A Cold Day for Murder (Kate Shugak Series #1)

Buy this ebook! It is so worth it.....

Don't listen to anonymous critics! I love this series and have all of the books. Who is this mysterious Kate Shugak? What makes her tick? This character draws you into her life as she investigates various murders and happenings in her strange and interesting world. And Jack? Who wouldn't love Jack, the big mountain bear of a man..... And the Father of the Park? yum yum..... For this price, why not? I'm always looking for fun, quirky and sometimes dark characters to sink my teeth into, and this series is a definite gourmet. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. :)

17 out of 18 people found this review helpful.

Thick on descriptive language, thin on plot

I am an avid reader (several hundred books piled up in the "read" shelf on my Nook, I need more storage!) and mystery / suspense is my favorite genre. I read through the excellent reviews of this book and decided it would be a nice series to start through.

I loved the concept of this book. I love the way the author paints the picture of life in rural Alaska. Unfortunately, that is as far as I can go in praise for it.

In all the other ebooks I have read I don't think I've ever given a negative review, but this book compels the first. It was a slog. That's the best description I can give of it: reading this novel felt like trying to walk through a knee-high blizzard. The plot had no continuity, and the pace was unbearably slow. Through the vast majority of the book, not a thing happened. Not only in an action sense - not every book needs to be a thriller - but in a clues to the mystery sense. It just plodded along, without development to keep up any interest. The author devoted exceedingly large sections of the novel to develop the characters of different persons in the town, but then nothing was ever done with them. OK, we met _____, now we'll move on, they have no further relevance, let's go develop someone else.

In short, I feel like this author has a real way with words, and can call up a scene like nobody's business. But her command of plot is weak, and it makes it difficult to follow the story or even maintain interest. I am not familiar with Ms Stabenow as a person, so if she is young or new to writing this is probably something she will mature into. In the meantime, I recommend giving this novel a miss. I hate to say so, I honestly feel that every book can be enjoyed for what it is, but this one was just too much effort to make it worth it.

10 out of 12 people found this review helpful.

Ok, but not great.

This book had a decent story line, but lacked any depth. A quick read, but not worth more than $1.00!

8 out of 16 people found this review helpful.

Great book

Interesting to learn more about what life is like in Alaska. The plot was suspenseful and the main protagonist, Kate Shugak, comes off as tough, which she is, but she has a big heart and does the right thing. Many suspenseful moments that had me holding my breath.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Recommended for Alaskan mystery lovers.

Alaskan PI Kate Shugak is an Aleut with prominent relations in the community. After a traumatic case experiencing emotional and physical damage at the hands of a felon while working for the police, she has retired though not yet 30 to live a secluded life in rural Alaska with only the most basic elements of homesteading other than books and generator-provided access to cassette tapes for comfort when not chopping wood and performing other wilderness chores. She earns money for her minimal needs by holding a business license which she uses to generate PI work. The Shugak series, of which A Cold
Day for Murder is the first, covers her cases while also giving the reader access to her friends, relatives, and other quirky members of her community and offering a picture of modern Aleut and rural Alaskan life that is less than rosy particularly for lower 48 city slickers. The adventure of experiencing Kate's world will help most readers appreciate more the comforts of modern conveniences, public utilities, and animal control. Yet it strangely compelling enough to continue with the series, of which there are 27 books to date.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Enjoyable

Nice detective story set in Alaska

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Not what l expected

It was more history than mystery. It had moments where you were wondering what was gonna happen. If you want to learn about Alaska then this is the book for you.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A wonderful intro to Alaskan fiction

Kate Shugat took less than a day to become one of my favorite people. The detective story is a good one, the pace is fast, and the background makes you feel you have stepped into the "real" Alaska. Good job, Dana!! No, GREAT job!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Very good

I loved this book...I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.



CJ

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

book club

Another recent choice for book club. Not a bad read but I had a hard time getting to know the characters or caring.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

easy, interesting read

my first book by dana stabenow: now i'm going to check out all her others. surprise ending.....i won't tell anymore.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Good book

I enjoyed this book. I will read more in this series.

This author is one of the best. The detail she wriites into her

This author is one of the best. The detail she wriites into her stories makes the reader feel as though he is actually standing beside the characters and experiencing the same things they are. This book is one of many Dana Stabenow books in my library.

Recommend

First time reading this author/series. At first wasn't too sure about the story line, started off so slow with too much detail. But now that I have gotten past the setup stage, am finding the story is starting to grab my interest. Lots of graphic detail; but have found much necessary - actually helps the reader's mind imagine the scenic background. You can actually see the characters as described in the story line. Although I am only into the set up & the main character hasn't actually gotten into the "full hunt"; I am already thinking about ordering the next book of the series. Would definitely recommend this author to a friend.

A Great Read

This was a first read by this author for me, definitely not the last! Descriptive, compelling and often with a twist of humor. The reader is guided to search within the characters to see the nuances of darkness and hints of futility behind the actions of these individuals. One extra perk for me is to follow the snow and ice hardened tundra out of the extreme heat of lower Arizona and on to the frozen beauty of another world and another culture. I look forward to my next mystery by Dana Stabenow.

n enjoyable reding experience

Well worth reading

Wonderfull!!

Stabenow not only writes a great mystery, her characters and vivid description of the state she so loves makes you feel like you are right there!

Good story

Interesting

Good paced story

Too much detail during the story, fast read through the detailed sections I will read more books

A Cold Day for Murder

I love this series about Kate Shugak - a strong female protagonist of native Alaskan descent. She solves murders with a keen intellect and brave confrontations. She rocks!