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UNEASY RELATIONS
by Aaron Elkins
Berkley, July 2008
288 pages
$23.95
ISBN: 0425221768


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

It is the fifth anniversary of the discovery of the Gibraltar Boy. This archeological dig completely changed the world‛s view of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. Discovered in this Neanderthal site was the skeleton of a human woman with a part-Neanderthal child skeleton: a possible hybrid child. This discovery indicates that humans and Neanderthals did indeed coexist and in fact also produced viable offspring; demonstrating that they were the same species rather than two distinct races.

Now five years later, everyone involved in the original dig and the original investigation have come together to honor their sponsor and their accomplishments since the dig. Ivan Gunderson was a very active amateur archeologist and this dig proved to the world that his less methodical methods worked. While this was meant to be a positive reunion and conference, things quickly spin out of control. Gunderson is starting to show the effects of Alzheimer‛s and seems confused about some of the detail of the original dig. And then a strange series of accidents and finally murder occur.

The Bone Detective, Gideon Oliver, fears that there is something suspectr about the original dig and the anniversary reunion. He was involved in the forensic investigation of the skeletons but not the dig itself. In addition, he did not draw conclusions about the skeletal remains but merely presented the facts. What concerns him the most about these accidents is that he is the victim. While he is attending the conference with his wife, Julie, he cannot be protected every minute of every day. As Gideon investigates, he discovers several glaring inconsistencies regarding the original dig, the first reunion at which an archeologist was killed, and the actions of those attending the five year anniversary. With the aid of Julie and DCI Fausto Sotomayor, Gideon must stop a killer and reveal the conspiracy someone is willing to kill to protect.

UNEASY RELATIONS is another solid edition in the Gideon (The Bone Detective) Oliver series that successfully combines basic forensic archeological facts with criminal investigations. While there are many books on the market featuring forensic investigation, there are very few that deal with forensic archeology. As I studied anthropology and archeology in college, I always read (and tend to enjoy) mysteries that make use of these fields. If you are looking for a mystery with informative yet not overwhelming scientific detail, than UNEASY RELATIONS and all of the books in this series should more than satisfy.

Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, August 2008

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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