A Cold-Blooded Business

A Kate Shugak Novel, Book 4

By: Dana Stabenow

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

A string of drug-related accidents at an oil company's rig in the Arctic Circle forces Kate Shugak to go undercover to scope out a cocaine connection along the TransAlaskan Pipeline. She's out to ID a major deal and shut down his operation. Of course, the deal has other ideas....

©2012 Dana Stabenow (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

The Cold Hard North

Book 4 and I still love these stories. Now if it seems silly to you that humans live in frigid arctic conditions and have a wonderful time .. What's more they have jobs and lives and crimes which need to be investigated... If this seems odd. Well you're right. It is odd for us flat-landers. Steeped in the tradition of Alaska Kate takes on the job of unraveling mystery on ice. I enjoy the setting of these novels and think that the character is written true to the mark. Bravo to the author and to the reader..

Great story!

I can't believe I missed this when it came out last month. I d/l this morning and just finished it. Love Kate. Now I have to wait for the next one to pop up here. They're good books with good characters and solid plots and I'd read them if that's the only way they came but add in Marguerite Gavin narrating, and it's too good not to wait for them to show up here.

Such a picturesque mystery

Ms Stabenow paints a picture that makes you feel you’re there, seeing the Alaskan wilderness. She has such great authentic characters that keeps you wanting to hear more about them. There’s always a great mystery/murder to solve. I missed that Mutt didn’t play in this as much but understand why. Great narration by Marguerite Gavin.

Another GREAT listen added to the list!

I want to start off by saying I am biased with my reviews of the Kate books. I have read them all and will re-read them at least once a year. I enjoy the fact that Dana is sticking with Marguerite Gavin as a narrator! She does an excellent job of pulling the characters out of the book and putting them in your mind as individuals. I wonder about pronunciation and I was so happy to hear that those two work together to make sure names and locations don't get lost in translation. I always keep a credit on my acct for that fleeting moment where another book is released! Thank you Dana, Marguerite and Audible for giving my busy day a touch of joy, suspense and laughter.

Kate taking on 'the slope'. YUP, it's finally time she wondered up there to see what all the ruckus is about. And she gets more than she ever could have imagined. From long, busy as hell work days with amazingly scrumptious dinners to first-aid calls on and off the field. Turtle races, hot fudge sundays and a swimming pool/sauna... all on the slope. Add a little dope in the mix and it all goes bad and I mean real bad! So bad that even Kate can't wrap her mind around it... not at first at least.

Dana and Marquerite are hard to beat

I have read all of Dana Stabenow's books and have listened to many of them. I like her characters and good stories to go with them. Marquerite Gavin narrates them to a T.

The best so far

While all the books so far are good, this one is the best so far. The narrower was excellen

Immense, Immersive Enjoyment

Would you consider the audio edition of A Cold-Blooded Business to be better than the print version?

I have read several of the novels, but never listened to one. I don't know that it's better, necessarily, but different, and I enjoyed it a lot. The narrator is perfect for Kate, and Dana Stabenow's writing is always pitch perfect. I liked this audio book immensely.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Kate Shugak, of course. She's smart, witty, and kicks ass! What's not to like?

What about Marguerite Gavin’s performance did you like?

I thought Marguerite's take on Kate was awesome. I will admit, I was a bit apprehensive, but she pulled it off with perfect tone and clarity. Well Done.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely. As it was, I got through it in about 3 different sittings, but was constantly thinking about the story when I was away.

Any additional comments?

This series is awesome, and now that I've discovered them on audio, I am even more excited to go on many more adventures with Kate, Mutt and Jack. Love it !!!

Another great story!

Part of the fun of these books is learning so much about wherever the story takes place. By the time I was well into this book, I had learned a ton about the oil drilling business!

As always, the writing is superb and the performance almost flawless. The story is engaging and, of course, Kate solves the crime!

The only problem with these books is how many times I find myself sitting in the driveway listening instead of going on into the house!

#4...want some more

Kate is back for #4, this time on the North Slope. The thinly shrouded names don't mean that you can't tell the real names of the people, places and things. The referenced massive oil spill, for example, looks and smells like Exxon Valdez, but isn't called that. That said, it WAS a good mystery about drug use among pipe line workers. There's also a bit about native culture and theft of artifacts: that came though in the end and was well woven into the mystery. Where's book #5?

The best in the series

This book restored my faith in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will get the next book.