Dead in the Water (Kate Shugak Mystery) (ISBN 042513749X)

Five Stars for Aleutian Setting, Three Stars for the Mystery:
Kate Shugak is a former Anchorage investigator who has recently moved to Denali National Park and begun working on freelance investigations. In "Dead in the Water", Kate finds herself going undercover to work as a deckhand on the crabbing ship "Avelda". Kate is supposed to be gathering background information on the ship's captain Harry Gault, in order to solve the disappearance of two other crew members the previous March. As other reviewers indicate, the mystery is quite thinly plotted. However, I absolutely loved the description of the hard work and danger on the crabbing ship, and the wonderful story line of Kate meeting the young Aleutian girl who showed Kate the art of storyknifing. This is a craft where a storyteller tells a story and illustrates the tale with pictures drawn in the sand with an ivory knife. I liked the Alaskan setting enough to definitely read more books in this series. If you're interested in immersing yourself in a book set in Alaska, read "Dead in the Water" for that. Just don't read it for the mystery.

Great characters - a hypothermic mystery:
This is a story for those who read for setting and character, not for those who prefer action and puzzle solving. I really liked the introduction to the world of crabbing in the Aleutians and the glimpses Stabenow gives us into indigenous culture, and into area history, are a real plus. This would earn the book five stars from me. The main characters are well drawn, particularly Kate Shugak and Andy Pence. Many of the supporting characters are equally well developed, and this would earn at least four stars. However, the plot failed to hold my attention and seemed to drag in places, and would earn only three stars, at best. Even so, having read this Shugak mystery, I am interested in reading other books in the series. I rate this with a solid four stars.

Dead in the Water:
Shugak is "Wonder Woman" for sure. Best Shugak mystery to date. Looking forward to see what Dana will do to top this one!

Another great mystery by Dana Stabenow:
Number 3 in the Kate Shugak mystery series, this book is set in the Aleutian Islands. I enjoyed the plot and felt immersed in the diffucult and dangerous life on a fishing boat. I greatly enjoyed the interaction between Kate and the elder, Olga. Dana Stabenow again sparked my curiousity about Alaskan history, leading me to research and learn more about the Aleutian Islands and the battles that took place there in WWII. It's wonderful that she included a reference to a good historical writer on the subject.

A Winner!:
Top-notch author and another winning story. Alaska is featured and described with accuracy and affection. Just one of the many stories in this land of mystery and challenges.