Her Boyfriend's Bones: A Dinah Pelerin Mystery

by Jeanne Matthews, Poisoned Pen Press Narrated by Kate Reading

Overview

In 1973, on a remote beach on the Greek island of Samos, a movie star named Marilita Stephan murdered her boyfriend, his mother, and a powerful colonel in the military junta, a crime for which she was executed. Forty years later, Dinah Pelerin arrives on Samos to spend the summer with her Norwegian boyfriend Thor before she joins an archaeological dig nearby. Thor, a policeman on sabbatical, seems unduly fascinated by the 1973 murders, and Dinah soon discovers that he had more in mind than romance when he chose the island of Samos as their holiday destination.

Guns supplied to Greece's former junta by the CIA have turned up in Norway in the hands of terrorists, and Norwegian intelligence has traced the source of the weapons to Samos. The island has also become a transit point for refugees fleeing the Middle East. When an Iraqi immigrant with a fake ID is killed, Thor suspects a link to the arms traffickers. But before he can investigate, his car plunges off a cliff and he disappears. Because Greece's economic woes have bred corruption, Dinah fears that he was betrayed by local police and was either kidnapped or murdered.

Unable to trust anyone, she sets out alone to find him. The deeper she digs, the more connections she sees between the present crime wave and what happened in 1973. It's possible that Marilita may have been innocent, and the fate of her boyfriend holds eerie parallels to Thor's disappearance. Dinah must be smarter and braver than she has ever been if she is to prevent another Greek tragedy.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Cultural anthropologist Dinah Pelerin arrives on the Greek island of Samos to spend the summer with her Norwegian boyfriend, detective Thor Ramberg. They are staying in an old house that once belonged to movie star Marlita Stephan, who was executed for murdering her boyfriend, his mother, and a powerful colonel in the Greek junta in 1973. Thor is fascinated by this crime, and Dinah soon learns that his vacation involves more than romance. Samos is a transit point for refugees fleeing the Middle East as well as a site for trading arms, some of which have wound up in the hands of terrorists in Norway. When an Iraqi immigrant with fake identification is gunned down outside the restaurant where Thor and Dinah are dining, Thor sets out to follow a possible link to arms traders. But he disappears after his car goes over a cliff. Dinah searches for him, turning up links between his disappearance and the events of 1973. This is a fine suspense novel with a strong female sleuth and a compelling setting."—Booklist

"Jeanne Matthews is Agatha Christie trekking the planet.   In Her Boyfriend’s Bones we’re off to the Aegean Greek island of Samos and an interesting take on recent Greek history filled with plot twists and colorful characters to match."—Jeffrey Sieger, author of the Chief Inspector Kaldis mysteries

"Matthews' mastery of every foreign clime she's touched so far will leave readers panting for Dinah's next, almost literally, breakneck adventure. I envy this author's ability to absorb and use international backgrounds and current events to combine page-turning adventure with subtle education for us enthralled readers."—Rob Kresge, author of the Warbonnet historical mysteries and the Civil War spy novel, Saving Lincoln

"If the bleak arctic winter isn’t enough to chill Dinah to the bone, a couple of murders and an attempt on her life put the icing on that cake. Just the right amount of character development and plot twists will please cozy fans."—PW about Bonereapers

"This entertaining mystery, boasting a timely theme and colorful characters, will be perfect for those who like to do their extreme traveling in the pages of a crime novel."—Booklist about Bonereapers

Kirkus Reviews

A romantic getaway turns sinister. Anthropologist Dinah Pelerin and her latest inamorata, Norwegian cop Thor Ramberg, are lolling about on the Greek island of Samos when they're inconveniently saddled with K.D., the rambunctious daughter of Dinah's deceased uncle. Worse, when they leave the local tavern, they come across the dead body of Fathi, who'd recently had an argument with their housekeeper's husband. Thor immediately goes into detective mode, and before Dinah can fortify herself with a belt of ouzo, more complications pile up. First, Thor admits he's doing undercover work for Norway's National Criminal Investigation Service, looking into a ring of illegal arms traffickers. Second, the house he rented for their romantic idyll has stood empty for 40 years, ever since the actress who lived there murdered her sister's husband, a national hero, and his mother and was then herself executed by the Greek junta in power. Her son disappeared into the Aegean, and her cuckoo sister Zenia, now in her 80s, is said to kill cats and cast the evil eye at everyone except the director staying with her to film a docudrama about her family. Third, the place is awash in fake antiquities and forged German identity cards, and fourth, fifth and sixth, someone slashes Dinah's car ties, vandalizes her rental house and makes off with Thor, whose car is found at the bottom of a ravine. Dinah doesn't know whom to trust. Everyone is bribing everyone else and switching sides at every opportunity. With a great leap of intuition, Dinah finally resolves those 40-year-old murders, faces down a passel of evildoers and reunites, at least temporarily, with Thor. Politically savvy, but overstuffed with plots and bios of Greek deities. And Dinah (Bonereapers, 2012, etc.) could do with a verve implant.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169864007
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	06/04/2013
Series:	Dinah Pelerin Series
Edition description:	Unabridged

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