Rating: 
Summary: A great mystery, a great character & Northern Exposure
Review: "White Sky, Black Ice" came highly recommended to me by a friend, and I am glad I picked it up.
It's a mystery/police drama set in Alaska. While reading I couldn't help but be reminded of one of my all time dramatic/comedy shows, "Northern Exposure". That made me like this book all the more.
Also, I thought the character of Nathan Active, the state trooper who becomes suspicious of two deaths and investigates them much further, was one of the best character's I read. Trooper Activ is born to a Native Alaskan woamn, but raised by a white couple. He is a single man, probably in his late 30's early 40's, cynical, witty in a dry off putting way, and just an amazingly well written character. I totally appreciated everything he said and I could easily see that character being brought to life on film because he is so vivid.
Once he hears of some strange and illegal goings on at the mine called "The Grey Wolf", he is moreso even more leery. He does everything in his power to find out what has really happened and why.
I got put off of mysteries after attempting to read the terrible writings of Sue Grafton, but my friend, Diana, gave Stan Jones such high regard, I knew I had to try it. I am very happy I did. I've always been a fan of the genre, and this book was unique and very well written. It has very interesting characters, and paints a beautiful picture of Alaska.
In the beginning of the book there is a page of terms used by the Native folk. Thank you for this Mr. Jones. I have not only read a wonderful book, but I have been educated. How often do mysteries do that?
Awesome job, and I await the next "Nathan Active" mystery!
Rating:
Summary: A great mystery, a great character & Northern Exposure
Review: "White Sky, Black Ice" came highly recommended to me by a friend, and I am glad I picked it up.
It's a mystery/police drama set in Alaska. While reading I couldn't help but be reminded of one of my all time dramatic/comedy shows, "Northern Exposure". That made me like this book all the more.
Also, I thought the character of Nathan Active, the state trooper who becomes suspicious of two deaths and investigates them much further, was one of the best character's I read. Trooper Activ is born to a Native Alaskan woamn, but raised by a white couple. He is a single man, probably in his late 30's early 40's, cynical, witty in a dry off putting way, and just an amazingly well written character. I totally appreciated everything he said and I could easily see that character being brought to life on film because he is so vivid.
Once he hears of some strange and illegal goings on at the mine called "The Grey Wolf", he is moreso even more leery. He does everything in his power to find out what has really happened and why.
I got put off of mysteries after attempting to read the terrible writings of Sue Grafton, but my friend, Diana, gave Stan Jones such high regard, I knew I had to try it. I am very happy I did. I've always been a fan of the genre, and this book was unique and very well written. It has very interesting characters, and paints a beautiful picture of Alaska.
In the beginning of the book there is a page of terms used by the Native folk. Thank you for this Mr. Jones. I have not only read a wonderful book, but I have been educated. How often do mysteries do that?
Awesome job, and I await the next "Nathan Active" mystery!
Rating:
Summary: As Grand as Alaska
Review: As a mystery writer, I read this novel in preparation for an author panel I was moderating at a recent Left Coast Crime mystery convention in Arizona. I was glad I did. Stan Jones has a terrific book here. His protagonist, Inuit Alaskan state trooper Nathan Active is a winner. WHITE SKY, BLACK ICE succeeds on many diverse levels. It tells a first-class story. It creates vivid characters. It captures the ambience of the Alaskan Bush. The book made such a strong impression on me that I agreed to travel to the Alaskan Bush as part of the following year's Left Coast Crime convention in Anchorage. WHITE SKY, BLACK ICE is a fine book. Stan Jones should be deservedly proud of his accomplishment.
Rating: 
Summary: An accurate portrayal of Alaskan native life
Review: I am a certifiable 'Alaskaphile!' I love all things Alaskan. To me, the fact that the book was a mystery was an added bonus. I read it for the Alaskan setting.What I enjoyed about Stan Jones' novel was the authenticity of the native culture in 20th century Alaska and believability and likeability of the characters. It is apparent that Mr. Jones is a student of human nature because he has used his powers of observation in crafting characters that literally leap off the page and sit down on the sofa next to you. There was nothing stereotypical of the portrayal of native Alaskan characters, situations or customs. It is apparent that Mr. Jones has a deep knowledge of life in a small bush town. He also interjects a panoply of uniquely Alaskan ingredients....the autonomy of the native corporation and men behind it...the wide array of people who live in a bush town...alcoholism...suicide...alternative means of transportation...law enforcement in the bush. Mr. Jones weaves the characters together in a gentle, flowing way. His story-telling is masterful. But the greatest asset of White Sky, Black Ice is Mr. Jones depiction of individuals regardless of heritage in an honoring way. For that reason, I couldn't put it down because I cared about the characters and wanted to see the outcome. It's a great book!
Rating:
Summary: An accurate portrayal of Alaskan native life
Review: I am a certifiable 'Alaskaphile!' I love all things Alaskan. To me, the fact that the book was a mystery was an added bonus. I read it for the Alaskan setting. What I enjoyed about Stan Jones' novel was the authenticity of the native culture in 20th century Alaska and believability and likeability of the characters. It is apparent that Mr. Jones is a student of human nature because he has used his powers of observation in crafting characters that literally leap off the page and sit down on the sofa next to you. There was nothing stereotypical of the portrayal of native Alaskan characters, situations or customs. It is apparent that Mr. Jones has a deep knowledge of life in a small bush town. He also interjects a panoply of uniquely Alaskan ingredients....the autonomy of the native corporation and men behind it...the wide array of people who live in a bush town...alcoholism...suicide...alternative means of transportation...law enforcement in the bush. Mr. Jones weaves the characters together in a gentle, flowing way. His story-telling is masterful. But the greatest asset of White Sky, Black Ice is Mr. Jones depiction of individuals regardless of heritage in an honoring way. For that reason, I couldn't put it down because I cared about the characters and wanted to see the outcome. It's a great book!
