"In the fourth book of this enchanting series set in Alaska...[Jones has] created a richly populated universe you’ll be sorry to leave."—People Magazine, 3 stars "Jones, who's been a bush pilot and an investigative reporter, brings stomach-wrenching verisimilitude to crimes despoiling the land and the people, while he sensitively renders the tender, painful romance between Nathan and Grace. His sympathetic portrayal of Alaska's mixed-ethnic traditions is a tribute to both the state and the states of mind it inspires"—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "Nathan is a likable series lead, capable, depending on the situation, of touching tenderness or unbending strength. Fans of other Alaska-set series—Dana Stabenow’s atmospheric Kate Shugak novels and John Straley’s rather more traditional books featuring private investigator Cecil Younger—will embrace the Active novels but don’t stop there: recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a stylishly written, solidly plotted mystery"—Booklist | "You can’t fake the stuff Stan Jones pulls off in Village of the Ghost Bears…A writer of muscular words and stark images, Jones sets up his scenes like film shots…This kind of writing makes for strong reading, especially with a sturdy murder plot to give it structure…Active knows the territory and understands the regional psychology. What he can’t grasp is the brute instinct that makes people destroy the peace of such a majestic environment. "—New York Times Book Review "Jones delivers a finely laddered plot...but the real fun, as always, lies in the dozens of mini-lessons he gives on hardscrabble Alaskan life, covering everything from the illegal trade in polar-bear bladders to the description of a potent indigenous chewing tobacco made from burnt birch-tree fungus."—Entertainment Weekly, A- "Painterly descriptions of Alaska's natural beauty and the lives of the native people are fascinating."—USA Today "Multilayered characters and an offbeat setting authentically rendered—Jones bids fair to become the Tony Hillerman of Alaska."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review "Readers get a crash course in living in remote Alaska and a mighty fine mystery as well. Comparable to Alaska mysteries by Dana Stabenow and Mike Doogan, this series should get more exposure than it does."—Library Journal |
