Blood Lure

This series is one of my favourites, and this last one is better than the previous--I didn't care for Deep South as well. Which means not a whole lot since Ms. Barr's worst books are twice as good as most other authors' best. All of her books have been on my keeper shelf since the first one, and I'm picky about what goes on that shelf. Her writing ranks up there with Dana Stabenow and Tony Hillerman, and those two are exalted company.Another reviewer complained about the copy editing, and that's something I notice generally. I saw no problems here. The reviewer sited a page five exchange where Anna says "How you do?" in response to an introduction. That's not a typo, that's colloquial speech. I suspect that other things the reviewer found were probably in the same vein. Read this book, you'll enjoy it. If you haven't read this series before you could read this one as a stand alone, but it's best to read them in order, as Anna does go through some growth and changes during the series.

Blood Lure An Anna Pigeon book By: Nevada Barr G.P. Putnam Sons ISBN: 0-399-14702-0 Mystery-police Nevada Barr's reoccurring character, National Park Ranger Anna Pigeon is back on duty and quite naturally embroiled in a mystery. This book finds Anna working in the Waterton/Glacier National Peace Park on the Montana/Canadian border. She has gone there to participate in a DNA research project on Grizzly bears. Anna is teamed up with a trained researcher, Joan Rand and a young summer volunteer, Rory Van Slyke. Almost immediately reports of grizzlies doing unusual things are coming in. The second night put the researchers become the hunted, Rory is missing and another camper is dead. Anna uses her law enforcement skills to help question fellow campers, gather evidence and try to solve this rather unusual murder. Along the way the reader is treated to a wonderful hiking tour of the rugged Montana/Canadian Glacier area. The wildlife and the fauna are aptly described. Also disclosed are amazing tidbits of information about the Grizzly bear and their habits. The mystery was compelling and in no way easy to solve until the last 10 pages were turned. Nevada Barr writes wonderful books that are always well researched.

In "Blood Lure," Nevada Barr has written one of the best mysteries I've read in a long time. I was absolutely stumped from beginning to end, but when I read the solution, everything made sense and fit together nicely. Best of all, when I look back over the story, I see that Barr provided the reader with all the necessary clues along the way. I just didn't have the brain power to figure it out myself.Park Ranger Anna Pigeon is a fascinating character, and the "hook" of this series--each book takes place at a different national park--is absolutely unique (that's saying something when I can name not one, but TWO mystery series featuring cleaning lady sleuths, of all things). Pigeon is a loner, a woman who has to remind herself to fake softness and sympathy when required. She is completely at home hiking and camping in the great outdoors.This book finds her faith in nature shaken, however, when she is attacked by a grizzly bear while working with researchers to gather bear DNA information in Waterton/ Glacier National Peace Park. When one of her companions goes missing after the attack, and then a camper is found murdered off a nearby trail, Anna finds her darkest suspicions aroused.Although I would recommend this series, and this book in particular, to anyone, it is a particular treat for anyone who enjoys camping or hiking. Barr's detailed description of life within the National Park system is engrossing. These people have chosen lives that are completely at odds from everyday existence as most of us experience it. And if you don't enjoy camping or hiking, you can still enter and enjoy this foreign world without having to experience the inconvenience of mosquitos directly, not to mention the terror of a grizzly attack.

I am a very big fan of Anna Pigeon, and I found this book to be better than the average for the series. Since I find the series as a whole to be far far better than most, this is great praise from me.I always dread the mystery story review that gives away too much of the plot, so unfortunately I must speak in generalities. All I will say is that in this story the National Park is Glacier and that grizzly bears are involved. Since you learn this on page 1, this is not much of a plot-spoiler. Like the other books, this one benefits greatly from the author's extraordinary facility in describing the physical and the psychological aspects of the natural world from which Anna derives her strength. I also admire the author's unusual ability to let her character mature and change - Anna seems to be truly living her life in front of our eyes. From the self-pitying, alcoholic but stunningly competent ranger in the first book she has matured into a reflective, sober, observant, irreverant and stunningly competent (even more than usual) ranger in this book. Contrast Kinsey Milhone (I also like that series, by the way), who seems to be the same in every book. Another plus for this book is the characterizations of the supporting players - not many of them, but very well detailed. I very much enjoyed the description of everything to do with bears - seemingly based on solid research, and totally fascinating. Unlike the reviewers who speak of trick endings, I found the plotting of this book to be meticulously fair (and absolutely riveting), to the point where I actually managed to figure out the mystery before it was revealed, and I found it very satisfying. OK, maybe the final resolution (I wish I could describe it but you'd never forgive me) is a little strained, but it truly could not be otherwise.

Anna Pigeon normally works as a park ranger at the Natchez Trace Parkway, Mississippi, but currently she is temporarily on loan to the Wateron-Glacier International Peace Park, Montana. Joan Rand leads a research team including Anna studying DNA of bears. Her superiors believe that the knowledge Anna gains on this project will enable her to do likewise at her own park. Also on the team is Rory Van Slyke as an Earthwatch sherpa and general gopher.On their first night camping, they hear a bear. When the noise ends, Anna and Joan check for damage only to find two tents destroyed and Rory missing. As they call for help, another participant finds the body of a dead woman. A search party goes looking for Rory, finding him thirty-six hours later in shock with no other damage, but little memory of what happened to him. The corpse is Rory's stepmother, which leaves Anna wondering if he killed his relative. The other suspect is Rory's father, a spousal abuse victim. Anna is deputized to look into the matter, but too many clues makes it difficult to form a picture of what occurred and why.Nevada Barr uses a picturesque style of writing as her words graphically describe the beauty, color, and danger of Wateron - Glacier International Peace Park. The details allow the audience to feel as if they are part of the on-site research team. BLOOD LURE is a well-executed mystery with few readers guessing why the victim was murdered and who the culprit is. Once again, Ms. Barr has delivered a nature lover mystery that will provide plenty of enjoyment to fans of a cerebral puzzle.Harriet Klausner