A Solitude of Wolverines: A Novel of Suspense

Alex Carter Series, Book 1

By: Alice Henderson

Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky

Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

“Both a mystery and a survival story, here is a novel written with a naturalist’s eye for detail and an unrelenting pace. It reminded me of the best of Nevada Barr… It’s so fraught with excitement and wondrous details that it demands to be read in one sitting and savored afterward. Don’t miss it.” (James Rollins, number one New York Times best-selling author of The Last Odyssey)

The first book in a thrilling series featuring a wildlife biologist who courts trouble as she saves endangered species...and a mysterious killer who buries his dead in the land she helps preserve - a fast-paced, action-driven tale of suspense with the atmosphere and propulsive tension of works by Jane Harper, C. J. Box, William Kent Krueger, and Nevada Barr.

While studying wolverines on a wildlife sanctuary in Montana, biologist Alex Carter is run off the road and threatened by locals determined to force her off the land.

Undeterred in her mission to help save this threatened species, Alex tracks wolverines on foot and by cameras positioned in remote regions of the preserve. But when she reviews the photos, she discovers disturbing images of an animal of a different kind: a severely injured man seemingly lost and wandering in the wilds.

After searches for the unknown man come up empty, local law enforcement is strangely set on dismissing the case altogether, raising Alex’s suspicions. Then another invasive predator trespasses onto the preserve. The hunter turns out to be another human - and the prey is the wildlife biologist herself. Alex realizes too late that she has seen too much - she's stumbled onto a far-reaching illegal operation and now has become the biggest threat.

In this wild and dangerous landscape, Alex’s life depends on staying one step ahead - using all she knows about the animal world and what it takes to win the brutal battle for survival.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 Alice Henderson (P)2020 HarperAudio

Interesting character- a bit too much to believe

All in all I enjoyed the story. Some of the storyline was over the top and not credible. I disagree with some of the assertions made by the author regarding the choice of the character to be a vegetarian. Firstly commercial crop agriculture causes massive amounts of deaths of animals...from the microscopic to larger mammals. Secondly, a very significant percentage of the earth is not suitable for raising crops. Much of this land can be used for raising animals and properly managed actually can improve soil health. Tillage, destruction of hedge rows, and poorly managed crop farming are causing the loss of topsoil which has been estimated to be in danger of being completely lost in the next 40-50 years. Animal protein is highly nutritious and can supply lower income populations with necessary calories and nutrients often in a more sustainable way than crop farming. Properly managed grazing animals improve soil health and protect top soil.

Suspense filled novel

One of the best suspense novels I’ve read in awhile! It will keep you reading non/stop until the end.

A Solitude of Wolverines: A Novel of Suspence

wow loved this story so much, can't wait to hear the sequel, yes yes yes.

Just right for a nature escape.

After a couple of years diving deep into dystopian/post apocalyptic and fantasy novels, I was looking for something lighter, nature-filled and thrilling for summer. This is fun and the characters well drawn. I specifically looked for a Nevada Barr type novel, but updated. This hit the spot. I thought I knew what was going on and was a little bit judgy about predictability, then there were twists and turns and twists: a lot of them right at the end. (Almost too many.) It’s darker than I predicted also — in a good way, The old lodge was deliciously creepy. (I usually find these mysteries too fluffy.) The main character is determined to rationalize and ignore red flags, and her conversations with her dad are annoying (“pumpkin”) but she’s still hard to kill, in a good way.
I liked learning about wolverines and appreciated the author’s descriptions of the mountains, trees and wildflowers so this was my jam. If you don’t like learning about wildlife conservation and getting an earful of it then this is not for you. It’s clear the author is passionate about it. The narrator was great and engaging. Looking forward to the next one in the series.

Did not disappoint!

I wasn’t sure at first but I am glad I read it! Have to read the next one now!!!

It started off and peaked my interest and then I realized I was over half way through the book and the story was really still just her studying wolverines…

Then IT GOT CRAZY!!! I couldn’t put it down! I seriously hated that every chapter ended in a spot where I found myself thinking, “WHAT!!!!! I CANT STOP THERE!!!! It is in the middle of the moment!

It is a little slow in the grand scheme of the book but I think it’s a very good read. Definitely recommend he king it out!

Page Turner.

Oh so good. Female lead that is so bad ass. My environmental heart so enjoyed reading work done to save wolverines and the the danger was scary thrilling. Girl is smart, tough and exciting as she survives.

Very enjoyable

I love stories with strong, resourceful women and this one didn’t disappoint. There were a couple of inconsistencies in the story, especially during the action scenes but nothing tooo horrible. I am going to start the next novel now. I also like the narrator. She is easy to understand and does a pretty decent job and providing male voices. If you like Kate Rudd you will like Eva Kaminski

Great Action and Perfect Setting

This is just my kind of thriller novel: wonderfully written and alluring setting, gripping action scenes, strong female protagonist, and enigmatic wildlife. Alice Henderson's "A Solitude of Wolverines" is a great mix between Andrew Mayne's "The Girl Beneath the Sea" and "Bearskin" by James A. McLaughlin. There are meaningful conclusions to this story's content, but just enough larger questions--like "what will she do next?"--to feed a sequel, which I am definitely interested in reading.

I would rate this around 4.5/5 stars, however, because while I liked so much of it, there were some aspects that could have been set up better. There were one too many instances of "hey, I have this super specific skill that will allow me to survive this particular situation because of the very specific weird thing my mom made me practice as a kid", which is an action thriller cliche. "Bearskin" and "The Girl Beneath the Sea" are more believable in that regard. I'm also over the trope of female protagonists either often forgetting to eat altogether or having no desire to eat; give me a break! Anyone who had just hiked a mountain in the snow would be blessing and savoring that granola bar. Helen Hoang's "The Kiss Quotient" has this issue as well.

Overall, though, I really empathized with the main POV, was obsessed with the Montana setting, and will be learning more about the charismatic yet elusive wolverine as a result of this novel. This thriller fit right into my values of wildlife conservation and environmental stewardship in a more professional and personal way than "Bearskin" does, and I'll always appreciate this book for that. Also some pretty badass Lara Croft-esque moments, which made my day.

Glad I read this, would recommend widely, and look forward to the sequel!

Fascinating

There are so many twists and turns in this plot that I couldn’t stop until I finished. I don’t want to inadvertently spoil anything. As a decades long mystery reader, this is a standout.

Narration Problems

The book would have been great without being preachy about eating meat.. The pronunciation of “acumen” and macabre, was wrong. Acumen is not a Mexican spice and the BRE is silent in macabre. The main character was somewhat a “McGiver”. There was nothing she couldn’t do. I’ll probably read the next one, though, as good audio books can be hard to find.