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Kate Shugak #3
Dead in the Water
Once, Kate Shugak was the star investigator of the Anchorage D.A.'s office. Now she's gone back to her Aleut roots in the far Alaska north- where her talent for detection makes her the toughest crime-tracker in that stark and mysterious land.
Two crewmen of the crab vessel Avilda are missing—presumed dead—under very suspicious circumstances. The Bering Sea offers ample means and opportunity, but without bodies, a motive, or evidence of foul play, the DA doesn’t have a case. And so, freelancing again for her former employer, Kate Shugak finds herself working undercover in one of Alaska’s most dangerous professions: crab fisherman. It’s an assignment that will take her from the debauchery of Dutch Harbor to the most isolated of the Aleutians, and if the job itself doesn’t kill her, her unsavory crewmates just might.
Third in Stabenow’s Edgar Award-winning series of Alaskan mysteries, Dead in the Water is richly informed by the author’s own upbringing aboard an Alaskan fishing vessel.
Two crewmen of the crab vessel Avilda are missing—presumed dead—under very suspicious circumstances. The Bering Sea offers ample means and opportunity, but without bodies, a motive, or evidence of foul play, the DA doesn’t have a case. And so, freelancing again for her former employer, Kate Shugak finds herself working undercover in one of Alaska’s most dangerous professions: crab fisherman. It’s an assignment that will take her from the debauchery of Dutch Harbor to the most isolated of the Aleutians, and if the job itself doesn’t kill her, her unsavory crewmates just might.
Third in Stabenow’s Edgar Award-winning series of Alaskan mysteries, Dead in the Water is richly informed by the author’s own upbringing aboard an Alaskan fishing vessel.
217 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
About the author
Dana Stabenow
100 books2,031 followersDana Stabenow was born in Anchorage and raised on 75-foot fish tender in the Gulf of Alaska. She knew there was a warmer, drier job out there somewhere.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 300 reviews
May 1, 2017
It had to happen, but it happened way too early. This book came at a terrible timing. My story is that I was hurting from forcing myself to read Moby Dick, a'right?
So I was rationing Moby Dick by reading the Kate Shugak series. What could go wrong? But the thing is Dead in The Water was so aptly named a book for a one star rating.
Plus I feel that the author was paying an homage to Herman Melville. On another day I might have given this book more credit but I can't! I can't.
So I was rationing Moby Dick by reading the Kate Shugak series. What could go wrong? But the thing is Dead in The Water was so aptly named a book for a one star rating.
Plus I feel that the author was paying an homage to Herman Melville. On another day I might have given this book more credit but I can't! I can't.
March 22, 2024
Kate Shugak, private Alaskan investigator, is one of my favorite literary characters, all five feet, one inch of her!! DO NOT suggest to her that she is a mere five feet tall; not if you want to keep all of your parts.
In this, the third book in the series, she has agreed with the DA, her former boss and current boyfriend, to be an undercover investigator as a crew member of a crabbing vessel. Two crewmen on this vessel, the Avilda have gone missing and the DA suspects foul play but doesn't know exactly what happened and, therefore, can't bring charges. So, when a crew member, at the last minute, can't make the voyage (wink, wink, nod, nod), Kate manages to sign on as crew on the Avilda.
The Captain and most of the crew are rough, nearly honest, misogynistic characters who would just as soon see Kate go overboard but they need to keep her so she can do her job and help earn the massive profits that will result from a big crab haul. At least that's her belief but could they have another means of making even more money than they could by crabbing? All her suspicions are confirmed when, as a result of an ¨accident¨ she is tossed overboard into the icy waters with little to no chance of survival.
Dana Stabenow does her usual wonderful writing job as she creates a believable but very scary plotline populated by both new and old characters. A delightful aside brings Kate in contact with an Aleutian elder and her young followers that she is training in some of the ¨old¨ ways. While being an integral part of the story, it is also a window into Kate's background and beliefs very deftly created by Stabenow.
To enjoy this book, you should be somewhat interested in its Alaskan setting as well as Kate's Aleutian backgound. And, of course, you should enjoy a good mystery, which this book certainly is.
Ciao
In this, the third book in the series, she has agreed with the DA, her former boss and current boyfriend, to be an undercover investigator as a crew member of a crabbing vessel. Two crewmen on this vessel, the Avilda have gone missing and the DA suspects foul play but doesn't know exactly what happened and, therefore, can't bring charges. So, when a crew member, at the last minute, can't make the voyage (wink, wink, nod, nod), Kate manages to sign on as crew on the Avilda.
The Captain and most of the crew are rough, nearly honest, misogynistic characters who would just as soon see Kate go overboard but they need to keep her so she can do her job and help earn the massive profits that will result from a big crab haul. At least that's her belief but could they have another means of making even more money than they could by crabbing? All her suspicions are confirmed when, as a result of an ¨accident¨ she is tossed overboard into the icy waters with little to no chance of survival.
