A Superior Death (An Anna Pigeon Novel)

A Superior Death (An Anna Pigeon Novel)
by Nevada Barr

A Superior Death (An Anna Pigeon Novel)
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Book Summary Information

Author: Nevada Barr
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-09-02
ISBN: 042519471X
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Berkley
Product features:
  • ISBN13: 9780425194713
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Book Reviews of A Superior Death (An Anna Pigeon Novel)

Book Review: Superior
Summary: 5 Stars

"Superior Death" is set in Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior. As with any Nevada Barr novel, it is essential to remember that it is the journey, not the destination, which is important. Don't expect a typical formula mystery.

CHARACTERS
The novel is mostly the characters, which however, can be hard to remember at first. The following should help: 50-ish NPS Ranger Anna Pigeon is the protagonist. Other significant characters are District Ranger Ralph Pitcher, Chief Ranger Lucas Vegas, NPS Ranger Scotty Butcus (and his wife Donna). NPS naturalists include flaky hippie-types Tinker and Damian Cogdens-Clark, and Jo (who marries diver Denny Castle). With twins Holly and Hawk Bradshaw, Denny runs a dive boat. Jim Tatinger is the NPS "underwater resources specialist", which in this case primarily means the wrecks. The NPS hotel is run by (former winery manager) Patience Bitner with the help of her ca 13-year old daughter Cary. Anna Pigeon's lesbian friend Christina Waters and daughter Alison live on the mainland.

THE SETUP
It is hard to specify a setup. Most of the first half of the novel is devoted to describing the setting, introducing the characters, and setting up a number of major and minor mysteries. Most of the minor mysteries are technically red herrings, but are valid and interesting mysteries on their own. The most significant event/mystery is the death of Denny Castle, who is found in a captain's uniform on a very deep dangerous wreck. Donna Butcus (to whom Denny was apparently devoted) disappears. Scotty's (Donna's husband) explanation of Donna's disappearance turns out to be a lie. Jo's boat is found abandoned against a shore. Cary is running around with someone behind her mother's back. Anna intercepts a boat running without lights at night, which initially attempts to run, captained by Tatinger. Tinker and Damian are being blackmailed by somebody.

COMMENTS
Although not rigorously structured as a traditional action novel nor a mystery novel, "Superior Death" contains plenty of action and mysteries. However, the primary appeal is the characters and the setting, particularly the character of Anna Pigeon who has a marvelous droll irreverent sense of humor.

Barr is marvelously skilled creating vivid descriptions of the people and the natural environment, albeit exquisitely subtly. No solution to any mystery comes as a great surprise. Barr drops hints which go almost unnoticed. The reader has the satisfaction, regarding almost any and all of the mysteries, of being able to say "I suspected that", and yet still be surprised.

THE VERDICT
Superior


Summary of A Superior Death (An Anna Pigeon Novel)

Park ranger Anna Pigeon returns, in a mystery that unfolds in and around Lake Superior, in whose chilling depths sunken treasure comes with a deadly price. In her latest mystery, Nevada Barr sends Ranger Pigeon to a new post amid the cold, deserted, and isolated beauty of Isle Royale National Park, a remote island off the coast of Michigan known for fantastic deep-water dives of wrecked sailing vessels. Leaving behind memories of the Texas high desert and the environmental scam she helped uncover, Anna is adjusting to the cool damp of Lake Superior and the spirits and lore of the northern Midwest. But when a routine application for a diving permit reveals a grisly underwater murder, Anna finds herself 260 feet below the forbidding surface of the lake, searching for the connection between a drowned man and an age-old cargo ship. Written with a naturalist's feel for the wilderness and a keen understanding of characters who thrive in extreme conditions, A Superior Death is a passionate, atmospheric page-turner.

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