Amazon.com
In the introduction to Skeleton Crew (1985), his second collection of stories, King pokes fun at his penchant for "literary elephantiasis," makes scatological jokes about his muse, confesses how much money he makes (gross and net), and tells a story about getting arrested one time when he was "suffused with the sort of towering, righteous rage that only drunk undergraduates can feel." He winds up with an invitation to a scary voyage: "Grab onto my arm now. Hold tight. We are going into a number of dark places, but I think I know the way."

And he sure does. Skeleton Crew contains a superb short novel ("The Mist") that alone is worth the price of admission, plus two forgettable poems and 20 short stories on such themes as an evil toy monkey, a human-eating water slick, a machine that avenges murder, and unnatural creatures that inhabit the thick woods near Castle Rock, Maine. The short tales range from simply enjoyable to surprisingly good.

In addition to "The Mist," the real standout is "The Reach," a beautifully subtle story about a great-grandmother who was born on a small island off the coast of Maine and has lived there her whole life. She has never been across "the Reach," the body of water between island and mainland. This is the story that King fans give to their friends who don't read horror in order to show them how literate, how charming a storyteller he can be. Don't miss it. --Fiona WebsterBook Description
Twenty-two stories from the "wildly imaginative" #1 Bestselling Author

In this brilliant collection of stories, Stephen King takes readers down paths that only he could imagine....A supermarket becomes the place where humanity takes its last stand against unholy destruction...a trip to the attic turns into a journey to hell...a woman driver finds a scary shortcut to paradise...an idyllic lake harbors a bottomless evil...and a desert island is the scene of the most terrifying struggle for survival ever waged. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (118)

Not Just Horror Stories
SKELETON CREW is mostly a collection of Stephen King short stories (there are a couple of poems). The collection was published around 1986. King had been a world-wide publishing phenomenon for just over a decade at that point.The stories are mostly hits, including a few bona fide classics, including "The Mist", "The Monkey", and "The Raft" with just a few lackluster tales. Most of the stories are works that were published previously in various print sources.The stories are prefixed with an introduction by King explaining why he still writes short stories. The works in the book are as follows.

"The Mist"--recently published as a stand alone novella and adapted by Frank Darabont into a motion picture."The Mist" is probably the strongest story in the collection and one of the better known and well-liked stories from SKELETON CREW."The Mist" tells the story of a group of people that find themselves stranded at a local shopping center when a mysterious mist covers the town and surroundings and brings with it creatures from a prehistoric age.If you've seen Darabont's film, you really should read the story.The story has an ambiguous ending, but literally ends in "hope".

"Here There Be Tygers"--a little boy has to go to the bathroom but is scared because he believes that there is a tiger inside the stalls.Not everything is in one's imagination and children don't cry wolf as often as many adults think they do.

"The Monkey"--this is probably the best known tale from SKELETON CREW, after "The Mist"."The Monkey" is a story about a man who believes that a mechanical, cymbal-crashing monkey is cursed. He believes that every time the monkey crashes its symbols someone close to the man dies.The man tried to get rid of the monkey before, but it keeps coming back.

"Cain Rose Up"--this story reminded me quite a bit like King's novel RAGE and the novella APT PUPIL.A young, seemingly together college student goes on a shooting spree after taking his finals.

"Mrs. Todd's Shortcut"--a homespun yarn told by an elderly man about the wife of one of the "summer people" who used to go driving and was able to find all kinds of shortcuts through Maine, the United States, and even beyond.King is known for writing scary and horror stories, but he really shines as a writer in stories like this.

"The Jaunt"--a sci-fi story about the dangers of traveling through time in order to travel through space.

"The Wedding Gig"--a Prohibition-era story about a group of musicians who go to play at the wedding of the sister of a local gang boss.The festivities turn violent, but the narrator witnesses the turning point in the life of a female gang boss.

"Paranoid: A Chant"--a poem about paranoia.

"The Raft"--four college students, two males and two females, set out for a swim and a little excitement out on a raft in a private pond on the last warm day of autumn.They think they are alone, but there is something in the water that is hungry and just won't let them leave.This story was adapted into a film short as part of CREEPSHOW 2.

"Word Processor of the Gods"--a young man is married to a woman he that no longer loves him and has a good-for-nothing son.He's brother married the girl of his dreams and his nephew was like the son he never had.But they were killed in a car accident.His nephew made a special gift for his uncle and it's delivered to his writing studio not long after they die.The gift is a word processor of enormous power that changes his life forever.

"The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands"--a club of elderly gentleman gather together to tell stories (the group also appears in "The Breathing Method" in DIFFERENT SEASONS).George Gregson tells a story about a murder he witnessed caused by a man who would not shake hands.

"Beachworld"--a sci-fi story about a group of future astronauts from a different world crashing into the desert of an unknown world.All the have to do is wait for rescue, but they aren't alone because the desert sands are alive.

"The Reaper's Image"--there is a mirror that seems to be normal. However, it is incredibly valuable because there is only one other like it known to exist in the world.It is said that the mirror is cursed because if you look into the mirror and see the Reaper, you disappear forever.

"Nona"--a young man meets a dark and mysterious young woman and begins a night of intense violence that ends in the shed of a graveyard.

"For Owen"--a poem

"Survivor Type"--a story about a man shipwrecked on an island who eats himself to death.

"Uncle Otto's Truck"--an ancient broken-down antique truck left in the fields to rust causes a man to die and another to go insane.

"Morning Deliveries (Milkman #1)"--the milkman delivers milk, but he also delivers death.

"Big Wheels: A Tale of the Laundry Game (Milkman #2)"--this story connects with "Morning Deliveries" and illustrates what happens to one of the people the milkman delivers to.

"Gramma"--young George is left alone with his gramma when his mother has to leave when George's brother breaks his arm.George doesn't like gramma. She's been dying for several years, but people say there isn't something right about gramma.People are scared of her because she's a witch.

"The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet"--an aging editor tells the story of the greatest story he never got to publish and how it caused him to go insane.

"The Reach"--a ghost story about an old woman who lives on an island who has never been to the mainland.

The stories are followed by a series of notes where King expounds upon some of the stories in the book.Out of all the stories in the book, the ones I liked best are "The Mist", "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut", "The Raft", "Word Processor of the Gods", "The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands", and "The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet".

Overall, a great short story collection full of tales from a variety of genres.A must read for fans of Stephen King.Also recommended for anyone who likes reading short stories (and who doesn't mind a few minor frights).

Recommended
Minimum Maturity Level - Adult
Strong Language.Sexual Situations.

Previous Reading Required - None
Stands alone.Many short stories put into this book.

Reading Level - Average
Easy to follow.Very descriptive.

Rate of Development - Fast
Since these are mainly short stories, there isn't much time for much character development.So everything is quickly plot driven.

The Story - Horror, Thriller
My main read was the Mist.A town has recovered from a freak storm which practically demolishes the property around David's home.He goes into town with his son, leaving his wife at home.Meanwhile, a creepy mist is approaching their home town.David and his son get into the marketplace and the mist appears before them.A man runs into the store yelling, "There's something in the mist!".After that, it becomes a survival mission for all within the market.

