Rating: 
Summary: Mountain lion framed
Review: A mountain lion is wrongly accused of murder in a Southwestern national park, and Anna Pigeon is a park ranger who sets out to prove who really did it. Great scenery and nature writing - very little humor (except for some banter with her Manhattan-dwelling sister). No more violence than is necessary to carry the story (but graphic descriptions of what wild creatures do to dead bodies in the wilderness). The best suspense scene involves Pigeon alone in a fall down a mountain slope to the edge of a precipice. Mild sex (M-F and F-F). There is political agenda ( females and tree-huggers are good guys, ranchers and hunters are bad guys, Christians are silly) but I didn't find it too intrusive. The final showdown action scene with the murderer was unconvincing, but these scenes almost always are.
Rating: 
Summary: ANNA PEGION THE AVENGER
Review: ALTHOUGH THE BOOK MOVED SLOWLY IN SOME AREAS THE OVERALL STORY IS CAPTIVATING, I FOUND MYSELF SITTING ON THE EDGE OF MY LAWNCHAIR BREATHLESS WITH THE ANTICIPATION OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NEXT. BARR IS SO GOOD AT HIDING THE VILLIAN THAT YOU ARE TRUELY BLOWN AWAY WHEN HE OF SHE IS REVEALED.
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Summary: Anna Pigeon, Park Ranger
Review: Anna Pigeon is a Park Ranger who has left NY to escape her own personal history for the open spaces and peace of nature. Peace, however, has a cost and in this case it means solving murder, intrigue and the losses of endangered and monitored species. When Anna is in danger, we learn about the rigors of climbing sheer stone walls only to discover yet another secret.Nevada Barr has created a character that is unique and believable. In getting to know Anna the reader also learns about the real life of a park ranger from one who does the job. The mystery is excellent; I recommended this book to both my mother and daughter who now are fans. Even my son-in-law who has a busy career has found the time and energy to be drawn into this mysterious, well defined world.
Rating:
Summary: Catch the killer... if you can.
Review: Anna Pigeon is independent, strong willed, determined, and a very good observer; all of these qualities are necessary for a good sleuth. She is a Park Ranger who follows clues to find the truth like she were filling in a crossword puzzle, which I'm addicted to. So, when a rogue mountain lion kills, she must find the animal... however, she finds a murderer who will kill anyone in the way of a clandestine enterprise. No matter where the clues of a mountain lion attack leads her, Anna follows her instinct and logic; it's quite a treat to "read her mind" as she does. After being lured into a death trap, she knows she is on the right track. There are many suspects and motives, and the details are rich as only one who has been there can describe. That's what makes Nevada Barr's books so good -- she is a park ranger.
Rating:
Summary: Catch the killer... if you can.
Review: Anna Pigeon is independent, strong willed, determined, and a very good observer; all of these qualities are necessary for a good sleuth. She is a Park Ranger who follows clues to find the truth like she were filling in a crossword puzzle, which I'm addicted to. So, when a rogue mountain lion kills, she must find the animal... however, she finds a murderer who will kill anyone in the way of a clandestine enterprise. No matter where the clues of a mountain lion attack leads her, Anna follows her instinct and logic; it's quite a treat to "read her mind" as she does. After being lured into a death trap, she knows she is on the right track. There are many suspects and motives, and the details are rich as only one who has been there can describe. That's what makes Nevada Barr's books so good -- she is a park ranger.
Rating:
Summary: A thrilling read!
Review: Another great writing from Nevada Barr. A book that is hard to stop and put down.
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Summary: Like her other mysteries, a good read for the settings!
Review: As far as mysteries go, I thought this book (and the other Anna Pigeon books I have read) were pretty good, though perhaps not among the best-written I've ever read. What made the books enjoyable for me were the settings. Each book takes place in a different National Park, where the main character, Anna Pigeon, is stationed as a ranger. We've traveled to several of the national parks featured, and her descriptions are very evocative of the sites and bring back great memories. They also provide some interesting perspectives on the life of a park ranger! If you're a National Park Fan, you'll enjoy following Anna Pigeon around on her various assignments.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing -- too political
Review: As one who has spent time in the awesome grandeur that is Guadalupe Mountains National Park, I really looked forward to reading this book. I was disappointed. I had figured out who the killer was with a third of the book still to go. While the author is a gifted writer, the book is ruined by the left wing political philosophy she keeps shoving down our throats. Once you see this, it's really very easy to figure out who the Bad Guys are. It's a shame she couldn't tone down her one-sided, condescending, atheistic, feminist, pro-lesbian, pro-abortion, anti-Christian, anti-hunter, anti-development rantings. Too bad there is no place in the story for an intelligent Christian or someone that cares for animals but doesn't think they are on the same level as humans. Incidentally, Guadalupe Mountains National Park was started after Wallace Pratt, a retired petroleum geologist and employee of an OIL COMPANY, donated his own private vacation retreat because he wanted to preserve its beauty and share it with others.
Rating:
Summary: Another Hit
Review: Having enjoyed all of Nevada Barr's more recent books I was unable to find this older book at my neighborhood bookstore. I was thrilled to find it at Amazon.com and enjoyed it thoroughly. As usual Nevada's characters are interesting, her descriptions of the setting superb and the plot enticing enough to want you to keep reading. Anyone who has read her later books will especially enjoy reading this first book when many of the familiar characters are introduced for the first time.
Rating:
Summary: Hooked
Review: I am an avid mystery reader and a biologist, and so when I was stuck in the Portland airport for 12 hours, I picked up Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr. I have often found with mysteries that there are 2 basic kinds: a mystery with a compelling plot that is well constructed but has a one-dimensional protagonist, or a simple-minded mystery with a compelling protagonist. While not perfect, I found Anna Pidgeon and this story to be the best of both worlds. True, the plot was a bit translucent at times, but it was still based on a neat premise. Her descriptions of the park were beautiful without being distracting. And I loved Anna. Yes, she is flawed, but she is a REAL person. I know people like Anna. She's no Miss Marple (dont' get me wrong--I love Miss Marple and her twinkely blue eyes), but does she need to be? Anna is a decent, flawed, intelligent person. Like most of us. She's not the 'perfect omniscient detective' who figures out things in leaps of logic none of us can fathom (and are disappointing to read in a mystery, frankly). You can put yourself in her shoes, and any good novel does that for the reader. I look forward to watching Ms. Barr and Ms. Pidgeon grow in the subsequent novels. This was not a perfect novel, but showed a LOT of potential!
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