A Grave Denied

"Shugak is one of the great characters of modern crime fiction." —Laurie R. King, author of Keeping Watch"Every time I think Dana Stabenow has gotten as good as she can get, she comes up with something better." —The Washington Times"The twelfth in a series that truly evolves...Rich with details about life in this snowbound culture, the story moves at a steady pace to a classic ending." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) on A Fine and Bitter Snow"An intelligent crime novel that reflects both [Stabenow's] love of wilderness and her understanding of the complex questions of profit versus the purity of the frontier." —The Dallas Morning News on A Fine and Bitter Snow"Dana Stabenow excels at evoking the bleakness and beauty of the far north." —Seattle Times on The Singing of the Dead"With well-drawn characters, splendid scenery and an insider's knowledge of Alaskan history and politics, this fine novel ranks as one of Stabenow's best." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Singing of the DeadPublishers WeeklyAfter a dozen mysteries featuring Aleut sleuth Kate Shugak, including the Edgar-winning debut A Cold Day for Murder (1992), Stabenow's framework remains simple, sound and effective. Take a strong-willed, independent woman and pit her against the beautiful and dangerous Alaskan wilderness and those, mainly men, who try to compromise her independence. Give her a faithful companion, Mutt, a half-wolf mixed breed, and an abiding sense of loyalty and fair play. One of the pleasures of the series is the tension that arises from the characters' need for both privacy and dependence on others. The result is closeness without intimacy, superbly illustrated when the body of Len Dreyer, town handyman, turns up at the mouth of a glacier. Only then does it become clear that the victim was a complete cipher. Challenges and changes also mark Kate's relationships with teenager Johnny Morgan, son of her late lover, Jack Morgan, and with state trooper Jim Chopin. Kate's professional training and investigative skills make her an able adjunct for the undermanned state police, but this time her efforts render her and Johnny and Mutt targets for a killer. Stabenow is a fine storyteller, but it is her passion for the Alaskan landscape and the iconoclastic people who inhabit it that fires this series and lifts this latest entry to its pinnacle. (Sept. 8) FYI: Stabenow is also the author of the Liam Campbell (Nothing Gold Can Stay) and the Star Svensdotter (Red Planet Run) mystery series. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.