My Suggestion - Recommended
The Mist was an excellect read.Even just for that story, I would recommend getting the book.I also read a few other of the stories.A couple were so-so.Another that was pretty good was "The Monkey".It's about a toy monkey which whenever it claps it's miniature symbols, something dies.If you were to get this book, read The Mist and The Monkey and you would at least be happy with that.

Uneven story quality, but the best are truly excellent
Skeleton Crew is one of several books that collect Stephen King short stories.The first and longest is The Mist, a novella that starts with a sudden and dangerous storm and continues with a far more dangerous fog and what is hidden inside of it.I won't give away any more plot details but King did a masterful job of balancing the menace from outside forces with conflict among the human survivors.The Mist is the true standout in this collection and it's worth the price of the book just to get it.

The second longest story is The Monkey, and it also happened to be my second favorite in the book.A man is terrorized by a cymbal-clapping windup monkey that he believes has been responsible for a number of deaths since he was a young boy.This is his struggle to be rid of the thing to save himself and his family.It's a simple story, but a creepy one and a good example of what a short story should be.

Over 20 stories are presented here of varying quality.Most of them run between 20 to 30 pages so even if you don't fall in love with some of them, it's not like you've invested too much time.I found nearly all of them to be reasonably entertaining and several to be well above average.The book is well worth buying and I would recommend it to all Stephen King fans willing to read him in small doses.

An INCREDIBLE collection of short stories.
I read this book over fifteen years ago and only read it once. I have read many novels since then (including most of what Mr. King has put out), but without even checking the table of contents I can vividly remember The Mist, Survivor Type, The Raft, The Jaunt, Wordprocessor of the Gods, Uncle Otto's Truck, Mrs. Todd's Shortcut and The Monkey. These stories have really stayed with me.

The novella The Mist alone is worth buying the book. I've always been a fan of horror stories involving a group of people in a confined space. Here you'll hole up with people who were just grocery shopping before the mist rolled in...

Creepy made real
King's at the top of his game with many of the stories in this collection. The Monkey is probably my all time favorite of his works, but many stories are excellent. ... Read more

Book Description
Alex Rider has been through a lot for his fourteen years. He's been shot at by international terrorists, chased down a mountainside, and stood face-to-face with evil. Twice, young Alex has saved the world. And twice, he has almost been killed doing it. But now Alex faces something even more dangerous. The desperation of a man who has lost everything he cared for: his country and his only son. A man who just happens to have a nuclear weapon and a serious grudge against the free world. To see his beloved Russia once again be a dominant power, he will stop at nothing. Unless Alex can stop him first.

The phenomenon that is the Alex Rider series returns with pulse-quickening action as, for the first time, Britain's MI6 and America's CIA unite forces. Be glad Alex is on our side. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (90)

The Amazing Alex
I keep reading these books because I like that the characters are sneaky and mysterious. My first impression about the character was that Alex was a courageous and strong kid. He completed 3 dangerous missions in the past and survived. I think that is incredible. There was a lot of description and conversations in the book. He even talked to professional spies or killers. The author describes very well by using many figurative languages like similes and metaphors. One day I read for 80 minutes. I'm going to tell you a brief summary of the book. Alex Rider go sent on a mission to find a nuclear weapon that can destroy Russia in 1 blow. When Alex was snooping around for some clues, he saw a killer that he had faced in the past. He got caught but he found the mastermind behind the evil plot. After this brief summary I hope you would read this book. I thought this was one of the best Alex Rider book I have ever read. I don't really like mystery books, but this book changed my mind. This book is a thrilling adventure and I would definently read other books by this author.

This is a really good series for adolescent boys.
I am an English teacher reviewing this series for student consumption.I think it is an excellent series, especially for adolescent boys.The girls, however, enjoy it too.

Skeleton Key

Skeleton key

The book I just read was one out of five books of the series Alex Rider written by Anthony Horowitz.The book I read was called Skeleton key.Alex Rider saves the world again even though he is a young teenager.This book is a thrilling page turner and you will not want to stop reading!This book is all you will concentrate on while you read.Who ever likes spy and mystery books will love this story!

This great story starts off in a Cessna Skyhawk Sp coming in for a land at Cayo Esqueleto (Skeleton Key) I love how this book is always a mystery when you turn the pages.It is always very exciting as you read!The men in the plane were looking at a thermal intensifier.Things were going just the way they planed.

Unfortunately it was going to be kind of hard to land on the runway.But luckily there were two lights at the beginning of the runway.That was a little about the beginning of the book.But here is where the book gets exciting!Alex Rider is spying on a man named Alexei Sarav (bad guy).As Alex is spying in Sarav's mansion he gets caught.Alex Rider is held in Sarav's old horse shed, but manages to escape.(Man Alex is good!)

Now Alex has run into a big obstacle, to stop a nuclear bomb in England.All right I'm not going to tell anymore details about the book because I don't want to ruin the ending to the book.I really encourage people to read this great book and even the rest of the series because it's great too!So if you get the chance read the book Skeleton Key!

Skeleton Key
Skeleton Key by Anthony horowitz is an ultra-fast paced thrill. The book centers around the teenage superhero, Alex Rider, and how he yet again saves the world. This time Alex is sent to spy on a bomb smuggler named Alexi Sarav on the remote island of Skeleton Key. Alex gains a lot of information spying in his mansion, until he is found out. Alex is hled captive in Sarav's old horse shed, but somehow finds a way out through another MI6 gaurd undercover working for Sarav. Alex gets out with just enough time to stop the nucular bomb from exploding back in England.
I would give this book a four out of five becuase The detail is exceptional and I really love Anthony Horowitz and the way he writes. I would reccomend this book to any action seeking fan.

skeleton Key
The world saving teen Alex Rider. The book skeleton Key is about a teenager spy that saves the world. He went with the C.I.A to spy on sarov on the island called skeleton Key. Sarov capures him and holds him at his house. The two C.I.A agent he went with where never seen again. The theme of the book is when alex saved Russia from getting blown up. The reason why Anthony Horowitz might have wrote the book is for intertainment. The book was exitingand intence always because he was trying to escape from Sarov to save the world. In part of the book it said, The grind stones were getting closer with every second that passed. He could feel the vibration trensmited down the conveyor belt.This part was important because Alex Rider could have ben killed right their. I recomend all ages to reead this because it is intence, exiting, and all around fun to read. ... Read more

Book Description
1995 Margaret Mead Award winner! This personal account by a biocultural anthropologist illuminates important, not-soon-forgotten messages involving the more sobering aspects of conducting fieldwork among malnourished children in West Africa. With nutritional anthropology at its core, Dancing Skeletons presents informal, engaging and oftentimes dramatic stories from the field that relate the author's experiences conducting research on infant feeding and health in Mali. Through fascinating vignettes and honest, vivid descriptions, Dettwyler explores such diverse topics as ethnocentrism, culture shock, population control, breastfeeding, child care, the meaning of disability and child death in different cultures, female circumcision, women's roles in patrilineal societies, the dangers of fieldwork, and the realities involved in researching emotionally draining topics. Readers will alternately laugh and cry as they meet the author's friends and informants, follow her through a series of encounters with both peri-urban and rural Bambara culture, and struggle with her as she attempts to reconcile her very different roles as objective ethnographer, subjective friend, and mother in the field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Cultural Anthropology
I read this book for a cultural anthopology class. It was a very easy read which I enjoyed. As far as cultural anthropology, I found this book very interesting. It is amazing hoe different the culture and the health of the people are. She did talk about herse;f a lot but it would be difficult just to focus on your subjects when you are so far from home.

