Fellowship of Fear

Fellowship of Fear Aaron Elkins Date: 1982   —   used only   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

This is the introductory novel for Elkins' protagonist Gideon Oliver, and shows the typical problem of a new series: there's barely two hundred pages to introduce someone, and later character development in later novels may lead to a different impression than the first novel creates. Another "flaw" that Elkins could not have foreseen was the end of the Cold War; a generation who has grown up without the shadow of nuclear annihilation does not connect to a story that is centered on espionage.

Later Gideon Oliver mysteries focus on skeletal evidence that draw Professor Oliver into physical danger. This novel is more based upon derring-do and action film heroics, something that is not particularly well suited to the character. However, the book is not badly written for all that, and as a quick read it's enjoyable enough. Check it out from the library or borrow it.