Diver found in remains of an old ship wreck in the bottom of Lake Superior off the coast of Isle Royale. Good read.

I did not guess the murderer until Anna put it together, whoops, though my candidate WAS doing other unsavory things.

My fiance noted that mysteries didn't seem like the typical thing I read, though I used to tear through "The Cat Who..." Lillian Jackson Braun books and Agatha Christie in middle school, so it feels like a throwback in some ways. Likewise, the book was written and therefore contemporary to 1994, so some things (payphones though I imagine Isle Royale NP is probably still *that* remote, conservation of film, AIDS as a very relevant concern re: teenage sex, etc.) feel dated that probably weren't at the time.

Some of the other rangers tended to blend together in my head in the early chapters until they did enough things to distinguish themselves. Maybe it's a sophomore book problem? We'll see if the trend continues... ( )

Book club read. A likable enough read, and Barr is a good stylist who writes exceptionally strong action scenes. But the nature writing didn't really grab me (except to evoke the swarming of mosquitoes), the mystery was marred by plot holes, and the characterization was uneven. If nature mysteries are your thing, I'd believe that this author improves with time, but it seems they're not mine. ( )

This book is the second in the Anna Pigeon series and just as entertaining as the first. Anna, a National Park Ranger, has made a substantial geographical leap from the hot deserts in Texas to the cold waters of Isle Royale National Park, located on the shore of Lake Superior. Instead of patrolling on a horse, she's now assigned to a boat named The Belle Isle. The story reveals the challenging life of running a National Park in this remote spot where the primary entertainment is fishing and partying. Anna also experiences the dangers of deep-water diving when a murderer leads her deep into the dark lake. Fascinating descriptions of wildlife, weather, and insects bring the reader into the narrative, while Anna deals with the quirky characters this author is skilled at creating. The plot moves fast, builds suspense, and resolves quickly. I highly recommend this captivating story. ( )

Ooof. This one was so well done that it was nearly impossible for me to read parts of it, averse as I am to the idea of being under water, or way out on open water. NPS Ranger Anna Pigeon has been transferred out of the desert to the Isle Royale park on upper Lake Superior. She's not real happy about it, missing the clean dry heat and fog-free environment of her previous assignment. But she's got the hang of small boats, is certified to dive, and finds many aspects of the job personally, if not financially, rewarding. Her co-workers, both permanent and seasonal, are a motley assortment of competence, quirkiness and stupidity. She suspects some of them are up to unethical, if not criminal pursuits. When the body of one of the best professional divers on the lake is found drowned without gear, and oddly dressed at that, on an old shipwreck, her suspicions are confirmed, but nothing, from the water down there, to the air above, and many actions taking place in between, is clear. Lots of good bits of business in this one, offbeat dark-ish humor, and some near-deadly underwater action (which I truly had to force myself to read without skimming). Can't wait to see where Anna finds herself next. ( )