No comments about Blood Lure (Anna Pigeon mysteries).

5 comments about Flashback (Anna Pigeon).

1. The technique of telling two stories in alternate chapters did not work.Neither story ever got off the ground and the endings were dull!We are Nevada Barr fans,but finishing this book was a chore rather than a pleasure.Sorry!



2. Flashback (Nevada Barr): Our favorite national park ranger, Anna Pigeon, is temporarily filling in for the boss at Dry Tortugas National Park in the Florida Keys, after the park's head ranger lost his girlfriend, along with his grip on sanity. It is very hot, and not horribly exciting in the park until Anna receives a box of old letters from her sister, who had unearthed them because they were written by their great, great aunt Raffia when her husband was an army captain at Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas. Anna spends her days dealing with sunburned tourists, and her nights getting caught up in the history of the last days of the Civil War.
   
   Two stories then unfold; one in the present involving Anna and the staff at the park, and Raffia's story from the time when Fort Jefferson was an active military station and jail for the conspirators in the Lincoln assassination plot. The time periods start to merge in Anna's mind, however, when she sees and hears people from the past late at night while she wanders through the fort. Anna thinks she may be losing her grip on sanity, which makes her suspicious, since the last person to hold her job was institutionalized for the same thing. When one of her rangers is injured when an explosion sinks his boat, Anna starts to tie all the strange clues together to uncover a nefarious plot. Meanwhile, she's reading about a nefarious plot of old in her Aunt Raffia's letters, involving a sadistic sergeant, a rebel soldier, and Raffia's 16-year-old sister Tilly.
   
   Anna is a solitary person and spends much of her time in introspection. Because of her circumstances at the fort, Raffia is also fairly solitary, but it was obvious that the two main characters in this novel were living very different lives. Raffia's welfare is largely dependent on the men around her, whereas Anna completely takes care of herself, even refusing her boyfriend's offer to fly down to keep her company when things are at their worst. Both stories, though different in nature, had similarities, and it was fun to read about two bits of intrigue happening in the same place at different times, and for different reasons. Nevada Barr is always worth reading, and this book is no exception.



3. I enjoyed the book. My husband likes to listen to audio books on our way cross-country.



4. I've read all of the Nevada Barr mysteries and this by far is the worst. Jumping back and forth between the two stories was tiring and boring. I only made it halfway through, and I had to struggle to get that far. The rest of the books in the series are good, but I don't recommend this one for a first time reader of the series.



5. Paul Davidson, former priest and sheriff in Natchez has proposed marriage and Anna Pigeon isn't sure this is what she wants. To put a little space between her and a long-term relationship she accepts a temporary assignment at Dry Tortugas National Park. An island, anything but conducive to contemplation as she finds herself involved in three different mysteries.
   To keep the plot elements separate and moving Nevada Barr executes a splendid juggling act. Molly, Anna's sister send her a packet of letters written by a great-great-aunt who had lived at the fort during it's days as a prison. Rich in historical detail, a clever blend of the past and present, plus Anna's dilemma will insure fans follow the trail to a surprising conclusion. Maybe it is the complexity or diverse elements, but somewhere something is lacking, FLASHBACK isn't up to par for a Barr.
   Nash Black, author of WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

5 comments about Hunting Season (Anna Pigeon) (Anna Pigeon).

1. I think you either like Anna or you don't. I can't say the plots are air tight. I can't say she's the most intuitive of detectives. I can say she's wonderful to spend time with -- and her insights and descriptions of very real people are, to use a well-worn word, palpable. She's focused, flawed, and fabulous (as a result). This plot is solid, the setting is well used, and the resolution is right there. Maybe not my favorite Nevada Barr, but still an enjoyable ride.



2. Anna Pigeon has parked her vehicle for a second time on the dark, gloomy Natchez Trace, which allows Nevada Barr time to strengthen characters and develop the atmosphere of setting. HUNTING SEASON treats readers to a return engagement of characters from DEEP SOUTH and allows you to sink deeper into the quagmire of place, local politics and "old friends."
   HUNTING SEASON has all of the Barr standards, fast paced, extensive knowledge of park rangers, their problems and duties, great plotting and rapid pace.
   You don't become bored with a Nevada Barr, Anna Pigeon novel, no matter where the location.
   Nash Black, author of WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.



