Uneasy Relations 

(Gideon Oliver #15)

By Aaron Elkins

Author Website

Gideon Oliver, world renowned forensic anthropologist known to most of the world as the “Skeleton Detective” wonders if the near death experiences he has suddenly been having are really just accidents or if the “Law of Interconnected Monkey Business” might have more to do with it.

He and his Park Ranger wife Julie are attending a conference at the Rock of Gibraltar celebrating the anniversary of the famous discovery of the remains of a part-Neanderthal child “Gibraltar Boy”. Although remarkable, the discovery was tainted by the loss of Sheila Chan, a colleague who was buried under tons of the ancient earth while working on the dig. 

As Gideon and Fausto, a former student and now the areas Chief Inspector, try to piece together the past as well as the present things seem to go from bad to worse. Ivan Gunderson, a famous archaeologist credited with finding Gibraltar Boy is consumed in a mysterious fire that leaves more questions smoldering than answers and Gideon must pick through the remains of his old friend to help solve the mystery of what is really going on.

Aaron Elkins does an outstanding job of intertwining his cast of nerdy, idiosyncratic, scientific characters in this Mediterranean setting laden with Barbary Apes and Neolithic remains. He takes us down the winding path of intrigue while keeping our deductive senses peaked.
A very good read for Gideon followers and for those new to the series who like a bit of forensic anthropology thrown in to their mystery reading.

This book review was originally written for Armchair Interviews