Rating:
Summary: Well worth reading
Review: I brought home four books from the library and picked this one up just to read a few pages to see what priority I wanted to give it in relation to the others. I didn't put it down til much later. It's a very good book! Well worth the time to read it.
Rating:
Summary: White Sky, Black Ice - excellent debut
Review: I loved this book - great characters, interesting plot, well-written and informative. Offers real insight into life in the great state of Alaska. The author indicates that he's working on other Nathan Active stories - a very good thing since Active is much too interesting for only one appearance. For anyone who likes Dana Stabenow's mysteries, also set in Alaska, you'll love Stan Jones's work.
Rating: 
Summary: Trouble on the Tundra
Review: Nathan Active is in the unhappy position of being part of two cultures and a member of neither. Born to an unwed 15-year old Eskimo girl in a remote part of Alaska, he was adopted, raised and educated in relatively cosmopolitan Anchorage. Nathan, an Alaskan State Trooper, finds himself stationed at the village of his birth and is not pleased to be there. If you have murder on your mind and do not care to be brought to justice, your chances would be good if your were in an isolated part of northern Alaska. A wave of suspicious "suicides" hits tiny Chukchi. Unfortunately, Trooper Active is the only person who sees anything strange about these occurrences. The locals and his superiors concur that frequent suicides are an Eskimo "thing," chalking it up to alcoholism and long winters. The scenic descriptions, governmental bureaucracy and village politics sound quite authentic and are well done. The story drags, and the reader is ahead of the plot line most of the time. My biggest problem was with the protagonist, Nathan Active. He seemed enormously self-centered and, to me, unlikable. There are some steamy sex scenes that are unattractive to me because Nathan freely takes advantage of an Eskimo girl, yet has contempt for her intelligence and prospects. The one thing little Lucy has going for her in Nathan's eyes is her acquiescence. He hopes to do far better for himself. Sadly, he appears to be quite a "catch" to the local girls. Though the book is not over-long, I had a hard time finishing it. If it were not for Eskimo characters, I probably would have given up on it. Great title though.
Rating:
Summary: Trouble on the Tundra
Review: Nathan Active is in the unhappy position of being part of two cultures and a member of neither. Born to an unwed 15-year old Eskimo girl in a remote part of Alaska, he was adopted, raised and educated in relatively cosmopolitan Anchorage. Nathan, an Alaskan State Trooper, finds himself stationed at the village of his birth and is not pleased to be there. If you have murder on your mind and do not care to be brought to justice, your chances would be good if your were in an isolated part of northern Alaska. A wave of suspicious "suicides" hits tiny Chukchi. Unfortunately, Trooper Active is the only person who sees anything strange about these occurrences. The locals and his superiors concur that frequent suicides are an Eskimo "thing," chalking it up to alcoholism and long winters. The scenic descriptions, governmental bureaucracy and village politics sound quite authentic and are well done. The story drags, and the reader is ahead of the plot line most of the time. My biggest problem was with the protagonist, Nathan Active. He seemed enormously self-centered and, to me, unlikable. There are some steamy sex scenes that are unattractive to me because Nathan freely takes advantage of an Eskimo girl, yet has contempt for her intelligence and prospects. The one thing little Lucy has going for her in Nathan's eyes is her acquiescence. He hopes to do far better for himself. Sadly, he appears to be quite a "catch" to the local girls. Though the book is not over-long, I had a hard time finishing it. If it were not for Eskimo characters, I probably would have given up on it. Great title though.
Rating:
Summary: A morality tale masquerading as a murder mystery
Review: Overkill: Turning the Apparatus of Criticism on an Humble Murder Mystery I remember the first Tony Hillerman novel I read, which I thought was interesting, not because of its description of Navajo policemen, or the exotic, to me, locale, so much as for its taking witchcraft seriously, as the people in the story did. White Sky, Black Ice introduces Nathan Active, an Eskimo (not the preferred term, as an introduction to the book and a short glossary explain)...in a captivating plot, a wonderful setting--the Arctic, with its herds of migrating caribou, its weather, its indigenous people and sympathetic characters. And a timeless theme. Man against the elements, including, in modern Western society, man in an organization, with bosses, co-workers, and underlings, procedures, policy, against institutions, government and private, bent on maximizing profit and manipulating public opinion, through the media of mass communication, at any cost, rewarding team players and punishing the lone wolf. A morality tale. In myth. All myth means is stories. The raven is the only animal that chuckles, and you can't see a snowy owl against the winter sky. Maybe it is a shaman's curse and maybe it isn't. If the hero breaks the curse, he breaks it. Maybe he helped this young person, maybe he didn't. If ten people had changed their vote the outcome would have been different. Maybe the election will change things. Maybe it won't. You worry about it too much your mind will break.
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