Twenty-Seven Bones (Hardcover)

Nasaw's protagonist, E.L. Pender, is an old guy, closer to 60 than to 50, and if he has six-pack abs they're buried at the bottom of the shopping cart. The great part about Pender is that he is a believable old guy. He is a retired FBI Special Agent, but he's past the stage where he is involved in car chases or initiating explosions. I can't remember him firing his gun or even hitting anyone (he does hit on someone, but that's another story). He can still get the job done, however, as is amply demonstrated in TWENTY-SEVEN BONES.

TWENTY-SEVEN BONES finds Pender chafing under the collar of his retirement, engaging in too much eating and drinking and too little thinking and doing. A voice from the past, however, provides him with a respite from his boredom. Julian Coffee, an old friend and former colleague of Pender's, is the police chief of the Caribbean island of St. Luke. St. Luke, a fictitious combination of the U.S. Virgin Islands, is an otherwise idyllic vacation spot that is being despoiled by the presence of a serial killer who mutilates each victim by cutting off their right hand.

Pender agrees to a working vacation of sorts, going back into FBI mode while investigating the murders. He is initially as confused as the police, no small wonder when one considers what he is up against. For what the reader learns almost immediately is that "The Machete Man," as the killer comes to be called, is in fact Phil and Emily Epp, a husband and wife anthropology team who are in equal measure intelligent, clever and deranged. They are carrying out their ritualistic murders in the belief that, by stealing each of their victims' last breaths, they will increase their own vitality and lifespans. The Epps (and a partner or two who they pick up along the way) succeed, at least initially, in casting the blame for the murders on one of their own unfortunate victims, and the inhabitants of St. Luke breathe a sigh of relief.

But Pender is not so sure, and if his plodding investigative techniques are not as sure-footed as others within the genre, that just makes him all the more real and endearing. Pender's inclination to continue to pursue the investigation after it is officially closed, however, puts him in mortal danger and leads to a breathtaking --- and heart-stopping --- conclusion.

Nasaw does a terrific job of character development here. Even his secondary characters are memorable and entertaining. I can't remember a point in TWENTY-SEVEN BONES where it lagged for even a moment, and part of the reason for this is Nasaw's chilling characterization of the Epps. You'll be thinking of that couple long after you finish the book; everyone knows at least one couple in their circle of acquaintances who will remind you of them. Oh, and the ending. I have to confess that it left me a bit misty-eyed, even as I sensed it coming. Don't tell anyone, though.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

I sometimes have a problem with Nasaw's books as I don't really know if they should be noir thrillers or regular thrillers.

Although I did manage to get through this one, it was a bit of a struggle.

"Twenty-Seven Bones" takes place on the fictional island of St. Luke in the Caribbean. The police chief, Julian Coffee, asks his old pal, former FBI agent E. L. Pender, to look into the possibility that a serial killer is loose on St. Luke. Pender, who has always been obese, has gotten even fatter in retirement, and he is bored with golf. He figures that a change of scenery might be just the ticket to get him out of his funk, so he takes Coffee up on his offer.

Nasaw is a clever and skilled writer. The best part of the book is the setting, which Nasaw plays up to the hilt. He describes the island of St. Luke so thoroughly that I began to believe it really exists. He gives it a history, complete with hurricanes, riots, and Danish colonial rulers. The natives speak in a charming dialect, which is derived from a local idiom actually used in the U. S. Virgin Islands.

The characters are humdingers, as well. In addition to the aforementioned sick puppies, the Epps, there are a number of offbeat people in this book. One of them is Holly Gold, a gay Jewish expatriate and massage therapist who is on St. Luke to care for her orphaned niece and nephew. The nephew, Marley, was born without arms, and he he manages to do a whole host of things using just his feet.

The main problem that I have with this book is the over-the-top depiction of the Epps. This couple is so perverted in every way that they seem cartoonish rather than real. A more realistic villain is a wealthy and spoiled Danish man, Lewis Apgard, who is descended from the former governors of the island. He is a drunk and an opportunist who is willing to break the law to get what he wants. Nasaw fleshes him out nicely, and he seems more human than the monstrous Phil and Emily.

I love the unconventional character of E. L. Pender, who is the anti-hunk. He is a bald and lumbering man who dresses in loud and tasteless clothing. However, Pender's unprepossessing appearance is deceptive. He has inner strength and self-confidence, as well as a very sharp mind. Pender is an intuitive and persistent investigator whose experience in the FBI makes him the perfect person to catch the "Machete Man," the serial killer who is preying on the citizens of St. Luke. Nasaw wisely allows Pender to look weak and vulnerable at times, instead of depicting him as an infallible hero. The author also gives Pender a love life, which is kind of nice since Pender could never be mistaken for Brad Pitt.

"Twenty-Seven Bones" is not for the faint of heart. This book is for readers who like complex mysteries, and who can tolerate scenes of graphic violence and depraved behavior. It is an exciting and involving thriller that cements Nasaw's reputation as a daring writer who pushes the envelope more and more with each succeeding novel.