I've read two of McCrumb's mystery novels now and had the same reaction: witty murder is hard to take. I won't be reading more because I seem to take murder a bit too seriously for this light, fluffy sort of treatment, where the author's emphasis is often on cute dialogue and witty repartee.That said, the story here has three young people dabble in murder detection and forensic science because-naturally-grownups don't care. Several passages are very well written and McCrumb maintains a tongue-in-cheek touch elsewhere. Don't rely on either the science terminology and interpretations to be accurate even for the 1985 paleo-computer age. Other than the pedagogy, this story will entertain young readers and introduce them to an unusual Appalachian setting and the issue of proving Indian land claims.