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Liz Sullivan #4
Murder Bone by Bone
SKELETON OF THE PAST
Back in the Sixties, the street belonged to students, druggies, and rolling stones. Nowadays it's a sedate family enclave, and freelance writer Liz Sullivan, who is child-and house-sitting on the block, is astonished when the kids find human bones in their dug-up sidewalk.
Whose bones? Probably those of a male in his twenties, whose body was stashed away some thirty years ago. Positive identification seems unlikely. But Liz and her friend, police detective Paul Drake, go digging, and from the memories of people who lived the days of peace and love in Palo Alto they resurrect a past that someone would--and will--murder to keep buried. Meanwhile, the bones take a walk, the helter-skelter past resumes its sway, and Liz picks a bone with a killer. . . .
"A refreshing and offbeat take on the female detective."
--San Francisco Chronicle
Back in the Sixties, the street belonged to students, druggies, and rolling stones. Nowadays it's a sedate family enclave, and freelance writer Liz Sullivan, who is child-and house-sitting on the block, is astonished when the kids find human bones in their dug-up sidewalk.
Whose bones? Probably those of a male in his twenties, whose body was stashed away some thirty years ago. Positive identification seems unlikely. But Liz and her friend, police detective Paul Drake, go digging, and from the memories of people who lived the days of peace and love in Palo Alto they resurrect a past that someone would--and will--murder to keep buried. Meanwhile, the bones take a walk, the helter-skelter past resumes its sway, and Liz picks a bone with a killer. . . .
"A refreshing and offbeat take on the female detective."
--San Francisco Chronicle
212 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 29, 1997
61 people want to read
About the author
Lora Roberts
12 books15 followersAka Lora Roberts Smith, Lora R. Smith.
Lora Roberts was born and raised in Missouri, She's lived for twenty years in Palo Alto, California, where her two mystery series featuring homemaker/writer Bridget Montrose and vagabond Liz Sullivan take place. After doing newspaper work, public relations work, technical editing, and romances, She really enjoys writing mysteries.
Lora Roberts was born and raised in Missouri, She's lived for twenty years in Palo Alto, California, where her two mystery series featuring homemaker/writer Bridget Montrose and vagabond Liz Sullivan take place. After doing newspaper work, public relations work, technical editing, and romances, She really enjoys writing mysteries.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 22, 2016
The story started out charming. Liz is taking care of her friend's children while Brigitte is away on a much needed vacation. After reading about the intricacies of taking care of little ones (all but the baby seemed to blend together), then reading about it some more, and then some more, I was ready to scream and only perseverance got me through.
Some nice interaction with her friends and frenemy, but the "mystery" itself, predictable.
Some nice interaction with her friends and frenemy, but the "mystery" itself, predictable.
June 23, 2021
What I like about this series is the main character: neither a hard-boiled detective woman nor a cute frilly type who somehow solves murder mysteries but a survivor living her life. She’s a great friend, and when she’s a hero, her superpower is living on not enough income to support her dog, let alone herself.
The other thing I like is the books’ exacting attention to time and place. Palo Alto in the Sixties plays a major role in this book set in the 1990’s, and it’s remembered quite differently by Claudia (who was already the mother of teenagers back then) and Melanie (who was a hippie wannabe at the time). Since our heroine, Liz Sullivan, has moved into the area, we hear them recalling their experiences to her and it’s perfectly natural.
I think it was Stanley Kubrick who said that coming up with a story is easy: finding a way to hide it is hard. The story of the dead man whose bones Bridget’s children find is brilliantly hidden in the shadow of Liz trying to babysit those children. It’s a plot device no male author would have invented!
The other thing I like is the books’ exacting attention to time and place. Palo Alto in the Sixties plays a major role in this book set in the 1990’s, and it’s remembered quite differently by Claudia (who was already the mother of teenagers back then) and Melanie (who was a hippie wannabe at the time). Since our heroine, Liz Sullivan, has moved into the area, we hear them recalling their experiences to her and it’s perfectly natural.
I think it was Stanley Kubrick who said that coming up with a story is easy: finding a way to hide it is hard. The story of the dead man whose bones Bridget’s children find is brilliantly hidden in the shadow of Liz trying to babysit those children. It’s a plot device no male author would have invented!
August 24, 2018
A good read in the Liz Sullivan series.
October 20, 2008
MURDER BONE BY BONE - G
Roberts, Lora - 5th in Liz Sullivan series
Back in the Sixties, the street belonged to students, druggies, and rolling stones. Nowadays it's a sedate family enclave, and freelance writer Liz Sullivan, who is child-and house-sitting on the block, is astonished when the kids find human bones in their dug-up sidewalk.
Whose bones? Probably those of a male in his twenties, whose body was stashed away some thirty years ago. Positive identification seems unlikely. But Liz and her friend, police detective Paul Drake, go digging, and from the memories of people who lived the days of peace and love in Palo Alto they resurrect a past that someone would--and will--murder to keep buried. Meanwhile, the bones take a walk, the helter-skelter past resumes its sway, and Liz picks a bone with a killer.
It was good, but weaker than some in the series. The growth of the characters was more important than the plot.
Roberts, Lora - 5th in Liz Sullivan series
Back in the Sixties, the street belonged to students, druggies, and rolling stones. Nowadays it's a sedate family enclave, and freelance writer Liz Sullivan, who is child-and house-sitting on the block, is astonished when the kids find human bones in their dug-up sidewalk.
Whose bones? Probably those of a male in his twenties, whose body was stashed away some thirty years ago. Positive identification seems unlikely. But Liz and her friend, police detective Paul Drake, go digging, and from the memories of people who lived the days of peace and love in Palo Alto they resurrect a past that someone would--and will--murder to keep buried. Meanwhile, the bones take a walk, the helter-skelter past resumes its sway, and Liz picks a bone with a killer.
It was good, but weaker than some in the series. The growth of the characters was more important than the plot.
February 10, 2016
I enjoyed this book. It does combine an old body with current events and I'm a sucker for that kind of story. This was the first book I've read in the series but not the first book in the series so I had to spend some time figuring out the characters but that wasn't too bad. I liked it well enough that I'd read the others in the series.
February 2, 2015
Much of the book was given over to the complexities and frustrations of caring for multiple young children. But it was well written in a lively style, with a well conceived and executed plot, so I found it worth reading.
January 20, 2013
This is a fast read and it has a mystery to solve as well as a murder.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews