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Liam Campbell #1
Fire and Ice
Newenham, Alaska, is a long way from the big-city comforts of Anchorage, where Sergeant Liam Campbell was an up-and-coming state trooper with everything going his way. But that was before his life unraveled. Transferred in disgrace to this rough-and-tumble fishing town on the shores of Bristol Bay, Liam knows Newenham is the end of the line. It's also his last shot at getting his life back.. He's about to come in for a very rough landing. Stepping onto the airstrip at Newenham, Liam walks into a crime scene: a body torn apart by the propeller of a Piper Super Cub. As if that isn't enough of a welcome, the woman bending over the corpse is Wyanet Chouinard, the only woman Liam ever truly loved - and soon to be his prime suspect. Next, a man is held hostage in the town's only decent burger joint--held for shooting out a jukebox that was playing Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville. And Liam still doesn't have his uniform on.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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 403 reviews
March 31, 2019
I don't know why I'm such a sucker for Alaska books. As soon as I see the words Alaska, cold, remote or mountains, I'm in a trance.
It would have been so much better if the hero
The writing didn't work for me either. The plot was boring.
Funny thing, I'm not sorry I read it. Because Alaska. And awesome pics.
It would have been so much better if the hero
The writing didn't work for me either. The plot was boring.
Funny thing, I'm not sorry I read it. Because Alaska. And awesome pics.
April 23, 2017
It's not thriller or mystery book.
Sex, romance book. Murder or thrill just very little part of it. Real thrill writers just touch little for the romance or sex, not pages full of graphic description. Couldn't finish it.
Sex, romance book. Murder or thrill just very little part of it. Real thrill writers just touch little for the romance or sex, not pages full of graphic description. Couldn't finish it.
November 29, 2019
Interesting characters and plot. The author’s books always teach me something new with detail and without being tedious. I think I’ll give the second book in this series a chance.
September 9, 2013
My 1* to 5***** standard is different for crime & thrillers than it is for other categories. This is a terrific quick read crime story. The characters - primary and support - are all interesting, and those who are still alive will presumably be developed further in subsequent books in this series.
I went back to my review of Stabenow's A Cold Day For Murder, of which I was quite critical (2**) ... Here's what I said about that book ... "After a long period of introducing characters and the Alaska locale, with a plot going nowhere, the pace did pick up and the story became interesting. Not fantastic, but interesting. There is some good writing with relaxed and amusing observations, but there are also segments where the writing just "tries too hard," and other segments where it seems cliche-driven. The solution to the crime came much too fast and without the reader having much opportunity to share in the detecting. The action scenes didn't generate much tension."
I'm pleased to report that none of these criticism apply to Fire and Ice. There is a headless victim in almost the first scene, the plot is well paced, the writing is smooth, tension is developed, particularly in the "herring spotting" scene, and there is much opportunity for the reader to share in the detecting. Hence 4*** and I'm looking forward to reading more in both series.
I went back to my review of Stabenow's A Cold Day For Murder, of which I was quite critical (2**) ... Here's what I said about that book ... "After a long period of introducing characters and the Alaska locale, with a plot going nowhere, the pace did pick up and the story became interesting. Not fantastic, but interesting. There is some good writing with relaxed and amusing observations, but there are also segments where the writing just "tries too hard," and other segments where it seems cliche-driven. The solution to the crime came much too fast and without the reader having much opportunity to share in the detecting. The action scenes didn't generate much tension."
I'm pleased to report that none of these criticism apply to Fire and Ice. There is a headless victim in almost the first scene, the plot is well paced, the writing is smooth, tension is developed, particularly in the "herring spotting" scene, and there is much opportunity for the reader to share in the detecting. Hence 4*** and I'm looking forward to reading more in both series.
February 6, 2024
Another excellent series from this author. Catching up will be fun!
January 5, 2022
So if you're looking for a detailed detective series this doesn't seem to be it. However this was a fun romance and detective mixed together. Loved the premise of this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2011
This is a newer series from Dana Stabenow. Her Kate Shugak series has been very successful. This one is about Alaska State Trooper Liam Campbell. Liam's life is a mess after he ends a love affair and decides to make a better go at life with his wife, Jenny, and their little son only to have them taken from him in a drunk-driving accident. His son is killed instantly and Jenny is left in a vegetative state, sustained by life support.
Liam has pretty much checked out of life when more tragedy srikes. A family of five dies of exposure on his watch. He didn't make the decisions not to respond when calls from the victims' family to search for them went unanswered but the troopers who did were under his command and he was not paying much attention. Liam finds himself busted down from sargent back to trooper rank and reassigned from Anchorage to a backwoods post in Newenham that nobody wants to work.
He literally steps off the plane at the new post and walks straight into a murder investigation. There in front of him lies a man, or at least the torso of a man. The man's head is gone, taken off by the propeller of plane he appeared to be priming for flight. And much to Liam's surprise, the pilot of this plane is none other than the love of his life, the one he gave up to go back to Jenny, Wyanet Chouinard. Talk about a great set up!
This was fun, a decent mystery and a cool setting. Liam and Wy had me cringing a bit with the first love scene but the action and pacing of the rest of the story were good and though I guessed much of the "who-dunnit" some of the other bits still surprised me. On to the next in this series!