3. 
   Like "Deep South," "Hunting Season" is set in Natchez Trace National Parkway. This is one of those units of the National Park system that nobody ever thinks of, but it takes up a 450-mile stretch from southwestern border of Mississippi through the northeastern border and up to Nashville. Because it's a strip of parkway, it is far more a part of the community than many other national parks.
   
   Though she has been there a while now, and is deep in a relationship with a local pastor-sheriff, Anna remains an outsider to this community. She is a Yankee law enforcement officer who finds herself in a world Yankee stereotypes: good old boys, racists, pickup trucks and football. The facts that Nevada Barr loves the region and that Anna is falling in love with a sympathetic local smoothen the rough edges of this relationship between character and place.
   
   As a supervisor, Anna continues to have to deal with some difficult employees. One of her two rangers is a real nightmare, a lazy, sexist, hostile, lawsuit-prone loser. His forms of resistance are so well drawn that they must be based on some people in Nevada Barr's own past as a ranger.
   
   What about the mystery? It's less compelling than most others in the series. In addition, the book has an unfortunate title - - as you may find yourself halfway through the book wondering why it has this name. If you think too hard about this, you'll be in the rare situation of a mystery reader knowing more than the detective knows.
   
   If you're new to the Anna Pigeon series, I'd read a different book first. If you're committed to the series, don't skip this one because there are personal developments that remain important for subsequent books.



4. This was the MOST frustrating Anna Pigeon book I've ever read.
   
   Anna was so incompetent I could have screamed at her over and over, had she been in my living room.
   To let Randy Thigpen (among very many others) get away with such insubordination and ineptitude, did not a great boss make!!
   
   And let's not even talk about the deer meat in the trunk!
   
   This book was a DRUDGE to work through...



5. Hunting Season is the second novel I read featuring Anna Pigeon (the first was Track of the Cat). This series, by Nevada Barr, probably has 10 or so books in it now. I was curious whether 1) Barr is still successful with the Anna Pigeon model, and 2) whether you had to have read the previous 9 (or so) novels to enjoy this one.
   
   In Hunting Season, Law Enforcement Ranger Anna Pigeon is in Mississippi, protecting a sliver of National Park Service Land, the Natchez Trace Parkway (never heard of it). She discovers a murder... or is it? As in Track of the Cat, Anna does her normal job while tracking down the human and forensic clues in this case. And as in Track of the Cat, she works with some interesting folk, is still getting over the loss of her husband, and doesn't mind getting dirty. It looks like she has stopped drinking, at least as much as she used to.
   
   I had figured out the cause of death of Doyce about mid-way through the book. But I really missed the boat when it came to "whodunit."
   
   I'll tell you, the pace, action, and employment focus of this series just keeps reminding me of Dick Francis and his mysteries relating to horse racing. Not bad company to be in!
   
   I look forward to my next Anna Pigeon novel.

5 comments about Blood Lure (Anna Pigeon) (Anna Pigeon).

1. Nevada Barr's National Park-set mysteries are shelved in my mind with Tony Hillerman's books. Both authors present the landscape they are set in as a major character. The events in their books are shaped by the setting and couldn't happen anywhere else. Having a ranger in the Natural Park Service is a very clever device as it gives Barr the opportunity to move her character from park to park, and have recurring characters and new characters in each book.
   
   In Blood Lure, Anna Pigeon, the park ranger heroine, is shadowing a grizzly bear researcher who is doing a population census of the bears by luring them to leave their hair on scratching posts. First Anna and the researcher are terrorized by a huge rogue bear, and then a body is found.
   
   Blood Lure is one of Barr's more disappointing efforts. Although Glacier National Park is a jewel of the National Park System, it doesn't really come to life the way the Natchez Trace or the Guadalupe Mountains do. The resolution of the murders the park ranger heroine Anna Pigeon uncovers is also unsatisfactory. The situation seems contrived and well, unrealistic. I've read about five in the Anna Pigeon series and they were all more enjoyable. I look forward to sampling others and being able to lose myself in a national park once more.



