Rating: 
Summary: Solid but Predictable
Review: It's good to have Anna Pigeon back at any time, and Nevada Barr doesn't let us down with this latest in her series about the intrepid and way too independent forest ranger. But somehow, "High Country" never gets the reader's blood flowing the way earlier entries in the series have done.That is not to say that the book is not enjoyable, or even that it's a tough read. It simply does not, for this reader, anyway, have the spark that so many others have had. Perhaps it's because Anna is working undercover at a lodge in Yosemetie rather than in her park-ranger personna--and also because all through the book, she keeps harping on the fact that she is middle-aged now and has slowed way down. I kept expecting her to order a rocking chair! And her thoughts are belied by her eventual confrontation with the villain--no used-up woman could ever fight back the way Anna does. The plot concerns Anna's placement in the park to help investigate the mysterious disappearance of four young and able climbers, each of whom was more than able to fend for him/herself. Anna starts to nose around while trying to keep in the guise of a waitress--the temperamental chef hates her, the boss lady hates her, everybody seems to hate her. And they have reason to as Anna doggedly and determinedly uncovers a truly nefarious set of circumstances. This was a fun read despite its curious lack of life. I wouldn't read it as a first sample of the Anna Pigeon series, but for us diehard readers, it's a must.
Rating: 
Summary: Nevada Barr Is At The Top Of Her Form
Review: Long time fans of Nevada Barr and her leading lady Anna know to strap themselves in, block out some time, and enjoy the ride. Nevada, thru Anna, always takes us on a behind-the-scenes trip to America's premier National Parks, both discovered and un-discovered gems.
An intriguing mystery always awaits, and we meet a cast of characters, some new, some old who move the story along at a comfortable pace.
Naysayers can always find fault with plot elements or gaps in Anna's judgement, but they miss the point of the story. Its a journey of enjoyment and discovery. Always interesting, rarely predictable, and enhancing the view of our jointly owned back counrty.
In my opinion, "High Country" ranks up with the best of Nevada Barr's books. I won't rehash plot details here - others have done that admirably.
I'll admit a few of Anna's previous adventures have required the reader to make a leap of faith to cross a believability gap in the plot (noteably "Ill Wind"). I found none of these in "High Country". I swallowed every word with nary a grain of salt.
All Nevada Barr's storys are worty of our time, and do what we wish - take us on a great trek with our good friend Anna to root out evil-doers within the beauty of our National Parks.
Go Anna!
Go Nevada!
Rating: 
Summary: One of the better Anna Pigeon mystery/thrillers
Review: National Park ranger Anna Pigeon, working undercover at Yosemite's Ahwahnee Hotel, is trying to find out why four young park employees have disappeared. Her nosiness uncovers some very unsavory characters, but also provokes suspicion and hostility. She nearly gets killed while hiking solo in the high country but survives by being brutal with her pursuers. And that's not the end. Most of this story moves along at a good clip; Barr's use of language ranges from good to superb. Her description of Anna's fight for survival in the mountains is particularly effective. On the other hand, some of the scenes in the hotel and dormitory are rather ordinary. All in all, a good read.
Rating: 
Summary: Barr lowers the Bar
Review: Nevada Barr's latest mystery, High Country, is a letdown for Barr fans. Barr has Anna Pigeon undercover, working as a waitress in Yosemite National Park. This book was disappointing on several levels. The first disappointment was in the story's characters. Because Anna is undercover, many of the interesting aspects of how she relates to her world are removed. There is no loving connection with the park because of her job to protect it. There is no snazzy interaction with other rangers. There is no insight into the daily life of a park ranger. Zip. Moreover, to make matters more disappointing, there were no phone calls to Molly or connections to anyone that we've followed in Anna's development. Barr's stories all contain endearing people. That was missing in this story. The only two "good guy" characters were either overly sappy (the "park brat") or hidden as "bad guys" until it was too late to care for them (the chef and his assistant).
