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takethyme's review against another edition
3.0
Kate Shugak has her hands full when she manages to stop a serial killer on a rampage in her own backyard. Except this time, everyone within the vicinity is killed by a psycho with a rifle except for one lady. Thought to be included with the others, it turns out that Lisa Getty was shot by someone else. Now, how can that be?
Back for a second time around are Jack Morgan, Chopper Jim and Bobby Clark. And protective Mutt; this time she has a lover, too. As usual, Jack gets Kate to work the case using her keen insight. There is lots of sleuthing in northern Alaska and Kate holds her own.
Ms. Stabenow does a nice job giving the reader just enough clues to prolong the suspense. And, like the first book in the series, the townspeople are still quirky eccentrics which add to the story's flavor. Kate is a kick-butt heroine with an attitude who won't take no for an answer. If you love mysteries with a strong female lead, look for this series but be sure to start with A COLD DAY FOR MURDER to learn about Kate's background.
Back for a second time around are Jack Morgan, Chopper Jim and Bobby Clark. And protective Mutt; this time she has a lover, too. As usual, Jack gets Kate to work the case using her keen insight. There is lots of sleuthing in northern Alaska and Kate holds her own.
Ms. Stabenow does a nice job giving the reader just enough clues to prolong the suspense. And, like the first book in the series, the townspeople are still quirky eccentrics which add to the story's flavor. Kate is a kick-butt heroine with an attitude who won't take no for an answer. If you love mysteries with a strong female lead, look for this series but be sure to start with A COLD DAY FOR MURDER to learn about Kate's background.
littlemainelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Update: I think I'm enjoying this series even more the second time around! 🙂 There are things I miss the first time reading that I pick up the second, or maybe my brain forgot them. LOL! Regardless, this is still a good read the second time around. 😉
I really enjoy these books. I love being immersed in the culture of the Alaskan Natives. I enjoy the intrigue of the mystery. I never know who did it until the very end. LOL! ;-) A good read. I'm looking forward to reading more of them.
I really enjoy these books. I love being immersed in the culture of the Alaskan Natives. I enjoy the intrigue of the mystery. I never know who did it until the very end. LOL! ;-) A good read. I'm looking forward to reading more of them.
ljdickey's review against another edition
4.0
Not quite as refreshing to read when it's colder out, still an interesting but relatively quick read. Will continue to enjoy the rest of the series!
hlandes1's review against another edition
3.0
A quick read - I figured this one out quickly, but there were still some unexpected twists. I'm enjoying the picture of Alaska - looking forward to the trip.
bryonie's review against another edition
3.0
Compared to the previous two books in the series that I've read, this one just didn't sit right. It was still an interesting book, mostly because of the setting more than anything.
What I didn't like about this book was the fact that we have a serial killer happening in the first couple chapters of the book, and then that aspect of the book was completely forgotten by the end. Sure, it's not he murder we're 'following' for the storyline, but come on. You don't have someone going on a killing spree and then not give us something about WHY he did it. As for the actual murder Kate is investigating, it was so badly telegraphed that there was no mystery.
I also found Kate's actions when it came to the poaching bit too far out of her character. Maybe if she had better reasoning for doing what she did it might be believable, but the whole 'I didn't want to just throw it in the garbage' is so counter-intuitive for someone who was a lawyer in a previous life that it's laughable.
What I didn't like about this book was the fact that we have a serial killer happening in the first couple chapters of the book, and then that aspect of the book was completely forgotten by the end. Sure, it's not he murder we're 'following' for the storyline, but come on. You don't have someone going on a killing spree and then not give us something about WHY he did it. As for the actual murder Kate is investigating, it was so badly telegraphed that there was no mystery.
I also found Kate's actions when it came to the poaching bit too far out of her character. Maybe if she had better reasoning for doing what she did it might be believable, but the whole 'I didn't want to just throw it in the garbage' is so counter-intuitive for someone who was a lawyer in a previous life that it's laughable.
raehink's review against another edition
3.0
A new series for me - set in Alaska. I've read quite a few mysteries over the years and so it was fairly easy to figure out who the killer was here. That knowledge didn't ruin the reading experience for me, however. The book was ultimately satisfying. I especially enjoyed the Alaska parks setting and there is a wonderfully instructive potlatch scene. I intend to read some more of Stabenow.
*This author uses some harsh language...for those who are bothered by such things.
*This author uses some harsh language...for those who are bothered by such things.
graculus's review against another edition
3.0
This is the next in the Kate Shugak series, following on from [b:A Cold Day for Murder|271295|A Cold Day for Murder (Kate Shugak, Book 1)|Dana Stabenow|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173306263s/271295.jpg|3285671], and this time around, Kate finds herself in the middle of what's going on, as she is the last person to come across a man who's apparently just 'snapped' and killed a number of his neighbours in a shooting spree.
There is, of course, more to this than apparently meets the eye - one of the bodies that is found is discovered to have been killed with a bullet of a different calibre. In other words, someone has taken the opportunity of the killings to try and disguise a murder, though apparently very few people in the national park seem that bothered, given that the victim in question is a woman with a reputation for stealing other women's husbands.
I read a lot of mysteries, so I'm often quite good at guessing 'whodunnit' and A Fatal Thaw was no exception to that, and as a result I didn't find it quite as enjoyable as the first book in the series. The next novel featuring Kate Shugak is [b:Dead in the Water|2234737|Generation Dead|Daniel Waters|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1207151776s/2234737.jpg|3189585].
There is, of course, more to this than apparently meets the eye - one of the bodies that is found is discovered to have been killed with a bullet of a different calibre. In other words, someone has taken the opportunity of the killings to try and disguise a murder, though apparently very few people in the national park seem that bothered, given that the victim in question is a woman with a reputation for stealing other women's husbands.
I read a lot of mysteries, so I'm often quite good at guessing 'whodunnit' and A Fatal Thaw was no exception to that, and as a result I didn't find it quite as enjoyable as the first book in the series. The next novel featuring Kate Shugak is [b:Dead in the Water|2234737|Generation Dead|Daniel Waters|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1207151776s/2234737.jpg|3189585].
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