Customer Reviews

A Night Too Dark: A Kate Shugak Novel (Kate Shugak Mysteries)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dana Stabenow takes her fans into the depths of Kate Shugak feelings as Suulutag Gold Mine's money changes the park. Kate knows the mine will bring much needed jobs to the park rats and the native shareholders, but at what costs?
The changes are brought home to her when Auntie Vi sells her bed and breakfast, when people start disappearing, when Trooper Jim's work load increases until he doesn't make it home for several nights in a row, Bobby Clark begins to fly the mail route, and Johnny is growing up enough to take a summer job at the mine.
Kate doesn't want the change, but as head of the Native Association she knows it is inevitable. It's almost a relief when she and Ole Sam discover a half-eaten body that leaves a question was this a suicide or was it murder? Violent death is easier for Kate to get a handle on.
This is not Stabenow's best in this series, but transition novels in a powerful series are difficult for both the writer and the reader. Change doesn't come any easier for a fan as it does for Kate, but a fantastic conclusion will keeps us begging for the next addition.
Nash Black, author of Indie finalist WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and HAINTS.

First Sentence: Gold.

Mining has come to Kate's corner of Alaska and changing her world forever. But death is still there. A truck is found with an apparent suicide note. What remains of a body is later found and identified as one of the workers from the Suulutaq Mine. When the man thought dead walks into Kate's yard, they find someone disappeared at the same time and uncover a case of corporate espionage. But the death of a much-liked mine office worker has Kate determined to find out what is going on.

Most of the things I love about Dana Stabenow's writing are here. The dialogue is excellent and filled with delightfully dry humor. The sense of place in her ability to convey Alaska, particularly the profusion of flowers in spring, is visually effective. Her references to contemporary music and books contribute to the sense of time and identity of the characters of Kate and Jim. The scenes of sexual foreplay are fun, titillating yet never go too far.

The characters are empathic and appealing. For everything Kate has survived, which has given her the edge and strength she has, as a character, she is anything but cold. Although she is a bit too good to be true, that is also what bring me back book after book. Chopper Jim, Old Sam, the aunties, Johnny, Mutt and all those around her provide dimension both to Kate and to the setting.

The plot started off strong but rather wandered away from itself. Ms. Stabenow knows how to build a scene so filled with anticipation and suspense, you nearly forget to breathe. Although there was one such scene, there was only one.

For the rest of the story, it rather felt to be "Kate Lite." It reminded me more of her earlier, lighter books. I very much enjoyed those at the time, but her more recent books, those after "Hunter's Moon" have developed so far past those, this feels to be a step back.

I'm not saying the issues raised in the story weren't interesting, timely or important; they were. Kate's concerns about the changes happening around her will certainly impact her growth as a character. I'm also not saying I was bored or found the book slow reading; I assuredly was not.

For all my admitted disappointment, this is still a good read and I am anxious to see where the series goes from here. But would someone please explain to me what the title, with its dark and suspenseful connotation, had to do with the story?

A NIGHT TOO DARK (PI-Kate Shugak-Alaska-Cont) - Good
Stabenow, Dana - 17th in series
Minotaur Books, ©2010, US Hardcover - ISBN: 9780312559090

I've always enjoyed the Kate Shugak novels and their view into the Park life in the wilds of Alaska. This one deals with the opening of a gold mine and the pros and cons of supporting it. The mine creates needed jobs but brings trouble with more people brought in for employment who have too much money and too little to spend it on. Everyone looks to Kate for answers on whether to support the proposed mine especially now that she's chair of the Niniltna Native Association.
The problem with this book is that the author is too in love with her character. Kate seems to run everything including releasing people from jail, getting them jobs and deciding every bit of business the Assocation handles. Her laugh attracts every man. Even at 5 feet tall, everyone is intimidated by her. On a search party, she is the one who kills the bear. She is Superwoman and it, frankly, has gotten on my nerves. Make her human again. Let her make mistakes. Let her not intimidate everyone. Let her meet a man who doesn't fall for her. Let the other characters do something besides orbiting around her sun.

I've read the entire Kate Shugak series several times. This latest installment wasn't what I expected: sure, it was filled with the usual kick-ass Kate fights, and murder, and suspense. But something was missing. It wasn't as visceral, as dark, as humorous, as hot. Overall, it was a good read, but not what I'd come to expect from Dana Stabenow.

I wait expectantly for each new Stabenow novel. They are great light mystery reads and true to the Alaska experience. Always makes me anxious for my return each Summer to the beauty and mystique of this great state. No disappointment in A Night Too Dark. Kate is engaging and there is enough tension to keep me involved in the story.

Although I usually enjoy an audio production of a book, this particular reader is awful, I keep wanting her to take a breath. It's as though she was told to read the book as quickly as possible. Its totally ruined the book. She rushes through the book with very little intonation. Marguerite Gavin should be banned from reading a book. I'll never know if I would have like the book I couldn't stand to listen to this woman.

One of the problems, I think, with successful authors is that they have the power with their editors to resist editing. This book desperately needed someone to go through it and take out at least 50 pages. There were pages describing parties that had little to do with the story line -- the Native American association meeting descriptions were equally irrelevant -- but what irritated me the most was the anti-environmentalist ranting and raving -- and the pro-hunting, pro-gun agenda. I don't mind that the author's opinion is very far from mine, but I don't know why I have to hear about it when I just wanted to read a good mystery.

The plot involves a new gold mine that's opening up -- a man who had worked at the mine is found dead, and further deaths follow. The plot is continually interrupted, however, by a lot of digressions that have little if any bearing on the story line. Mysteries are supposed to be tightly plotted. I think the author was trying to write something more like a novel. She's a good mystery writer when she sticks to that, but she's not so good when she strays too far from that genre. The end result was that I felt that the book when on for far too long, and it didn't hold my attention as well as it might of had it been edited down to eliminate all the digressions.

I might add that I think it's quite telling that the "praise" quoted on the back of the paperback was basically praise of the series/character rather than this particular book. That should tell you something.

Another terrific Kate Shugak tale. And it leaves the imagination wondering about the next book in the series. I was left wanting more. Thanks Dana !

Long on wind and short on action. Not as exciting as her previous novels. I was expecting more.

Continues the entertaining series with this new book but doesn't quite reach the usual level of satisfaction. Still there is plenty of local color, local characters and sharp dialogue. Overall, I really like this series and can't wait for each new book to come out.