A review by canada_matt
Good Blood by Aaron Elkins

4.0

Elkins sends his crime-solving couple to Italy to tour the countryside with their mutual friend, Phil. When asked to take a detour to visit with Phil’s family, things begin to heat up. The trio walks into the middle of a family meeting surrounding the recent kidnapping of Phil’s teenage relative, whose life is being held for ransom. Gideon and Julie steer clear of the family drama, until a set of bones turn up, unearthed by a construction firm in a nearby town. Gideon uses his expertise and academic background to help crack open the case, but the murderer remains at large, even when the skeleton is identified. Even after the kidnapping is resolved, questions surrounding both crimes lead Gideon to ponder the possibilities. When family’s involved, the list of suspects appears exponential, as Gideon soon learns, and motives exceed alibis, by far!

Elkins returns to the theme of murder on the family property with many a suspect to be had. The new and engaging twists keep the story fresh and the ideas plentiful. As always, the reader will surely enjoy the novel and its teachable moments, peppered with great humour and cheesy one-liners. An attentive reader will sift through the back story, which presents itself in the opening chapters and returns in the latter four, making more sense and adding new twists.

Kudos, Dr. Elkins. You keep the reader’s attention so effortlessly and make me want to reach for the next novel as soon as THE END appears.