by Dana Stabenow
Minotaur, 2011, 464pp.
I've been a fan of Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak novels for nearly twenty years now. Her Aleut private investigator Kate Shugak is tough, smart, resourceful, and prone to the occasional stupid mistake that gets her shot or bopped on the head (her MRI must be frightening). My mother Jane Bille, now 90, is every bit as much of a fan. As a novelist of much lesser gifts, I told her when we met at a signing that she had taught me two things: how to put humor into life and death moments, and how to use the land as a character. (She humbly said of the latter, "Who's really good is CJ Box.")
We've had over twenty Kate novels by now, but the masterpiece is this tale from 2011.
Stabenow's gifts hit a peak here: not that she has dropped off, but every writer has one novel you recommend to every interested reader. For first-time Kate acquaintances I suggest the funniest novel, Breakup, but this is the book she can hang her hat on. This complex tale of Alaskan history, faith, tribal allegiance, family, and love opens after the death of the Park's 89-year-old king of cantankerousness, Old Sam. Kate's pursuit of the clues he left to a stolen religious icon lead her through the lives of her ancestors and some unwelcome findings about her living relatives. She goes on a treasure hunt, nearly gets killed (of course), meets all kinds of interesting people, and ends knowing much better who she really is. I can't imagine even Dana will ever top this.
Matt Bille's most recent novel, Death by Legend, is a gripping tale of modern horror in Los Angeles. The next, the scientific thriller Apex Predator, will be out from Blackstone this time next year. See www.mattbilleauthor.com
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