Hard Truth (Anna Pigeon Series #13) [NOOK Book]

Another book enjoyed!

I've read all of Nevada Barr's 'Anna Pigeon' books thus far and thoroughly enjoyed them all. The book had some different twists that had me turning the pages as fast as I could read. I only wish the main character hadn't been whisked away to a new park on her honeymoon. I liked the idea that Anna finally found a soul mate and would have liked to seen more of that side of the character. All in all, the book was a great read and I had a hard time putting it down.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Disappointed in this book

This book is not worth the money, so my suggestion is if you want to read, try to borrow it from a library don't waste your money on it. For one thing, there was too much violence in it that just did not make sense. The whole thing was a disaster for me.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Dark

I very much enjoy Nevada Barr's writing. Her subject matter is always interesting, often to the point I have to remind myself that what I am reading is a fictional story. Often times, today, she could have pulled from local news headlines. She has tackled subjects in previous novels that are the stuff of every parents nightmares. In this one, she goes much further down dark roads. I had no clue as to the identify of the villain before the moment of reveal. The subject matter, involving children is not for the faint of heart. Nevada's writing brings terrifyingly chilling descriptions and you are right there with her in the moment. As the story ended, I was breathless with revulsion and terror. Once a recovered from the story, I realized that to evoke such a strong reaction is the sign of an exceptional writer.

Good but Long-winded

I really enjoyed this story, but more at the beginning and middle than the end. I like the plot because it wasn't as easy to figure out as usual, but I felt that the ending was drawn out way too long. It got tedious and seemed over-done. Still a really good book though. Stephanie Clanahan

Highly entertaining

Never heard of Nevada Barr until late fall of 2013. So far I've read 6 of her books, all with Anna Pigeon the ranger. Really enjoy the character (like Kinsey Millhone), and like the national park settings. I've been to some of them so it's very entertaining.

Very Disappointing

I've read the previous 12 Pigeon series books, and this one was a major disappointment. In my opinion, it was too violent and graphic... not enjoyable. I won't be in a hurry to get any subsequent books in this series.

Hard Truth

This is a book you will not want to put down.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

My Favorite Anna Pigeon novel...

I was surprised to find some negative reviews. Yes, this book was pretty creepy, pretty dark... but I was completely surprised by the end which is exactly what I love in a mystery novel. I loved it.

A Mystery with Heart

In Hard Truth, Anna Pigeon tackles the cold-blooded evil of a psychopathic mind, both of a serial killer and also of a sexual abuser. At the same time, she battles her own challenges, foisted into a demanding role as the new district ranger in Colorado, away from her home base in Mississippi and her three-day-old marriage to the loving and supportive Sheriff and Pastor Paul Davidson. Can she maintain respect, manage loneliness, and figure out what¿s going on in the face of a confusing set of bizarre circumstances? This one started slow for me. I guess I need to have the intrepid Anna Pigeon, Park Ranger Extraordinaire, in the story as soon as possible. That way, I can vicariously live a dramatic life of adventure through her. However, in this story, she took a while arriving. I needed to know how things were going with her: her work, her pets . . . her love life. However, this Anna Pigeon mystery turned out to be a dynamite story. And, of all the books in this series, probably it is the one with the most heart. By the end of the novel, I was cheering for all the women who had been transformed through facing the hard truth in their lives. I also appreciated learning about how abusers captivate and control their victims. This story also showed much more of Anna¿s tender-hearted side, probably because she was juxtaposed against such evil. In addition, as the story unfolded, I began to sympathize with the secondary heroine in the story, much more than I expected, until, by the end, I felt so grateful that she had resolved her difficult issues. I felt encouraged as she found her own power. The twist near the end really surprised me. I had no idea who the perpetrator of the crimes could be. Usually, I¿m making intelligent guesses, one of which turns out to be the right one. In Hard Truth, the real murderer wasn¿t even on my list. Of all the Nevada Barr mysteries, this one was the most difficult to stay with because of its very difficult subject matter. However, I found it, in the end, to be worth it.

loved it.

I really couldn't put this book down. Have read all Nevada Barr's books and thought this was the best yet. It was both suspenseful and thought-provoking. Also had a couple of very humorous moments. I am looking forward to her next book.

