Skeletons

Skeletons is bestselling author Glendon Swarthout's one and only mystery/thriller. It took him 8 years to work out this complicated, multi-time level, historically-backdropped plot, and he said it was so mentally exhausting, he'd never attempt another mystery. But Skeletons turned out very well with tremendous reviews and was optioned in the 1990's for a feature film for famous horror filmmaker Wes Craven (Nightmare On Elm Street), who let the option expire due to Universal's reluctance to finance Wes for bigger-budget horror films until the Scream franchise hit big for Wes later. 


The skeleton in Jimmie Butters' closet is his ex-wife, Tyler. She is beautiful and obsessed, and enjoys painting coins and men's personals with red nail enamel. Her skeletons are two long-dead grandfathers and an old Colt revolves which she carries about with her like a doll. Tyler is also brilliant in bed and after a showdown between the sheets in New York, she sweet talks Jimmie into galloping to New Mexico in his classic Rolls-Royce to track down some crimes, dig up some graves, and sample the regional cuisine. 


In its remorsely skillful blending of the sinister present and the far-from-golden past, an onion-like puzzle is peeled away. Old-timers give way to bullets. Innocent Mexicans are made to run a Texas horserace -- in lawless New Mexico. There is rape. There is mayhem. There is love. Above all, there is one B. James Butters, author of children's books, who hates evil, fears violence, and is an engaging and unlikely a private eye as ever stalked his prey in Gucci loafers.