In Nevada Barr's A Superior Death, National Park Ranger Anna Pidgeon has moved from the punishing heat of West Texas (Track of the Cat,) to the pristine and icy wilderness of Michigan's Isle Royale National Park - ISRO to those in the know. When two scuba-diving tourists discover the body of local diver Denny Castle submerged in the wreck of the Kamloops 195 feet below the surface Lake Superior, Anna must riddle out the mystery of his death - a tragic accident, or vicious murder?

After reading A Superior Death, I must declare that I am indeed "hooked" on the world according to Anna Pidgeon! Her character holds all of the strengths, weaknesses, vulnerabilities and awkwardness of a real person, and is incredibly easy to relate to. The other characters in the book are, well.. wacky - most of them have no moral center, but are compelling and interesting nonetheless. I was very happy to see Christina and Allison from the first book in the series. Chris and Ally provide a sense of "home" for Anna that she desperately needs in her life.

Aside from it's strong and quirky characters, A Superior Death is also a very easy and quick read with a wonderful plot. The murder/mystery was puzzling right up to the end, making it impossible to put down. The details Nevada Barr provides about the Park and it's wildlife, give the reader true insight into what it means to work for the Park Service. The author's sense of place is astonishingly realistic, putting the reader into the freezing water with Anna. As a bonafide "land-lubber" myself, it was a bit creepy feeling the dark, frigid water crushing down on Anna as she had to dive the Kamloops to help recover Denny's body.

I enjoyed A Superior Death more than the first book in the series (Track of the Cat.) As always, I enjoyed Nevada Barr's vivid description of the Park and was entertained by her off-the-wall characters. I can't wait to get the next couple of books from the library (or from my Mom,) so that I can see what Anna gets into next! ( )

Anna Pidgeon - 2 ( )

#2 set at Isle Royale National Park in Michigan and on Lake Superior. I liked this book more than I did the first one. Part of it is knowing Anna already and not needing the backstory to figure her out, and part of it probably is my love for Lake Superior and the familiarity to some degree with the climate, type of people, and surroundings. The mystery was easy to figure out with multiple clues dropped everywhere, and I figured out the baddie immediately when introduced too, but still enjoyable. ( )

Nevada Barr novels are perfect companions for long airline flights. They are easy, they are fun, and they make the time pass quickly. This is another good book in a wonderful series. ( )

One of my favorite Nevada Barr books. The setting is so spooky and evocative! ( )