Aaron Elkins, Unnatural Selection

Unnatural Selection

Aaron Elkins

Berkley, June 2006, $23.95, 288 pp.

ISBN 0425210057

Off the coast of Cornwall England lies the Isles of Scilly, thought to be the home of King Arthur. Forensic anthropologist Gideon Oliver, known as the bone doctor, travels to St. Mary's where his wife is presenting a research paper on the environment for $50,000 donated by the owner of Star Castle, Vasily Kozlov. The eccentric Russian likes to gather people with different opinions and see them argue. Oliver is looking forward to visiting Neolithic sites, and the last thing on his mind is getting involved in another murder case.

When the curator from the museum asks him to look at some old bones, Oliver agrees, and he is shocked to find a human bone that was sawed off the body. Using a cadaver dog, the police and Oliver find much of the rest of the body, and the bone doctor is able to say that the victim was a guest who stayed at Star Castle a few years ago, but then sent a fax stating he wasn't coming back. When a second guest is killed, Oliver is certain that the two murders are linked, and he studies the bones hoping that they will give him clues as to the identity of the killer.

In spite of the dark side of his profession, the protagonist is a happy go lucky person, thankful that he has found a second chance at love with Julie after his first wife died from cancer. Like bestselling author Kelly Reich's heroine, Aaron Elkin's hero is able to read the bones well enough to give the police an accurate account of how the victim died. Like Temperance, Oliver goes above the call of duty and investigates the case in his own manner with amazing results. UNNATURAL SELECTION is a well thought out mystery, and the killer is the last person anyone would expect.