Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 69
 Chilled Me to the Bone! March 11, 2010
Eclectic Booklover (New England)
Nevada Barr is a new to me author who I have wanted to read for a long while. I own several of her books, but have not read any until now. For those of you who are not familiar with her books, the Anna Pigeon series is about a National Park Services Ranger/ sleuth of sorts (Anna Pigeon). All of the author's mysteries are based at least in part on her personal experience. Barr worked as a park ranger at several national parks, and so she is familiar with the various locales where her stories take place. This book is #14 in a series, but I was told it was not necessary to read them in order.
Anna Pigeon is forty-something, newly married and madly in love with her husband. It is obvious she misses him when she is called away on assignment. She is also funny, sharp, and independent. In this particular mystery Anna is sent to The Isle of Royale on the northern shore of Lake Superior. It is the dead of winter and her assignment is to study the interaction of gray wolves with moose. This has been a 50 year project that may soon face extinction if Homeland Security gets their way. Homeland Security is exploring the possibility of keeping the park open and guarded year round, in an effort to control the illegal alien situation at the Canadian border.
Anna gets to camp out in a cramped cabin with several research scientists, and Homeland Security official. Frigid weather, blizzards, dangerous ice, and wolf calls near by are just some of the things the project participants must contend with. Strange things begin to occur on their very first night there. Before long one of the researchers is found mauled to death, and strange footprints are found at the scene. Foul play is suspected, but when Anna herself has a few too many close calls, it becomes clear something very dark is going on.
MY THOUGHTS - This was my first Nevada Barr book, and I enjoyed it a lot. The reader Barbara Rosenblat is always a pleasure to listen to. The story is tension filled, and parts made me shiver a bit. It was probably not the best story to be listened to before bedtime :) The tracking information gathered as part of the study was really interesting. The author did a terrific job depicting the beautiful, natural surroundings of the area, and of setting the mood. If you enjoy mysteries with a likable heroine who certainly has her act together, I would recommend trying one of her mysteries. I did not feel the least bit lost by starting my experience with this author at book #14. Mystery fans -- this book is recommended (4/5 stars)
 Too much ... March 8, 2010
A. M. Proef
Winter Study -- too much violence, too much psyco babble, too much cursing, too much of Anna in trouble and too much time taken to get her out of it -- again and again. This was not the Nevada Barr I'd come to anticipate. This could have been a good read--the basic plot was believable and interesting, but was ruined by too many unbelievable situations, over-the-top violence, disgusting language, and drawn-out escapes of the heroine. I slid past many pages with only a cursory glance, waiting for the real story to pick up again. Too much. Too bad.
 Chilling! March 4, 2010
Kate Kelsey (Philadelphia)
Another great Anna Pigeon adventure! I read this in two days, and I was under a blanket for most of that time! Literally chilling! My only complaint is about the publisher, who (I assume) is the one who opted for using very cheap ink. My eyes were burning and watering so bad, I had to put a piece of clear plastic over the pages while I read. I know they've come up with alternative inks for those of us who are allergic, and this is the first time in years that I've experienced this problem.
Violence gone amuck February 23, 2010
T. Johnson (Boston, MA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have always enjoyed Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series, and have eagerly awaited each new installment. I was a little behind, and only just finished Winter Study. While I still enjoy the character of Anna Pigeon, I thought the violence in this book, particularly to women, disturbing -- and I didn't see that it was necessary, or at least so graphically, to serve the purpose of the story.
Unforgiving February 7, 2010
Linda (CT, United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Anna Pigeon is an appealing protagonist, and the change of setting in each entry in the series keeps interest high. In Winter Study, Anna takes an assignment in the frigid winter of a Lake Superior island wolf and moose sanctuary. As if simply trying to conduct outdoor research and staying alive isn't enough of a challenge, some of Anna's colleagues, all sharing a primitive cabin, begin behaving oddly. So do the wolves, though the moose seem OK. Evidence of some sort of fearsome mega-wolf sets everyone on edge, and near-fatal accidents start occurring. When one of the scientists is killed by wolves, Anna wonders if there's been a setup.
While the mystery is engaging, the information about the animal study is even more so. The tracking of wildlife, the collection of data, and the scientific analysis, all taking place in a harsh, unforgiving environment, are fascinating, and play a meaningful role in the story as a whole. Kudos to Nevada Barr for writing an intelligent series about a strong woman performing difficult, important work.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 69
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