A Superior Death

I'll admit this doesn't get off to a whirlwind start, and I'll admit that I kept going in part because a smart friend recommended it and in part because I'm a sucker for eco-anything in genre fiction. But when it takes off, it takes off. Far and away the best bits of this one are the dive sequences on the very deep and very nasty Kamloops wreck off Isle Royale. They are, I do not exaggerate, phenomenally descriptive and visceral. You can read this in a laundromat that reeks of fabric softener, with dryers thumping and children squalling and smokers trying to poison you, and you're still alone two hundred feet under Lake Superior in the dark and cold. I've read these passages three times in the past two weeks, trying to figure out how she did it, even dreamed about them a couple of times, and not good dreams, either--I mean it, these sections are truly unnerving, especially the last, in which we find out how the murder was done. The only drawback is that I'm afraid the other Nevada Barr books can't possibly be this memorable, if only because I can't imagine a better setting; but I guess I'm going to have to find out.

Anna Pigeon is a Park Ranger who has been transferred from the hot Texas desert (read Track of the Cat) to the cold reaches of Lake Superior where her skills as a diver are tested by ghostly images from a sunken ship to the very real danger of a murderer.Nevada Barr does not simply tell the story, but she reveals it through details that give the reader insight into both the world of the Park Rangers and underwater spectacles that delight the imagination. As she learns about this cold world, so do we. As Anna solves the mystery, we feel the fear building because we know that she is in danger and that she didn't get into that danger by ignoring her common sense, but by following her basic intelligence to logical conclusions. Logic can sometimes take too long, which always adds to great suspense.

Nevada Barr is a wonderful author. She has a dry, subtle sense of humor which gives a very nice background for the story. She also includes you in the story as a participant instead of just an observer. For example, when describing scuba dives to wrecks in Lake Superior, she doesn't give a lecture on scuba diving, but you feel as though you totally understand the experience nonetheless. The mystery is also carefully woven so that, when the culprit is identified, you are surprised but realize that all of the clues were there. This is another fine book by a very fine author.

Each of Ms. Barr's books I pick up is her best! I have read nearly all of her books now. I think I have one to go. It really is like finding an old friend. Anna Pigeon is a real person, with foibles and vulnerabilities, strengths, weaknesses, skills and awkwardness. In this story she is law enforcement ranger again in cold north (Lake Superior of the title) and scuba diving and boat handling. This is an excellent plot. Much like murder in the locked room. How WAS it done? You will be hooked on it. Then you will realize you have become rather fond of Ranger Anna Pigeon, and in the end you will be a fan of Nevada Barr. I know. I have been there. This book, and all her books, I highly recommend.

This was the first Nevada Barr book I ever read,it caught my eye since it was written about Lake Superior. I live in Michigan and love that lake. The book was so well written that I've read all of her other books since. But this was my favorite. Highly recommend reading this one!