A Superior Death

February 28, 1994
In her second appearance, after Track of the Cat , National Park Service ranger Anna Pigeon is posted to an island in Lake Superior, where her interest in wildlife is fully engaged by the local population of humans. Two scuba-diving tourists exploring an old, submerged wreck discover a recent addition: the body of Denny Castle, who ran a commercial diving concession in the park. This makes Anna uneasy about the mysterious disappearance of Donna Butkus, wife of fellow ranger Scotty Butkus. Hawk Bradshaw, who worked with Denny, suggests that there was a link between Denny and Donna, but Hawk is less revealing about the nature of the relationship he and his twin sister had with the dead man and the impact Denny's recent marriage (to yet another woman) had on it. The Bradshaws aren't the only reticent ones here; indeed, Barr's characters hide enough unsavory secrets to keep a soap opera humming for months. Despite the wealth of personal intrigue, FBI agent Frederic Stanton looks for a drug connection to the murder: ``I'm all for drugs . . . Takes the guesswork out of law enforcement.'' The levelheaded Anna is again a treat as she and a couple of minor characters whose lives don't verge on melodrama keep the story from floundering on the rocks. Mystery Guild alternate; paperback rights to Avon.

Nobody handles wit better than Barbara Rosenblat. Her mature voice is perfect for silver-haired New Yorker Anna Pigeon, a freelance National Parks ranger who also solves crimes. Rosenblat imbeds wryness into her narration as Anna works the murder of a park personality dressed in an antique sailor suit, who was found on a long sunk wreck in Lake Superior. In addition to highlighting the droll writing, Rosenblat builds suspense without diminishing the heroine's appreciation of the natural world. This combination of tension and a beautiful setting comforts the listener through the violence Anna deals with and instills the desire to visit this beautiful Michigan country. S.W. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine