Customer Reviews

Burn: An Anna Pigeon Novel (Anna Pigeon Mysteries)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(54)

 

 

I love this series, but the latest two haven't been pleasing or enjoyable to read. Too much angst, and the trend toward violence has been increasing since High Country, or seems to, anyway. I'm very glad I didn't use one of my [...] credits to get this on audio,as I would not have enjoyed listening to this one on the road.

I'd like to see Anna return to a more interesting group of parks - it doesn't have to be a Western park, as I loved "Liberty Falling." I'm sure there's a long-term plan here, but the parts of the story that I always love - the mentions of Piedmont, Taco, and Paul were purely perfunctory here, just mentioned for the sake of being mentioned, but not a part of the story. Yes, I know Piedmont is usually sitting in someone else's distant lap, but I like the stories where the pets are actually present. Of course, realistically, these animals are getting pretty old, and so is Anna. How much longer is Anna going to keep winning these unlikely fights with younger people, particularly stronger men, and executing heroic rescues against all odds?


I like Barr's books because I like visiting with my "friends," and the purported plot isn't necessarily of major importance, but when the background has such a high ick factor and the plot is so bizarre, I don't get into it.

I have been a fan of Nevada Barr for a long time. The book was very well written, hers always are. It was the subject matter that I was very upset by. Children sex-slaves and the evil ones who use them. Her last two books have been very dark,

I would not have read this book if I had known the subject, at least not now. I am a mother and a grandmother, I just can't get the images out of my mind.

I have been a serious Nevada Barr fan for over fifteen years. Well, lets make that a little less than fifteen years since I have not enjoyed her last few books nearly as much as her earlier ones. The release of each new Anna Pigeon novel was an eagerly awaited event. No longer. With "Burn" Nevada Barr has finally lost me, forever. Her books were favorites because of her writing skills, the anticipation of a visit to a new National Park, the wonderful descriptions of natural settings, the ongoing characters who had become like family, the good balance of plot and tension without gratuitous violence. Just enough evil, but not too much. "Burn" has none of these. If I want to read the hard boiled genre I will choose it. There are plenty of excessively dark and violent authors out there to choose from. I did not finish this book and I will read no more of Nevada Barr's books. I felt as if "Burn" should have come with a warning label; "Warning: read at your own risk. This is the new Nevada Barr, not the one you have loved for so long." Goodbye Anna Pigeon. I'll miss you, but will keep the fond memories of our long term friendship. I think I'll go back and read all of our old favorites. Savor the past and then go find a new favorite author.

I can't believe I just typed that title. But it's true - I think it's time that a character I had once hoped would NEVER "grow old and die" needs to do something just short of that.

A Michigan native & resident, I was in such anticipation of Anna's return to Isle Royale NP in 2008's "Winter Study" that I waited almost 2 years to finally let myself read it. I just didn't want the experience to come and go too quickly.

With "Winter Study," I definitely saw a "change a comin'." It was still the Anna I'm familiar with, but with a darker turn. I wasn't as happy with the book as I'd anticipated, but it was still pretty classic Anna.

2009's "Borderline" was almost a non-book to me. In retrospect after having read "Burn," it almost seems like "Borderline" was entirely a set-up for the new "Maternal" Anna.

Which brings us to "Burn." I can't recall having read a more off-putting book. And I can't understand why Nevada Barr felt she had to do this with Anna. She could have made this a one-off, non-series book featuring any bystander - it didn't even have to be someone in law enforcement in Anna's role.

Overall, it just appears like Nevada has found herself a pet cause, and is using her popular Anna in a novelized public service announcement about pedophilia and all its related evils.

I almost feel a bit used. I could almost hear Barr saying, "This is something I wanted to make public. To bring this to the attention of those who might not know of the existence of such evil. A 'call to action' for people to get involved in fighting pedophilia, child pornography, child prostitution."

