[.ca] Killing Grounds (ISBN 0425167739)

From Amazon.com:
Like Nevada Barr, Dana Stabenow writes mysteries so firmly rooted in the natural world that their sense of place becomes a vital part of the plot. In this book about Native Alaskan crime solver Kate Shugak, the ocean and the men who fish it for salmon are described in such vivid detail that you'll never look at a salmon steak the same way again. When a particularly nasty fisherman is murdered, there's no end of suspects--including members of Kate's own family. The story also sports a richly ironic undertone of political incorrectness, as Kate muses about the forest rangers, "who wanted to annex every square foot of land they saw and keep it pristine and inviolate, unsullied by human hand. They failed to recall that the indigenous peoples who came across the Bering land bridge during the last Ice Age had their hands all over anything that had the remotest possibility of nutritional value, and were every bit as much of the landscape and the wheel of life as the fish and the birds and the mammals." Previous Shugak sorties in paperback include Breakup, Blood Will Tell, Play with Fire, and A Cold-Blooded Business.

Worth the wait.:
In this story you learn more about the ways of Kate's people and the lives of salmon fishermen. I thought it was a great story. Dana Stabenow is a truly interesting author. I look forward to reading more books by this author. I have read all of her books.

Stabenow's Alaska is the real thing.:
Having lived in Alaska for over thirty years now, I usually find books set in Alaska a disappointment. Stabenow's Alaska is the real thing, in all it's complex and contradictory detail. Her characters are people I know, and her settings are right-on. This book is no exception to her tradition of excellence. The plot is intriguing and keeps the reader guessing, and Stabenow's humor will make you laugh out loud.

Stabenow Can't Write 'Em Fast Enough For Me:
I just can't get enough of Dana Stabenow's humorous and clever style of writing. I loved Break Up and this one is even better. It's the kind of story you want to read out loud to someone else so they can laugh too.

I did not like the latest mystery in the Kate Shugak series.:
I thought Kate lost a lot of her sparkle in this latest story. Perhaps I'm spoiled, but Kate's character did not seem to progress in this novel. There were many unanswered questions from the previous Shugak mystery. For example, Kate has come into $50,000. What is she doing with it? Also, I did not like the combination of a Sci-Fi character with Kate. I think Stabenow is one of the most talented authors I've ever read, and Kate is a great character. Perhaps Stabenow was just pressured to create a new novel more quickly than was advisable. Whatever the reason, while a good read, I cannot give this novel 5 stars like I do the others. Though unhappy with this one book, I'm anxiously awaiting the newest Stabenow series, and will try Kate again.

Brilliant social commentary and a great mystery:
Once Alaskan native Kate Shugak was a sex crime investigator, working out of the Office of the Anchorage District Attorney. However, five years of coping with abused women and children have taken their toll on Kate. She retreats from the craziness of the city to make a life for herself on her family's homestead. Though the area is quite a bit more isolated and less populated than Anchorage, crime still exists, and Kate is ready to take on those individuals who threaten her native soil. To supplement her income, Kate hires on as the deck boss on the salmon fishing vessel, the Freya. When the food processing firms lower the price per pound for salmon by fifty cents, the fleet goes on strike. The only scab is notorious spouse and child abuser Cal Meany, whom is a person despised by everyone who knows him. When his mutilated body is found floating along side the Freya, Kate begins to investigate a case in which everyone has a motive for murder. KILLING GROUNDS is a mind boggling mystery that is filled with many characters with ample reason for killing the culprit. This makes it almost impossible to determine who the murderer is. As usual, Dana Stabenow affords readers a special glimpse into Alaska as seen through the eyes of the state's Native Americans. A Kate Shugak tale always seems to be an emotional experience that takes readers in an environmental and civic roller coaster ride that is both thrilling and illuminating. Harriet Klausner