Dana Stabenow does her usual wonderful writing job as she creates a believable but very scary plotline populated by both new and old characters. A delightful aside brings Kate in contact with an Aleutian elder and her young followers that she is training in some of the ¨old¨ ways. While being an integral part of the story, it is also a window into Kate's background and beliefs very deftly created by Stabenow.
To enjoy this book, you should be somewhat interested in its Alaskan setting as well as Kate's Aleutian backgound. And, of course, you should enjoy a good mystery, which this book certainly is.
Ciao
July 21, 2022
Former Anchorage DA Kate Shugak goes undercover on a crab boat in the Bering Sea after two deck hands go missing. Their captain says they left when the ship docked and never returned on board. Kate isn’t so sure. I completely love the way this series provides an immersive experience into different facets of life in Alaska. Each book is in a different setting as Kate investigates various cases as a backwoods gumshoe for hire, and it’s fun to see where the series will take you next. In DEAD IN THE WATER, we spend time in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, as well as in the islands formerly populated by the Aleut people. I found the history included about the impact on Alaska during World War 2 and US air force bases interesting, as well as glimpses of what life is like working on a crab fishing boat. All this cool stuff in addition to the mystery!
February 12, 2018
I know you out there following my reviews will think I've become predictable and you're probably right where this series is concerned. But in my defence, I love books that are a diversion of every day life, not too demanding and packed with interesting information.
It's a fast moving story with enough tension and not too much detail in the violence. Besides, I can safely assume that Kate will survive all her ordeals. So another 5 stars for the third book in the Kate Shugak series.
It's a fast moving story with enough tension and not too much detail in the violence. Besides, I can safely assume that Kate will survive all her ordeals. So another 5 stars for the third book in the Kate Shugak series.
June 18, 2017
Wonderful edge of my seat action plus adventure on the frozen sea. I swear I thought I'd scream during several of the near death moments. Kate can be insanely strong ! Oh and i love the new character California surfer Andy.
Kate goes on a crabbing boat, one of the most dangerous jobs on earth to find out what happened to two missing/presumed dead crabbers. She faces a frozen angry ocean, meets an elder who teaches her much and faces some of her past. Holy smokes it's intense !
Now on to #4
Kate goes on a crabbing boat, one of the most dangerous jobs on earth to find out what happened to two missing/presumed dead crabbers. She faces a frozen angry ocean, meets an elder who teaches her much and faces some of her past. Holy smokes it's intense !
Now on to #4
September 9, 2012
Whenever I read a Kate Shugak mystery, I always go back to see if Dana Stabenow has any Native blood because her portrait of the indigenous Alaskans is so 3 dimensional. I have ever claimed to be constantly annoyed by Anglo authors who can't resist the lure of the Noble Savage and the connection to the Great Spirits and the Ancestors.
Dana Stabenow, however, is pitch perfect. Her representations of life at the Park (aka the Aleut Rez) and the dynamics between the tribal members, the old ways vs. the new, the pettiness, the traditions, the struggle to survive, and the connection all provide a snap shot of a modern reservation.
This novel is no exception even though Kate is away from the Park and on a fishing vessel living out her very own episode of The Deadliest Catch. Of course there's a mystery and some good old fashion corruption. Kate even has a side-kick: blond surfer Andy from Ventura who LIKES ALL THE ALASKA much as golden retrievers LIKE ALL THE TENNIS BALLS.
My favorite part, besides the gentle teasing of Andy and his naivete, is Kate's relationship with the Aleuts of Anua and Unalaska. Her conversations with Olga and Sasha blend perfectly the modern and the traditional. Kate learns to weave. Sasha carves stories in the sand with her story knife while her mother acknowledges her defects from fetal alcohol sydrome. Olga's reveals her power through her age, stories of ancestors, and knowledge of Kate's own powerful Grandmother, Ekaterina. All while Kate pumps them for information regarding nefarious activities on the islands.
Dana Stabenow, however, is pitch perfect. Her representations of life at the Park (aka the Aleut Rez) and the dynamics between the tribal members, the old ways vs. the new, the pettiness, the traditions, the struggle to survive, and the connection all provide a snap shot of a modern reservation.
This novel is no exception even though Kate is away from the Park and on a fishing vessel living out her very own episode of The Deadliest Catch. Of course there's a mystery and some good old fashion corruption. Kate even has a side-kick: blond surfer Andy from Ventura who LIKES ALL THE ALASKA much as golden retrievers LIKE ALL THE TENNIS BALLS.
