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janeta12's review against another edition
3.0
In this series one must prepare for the over the top aspects... this one particularly so. Still fun, and the park settings are always very cool to read & learn about. Might be funny to categorize Anna's injuries/scars from all the books :). 3.5.
brandnewkindof's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
nikkisobell's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
lisavegan's review against another edition
4.0
Nevada Barr’s mysteries have a wonderful sense of melancholy that makes them particularly interesting compared to many other mystery series. It’s one of the few series that I’m not behind on and that I’ve now read all the published so far books.
I’ve learned so much about various national parks (the main character is a national park ranger and each story takes place in a different national park) and this particular (Big Bend) park hadn’t been written about before and it’s a park I found especially fascinating. It’s in Texas with a river that has the country of Mexico on the other side.
I really love maps and the national park maps that are in this book and all the books in this series are interesting and educational, but for the first time I noticed the story didn’t follow the map. At one point it said they were headed to the east but their destination was to the west. As someone who frequently peruses maps as I read books containing them, this was disappointing.
Except for that relatively minor distraction, this was one of my very favorite books in the series. Nothing can quite match the first unique book Track of the Cat, but Anna Pigeon has grown and changed and I’ve liked her more and more as these books progress, so overall I actually enjoy the later books more than the earlier ones.
It is very important to read these in order and of course, as usual, I think they should all be read. It’s worth it to read the other 14 books to get to this one, and I’m looking forward to book # 16 in the series.
I read a lot of mysteries and I’m used to the formulas, especially of those authors I know well, so it says quite a bit that I was probably 5/6 into this book before I figured out the crux of this mystery, and I did still enjoy the whole book. It had a lovely and worthwhile ending.
I’ve learned so much about various national parks (the main character is a national park ranger and each story takes place in a different national park) and this particular (Big Bend) park hadn’t been written about before and it’s a park I found especially fascinating. It’s in Texas with a river that has the country of Mexico on the other side.
I really love maps and the national park maps that are in this book and all the books in this series are interesting and educational, but for the first time I noticed the story didn’t follow the map. At one point it said they were headed to the east but their destination was to the west. As someone who frequently peruses maps as I read books containing them, this was disappointing.
Except for that relatively minor distraction, this was one of my very favorite books in the series. Nothing can quite match the first unique book Track of the Cat, but Anna Pigeon has grown and changed and I’ve liked her more and more as these books progress, so overall I actually enjoy the later books more than the earlier ones.
It is very important to read these in order and of course, as usual, I think they should all be read. It’s worth it to read the other 14 books to get to this one, and I’m looking forward to book # 16 in the series.
I read a lot of mysteries and I’m used to the formulas, especially of those authors I know well, so it says quite a bit that I was probably 5/6 into this book before I figured out the crux of this mystery, and I did still enjoy the whole book. It had a lovely and worthwhile ending.
rgb69's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
clownface04530's review against another edition
3.0
Hooray! I've been to this National Park too. I love reading stories that take place in parks I've visited.
teresainohio10's review against another edition
5.0
Not since Firestorm have I been so immensed in Anna Pigeon life and the events that shape it. Winter study ( previous book) had some uncomfortable characters and events in it which affect Pigeon in her life to this day. She is on force leave by the National Park service to confort and deal with those events. She decides a vacation in Big Bend and acting like a tourist not a ranger is the best solution to dealing with these actions. Not long after the white water rafting trip begins trouble starts brewing. The younger college kids on the trip want to rescue a cow stranded high on a ledge, this is almost a success but things happen. Then as they travel over the most dangerous part of the rapids, more things happen. Then a body is found tangled in the river's strainer and more things happen. I don't want to reveal the things that happen because it would ruin the story. But these happenings link together and when you get to the end, you will feel justice, sorrow and even horror at these actions. One question remains will Anna return to be a park ranger or will she choose retirement?