K Falls (Pacific Northwest Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Skye Kathleen Moody (Author)

Book Description

Series: Pacific Northwest Mysteries | Publication Date: July 2001

Skye Kathleen Moody's quirky and comely Fish and Wildlife Service Agent Venus Diamond has graced the pages of four previous mysteries, her mission to foil the plans of the environmental evildoers that populate Moody's earth-conscious Pacific Northwest.With her fifth effort Moody has penned a dynamite, ripped-from-the-headlines thriller that pulls its resonance straight from today's increasingly violent environmental confrontations. K Falls finds Venus deep undercover and hot on the trail of eco-terrorists whom she believes are responsible for a spate of dam bombings along the Columbia River. Adding fuel to Venus's fire, her good friend Louie Song disappears in one of the explosions. Fearing the worst, Venus takes her investigation on the road. If she can track down the criminals responsible for the violence and unearth the secret behind the outbreak of eco-terror, Venus just might be able to come to terms with her own complicated feelings for Louie. In K Falls, Skye Kathleen Moody delivers another unpredictable mystery thick with oddball personalities and environmental intrigue.AUTHORBIO: Skye Kathleen Moody, writer, photographer, and former East African bush guide, lives in Seattle, Washington.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The fifth book featuring U.S. Fish and Wildlife agent Venus Diamond (after 1999's Habitat) wraps an exhilarating mystery around the wistful history of the Columbia River, its dams and its beautiful salmon. In order to track down the terrorists responsible for dam bombings along the river, Venus and a male colleague travel to the town of Kettle Falls, Wash., posing as Juneau and Kay Lynn Jones. The two set up housekeeping in a mobile home and circulate rumors about their demolitions expertise. Meanwhile, the enigmatic mastermind behind the bombings, a man known only as Gerald, has fixed his attention on the Grand Coulee Dam. His companion, Darla Denny, is by turns otherworldly and sharp as a tack. It was she who placed the anonymous phone call that brought Venus onto the scene. Eventually, Juneau and Kay Lynn hook up with Gerald and are able to learn some but only some of his plans. Gaining the full trust of Gerald is only one of their problems; they can't convince their boss at Fish and Wildlife that the dams are in imminent danger. The stakes are raised when Venus learns that two major presidential candidates are each scheduled to give a speech at the Grand Coulee Dam. There's plenty of suspense here, punctuated with lyrical passages on the plight of the salmon, a drowned waterfall, a lost Indian tribe and other ruminations. And while Moody winds up the story nicely, she has the confidence to leave some questions unanswered. (July 16) FYI: The author has published works of nonfiction under the name Kathy Kahn.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

When Pacific Northwest eco-terrorists bomb a dam on the Columbia River, a good friend of series heroine Venus Diamond (Habitat) disappears in the explosion. Diamond's search for the perpetrators threatens her with more danger. A riveting addition to a fine series.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur; 1st edition (July 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031226609X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312266097
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,369,086 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars delightful mystery, June 19, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: K Falls (Pacific Northwest Mysteries) (Hardcover)

The Rocky Reach Dam of the Columbia River was the first site bombed by the terrorist. However, his placement of the bomb must have been off because damage was minimal.

The second Columbia River bombing occurs at the Priest Rapids Dam. This time, someone, probably a fish-counting civil servant, dies. US Fish & Wildlife Agent Louis Song, on loan to the National Marine Fisheries Service, was undercover counting fish at Priest Rapids Dam in order to catch the terrorist when the explosion happened. He is missing and presumed dead.

Louis' peer and close friend Venus Diamond refuses to accept the official view that her fellow agent is dead. She begins an investigation into the eco-terrorism and into finding Louis or clear-cut evidence that he is dead.

The Fifth Diamond environmental mystery takes an intriguing angle as much of the early focus is on the external activities of the terrorist. This provides an insightful look at the psyche of the dam breaker yet also slows the pace of the tale. Still, Fans of eco-mysteries will enjoy K FALLS and search for Skye Kathleen Moody's previous Diamond novels.

Harriet Klausner

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars K Falls, June 7, 2003

By 

Crisler (WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: K Falls (Pacific Northwest Mysteries) (Hardcover)

It's hard to fathom why some people read books. Take the clowns who have done the last two reviews. One seems hell bent on finding every error in the book and is thrilled to come up with a couple; the other slams the whole story because he doesn't like the politics of the author. Well, I imagine some readers are harpies, looking for any mistake anywhere, any political misstep (in their eyes), just to say "gotcha" and run to Amazon to show everybody how smart *they* are. Get a life.

I read mysteries for the fun of it; and Moody has written a very fun book here. Okay, there are a couple of mistakes; okay, she's not going to make a guest appearance on the Michael Savage show any time soon; but if you like well-conceived and executed characters and wonderful settings and an edge-of-your-seat plot, this book (and series) is well worth your time.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First rate mystery!, August 31, 2001

By 

Daphne Ashling Purpus (Vashon, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: K Falls (Pacific Northwest Mysteries) (Hardcover)

K Falls, the fifth in Skye Kathleen Moody's Venus Diamond, Fish and Wildlife agent, series, is a first rate spell binder, with an intricate and intense plot dealing with eco-terrorists and endangered species in the Pacific Northwest. Once again, Venus unravels clues, overcomes great odds, and shows tremendous abilities and psychological insights. Moody has another winner in K Falls, demonstrating again her ability to weave environmental issues into a suspenseful plot with in-depth character portrayals, providing a thought-provoking, action-packed, mystery novel.