http://www.literaryfeline.com/2006/10/review-of-bone-valley-by-claire.html ( )

Didn't Finish: Humor is always a wonderful addition to a book, many times even one of a very serious nature, but humor overdone--every piece of dialogue a witticism, becomes overwrought and tedious. To bad as it seemed to have potential. See also Wildcat Wine--where this was also the case. This is 2nd book from Ms. Matturro and in my case, it's 'two strikes' and you're out! ( )

I just couldn’t resist this book – the latest in a mystery series set in SARASOTA! Aside from the joy of recognizing some Sarasota neighborhoods (Southgate) and landmarks (Brant’s used bookstore), I was drawn to the book because of its dedication to the Peace River (the 8th most endangered river in America, according to the author) and the people and organizations in Manatee, Sarasota, and Charlotte counties working to stop the expansion of phosphate mining in Florida. Like a good Dick Francis novel, I learned a good deal about the by-products of phosphate mining and a few how-tos about saving injured animals (though I honestly learned more about saving orphaned birds from Major Sylvia Gillotte, whose tireless nurturing saved a purple martin chick last spring). However, the book tries way too hard to be funny, often at inappropriate times in the plot. And while many of the characters are delightfully quirky, the heroine just tries too hard to be constantly clever, which ultimately detracts from the book. The author just can’t seem to decide what the focus of the book should be – the quirkiness of her characters, the serious issues of over-development and pollution, or the whodunnit factor itself. Too many subplots that go nowhere, and too many characters whose quirks are simply scattered broadside without any real development left me wishing the author had done a bit more pruning and brought a clearer focus to the novel. ( )