A Cold Day for Murder

Kate Shugak, Book 1

By: Dana Stabenow

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

Eighteen months ago, Aleut Kate Shugak quit her job investigating sex crimes for the Anchorage DA’s office and retreated to her father’s homestead in a national park in the interior of Alaska. But the world has a way of beating a path to her door, however remote. In the middle of one of the bitterest Decembers in recent memory ex-boss — and ex-lover — Jack Morgan shows up with an FBI agent in tow. A Park ranger with powerful relatives is missing, and now the investigator Jack sent in to look for him is missing, too.

Reluctantly, Kate, along with Mutt, her half-wolf, half-husky sidekick, leaves her wilderness refuge to follow a frozen trail through the Park, twenty thousand square miles of mountain and tundra sparsely populated with hunters, fishermen, trappers, mushers, pilots and homesteaders. Her formidable grandmother and Native chief, Ekaterina Shugak, is — for reasons of her own — against Kate’s investigation; her cousin, Martin, may be Kate’s prime suspect; and the local trooper, Jim Chopin, is more interested in Kate than in her investigation. In the end, the sanctuary she sought after five and a half years in the urban jungles may prove more lethal than anything she left behind in the city streets of Anchorage.

State of suspense: listen to more Alaskan mysteries in the Kate Shugak series.©2011 Dana Stabenow (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

I may listen to others in the series

This is the first novel I have read or listed to by Dana Stebenow. It was okay, but most novels in the 20 book Kate Shugak Mystery series get much higher listener ratings. Like the novel, narration gets only 3 stars. The protagonist in this modern detective mystery series is very likeable as is her dog Mutt.

Really enjoyed this one.

This is the first book I've read in this series or even by this author for that matter. It won't be the last. I really enjoyed it. I'm just sorry I won't be able to get them all on audible. I really like the narrator also. Very nice job all the way around.

Meh - kind of clumsy writing and too many cliches

I actually liked the mystery (plot) of this book, but the writing style is kind of clumsy and the characters drift into cliches too often. I really wanted to like this character and this book, but the writing just couldn't pull me in. I'm glad I tried it, but I certainly won't be reading any more of this author's books.

Pretty Good

The Alaskan setting with description took me to another place in my country.
The story kept pace and my interest.
The narrator was excellent.

Good but short

It was a good story. Interesting twist but not too much drama . Have to add meaningless verbiage to get out of review app

Enjoyed the story and the setting.

After reading, The Last Frontiersman, I don't think I can read enough about Alaska. Loved the insight of the political challenging the people who are native or have made Alaska their home. Combined with a good story line, strong female detective and suspense...it gets high ratings from me.

Hot n Cold

Hot story from a cold place, excellent. It kept me listening and I didn't want it to end. interesting the way people show their losses.

good mystery; good setting; very short

interesting setting and people; so very short hard to buy in to characters; narrator ok; would probably give book 2 a chance

Revisiting Alaska

I read A Cold Day for Murder almost 20 years ago. The passage of time has not dulled te power of its words or the reality of the characters. Listening to the novel has given me a deeper appreciation of Stabenow's writing style.

good

I liked the storyline and the narrator. I would recommend this book. I wish it was a movie.