Beyond the Bone

A stolen skeleton leads to a web of mystery: “Those who treasure quirky characters, lively dialogue, and ingenious plots will be delighted” (Booklist).   In England, a skeleton from Roman times goes missing from the site of an archaeological dig—as does the man overseeing the project. In Baghdad, a diplomat dies suddenly. And in California, a scientist commits suicide.   These three events are in fact linked—and one tough, determined woman may be about to unravel a shocking conspiracy that lies behind them all, in this lively mystery by “one of Britain’s most consistently excellent crime novelists” (The Times, London).   “The captivating cast includes an obnoxious student of archaeology, a fraudulent town official, a vaguely clairvoyant eccentric, a couple of mysterious brothers, and various other folks who aren’t quite what they seem to be.” —Booklist   “Reginald Hill delivers literate, complex, and immensely satisfying thrillers.” —Orlando Sentinel

From Booklist

Here is the first U.S. publication of a 1975 novel that originally appeared in Britain as Urn Burial under Hill's pseudonym Patrick Ruell. Set in a small town in Cumbria, it's the story of an archaeological dig that uncovers a small-town conspiracy and a dark family secret. Typically for Hill, though, it's the characters, not the plot, that keep us turning pages. The captivating cast includes an obnoxious student of archaeology, a fraudulent town official, a vaguely clairvoyant eccentric, a couple of mysterious brothers, and various other folks who aren't quite what they seem to be. This is a relatively quiet crime novel--action-adventure fans should look for car chases elsewhere--but those who treasure quirky characters, lively dialogue, and ingenious plots will be delighted. Hill fans, especially, will be thrilled to discover a largely unknown early work as well as an excellent example of the versatility of an author best known for the Dalziel and Pascoe series. David Pitt

From Kirkus Reviews

``Super!'' exults Zeugma Gray, the ``unambiguously plump'' niece of world-class archeologist Leo Pasquino. It's an exclamation triggered by an excavation: Zeugma's very own disinterring of a well-preserved Roman skeleton from its hidden hole on a hill in remote Cambria. But her joy is short-lived. The skeleton disappears, followed shortly by Uncle Leo. Eccentric Leo has in the past vanished more than once, but this absence is prolonged. Still, Zeugmaher very name redolent of energy and purposeremains undaunted. Bristling, bustling, she sets about her search, which takes the form of some bruising confrontations with just about all who cross her pathfrom the mysterious Mister Diss to the enigmatic, otherworldly wanderer Crow. Included, most notably, is the good-looking Sam Lankenheath, chief officer of the North East Cumberland Development Council, whom she begins by cordially detesting and ends by liking immensely. He undergoes a similar conversion, ceasing at some point to view her as that annoying ``little fat girl.'' And Sam, it turns out, has also lost a relative, a favorite cousin. Are the two disappearances connected by some obscure but nefarious chain of circumstances? Any bets? An early work (first published in England in 1975) that shows only fitful flashes of the wit and style that shine throughout the Dalziel-Pascoe partnership (Arms and the Women, 1999, etc.), making their series such a crime fiction favorite.-- Copyright © 2000 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Reginald Hill has been widely published in both England and the United States. He received Britain's most coveted mystery writers' award, the Cartier Diamond Dagger, as well as the Golden Dagger for his Dalziel-Pascoe series. He lives with his wife in Cumbria, England.

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