husband and wife anthropologist team, to the rich husband of one of the latest victims, all suspicious to Pender. The "L" word comes up, when he meets and falls for a woman with a past.

There are plenty of dead ends to stymie Pender and the locals, as they seek a psychopath who seems to be changing as they hunt him. As Pender begins to feel he will never solve this puzzle, yet another crime occurs, seeming to bring the entire episode to a very tidy end. A little too tidy for Agent Pender.

I loved the end and hope Pender and Dawson remain a couple, in St. Luke or Washington -- anywhere! Hopeful, happy ending. I have my fingers crossed for Pender, that he doesn't mess up this relationship.

I'm beginning to notice a trend in some mysteries lately. The protagonists --- the good guys, in most cases --- are aging gracefully, not going gently into any good nights or any bad ones, either, but staying active and keeping their hands in. I've reached the age and station in life where I like reading about old guys kicking butt, chasing skirts, and basically showing the younger generation how the job gets done. Jonathan Nasaw includes this element in his latest novel, TWENTY-SEVEN BONES, so he met the burden right out of the block. Even without the seasoned citizen element, however, this bad boy would be a winner.

Nasaw's protagonist, E.L. Pender, is an old guy, closer to 60 than to 50, and if he has six-pack abs they're buried at the bottom of the shopping cart. The great part about Pender is that he is a believable old guy. He is a retired FBI Special Agent, but he's past the stage where he is involved in car chases or initiating explosions. I can't remember him firing his gun or even hitting anyone (he does hit on someone, but that's another story). He can still get the job done, however, as is amply demonstrated in TWENTY-SEVEN BONES.

TWENTY-SEVEN BONES finds Pender chafing under the collar of his retirement, engaging in too much eating and drinking and too little thinking and doing. A voice from the past, however, provides him with a respite from his boredom. Julian Coffee, an old friend and former colleague of Pender's, is the police chief of the Caribbean island of St. Luke. St. Luke, a fictitious combination of the U.S. Virgin Islands, is an otherwise idyllic vacation spot that is being despoiled by the presence of a serial killer who mutilates each victim by cutting off their right hand.

Pender agrees to a working vacation of sorts, going back into FBI mode while investigating the murders. He is initially as confused as the police, no small wonder when one considers what he is up against. For what the reader learns almost immediately is that "The Machete Man," as the killer comes to be called, is in fact Phil and Emily Epp, a husband and wife anthropology team who are in equal measure intelligent, clever and deranged. They are carrying out their ritualistic murders in the belief that, by stealing each of their victims' last breaths, they will increase their own vitality and lifespans. The Epps (and a partner or two who they pick up along the way) succeed, at least initially, in casting the blame for the murders on one of their own unfortunate victims, and the inhabitants of St. Luke breathe a sigh of relief.

But Pender is not so sure, and if his plodding investigative techniques are not as sure-footed as others within the genre, that just makes him all the more real and endearing. Pender's inclination to continue to pursue the investigation after it is officially closed, however, puts him in mortal danger and leads to a breathtaking --- and heart-stopping --- conclusion.

Nasaw does a terrific job of character development here. Even his secondary characters are memorable and entertaining. I can't remember a point in TWENTY-SEVEN BONES where it lagged for even a moment, and part of the reason for this is Nasaw's chilling characterization of the Epps. You'll be thinking of that couple long after you finish the book; everyone knows at least one couple in their circle of acquaintances who will remind you of them. Oh, and the ending. I have to confess that it left me a bit misty-eyed, even as I sensed it coming. Don't tell anyone, though.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

Jonathan Nasaw's "Twenty-Seven Bones" has some of the author's trademark touches. There is never any doubt that the killers are two extremely demented anthropologists, Phil and Emily Epp. They are delusional megalomaniacs who lure their victims with promises of buried treasure. There is no treasure.

"Twenty-Seven Bones" takes place on the fictional island of St. Luke in the Caribbean. The police chief, Julian Coffee, asks his old pal, former FBI agent E. L. Pender, to look into the possibility that a serial killer is loose on St. Luke. Pender, who has always been obese, has gotten even fatter in retirement, and he is bored with golf. He figures that a change of scenery might be just the ticket to get him out of his funk, so he takes Coffee up on his offer.

Nasaw is a clever and skilled writer. The best part of the book is the setting, which Nasaw plays up to the hilt. He describes the island of St. Luke so thoroughly that I began to believe it really exists. He gives it a history, complete with hurricanes, riots, and Danish colonial rulers. The natives speak in a charming dialect, which is derived from a local idiom actually used in the U. S. Virgin Islands.

The characters are humdingers, as well. In addition to the aforementioned sick puppies, the Epps, there are a number of offbeat people in this book. One of them is Holly Gold, a gay Jewish expatriate and massage therapist who is on St. Luke to care for her orphaned niece and nephew. The nephew, Marley, was born without arms, and he he manages to do a whole host of things using just his feet.

