Bones of Contention (Dinah Pelerin Mysteries)
A dying man's pending changes to his last will and testament trigger murder in Matthews's unconvincing debut. Seeking the truth about her father's death, Dinah Pelerin flies from the U.S. to Australia when she learns that her mother's cancer-ridden ex-husband, Cleon, is planning to settle family affairs before ending his life by assisted suicide. Attending Cleon are his first ex-wife; his current wife; resentful Aboriginals; an alcoholic doctor; and assorted progeny, including Dinah's artist half-brother, Lucien. An Aussie cop investigates after a poisonous snake bites Lucien, the doctor dies under mysterious circumstances, and other shady matters come to light. The failure to properly utilize the huge cast; implausible, even idiotic, actions by Dinah; and the too numerous, clumsily introduced plot elements prevent the reader from summoning much sympathy for the heroine or the novel.(June)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.