Rating: 
Summary: Series is beginning to falter
Review: I love Alaska and was very excited to discover Sue Henry's mystery series. She does a wonderful job describing the land, the people, and of course, sled dogs. I really enjoyed the prior books in the series, but this one was a disappointment. The plot just didn't make sense - it was very farfetched that a villain would go after Jessie according to this book's scenario. I was also very disappointed in this book's depiction of Jessie and Alex's relationship. He is a great guy. Yet, in this book, Jessie behaves stupidly, ungratefully, and cannot make up her mind about Alex. Her reasons for ambivalence simply don't make sense and I was very disappointed in her. Up to this point, I had really admired Jessie and also, her relationship with Alex. As I know from personal experience, a good man is hard to find - when you find one, you shouldn't gratuitously botch the relationship! It had been refreshing to read about a healthy, positive, loving relationship - until this book in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing,but will try the next book.
Review: I really enjoyed Murder on the Iditerod Trail and have read all of Henry's books since then. I was immensely pleased to find this one featuring Jessie again,rather than her boyfriend Alex. Jessie is a terrific character set in her element of Alaskan mushers and I would love to see more of her. The book starts out very well and then crashes badly when the motivation of the villain is exposed. I don't want to spoil the plot for anyone,but the reason for the entire plot sequence becomes highly unlikely and emotionally unsatisfactory. The independent female lead ends up incompetent. The reader is left yelling "don't go in the cellar with the light off" like in a B horror movie. It was very disappointing and a betrayal of the character to have her mouth words of female independence at the end when she flubbed it in traditional dumb heroine fashion in the previous chapter. I might have forgiven Jessie's actions ( we all have dumb moments) if I had been able t! o accept the plot device that drove the action. When the explanation for the stalking was made I found it totally unlikely. Much like hitting your toe with a hammer and blaming Bob Vila! Sorry Ms. Henry I'll give you one more try but that's it.
Rating:
Summary: A disappointing book from a very good mystery writer
Review: I've read all of Sue Henry's books and enjoyed them all, as I did "Deadfall," but I found this to be the least stimulating and creative of her five novels.Her sense of place is superb, as always, but the plot here, while still engaging, is also predictable and routine. I also think that the author is struggling a bit with what to do with the relationship between Alex and Jessie; their interactions are beginning to sound like an Alaskan version of Robert Parker's Spenser and Susan.This is still worth a read, but I wish I'd waited for the paperback.
Rating: 
Summary: It was amazing. Hardtime suspense.Romatic.Humor.Exellent.
Review: Im 11 years old and is a great reader.in 6th grade and understood the whole thing.It was the best book in the world. Just because im 11 doesn't mean I don't understand this book. Trust me.You will love it!
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting story but weak ending
Review: In this 5th. book of the series, Alex's girlfriend Jessie is being harrassed and threatened. Alex decides that Jessie needs to go to a remote island where she can be safe and he can find the culprit. There is a lot of suspense in this book, and the usual wonderful descriptions, but there are some flaws which are not evident in Henry's other books. The reason for the harrassment is hard to believe and is too convoluted to ring true. Also, author Henry seems to be changing her mind as to who is the main character in her books. The earlier books in the series are labelled at the Alex Jensen Mystery Series, but now that Jessie is emerging as the main character, they are called the Alaska Mysteries. There also seems to be a lot of ambivalence on Jessie's part as to what is more important--her relationship with Alex or her independence. If you can swallow the improbable ending, the book is still a good read.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting story but weak ending
Review: In this 5th. book of the series, Alex's girlfriend Jessie is being harrassed and threatened. Alex decides that Jessie needs to go to a remote island where she can be safe and he can find the culprit. There is a lot of suspense in this book, and the usual wonderful descriptions, but there are some flaws which are not evident in Henry's other books. The reason for the harrassment is hard to believe and is too convoluted to ring true. Also, author Henry seems to be changing her mind as to who is the main character in her books. The earlier books in the series are labelled at the Alex Jensen Mystery Series, but now that Jessie is emerging as the main character, they are called the Alaska Mysteries. There also seems to be a lot of ambivalence on Jessie's part as to what is more important--her relationship with Alex or her independence. If you can swallow the improbable ending, the book is still a good read.
Rating:
Summary: Series is beginning to falter
Review: Like many of the other reviewers, I've read all of the earlier Sue Henry/Alex Jensen books. I've recommended Murder on the Iditarod Trail and Sleeping Lady to many people. I won't be recommending this book. With Deadfall, it felt as if Henry was struggling to find a plot and/or meet a deadline. The first half of the book was very ponderously plotted. The pace picks up in the second half. The good news is that it's really hard to guess who the stalker is. (One thing I like about this series is that the "bad guy" is often the last person you'd suspect.) The bad news is that the logic behind the stalker is pretty far fetched -- and if you missed the clue in the early pages, it isn't repeated as they unwind the story at the end. I'm also enough of a romantic that I'm growing a little impatient with Jesse's ambivalence about making a commitment with Alex. Jesse's "I'm an independent woman" attitude just doesn't quite work for me -- particularly when she's just relied on a group of men to help her. He's a good guy Jesse -- wake up! Finally, I listened to the unabridged audiotape of the this book which may have lessened my enjoyment of this tale. The narrator (Peiffer) speaks with only a little more emotion than a monotone. Dialogue, in particular, comes across in a painfully stilted voice. This may be a better series to read in printed text.
Rating:
Summary: Slow start, improbable finish
Review: Like many of the other reviewers, I've read all of the earlier Sue Henry/Alex Jensen books. I've recommended Murder on the Iditarod Trail and Sleeping Lady to many people. I won't be recommending this book. With Deadfall, it felt as if Henry was struggling to find a plot and/or meet a deadline. The first half of the book was very ponderously plotted. The pace picks up in the second half. The good news is that it's really hard to guess who the stalker is. (One thing I like about this series is that the "bad guy" is often the last person you'd suspect.) The bad news is that the logic behind the stalker is pretty far fetched -- and if you missed the clue in the early pages, it isn't repeated as they unwind the story at the end. I'm also enough of a romantic that I'm growing a little impatient with Jesse's ambivalence about making a commitment with Alex. Jesse's "I'm an independent woman" attitude just doesn't quite work for me -- particularly when she's just relied on a group of men to help her. He's a good guy Jesse -- wake up! Finally, I listened to the unabridged audiotape of the this book which may have lessened my enjoyment of this tale. The narrator (Peiffer) speaks with only a little more emotion than a monotone. Dialogue, in particular, comes across in a painfully stilted voice. This may be a better series to read in printed text.
Rating: 
Summary: Deadfall Falls Dead
Review: Once again, the characters are weak; the plot is thin and this mystery has all the flavor of sidewalk chalk. A couple of the dogs surface momentarily but immediately disappear into the blank landscape.
Rating:
Summary: Deadfall Falls Dead
Review: Once again, the characters are weak; the plot is thin and this mystery has all the flavor of sidewalk chalk. A couple of the dogs surface momentarily but immediately disappear into the blank landscape.
| 
