Bones of Contention

Jeanne Matthews breaks out of the gate with her first novel, Bones of Contention, a fast-paced romp through the Australian outback - and a delight for fans of the densely plotted mystery. --Jacqueline Winspear, Agatha-winning author

Bones of Contention is set in a part of Australia we rarely get to see. When a family gathers around its aged patriarch on the eve of his physician-assisted suicide, the most vibrant one in the room is the patient, and he may not be the first one to die. That's just for starters, and what will keep you going is the smart, witty and appropriately acerbic voice of Dinah Pelerin, a most welcome addition to the ranks of fictional detectives. -- Stephen Greenleaf, Edgar-nominated author of the John Marshall Tanner detective series.

Jeanne Matthews' Bones of Contention has it all: clever plotting, corkscrew twists, and lively, entertaining characters. And then there's the bonus of the Australian locale- and lingo-both of which are laid out for us with verve and wit. What Matthews has done, and done cleverly, is to take that most traditional and charming of murder-mystery settings, the country-house party, fill it with Americans instead of Brits, plop it down in the wilds of Australia's Northern Territory, and invest the whole thing with an unmistakably modern sensibility. It's a first-rate debut, and that's the dinki-di. -- Aaron Elkins, Edgar-winning author of Old Bones

Bloody murder in a country house in the Aussie Outback, featuring the most dysfunctional family since Cold Comfort Farm. -- Dana Stabenow, Edgar-winning author