You know, if something like that happens as a result of someone reading this book, great. But not all of us are in a position to stand up and take action things like this. Some of us are just scraping by in our own lives, suffering our own miseries and misfortunes. And some of us read to take ourselves away from these sorts of daily negatives and get a little relief.

This book was SO not an escape or a relief of any kind. It was ugly, dark, uncomfortable. The visuals I now have stuck in my head I just plain want GONE. What has been read cannot be unread.

I really hope that, rather than to continue taking Anna down this unseemly road, there will be one more Anna Pigeon book. One more book set in some lovely wilderness-centered national park where Anna can do her thing, save the day - and then decide enough is enough and go be the wife and (probably adoptive) mother she seems to want to be now.

I still hate the idea of a "domesticated" Anna Pigeon. But I do like the character of Paul, her husband. I almost feel like I'd like to see HIM rewarded with a wife that is actually PRESENT, and see Anna find some final happiness.

I love this character. I don't want to see her go away. But I don't want to see any more books like "Burn."

I am so disappointed in Ms. Barr. I wish that she had created a new character as her heroine for the last 3 books. That she had created a new series and left the Anna Pigeon stories to continue in the same style. I will no longer be reading her novels. They have become too dark. For me, child abuse is not entertaining. The previous Anna Pigeon books were very similar. They are light on the gore, heavy on nature and dry humor. I loved the previous characters. They were barely mentioned in this book. Where was the banter with Molly? What was the point of marrying Paul if he's barely a player? Ms. Barr has changed her writing style. I am so very disappointed. I do hope that she reads these reviews and brings the Anna stories back. I suppose there is a market for her new style. But, they are not books that I will be reading.

I have been a fan of Barr for years. I find it hard to believe this book was written by Ms. Barr. This book is terrible. The plot is not only unbelievable, it is full of detailed graphic violence against children. Do not waste your time or your money. I only gave it one star because I was not given the option of negative stars.

Ranger Anna Pigeon has disappeared and a substitution made that deals with degradation, violence, sadism, violence, child abuse and pornography,violence. I have been a fan of Nevada Barr's since 2002 but now I am done. Loved the park ranger series but not this new direction.

I have loved Nevada Barr books since the beginning. Ms. Barr can transport you from a tunnel to a kayak to the mountains tracking big cats, making every page gripping.

This book is very unfortunate and I never would have bought it if I had known the subject matter. As it is, I read part of it and then threw it in the trash. There is enough violence against children and graphic pornography without a favorite mystery writer using it as the basis of a book.

Avoid this book completely. I am very disappointed in Ms. Barr.

I hated this book. I wanted to read about one of my favorite heroines and her ballsy plots in the great outdoors, her challenging lovelife, a light, easy, fun and entertaining read.

Instead I was assaulted with a grotesque, violent story out of the front pages of the newspaper - not at all entertaining, but shocking in its "in-your-face" detailed descriptions of child sexual
abuse and the skin trade. It would make sense for a large section of pedophiles to actually purchase this story for their sick pleasure - it is that detailed. Probably not what the author intended!

The author would have been better off writing a work of non-fiction to meet her own need to explore and educate on this topic, rather than abusing her fan base. I felt totally assaulted by this book - and I feel "used" by the author. I work with children of this population, and the last thing I want to do on my off time is read a book sensationalizing this issue in gross detail. Yuck!

And the vocabulary in the first 75 pages - did she recently study for the GREs or something? What was up with that!

I've read all her books - and this one sorely and sadly disappoints.

This latest Anna Pigeon novel by Nevada Barr has none of the outdoor flavor of the earlier novels and devolves into a violent police procedural. The brazenness with which Pigeon, a law enforcement officer, flouts the law defies credulity. The writing is workmanlike and carries readers well, but it's not worth the effort in the end. I wish I had waited to buy it for a dollar from a closeout company rather than paying full price. I feel like I was robbed by the National Park Service ranger. If you've never read any of Barr's series, start (and maybe end) with "Track of the Cat" and "Ill Wind."