Track of the Cat (An Anna Pigeon Novel)

This is one of my favorite Anna Pigeon novels. She is a ranger in Guadeloupe Mountains National Park and comes across the body of a ranger who has apparently been killed by a cougar (hence the name of the book). She is convinced that the lion has been wrongfully accused of murder, and this conviction grows stronger as more dead bodies appear. Since an autopsy of the ranger shows that she was killed by the cougar, you know from the start that Barr has come up with an good setup for a murder mystery, with a novel choice of weapon. Ranger Anna Pigeon is an interesting character, with a backstory (she is a widow who escapes New York by becoming a ranger), a long-distance relationship with her psychiatrist sister (a plot device that serves well to reveal inner thoughts), and a vice (alcoholism). She's cynical and worldly, but that is balanced by her love of nature and the parks. She's also a bit of a superhero, especially at the end, and I don't find those parts too convincing. The book conveys a great sense of the setting. Barr loves the desert parks, including the site of this novel, Guadeloupe Mountains (in West Texas). This is a relatively unknown park, which includes the high point of Texas. Ranger Pigeon spends a lot of time in the backcountry of the park and makes it sound inviting even though there are no water sources there. The book has a well-constructed plot though the ending lacks a full resolution. As is generally true in this series, it's easier to make good guesses about whodunnit than it is to figure out the motive. Some motives are so oddball, "out of the box," that I don't see how you could figure it out from the information given, and that's a violation of the mystery writers' code. Barr *almost* commits that sin here. Overall, this is a good introduction to the series. If you don't like this one, don't read any of the others.

I judge mysteries on how fast they hook me. And I was hooked on "Track of the Cat," the first in Barr's Anna Pigeon series, within one page.The fascinating plot revolves around the intrigue and in-fighting among the park rangers on the border between Texas and New Mexico. Who knew? Even among diehard environmentalists such as Anna and her coworkers, political pettiness exists. That's why, when a fellow ranger is found supposedly murdered by one of the park's protected cougars, Anna goes from 1 to 10 on the rage meter. She doesn't believe it's a lion kill--and she knows that the intricate politics and age-old fighting between ranchers and rangers will result in a sanctified lion kill.Racing against time, Anna sets out to solve a murder that only she believes is a murder. The more she finds out, the more sinister the seemingly beautiful and pristine canyons and mountains become. Two more rangers disappear...and are ultimately found dead. Just what is going on, and how can Anna stop it? The solution, which comes at the very end of the book, is completely unexpected, and quite satisfying.Barr's talent does not stop with the mystery, however. Her unique ability to draw the reader completely into Pigeon's milieu is seemingly effortless. I could feel the intense heat of the Texas desert, feel the rocks under my feet, feel the need for water as Anna and I hiked miles and miles through wild and achingly beautiful country. I felt that I was there alongside her, sweating with the heat and the knowledge that a crazed murderer was stalking us.Take this book with you to the beach, to the mountains, to the pool, or just sit under a tree and sip some iced tea. It's a quick, fun, and fascinating read for any mystery lover!

Anna Pigeon is independent, strong willed, determined, and a very good observer; all of these qualities are necessary for a good sleuth. She is a Park Ranger who follows clues to find the truth like she were filling in a crossword puzzle, which I'm addicted to. So, when a rogue mountain lion kills, she must find the animal... however, she finds a murderer who will kill anyone in the way of a clandestine enterprise. No matter where the clues of a mountain lion attack leads her, Anna follows her instinct and logic; it's quite a treat to "read her mind" as she does. After being lured into a death trap, she knows she is on the right track. There are many suspects and motives, and the details are rich as only one who has been there can describe. That's what makes Nevada Barr's books so good -- she is a park ranger.

Anna Pigeon is a Park Ranger who has left NY to escape her own personal history for the open spaces and peace of nature. Peace, however, has a cost and in this case it means solving murder, intrigue and the losses of endangered and monitored species. When Anna is in danger, we learn about the rigors of climbing sheer stone walls only to discover yet another secret.Nevada Barr has created a character that is unique and believable. In getting to know Anna the reader also learns about the real life of a park ranger from one who does the job. The mystery is excellent; I recommended this book to both my mother and daughter who now are fans. Even my son-in-law who has a busy career has found the time and energy to be drawn into this mysterious, well defined world.

If you have run out of Tony Hillerman books to read, you are not out of wonderful Southwestern mysteries. It's easy to see why Nevada Barr won the Agatha Award for best first mystery. Her unlikely heroine allows the readers to feel like they are helping solve the crime at her side. In addition to being a very good book in its own right, this book sets the stage for a fine series of mysteries.