by
Nevada Barr
ISBN: 0-7887-4974-9 Order from: Recorded Books
Another tense thriller featuring Ranger Pigeon, this mystery satisfies with a likable protagonist, solid supporting cast, and beautiful environment despite some weakness in the plot.
Reviewed by David on March 17, 2002
Genre: Mystery (Police Procedural)
Synopsis: This is an unabridged recording of Blood Lure. Ranger Anna Pigeon, on a training stint in the Glacier National Park joins the bear research team. Anna's team careful research is interrupted by a night attack by a large Grizzly, and by disappearance of a teenager and his mother.
As Anna's duties in law enforcement and animal research interweave, so do the mysteries in the park. Strange bear behavior and human crimes weave a tangle almost impossible to unravel for Anna and her fellows.
Full Review: As before, Anna, an early middle-aged law enforcement ranger in the National Park Service, presents an interesting viewpoint. Anna is competent, introspective and inquisitive. Anna's misanthropy and cynisism war with compassion and loneliness. However, her focus on investigation and her love of nature provide a good balance and avoid excessive angst.
The park is well described, as are the people in it and the mysterious, beautiful and dangerous bears. Anna's inner dialogue sometimes waxes too verbose for the tension-laden moments. Several elements in the plot seemed implausible, and one particular mystery seemed obvious to this reader long before it occured to the normally astute (and impressively suspicious) protagonist.
Therefore, the plot was not a strong point of this book; however, the evocative description of the park, the bears and the well-portrayed characters make reading this mystery an enjoyable experience for both new and existing fans of this series.
Overall: 6; Plot: 4; Characters: 6; Style: 5.5; World-building: 6; Originality: 5.5;
Copyright date 2001, Recorded Books, 2001, Audio cassette, 8 cassettes
ISBN: 0-7887-4974-9 Order from: Recorded Books