Part of Gideon Oliver, book 16
First published 2009
Gideon Oliver enjoys a peaceful vacation in Mexico with his wife until a local police chief pulls him into an active investigation. The Skeleton Detective examines a mummified body found in the desert. The coroner claims the victim died from gunshot wounds, but Gideon discovers stab marks from a Phillips-head screwdriver instead. Soon after, officials ask him to review another case from the previous year. The coroner had identified skeletal remains as a twelve to fifteen-year-old girl. Gideon's analysis proves the bones belonged to a twenty-year-old woman. Two major forensic errors in one location seem impossible to explain as accidents. Gideon suspects deliberate deception connects both cases. His investigation draws unwanted attention from dangerous people. The killer realizes the forensic anthropologist poses a serious threat. Gideon must solve the mystery before he becomes the next victim.
Genres: fiction, adventure, mystery, crime, detective, academic
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, dangerous-investigation, forensic-anthropology
Setting: Mexico
281 pages · Hardcover · Berkley Hardcover