Depressing view of the future
The other reviews give you the flavor of this book so I will bring up a few items they and the author ignore. First, it is a vivid illustration of the more general problem in the world of what constitutes "help".If what one does causes more misery in the long run then it is clearly not helpful and this is what nearly all of the "aid" to the third world does.Anything that prolongs lifespans, increases child survival or increases standard of living is eventually disastrous as prosperity is ultimately bought at the expense of the future.The whole world is going down the drain but Africa is the worst case and likely by mid-century, and certainly by it's end, there will be starvation, disease, social violence and war on a staggering scale and as a permanent state.The world has only one problem--too many people--and only one solution--decrease the population at any cost.Of course it's not politically correct to say anything about it and certainly not to do anything really effective and Dettwyler is in a delicate position. These people seem to average a dozen pregnancies and above all they need birth control.

Regarding her personal choices she tells how her young daughter almost died of malaria and it clearly was quite insane of her to take a young child with her for several years of constant exposure to this and other diseases when she knew that people died of it constantly in spite of medication.The last point that I could not forget was the fact that she produced three children of her own.If she does not know the dire situation the world is in due to overpopulation she ought to go back to school.Like virtually all parents, she is not a responsible member of society.

A Drop of Water in the Wide Ocean
This is a good insight into the malnutritional anthropology study of the women and children in Mali. At the very end, her work left me with the feeling that her work is just a drop of water in the wide ocean of the malnutrition dilemma worldwide. So much is needed to be done, yet the man power and the funding for this cause are very much lacking.

I read this book for my Human Diet class at UCB, and it took me a day to finish it. It is an easy read. The author however went overboard about her feelings and her financial situations, which weren't what I was expecting in an ethnographic work. She got a bit personal about her life too.

It is nothing new that Western countries' diplomats posted to the third world nations do live much well-off compared to the people in the countries that they are posted to. It just seems plain ironic to me in terms of the disparity of wealth among nations across the globe. It is just disheartening, but there is nothing we can do about it. We just hope that the situation improves as we progress => to alleviate poverty, hunger and disease.

Excellent introduction to African life
I am not an anthropologist but a tourist who has visited Africa and is interested in learning more about African people. I found Katherine Dettwyler's book an excellent introduction to how real people live and deal with their lives in Africa. Dettwyler tells us how mothers and children interact, the way families view their children, what day-to-day life in rural Africa is really like. I found it fascinating especially because Dettwyler talks honestly about her reactions to what she found. This book shouldn't be restricted to anthropoogy students.

Good book read for an Anthropology course
I had to read this book, and a less then enjoyeable textbook, for a cultural anthropolgy course I just got done taking. This book presents various concepts important to anthropological field work in an interesting and an understandable way. Often times reading the examples found in Dettwyler's book, helped me understand some of the concepts "defined" in my other text. I personaly recomend it to anyone taking a course concering cultural anthropolgy or anyone wondering how anthropologists do field work in foreign places. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Some stories are so enthralling they deserve to be retold generation after generation. The wreck in 1815 of the Connecticut merchant ship, Commerce, and the subsequent ordeal of its crew in the Sahara Desert, is one such story. With Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival, Dean King refreshes the popular nineteenth-century narrative once read and admired by Henry David Thoreau, James Fenimore Cooper, and Abraham Lincoln. King's version, which actually draws from two separate first person accounts of the Commerce's crew, offers a page-turning blend of science, history, and classic adventure. The book begins with a seeming false start: tracing the lives of two merchants from North Africa, Seid and Sidi Hamet, who lose their fortunes—and almost their lives—when their massive camel caravan arrives at a desiccated oasis. King then jumps to the voyage of the Commerce under Captain Riley and his 11-man crew. After stops in New Orleans and Gibraltar, the ship falls off course en route to the Canary Islands and ultimately wrecks at the infamous Cape Bojador. After the men survive the first predations of the nomads on the shore, they meander along the coast looking for a way inland as their supplies dwindle. They subsist for days by drinking their own urine. Eventually, to their horror, they discover that they have come aground on the edge of the Sahara Desert. They submit themselves, with hopes of getting food and water, as slaves to the Oulad Bou Sbaa. After days of abuse, they are bought by Hamet, who, after his own experiences with his failed caravan (described at the novels opening), sympathizes with the plight of the crew. Together, they set off on a hellish journey across the desert to collect a bounty for Hamet in Swearah.King embellishes this compelling narrative throughout with scientific and historical material explaining the origins of the camel, the market for English and American slaves, and the stages of dehydration. He also humanizes the Sahrawi with background on the tribes and on the lives of Hamet and Seid. This material, doled out in sufficient amounts to enrich the story without derailing it makes Skeletons on the Zahara a perfectly entertaining bit of history that feels like a guilty pleasure.--Patrick O'KelleyBook Description
In 1815, twelve American sailors washed up on the shore of North Africa. Captured and sold into slavery, they were then dragged along on an insane journey through the bone-dry heart of the Sahara-a region no Westerners had ever explored. Rain was expected once every six years and it was so hot that cadavers naturally mummified. Along the way the Americans would encounter everything that could possibly test them: barbarism, murder, starvation, death, dehydration, and hostile tribes that roamed the desert on armies of camels. SKELETONS ON THE ZAHARA will remind readers of the bestseller In the Heart of the Sea, but in settings more exotic and with hardships even more difficult to survive. From the cold waters of the Atlantic to the searing Saharan sands, from the heart of the desert to the heart of man, SKELETONS ON THE ZAHARA is a spectacular odyssey through the extremes. This is quite simply the most exciting adventure story to be published in years.Download Description
An incredible story of shipwrecked American sailors sold into slavery in North Africa and dragged through the hellish interior of the Sahara. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (68)

A fiction-reader's review
This review is intended for people who, like me, typically avoid non-fiction.It's a character flaw, I know, but I couldn't even point you to the non-fiction sections of my local bookstores.

However, the subject matter of Skeletons--desert survival--intrigued me.The gorgeous cover with the elongated shadows of a caravan plodding over the dunes didn't hurt either.

The book was well worth leaving my comfort zone.I pestered my wife with mind-boggling factoids and stranger-than-fiction events drawn from nearly every chapter as I read, but the real beauty of the experience was that I was enthralled by the sensual descriptions of the captives' plight; I gained a vast appreciation for the water bottle I nursed while reading.

Perhaps the greatest draw for the fiction-reader, however, was the suspense the author managed to generate regarding a deal brokered between the captain and one would-be savior.Naturally, I knew at least two characters would survive the ordeal, and admittedly, I never came to care as much for most of the other sailors as I might have in a fictionalized version of the story.However, the outcome of Captain Riley's bargain of faith kept me guessing, and I felt every pang of guilt and uncertainty right along with him.