My favorite part, besides the gentle teasing of Andy and his naivete, is Kate's relationship with the Aleuts of Anua and Unalaska. Her conversations with Olga and Sasha blend perfectly the modern and the traditional. Kate learns to weave. Sasha carves stories in the sand with her story knife while her mother acknowledges her defects from fetal alcohol sydrome. Olga's reveals her power through her age, stories of ancestors, and knowledge of Kate's own powerful Grandmother, Ekaterina. All while Kate pumps them for information regarding nefarious activities on the islands.
February 22, 2016
Dead In The Water is the 3rd installment of the popular Kate Shugak Series by Dana Stabenow. And it's my favorite to date.
Shugak has allowed her former boss and part time lover talk her into finding out what happened to two crewmen on the Avilda crabbing vessel captained by the ne'er to well son in law of a major Board Diector of the vessel's parent company. Harry Gault isn't whom he's thought to be. Crabbing in the Bering Sea is hard work as well as dangerous. Kate has much to fear while she's on the Avilda. Mother Nature is brutal this time of the year, and so are some of her crew members. But which ones?
The Author's descriptions of the roiling waves, the ice being beaten, the hard work of the crabbers were wonderful as well as spot on. The Aleutian Islands she visited made me want to go out and purchase a ticket to see them. And we readers learn more about these wondrous indigenous people. I wish more stories were included. And I loved the ship line's names of all of their vessels - very appropriate for a Kate Shugak novel.
Shugak has allowed her former boss and part time lover talk her into finding out what happened to two crewmen on the Avilda crabbing vessel captained by the ne'er to well son in law of a major Board Diector of the vessel's parent company. Harry Gault isn't whom he's thought to be. Crabbing in the Bering Sea is hard work as well as dangerous. Kate has much to fear while she's on the Avilda. Mother Nature is brutal this time of the year, and so are some of her crew members. But which ones?
The Author's descriptions of the roiling waves, the ice being beaten, the hard work of the crabbers were wonderful as well as spot on. The Aleutian Islands she visited made me want to go out and purchase a ticket to see them. And we readers learn more about these wondrous indigenous people. I wish more stories were included. And I loved the ship line's names of all of their vessels - very appropriate for a Kate Shugak novel.
August 10, 2021
3.5 stars
October 26, 2022
I had really high hopes for this one but they were squashed right at the beginning. There was nothing about the book that would hold my attention.
The main character Kate Shugak ought to have been a strong character but all I got were cold vibes. She was no doubt intelligent yet not intriguing enough to keep me interested in knowing about her life.
The mystery in the book was just okayish and I wasn't invested too much. I couldn't care less as to what had happened to the missing crewmen and the whole plot reveal was mediocre at best. I was definitely not a fan lol.
IMO the most interesting thing to happen in the book was the last 2 pages which was the build up for the next book in the series and I may go pick that one up sometime.
The main character Kate Shugak ought to have been a strong character but all I got were cold vibes. She was no doubt intelligent yet not intriguing enough to keep me interested in knowing about her life.
The mystery in the book was just okayish and I wasn't invested too much. I couldn't care less as to what had happened to the missing crewmen and the whole plot reveal was mediocre at best. I was definitely not a fan lol.
IMO the most interesting thing to happen in the book was the last 2 pages which was the build up for the next book in the series and I may go pick that one up sometime.
September 3, 2022
Dead in the Water by Dana Stabenow is a great suspense filled mystery with some insight into crab fishing in Alaska.
February 19, 2017
In the third book featuring native Alaskan investigator, Kate Shugak, we find her working undercover as a crab fisherman aboard the fishing vessel Avilda. The skipper, Harry Gault, has reported that two men on the last voyage went ashore on Anua Island and never returned.
This is not written as a typical mystery since we already know Harry is the bad guy. I would describe it as more of a suspense novel, especially after Kate meets a young Aleutian native who is able to provide clues through story knifing. The girl, formerly from Anua Island, tells a story with pictures drawn in the sand with an ivory knife.
If you've ever watched The Deadliest Catch of Discovery Channel, it was east to picture everything that Kate goes through. Because the author, Dana Stabenow, grew up on a fishing boat in the Gulf of Alaska the scenes on the boat are very realistic. This was an enjoyable read, but also a good historical background on Alaska and the people who live there. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.
This is not written as a typical mystery since we already know Harry is the bad guy. I would describe it as more of a suspense novel, especially after Kate meets a young Aleutian native who is able to provide clues through story knifing. The girl, formerly from Anua Island, tells a story with pictures drawn in the sand with an ivory knife.
If you've ever watched The Deadliest Catch of Discovery Channel, it was east to picture everything that Kate goes through. Because the author, Dana Stabenow, grew up on a fishing boat in the Gulf of Alaska the scenes on the boat are very realistic. This was an enjoyable read, but also a good historical background on Alaska and the people who live there. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.
