A Fatal Thaw

Kate Shugak, Book 2

By: Dana Stabenow

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

On her homestead in the middle of twenty million acres of national Park, Aleut P.I. Kate Shugak is caught up in spring cleaning, unaware that just miles away another Park rat is planning a massacre. When the sound of gunfire finally dies away, nine of his neighbors lie dead in the snow. But did he kill all nine, or only eight? The ninth victim was killed with a different weapon. It’s up to Kate and her husky-wolf sidekick Mutt to untangle the life of the dead blonde with the tarnished past and find her killer. It won’t be easy; every second Park rat had a motive. Was it one of her many spurned lovers? Was a wife looking for revenge? Or did a deal with an ivory smuggler go bad?

Even Chopper Jim Chopin, the Park’s resident state trooper, had a history with the victim. Kate will need every ounce of determination to find the truth before Alaska metes out its own justice....

©2011 Dana Stabenow (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

I love the glimpses into Aleut culture.

I like Kate. I like her friends. I even like her grandmother. But, so far what I like best is Alaska and its native people highlighted in this series. The cultural elements like the potlatch, and the descriptions of local foods make this book unique and interesting. The mystery isn't earth-shattering and the resolution isn't surprising, but the mystery is really just a bonus. The story of Alaska is the real draw here.

Typical Stabenow/Shugak brilliance

Good story well told. Great and very unexpected ending. This is one of my most favorite authors!

Great sense of place as Kate's isolation starts to

"A Fatal Thaw", the second Kate Shugak book, is a substantial improvement on the first: the plot is more complicated, the characterization is stronger, the descriptions of Alaska and its people are sharp, vivid and memorable. This was the book that made me eager to read the rest of the series.

Dana Stabenow makes Alaska a character in her books. In " A Fatal Flaw" we experience the ferocious beauty of Alaska's mountains via an avalanche that Dana Stabenow makes frighteningly real.

The plot of the book provides a vehicle for exploring life in a very small bush town. Kate has to dig through the things people would like to keep secret, the histories they hide, the passions they disguise, the failings that are usually politely ignored unless someone turns up dead.

The spree-killer at the start of the book, who goes from homestead to homestead, shooting everyone he can find, pulls out a darker aspect of Alaska, which is famous for attracting the strange loners. The way Kate and Mutt bring him down is also a lesson in Alaska. Here you can't wait for the police to arrive. You have to act, and it you're Kate Shugak, you have to do more than protect yourself, you have to stop the killing. If you're Mutt, you have to do whatever it takes to keep Kate safe.

What really lifted the book above the norm for me was finding out more about Kate. It becomes clear that Kate is hiding out on her homestead, isolating herself so that she can get through life one day at a time after the trauma she's been through. It's equally clear that her former boss and many members of her community expect more of her. No-one is in the least surprised that it is Kate who takes down the killer at the beginning of the book and no-one objects when she is asked to investigate further.

Kate engages in the investigation reluctantly. It doesn't fill her with the joy of the hunt. . She understands and empathises with the weaknesses of the people around her and is mindful of their privacy. She is not motivated by enforcing the law. She acts to bring a natural justice that will restore people's ability to live as neighbours and to live with themselves.

By the end of novel, it's clear that Kate has started slowly to re-engage with the world, her culture and her community. Dana Stabenow captures this through a memorable and moving account of Kate at a Potlatch for the dead where she dances with an Elder and begins her own emotional thaw.

Another great mystery to the series!

Any additional comments?

I'm really starting to like the characters - great, easy listens while driving to and from work! Would recommend this series!

Not so mysterious

An enjoyable story, but requiring a hefty dose of suspending disbelief. The culprit was so obvious, I was sure it was a red herring. The conclusion was over the top, but fun. I'm not sorry I listened, and I'll go forward with the series.

On Audible at Last!!!

I am a big fan of Stabenow's books, especially the Kate Shugak mystery series. The Alaska setting lends much to the story, as does the cultural elements. This book shows us a potlatch ceremony, giving us a taste of the history and culture of the area, as well as furthering the story with the interaction between the characters.

I am glad these earlier volumes are appearing on Audible (can't wait for the entire series to be available for download.) I would read these books for the characters, the setting and Stabenow's writing style (the mystery is just the bonus.)

Gavin delivers -- always. She IS the voice of Kate and does well bringing the other characters to life as well.

And for me, there cannot be enough scenes with Mutt. LOVE, LOVE the interaction between Kate and Mutt.

I like it ...

I have found that I enjoy Dana Stabenow stories .She is delightful in ,bringing out the process of each character 's personality. There are so many referenceses to Alaska towns ,streets, and short language of the native population.

Still a great story

Dana Stabenow is an incredible writer and Marguerite Gavin is an extraordinary narrator. No exaggeration. When I listen to the Kate Shugak series, I often feel like I’m in the kitchen with Kate cooking Moose Stew, or walking along beside her in the Park, trying to understand the why’s and how’s of a murder, all under the watchful eye of her side-kick and friend, the 1/2 wolf named Mutt.

This is probably my 4th walk-through of this series and I’m enjoying every minute of it.

Many thanks to Dana Stabenow for sharing her gift of writing and to Marguerite Gavin’s story-telling finesse.

I enjoyed this book!

What made the experience of listening to A Fatal Thaw the most enjoyable?

I really enjoy Dana Stabenow's writing style, and Ms. Gavin is a great narrator who really brings Kate to life. A Fatal Thaw can be read as a stand alone story, and the reader will pick up quite a bit of background knowledge about Alaska. I probably am not an impartial reviewer, as I read anything by Dana Stabenow, but MHO is that she's a great writer and this book is well worth a listen.

What did you like best about this story?

Again, the combo of Dana Stabenow's well developed characters, general excellence in writing and Marguerite Gavin's talented voice bring the characters to life. I also applaud the way Ms. Stabenow gives us an inside look into Alaskan and Native culture.

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

Kate, of course!

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

Yes!

Any additional comments?

I really recommend this dynamic duo - Stabenow and Gavin are great together!

big fan of Dana

it feels like you know these people like family. really good dialogue and setting the scene in Alaska. the whole series is mostly excellent. I listen to them over and over.