Cold Company: An Alaska Mystery (Alaska Mystery Series)

Cold Company, a Sue Henry Alaskan mystery, is a great read! It's fast- paced,interesting....a good "who done it?". As in all of her books, Ms. Henry's wonderful descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness and lifestyle are sure to make one want to visit the state. What I especially enjoy, reading each of her books, is the brilliant way she weaves in references to events and people from her previous mystery books. So, for example if you are reading a "Jessie Arnold" mystery, it's fun to start with the first one; however her books are great "stand alone" stories too. I first fell in love with her books when we vacationed in Alaska, and was impressed also with the accuracy of her descriptions of the state, cities, roads, topography, and history. I only wish more people in the "lower 48" were familliar with her works. But I digress..."Cold Company" is a true KEEPER.

At first I was not sure I would like this book, it seemed to start off a little slow. After reading through several pages it became quite interesting and I was not able to put it down. I almost gave up reading it at first, I'm glad I didn't. The characters are interesting and her style of writing keeps you on the edge of your seat, kind of like some action movies! Enjoy!

Jessie Arnold is building a new cabin on her property to replace the one that was burned to the ground by an arsonist a few months ago (Beneath The Ashes). During the excavation for her basement, a skeleton is unearthed. Meanwhile, women are being found to have been murdered in a way that recalls a serial murderer of twenty years ago. Sue Henry weaves a wonderful plot in which several characters could be the perpetrator. The reader worries Jessie will trust the wrong person while suspecting another. As always, Henry's landscape and wildlife descriptions are so well done, it's almost like being there. I read Sleeping Lady several years ago and I don't remember the story, but I remember the descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness. These books let the reader reside in the wilderness for a little while with all the perks and none of the hardships.

If you enjoy a mystery story full of red herrings, stalwart characters, an exotic Alaskan setting coupled with enough twists and turns to titillate the most ardent armchair sleuth, COLD COMPANY by Sue Henry is just the ticket. Jessie Arnold is a well-known "dog musher" who was the target of a serial arsonist who destroyed her home in Henry's earlier book, BENEATH THE ASHES. Now with work under way to rebuild her lost log cabin, she finds a skeleton in the dig. Along with the male bones, investigators find a butterfly necklace purported to belong to a young woman who disappeared more than 20 years ago. Could her bones be buried near this body? Could Jessie's land be another burial site used by serial killer Robert Hansen, who was convicted of 17 murders and is now spending his waning days in prison? This theory is ruled out almost immediately when the bodies of two recently murdered women are found in close proximity to the construction site. Everyone involved in the investigation agrees that a copycat killer is on the loose...but who and why? After all, in the small, claustrophobic towns of rural Alaska, neighbors and workers are friends who know each other. Or do they? If these unnerving events aren't enough to jangle the nerves of ever independent Jessie Arnold, she also begins to receive anonymous gifts in the form of a single rose left first on her doorstep and then in her kitchen. At first, she thinks they may be a surprise from her former lover but then realizes that their break, while painful, was permanent. So, who is trespassing on her property and invading her most private space? As all of the book's events unfold, the Alaskan summer solstice slowly melts away toward winter; Jessie and her friends are convinced that they are on the trail of a different serial murderer. They wend their way along wilderness trails that lead deep into heavy forest cover to emerge slipping and sliding over the icy glacial terrain that surrounds their part of the world. Sue Henry is an adept storyteller. In Jessie Arnold she has created a prototype of a single, independent, self-supporting and intelligent but stubborn woman, who always wants things her way. But Jessie is not hard or cold hearted. She is has the courage to reexamine and reevaluate her opinions, behaviors, strengths, and vulnerabilities without compromising her integrity. These characteristics save Henry's protagonist from being a stereotype and rescue her tales from banality. COLD COMPANY is a fast paced read, perfect for a hot summer day. --- Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum

Dog musher Jessie Arnold has not had an easy time of it lately. Four months ago, she broke up with her significant other, State Trooper Alex when he moved to Idaho and she didn't want to leave Alaska nor commit to a marriage when she guarded her independence. Three months ago, a serial arsonist burnt down her log cabin located in a remote area eight miles from the small town of Wasilla in Matunuska Valley.Now that the long days of summer are nearly here, work is getting underway to build Jessie a bigger and better log cabin complete with a basement. When they excavate the hole that will house the foundation, Jessie finds a skeleton buried in one of the dirt walls. The police also find a gold butterfly pendant near the remains, which belong to the victim of one of Alaska's most violent serial killers. The pendant links up to a copycat killing that are going on today and Jessie finds herself once again in deadly danger.Sue Henry brings to life the beauty and the camaraderie of living in Alaska to such a degree that readers will want to hop a plane to visit our forty-ninth state. The protagonist embodies the spirit of Alaska, a person who is fiercely independent, wants her way, and will bend but not break. The mystery itself is a well-drawn puzzle, impossible to fathom until all the pieces click neatly into place. Readers of COLD COMPANY will enjoy the latest installment in this long running series.Harriet Klausner