Dead Men's Hearts

by Aaron J. Elkins

Part of Gideon Oliver, book 8

First published 1995

Gideon Oliver arrives in Egypt's Nile Valley with his wife Julie to film a documentary. The forensic anthropologist expects routine work until they stumble upon human remains at a local garbage dump. The skeleton holds secrets that someone wants buried. When a prominent Egyptologist turns up dead, Gideon realizes the bones and the murder connect in ways that put him and Julie in danger. The ancient land of pharaohs becomes a modern killing ground where academic rivalries turn lethal. Gideon must decode the skeleton's story before the killer strikes again. His expertise in reading bones becomes the key to survival in a case where the dead speak louder than the living.

Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, archaeology, thriller

Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: academic-setting, amateur-sleuth

Setting: Egypt, Nile Valley

Period: Modern

256 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Mysterious Press

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