Fire and Ice: A Liam Campbell Mystery

Liam Campbell Mysteries, Book 1

By: Dana Stabenow

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

In this mystery series by Dana Stabenow, the Edgar Award-winning author returns to the Alaskan setting she's famous for, with a wonderful character - state trooper Liam Campbell. Liam's just been transferred from Anchorage to the small fishing village of Newenham, Alaska - where a local pilot seems to have lost his head.

©1998 Dana Stabenow (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

wonderful mystery and love story

Would you listen to Fire and Ice: A Liam Campbell Mystery again? Why?

this is my second (maybe third time). The characters are wonderfully drawn. The main characters are diverse ethnically and in terms of personality but all have a strong moral core.

What did you like best about this story?

I'll confess -- the love story.

Which character – as performed by Marguerite Gavin – was your favorite?

Liam Campbell is a great character - a strong male state trooper who struggles daily with the aftermath of personal tragedy.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, to the detriment of my house work.

Any additional comments?

This whole 4 book series is excellent. I only wish there were more.

Terrible language Use

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would not recommend this to a close friend because of the language used. It is not needed if the book is any good.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

You have to go to another book if you want an ending.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narrator did as she could but the written portion constantly uses God's name in vain as well as other abuses of language.

Could you see Fire and Ice: A Liam Campbell Mystery being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Hollywood seems enamored with foul language, so this may work for them.

Any additional comments?

Decent story line, very good reader but HOLD The LANGUAGE down some.

A good crime thriller

"Fire And Ice" is a pretty good crime thriller. State trooper Liam Campbell steps off the plane at his new station in Newenham, Alaska and literally right into a murder scene. Talk about being tossed into the deep end! To complicate things, his predecessor leaves without giving him any kind of briefing or workup. Also, Liam's old flame is standing right there on the tarmac by the fresh body, making it a totally "WTF?" moment. Before he can even begin to come to grips with the murder at the airport, Liam is called away on another incident.
Liam never gets a chance to catch his breath as one incident follows on another. However, he doggedly presses on and eventually begins to tie the various threads of these seemingly disparate crimes together. Eventually we reach a conclusion with most of the bad guys paying for their crimes in one way or another.
This story gives us lots of action with murder, assaults, and old mysteries. Also, there is some romance (integral to the story), and more than one colorful, oddball characters. (Additionally, I learned much more about herring fishing than I ever expected to know.)
All in all, a good and interesting story.

A quick heads up!

Why pay $3.95 for this "Book Du Jour" when the kindle edition is $0.00 and after you "purchase" that book the Audible audiobook is $1.99. Obviously this is not a review but I didn't know where else to post.

You'll lose your head over this Alaskan mystery!

Great first book in a new series by Stabenow, best known for her Kate Shugak series set in Alaska. This series is also set in Alaska, following Liam Campbell, who has just been demoted from Sergeant to Trooper and reassigned to the Alaskan Bush. We are familiarized with his past through remembrances as the story progresses, which can be a bit confusing if you don't pay close attention, but is a good way to keep the plot moving while still providing the backstory. I was surprised at how much I liked this book, as I was afraid I would continually compare it (unfavorably) to the Shugak series. Stabenow introduces characters I look forward to learning more about in later books. I was enveloped from the beginning, with Campbell observing all his fellow air travelers, assigning them nicknames (moccasin man, old fart, the flirt) and predicting what future crimes they might commit.

Like "Dead in the Water" of the Shugak series, I learned something of Alaskan industry (in this case, herring fishing and aerial spotting, whereas it was crab fishing in "Dead in the Water.") This was an extra bonus to the book. As with the Shugak series, the Alaska setting only enhances my enjoyment of the volume.

Highly recommend this novel for any fans of mystery.

Gavin, as usual, delivers an excellent performance. A female narrator may seem an odd choice for a book with a male protagonist, but Gavin has proven to be THE voice of Stabenow's Alaska, and does not let her listeners down here.

Excellent!

A great mystery/suspense with a hint of romantic context and an engaging Alaskan setting. Good narration.

Reminiscent of Louise Penny’s Three Pines Inspector Garmsnche books

I really enjoyed the first in the Liam Campbell series. It has the same authentic spirit that I love in Louise Penny’s Garmanche books, but very Alaskan. Not a bistro but a bar; not gourmet but burgers and fries. The narrator is excellent; the plot interesting and unexpected, the characters real and likable, like Penny’s books. I liked the similar pace, too. Just finished the first in the series and am going to download the second RIGHT NOW!

Had me guessing to the end!

Pretty shocking start, and end, honestly, but had me pretty riveted. The setting was excellent and the story was pretty unique and believable for me, as I do have some acquaintances who live and mush dogs in rural Alaska. Appreciated the indigenous perspective and characters. I’ll read more of these!

Not for everyone, but worth a shot

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Maybe. I was about to give up on this. It took a while to get hooked, and quite a lot of resilience to endure that long. Not only does the book start slowly (even though you get a murder scene right at the beginning) and confusingly, filled with mentions of backstory that you'll have to wait at least half the book to know, the narration is specially aggravating at the beginning. Also, the main character isn't very charismatic.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fire and Ice: A Liam Campbell Mystery?

Probably the first encounter with Cecil Wolfe, the realization of what just happened and Laura's interview.

Which scene was your favorite?

The introduction to Bill and Moses. Those characters convinced me to stick around for the rest of the book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not at all. Almost gave it up, but we get introduced to fun characters right around the time the narration gets less forced.

Any additional comments?

Marguerite Gavin's voice for Liam had me cringing at the beginning of the book, but it seemed less forced, much more comfortable to hear after the initial investigation of the murder scene, and her ability performing different voices also started shining through. In spite of the beginning, I'd have to say this might be the first performance by a woman that I actually liked.
The book never really does get too exciting, but it did enough to make me want to know where a few of those personal stories are going, and to give the author the benefit of doubt about her ability to come up with a better case in the second book.

Crime mystery in quirky Alaskan town.

Would you consider the audio edition of Fire and Ice: A Liam Campbell Mystery to be better than the print version?

No idea, but the narrator was very likeable and did a good performance... So Maybe.

What did you like best about this story?

Likeable main character, nice quirky little Alaskan "Northern Exposure" like town. Suprisingly alot happening all the time, what happened in the past, relationship with the female flyer and the current crime mystery.

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked the herring fishing/spotting sequence for some reason. I don't know how accurate it was, but I found it very interesting to follow the short herring fishing "season" from flyers/spotters point of view.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Almost.