I have to admit overcoming an interest-curve (if such a thing exists) in the text preceding the shipwreck.A lot of names, dates, and locations flew right by me: I was in this for the adventure, and the first 50-or-so pages plodded a bit for me.I now view that portion of the experience like the gradual exposition in many great novels and films; the non-fiction approach to setting and character development.

I really did love this book, and recommend it to those who feel intimidated by any stacks but Fiction.Maybe we'll bump into each other making those first tentative steps into the other aisles of the bookstore!

Barbarism, cruelty and sand, lots of sand.
This is an extraordinarily depressing, horrific account of severe hardship suffered by a few American seamen shipwrecked on the Western African coast in 1815, and subsequently enslaved by an Arab tribe. It's apparently a true account, pieced together from diaries and simple recollections of the crew, held as slaves over several months during a sojourn through the desert amounting to a few hundred miles. Although at times revolting, the book provides a very detailed account of the living conditions and customs of these simple Arab tribes who literally scratch out an existence in the harsh, unforgiving climate of the Western Sahara.

Skeletons on the Zahara
While this is a fascinating (and supposedly a true) story, it was too brutal for my taste. I had to give it up about half-way thru.

Yet another "truth is stranger than fiction" story
These guys are tough.Shipwrecked, then passed around as slaves to nomadic desert Muslims, many of them survived an ordeal that is very well described by the author.Even at the end, you are sure they are going to get whacked.Great afterward chapters put the event into context in that period (1800's).

Between this and the tale of the Essex whaler, I have learned way too much about consuming one's own urine.

Although I found this book a much, much better read than Wilfred Thesiger's Arabian Sands, you might give that one a try if you require more time in the Empty Quarter than this books offers.

A modern retelling of one of the most influential books in U.S. history
We read this book for our book club and had the honor of discussing it with the author, Dean King.As someone without any sort of nautical background, I was a bit worried as I started reading that the book was going to be too technical for me, but I quickly got to the point where I didn't want to put it down.The story, which is true and yet reads like a novel, had a certain "Apollo 13" feel to it...it is hard to fathom that so much could go wrong and yet be overcome.Dean King really did his research and was able to verify seemingly unverifiable elements of the story through his own trek on camel - and in some cases on foot - through the Sahara (such as the branding treatment used for illness and the belief that one cannot be hurt if fallen from a camel).

The original manuscript of Captain Riley's has been documented as being one of a handful of books that was influential to Abraham Lincoln.After his own stint as a slave, Riley - a white man - was able to give voice to the inhumanity of slavery here in the U.S. in a way that, at that time, no black man or woman could.Captain Riley's experiences and the telling of his story certainly had an impact on the consciousness of the American people and its leaders.This book brings history alive in a truly thrilling way.I highly recommend reading the footnotes for each chapter and the extra features (like an excerpted interview with the author) included in the paperback version of this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

superb whodunit
The military exercise focuses on the abandoned small village of Jude's Ferry off of Whittlesea Mere.Reporting on the war games is The Crow journalist Philip Dryden, who has learned the ghost town had never reported any official crime in its millennium of existence.Following the artillery shelling, a shocking sight surfaces when a grave underneath the cellar of what had been a pub has been opened.The skeletal remains of a person hung to death are found.

Not expecting much from the police on this cold make that frozen case, Dryden cannot resist learning the truth about the ancient skeleton and who uncovered the tomb and why.However, the former residents are not only scattered those he interviews remain reticent not offering him much in the way of useful information.However, Dryden obstinately keeps digging until someone begins to think he is getting to close and plans on him being the second victim in the history of Jude's Ferry.

This complex somewhat convoluted investigative tale is a superb whodunit as Dryden struggles with finding a nano clue at a time.The support cast is in the quadrillions with most providing cameo appearances in response to the reporter's inquiry.This makes it difficult to keep score yet for those who relish solving the case, they are each critical in what may seem incognizant as a puzzle part, but the whole is needed for lucid resolution.Although how Jim Kelly kept track is beyond me, THE SKELTON MAN is a terrific look at rural England where local talk is not a repression but a depression.

Harriet Klausner
... Read more

Book Description
S is for Skeleton. . . .
It’s a bone-afide mystery at Dink’s school. Some sneaky soul has stolen the skeleton from the nurse’s
office! The principal promises free aquarium tickets to the savvy sleuths who can track down poor Mr. Bones. Soon mysterious clues are showing up all over the school. It’s up to Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose to follow the clues and put those old bones to rest. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A to Z Mysteries - The School Skeleton
I like this book because it was a mystery and it was fun to try to solve it.You would like it if you like mysteries. Have fun reading.I hope you like it.

Mystery lovers here is your book!
I really liked this book because it was a scary mystery.You should definetly read this book because you can solve it!It was cool because it was a mystery.You'll like it!

That's my Skeleton!
I really liked this book because it was funny and interesting.I really enjoy mysteries.You should definetly read it because it's a mystery and they are nice to read because you get to solve them yourself!

The Mystery of the Skeleton Snatcher!
I really liked this book because I like mysteries and you get to solve the mystery by yourself.You should definetly read this book because it's a cool book and I'm a second grader and I enjoyed this book.If you read it I hope you'll enjoy it too!!

The Sneaky Peeky Skeleton
I really liked this book because it has lots of clues in it and I liked to find out how they solve the mystery quickly.You should definetly read this book becauseit is a really cool mystery book and you should even read it again!!You should also stop and think about what person in the school stole the school skeleton.This book is really cool! ... Read more

Book Description
When Leonard Fisher claims that the Smithsonian and all its museums belong to him, Washington D.C. goes into an uproar. KC Corcoran and her best friend Marshall have a feeling that there is something fishy about Fisher. But if they are wrong, the United States may lose the Smithsonian forever! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

You should read this book!
The Skeleton in the Smithsonian is an exciting book to read because KC and Marshall have to solve lots of clues to save the Smithsonian.I like it when the kids figure out Leonard Fisher's real job because it leads them to the real skeleton.This book has a lot of action!

Great book.....great series
My two daughters ages 9 and 7 absolutely love the Capital Mysteries series including this book.We were surprised that we weren't able to find them in the shelves in any bookstore along side their other favorites like A to Z Mysteries,

Best Capital Mysteryyet!!!
This book is the third in the Capital Mysteries series. K.C. and her friend Marshal go to dinner with the president and find out that someone claims to be in heir to James Smithson. (The person that built the smithsonion institution.) When Marshal sugests they compare DNA to see if the person is related to James Smithson, The Heir Smiles, what is he up to??? Is he really an heir to James Smithson?? Or is he a fake?? Find out in Skeleton in the Smithsonion!! I reccomend this book to kids 5 and up. ... Read more

Book Description
The explosive New York Times bestselling Oregon Files series returns!

Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the covert combat ship Oregon have barely escaped a mission on the Congo River when they intercept a mayday from a defenseless boat under fire off the African coast. Cabrillo takes action, saving the beautiful Sloane Macintyre-who's looking for a long-submerged ship that may hold a fortune in diamonds. But what surprises Cabrillo is her story about a crazy fisherman who claims to have been attacked on the open sea by giant metal snakes in the same area.