May 12, 2016
Seconda avventura di Kate Shugak, questa volta tra le acque gelide e i ghiacci dell'estremo nord del Mare di Bering, appena al di sopra dell'Arcipelago delle Aleutine, alla ricerca di due uomini misteriosamente scomparsi durante uno scalo per il rifornimento d'acqua di un peschereccio di granchi.
È solo l'inizio...
Descrizioni straordinarie e molto particolareggiate di persone, luoghi, paesaggi e situazioni, come ormai ci ha abituati la Stabenow.
E storie, tante storie che riguardano la sua gente, gli Aleuti, e le loro tradizioni.
Quasi favole. Leggende...
Bello.
È solo l'inizio...
Descrizioni straordinarie e molto particolareggiate di persone, luoghi, paesaggi e situazioni, come ormai ci ha abituati la Stabenow.
E storie, tante storie che riguardano la sua gente, gli Aleuti, e le loro tradizioni.
Quasi favole. Leggende...
Bello.
September 18, 2017
Dana Stabenow has created quite an unusual character in native Alaskan Aleut Kate Shugak, a former investigator for the Anchorage D.A.'s office, who was seriously injured in one of those investigations. This is the third in the series and has Kate going undercover on an Alaskan fishing boat.
Its a really tough job for a small woman, or a large man for that matter, so Kate faces two issues -- how to survive the undercover job and try to investigate a case where doesn't even have any clue as to what she is looking for.
Her boyfriend who works for the D.A.'s office would have been a much better fit for the case and the circumstances, so I found it a bit unbelievable that they would use her in this type of situation. That frankly may have been why I got into the story a bit slowly.
Never the less, I did enjoy the book and found it an exciting, if a bit unrealistic, conclusion.
Its a really tough job for a small woman, or a large man for that matter, so Kate faces two issues -- how to survive the undercover job and try to investigate a case where doesn't even have any clue as to what she is looking for.
Her boyfriend who works for the D.A.'s office would have been a much better fit for the case and the circumstances, so I found it a bit unbelievable that they would use her in this type of situation. That frankly may have been why I got into the story a bit slowly.
Never the less, I did enjoy the book and found it an exciting, if a bit unrealistic, conclusion.
Read
December 7, 2010This has been my favourite book in the series so far (it's the third). In this book Kate is working on a crab fishing boat in the Bering Sea. There are two reasons that this worked for me. The first was that the setting was wonderful and I really got the feel of the icy seas and the isolated villages visited. The second is that because Kate was away from her home ground I didn't spend half the book wondering if I was supposed to remember the characters from the previous books which is what happened when I read the second book. The only other recurring character in this book, as far as I could tell anyway, was Jack Morgan who is Kate's lover and the police contact who gets her into these mysteries.
I think if you get too hung up on finding the mystery in this book you probably wouldn't enjoy it, Kate herself seems to forget that she is supposed to be investigating the deaths of a couple of fishermen most of the time. That didn't spoil it for me, I was enjoying finding out about the fishing as much as anything. I can't say I'd recommend this book to anyone except as a glimpse into Alaska and given that the investigatory side of the book doesn't seem particularly realistic I have to wonder whether any of the fishing detail and Aleut customs parts of the story were at all realistic too.
All in all it was a short and interesting read though and I'll keep reading about Kate's adventures.
April 7, 2023
If you have ever wondered what it would be like to work on a crabbing boat in Alaska and thought you might like to try it...this book will dissuade you of that notion right quick!
Kate is back and working another undercover case for the D.A.'s office. This time she is working on a crabbing boat trying to find out why two men have disappeared.
This book is filled with a great who and why did they do, it mystery, heart pounding excitement (learn what it is really like to be in the middle of the Aleutians with your boat becoming covered in ice and with your hold empty), debauchery and humor! This is a great way to learn about the history Alaska, the indigenous people of Alaska and crabbing all at the same time.
This is another great read about the feisty Kate and her pals.
Kate is back and working another undercover case for the D.A.'s office. This time she is working on a crabbing boat trying to find out why two men have disappeared.
This book is filled with a great who and why did they do, it mystery, heart pounding excitement (learn what it is really like to be in the middle of the Aleutians with your boat becoming covered in ice and with your hold empty), debauchery and humor! This is a great way to learn about the history Alaska, the indigenous people of Alaska and crabbing all at the same time.
This is another great read about the feisty Kate and her pals.
February 5, 2021
Pretty solid, vivid descriptions of life on a deep sea trawler catching crab.
Had a super weird patch at the end where she had to go back out to sea again, in spite of them having like 18 kinds of evidence of fake identities and fraud and what exactly was she meant to find out about the dead guys while she's trapped on a boat in the middle of nowhere, that they couldn't get out of the guy in an interrogation room?
