Rating: 
Summary: Not As Sharp As Usual
Review: There is nothing wrong with this book except that it seemed a tad tired, even though I never met a Kate Shugak book I didn't like.
In this outing, Kate is hired (very reluctantly on her part) to act as security guard for a political candidate, Anne Gordaoff. Like all politicians, Anne is quick with the glib tongue and the familiar handshake, and Kate finds it hard to like her, even though on the surface, her platform seems sound. What's worse for Kate is the folderol that goes with any campaign, and stalwart native Kate is truly a fish out of water--until the murders start.
Somebody is dogging the candidate's heels, and victims are having a nasty way of turning up when least expected. Kate tries to solve the mystery, joined by her would-be lover Jim Chopin (Chopper Jim) and other regulars--including, of course, half-wolf, half wonderdog Mutt.
What saves the plot from being entirely tired is the parallel story that takes place early in the century--that of a dancehall hostess/prostitute in the wild and woolly Alaskan gold rush. Many authors before Stabenow have used this double plot trick to very good effect, and it works for her too, except that the tie-in between the prostitute Angel and the candidate Anne is very weak and very confusing.
So be it...worth reading for diehard Shugak fans. On to the next!
Rating: 
Summary: Learn about the Dawson Darling... & Kate
Review: This is the 11th in the Kate Shugak Series, and the second one since Kate's sole mate was brutally killed while helping guide on a hunting trip.In this story Kate is "talked into" acting as a bodyguard for a Native Woman who is running for s state senate seat. The biggest drawback is that it involves dealing with a woman she knows from college. Let's just say there is no apparent love loss here. At the same time Johnny is now living with Kate, or at least Kate's friends. Stabenow has also given us a look into the past with this book. This is really 2 stories in one. Yes they are tied together. But, you learn a bit about the beginning of the state's history (Alaska) and the type of people that brought her into statehood. You also learn a lot about the difference in politics in a land that is vast and wide. I loved the way the Dawson Darling was brought to life. Though I did find the switching back and forth a bit annoying. (Which is the 4 star rating) I would have liked to see this one as a separate story. I also love how you see the pleasure that books bring people and the joy of reading (as many of us do) thought the eyes of Kate and Paula. If you like a good murder mystery you will like this one! But, if you are new to the series I suggest you start with an earlier book first.
Rating:
Summary: Shugak is Back
Review: This is the 11th outing for Kate Shugak, former Anchorage police officer and now private investigator in the Park in the Alaskan bush. The series took an unexpected turn in book 9, and with the last two entries, author Dana Stabenow has kept us on edge wondering if Shugak would survive. In this book, Shugak returns to her homestead in the Park for the first time in months. She is promptly offered a job as a political candidate's protection after the candidate, a Native Alaskan, begins receiving threatening letters. Shugak, like most police officers, believes that the writer of the letters will go no further than the written word. But when one of the candidate's staff turns up dead, Shugak is forced to reevaluate her position. From that point, the book goes into high gear! The characters, especially the ones we've grown to know over the years, are well-drawn and continue to grow and change. Stabenow gives us some history of Alaska, this time involving a prostitute of the Klondike era. She keeps you guessing about who did the foul deed although she is such a skillful writer that you find yourself hoping it's one of the campaign staff whom you come to love to hate. Stabenow's writing remains outstanding so much so that you can feel autumn slipping away with each turn of the page - in the back of your head you'll begin to wonder where you can lay your hands on a sweater - even if you're in 90 degree weather.
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