What begins as a snake hunt leads Cabrillo onto the trail of a far more lethal quarry-a deranged militant and his followers who plan to unleash the devastating power of nature itself against all who oppose them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (47)

Juan Cabrillo rules!
I really enjoyed Skeleton Coast. I had read one of the other Oregon Files novels, and I really didn't enjoy it. This one was great! I can't wait to read the other Oregon Files novels.
Juan Cabrillo is a very interesting and exciting character, right up there with Dirk Pitt and Kurt Austin.

Still writing great stuff (even with the help)...
My opinion of 'co-authoring' in general is that the result usually ends up exposing the worst in both authors and a disapointing outing for dedicated readers.However, that is definitely not the case with this Cussler/Du Brul sendup.I've been a fan of Cussler's Dirk Pitt/NUMA series for years and expected to be disappointed with this book, but bought it more out of curiousity than anything else.What a surprise!

As usual with Cussler, I was riveted to the pages after the first ten or so, and couldn't put it down until all the baddies were disposed of.If you like action/adventure reading, this stuff comes very close to equaling anything written in the NUMA vein - plus the authors very neatly managed to insert NUMA into the plot as well.Great!

Many other reviewers have already said most of what I was planning to say here, so I'm not going to reitrate.Suffice it to say that after reading 'Skeleton Coast', I imediately ordered the other book written by the Cussler/Du Brul combo.If you enjoy either or both authors,get both of these books.You won't be disappointed.

In other reviews, I've called Dirk Pitt the 'James Bond of the 21st century'.Well now it seems both James and Dirk have a rival in Juan Cabrillo - one tough customer, regardless of his missing leg.

I had a thought (that happens occasionaly).What if Cussler and du Brul got together with Raymond Benson, the author of the new Bond adventures.Could you imagine MI6, NUMA and The Company all working together to thwart some kind of global super-threat?Now that would be an adventure!But to be really interesting, the book would have to run to at least 700 pgs.And they'd have to come up with some really formidable opponents as well.Hmmm... how about the son of Ernst Stavro Blofeld working alongside a genetically cloned reincarnation of Hitler?Go for it, guys...

Action on the seas around Africa
What do you get when you tie together Clive Cussler and one of his numerous co-authors? Typically, a Clive Cussler book with some twists that show the seams where Clive and the co-author split writing duties. that is not the case in this book! JacK DuBrul is identified as the co-author here and there appear to be only minute seams which may actually be artifacts of editorial decisions made by others.

In the Oregon Files we follow the adventures of Juan Cabrillo and his modern pirate ship. Oh, I know! Juan Cabrillo is the "Chairman" of a corporation and he gets his commissions from government work - not high seas piracy. But, is this really that different than what used to be called Privateering?

The Oregon is Cabrillo's ship. She looks like a tramp steamer, but is in reality a super modern, highly equipped and weaponed, futuristic ship. Her equipment includes everything from superb engines to a multiple ways of launching boats, to all kinds of weapon systems and helicopters. The crew are all ex-CIA or other special forces and all seem hell bent for leather to do anything they are asked to.

In Skeleton Coast we see the marriage of eveil fanatical eco-terrorists with the power seeking quasi-officeers who take over African countries. The thread that pulls them all together is the Oregon and its exploits.

In typical Cussler style, there is a prologue in which we learn of a daring diamond heist perpetrated on an African nation over 100 years ago. Then, we switch to modern times and see the Oregon delivering a load of weapons to a modern African warlord. Action starts there and does not stop until we meet a woman who works for DeBeers diamonds, charismatic industrialists and scientists who invent various things, evil scientists who try to kill millions to show the world that the environment is deteriorating, etc. etc. etc.

There are actions scenes galore, many bodies, morbid torture and killing sprees, a fabulous prison situated in the middle of an impassible desert, and more. All to be resolved as it should with the Oregon rescuing the world and getting the girl to boot! It was a fun read and they even tied the old stolen diamonds in a way that made some kind of madcap sense.

Having had some bad experiences with co-author arrangements, I was frankly skeptical about this one. But after having read the Skeleton Coast, I will seek out more of the Oregon Files in the future.

Skeleton Coast
Book was received in a timely manner.Excellent condition.

I enjoyed reading the book and its fast paced action.

Typical Over-the-Top Cussler Action-Thriller
This review is for the Berkley trade paperback edition, October 2006, 373 pages.SKELETON COAST was on the USA Today's Top 150 Best-Selling books list for nine weeks in October and November 2006, reaching a peak position to 21. Clive Cussler has 24 novels on this best-seller list.

The story begins in 1896 with the theft of a fortune in uncut diamonds from the Herero king in then the Bechuanaland Protectorate (now Botswana). After a treacherous escape across the Kalahari Desert, the five thieves, all Brits, reach the HMS Rove, their chartered escape vessel. But as soon as they board, they are trapped by a violent storm and their pursuers attack. Officially, the HMS Rove is lost a sea, but the story narrator reveals it is buried eight miles inland in the desert.

In the present day, the story moves to a laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland and a conversation between the owner and a female technician about making sea water gooey. Then it jumps to a scummy looking freighter in the Congo River. The crew is trading weapons for uncut diamonds with a rebel group. Beneath the crud the freighter is actually the Oregon, Captain Juan Cabrillo's technological marvel operated by ex CIA agents and other mercenaries working for a for profit corporation. After escaping a harrowing fire fight with the rebels, the Oregon saves a damsel in distress who happens to be looking for the HMS Rove.

And so it goes. The Oregon faces one challenge after another, each one more tortuous than the previous and requiring the employment of the Oregon's state-of-the-art firepower, helicopter, lifeboat cum hydroplane and submersibles. The feats and skills of the Oregon's crew are nothing less than unbelievable, the coincidences incredible and Captain Cabrillo's ability to invent complex plans within minutes astounding. This is a typical over-the-top Cussler action-thriller. Unfortunately, it is heavy on tell rather than show and the non-stop action is frequently interrupted by speeches we would rather skip.
... Read more

Book Description

Ever since the morning Molly woke up to find that her parents hadvanished, her life has become filled with terrible questions. Where have her parents gone? Who is this spooky old man who's taken her to live with him, claiming to be her great-uncle? Why does he never eat, and why does he lock her in her room at night? What are her dreams of the Skeleton Man trying to tell her? There's one thing Molly does know. She needs to find some answers before it's too late.

Customer Reviews (53)

A Fun Mystery
Skeleton man was really mysterious book. They start with tons of action right away. The character is telling spooky stories. But the bad part was that they didn't introduce the characters right away like most books do. The main character Molly was telling spooky stories. Stories that her dad told her before he and her mom dissapeared.
It was also a really quick read for the people that don't like to read much. When I started reading I couldn't put down the book. My fingers couldn't stop flipping the pages.
I love how joseph Bruchac [author] describes molly's uncle. He really explains in detail the characteristics of him. I could acually see how molly could think of him as a scary person or maybe even a skeleton man. With his creepy face features and how he locks her in her room every night.
I hate books but loved this one, so you will like it too.highly recommend this book to any 6th grader who is looking for a good book. I would like to tell much more but i can't. So go to the library to check it out. So you can see what happends to the skeleton man.

