Edgar Award-winning series: On a trip to Glacier Bay, Alaska, the Skeleton Detective pursues a cold-hearted killer who buries evidence in an avalanche. Gideon Oliver expects to be amicably bored when he takes on the role of “accompanying spouse” at a lodge in the magnificent wild country of Glacier Bay, Alaska, where his forest ranger wife, Julie, is attending a conference. But it turns out to … But it turns out to be exactly his cup of tea. There is another group at the lodge: six scientists on a memorial journey to the site of a thirty‑year‑old glacial avalanche that killed three of their colleagues. Their leader is TV’s most popular science personality, the unctuous M. Audley Tremaine, who is the sole survivor of the fatal avalanche. But he does not survive long and is soon found hanged in his room. If that is not upsetting enough, shocked hikers discover human bones emerging from the foot of the glacier–are they the shattered remains of the three who died, finally seeing daylight after their two‑mile, three‑decade journey within the glacial flow?
When the FBI seeks expert help, everyone agrees how fortunate it is that Dr. Oliver, the famed Skeleton Detective, is on the scene. Everybody, that is, but the person who wants ancient history to stay that way–and who believes that murder is the surest way to keep the past buried.
Icy Clutches is the 6th book in the Gideon Oliver Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
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I love Aaron Elkins mysteries. Always a fun, informative read, nothing offensive, a good (old) murder to solve, this one set in Alaska on a glacier. Nothing to keep you up at night, just forensic anthropologist solving crimes with logic and old bones! They are all nice reads.
Love this series!!
Love this series of books. I have started highlighting the forensic information and then also highlighting in a different color the geographic info. I really enjoy the romance between Julie and Gideon. I also find the witty dialogue between the characters very enjoyable. I thoroughly enjoy the friendships with John Lau and Abe. These books …
Great dialogue — fun who done it – good distraction read
It was okay – just not too memorable
I like this series. It’s engaging without keeping me up at night, which is just the speed I prefer for mysteries.
Great book
Julie and Gideon a married couple are at Glacier Bay, Alaska for a seminar for Julie. She is a park ranger and Gideon is a forensic anthropologist at the seminar just for a vacation. M. Audley Trmaine and five other scientists are also at the lodge. They are all connected in some way to a catastrophe that happened decades ago. Tremaine has …
Always a trustworthy author
I find all th books in this series delightful and well written. In fact, I love all of Elkins’ books.
Good character development
Gideon is a well developed character. Seems like someone I’d like to know personally, he gets involved in the mystery based on his reputation. He is predictable and doesn’t do anything that out of character for someone in his profession. This book takes place in Alaska and the story is based on a murder that happened in the past requiring Gideon’s …
Another great read by Aaron Elkins. Always interesting and entertaining. Plus, ive picked up a lot of information about forensic evidence. Even if you don’t have a background in the subject matter, it’s easy to follow and understand.
I have enjoyed all of Aaron Elkins’ books, and this one is no exception
I generally like his books. They are nice mysteries without really straange things happening. Keep me guessing who the killer was, bit of a surprise at the end.
This book started great, with interesting characters who were drawn so well they were easy to see. Further into the book, some of the writing seemed a bit stuffy, and I’m not referring to the attempts at humor that were inserted using complex scientific terms. Particularly, I didn’t care for the three pages of “book within the book”. It may have …
Fun book for medical types to read.
Elkins always delivers!
I haven’t read a book where the main character is cyncial which made the book enjoyable and funny. I felt cheated, though, after so much detail in the begining and middle the ending felt rushed. I’m still a fan of Elkins.
This one for a real page turner! If you like forensic anthropology mysteries like those by Reichs or Jefferson Bass, you will enjoy this one.