Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collections
Publication
Warner Books (1989), Mass Market Paperback
Description
Gideon Oliver earns his moniker "The Skeleton Detective" in this riveting entry to the Edgar Award-winning mystery series "that never disappoints" (The Philadelphia Inquirer) Deep in the primeval rainforest of Washington State's Olympic Peninsula, the skeletal remains of a murdered man are discovered. And a strange, unsettling tale begins to unfold, for forensic anthropologist Gideon Oliver determines that the murder weapon was a primitive bone spear of a type not seen for the last ten thousand years. And whoever--or whatever--hurled it did so with seemingly superhuman force. Bigfoot "sightings" immediately crop up, but Gideon is not buying them. But something is continuing to kill people, and Gideon, helped by forest ranger Julie Tendler and FBI special agent John Lau, plunges into the dark heart of an unexplored wilderness to uncover the bizarre, astonishing explanation. Fans of authors Kathy Reichs and Tess Gerritsen and television shows like Bones will be fascinated by Aaron Elkins's award-winning landmark forensic detective series. The Dark Place is the 2nd book in the Gideon Oliver Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order. … (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member readerbynight
The rain forest on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington can hide a lot. But can it hide a prehistoric tribe? So it would seem in this latest round of Gideon Oliver's adventures, along with his wife Julie. They make a great team, and add John Lau to the mix you get entertainment.
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Not bad. It's a very sudden passion - particularly after Fellowship of Fear established Gideon as still getting over Nora - but though sudden it's reasonably explained/explored. The mystery is something of a side-story - not the major focus of the book, though it is what moves things forward.
LibraryThing member annbury
A wonderful crime novel from Aaron Elkins, bringing his hero -- forensic anthropologist Gideon Oliver -- on stage for the second time. In general, the books in this series are quick and amusing reads, from which you learn a little about forensic anthropology, and a little about whatever locale
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Elkins has chosen. This book, however, goes a lot further. To say where it goes would give too much away, but the setting (Washington's Olympic National Park) becomes a palpable presence. So does the person who becomes a central character, a truly fascinating individual. I've reread this more than once, and expect to do so again. Show Less
LibraryThing member Condorena
I am just getting to know Gideon Oliver and while I too have those Really??? moments I find the stories interesting enough to subdue my disbelief. In The Dark Place Gideon is involved in a mystery that involves the temperate rain forest in Washington State. Here the sun never reaches the ground and
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in most of the area the sky is not even visible. There was a definite sense of time and place that grabbed my attention. Show Less
LibraryThing member ritaer
Hikers disappear in an uninhabited forest. But is it uninhabited. Rumors of Bigfoot bring tourists but the truth is stranger yet.
LibraryThing member Nodosaurus
This is the second Gideon Oliver mystery by Aaron Elkins. The dark place is the Olympic National Park in Washington, here the dense canopy hides the sun from most of the forest floor. A few bones in a basket are found by a hiker, and a large footprint is found nearby.
John Lau asks Gideon to
The story is well-told and a good mystery, throw in a love interest with a park ranger and you have an enjoyable story.
John Lau asks Gideon to
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provide whatever information he can determine. These are the bones of several people and dead by a number of years, it could be an indian burial site, but there are no Indians in the park. Another sign points to big foot, so the crazies are about. The story is well-told and a good mystery, throw in a love interest with a park ranger and you have an enjoyable story.
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LibraryThing member Greymowser
One of my favorite mystery personnel, Gideon Oliver, an anthropologist turned dectective. Known as the 'Skeleton Man.
LibraryThing member melsbks
Nice little mystery about disappearing hikers in Washington's State's Olympic National Park. Gideon Oliver, the "skeleton detective," gets called in. While he's discovering more about the bones, he's also discovering Julie Tendler, the pretty head ranger.