Skeleton Man
This book was bought to go into the Library collection to support the Halloween season.

Watch Out!
Bruchac weaves a suspenseful tale of a courageous, determined, heroine who allows her dreams and American Indian heritage to guide her decisions. At first, Molly is unsure of what is coming to her in her dreams; is it memory, or premonition? As the story unfolds, Molly embraces her dreams, and even beckons them to "help" her. She recalls stories told to her from the Mohawk traditions which comfort her, and also warn her of possible danger. She learns to have faith in herself, even when some of the adults in her life dismiss her claims as an "overactive imagination." She is shrewd enough to realize that if she tells the adults everything about her dreams and suspicions, she may be putting herself (and her parents) in more danger. Molly can trust just one adult - her teacher, and this alliance makes her stronger. Knowing that she can rely on at least one other person makes her feel more secure and sane throughout this whole ordeal. This quick, intense mystery is sure to appeal to reluctant readers.

Skeleton Man
I was reading the book "Skeleton Man" by Joseph Bruchac. This book has amazing events. The events are filled with suspense and mystery. With the details, it will make you want to read as much as I did. The main characters and their actions make you want to read and keep going.

In this book, you can probably relate yourself to the characters and the events. There were many surprises in this book. If you love suspense books, this is a great book for you.

PCE student
i love skelton man so much because its a a very sacay book theres a girl living with her uncle and what happens will she always live with him and is he a good guy or bad guy any one who is 9-15 would like this book but keep in mind it is one of the scaryest book i have ever read in my life.....you will have to see how the story ends but the beging is the best part of the book!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com
Although J.A. Jance and Tony Hillerman (Coyote Waits, The Fallen Man) are in many ways poles apart as mystery writers, they are united on at least two fronts: their appreciation of the hypnotically arid beauty of the American Southwest; and their sense that this landscape is peculiarly capable of engendering horrific violence. In Skeleton Canyon Jance writes: "Overhead, the stars shone like glittering diamonds against a velvet sky. The starlight was so bright that the mountains, rocks, and trees around her emerged from the gloom. Sitting there in the half-lit dark of Skeleton Canyon, it was easy for Brianna to sense time falling away from her.This rugged, almost empty corner of the Arizona desert had changed so little that even now an occasional jaguar, roaming north from the mountains of Mexico, had been spotted by a solitary rancher. And if the wild canyons of the Peloncillos still played host to an assortment of wildlife, it wasn't so far off to imagine that human outlaws still ranged that same habitat as well."

Brianna O'Brien never returns from Skeleton Canyon, where she had waited under cover of darkness to rendezvous, à la Juliet and Romeo, with her boyfriend, Ignacio Ybarra. In investigating Brianna's murder, Sheriff Joanna Brady must confront both the blatant racism of the O'Brien family--horrified to discover that their daughter could have been involved with a Mexican boy--and the family's dark past. There are skeletons in canyons, and skeletons as well locked behind the doors of the sprawling O'Brien compound.Home is where the heart is--but home is also host to a lethal nest of lies, greed, and secrets. --Kelly FlynnBook Description

Brianna "Bree" O'Brien neverretumed from Skeleton Canyon. Someone brutally murdered the pretty, popular teenager who hadsfolen away undercover of darkness to rendezwus with herboyfriend, Ignacio Ybarra. Perhaps youthful rage, jealousy and savage passion costyoung Bree herlife. Ormaybe she stumbled onto something too dangerous to know.

Sheriff Joanna Brady of Cochise County knows only too well the pain of losing a loved one to violence. But she is disturbed by the O'Briens' blind insistence that Ignacio is responsible for their daughter's slaying. Joanna senses there are words not being spoken, and dark mysteries locked behind.doors of the sprawling O'Brien family compound. But it is the strange disappearance of a good friend that is pulling Sheriff Brady ever closer to the lethalnest of lies, greed and secrets hiding in a desolate corner of the Arizona desert--where the next blood that feeds the parched, cracked earth could be her own. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Skeleton Canyon
I really like the Joanna Brady series.They always have twists and turns.This one is no exception.Great story!!
Liz C

Skeletons in the Canyon and in the Closet!
This is another great book in the Joanna Brady series by J.A. Jance. This time she throws a little romance into the mix of things as Brianna O'Brien is found murdered and her Hispanic boyfriend is the main suspect for some, while others don't believe he could kill. This teenage girl had many secrets and her boyfriend was only one of them. While investigating this crime, everyone's favorite female sheriff, Joanna Brady, uncovers more than she bargained for and has a difficult time in dealing with some of it.

Again, we see some of the cast of support characters return, but others are mentioned in passing, so we know they will be back in future tomes. We're given a little glimpse of what's in store for Joanna Brady with her daughter growing up quickly and her mother's new relationship that seems to have transposed some of the former anger and has made her almost approachable.

I find it interesting that Jance not only tells a wonderful story, but throws in a moral issue as well. She deals with the topic of racism in this book and does so in a very civilized way showing the prejudices of some and the extremes they will go to continue that narrow-mindedness. However, she also gives us hope for the future. She shows us that no matter what the odds some will not follow in their parents' beliefs and will, instead, have friends based on things other than the color of skin or social standing.

And along with the story line and moral issue, you can always rely on Jance to paint a mental picture of the Arizona desert at it's best. Having lived in Arizona, I can remember the millions of stars in the sky that Jance describes in detail. I can remember the rugged beauty of the various wilderness areas that are similar to those portrayed. No one gives a better mental image of these things than Jance does. Having read all of the books in this series, I feel like I've actually been to Bisbee, Arizona. I'm sure if I ever do get the chance to visit that town; I'll see things as I've seen them before in my mind while reading these novels.

After reading the first book in the Joanna Brady series, I didn't think Jance would be able to keep up with the standard she set. I was very mistaken. She has not only achieved that level of excellence but has surpassed it and continues to set new standards with each new book she writes.

I highly recommend not only SKELETON CANYON, but any and all books in this series. They're wonderful, exciting and highly addicting! I do suggest that you read them in order to get the background on the characters - it's not mandatory, but will make for a more enjoyable read and will let your imagination run wild with possible scenarios for the future!

NICE ENTERTAINING READ
I enjoyed this one.Like other Jance books, this one takes place in the Southwest.Ms. Jance is a very descriptive writer, i.e. the land and the people, and a good story teller.The book is an easy read and like I said, it entertains, what any good book should do.This is the first of this particular series I have read and will certainly seek out and read the rest.There wer a couple of part I felt moved a bit slow, but even these were rather "homey" and quite enjoyable.All in all recommend this one.

Go Joanna Brady!
I loved this book!Joanna Brady could be a role model for girls and women alike!

Wonderful
Joanna Brady is the no-nonsense sheriff of a border town in Arizona, and she is thoroughly delightful in this story of murder in the treacherous canyons near the Mexican border.

The recently widowed mother of a 10-year-old girl, Joanna cannot help but be moved by the vicious murder of Brianna O'Brien, the beautiful and popular daughter of the town's most prominent family. The reader, too, is drawn into Brianna's all-too-brief life, and is there with her in Skeleton Canyon as she joyously awaits the arrival of her secret lover, Ignacio Ybarra, equally young, beautiful, and deeply in love. Brianna does not live to meet her lover--but who killed her? And why? It's up to Joanna to find out, and her job is much hampered by the arrogance of Brianna's father, whose distrust of the local law enforcement community is matched only by his racial hatred of Mexican-Americans.