2. I'd probably rank this three stars for plot and five stars for the Anna Pigeon character--always five stars for Anna. It's the integrity of her character, how she thinks and reacts. She is consistent, smart and terribly human. In Blood Lure, the work is an excellent combination of field work and office work. I enjoyed the long passage where Anna hikes alone way up into the wilderness, above timberline. Barr is not afraid to let the trip take time and the descriptions of the mountains and terrain are vivid, fresh and sharp. The puzzle pieces are few. In a way, this is a drawing room mystery splashed across the wide open landscape of Glacier National Park. By the middle of the book, the solution is going to be found down one path or the other and Anna keeps going back and forth between the two, trying to wrestle the facts to the ground in a way that makes senese. And it's that wrestling process that makes her so fascinating, the way in which every new piece of information is viewed, reviewed, considered and kicked around. That said, I found the ending also a bit over-the-top, as others have noted. But I give Barr credit for attempting an unusual situation; I just think the plausiblity factor was stretched to the max.



3. After promising to look up other work by Nevada Barr in my review of `Women On The Case', I picked up `Blood Lure'. The premise sounded interesting: Anna Pigeon on loan to Glacier Nat'l Park to do a study on grizzly bears runs into murder most foul on the camp trail.
   
   Barr's description of the natural beauty and the natural world are full-colored and vibrant. She makes grizzly bear DNA research downright interesting.
   
   Her plotting is crafty indeed, her story trail strewn with misleads and false starts, and thirty pages from the end you're still not exactly sure who the murderer is.
   
   Most of her characters are well-developed and fully-fleshed. Others are less so, but that's the art of the lure---how much do we know about these characters and should we bother or not?
   
   Although I'm not entirely happy with the ending, the tale is well-told and is an enjoyable read.
   
   But I wouldn't advise bringing it on a camping vacation.



4. BLOOD LURE brings Anna Pigeon out of the steamy south to Glacier National Park for a stark contrast in environment. Who killer the step-mother? The famed Grizzly or a more deadly creature? Anna searches for answers while playing the role of a student of DNA research on our largest bear.
   Nevada Barr's skills of environmental description are in full swing, but the mystery is lackluster. If this is your first read of the exceptionally fine series, I recommend the first TRACK OF THE CAT or my favorite, FIRESTORM. Then pickup others an excellent series with lots of facts and information that spices the mix.
   Nash Black, author of WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.



5. I personally thought that this was one of Nevada Barr's very best books.It is informative and intertaining at the same time; with some amusing content.I highly recommend this one to any Barr reader, you cant go wrong.

5 comments about Endangered Species.

1. I find Barr solid as an author. She writes well but not as poetically and lyrically as some others I read. Her mysteries are nicely constructed and quite page-turning at the end. This book is no exception.
   
   Anna is a good character. Flawed and misanthropic at times, she is a very believable character. Her little insecurities always strike me as genuine and I like her wise cracking and her affection for the parks. She's well developed and yet still something of an enigma.
   
   I was glad to see Molly round out this story though the subplot involving her was rather throwaway at best. Still, it was nice to see this character in person rather than at the other end of a telephone, which is how she was always viewed in past novels in this series. It was also interesting to learn some tidbits about her childhood with Anna.
   
   I was deeply disappointed in Frederick in this novel. I can't help but feel that Barr's ideas for him just sort of petered out. He added an interesting twist to the series.
   
   One of the most enjoyable aspects of this novel was the introduction of several new characters, always a strength of Barr's. Dijon was funny and made a nice counterpart to Anna. Mona and Dot were nice and multi-faceted and the Disneyish twist with Flicka the fawn was fun.
   
   As always, what resonates most deeply is Barr's vivid depiction of the latest park in which Anna is working. Barr's descriptions of its wildlife and flora and her evocative writing about the heat and humidity of such climes makes it easy to get lost in the setting. While she is good at creating characters, her true strength lies in setting a scene.



