Sleeping Bear

Girl Gone in Alaska
Review of the Simon & Schuster audiobook edition (July, 2021) released simultaneously with the Atria/Emily Bestler hardcover

Although Sleeping Bear is set in the current era, the anachronistic use of the Soviet Union's hammer & sickle logo on the book's cover gives it away that we are in a setting of a crazed evil empire of SMERSH-type killers vs James Bond-like proxies. The villains here do just about everything except drip venom from their fangs while lurking in their lair, and the heroes, after the required initial setbacks, take on impossible odds with eventual success. i.e. do not expect anything realistic here, but enjoy the ride.

The setup was well done and incorporated the mystery of the Alaskan Bermuda triangle show more with the apparent real-life information that the number of disappeared people in Alaska is twice the national average for the USA. Army Ranger School veteran Cassie Gale is in bereavement over the death of her husband and takes a outdoor guiding job in Alaska to escape her life and to aid the grieving process. She disappears while on the road to her new place of employment and her family is notified. Unknown to her and her sister is the backstory that her widowed father was a CIA operative in his youth who made a significant enemy back in the days of the Soviet Union. The family arrives in Alaska to aid in the search and mayhem ensues.

There are a lot of stereotypes and cliches here: e.g. the mad scientists, the hidden lair, the zombie like hordes of subordinates etc., but it is all very well done for first time thriller novelist Connor Sullivan. Background details such as the Magnitsky Act, Putin's Palace, Sharashkas etc. were well researched and completely correct. It is definitely a solid outing for fans of the genre.

I listened to the audiobook edition as read by the prolific narrator Hillary Huber who was excellent as always. I don't know if she speaks Russian but the occasional Russian phrase sounded completely authentic to me. show less

Army veteran Cassie Gale decides to take a solo camping trip in the Alaskan wilderness on her way to a new job. Cassie fails to show up at her job and her campsite is found abandoned. Thousands of people go missing in the Alaskan wilderness but Cassie's disappearance is far from normal. Cassie wakes in a Russian prison and she knows it's going to take all of her courage and survival skills to survive. But Cassie has one thing that they weren't counting on. Cassie's father is not one to take her disappearance lightly. Jim Gale is going to do whatever it takes to find his daughter and he has some tricks up his own sleeve as well as a history that he thought was long since buried. You might say, he has a particular set of skills.

Sleeping show more Bear by Connor Sullivan takes us from Montana to Canada, Alaska, and Russia delivering action-packed scenes at every stop along the way. Jim and Cassie Gale are characters you find easy to root for. The main villain, Russian Viktor Sokolov, is a menacing character in his own right and a worthy foe. Sullivan throws enough obstacles in the way of Jim and Cassie Gale to keep the excitement and tension level high throughout this fast-paced and well-plotted novel. Narrative which switches between Jim’s perspective and Cassie’s keeps you flipping the pages.

Sullivan's debut novel delivers all the action a thriller fan could want including a finale that will have you jumping out of your seat. This is one of the best debut thriller novels I've ever read and Connor Sullivan is a name you're going to be hearing a lot more of in the future next to names like Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, Gregg Hurwitz, and Matthew Betley. This is one of the most hyped books of the year and one that more than lived up to its billing.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. show less

This is the best book I've read in 2023 and I can't believe it is Conner Sullivan's debut novel. Sleeping Bear is a great thriller that starts fast, continues to pick up momentum throughout the book, and has a terrific ending.
To say that Cassandra Gale's life is a mess would be an understatement. Recovering from the loss of her husband, she decides to take an adventure with her dog, Maverick, into Alaska to recharge herself both mentally and emotionally. She meets some nice people along the way but what transpires during her first night of camping will affect not only her life forever, but the lives of each of her family members.
This is a politically-charged thriller that involves the countries of Canada, the United States, and Russia. show more It will have you on the edge of your seat for the entire story. Highly recommended! show less

I don't mind a good espionage story but it has to make sense for me to like it. And this one had me until almost halfway before I was pretty done. I thought the abduction and set up was really well done. Even though it was a stretch for length and amount, I was totally down for that part of the story.

But once the guy watching a screen in some far off country recognized the. . .what, chin? Cheek bones? of someone on the screen and made the huge leap, I was out. It was such a push beyond coincidence that I couldn't make the same leap as the author.

Oh well, just not for me, maybe.

Started out strong and just when you think the story is resolved, it surprises you with even more intrigue and action. I loved the family dynamics in this book and I would love to see it on the big screen.

Wonderful book! This book has everything-strong female, great father, awesome dog and evil villains. The plot is so timely and the writing excellent. So much action. Can’t wait to read more by this author.

The premise that American citizens are being kidnapped and taken to Russia is interesting, but Sleeping Bear has many incidents in the plot that are far fetched and poorly done. The characters, to me, were one dimensional and uninteresting. Disappointed given the great reviews I’ve seen.