When a body is uncovered during construction work in Sahara Dome on Mars, it provokes a crisis in Human-Disty relations which can only be solved by finding out who died and why, a crisis which is only made worse by subsequent discoveries at the site.

I like the fact that the author's aliens really are aliens, part of cultures which are perhaps logical on their own terms but which we can't really understand. However, there were lots of references to earlier events in Flint's and DeRicci's careers only some of which I recognised. ( )

I really enjoy this series. So odd, and yet so very likely, when trying to get along with aliens, who are, you know, really alien. ( )

Rusch, Kristine Kathryn. Buried Deep. Retrieval Artist No. 5. Roc, 2005.
One of the intriguing things about Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s Retrieval Artist novels is how much aliens, who are never precisely described, drive the action. The Disty are interstellar aliens who have recently established a large colony on Mars, displacing most of the human population. We really know only one thing about them: they have an extreme corpse phobia. Any contact with a dead body, or even being near one, is considered pollution that must be cleaned by means that may include exile or execution. When human remains are found on Mars buried beneath a Disty building, the entire interstellar alliance is threatened. If Miles Flint cannot find the killer, the Disty may pull out of the alliance and kill thousands of their own citizens in a cleansing ritual. Rusch has the knack of writing well-plotted crime novels that make their science fiction premises central elements. ( )

I had forgotten what a good book this was. Rusch's Retrieval Artist series really hits it's stride here. This has politics, aliens, cross culture confusion, and idiot bureaucracy. loved it ( )

The cases continue for Miles Flint and Noelle DiRicci and in a circuitous way that remains interesting. This time the mystery surrounds a human gravesite (which goes from the discovery of one skeleton to mass grave from a massacre years ago) on Mars that sets off an epic freak out of the Disty that renders them incapable of rational thought to the point that they act in ways that ensure their deaths & others. It's not pretty. An Earth anthropologist, Aisha Costard, is unknowingly caught up in the "contamination" as she came to help with the investigation of a skeleton found & she brings the case of identifying the skeleton to Flint as she & the remainder of the medical examiner team are all on the hook to be exterminated for their "contamination". On the Moon, Noelle is trying to settle into her new position as the head of security of the Domes and reporter, Ki Bowles is doing her level best to hinder her at every turn.

I enjoyed reading this one quite a bit but I admit that there were some things I wished were fleshed out more. I still don't know why Ki is so very opposed to DiRicci. I thought she'd see some sort of sense when she was shown reason and evidence or when she spoke to DiRicci's detractors (who had their own credibility & ethics problems) but she didn't. And she didn't even bother to research the Disty to get anything like an explanation for their behavior. I was hoping she'd find herself & her freelance team "contaminated" for just having the conversation about the contamination because that's a thing with the Disty apparently. I suppose it's simply a matter of Ki being able to make her own name and advance herself using DiRicci and nothing more.

I also wished to have learnt more about the Disty. I felt like I lacked enough information about them and understood how daunting this was for the human characters. I liked that I learned what I did learn about the Disty as the characters did. On the other hand, it's said repeatedly that the Disty are extremely private & were so offended when asked probing questions in aid of understanding them that I wondered if they were really interested in diplomacy or transaction at all. They seemed to feel they knew everything about humans (they didn't as admitted by one near the end) but didn't want to share anything about themselves but wanted to hold everyone to their expectations and rules. I don't know why humans have agreed to this situation, as it's not clearly laid out what they're getting out of these arrangements. If I'm honest, I was completely turned off and offended by the feckless leaders the humans appointed. It wasn't even that they were too deferential to the Disty (I didn't have enough information to make that assessment) it's that they were completely ineffectual in every situation they were presented with. They were more worried about their personal position than in actually helping anyone or doing anything that might be considered work. It wasn't a surprise view of some politicians but it was a reminder of how much it irritates me. While the Disty frustrated me, I still thought there might be something I was missing with their actions and demands. There was no question about the political humans on Mars or Earth. I love a good political dig in, in my science fiction so I hope there are some worthy of their positions in future books.

As with the other books, there's a solution that works out and the case is solved by our heroes so no real surprise there but still a solid story and I still want to spend more time in this universe. So, I will do. Recommended. ( )