2. My aunt left this book at the house after visiting over thanksgiving, so I decided to give it a try. Very interesting to have a mystery plot built around a park ranger. It is very evident the author has done here reaserch and knows her subject. Plot and mystery was strong enough to hold your attention. I'll look for more books in this series.



3. The action takes place on Cumberland Island. I've read the book, and visited the island. Now I want to share with my husband, so I got the audio book version: we will listen to it on our way back from Florida to California.



4. Storytelling at its finest, Nevada Barr's ENDANGERED SPECIES features the little known Cumberland Island off the coast of Georgia, home to the Loggerhead Turtle, which many have fought for to bring back from the edge of extinction. The island is on our must visit list the next time we are on the east coast and I'm sure to read this addition to the Anna Pigeon series for its descriptions of the fauna and wildlife of the island.
   The story is marred by too many characters, it becomes confusing but Barr's powerful prose keeps your eye glued to the page.
   Nash Black, author of WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.



5. I love Nevada Barr's character Anna Pigeon, but this story was diffinetly not one of her better writtings. I found it kinda boring and wished that she had used Barbara Rosenblat as the narrator. I find that the narrator along with the story really makes the book so much better and gives Anna Pigeon life.

5 comments about Hard Truth.

1. I have long been an admirer of Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series. Hard Truth is an exceptional story. A psychotic killer kidnaps young girls and has them perform unspeakable acts, a Mormon sect practices polygamy, a newly paralyzed former rock climber, orphaned wolf pups that have been "rescued" by a seasoned park ranger, and Anna's new job at Rocky Mountain National Park are all part of the narrative mix of the story. Anna's activities as a law enforcement National Park officer bring her to very core of an evil she has trouble fathoming. She is human--she makes mistakes, some very grievous mistakes, that show her flaws , but also make her more human at the same time.
   This book is unlike any other Anna Pigeon novel I've read--start reading this one early as you'll be up all night, unable to put it down. But make sure there's someone else in the house and all the doors are locked.



2. This is just an ugly, hateful, horrible book. Although I have regularly read the Anna Pigeon series, I have always found the gratuitous violence and brutality disturbing.
   
   This one, though, is the worst ever---I loathed the animal torture, the child molestation, the child abuse, and the extremely unsettling religious extremism. And, of course, Anna Pigeon HAS to be brutalized, as she is in EVERY ONE of the other books.
   
   This one was the last, however. No more for me.



3. HARD TRUTH by Nevada Barr takes Anna Pigeon fans deep into the stark contrast of the beauty of the Rocky Mountain Park and evil of religious cults which use faith to mask their unholy deeds. This is a different Barr, which explores kidnapping, child abuse, violence and evil. It is not a story for the faint hearted, but it contains all the classic elements of Barr's fictional prose, vivid descriptions of the locale, tight plotting, sensitive and striking characterizations.
   The scenes move seamlessly between the points of view of Anna and Heath Jarrod, a wheelchair accident victim who has problems of her own when Heath discovers and bonds with the lost children.
   New territory for Barr, a eye opener for her fans.
   Nash Black, author of WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.



4. This is my second Anna Pigeon mystery, and I listened to it on audio. I don't do crime books, but the first was so entertaining (and so well-narrated) and well-written, I looked forward to Hard Truth. I like mysteries, but not when they feature sadomasochistic scenes of violence, which is why I was happy to find these novels. Not now. The last two discs, where Anna is captured, are horrific to read.



5. I've read a few other Nevada Barr books and liked them well enough (although Ann Pigeon is far from my favorite mystery series protagonist), but this one I really didn't care for. I picked out the likely villain very early and I was waiting for an unexpected twist but it didn't come. Really there were virtuallly no surprises and those which there were didn't really matter much. I also got annoyed and very tired of her (the author, through mouth of the protagonist) harping on the one character's fatness, going on and on about it and describing him with really contemptuous language -- it gives a strong impression of someone who is rabidly "sizist." OK, the guy is fat - so are a lot of people, so get over it. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

1 comments about Blind Descent Nevada Barr Unabridged Audio CD (Anna Pigeon Mystery).

1. OK, let's fact it. You know the minute you pick up one of Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon park ranger mysteries that at some point in the narrative, our intrepid heroine is going to get herself into a life-threatening situation and you are going to be sitting on the edge of your seat unable to turn your CD player off.
   
