The Dark Place (Prime Crime Mysteries) (Gideon Oliver Mystery, #2)

by Aaron Elkins

[Mystereity Reviews]

After the disappointment that was the first book in the series, it sure did come roaring back. This is the Gideon Oliver I love.

While on an anthropology dig in Washington State, Gideon gets called away to another scene of an ancient Native American burial ground containing several bodies buried in native baskets - and several far more recent bones. Gideon is called in to match them to several hikers that went missing in the same area in recent years. After matching the remains to the missing hikers, another hiker, a young woman goes missing and is later found dead and Gideon comes to an impossibly improbable solution that spans centuries.

I love anthropology/archaeology and this series gives me my fill. There's no way anyone could possibly have solved this unless they're psychic, so like everyone else I was along for the ride. And what a ride it was! I was glad to see the Bigfoot angle get so little page time, although it did add a touch of humor. And I loved getting to see how Gideon and Julie met and fell in love. Along with the beautiful Pacific Northwest scenery, John Lau's child-like giggle, and Gideon's fallible hero complex, it really gave me more dimension into who he is as a character and to have it all wrapped in a stunning story made for a great read. Onto the next!