NO MORE!

No more 'wriggling' (she's not five years old, fer crissakes), no more stomach wrenching animal cruelty (it's enough that daily newspapers are full of the hateful reports - they don't seem to be slowing people down - UNLESS Anna can lead us toward a SOLUTION, please, no more), and, yes, a plot set in Death Valley - during the annual March Wisconsin Vietnam Veteran's Run, maybe? and with the Furnace Creek store returned to when it featured real silver jewelry.

Dark

This is the first Nevada Barr book that I've read and I am in no hurry to read another. The book was more violent and dark and not the mystery that I anticipated. The jacket cover described a bizarre religious cult and perceived evil that had to do with the disappearance of the three girls from New Canaan. What it ended up was being was extreme acts of cruelty. It usually is not an entertaining theme for a book especially when children are the victims of abuse.

pretty violent

This was my first time reading Nevada Barr, and I am intrigued enough to look into some of her other books, but there were parts of this book that were pretty graphic and violent when it didn't seem necessary. I also felt that there were many parts of the story that were undeveloped (Anna's marriage, the background of the missing girls, etc). I know when I have a difficult time keeping track of characters that they must not be developed enough. I didn't feel convinced of Anna as being a character that I could identify with, but since other Nevada Barr books have gotten good reviews, I will try one more time.

She's a bit too victimized

I wish that Anna Pigeon could make it through an adventure without getting attacked, beaten, stabbed, and mangled. Amazing that these old war wounds don't seem to bother her in the next adventure! I'd have preferred to hear more about her new cat (so...who was feeding the kitten she Anna was off getting pulverized?), more about married life other than the idyllic email with her husband (who's nearly nonexistent in this book). Anna's antagonists get more vile with each book, and their evil takes increasingly gruesome twists (crucified mice in this one). It was still enjoyable in a grim and gothic sort of way, but on balance wasn't as fun to read as some of her earlier books, and I found myself wanting to skip past the gory parts and get into some real action. The whole fundamentalist side trip didn't hang together very well with the villain, and I never did figure out why he was such a deviate. I doubt I'll pass this one along to anyone who lives alone and might get nightmares.

Disappointing

I usually enjoy Nevada Barr's books, but I was very disappointed in this one. Anna Pigeon's character was very cold and sterile, almost robotic. Some passages were so unfeeling that I was immediately turned off and could not relate to the character. For example, when Anna was thinking about mountain lion and other wildlife attacks on humans, she pretended to be on the side of the people attacked. 'Inside though, down deep, she was really pleased the critters got lunch.' This is too far over the line of unfeeling for me. I usually pre-order Barr's book as soon as I am able to, but I will wait for the next one to hit the book stores so that I can browse it heavily before I will spend my money on it.

excellent police procedural

Married less than a week, National Parks Ranger Anna Pigeon celebrates her ¿honeymoon¿ by starting a new job at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado while her spouse Sheriff Paul Davidson remains in Mississippi. However, barely on the job, she finds herself caught up in the case of two female teens, who vanished with a third girl about a month ago, but just returned. The twosome remains closemouthed about their tribulations insisting they do not know what happened or where the third female might be. Though traumatized by a recent climbing accident that paralyzed her, Heath Jarrod , who with her elderly aunt found the two girls, manages to somewhat reach the girls.--- Anna investigates what little she has learned especially the recent slaughter of small animals and a tight lipped cult whose charismatic leader controls the young that flock to him as she hopes to rescue the still missing third person. Meanwhile Heath tries to aid the two devastated teens, who still seem frightened by whoever abducted them. Actually by assisting the girls, Heath helps herself more as she begins to adjust to life in a wheelchair.--- Though darker than her previous appearances due to the graphically related evil exploits of the villain, the latest Anna Pigeon police procedural is a terrific thriller in which the heroine risks her life. The story line cleverly counterbalances the malevolent antagonist with Heath¿s reemergence as a member of the living as both have ¿purpose¿. The courageous Anna is fabulous with her two time zone marriage (she may detest cell phones, but they come in handy) while investigating a dangerous case with several viable suspects, who seem as if anyone could kidnap girls and if needed kill.--- Harriet Klausner

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