Sound Tracks

Marcia Simpson delivers another satisfying tale, SOUND TRACKS, the second in the series following Liz Romero, bookmoboat librarian/delivery service in Alaska. Her first, CROW IN STOLEN COLORS, was an excellent debut of this new series and I couldn't put it down. Simpson's moody descriptions take you right to the scene of dripping pines, foggy harbors and the "last frontier" atmosphere of the region. Although the crime itself isn't followed in a traditional whodunit style, both books have fascinated me and I can highly recommend them for their in-depth characterizations and skillfully woven plots. CROW was a bit more hit-in-the-gut suspense, with a young boy's life in peril, while TRACKS follows the bay water's endangered whale population. You easily get caught up even in the quirky secondary characters. Simpson is a true storyteller.

As a mystery author with my debut novel in its initial release, I can easily predict that Marcia Simpson will develop into a major talent in our mystery genre. Alaska is a grand land (I was recently there to appear at Anchorage's LEFT COAST CRIME mystery convention) and Ms. Simpson makes the most of her setting. Liza Romero captains a freighter that services the islands south of the state capital. Along this stretch of water, strange events begin to happen. Among these strange events, healthy whales are beaching themselves. The wildlife expert, Henry Sizemore, who investigates the cause of the beached whales apparently drowns in an accident. So launches Liza Romero's second mystery. Liza remains a strong character in this new novel. Newcomer, Scott Beringer also proves interestingly conflicted. The most fascinating elements of SOUND TRACKS, though, are the ecological underpinnings of this story. SOUND TRACKS is a terrific follow-up to Ms. Simpson's stunning debut, CROW IN STOLEN COLORS.

Off the coast of Alaska, whales are acting out of character and crashing into things they normally avoided like rocks and boats. Sea captain Liza Romero knows first hand the problem when a whale crashes into her boat. Even more shocking is the realization that healthy whales are beaching themselves for no apparent reason. The Alaskan State Wildlife Protection Agency whale expert Henry Sizemore investigates the phenomena, thinking sound may be the problem. However, before he can complete his inquiries, Henry drowns in what appears to be an unfortunate accident.San Diego-based Scott Beringer is sent to replace Henry as the whale expert. He wants to say no because of his custody fight with his spouse over their child, but heads north to Alaska anyway. As Scott begins to learn the truth about what is causing the whales to behave aberrantly, he finds his personal life has followed him to his new job as Liza wonders how safe sailing in any of the waters is with rogue whales running wild.SOUND TRACKS is an excellent environmental mystery that showcases the raw beauty of Alaska as rarely seen in a novel. The story line never slows down as events keep piling upon each other and that adds up to quite a tale. Liza remains a strong character as she returns after quite an appearance in her debut, CROW IN STOLEN COLORS. Scott is a reluctant hero always striving to do the right thing for the state and for his daughter. Marcia Simpson provides an enjoyable regional mystery that showcases a state, a way of life, and her talent.Harriet Klausner