Struggling pro golfer, Lee Ofstead is playing the best round of golf of her career. When she hurts her arm administering CPR to Ted Guthrie, the most hated man at the golf course, Lee cannot finish the game. When her lover, California cop Graham Sheldon, joins her at the tournament, they join together to solve the murder. This was a light, cozy mystery. What appealed to me was the setting and the characters. I don't play golf but the setting was fresh and interesting without overwhelming you with golf information and the budding romance between Lee and Graham was nicely done. The authors are a husband and wife team. Aaron Elkins has written several fine mysteries and Charlotte is a serious amateur golfer and writer. The first in the series was A Wicked Slice.

The second installment of the Lee Offstead series from Charlotte and Aaron Elkins is a delightful, easy read. Though not a golfer myself, the material revolving around the course was not lost in lingo and jargon but was instead presented clearly. The authors do a good job of developing the characters and the plot lines, both those integral to the story and those developing for the book series. I enjoyed the down-to-earth character of Lee and the predicaments she faces in the story. I've been a long-time fan of the Elkins' and look forward to the third installment in this series.

I really appreciate forensic mysteries and Aaron Elkins has developed Gideon Oliver in a believable manner. I will admit that the forensic part of this mystery is pretty minimal, so if that is what you're after you might want to start with Gideon Oliver in ICY CLUTCHES. All in all, Dead Men's Hearts is an enjoyable, light mystery.

What a fun novel! Great plot-building, great international intrigue. Sort of reminds me of Margaret Truman's "Murder at the National Gallery."

Lee Ofsted is just beginning to make a name for herself in the competitive world of professional women's golf, and this tournament may well be the one that will be her springboard to stardom--or so she hopes. But the sudden, bloody death of the top-ranking player coupled with the equally sudden appearance of a screamer of a slice in Lee's usually impeccable swing kills all her hopes. Who wanted to kill the star? And what is causing Lee's incredible run of bad luck? A WICKED SLICE takes the thread of these questions through a maze of fascinating minor characters as Lee tracks the mystery to its surprising ending.

I am not a golfer, but I found the sport, with its professional players as well as the well-heeled amateurs to be a vivid, fascinating background to the story. Lee Ofsted's character is engaging, intriguing and believable. Charlotte and Aaron Elkins have created a cast of interesting characters and a plot with some truly nifty turns. I recommend the book very highly.

Aaron Elkins has always been an uneasy fit in the mystery genre where his books about "Bone Detective" Gideon Oliver have been pigeonholed. His books are more adventures than mysteries, and the mystery elements tend to seem like plot twists rather than clues. Loot, starring new Elkins protagonist Ben Revere, is marketed as a thriller, which I suppose makes as much sense as mystery does for the kind of book Elkins writes. But make no mistake - despite the change in marketing strategy, this is a vintage Elkins work, much of a piece with his Chris Norgren art "mysteries."

When I say that Loot is much like Elkins's other work, that is a recommendation. Elkins's writing style is wonderful: knowing without being jaded, cynical without being downbeat, and full of amusing and telling details. When I read his Gideon Oliver mysteries, I end up wishing I were an anthropologist; when I read his Chris Norgren mysteries, I end up wishing I were a curator in a fine arts museum. Finishing Loot, I found myself caught up in the hero's quest to repatriate art stolen during World War II. I keep hoping that he will one day spawn a host of Elkins imitators I can read, but until then, you can only get the Elkins style from Elkins.

I have always been drawn toward novels with some sort of historical theme. Aaron Elkins' "Loot" which is about missing paintings, that were looted during World War II. The book starts with a quick history lesson then jumps to present day were one of the missing paintings shows up in a Boston pawnshop. A series of murders send main character Ben Revere, an art expert on a chase to find the killers plus the rightful owners of the precious works.

Revere ends up running all over Europe, and Elkins descriptions of cities like Vienna and St. Petersburg make you feel like you have been there. The story is paced well and all of the characters are well rounded, almost too well rounded in the case of Revere. Revere is a true fence sitter, and at times his wishy-washy attitude was a little over the top.

In total Elkins does deliver a fine job keeping the reader engaged with a fine mix of action and informative data. Elkins invokes some thought provoking questions. Is looting works of art during wartime a necessary evil, to keep the works from being destroyed? Overall a very well done and enjoyable read.

"So, if my song you'll 'ear, I will learn you plain an' clear, 'ow to pay yourself for fightin' overtime" (from Rudyard Kipling's "Loot"). For as long as wars have been fought, invading armies have looted the countryside. It was one of the perquisites of the common soldier. During World War II, the German government systematically looted conquered territories, taking valuable artwork back to Germany. In the confusion during the closing days of the war, a truckload of valuable paintings vanishes, but an inventory of the truck's contents remains in the German records.

Benjamin Revere is an art expert living in Boston. Over 50 years have passed, and one of the missing paintings has just shown up in a Boston pawn shop. When the pawn shop owner is killed, Ben is drawn into the investigation. The case seems at a dead end until a companion painting shows up in Austria in the hands of a shady Hungarian. When Ben is contacted by an Austrian count, who claims to be the son of the original owner of the painting, Ben leaves home to travel to Austria, Russia, and Hungary to track down information.

The case is complicated when people come out of the woodwork with competing claims for the Boston painting (estimated value of over $5 million). A trail of dead bodies develops when people associated with the paintings are murdered. It becomes an interesting case of intrigue as Ben tracks down the paintings, with some surprising revelations. There are some comments on different countries' attitudes relating to the ownership of looted art, including references to the Elgin marbles now in England.

Gideon Oliver's wife Julie takes a more active role in this story set mostly in rural Oregon. The story has elements of a good Elkins book with another lesson in forensic anthropology. At times it is very funny and in spots is quite morbid. Although the proposed motive for the killings is unconvincing, Julie's enhanced role makes the reading worthwhile.

After, the plot took shape, it was exciting and thrilling. There were interesting facts and good anthropological references.

I adore mysteries where a man has to figure out what happened with his head rather than his fists. Elkins is a remarkably talented and intelligent individual, and his books about the "Skeleton Dectetive" are charming and fascinating. A lot like how Sherlock Holmes or a Magician, Oliver seems able to pull amazing facts off of skeletons - and even after he explains how it's done, it's still pretty amazing. With Gideon, John, and Julie - who have become some of my favorite characters - there's more of the action for everyone. An Elkins mystery is always perfect for a rainy day.