LibraryThing member jetangen4571
mystery, myths-legends, anthropologist, romance****
I still like this one even after a number of years. I'd forgotten the romance novel stuff, but I was more than happy to reread all of the anthro. It was nice hearing about University of Wisconsin and Gideon's friends in anthropology and the FBI.
Joel Richards did a nice job of narrating.
I still like this one even after a number of years. I'd forgotten the romance novel stuff, but I was more than happy to reread all of the anthro. It was nice hearing about University of Wisconsin and Gideon's friends in anthropology and the FBI.
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The mystery was solid with good writing and problem solving.Joel Richards did a nice job of narrating.
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LibraryThing member chibitika
Elkins has done it again, making science fascinating to the layman in the context of a good mystery. The resolution is warming, hopeful. Highly recommended.
LibraryThing member chibitika
Elkins has done it again, making science fascinating to the layman in the context of a good mystery. The resolution is warming, hopeful. Highly recommended.
LibraryThing member murderbydeath
[book id="1719" rating="4"]
I've only read one other Gideon Oliver book, and it's a much later entry in the series (Skullduggery), which I enjoyed. I wanted to start at the beginning but after a lot of research, everyone who has ever read the first book says it's not worth reading it, so I'm jumping
I wasn't sure what to expect, and I didn't really read it with any particular HB square in mind. This was a really good story, and not at all the kind of story I expected. What starts off with 3 disappearances in the rainforest of Washington State leads to dead bodies, an unknown Amerind burial ground, and, for the first 60 pages, Bigfoot is a contender! So much fun!
The reality, as the story progresses, is much, much more interesting than Bigfoot (no offence meant), and this mystery becomes the most anthropological anthropology-mystery I've ever read. It's short - 200 pages - but concise and fast paced. Little is wasted on descriptive filler, although I'd have liked for the sex scenes not to have made the final edits. I'm fine with sex scenes in general, but in a cozy, written by a man, well, for some reason it just sort of squicked me out. But they really were the only unnecessary scenes and were pretty PG, for all I'm complaining about them.
Without giving anything away, it was just a really solid, well-written, mystery, with great characters and an even better setting.
I read this for Halloween Bingo 2022 and beyond the obvious Genre: Mystery square it also fits Amateur Sleuth, Cozy Mystery, Dem Bones, In the Dark, Dark Woods, Monsters, and The Barrens.
I'm going to use it for Monsters because, Bigfoot! :)
I've only read one other Gideon Oliver book, and it's a much later entry in the series (Skullduggery), which I enjoyed. I wanted to start at the beginning but after a lot of research, everyone who has ever read the first book says it's not worth reading it, so I'm jumping
Show More
in at #2.I wasn't sure what to expect, and I didn't really read it with any particular HB square in mind. This was a really good story, and not at all the kind of story I expected. What starts off with 3 disappearances in the rainforest of Washington State leads to dead bodies, an unknown Amerind burial ground, and, for the first 60 pages, Bigfoot is a contender! So much fun!
The reality, as the story progresses, is much, much more interesting than Bigfoot (no offence meant), and this mystery becomes the most anthropological anthropology-mystery I've ever read. It's short - 200 pages - but concise and fast paced. Little is wasted on descriptive filler, although I'd have liked for the sex scenes not to have made the final edits. I'm fine with sex scenes in general, but in a cozy, written by a man, well, for some reason it just sort of squicked me out. But they really were the only unnecessary scenes and were pretty PG, for all I'm complaining about them.
Without giving anything away, it was just a really solid, well-written, mystery, with great characters and an even better setting.
I read this for Halloween Bingo 2022 and beyond the obvious Genre: Mystery square it also fits Amateur Sleuth, Cozy Mystery, Dem Bones, In the Dark, Dark Woods, Monsters, and The Barrens.
I'm going to use it for Monsters because, Bigfoot! :)
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Language
Original publication date
1983
Physical description
6.6 inches
ISBN
0445209550 / 9780445209558
Local notes
Skeleton Detective, 02
DDC/MDS
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