Skulduggery by Carolyn Hart
When anthropologist Ellen Christie
admits an unknown young Chinese-American man to her apartment, she unwittingly
opens the door to adventure, suspense and danger that upends her ordered
life. The young man has come to
her, because of a newspaper story labeling her as “the bone lady,” for an
opinion about a fossilized skull.
He admits he is being followed and there may be some risk. Ellen is
intrigued and agrees to follow him to where the skull and other fossils are
hidden. In a hidden room off a
Chinatown alley the anthropologist recognizes the skull as the long-lost fossil
known as Peking Man. The discovery
is interrupted by a man who turns out to be Dan Lee, the young man, Jimmy’s,
older brother. His entrance is followed by the entry of two thugs who attack
and try to steal the fossils. As
Ellen and Dan fight off the attackers, Jimmy uses the confusion to slip out
with the fossils. Both sides
search for Jimmy with unforeseen results.
The elements of a classic suspense
novel are well presented here; an enterprising and bold protagonist, tight
plotting, quick pacing, successes followed by ever bigger problems and
surprises. But Carolyn Hart adds
more. She provides information about a little-known American subculture as well
as social commentary and fascinating international history.
The author has a long and
successful career writing in a number of genres but I was not aware of the
series of suspense novels she has written before I read this. I look forward to
tracking down the other novels.
