Twenty Blue Devils
By Aaron Elkins
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
The dead man is the manager of Tahiti’s Paradise Coffee Plantation, producer of the most expensive coffee bean in the world, the winey, luscious Blue Devil. Nothing tangible points to foul play behind his fall from a cliff, but FBI agent John Lau, a relative of the coffee‑growing family, has his suspicions. What he needs is evidence, and who better to provide it than his friend, anthropologist Gideon Oliver, the Skeleton Detective? Gideon is willing to help, but surprisingly—and suspiciously—both the police and the other family members refuse to okay an exhumation order. As a result, Gideon, to his surprise and against his better judgment, finds himself sneaking into a graveyard under cover of night with John, a flashlight, and a shovel—not exactly up to the professional standards of the world’s most famous forensic anthropologist, but necessary under the circumstances.
Gideon prefers his bones ancient, dry, and dusty, but the body he must examine had lain in the tropical sun for a week before it was found and then buried native‑style—shallow, with no casket—so it is not exactly his . . . well, cup of tea. But it is not the state of the remains that bothers him the most, it is the deeper human ugliness that his examination uncovers: subtle clues that do indeed point to foul play, to mistaken identity, and to a murderous conspiracy that may have percolated through the family for decades—and brewed a taste for murder.
Twenty Blue Devils is the 9th book in the Gideon Oliver Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Aaron Elkins
Aaron Elkins’s mysteries and thrillers have earned him an Edgar, an Agatha, a Nero Wolfe Award, and a Malice Domestic Lifetime Achievement Award. His nonfiction works have appeared in Smithsonian magazine, the New York Times magazine, and Writer’s Digest. A former anthropology professor, Elkins is known for starting the forensic-mystery genre with his 1982 novel, Fellowship of Fear. He currently serves as the anthropological consultant for the Olympic Peninsula Cold Case Task Force in Washington State. Elkins lives in Washington with his wife, Charlotte—his occasional collaborator—who is also an Agatha winner.
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Titles in the series (10)
Fellowship of Fear Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Murder in the Queen's Armes Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Old Bones Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dark Place Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Icy Clutches Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Curses! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Make No Bones Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dead Men's Hearts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Twenty Blue Devils Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Skeleton Dance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for Twenty Blue Devils
10 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Eh, I read it too quickly. But right now I'm really enjoying the entire series. (I've checked out pretty much every book the library owns.) But I really like the personal connections in this book, and Nelson at the end was great. I loved that scene. And the conclusion of the coffee. Mysterious enough? I highly recommend it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A mystery novel by one of my favourite authors, and the story is focussed on a family that grows and sells coffee, nothing could be better for the Pacific Northwest reader!The reader always learns something when reading an Elkins novel – mostly they learn about what happens to human bones as life is lived – but this novel also included some great information on growing and roasting coffee. That, combined with a mystery that keeps you guessing, makes for a very satisfying read.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The "Skeleton Detective" finds himself in Tahiti, investigating the death of the manager of the plantation that produces the world's most expensive coffee. Typical of the series: a brisk narrative, enlivened with humor and with snippets of forensic information. In this one, FBI agent John Lau makes a welcome appearance.