Instead
Had a super weird patch at the end where she had to go back out to sea again, in spite of them having like 18 kinds of evidence of fake identities and fraud and what exactly was she meant to find out about the dead guys while she's trapped on a boat in the middle of nowhere, that they couldn't get out of the guy in an interrogation room?
Instead
January 21, 2015
I'm really enjoying the Kate Shugak mysteries. In this story Kate works undercover on a crabbing boat in the Bering Sea. It's amazing what this lady can accomplish. Maybe a little farfetched, but based on the author's life experiences, maybe not so much. Anyway, fun and quick to read.
January 7, 2021
Моя любимая книга про Кейт/Катю Шугак и ловлю краба. Прекрасный детектив с Катей, которая работает под прикрытием на краболовном судне (адская работа, неплохой заработок). Эпизоды с островами и полётами, а также с сортировкой крабов незабываемы.
February 25, 2020
Another great novel in the series. I liked this novel even better than the last one.
4 stars, and recommended.
4 stars, and recommended.
August 28, 2020
Dead in the Water has Kate undercover on a crabbing boat from which two young men have gone missing.
In addition to the mystery of what happened to the young men, the dangers and financial rewards of fishing and crabbing in Alaskan waters is made perfectly and frighteningly real.
"These conditions add up to the deadliest occupation in the United States -- 128 per 100,000 Alaskan fishermen perished on the job in 2007, 26 times the national average [source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health]. Fishing deaths also make up about a third of all occupational fatalities in Alaska each year."
and "Crab pots and crab pot launchers are common sources of injuries. Fishermen get caught up in the coil lines. Working at the edge of the boat also puts them at risk of being swept off the deck and falling overboard."(source)
Also neatly intertwined with the plot is a history of the Aleut tribe and why they were removed from their original homes on the Aleutian Islands during WWII when Japanese troops occupied the islands of Attu and Kiska. The information about the Alaskan Scouts, a fascinating part of the defense of Alaska during the war was new to me.
"It wasn’t easy to become an Alaska Scout. The qualifications were stringent, and Castner handpicked them all—trappers, hunters, fishermen, dogsledders, miners, and prospectors. He also chose Native Alaskans—Aleuts, Eskimos, and American Indians. “They have one thing in common,” he said. “They’re tough.” (source)
Learning by reading fiction is the easiest and most memorable way to absorb history. Well, it works for me because I can't resist checking things out.
In addition to the mystery of what happened to the young men, the dangers and financial rewards of fishing and crabbing in Alaskan waters is made perfectly and frighteningly real.
"These conditions add up to the deadliest occupation in the United States -- 128 per 100,000 Alaskan fishermen perished on the job in 2007, 26 times the national average [source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health]. Fishing deaths also make up about a third of all occupational fatalities in Alaska each year."
and "Crab pots and crab pot launchers are common sources of injuries. Fishermen get caught up in the coil lines. Working at the edge of the boat also puts them at risk of being swept off the deck and falling overboard."(source)
Also neatly intertwined with the plot is a history of the Aleut tribe and why they were removed from their original homes on the Aleutian Islands during WWII when Japanese troops occupied the islands of Attu and Kiska. The information about the Alaskan Scouts, a fascinating part of the defense of Alaska during the war was new to me.
"It wasn’t easy to become an Alaska Scout. The qualifications were stringent, and Castner handpicked them all—trappers, hunters, fishermen, dogsledders, miners, and prospectors. He also chose Native Alaskans—Aleuts, Eskimos, and American Indians. “They have one thing in common,” he said. “They’re tough.” (source)
Learning by reading fiction is the easiest and most memorable way to absorb history. Well, it works for me because I can't resist checking things out.
September 20, 2019
I didn't connect with this book as much as the first two in the series. I think there was a bit too much backstory and not enough plot to keep me as involved in the story. The murder plot and the cultural background information seemed flipped, with the murder plot being secondary to the cultural information. I like the setting of the series but I do want the books to be, first, a murder mystery, and only secondary, a cultural setting.
January 22, 2020
This is the third book in the Kate Shugak series and I think this book goes into Alaska's traditions more! Kate finds herself on a crabbing boat investigating the deaths of two fisherman dead. I really enjoyed this book learning about the story knife and I also enjoyed the deadly voyage on the boat. I don't want to go into the story more as to not spoil it but I continue to recommend this series and I am on to the next book!
February 1, 2021
Outstanding!
The characters that Dana Stabenow comes up with are very well developed. I am able to envision each person. As always, one of her main characters is the scenery. The ocean, the Aleutian Islands, the fishing boats all have a place in this book. Lord, I never want to be on a crab boat in the Bering sea. That is something I could definitely not ever do. Smashing ice on a ship as it forms is not the type of job I would want. Kate is one feisty, heroic woman.
