E is for Ewwww (Elkins)

Elkins is one of those authors from the first A-Z list that I am still reading! In fact, I have a read most of Elkins' Gideon Oliver mysteries. 

What I read the first time around: Skeleton Dance by Aaron Elkins.

Ewwww.

Not really. The detective is a forensic anthropologist á la Temperance Brennan from Bones. And looking at skeletons is somewhat less gruesome than looking at corpses--on paper, at least.

I quite enjoyed Skeleton Dance and recently picked up another Elkins' mystery. Skeleton Dance is a bit slow, but I like the detective, Gideon Oliver, and his wife, and the writing has a humorous tone. 

I also enjoyed the plot of Skeleton Dance, which revolves around a modern Piltdown Man scandal--an anthropological fraud and who might have the most to gain from it. I was even somewhat surprised by the identity of the murderer and by the motive. I never try to guess the murderer when I read mysteries, so if I do guess, it means the mystery is really obvious. Skeleton Dance kept me guessing!

2023: I read another Elkins! Why not?! I have now read most of the books, but there's always a few I might have missed. 

I read Where There's a Will. It's a rollicking ride and out of Elkins' usual pattern (though I'm not opposed to usual patterns!). For example, none of the characters guess the solution in the first half of the book. And Gideon isn't attacked to stop him investigating. The plot also is primarily focused on identity rather than on catching a murderer. 

I recommend it like I do most of Elkins' books. The book's setting is interesting. The main characters are lovable. Forensics, as always, plays an important role. Like many of Elkins' books, the mystery resides in part on the passage of years. 

The Gideon Oliver books are well-written, making for a relaxing read. Yup, a relaxing read with bones and dead bodies!