The main problem that I have with this book is the over-the-top depiction of the Epps. This couple is so perverted in every way that they seem cartoonish rather than real. A more realistic villain is a wealthy and spoiled Danish man, Lewis Apgard, who is descended from the former governors of the island. He is a drunk and an opportunist who is willing to break the law to get what he wants. Nasaw fleshes him out nicely, and he seems more human than the monstrous Phil and Emily.

I love the unconventional character of E. L. Pender, who is the anti-hunk. He is a bald and lumbering man who dresses in loud and tasteless clothing. However, Pender's unprepossessing appearance is deceptive. He has inner strength and self-confidence, as well as a very sharp mind. Pender is an intuitive and persistent investigator whose experience in the FBI makes him the perfect person to catch the "Machete Man," the serial killer who is preying on the citizens of St. Luke. Nasaw wisely allows Pender to look weak and vulnerable at times, instead of depicting him as an infallible hero. The author also gives Pender a love life, which is kind of nice since Pender could never be mistaken for Brad Pitt.

"Twenty-Seven Bones" is not for the faint of heart. This book is for readers who like complex mysteries, and who can tolerate scenes of graphic violence and depraved behavior. It is an exciting and involving thriller that cements Nasaw's reputation as a daring writer who pushes the envelope more and more with each succeeding novel.

The title of this effective little chiller comes from the number of bones in the human hand. Nasaw's third entry in the Pender series finds our recently retired FBI agent summoned by an old friend to the island of St. Luke to investigate the brutal murders of a serial killer(s). The reader knows who the culprits are right off the bat, but Nasaw effectively weaves his suspenseful tale by throwing in some interesting subplots and some uniquely envisioned characters. The island atmosphere and language is captured convincingly and the pacing is good for a novel where the suspense comes from wondering when and how the culprits will be apprehended. Good entry and should keep Pender alive for a few more books.

After reading the publishers reviews, we discovered what the publisher meant by "detail oriented". The details turned out to be more about sicko sex than about the exciting and suspsense filled hunt for serial killers. This is the first time we gave up on a book. We're not prudes by a long shot, BUT this was over the top for a murder/thriller/mystery. Frankly, we think it would be wise to list it under adults only or at least warn the reader about the sexually explicit material. Being fans of Jeffery Deaver, Kathy Reichs, Dean Koonz, Patricia Cornwell and others we were in for quite a shock with Jonathan Nasaw. Doubt we'll give another of his books a try.

There is something or someone for everyone in this book.
A husband and wife anthropologist team that perform ritual killings i.e. serial killers and their Indonisian companion (who has motives of his own). A rich husband that needs to get rid of a wife. A homosexual aunt raising two kids in a "group" living situation. A retired FBI agent. A woman with a past.

The characters are many, however none are multi-deminsional, but due to the variety the reader doesn't really get bored. Although the abundant sex (descriped in a bit more detail than I thought necessary)may turn the reader off. Mainly because the sex really doesn't have anything to do with the crimes.

The reader knows from the beginning the who and why of the killing so basically you are along for the ride. Waiting for Pender (the retired FBI agent) to catch up. The plot does have a few unexpected twist - not many. The ending is WAY to neat.

I've listened to a lot of audio books, but this book, "Twenty-seven Bone" really stand out as an excellent piece of work by Jonathan Nasaw.

Mr. Nasaw chose a wonderful reader, Dion Graham. Mr. Graham can change dialect and accents w/ out a stammer, he mesmerized the audience and really pulls one into the story.

If you are a fan of Cornwell, the Kellerman's or Harris, this is the book/audio for you.

He was an FBI agent for twenty-seven years, looking forward to retirement so that he can play golf and catch up on his reading but now that the time has come E.L. Pender is bored silly. He occasionally teaches a course at Quantico where he meets his old friend Julian Coffee, the chief of Police of St. Luke, an island in the Caribbean. Julian offers him a free vacation in his tropical paradise if Pender will help track down the serial killer known as the Machete Man. Peter has captured high profile serial killers and is considered an expert on the subject.

Pender gladly agrees to travel to St. Luke and sink his teeth in another serial killer case but he has never gone up against killers as the ones who are committing the crimes. Anthropologists Phil and Emily Epp along with their servant and accomplice Bennie believe they will remain young and live for eternity if they catch the last breath of a dying person. They are cold, calculating, and totally ruthless; willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want. They will turn out to be Pender's most formable enemies.

Jonathan Nasaw, the author of THE GIRLS HE ADORED and FEAR ITSELF, has written another exciting chilling crime thriller told from the point of view of the protagonist and the antagonists. The juxtaposition of the serpent in paradise works brilliantly throughout the storyline and readers will feel shocked that people could carry out such carnage. Emily is the female Hannibal Lechter who weaves an evil spell over all who comes in contract with her.

Harriet Klausner

The characters' actions don't always make sense. The descriptions of torture and sex seem to serve no purpose other than repulsing the reader. There's no redeeming quality to the novel, so I can't recommend it.

I just finished reading Twenty Seven Bones. Although I like the premise of the book, the story felt a little contrived for me.

I sometimes have a problem with Nasaw's books as I don't really know if they should be noir thrillers or regular thrillers.

Although I did manage to get through this one, it was a bit of a struggle.