Dark Place

Aaron Elkins' Skeleton detective is a wonderful series and this book is particularly fascinating because it deals with a secret and hidden culture. His romantic relationship is also developed and she works with him to solve the puzzle of the murders. An excellent read.

I've been buying copies of this book for friends for years. It's my favorite of Aaron Elkins' Gideon Oliver mysteries, combining the characteristic mix of forensic science and atmospherics .. in this case the primeval Pacific Northwest setting that represents Oliver's home turf. It also is a fetching romance with a light touch and has a plot that's a good combination of surprise and poignancy.

From reading this book I think Elkins is an outstanding writer. I have read only a couple books in my life, but reading this book was very interesting, knowing that the book took place around here where I live on the Olympic Peninsula in the state of Washington.The part that interested me the most was when Gideon Oliver, a bone detective, got called to look at some bones from a murder that had happened years ago. Gideon and Julie Tendler, a park ranger, go on a six- mile hike in the Olympic National Park where a man named Louis Zander found a spear which they thought could've been the murder weapon. That chapter interested me because it had lots of action in it.In a way this book is a love story, too, because Gideon falls in love with Julie. That's the main reason he stayed and took the case.Some parts of the book were confusing because of some of the words the characters used, but overall I thought the book was very well-detailed. I think it was an outstanding book, and I hope Elkins comes out with another book about the Olympic National Park.

I love Aaron Elkins' entire Gideon Oliver series (and his other fine art series as well, I forget the protagonist's name), and this one is my favorite of the series so far, though an early one. Its a lot of fun, and a little romantic as well. But best of all I love his forensic analysis, it is always so detailed and interesting. If you love Patricia Cornwell or Faye Kellerman you will love these too, but Elkins' is much more lighthearted and even funny at times.

You'll like this book much more after spending days, even weeks, at the Olympic Peninsula. This book uses real places and realistic discriptions of these places, like the Lake Quinault Lodge. I just got through this book in three days. Although I've read the original english version. I think I recommend it to everyone who likes mysteries.