The characters that Dana Stabenow comes up with are very well developed. I am able to envision each person. As always, one of her main characters is the scenery. The ocean, the Aleutian Islands, the fishing boats all have a place in this book. Lord, I never want to be on a crab boat in the Bering sea. That is something I could definitely not ever do. Smashing ice on a ship as it forms is not the type of job I would want. Kate is one feisty, heroic woman.
February 17, 2021
Zhltnuto během pár hodin - četlo se to samo (díky, Bětko ;-) ).
Skvěle popsaná Aljaška, pro mě spousta nových slov a informací ohledně lovení krabů a aljašských domorodců. A když jako já začnete omylem od třetího dílu série, vůbec to nevadí, vše potřebné je krátce vysvětleno.
Skvěle popsaná Aljaška, pro mě spousta nových slov a informací ohledně lovení krabů a aljašských domorodců. A když jako já začnete omylem od třetího dílu série, vůbec to nevadí, vše potřebné je krátce vysvětleno.
December 21, 2023
Good mystery. I really enjoy Stabenow's descriptions of Alaska, the areas I wish I could visit but know I won't ever have the chance. She brings it to life. I also enjoyed learning about crab harvesting.
September 22, 2017
I love these books. Also, I know a lot more about crab fishing in Alaska than I did.
January 2, 2020
Excellent mystery action adventure. I couldn’t put it down and look forward to reading others
January 13, 2022
Altra avventura per la nostra detective Kate. Terzo libro letto con piacere. 👍
November 9, 2017
This (#3 in the series) is my first book involving Kate Shugak, but I didn't have the feeling that I missed much. The prose is good but not exceptional, and the narration by Marguerite Gavin is acceptable but flat. The trouble is that I like mysteries more than thrillers, and this book has very little mystery. In my lexicon, a mystery is a story in which the villain(s) are not apparent, at least, not until very late in the story. A thriller is a story in which there is a great deal of action surrounding the protagonist, who either is in great danger or at a loss about how to track down the bad guys. A thriller can also be a mystery, but often the protagonist (and the reader) knows who the villains are very early on, and the tension is in the chase.
Since this is my first in the series, I don't know the author's intent, but I knew who the villains were and what they were up to long before Kate or her paramour and sponsor Jack Morgan did. There is a bit of a mystery about what happened to a couple of sailors, but, since we never encounter them, we don't really much care except in the abstract. Much of what Jack digs up late in the book could have been uncovered much earlier with only a little more research.
I couldn't understand why Kate, who is neither a cop nor a detective, is willing to take such enormous risks, volunteer to experience such physical trauma, and still go back for more. There is the suggestion that she was partly motivated by the money, but that seems rather far-fetched, given her choice of lifestyle. Further, Jack seems to be essentially indifferent to both her physical suffering and the danger in which he placed her. He didn't have her back, and Kate had no way to call in the cavalry if things got out of hand--all very strange for a couple supposedly in love. Thus, I am left with mixed feelings about this book, but I'll probably read the next in the series, which is highly acclaimed by other readers.
Since this is my first in the series, I don't know the author's intent, but I knew who the villains were and what they were up to long before Kate or her paramour and sponsor Jack Morgan did. There is a bit of a mystery about what happened to a couple of sailors, but, since we never encounter them, we don't really much care except in the abstract. Much of what Jack digs up late in the book could have been uncovered much earlier with only a little more research.
I couldn't understand why Kate, who is neither a cop nor a detective, is willing to take such enormous risks, volunteer to experience such physical trauma, and still go back for more. There is the suggestion that she was partly motivated by the money, but that seems rather far-fetched, given her choice of lifestyle. Further, Jack seems to be essentially indifferent to both her physical suffering and the danger in which he placed her. He didn't have her back, and Kate had no way to call in the cavalry if things got out of hand--all very strange for a couple supposedly in love. Thus, I am left with mixed feelings about this book, but I'll probably read the next in the series, which is highly acclaimed by other readers.
October 26, 2022
SPOILER ALERT
I prefer Shugak on land. Nevertheless, this was a brilliantly written installment of the series. Stabenow's vivid and raw descriptions of the ocean, the weather, the brutality of the sea, the perilous job of fishing the Bering Sea in October created a seascape and an atmosphere that put me on the ship. Catching crab for the world market is not for cowards. A crewman must spend hours in freezing cold, freezing water, hefting 750-pound crab pots that they bait and push into the sea, later to haul up and swiftly empty and sort for the legal crab, into the fo'c'sle, the other catch back into the sea. It is a ruthless life that kills many a crew member each year, and nearly kills Kate Shugak. She has been hired by Jack Morgan, chief investigator for the Anchorage DA's office, and her lover, to find out what happened to two young crew members, Christopher Alcala and Stuart Brown, who disappeared. The Board of Directors for the Alaska Ventures, Inc., company, the families of the men and the State want to know. Kate gets a bonus for the very dangerous job, and also her portion of the value of the catch, which for one of the trips is $8,300.
