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So Sure of Death: A Liam Campbell Mystery by Dana Stabenow
From Publishers Weekly Stabenow's second Liam Campbell mystery (after Fire and Ice) has the vivid descriptions, rich characterization and compelling plot that distinguish her nine Kate Shugak books, with the added advantage of extra sex appeal. Alaska State Trooper Campbell, stationed in the southwest Alaska boondocks, has a lot on his plate: an eager new trooper, Diana Prince; a visit from his estranged father, an air force colonel on a suspicious mission; the reappearance of his great love, charter pilot Wyanet (Wy) Chouinard; and two very different cases rife with false clues. When an assistant at an important archeological site is murdered, evidence points to Frank Petla, a Yupik grave robber who travels by four-wheeler. Liam apprehends him in a dramatic chase by leaping out of Wy's Cub into a lake, but later comes to believe Frank's profession of innocence. The desperate murderer finally reveals himself, almost killing Wy and her journalist friend Jo. Finding a killer who sets fire to a fishing boat, incinerating all seven people aboard, proves a more difficult task. Initially, Liam suspects a disgruntled former deckhand, but the solution hinges on careful observation and an understanding of Yupik lifestyles and traditions, a necessity for these white cops in a predominantly Native American population. Colorful characters abound, and Stabenow ably evokes the life of hard-pressed commercial fishermen. The mystery ends on a mystical note, integrating Native American belief into a satisfying conclusion. (Nov.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Reader Reviews 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: A novel searching for a plot, July 4, 2002 Reviewer: Fred Camfield from Vicksburg, MS USA This is apparently the second novel in a series. The novels should be read in order as substantial references are made to prior interactions between characters. I had expected this to be a mystery. It is more a romance novel as an Alaska trooper woofs after his ex-mistress, both on-duty and off-duty. The story is compounded by various people, both single and married, who are sleeping around. There is also the appearance on the scene of Trooper Liam Campbell's father, an Air Force colonel whom Liam thought was in Florida. Mixed into the story are the Yupik shaman Moses Alakuyak; the ex-mistress, Wy, who runs an air service into the Alaska Bush; an obsessed scientist investigating an old native site; and native Alaskans who dislike the white invaders. There is also a mysterious raven that seems to follow Liam. There are numerous sub-plots. A family is murdered aboard their fishing boat. The graduate assistant helping to excavate the native site is murdered. There are questions about what the graduate assistant found, about why Liam's father is in Alaska, and about who has been sleeping with whom. Wy's newspaper reporter friend shows up to investigate a tip she won't reveal. Liam gets some assistance from a computer guru friend who has information on everyone in the state as the investigation continues. There are some twists and turns with revelations that are sometimes surprising and sometimes not. The trooper, of course, gets his man and also, in this case, his woman. He seems to have a somewhat casual attitude about turning over two men to a killer who murdered them (someone that would get a police officer suspended or fired in any other state). There are a few interesting sidelights as when one character goes into a long tirage against cell phones before throwing another man's cell phone out the front door of a bar, avoiding the probable urge to stuff it where the sun doesn't shine. Overall, the novel is too fragmented into sub-plots, many unrelated. The novel has strong sexual content, language, and some violence. Parental discretion is advised. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title
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