Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Teaser Tuesday 50: Murder in the Queen's Armes

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current book or recent read.
* Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere in the book.
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!


READ: TWO WEEKS AGO

This week's teaser comes from Murder in the Queen's Armes, a mystery by Aaron Elkins. This is book three in the Gideon Oliver, "skeleton detective" series. In this book, Professor Oliver and new wife Julie are on honeymoon in England, when they find themselves embroiled in mysterious doings at a nearby archaeological dig headed by an old friend of Oliver's. I thought the following sentences especially appropriate for this week, what with all the kids returning to school and all...


Any teacher of even minimal perception knows the signs of lack of interest in an audience that does not wish to offend. There is an intent fixity of gaze; the brows are knit with expectancy and concentration; chins are supported on hands, better to permit leaning attentively forward. But the gazes are glassy and unwavering, the rapt expressions vaguely unfocused, the postures rigid rather than alert. So sat Julie across the table.

(pg 17)







About the book:
Genre: Mystery

No sooner do the anthropologist and his bride check into the Queen's Armes than a mystery gets underfoot at a nearby dig run by Oliver's friend, Nate Marcus. A battered body is discovered instead of the anticipated Bronze Age relic. The local scientific society is miffed by Marcus's publicity-grabbing theories, and definitely put off by his abrasive manner. Gideon detects an uneasy atmosphere at the dig. After a member vanishes and an unidentifiable body turns up, Gideon ("the skeleton detective" of Fellowship of Fear and The Dark Place) is dragged into the investigation by the police. He's also unwillingly involved with Marcus's great "find"that turns out to be a fake. Blackmail, academic hugger-mugger and more murder surface and Gideon and his wife are in dire peril.



Those who visited last Thursday may recognize the title and cover of this book, as it inspired last week's Thursday Thirteen vocabulary list. Click here to read it.




22 comments:

Belinda said...

I've had that expression many a time :) Thanks for the teaser.

Mine is at http://thebookishsnob.blogspot.com

Shelley Munro said...

LOL I've felt exactly like that before. Great teaser.

Here's My Teaser

Marg said...

Skeleton detective sounds like an interesting premise for a mystery series.

My teaser this week is quite action packed. It's from Frostbitten by Kelly Armstrong.

Bina said...

Ooh, a mystery. Sounds quite interesting, too! :)

Here's mine:
http://ifyoucanreadthis.wordpress.com/2010/08/31/teaser-tuesday-29/

Tales of Whimsy said...

How true!

Great moment :)


Here is my TT :)

Heather said...

BookishSnob: Same here - usually in chemistry, math or biology classes. lol Thanks for visiting!

Shelley: Hehe...haven't we all! *g*

Marg: It is indeed an interesting premise - and a skill that takes Oliver all over the world.

Bina: Definitely an interesting mystery - and a good one, too!

Juju: Thank you, I'm glad you liked! *g*

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

I think I've seen that expression! lol

Sounds intriguing...

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Alayne said...

Hmm this one sounds very interesting! Nice teaser. Mine is at The Crowded Leaf.

Heather said...

Laurel-Rain: LOL...yes, I imagine as a former social worker you've seen that look many a time. *g*

Alayne: I find this entire series interesting, even if some of the more involved anthropological descriptions have my eyes glazing over. LOL

Bev Hankins said...

Great teaser. I love this series. Haven't read any in a while, though.

Here's min: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/08/teaser-tuesdays_31.html

Heather said...

Bev: Oh, yay - another Elkins fan! Thanks for stopping by!

Aisle B said...

Been there many a times both as student and tutor for my own kids. Yikes hope things turn up for the better. Great teaser and enjoy the read :)

Jenny Q said...

That's a good one. I particularly like the last line and the way it's worded! Thanks for stopping by my teaser! Happy reading!

Heather said...

Aisle: I think many a parent can relate to this passage. It was a really good book!

Lady Q: That is good, isn't it?

Alice Audrey said...

I suddenly see an entire classroom full of oh-so-attentive teenagers, and all I can think is how glad I am school is starting up again and I don't have them home telling me they are bored.

Heather said...

Alice: I'm sure parents the world over feel much the same! lol

kayerj said...

that's how people look at church . . . fun teaser.

Cecelia said...

Ah, I have duplicated that look countless times. Nice teaser!

And thank you for visiting my blog today!

Harvee said...

I'm glad to know about another writer of archaeological mysteries besides Beverly Cleverly! Nice teaser.

Alice Audrey said...

So... how long ago was it that you read this one?

*Ducking and running for cover*

Heather said...

Alice: Wench!

And yet, despite the two foot tall letters, there are still people who tell me to enjoy something when I've already indicated having read it.

Alice Audrey said...

:)

You may have to cut them some slack like someone who says, "have a nice day" when you clearly have a cold.