So Sure of Death

Liam Campbell Mysteries Series, Book 2

By: Dana Stabenow

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Three relatively quiet months have passed since Trooper Liam Campbell was assigned to the remote post of Newenham. It all changes when a local fishing boat is discovered scuttled and adrift - its crew of seven dead in circumstances that can't be accidental - and Wy stumbles into a murder scene at an archaeological dig. Cultures collide as the community must deal with too many outside distractions.

©1999 Dana Stabenow (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Takes me away.

Third time through! Love the style of Author and Narator. Recommend to my friends. On to the next.

Like the Alaskan setting.

I like the Liam series. The narrator has a tone for the way she ends sentences that bugs me a bit but she's okay otherwise. It did seem odd that a series on a male is narrated by a female but she did well with the voices. The mystery was good so a solid 4.

another great adventure from Ms Stabenow!

leaves me looking forward to the next one. i especially love the historic context and the beautiful visual
images

Great listen

A worthy addition to the Liam Campbell series. Even though this is the second book in the series it stands on its own. Good narration.

2 mysteries, character insights and rapid action

I liked Liam Campbell a little better in this book than in the first. I think there is hope for his redemption after all. It was refreshing to see that the pain Liam and Wy caused through their affair is not glossed over and continues to have an impact on not just their behaviour but their sense of who they are. Meeting Liam's father helped round him out and the addition of another trooper to the post gave a more realistic context for assessing him.

Dana Stabenow delivers two murder mysteries to move the plot along this time - a whole family killed on a fishing boat and a researcher killed at an archaeological dig. Both are well thought through, with multiple who-dunnit candidates and good local colour but for me Stabenow's strength lies in her willingness and ability to make me feel the emotional weight of the extinction of a whole family.

On the whole this remains a light, enjoyable read, with lots of jumping out of planes and on to boats and ruining of uniforms at a brisk pace. There are moments of introspection that make the action matter more and there is a continuous and skilful development of my knowledge of the local cast of characters that promises to build the books into a rich world rather than just a series of solved murders.

I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

Good crime thriller spiced with some humor

The adventures of Alaska state trooper Liam Campbell pick up again some three months after the events of "Fire And Ice". Liam is finally getting settled into his new position when he gets two big cases: a family has been found dead on their fishing boat and an assistant has been murdered at a remote archeological dig. Liam's life is further complicated by the unannounced arrivals of an attractive new assistant trooper and Liam's father, who is on a special mission for the Air Force. As I have learned to expect from Dana Stabenow, this story has several twists and mixes in action (once again, Liam's uniforms take a beating), murder, and old mysteries. Some of the colorful, oddball characters from the first book reappear, and the romance between Liam and Wy continues to simmer in the background. All in all, "So Sure Of Death" is a pretty good crime thriller spiced with some humor and romance.

Hell in a Hick Alaskan Town

If you could sum up So Sure of Death in three words, what would they be?

Murder Mystery Misery

What was one of the most memorable moments of So Sure of Death?

I burst out laughing when the Trooper is invaded in his small bunk by two women & a kid. Did I mention the bunk is in a tiny soggy fishing boat that's slowly sinking into the harbour??

Which scene was your favorite?

The Trooper, who is phobic about airplanes, riding the pontoon of a seaplane & jumping off to capture a murder suspect riding an ATV.

Any additional comments?

A good story about small town life in the back woods of Alaska with all it's inbred problems & racial misunderstandings. The author doesn't side with either culture but treats them both with dignity, humor & realism.

Great writer, mediocre narrator

The story is good enough that most of the time the flaws introduced by the narrator can be overlooked.

Such Fun

Alaska State Trooper Campbell has quite a few problems...his job, his girlfriend, his father. All unfold during the book and all get solved except for the girl friend. It's a well put-together book that describes life in the Alaskan bush with a lot of whodunit police action. The listener can easily determine who's speaking--a goodly assembled production. The only unsolved mystery is the girl friend; I guess that the author needs to maintain some semblance of romantic thread for the next book, which will be read next month.

Great Second Book in Series

This is the second book in the Liam Campbell series. We pick up right after the first book ends "Fire and Ice". This book is Narrated by Marguerite Gavin. The ability to voice each character, accents included, is done excellently.

It seems death and murder is an everyday occurrence in the Alaskan Bush. This time Trooper Campbell must solve the brutal murder of 8 people who were burned and left to the elements and the Ocean on a burned out boat left afloat on the water. Who would kill a family and crew, and most important to the community and Liam is Why?

I like these adventures and descriptions of Alaskan Life. The books keep a good pace and keep me interested and wanting to listen to the rest of the story.

There is crime, love, loss, and betrayal in this audiobook. Enjoy at Audible.com