Customer Reviews

Elements of a Kill (Inupiat Eskimo Mysteries)

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This was my first book by this author and I will now look for more. While all of the Inuit language had me looking for the glossary a few times it kept me up at night to finish it. I liked how the author ties the old ways of the Inuits, racism and survival into one tale. With the vivid description I found myself shivering even while sitting next to a wood stove with the description of the howling winds. Kept me guessing until the last chapter.

Lane does an admirable job of showcasing the collision of old and new amid the unforgiving winter of the oil-rich Alaska frontier. His hero, police officer Ray Attla, has a foot in both worlds -- the native culture of his ancestors and the modern world of law enforcement. Elements of mysticism play a role in Ray's pursuit of a killer, but the plot is complex enough to keep the reader guessing until the end.

As with most novels being published today, this one could have used an editor skilled in the rules of basic English, but "Elements of a Kill" is still a good read in spite of such mistakes as 'breaks' when the meaning is clearly 'brakes'.

If you like authors Sue Henry and Dana Stabenow, here is a great new find in the Alaskan mystery genre!! Read it in the summer. Reading it on a cold, dark winters night might be a little too real to handle. I highly recommend this book.