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lablazlay5's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
jenna_schauer's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
gaymoonreader's review against another edition
3.25
I really enjoyed this book! I read it for my Detective Fiction class, and it is one of my favorite books we have read thus far. Despite it being only around 300 pages long, it packs so much into it, but all of the subplots did not seem overwhelming at all. I felt like they really added something to the story, and I really loved all of them! They really kept things interesting from start to finish, which I enjoyed!
I think Anna is my favorite detective I have ever read because she is badass and independent, but is also incredibly realistic because she has flaws just like every other person in the world. I also really loved that even though she was a woman, people still respected her. Unlike the other detective fiction novels we have read for my class, there was little to no sexism in this book, which was so refreshing!
I really enjoyed all of the subplots. I am not really going to go into them because spoilers, but I thought they really added this extra element to the story. They kept you interested while Anna is trying to solve the murder, which is obviously the main plot. I really enjoyed seeing how all of these really were interesting and didn't take away from the story at all. They really were an extra element that wasn't really present in the other detective fiction novels I read for class, and I don't think I would have enjoyed it half as much had they not been there.
I also really enjoyed Nevada Barr's writing. Its descriptive without being overly so, and it's simplistic, but in the best way possible. It was incredibly easy to just fall into this story, and it just really added something to this novel because I enjoyed how easy to read it was, and it made me fly through this book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story, the writing, and the characters, and it gave me a new appreciation for the detective fiction genre. I definitely recommend it, and I do plan on reading more of Nevada Barr's work in the future!
I think Anna is my favorite detective I have ever read because she is badass and independent, but is also incredibly realistic because she has flaws just like every other person in the world. I also really loved that even though she was a woman, people still respected her. Unlike the other detective fiction novels we have read for my class, there was little to no sexism in this book, which was so refreshing!
I really enjoyed all of the subplots. I am not really going to go into them because spoilers, but I thought they really added this extra element to the story. They kept you interested while Anna is trying to solve the murder, which is obviously the main plot. I really enjoyed seeing how all of these really were interesting and didn't take away from the story at all. They really were an extra element that wasn't really present in the other detective fiction novels I read for class, and I don't think I would have enjoyed it half as much had they not been there.
I also really enjoyed Nevada Barr's writing. Its descriptive without being overly so, and it's simplistic, but in the best way possible. It was incredibly easy to just fall into this story, and it just really added something to this novel because I enjoyed how easy to read it was, and it made me fly through this book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story, the writing, and the characters, and it gave me a new appreciation for the detective fiction genre. I definitely recommend it, and I do plan on reading more of Nevada Barr's work in the future!
jenniferstringer's review against another edition
3.0
I haven't fallen in love with Anna Pigeon the way some readers have, but I do like the idea of the mysteries taking place in national parks. This one especially - I will jump at any chance to get to the great lakes, but Superior gives me the heebee-jeebies...maybe it's all the shipwrecks or the cold or the frequent fog...but I could definitely picture murder and mayhem on this lake.
stevem0214's review against another edition
5.0
Very good book! Her first book, Trail of the Cat, was good, but this one is much better. I was hoping for that. My only complaint is I get a little lost in her characters because of the number of them, but that's probably just me. This is a great mystery with (to me) a surprise ending. I'll be reading the next one soon.
loves2share's review against another edition
4.0
Entertaining with well-contained looping mysteries that find adequate resolution in the end. I look forward to reading more Anna Pigeon/Nevada Barr books in the future. This was lent to me by my mother in law after she picked it up on a trip to Isle Royale - the least visited National Park (which is why they went!).
pitosalas's review against another edition
4.0
A classic mystery. Whodunit. But like all the Nevada Barr "Anna Pigeon" books, it is set in a national park so you get plenty of fun behind the scenes stuff of life as a ranger. I've read a few of them and always enjoyed them. Also the author is a very good writer: there are evocative descriptions of life and death in the outdoors. This one by the way is set on an island and includes a bunch of diving. Unfortunately there are various technical inaccuracies in the description of the dives.
Note to author: There are TOO MANY characters. I mad up my own list of characters to keep them straight.
Note to author: Please tell me: are there two Donnas? Because up to the end you were confusing me with that. I am sure this was deliberate.
Note to author: There are TOO MANY characters. I mad up my own list of characters to keep them straight.
Note to author: Please tell me: are there two Donnas? Because up to the end you were confusing me with that. I am sure this was deliberate.
lmfm's review against another edition
4.0
I've read about half of this series and I think this is the best of those I've read.
krism's review against another edition
4.0
A good who-done-it mystery and I learned a lot about shipwrecks and diving in Lake Superior and Isle Royale National Park. The main character of the series, Anna Pigeon, is a Ranger for the National Park Service and each book is set in a different park. It was a good summer read.