Scan barcode
mheckman0429's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The mystery was good and I found myself drawn to the diving Lore. Overall I liked this one more than the first.
book_concierge's review against another edition
2.0
Anna Pigeon returns for her second mystery. This time she has left the southwest and is now assigned to Isle Royale National Park, in Lake Superior, just north of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It’s remote and a very different environment from what she was used to, and she’s having some trouble adjusting. She continues to rely on frequent phone calls to her sister, Molly, in New York, and to the numbing effects of a bottle of wine. When a body is found floating within a wreck on the lake bottom, Anna has to confront some of her own fears to help recover the victim. But it seems this was not an accidental drowning – the man was murdered.
There are plenty of suspects, despite the remote location – an alcoholic has-been with marital problems was jealous of the him; the victim’s own wife didn’t report him missing; his boat and business were left to two twin siblings who are not relatives; a sleazy park employee who had to leave his previous post quickly has been seen sneaking around; and a hippie couple who are being blackmailed may have had enough.
Barr writes a decent suspense novel. The action moves fast and I was caught up in the mystery. There are enough clues to let the reader guess the perpetrator, but I was certain only a few pages before Anna herself had figured it out. I like that Anna is intelligent, strong and resourceful. In general, she takes matters into her own hands and acts with due caution. However … the book had several serious editing flaws. We’re told Anna is a vegetarian – several times – then she’s eating a tuna fish sandwich. The name of one of the twins is suddenly changed to that of Anna’s sister for 4 or 5 mentions on a single page before being correctly referenced for the balance of the book. A key piece of evidence is “stolen” by one of the suspects, and later the authorities are examining it.
What really made me lower the rating, however, is an issue with a senior administrator making a joke about having a child “escorted” by a known pedophile. That is just NOT funny, and such a comment would – I hope – get said manager fired. But no one even raises an eyebrow in the novel. Anna actually smiles! I know this was first published in 1994, but really, WHAT was Barr (and her editor and agent and publisher) thinking?!
There are plenty of suspects, despite the remote location – an alcoholic has-been with marital problems was jealous of the him; the victim’s own wife didn’t report him missing; his boat and business were left to two twin siblings who are not relatives; a sleazy park employee who had to leave his previous post quickly has been seen sneaking around; and a hippie couple who are being blackmailed may have had enough.
Barr writes a decent suspense novel. The action moves fast and I was caught up in the mystery. There are enough clues to let the reader guess the perpetrator, but I was certain only a few pages before Anna herself had figured it out. I like that Anna is intelligent, strong and resourceful. In general, she takes matters into her own hands and acts with due caution. However … the book had several serious editing flaws. We’re told Anna is a vegetarian – several times – then she’s eating a tuna fish sandwich. The name of one of the twins is suddenly changed to that of Anna’s sister for 4 or 5 mentions on a single page before being correctly referenced for the balance of the book. A key piece of evidence is “stolen” by one of the suspects, and later the authorities are examining it.
What really made me lower the rating, however, is an issue with a senior administrator making a joke about having a child “escorted” by a known pedophile. That is just NOT funny, and such a comment would – I hope – get said manager fired. But no one even raises an eyebrow in the novel. Anna actually smiles! I know this was first published in 1994, but really, WHAT was Barr (and her editor and agent and publisher) thinking?!
craftycarolynrose's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
alidottie's review against another edition
3.0
I was surprised because I always thought that Anna Pigeon was a park ranger in West Texas--which she was in the first one. In this the second Anna Pigeon book she is a ranger on Lake Superior! Quite a switch. The story was interesting enough. Light reading
danileighta's review against another edition
4.0
A great mystery! This one surprised me much more than #1. The writing was fantastic and the adventure that Anna found herself in yet again was so engaging. This time she was patrolling Lake Superior, and missing Texas. Barr's characters are so real with so many idiosyncrasies. Oscar was maybe my favorite this time around, but Tinker and Damien were a close second and third.
I'm so excited to see where she goes next!
I'm so excited to see where she goes next!
melissa_who_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Very well plotted. Enjoyed it - enjoyed the northern Michigan setting.
rosieclaverton's review against another edition
4.0
Ah, 1994. An era without mobile phones or the internet or even much computer access.
This novel brought me to a different world in the National Park Service but also the near-past, a jump within my lifetime. It was all the more surreal for its closeness, like the difference between the UK and Australia.
One particularly jarring thing was the treatment of underage sex and statutory rape as relatively trivial events, things to be joked about and only taken somewhat seriously.
Otherwise a compelling mystery with a solid premise and solution. But I don't think I'm suited to 1994.
This novel brought me to a different world in the National Park Service but also the near-past, a jump within my lifetime. It was all the more surreal for its closeness, like the difference between the UK and Australia.
One particularly jarring thing was the treatment of underage sex and statutory rape as relatively trivial events, things to be joked about and only taken somewhat seriously.
Otherwise a compelling mystery with a solid premise and solution. But I don't think I'm suited to 1994.
fem71's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
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