Skeleton Dance

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Forensic anthropologist Gideon Oliver and his wife Julie have planned a relaxing four-week European jaunt that will allow Gideon to collect material for his upcoming book. But when a local dog digs up some very tasty--and very modern--human bones at a prehistoric site in the French Dordogne, Gideon gets a call for deductive assistance from old friend Inspector Lucien Joly. It appears that the bones are connected to the Institut de Préhistoire, epicenter of the academic debate on the proper place of Neanderthals in the progression of human evolution.

Years ago, the Institut's director, Ely Carpenter, found startling archaeological evidence that Neanderthal Man was a sensitive being with an appreciation of beauty and art: when that evidence was exposed as a fraud, Carpenter committed suicide. Or did he? These days, the remaining members of the Institut are still at dagger's (or perhaps Middle Paleolithic Acheulian cordiform hand ax's) edge. Half of them argue for the Neanderthals as card-carrying Homo sapiens, and the other half want to fling them from the family tree altogether. The academic debate is vicious, indeed--but when more bodies start to appear, Gideon must dig deep into layers of personal animosity and professional rivalry to determine which of his anthropological colleagues has more than a monograph at stake.

Aaron Elkins is the author of a number of Gideon Oliver mysteries, including the Edgar Award-winning Old Bones. It is a tribute to his skill that the dusty fragments of bone at the heart of this latest outing will capture his readers' interest, and that the ramifications of a scientific dispute seem the perfect motive for murder. Skeleton Dance carries as well all the touches that have made his previous novels successful: a genial protagonist who wavers between sharp-eyed precision and absent-minded obliviousness; an assortment of well-drawn minor characters (though their foibles may be sketched a bit too broadly, as Elkins stretches for a touch of humor); and a cozy evocation of local atmosphere. If the music of Skeleton Dance is a tune we've heard before, and the steps are a trifle well-worn, it doesn't really matter; Elkins is such a skilled partner that we'll find ourselves tapping our feet and turning the pages in easy rhythm. --Kelly Flynn

From Publishers Weekly
Academic infighting, at once comically petty and deadly serious, is the subject of Elkins's terrific follow-up to Old Bones, winner of the 1988 Edgar Award for best novel. This time, celebrated Seattle "skeleton detective" Gideon Oliver travels to the quaint French village of Les Eyzies to aid police in the identification of some human bones. At first, the bones were thought to be prehistoric fossils, common enough in a town famous for its Paleolithic caves and the world-class Institut de Pr?histoire. But closer examination reveals the deceased to have been murdered sometime within the past five years, possibly by someone linked to the institute. Gideon, now on sabbatical leave from his professorship to write a book on scientific bloopers, begins interviewing the institute's five French and American members about a notorious archeological hoax perpetrated by the former director, elusive American Ely Carpenter. The more Gideon learns about the hoax, the more he's convinced of a connection to the unidentified bones. When Gideon is attacked and the bones stolen, it's clear that one of the five scientists is responsible--probably for murder, as well. Every suspect is a full-blown comic creation capable of surprise, from the absent-minded Jacques Beaupierre, who crosses the street "somewhat in the manner of a soft-bodied sea creature undulating over the ocean floor," to the pompous ?mile Grize, who affects bow ties depicting "egg yolks exploding in a microwave oven." Mischievous wit, fascinating erudition, juicy (but never mean-spirited) academic gossip and a gorgeous setting redolent with Gitanes and goose liver combine to make this mystery an especially delectable treat. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Forensic anthropologist Gideon Oliver and his intrepid wife, Julie, are visiting France while Gideon researches a book on scientific hoaxes and follies. His work brings him to a prestigious archaeological institute that was rocked several years earlier by a scandal concerning phony Neanderthal artifacts. When a scavenging dog discovers the bones of a murdered Homo sapiens in a cave that shouldn't have been inhabited by anyone more recent than a Cro-Magnon, Gideon is invited by Inspector Lucien Jory to assist in the identification of the victim and the investigation of the crime. The result is an entertaining and informative excursion through the prehistory and cuisine of rural France. Jory and Gideon work well together sorting out the academic intrigue while engaging in a subtle form of forensic competition. The only drawback is a rushed ending that leaves a number of frustrating loose ends. The flaw isn't fatal, though, and this latest entry in a popular series will find many eager readers. George Needham

From Kirkus Reviews
It was supposed to be a leisurely, laid-back holiday for Gideon Oliver, professor and anthropologist (Dead Men's Hearts, 1994, etc.), and his wife, Julie: a bit of touring in England and France, combined with a little low-key research for Bones to Pick, Gideon's book on the history of hoaxing. And then comes the phone call from a former associate, Inspector Lucien Joly, a French police officer of considerable standing. Bones have been discovered in an ancient cave, he tells Gideon, but theyre not ancient bones. Will Gideon come at once to Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, site of the prestigious Institute of Prehistoryand of the possibly scandalous bones? Since Gideon had been heading there eventually to interview old friends for the sake of his research, only the mildest rerouting is required. But once he arrives, ``the skeleton detective'' finds his life heading down uncomfortable byways indeed as he ponders two nagging questions about those bones. Whose were they? And how are they connected to the embarrassing hoax known to the paleontological world as ``The Old Man of Tayac''? Ambition and greed, Gideon soon learns, have led several of the Institute's members to deplorable behavior, and one of them to murder. Brilliant as they are, he concludes (not for the first time) that scientists, trapped in their flesh and bones, are inescapably human. Gideon remains likable, but the pace is as slow as skeletons dancing a minuet. -- Copyright ©2000, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Daily News, New York
"A splendidly entertaining thriller by Aaron Elkins. A twisting trail mined with lies and bloodshed . . . As good as it gets."


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