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Latest Reads - Skull Duggery (Aaron Elkins)
- Sherry Ickes
- Apr 14
- 2 min read
If you have been following my reads over the past year or so, you probably already have an idea that Aaron Elkins is amongst my favorite authors! It's also most likely not a surprise to you to find that I'm reviewing yet another one of his "Gideon Oliver" series.
Well, that's because life had gotten in the way beforehand, and I had a LOT of catching up to do from years gone by. 😊So, here we go...
Dr. Gideon Oliver, nicknamed the “Skeleton Detective”, and his wife Julie, are headed down to Mexico, for rest and relaxation for him, and some work for her. Having agreed to help a friend at a hacienda she used to work at as a teenager, Julie’s concerns over Gideon getting bored are quickly squashed. Not only does he get involved with examining one, or two, sets of bones, but actually THREE sets! That's when Gideon discovers there's a possible connection between two of the remains, putting his own “skeleton” at risk of joining the others in the great beyond.
Skull Duggery was a great read! I thoroughly enjoyed my latest adventure with Dr. Oliver, as the author expertly crafts the mystery so the reader definitely feels as though they’re also in the Mexican town of Oaxaca. The town, and its people, are included with lots of details to increase the feel of authenticity in a way that has an easy flow and keeps your attention. However, I must admit that the author goes a "smidge" overboard on the "ins and outs" of forensic anthropology, as do a number of writers when discussing their favorite subject (but we readers know how to handle it 😉).
While I did figure out a part of the storyline, I did not see the major twists coming toward the end, and would highly recommend finding a copy of Skull Duggery so you can ride along with the Olivers to Mexico!
Side Note: Whereas I really prefer to read a book series in order, I find that Mr. Elkins writes his novels in a way where a reader can pick any of his mysteries, at any point in the series, and enjoy the story without feeling lost. Now, going through the "Gideon Oliver" series in order is definitely doable, but some copies may be hard to find. So it is not a necessity if you are just in the market for a solid mystery.
If you would like to find out more about this author, and his books, feel free to click on the following links below:
Thanks for tuning in and I look forward to chatting up another "Latest Reads" with you next month. Enjoy your books!
And as always, these reviews are written by a real human being.
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