Whisper to the Blood

A Kate Shugak Novel

By: Dana Stabenow

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times bestseller Dana Stabenow returns to her enormously popular Kate Shugak series with Whipser to the Blood

Inside Alaska's biggest national park, surrounding the town of Niniltna, a gold mining company has started buying up land. The residents of the Park, are uneasy. "But gold is up to nine hundred dollars an ounce," is the refrain of Talia Macleod, the popular Alaskan skiing champ the company hired to improve their relations with Alaskans. And she promises much needed jobs to the locals.

But before she can make her way to every village in the area to make her case at town meetings and village breakfasts, there are two murders—one a long-standing mine opponent, and Ms. Macleod herself. Between that and a series of attacks on snow mobilers up the Kanuyaq River, not to mention the still-open homicide of Park villain Louis Deem last year, part-time P.I. and newly elected chairman of the Niniltna Native Association Kate Shugak has her hands very much full.

State of suspense: listen to more Alaskan mysteries in the Kate Shugak series.

©2009 Dana Stabenow (P)2009 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Gavin superbly masters the pronunciation of native names and places as well as the cadence of native speakers, making this title an exquisite listening pleasure.” —AudioFile, Earphones Award winner

“Featuring highly original and well-drawn characters, the novel is yet another triumph for author Stabenow and an excellent platform for narrator Marguerite Gavin to showcase her talent. Her emotionally charged and intimate reading moves seamlessly from suspenseful scenes to Kate's domestic drama with her foster son and state trooper boyfriend. Through every plot twist, Gavin keeps listeners tightly hooked and empathetic toward to the characters.” —Publishers Weekly

An excellent picture of life in Alaska.

Would you consider the audio edition of Whisper to the Blood to be better than the print version?

I have read several of the Kate Shugak series, and switched to audio for travel. I can get a lot of books on my i-phone, and it's a lot lighter to carry than all those books! I really enjoy descriptions of places and cultures, and these books provide a lot of those, plus very entertaining fiction. Please get more of these on audible!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot is engaging, and the series develops the relationships between characters in a way that makes reading them in sequence a richer experience. That said I'm backtracking at this point while waiting for more of the recent editions to be presented.

Have you listened to any of Marguerite Gavin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Many readers have difficulty with timing and emphasis while reading, and Marguerite Gavin has definitely improved thru the series. I now have her firmly placed in my mind's

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

I rarely have 6-8 hours to sit and listen to a book unless I'm on a long flight. But, I stay with these books and usually finish them in 48 hours.

Another Great Book From Stabenow

Immerses you in Alaska and makes you feel the cold. I enjoyed it thoroughly!

My favorite so far!

Lots of twists and turns with a good ending. I feel like its taken 15 books to get here.

Best one of the last few in the series

Lots of stuff going on. Lots of relationship stuff, lots of struggling to find self and life, good and evil. Beautifully narrated, this is one of the best of the last half dozen I've read. I know a lot of women don't like the physical struggle between Kate and Jim, but authors also have a right to feel what they feel, even when we don't entirely agree. I have mixed emotions about it, but I think she made it work. Whether it's a good idea is another matter and has nothing to do with the quality of the book.

There's a lot going on in this book, much more than in the last few. It was nice to see the Auntie's come out of hiding and become a real part of the story.

Good one!

another visit with Kate

not many series allow you to become a part of the world within as thoroughly as this one. The mystery is a bonus while you catch up on what everyone has been up to. I'm lucky to have discovered Kate and friends while there are so many books in the series and am dreading listening to the latest one while nothing else is available to download after.

Anthropological Study rather than a Novel

I downloaded this book because I had enjoyed one of the other Kate Shugak novels.Having listened to that fairly recently most of the Alaska "atmosphere" and references to the development vs jobs debate and the foetal alcohol syndrome problems were repetition and rather tiresome.The storyline was good but a little dis-jointed and the author leaves a little too much blank for the listener to fill in for themselves.I kept going back to listen to what I thought I had missed only to find the climatic moments she had carefully built up were not there.Very well read by the narrator.

No means no.

I was extremely disappointed in one of the earlier Kate books which turned our heroine into a criminal. I hated that the woman who often crosses lines became a stalker and thief. This installment is just as bad. Date rape is still rape. No means no. And I say NO to any book that tries to paint date rape as romance. I am beyond disappointed.

Also, Bobby has been absent from the last several books. Johnny is barely present. Alaska plays less of a role. I hope the next one is better as I have already purchased the last few of the series.