Ill Wind

Nevada Barr really hit her stride in Ill Wind, the third in her wonderful Anna Pigeon series.In this tale, park ranger Anna is stationed at Colorado's Mesa Verde park, where the famous cliff dwellings draw tourists from all over the world. As in her other two books, Barr makes the reader experience the site. It is her great gift--reading about the kivas and mesas and the haunting spirits of the primitive Anasazi, who originally constructed the mesas, I felt I was there. I could feel the heat of the air, smell the surrounding vegetation, feel the sandstone. And, along with Anna, who is becoming more likeable with every book, I worried about seemingly nefarious activites in the park--of of which ends in the death of a fellow ranger. Anna knows the death is not accidental, but try as she might, she cannot put together the increasingly strange and seemingly unrelated clues.Along comes "Fred the Fed," whom we met the last book. He and Anna team up to solve the mystery, and the interplay between them is a true delight.I find this series a true delight as well; the concept of a park ranger as law-enforcement detective is so different, and so perfect, as are the descriptions of the incredible national parks. I am getting a real education, here! This is the perfect book to take to the beachl or the pool or the park--easy, fun, gently suspenseful, and perfect.

When you can taste the desert dust in your mouth just by reading about Anna Pigeon's exploits in this book, then you can guess that you're on to an author with superior writing skills. This book made me feel that I was there with Anna. The mystery, while excellent, takes almost second place to the sense of being there that this author can evoke. I can't praise it highly enough.

Anna Pigeon, is now at home in Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park, but murder also invades the Anasazi ruins. Why do some of the tourists die while viewing the caves? This becomes a significant question when a child dies; the previous deaths were attributed to natural circumstance. The value of medical training for a park ranger is detailed in giving aid to these unfortunate visitors.Death continues to visit this land where the question of "what happened to the Anasazi" is as ingrained to archaeologists in the real world as it is in the world of Anna Pigeon. It is clear that Nevada Barr has studied the ancient Native American history and searched for answers to this question. Is not a journey into history, but an adventure into murder and money. Nevada Barr excels in creating believable characters, situations and solutions.

Again, Nevada Barr weaves in a virtual vacation in a national park with a murder mystery. Her detective, park ranger Anna Pigeon, intricately blends the park, the crime and her own emotional history into a story which satisfies on many levels. The only regret at the end is that the vacation is over.

Another knockout from Nevada Barr! Wonderfully descriptive mystery that hold your interest until the end.