Brianna and Ignacio were involved in a forbidden love affair, at least by the senior O'Brian's lights. Did he find out and have his own daughter killed? It seems highly unlikely, since Ignacio is very much alive--and a suspect. But why would he murder his beloved? What secrets in the O'Brian family coalesced to cause this inevitable tragedy?

While Joanna and her crew struggle to find the answers, the reader is treated to magnificent descriptions of the rugged Southwest, whose beauty masks murderous dangers such as killer flash floods. Equally interesting is the supporting cast: Joanna's friend Angie, a former hooker turned straight; two old and entertaining drunks in the bar where Angie works; Joanna's indomitable mother, who has a secret of her own; and more.

This is the 5th in the Joanna Brady series, and the first I have read. It stands alone beautifully, but got me so hooked that I must get my hands on the next book immediately! Highly recommended for mystery lovers looking for a good, strong, read. ... Read more

Book Description

An ancient skeleton is discovered in Israel - will it shed new light on the life of Jesus or plunge the world into darkness and chaos?

Dr. Jonathan Weber, Harvard professor and biblical scholar, is looking forward to his sabbatical year on an archaeological dig in Israel.But a spectacular find that seems to be an archaeologist's dream-come-true becomes a nightmare that could be the death rattle of Christianity.

Carefully researched and compellingly written, A Skeleton in God's Closet explores the tension between doubt and faith, science and religion, and one man's determination to find the truth--no matter what the cost. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (68)

Well Written Novel about Faith and Doubt
"A Skeleton in God's Closet" was no disappoinment.Although the beginning was a little slow, the plot took me and didn't let go.Maierpresents readers with an archaelogical find that will either destroy Christianity or prove to be the most diabolical fraud in history.The protagonists must race against time to find the truth of the matter as the world changes around them.Maier was generally excellent at exploring issuses of faith, doubt, religious fanaticism, and anti-religious fanaticism.The novel deals with a serious subject but doesn't abandon humor.In fact, there is some pretty decent satire (especially directed against a fictional televangelist).The novel's romantic plot is somewhat cheesy but not enough to really hurt the plot.Overall, an interesting and at times thought provoking novel.

Superb!!!
This book was simply superb!!! This is the first book I've read by Paul L Meier and it was great. I read this book well into the night because I couldn't put it down. It was superb!!!

If you like the DaVince Code.....
Paul Maier did a fantastic job writing this theological thriller.From the time I started reading until I closed the back cover, I was hooked.
Maier's plot is very believable.How would the world react if the bones of Jesus were uncovered?

This should be on your reading list if you enjoy thrillers, suspense, and intregue. I have just purchased Maier's book, More than a Skeleton, and cannot wait to read it.

Dumb title, GOOD BOOK
This is a terrific theological thriller from the great Paul Meier.
A very timely read in light of the recent Cameron/Jacobovici "Tomb of Jesus" garbage (2007).
Meier predicted it and did a better job.Read this book!The sequel is also good.

Biblical Thriller
I found this novel to be a wealth of information about archeology and biblical history. If you're a lover of suspense and mystery, you'll find this work really hard to put down. The romantic relationship between two characters was a bit cheesy but otherwise a great read!

Carolyn ... Read more

Product Description
A small-town vicar's daughter, Sara Causseley could not be more delighted by her new job as governess to the aristocratic Hallam clan. The children are precociously adorable, the gardens at Hallam House are a dream, and the conversation -- at glittering dinners, at boisterous family picnics -- is as stimulating as she could possibly have wished. But ominous political clouds are gathering over Europe, and as England slips inexorably toward World War II, the Hallams' political views make the family increasingly unpopular. No one, though, suspects the extent of the malice that is percolating in the surrounding countryside until a human skeleton -- and then a human corpse -- are found on the Hallam grounds, sending some kind of ugly message. That message and the source of its hate will remain all but incomprehensible to Sara for some time, until war and its violations have left her with a very new view of those sunny picnics on the Hallam lawns. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Death at a Pacifist's Country Home
Sarah Causely comes to be a governess at an English Country Home owned by famous pacifists in the late 1930's.First entranced by the family, Sarah gradually comes to see them less romantically as they deal with a series of malicious pranks by the local fascist organization.The pranks culminate in the death of one of the local boys and only the family has a motive for his death.Barnard's characterizations are unusually well done.Sarah matures as England moves towards war, but her disenchantment with the family is not due to her disagreement with their political views, but a growing understanding of the weakness of their characters.The plot is well done and the mystery keeps the reader guessing.The historical context is particularly fun.The pacifists cannot interest the local MP in the civil war in Spain, for example, because he is utterly fixated by the King's romance with That American (Mrs. Simpson.)Good characters, good story, good suspense.The following review describes another of Barnard's books, not Skeleton in the Grass.

Barnard rattles a few skeletons here!
"Don't kill her!Don't!"The young Simon wakes up screaming!The gentle couple who have taken Simon in are more than a little confused.In Robert Barnard's "Out of the Blackout," the author sets this finely-tuned and suspenseful novel during the blizt of London during the War.Children have been evacuated to the countryside for their own safety, more often than not to live for the duration of the war with complete strangers.Young Simon Thorn shows up in the village of Yeasdon, along with the other evacuated children.However, his name is on on list, his address doesn't exist, and few clues can be found in the few items he possesses. Many questions abound and Barnard, with his accustomed patience and logical thinking, sets out to solve this mystery.He does so in a touching, poignant manner, and he brings vividly to life all the aspects of these dark and dangerous days of the blitz.Barnard deserves his well-earned reputation. (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net) ... Read more

Book Description

Your skeleton helps you leap, somersault, and touch your toes -- without it, you would be as floppy as a beanbag! There are over 200 bones living and growing inside you that make up your skeleton. There are also ligaments and joints that hold your bones together, and cartilage in your bendable parts like your ears and your nose. Learn all about what a skeleton can do -- because this isn't some make-believe Halloween skeleton, this is the real skeleton inside you.

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Experience!
Ordering on line was a wonderful experience.The quality of the book I purchased was amazing!
Thanks!

Very interesting and informative!My kids love it!
This book details what the bones in your body look like and their functions.Colorful pictures are helpful and entertaining.This book also mentions a broken arm.Fun reading if your child is in a cast. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Joe Leaphorn, former Navajo tribal police lieutenant, is not a happy retiree. So when his successor asks him to look into how a young Hopi named Billy Tuve came by a valuable diamond the boy tried to pawn for a fraction of its worth, Joe finds himself involved in a five decade old mystery. It dates back to a plane crash in the Grand Canyon, one that took the life of a man whose putative daughter also has an interest in the diamond; it could lead her to her father's remains, from which she hopes to extract enough DNA to establish her birthright. For good measure, Hillerman adds a couple of villains determined to beat her to the site of the crash, a cache of other diamonds long since given up for lost in the Canyon's watery depths, and a Hopi ritual that's kept the site secret for years. It's a good yarn, well but twice told; Hillerman sets it up in a chronologically confusing opening chapter, in which Joe spins the story for a couple of former law-enforcement colleagues--not just to entertain or enlighten them but to demonstrate what he calls his "Navajo belief in universal connections. The cause leads to inevitable effect. The entire cosmos being an infinitely complicated machine all working together."

