Icy Clutches, by Aaron Elkins

Retrieved from: RKLY
0892963778, 1990
Suggested by: the author list
My Ratings: 9 Merit, 9 Interest, 8 Fun

Set in the neighborhood of Glacier Bay in Alaska, this book finds Gideon and Julie on a "field trip" for Julie's job. Gideon's just along for the vacation aspect. In true genre mystery fashion, however, bones are discovered and Gideon is asked to identify them. Since it is a matter of one or two bones and since they belong to members of an ill-fated expedition whose members were buried in an ice-avalanche, there's not much to say.

Except that soon the leader of that expedition--back as part of a publicity trip--is found hanged in his cabin and Gideon discovers that the old bones don't add up to what the story of the expedition has always been. The police find the suicide motive shaky and look to see who might have wanted the former expedition leader dead. Suddenly, Gideon is locked into another mental struggle with someone with a lot to lose if the truth is uncovered, which then evolves into an actual physical tussle with them over a leg bone.

Interesting. Good character development. I did have a pretty good idea where this was headed early, but I like the repeat characters, including the FBI agent who has been out of the series for a couple of books. Elkins' writing is definitely improving.