Winter Study

An Anna Pigeon Mystery

By: Nevada Barr

Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat

Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

It is January, and Park Ranger Anna Pigeon is sent to Isle Royale in Lake Superior to learn about managing and understanding wolves, as her home base of Rocky Mountain National Park might soon have its own pack of the magnificent, much-maligned animals. She's lodging in the island's bunkhouse with the famed wolf study team, along with two scientists from Homeland Security, who are assessing the study with an eye to opening the park in the winters - an act that would effectively bring an end to the 50-year project - so that the area can be manned to secure the scrap of border with Canada.

Soon after Anna's arrival, the wolf packs under observation begin to behave in peculiar ways. Giant wolf prints are found, and Anna spies the form of a great wolf from a surveillance plane. The discovery of wolf scat containing alien DNA leads the group to believe that perhaps a wolf/dog hybrid has been introduced to the island.

When a female member of the team is savaged, Anna is convinced she is being stalked, and what was once a beautiful, idyllic refuge becomes a place of unnatural occurrences and danger beyond the ordinary. Alone on an island without electricity or running water, with temperatures hovering around zero both day and night, Anna fights not only for the wolves but for her own survival as well.

Listen to more Anna Pigeon mysteries.

©2008 Nevada Barr (P)2008 Recorded Books

Couldn't stop listening

As usual, Nevada Barr has held my complete attention.

Best in a long time!

I have read almost all of the Anna Pigeon mysteries and think this is one of the best. It is intense and holds interest well.

Another great story line!

I love it! I just can't get enough of this series and the narrator really brought the story to life.

The Beauty of Wolves

Barr’s love of nature and the animals is always a stand out in her stories The facts about the magnificent wolves was a standout Violence was a bit savage at times but a part of the nature of man and beast! I love Anna This reader IS Anna to me

Good Premise Killed by Slow Pacing

Nevada Barr's often enjoyable Anna Pidgeon series slipped a notch in my estimation after this book. It has a great set up: a small group of disparate characters isolated together with conflicting needs. But its as though the author lost her way at some point, lost focus or interest and padded the story out with way too many internal musings from our heroine. There is a place for that, but when the progress of the story is brought to a complete standstill by seemingly random theorizing and remembrances, I just want to scream at the author. When an action sequence that should have been short and exciting is stretched into page after page of Anna "what-if-ing" . . . it becomes unbearable. I had to fast forward through the last two hours of this book. Better luck next time, Ms Barr.

A Real Snoozer

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

The first half of the book lacked in excitement and intrigue. It was so dull I found it very difficult to remain engaged. If not for the excellent skills of the narrator, I would have stopped listening to it. A captivating event that occurred at the beginning of the book then maintained throughout may have made this a 4 or 5 star experience.

What could Nevada Barr have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

The author needed to provide more intrigue sooner and more often....it was way too drawn out and boring. Although the information concerning wolves was very interesting, the plot seemed to be out shined by her need to provide sooooo much background on the plight of wolves.

What about Barbara Rosenblat’s performance did you like?

If not for this narrators superb skills at bringing each character to life and filling in the blandness with wonderful tone inflection, this book would be a flop.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Yes, it highlighted the excellent skill set of the narrator and enlightened the reader on the nature of wolves.

More gory and graphic

I enjoy the Anna Pigeon stories but this started off gory with the death of a moose. Later on there were disturbing descriptions of a rape. I get that the author was attempting to show darker sides of nature and humanity comparing them, but I feel these depictions of events were not in character with the authors usual writings. Hesitant to listen to the next story hoping this isn’t a trend in her writings

who cares

I've read all of Nevada Barr's previous book, but didn't like this at all. I enjoy descriptions of the parks she's set her books in, but this had entirely too much of people trodding through the winter back country apparently without a clue of proper winter procedures. So much was unbelievable that I really didn't care.

Sadly the potential of a great story was lost.

I have to take some responsibility of the failure to hear a great outdoor adventure. I tried reading a Nevada Barr Anne Pigeon mystery. I couldn't finish it. "To wordy". It struck me the author was being paid for a high word count. Simple descriptions are over done with adjectives followed by a series of more adjectives. No simple blue sky's. But blue sky's with tinges of reddish orange whispery streaks of.... So I decided to try a Audiobook of Wolf reasearch on Isle Royal. A place where I have been and a personal friend who is wolf reasearcher on the very island. Sadly hearing a tale was not satisfing. The search will continue for yet a new author telling great outdoor adventures.

BORING!!!

I absolutely love Northern Michigan but this book made me feel "Who cares? Get on with it already!"
I have not read anything this boring since I got out of school. I finally just gave up as the writing didn't even excite me enough to read the last page to find out "who did it". My time is too precious to waste. I am sorry I used my credit on it. Too wordy and not substantive.