Hillerman is a name-brand writer with a huge and well deserved following. His evocation of the landscape of the Southwest is as compelling as it ever was, and many familiar characters from the other 18 novels in this prize-winning series appear here, notably Sergeant Jim Chee and border patrol officer Bernie Manuelito, the woman Chee hopes to marry. Joe Leaphorn remains his most fully-realized protagonist; his perspective on life, destiny, and the sometimes uneasy truce between Native Americans and whites gives this series a unique place in the genre. But as evidenced by his latest, Hillerman's hero needs more than a retired duffer's memories to keep him vital and alive, even for his most dedicated fans. --Jane AdamsBook Description
Hailed as "a wonderful storyteller" by the New York Times, and a "national and literary cultural sensation" by the Los Angeles Times, bestselling author Tony Hillerman is back with another blockbuster novel featuring the legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Sergeant Jim Chee.

Former Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn comes out of retirement to help investigate what seems to be a trading post robbery. A simple-minded kid nailed for the crime is the cousin of an old colleague of Sergeant Jim Chee. He needs help and Chee, and his fiancée Bernie Manuelito, decide to provide it.

Proving the kid's innocence requires finding the remains of one of 172 people whose bodies were scattered among the cliffs of the Grand Canyon in an epic airline disaster 50 years in the past. That passenger had handcuffed to his wrist an attaché case filled with a fortune in -- one of which seems to have turned up in the robbery.

But with Hillerman, it can't be that simple. The daughter of the long-dead diamond dealer is also seeking his body. So is a most unpleasant fellow willing to kill to make sure she doesn't succeed. These two tense tales collide deep in the canyon at the place where an old man died trying to build a cult reviving reverence for the Hopi guardian of the Underworld. It's a race to the finish in a thunderous monsoon storm to see who will survive, who will be brought to justice, and who will finally unearth the Skeleton Man.Download Description
"

Hailed as ""a wonderful storyteller"" by the New York Times, and a ""national and literary cultural sensation"" by the Los Angeles Times, bestselling author Tony Hillerman is back with another blockbuster novel featuring the legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Sergeant Jim Chee.

Former Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn comes out of retirement to help investigate what seems to be a trading post robbery. A simple-minded kid nailed for the crime is the cousin of an old colleague of Sergeant Jim Chee. He needs help and Chee, and his fiancée Bernie Manuelito, decide to provide it.

Proving the kid's innocence requires finding the remains of one of 172 people whose bodies were scattered among the cliffs of the Grand Canyon in an epic airline disaster 50 years in the past. That passenger had handcuffed to his wrist an attaché case filled with a fortune in-- one of which seems to have turned up in the robbery.

But with Hillerman, it can't be that simple. The daughter of the long-dead diamond dealer is also seeking his body. So is a most unpleasant fellow willing to kill to make sure she doesn't succeed. These two tense tales collide deep in the canyon at the place where an old man died trying to build a cult reviving reverence for the Hopi guardian of the Underworld. It's a race to the finish in a thunderous monsoon storm to see who will survive, who will be brought to justice, and who will finally unearth the Skeleton Man. " ... Read more

Customer Reviews (74)

Tony Hillerman still has it.
In this book many of our old friends wrap up their story.We meet a few new friends.And if I did not know any better I would say Tony was wrapping up his writing career.

Many reviewers and readers would like tell Tony how to write his stories; I would also.However the path that Tony chooses is what makes his writing unique.I did notice that the good guys and the bad guys were black and white hats.Hillerman relied very heavily on us reading of his previous books before this latest story.We get a tad of Hopi and Navajo religion, a dabble of what the region looked like, and a short history of what happened to old friends are no longer take part in the story; I've often wondered what happened to the cat.

A generation ago two airplanes crash over the Grand Canyon.One plane carries a man with a case of diamonds attached to his arm.Someone is after the diamonds.Someone is after the arm.And everyone is looking for a mysterious stranger down in the Grand Canyon.We along with their old friends Jim Chee, and Joe Leaphorn, let's not forget the demure and cunning Bernie Manuelito, get to search together for this mysterious stranger would ever lurking bad guys just around the corner waiting to do us in.

So sit back and enjoy this quick but intense story.If you get a chance you will also want to purchase the recorded version by George Guidall. I heard both Guidall and Hillerman and they sound a lot alike.

The First Eagle (Jim Chee Novels)

Nice Comfy Read
There are a lot of things to like about this book, which is my first Hillerman experience, but I think my favorites were the characters.This is not the first book in the series, and I was a little confused for the first couple of pages, but it didn't take long for me to warm to the very human characters and feel like I was right there with them.

In the `50s, two planes collided over the Grand Canyon, killing everyone on board and sending a rain of debris and body parts over the canyon.It was the worst airline disaster of its time, and had lasting ramifications on several of the characters in this book.Joanna Craig was deprived of both a father and a fortune when he died in the crash carrying a valise full of diamonds shackled to his arm.One of the diamonds was intended for Joanna's mother, who was pregnant with Joanna at the time.When Joanna's father died, his family refused to acknowledge their relationship, or that Joanna was his daughter.As a result, his family's fortune went to a "nonprofit" organization, since no parts of his body were found and identified and Joanna cannot prove she is his heir.

Now, however, new evidence has come to light.A young Hopi named Billy Tuve is in trouble for trying to pawn a diamond for $20.He is being accused of robbing a store to get it, but he claims a strange man in the Grand Canyon gave it to him as a trade for a folding shovel.His story jibes with tales of a dismembered arm found floating in the Colorado River, chained to a valise, that washed away before anyone could get to it, and when a story about another person trading a jackknife for a diamond from a strange old man starts going around, Tuve's friends investigate.

Things get a little complicated, though, when not only Joanna Craig tries to get close to Billy Tuve to find the diamonds.The law firm that controls her inheritance also wants the diamonds, and the arm, found.Joanna doesn't care about the diamonds; she only wants her father's arm so she can prove she is really his daughter through DNA evidence.The Plymale firm wants the arm so they can make it disappear and they can hang onto Joanna's inheritance...and the diamonds.Billy Tuve's cousin, deputy Cowboy Dashee, and his friend, tribal policeman Jim Chee, just want to find the diamonds to back up Billy's story and prove he didn't commit a robbery.All these motives collide, along with a fierce rainstorm and flash flooding, in the Grand Canyon when they all head down the sacred Hopi Salt Trail in search of a hermit known as Skeleton Man.

This was a quick but compelling read that didn't take long to suck me in and make me want to know the outcome.It's also an "easy read," not simplistic, but very comfortable to sit down and get into, and very easy to get back to if you've had to put it down.It left me with a desire to spend more time with his delightfully-drawn characters.I felt like I was right there in the Southwest, listening to Indian lore and feeling the hot, baking sun.Thankfully, Mr. Hillerman has written a number of books to take me