A GRAVE DENIED

The question of whether the thirteenth Kate Shugak novel is successful depends on how you look at it. One could say that most of its clues are red herrings. On the other hand, one could consider the ending to be a satisfying surprise. One could also say that many of the characters seem to be needlessly foul-mouthed and obsessed with sex. On the other hand, such is often the case in "realistic" fiction. Overall, as the intrepid Shugak seeks to identify the murderer of a child molester, the Alaskan landscape of the series entertains, but the suspense of the plot seems misdirected. Marguerite Gavin leaves the emotion to the story, an approach that seems, at best, routine. D.R.W.
(c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 04]