She watches the skipper, Harry Gault, his deck boss, New Nordhoff and a deckhand Seth Skinner. The young men were supposedly lost searching for water on the small island in the Aleutians, Anua. It is one of the only islands with a beach that accommodates kayaks landings, and skiffs which the young men took. The Avilda had been towing a barge, which they lost, and in searching for it they supposedly ran out of water. Kate also experiences all of the dangers of crab fishing, the ship rolling from side to side and sliding on the deck, getting soaked and frozen in the bitter winds, rain and snow. She must push the heavy pots around the deck, into the water and pull them out to empty and sort the catch. She is five feet and weighs 120 pounds. The men are crude, nasty and dangerous. She has one colleague in Andy Pence, the other new crew member. He is an odd young man, who practices yoga, meditation, is a vegetarian and is wildly enthusiastic about Alaska and the adventure of fishing.
When they are in Dutch Harbor on Amaknak Island, and Unalaska, she and Jack meet. She also meets Russian fishermen and other characters. She finds a small group of girls near the shore, and the disabled girl who is drawing beautiful pictures in the sand with a knife. Called storyknifing, Shasha, a victim of fetal alcohol syndrome, she has twisted legs, a head too small for her body, no nose, only nostrils, and she wheezes with a cleft palate. But her friends interpret, and her drawing is wonderful as she tells her stories. The knife is made of ivory and the handle is of an otter on its back. It is a child's toy, and it has been passed from child to child through the generations. Kate tells Olga that it belongs in a museum, but Olga says it must be used. She tells of men and the Thunderbird, Home and the monster killing. Later Kate meets her mother, Auntie, Olga Shapsnikoff, who shows her the exquisite baskets she is teaching the girls to make for their spending money. These are the Attuan basket weavers. A single basket that is 2 1/2 inches across and takes forty hours to weave and sells for $250. Shrouds can take years to make. Sasha's story tells Kate what really happened. Olga tries to play it down, but they do to Anua in March to gather the grass that grow inland to make the baskets.
Jack and Kate fly to the island, discover an airstrip, land, then find a metal drum of new fuel. Jack falls into a hole and they discover the barabaras that were built by the early settlers of the island. It is like a room, and contains cans of food a bullet, and dried blood. Jack sends Kate back out to get more evidence and she explores the skipper's room and desk for information. She finds contracts for boats, that he had been involved in the cleanup of an oil spill, and other names Harry uses. All will lead to the discovery of his drug business. When they get through a particularly treacherous period of making ice, and the frantic pounding of ice with baseball bats and sledgehammers to ensure that the ship doesn't become top heavy and roll over, they end up in the bay at Anua. Kate hears them leaving in the skiff and dons one of the survival suits to swim to the island. She witnesses a small Navajo plane land and the exchange of money and cocaine. They return to Dutch Harbor. Again, she returns to the sea. Harry and his cohorts believe she needs to be killed and they attempt to send to the bottom of the sea in one of the crab pots, which she was in the process of baiting when Harry abruptly turns the ship to port, and she falls into the pot. She escapes, gets to the surface and back onto the boat. But they have seen her, and Seth goes after her. She gets him into the freezer and Harry later releases him. She kills Harry with the boat hook, Andy is grabbed by Ned, but Ned trips and falls into the fo'c'sle in with the crab. Andy then clubs Seth with the baseball bat when he goes after Kate. She is hurt and collapses and Andy gets them back to Dutch Harbor.
The full story of all Harry's crimes are related. Andy is assured of a job with the company and Kate is given a generous bonus for saving the ship and the company and determining what happened to the young men. Unfortunately, they had been siphoning off part of the drugs and hiding them on the island, intending to come back for them. Harry had found out, killed them, and put them in a crab pot which they threw into the sea. Kate had decided to take the job because she is an Aleut and had not been able to afford to see them. This was her opportunity.
This was an exciting and fascinating story, that was so well-told. As good descriptions as I have read to create atmosphere and suspense. The addition of history, trivia such as the lack of trees and why, the basket-making, the quirky characters in the Shipwreck Bar, the folklore (The Sun Who Married the Woman Who Kept the Tides, how the first basket was made), the storytelling in the singsong cadence by Auntie, all enhance a good mystery. A rich book.