The second disappointment was in Barr's depiction of Yosemite. If I didn't know a bit more about this park than others of which she has written, I would never desire visiting it. Barr depicted a very small part of the park as dilapidated and undesirable without including other aspects of this park that bare no resemblance to her rendition. A reader has the sense that either Barr was coerced into writing this book and/or she doesn't care for this park and therefore, didn't really give much of herself to it. While Yosemite is crowded in places, Barr chose to focus on that alone and made the picture even worse by setting the story in a less attractive season for the park.
The third disappointment was the bland plot. Barr neglected the personal aspects of Anna with which readers have connected. In dealing with alcoholism, Anna pulled from her history with her alcoholic father rather than her own battle. In dealing with human interactions, Anna didn't act as she has in the past with her basic "love nature above people" stance. And in using high ethical standards, Anna departed from her usual "take the high road" approach to her job and endangered a civilian to obtain information from the villains.
And the final disappointment was in the plot itself. It was simple, mysterious-less, fragmented, and too black and white. Barr's previous plots have been less obvious and more complex with a blend of good and evil that is less stark. And for readers who have followed Anna in her progression towards fifty and committed, we all have loved the fact that she lives in and sees the gray in most situations. For Barr, this book appeared to be written with lower standards or could it be that her reader's expectations have just remained too high for any author to consistently satisfy? What do you think?
Rating:
Summary: High Country
Review: Nevada Barr's novels featuring National Park Ranger Anna Pigeon are a nature adventure for the price of the book. "High Country" is Barr's twelfth installment of Anna's adventures in the nation's National Parks. "High Country", set in Yosemite's National Park in the Sierra Mountains, puts Pigeon in a role different than we are accustomed to seeing her in the historic Ahwahnee Hotel working undercover as a waitress. The plot is full of twists and turns, a harrowing chase through the mountains and more than a little soul searching. I enjoy Barr for her vivid descriptions and her obvious love of all things natural; her character Anna Pigeon is real, rough around the edges and human. I've read every novel in this series and I agree that some are better than others. But I will also argue that this is true with other authors whose series I have read over a long period of time. "High Country" has a few holes in character development. Even Pigeon at times seems to act a little out of character. I suspect that those locations for which Barr has a real affection are better, the descriptions more vivid, the characters written more comfortably. When Barr is out of her element, Anna the character comes across as incongruous with her surroundings. For this reason, Anna seems most comfortable and realistic in those novels written in the Natchez Trace area. Barr's affection for that locale comes across in the depth of imagery and color with which she writes. Anna has taken me inside the Statue of Liberty, into the claustrophobic depths of Carlsbad Caverns and down to the icy depths of Lake Superior. Every novel is like a visit with an old friend and I hope she never runs out of National Parks!
Rating:
Summary: Anna Pigeon goes undercover in Yosemite
Review: Our favorite NPS ranger Anna Pigeon has been called to California in order to quietly investigate the disappearance of four young people. While she "works" as a waitress in the Ahwahnne Hotel restaurant, she keeps her eyes open, asks questions, and noses around a bit. After she takes a long hike and finds a secret lurking in a remote area of the park, the action takes off and this book is difficult to put down. (Turns out the elevation isn't the only thing in the park that's "high.") Anna ends up finding some rather nasty folks in the midst of the spectacular glacial scenery. Thank goodness she's a trained and capable law enforcement officer and outdoors-person. A lesser woman wouldn't make it past page 155! Following the style of Nevada Barr's earlier titles, this engaging story ends with the best moral of all: There's no place like home.
Rating:
Summary: Not her best effort
Review: Please understand that I am recommending this book. For Nevada Barr it is a workable effort and fans of Anna Piegeon especially will want to read it. I like the idea of taking away Anna's badge and gun and letting her experience life through the eyes of a waitress, not a ranger. The author gets some humor from this; she could have had more. Anna is a compelling character. On the down side the mysteries are pretty predictable. I was actually surprised only once. Also Anna acts like a rookie repeatedly just to advance the plot. But then, I guess anybody could have an off week or so. Personally I find the settings and the characters more interesting than the mysteries anyway. If you have not read the series don't start with this one. If you want to read just one Nevada Barr try Blind Descent or Firestorm.
