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A review by bookwyrm_lark
Dying on the Vine by Aaron Elkins
3.0
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
I’ve been reading the Gideon Oliver mystery series for about fifteen years now, and I generally enjoy them. Most of the books are a quick, fun read, and offer a reasonably challenging mystery in a distinctive setting. I like the character of Gideon Oliver despite -- or perhaps because of -- his tendency to lecture at the drop of a hat. (It’s a trait I’m quite familiar with; our family is full of teachers and former teachers, including me.) And I’m always fascinated by the forensic science on which each solution rests. Oliver is a forensic anthropologist, which means he’s an expert on bones and what they can tell us about the human being they once belonged to – including cause of death.
Dying on the Vine is the newest and somewhat uninspired entry in this usually satisfying series. The crime and the solution have some interesting twists, including one I really didn’t see coming (as well as one or two I did). It held my attention while I was reading it, and it was, as I expected, a light and enjoyable read. My only real problem with Dying on the Vine is that the plot seems at times almost secondary to the setting. Several days after reading the book, what lingers in my mind is neither the crime nor the characters (though I rather liked the laid-back Italian carabiniere in charge of the investigation.) Elkins is always good at evoking the setting of his mysteries, usually without overdoing it, but here his descriptions of buildings and towns read almost like a travel guide, and he spends almost as much time detailing his characters’ frequent meals and coffee breaks as he does on the crime investigation. As a result, the book feels a bit out of balance.
Overall, I’d have to say that I liked Dying on the Vine, but not as much as some of the other books in the series. If you’ve never read the series, try starting with Old Bones or Icy Clutches, both of which are pretty good. The series doesn’t have to be read in order, though doing so can help you keep track of the recurring characters. (The first book is Fellowship of Fear, which is interesting but not, in my opinion, one of the best.)
FCC disclosure: I borrowed this from the public library.
Read more of my reviews at The Bookwyrm’s Hoard.
I’ve been reading the Gideon Oliver mystery series for about fifteen years now, and I generally enjoy them. Most of the books are a quick, fun read, and offer a reasonably challenging mystery in a distinctive setting. I like the character of Gideon Oliver despite -- or perhaps because of -- his tendency to lecture at the drop of a hat. (It’s a trait I’m quite familiar with; our family is full of teachers and former teachers, including me.) And I’m always fascinated by the forensic science on which each solution rests. Oliver is a forensic anthropologist, which means he’s an expert on bones and what they can tell us about the human being they once belonged to – including cause of death.
Dying on the Vine is the newest and somewhat uninspired entry in this usually satisfying series. The crime and the solution have some interesting twists, including one I really didn’t see coming (as well as one or two I did). It held my attention while I was reading it, and it was, as I expected, a light and enjoyable read. My only real problem with Dying on the Vine is that the plot seems at times almost secondary to the setting. Several days after reading the book, what lingers in my mind is neither the crime nor the characters (though I rather liked the laid-back Italian carabiniere in charge of the investigation.) Elkins is always good at evoking the setting of his mysteries, usually without overdoing it, but here his descriptions of buildings and towns read almost like a travel guide, and he spends almost as much time detailing his characters’ frequent meals and coffee breaks as he does on the crime investigation. As a result, the book feels a bit out of balance.
Overall, I’d have to say that I liked Dying on the Vine, but not as much as some of the other books in the series. If you’ve never read the series, try starting with Old Bones or Icy Clutches, both of which are pretty good. The series doesn’t have to be read in order, though doing so can help you keep track of the recurring characters. (The first book is Fellowship of Fear, which is interesting but not, in my opinion, one of the best.)
FCC disclosure: I borrowed this from the public library.
Read more of my reviews at The Bookwyrm’s Hoard.