I prefer Shugak on land. Nevertheless, this was a brilliantly written installment of the series. Stabenow's vivid and raw descriptions of the ocean, the weather, the brutality of the sea, the perilous job of fishing the Bering Sea in October created a seascape and an atmosphere that put me on the ship. Catching crab for the world market is not for cowards. A crewman must spend hours in freezing cold, freezing water, hefting 750-pound crab pots that they bait and push into the sea, later to haul up and swiftly empty and sort for the legal crab, into the fo'c'sle, the other catch back into the sea. It is a ruthless life that kills many a crew member each year, and nearly kills Kate Shugak. She has been hired by Jack Morgan, chief investigator for the Anchorage DA's office, and her lover, to find out what happened to two young crew members, Christopher Alcala and Stuart Brown, who disappeared. The Board of Directors for the Alaska Ventures, Inc., company, the families of the men and the State want to know. Kate gets a bonus for the very dangerous job, and also her portion of the value of the catch, which for one of the trips is $8,300.
She watches the skipper, Harry Gault, his deck boss, New Nordhoff and a deckhand Seth Skinner. The young men were supposedly lost searching for water on the small island in the Aleutians, Anua. It is one of the only islands with a beach that accommodates kayaks landings, and skiffs which the young men took. The Avilda had been towing a barge, which they lost, and in searching for it they supposedly ran out of water. Kate also experiences all of the dangers of crab fishing, the ship rolling from side to side and sliding on the deck, getting soaked and frozen in the bitter winds, rain and snow. She must push the heavy pots around the deck, into the water and pull them out to empty and sort the catch. She is five feet and weighs 120 pounds. The men are crude, nasty and dangerous. She has one colleague in Andy Pence, the other new crew member. He is an odd young man, who practices yoga, meditation, is a vegetarian and is wildly enthusiastic about Alaska and the adventure of fishing.
When they are in Dutch Harbor on Amaknak Island, and Unalaska, she and Jack meet. She also meets Russian fishermen and other characters. She finds a small group of girls near the shore, and the disabled girl who is drawing beautiful pictures in the sand with a knife. Called storyknifing, Shasha, a victim of fetal alcohol syndrome, she has twisted legs, a head too small for her body, no nose, only nostrils, and she wheezes with a cleft palate. But her friends interpret, and her drawing is wonderful as she tells her stories. The knife is made of ivory and the handle is of an otter on its back. It is a child's toy, and it has been passed from child to child through the generations. Kate tells Olga that it belongs in a museum, but Olga says it must be used. She tells of men and the Thunderbird, Home and the monster killing. Later Kate meets her mother, Auntie, Olga Shapsnikoff, who shows her the exquisite baskets she is teaching the girls to make for their spending money. These are the Attuan basket weavers. A single basket that is 2 1/2 inches across and takes forty hours to weave and sells for $250. Shrouds can take years to make. Sasha's story tells Kate what really happened. Olga tries to play it down, but they do to Anua in March to gather the grass that grow inland to make the baskets.
Jack and Kate fly to the island, discover an airstrip, land, then find a metal drum of new fuel. Jack falls into a hole and they discover the barabaras that were built by the early settlers of the island. It is like a room, and contains cans of food a bullet, and dried blood. Jack sends Kate back out to get more evidence and she explores the skipper's room and desk for information. She finds contracts for boats, that he had been involved in the cleanup of an oil spill, and other names Harry uses. All will lead to the discovery of his drug business. When they get through a particularly treacherous period of making ice, and the frantic pounding of ice with baseball bats and sledgehammers to ensure that the ship doesn't become top heavy and roll over, they end up in the bay at Anua. Kate hears them leaving in the skiff and dons one of the survival suits to swim to the island. She witnesses a small Navajo plane land and the exchange of money and cocaine. They return to Dutch Harbor. Again, she returns to the sea. Harry and his cohorts believe she needs to be killed and they attempt to send to the bottom of the sea in one of the crab pots, which she was in the process of baiting when Harry abruptly turns the ship to port, and she falls into the pot. She escapes, gets to the surface and back onto the boat. But they have seen her, and Seth goes after her. She gets him into the freezer and Harry later releases him. She kills Harry with the boat hook, Andy is grabbed by Ned, but Ned trips and falls into the fo'c'sle in with the crab. Andy then clubs Seth with the baseball bat when he goes after Kate. She is hurt and collapses and Andy gets them back to Dutch Harbor.
The full story of all Harry's crimes are related. Andy is assured of a job with the company and Kate is given a generous bonus for saving the ship and the company and determining what happened to the young men. Unfortunately, they had been siphoning off part of the drugs and hiding them on the island, intending to come back for them. Harry had found out, killed them, and put them in a crab pot which they threw into the sea. Kate had decided to take the job because she is an Aleut and had not been able to afford to see them. This was her opportunity.
This was an exciting and fascinating story, that was so well-told. As good descriptions as I have read to create atmosphere and suspense. The addition of history, trivia such as the lack of trees and why, the basket-making, the quirky characters in the Shipwreck Bar, the folklore (The Sun Who Married the Woman Who Kept the Tides, how the first basket was made), the storytelling in the singsong cadence by Auntie, all enhance a good mystery. A rich book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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