Rating:
Summary: Barr serves up another treat!
Review: Ranger Anna Pigeon is back, graying and pushing fifty, and very much her own person. Going undercover in Yosemite's prestigious resort, she works as a waitress caught between a temperamental chef and a dictatorial head waitress. Anna has been detailed to the park because four young workers have disappeared, mysteriously, and investigators hope she will pick up clues by blending in as a lowly staff person. High Country is archetypal Nevada Barr. As usual, Anna meets a cast of characters who seem larger than life because her Park world is so claustrophobic. And as usual, she's matter-of-fact about everything, always the detached observor. She belongs but she's always a little on the outside. As usual, Barr serves up scenery. We get a vivid picture of Anna in the High Country, using her wits to outmaneuver two murderers, includes every detail. Anna realizes how far she's willing to go to save herself, accomplish her mission and return to Paul, her fiance back in Mississippi. We see a new side of Anna as she transports herself to New York, where her sister lives, and to Mississippi, where Paul takes care of her animals. I'm reminded of Martha Beck's visions in Expecting Adam. The grayness of a Yosemite December seemed real. In summer, Anna would be dodging tourists at every corner. I think she's remarkably patient about being separated from her fiance -- surely they'd have a way to communicate? Anna grows and some readers may not be comfortable watching. Her sister, now married, seems less available. Engaged to Paul, she tentatively reaches for the traditionally feminine symbols. She slows down, physically, and accepts the aging process with grace. So I'm not ready to see Anna retire! And authors are human, so Barr undoubtedly will change the way she writes about Anna. So far, I'm still a fan. This series remains one of the most literate and sensitive on the market. Let's hope the publishers and the bookstores keep it there.
Rating:
Summary: Oh where oh where is the Track of the Cat Greatness...
Review: The overall plot was interesting, the events were interesting. The fact it took 8 pages to describe something that could have been done in 3 pages with a better pacing wasn't. I lost track in the middle when Anna goes hiking because of the excessive description. Her early books were well paced, excellent descriptions, interesting reads. At some point she seems to have started to get paid by the word and it expanded into pointless reflections and descriptions. Where show not tell should be is tell not show and vs. I went to sleep three times while trying the hair raising middle of the book [not in the least but such potential.] I couldn't buy her own reaction to her own reactions. STOP REFLECTING until after the event Anna. I would be too busy trying to save my butt than to think about gee should I be doing this will I be evil if I do. Edited, reworked it would be as good as her early ones which I adore. The plain crash is, I admit, getting old. It has been well done by too many authors [drugs or otherwise] and too many movies. Da device is old Nevada and wasn't well written enough to swing it. It did have possiblities that got prosed away.
Rating:
Summary: Cliffhanger, Anna Pigeon Style
Review: This book was the third re-telling of the crash of a smuggler's marijuana-filled airplane that came down in the Yosemite backcountry in 1977, and it makes for one of the weakest Anna Pigeon mysteries in years. This same story was also the basis for the movie "Cliffhanger" with Sylvester Stallone and John Lithgow, and I have to admit I liked the Stallone version better. There are hundreds of younger women in the enforcement ranks of the National Park Service, and the use of a 50-year-old district ranger in an undercover role, particularly in one of the busiest parks in the country just never hit home with me. The NPS has it's own criminal investigators for that kind of duty. As I said, the plot-line was stale, since it has been used repeatedly since the actual event happened years ago. Plotlines involving the chief ranger being shipped off to Montana, and Mary, the young woman who Anna takes into her confidence, are never finished, nor do we ever find out if the guy who almost kills Anna is dead or alive. I have read all of this series, and this (and the NYC one) are the two I enjoyed least.
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