   However, in Blind Descent, Nevada Barr outdoes herself, because the suspense is as thick as the impenetrable darkness Anna Pigeon descends into when she joins a rescue team to bring out an injured park employee from a miles-long mostly unmapped cave in New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns. The injured caver whispered Anna's name during a brief moment of consciousness, and so, battling claustrophobia Anna squeezes through tunnels and rappels down rock faces to the side of the injured woman, who confides to Anna, during another moment of lucidity, that she was pushed. Her injury was not an accident. Which one of the handful of people deep in the bowels of this inhospitable underworld did it? And why? Will they kill the injured caver before she can be brought to the surface? And, anyway, what was that sound? A cave creature?
   
   One of the many charms of the Anna Pigeon mystery series is that the novels are all set in a different National Park, giving the reader an education in, for example, the behind-the-scenes workings of well-known locations such as Yosemite National Park as described in High Country, the civil war background of the less-known ramparts ruins on the island Dry Tortugas National Park at the tip of the Florida Keys, and the intriguing feeding habits of Glacier National Park grizzly bears in Blood Lure.
   
   However, I expected that the almost totally underground setting of Blind Descent would be without charm until I began to read the book. That's when I discovered that, au contraire, underground caving, the creation of immense underground caverns, and their discovery is a fascinating subject.
   
   And then there's our beloved Anna Pigeon, dashing and swash-buckling, at a time in her life when most people are contemplating early retirement, she continues to pull off deeds of daring-do in spite of aching joints and fatigue. I can't help myself. I love Anna Pigeon. When I grow up I want to be just like her, except that, uh oh, I am already grown up. OK, so I love to pretend I am her, leaping tall buildings in a single bound, flying faster than a jet plane . . . no, wait a minute, that's another super hero. In any case, Anna is as close to a real down-to-earth super heroine as you can get and I love her.
   
   I also love narrator Barbara Rosenblat's wonderful performances throughout the Anna Pigeon series. How can she possibly sound like so many different people including men, women, and children of all ages? Her range, tone, cadence, and rhythm change so effortlessly. I've also enjoyed listening to Barbara Rosenblatt in the Egyptologist mystery series, by Elizabeth Peters (in which I'm absolutely in love with Ramses) and which Rosenblat narrates entirely in a British accent. Amazing!

5 comments about High Country (Anna Pigeon Mysteries).

1. One star is to many. I purchased this book through Audible because it was featured and on sale. I thought it would be an opportunity to experience a new, to me, author. What a shame. Because of the narration and the melodramatic reading and descriptions I could not finish it. It was so Jr. High Schoohish. Because of this first experience I will not purchase anything by Nevada Barr or anything being narrated by Barbara Rosenblat.



2. This is another good Anna Pigeon mystery. Not as good as her best, but worth reading.



3. I was hooked on Anna Pidgeon's Track of the Cat, and have devotedly purchased and read everything that Nevada Barr has written, especially the Anna Pidgeon books. But ever since Flashback, Nevada's books have been lacking in the excitement that has made the Anna Pidgeon books so addicting. I know, since reading Seeking Enlightenment...Hat by Hat, that Nevada has had a change in faith, and I wonder if it has not been reflected in her writing, since Anna has seemed to have this same kind of change come over her.
   
   I have worked with many rangers as a docent for the parks system, and even in aging, none has seemed to carry aging to such a dark, dismal place as Nevada has written for Anna. Nevada needs to remember that age is not chronological, but spirtual, and if she wants people to keep reading her Anna Pidgeon books, she needs to stop aging Anna.
   
   The draw of Nevada's books for me have been her travelogue of the national parks as much as the mystery of the novel. I have been given such a clear and perfect picture of each of the parks, that when I visit them, it seems as though I have already been there. This was not true for Yosemite. I grew up visiting Yosemite, and this book was so inaccurate, I would have thought I was visiting another place. First of all, walking in the wintertime from the Ahwanhee to Camp Curry or Yosemite Lodge would have caused hypothermia.
   
   Nevada seemed hurried in writing this novel, and she seemed unable to decide on whether to develop the plot, or develop the park description, so she did neither. I would love to give her a redo on this, because based on the other reviews, I know she can do better.



4. I got this unabridged Nevada Barr CD/novel for an avid Anna Pigeon Mystery fan...and it "fit the bill" as a satisfying gift to give. The Giftee was mighty pleased.



5. Anna, far from home and undercover brings back the classic Nevada Barr we've missed in previous titles. The famous Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park is the location of Anna's new position, slinging hash. Barr reminds us of the aching feet, sore muscles, and endurance one must execute to keep a smile on your face under those eatery conditions.
   The vivid contrast between undercover conditions and hike into the splendor of the mountains is vintage Barr as so many readers have used her stories as tour guides to our national treasures.
   After all the danger, evil, suspense and injuries, this one gives the reader a fine ending.
   Nash Black, author of WRITING AS A SMALL BUINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

2 comments about Nevada Barr CD Collection: Blood Lure, Hunting Season, Flashback (Anna Pigeon) (Anna Pigeon).

1. Joyce Bean brings Nevada Barr to life. This performance is brilliant. I lived inside Anna Pigeon's head (a great place to be) and felt like I was seeing the world through her eyes. Bean's delivery is matter-of-fact. This may sound strange, but I like the way Bean lets you hear her breathe. She is reading and it feels like you're sitting around a campfire with the best of them. On top of Bean, this is a fantastic plot. The long opening scene of the recovery in the cave is gripping. The first long third of this book takes place underground but Barr brings each room, tunnel, corkscrew and wormhole to life. The characters around Pigeon are interesting and diverse and while the action moves to the surface for the middle section, it's equally compelling. The wrap-up? One of the best. Great story of greed, brilliantly read by Joyce Bean.



2. While these were abridged versions of the books, the editing was very well done. My only complaint were the occasional mispronounced word - suite pronounced as suit, for example. This is a very small thing, but it served to bring me out of the story. The biggest drawback was that I listened to these books in the car and didn't want to go in to work until the current exciting bit was done. Barr's descriptions of the parks, the people, and the events were very well done, crisp and clear, and brought you right into the story. Well done!

5 comments about Winter Study (Recorded Books Unabridged).

1. so glad she finally came out with another book, been waiting a long time...enjoyed it tremendously...



2. 
   A six-week investigation of a 50-year-old study of moose and wolves in Isle Royale in Lake Superior brings Park Ranger Anna Pigeon to a brutal winter, in this 14th novel in the series. The investigation is under the scrutiny of Homeland Security, which wants to bring it to a grinding halt so the area can be opened to tourists the year round and close an easy entry for illegals from Canada.
   
   Shortly after her arrival, strange things begin to happen. The wolf packs behave in unusual ways, and the interaction of the small team gives rise to abnormal behavior. Before it's all over, there are deaths and Anna has to fight for her own survival.
   
   Once again, the author demonstrates a facility for writing about nature and provides penetrating character studies. Perhaps so much detail that it overwhelms the reader (at least it did me). One can nearly literally freeze to death reading the chilling chapters and descriptions of the weather and the tundra. Nevertheless, it is an exciting story, with unexpected consequences. A novel to be read by a rip-roaring fire, and recommended.



3. I've read all of Barr's fiction, but this one left me cold. I had a hard time maintaining interest in it and ultimately quit after a handful of chapters. That's unheard of for me... a voracious reader. Maybe I'll try it again someday, but for now, it sits on the shelf.



4. I have read every book Nevada Barr has written. I feel this is one of her best, if not the best book she has written. Reading this,you feel you are right in the frozen countryside with Anna Pigeon. It is interesting, gruesome, and very entertaining. More please.



5. I have been a dedicated fan of Nevada Barr's books in part because I like the story and in part because I like her descriptions of the National Parks and nature in general. I liked the story told here and I enjoyed her descriptions of the wolf study. As always I enjoyed Anna's wry comments. But common on, you have to have a somewhat realistic ending. A woman can only be knocked down so may times, especially in minus 17 degree weather and still get up.