Liam has pretty much checked out of life when more tragedy srikes. A family of five dies of exposure on his watch. He didn't make the decisions not to respond when calls from the victims' family to search for them went unanswered but the troopers who did were under his command and he was not paying much attention. Liam finds himself busted down from sargent back to trooper rank and reassigned from Anchorage to a backwoods post in Newenham that nobody wants to work.
He literally steps off the plane at the new post and walks straight into a murder investigation. There in front of him lies a man, or at least the torso of a man. The man's head is gone, taken off by the propeller of plane he appeared to be priming for flight. And much to Liam's surprise, the pilot of this plane is none other than the love of his life, the one he gave up to go back to Jenny, Wyanet Chouinard. Talk about a great set up!
This was fun, a decent mystery and a cool setting. Liam and Wy had me cringing a bit with the first love scene but the action and pacing of the rest of the story were good and though I guessed much of the "who-dunnit" some of the other bits still surprised me. On to the next in this series!
October 27, 2014
I read the first Kate Shugak book by this author and loved it. This was a later novel following Liam Campbell, an Alaskan State Trooper but I really didn't enjoy it half as much.
The book was only 264 pages so I finished it because it was so short but to be honest the real story was so short that most of the pages seemed to just be filler and I skim read a good number of them - and didn't lose any of the story.
At the end, everything conveniently tied itself up. So much so, that there was no real detective work to find out the murderer - Liam just turned up at someone's house and they uttered that terribly twee line "I was expecting you to turn up" and then admitted to the whole thing. I'm sorry, but that is such a cop out and is the kind of thing that I would expect a kid to write during English at school because they haven't mastered the art of finishing a story properly.
The book was only 264 pages so I finished it because it was so short but to be honest the real story was so short that most of the pages seemed to just be filler and I skim read a good number of them - and didn't lose any of the story.
At the end, everything conveniently tied itself up. So much so, that there was no real detective work to find out the murderer - Liam just turned up at someone's house and they uttered that terribly twee line "I was expecting you to turn up" and then admitted to the whole thing. I'm sorry, but that is such a cop out and is the kind of thing that I would expect a kid to write during English at school because they haven't mastered the art of finishing a story properly.
July 16, 2023
It was part romance, part murder/mystery and there was so much back story that was irrelevant to the plot of this book that the whole thing just came across as a bit of a mish mash of nothingness.
The main protagonist, Liam Campbell, seems to be a good enough character. He is suitably flawed and has a reasonable amount of baggage and seems to have some room for development, but…I found myself skip reading a bit, and wondering if I would eventually care who did it, why, and if Liam gets the girl in the end.
Does he?
I’m not going to tell you.
Am I being cruel?
I'm trying not to be...but this book...it just didn't work. for. me.
The main protagonist, Liam Campbell, seems to be a good enough character. He is suitably flawed and has a reasonable amount of baggage and seems to have some room for development, but…I found myself skip reading a bit, and wondering if I would eventually care who did it, why, and if Liam gets the girl in the end.
Does he?
I’m not going to tell you.
Am I being cruel?
I'm trying not to be...but this book...it just didn't work. for. me.
February 22, 2023
I had to read this series as well since I found out that Liam Campbell will appear in the Kate Shugak series. Fire and Ice is the first one about this Alaska state trooper with a complicated background and at first I found it confusing but then I got into it and now I will read them all since I found them very funny. Dana Stabenow has found some great charaters and the setting is as usual excellent.
January 25, 2011
This is a very good, well-written mystery/suspense. It's about an Alaskan State Trooper sent to a remote posting due to a department screw-up that happened under his watch. As the novel proceeds we learn Liam's back story along with the his present, rather sticky, situation. The novel isn't primarily a romance, it's a mystery novel, but the romantic element is an important part of the story. Don't look for a romantic HEA at the end of this novel. The story seems to be ongoing and the reader has hope for Liam and Wy's future, albeit after what looks to be a rocky road to get there.
The suspense plot wasn't too difficult to unravel, but was still well-done and had a few unexpected twists. I enjoyed the prose and loved reading about the Alaskan countryside, and even about the crazy world of herring fishing. A thoroughly enjoyable book and I plan on getting the next one.
FYI- As of January 25, 2011, this book is very inexpensive for kindle from amazon.com. It's a good way to familiarize yourself with the characters and the author without a large investment. The author also has another mystery/suspense series that that obviously has less of a romantic sub-plot but is highly thought of by mystery readers.
The suspense plot wasn't too difficult to unravel, but was still well-done and had a few unexpected twists. I enjoyed the prose and loved reading about the Alaskan countryside, and even about the crazy world of herring fishing. A thoroughly enjoyable book and I plan on getting the next one.
FYI- As of January 25, 2011, this book is very inexpensive for kindle from amazon.com. It's a good way to familiarize yourself with the characters and the author without a large investment. The author also has another mystery/suspense series that that obviously has less of a romantic sub-plot but is highly thought of by mystery readers.
September 15, 2011
I know people don't expect a lot when they buy a $0.99 e-book, but Dana Stabenow isn't exactly an unknown author. Getting this treasure for a mere $0.99 is just proof that it does pay to spend the time to go through the "cheap e-book" lists at Amazon and B&N to find books like this. My heartfelt thanks to the author for making it available for such a great price. I've never read this author's books and probably wouldn't have gotten around to reading any of her books if I hadn't stumbled across this one. Now, I'm hooked on Liam Campbell's story.
This book starts off with a great character, Liam Campbell, and a murder. One of the things I really liked was the setting in Alaska. It's fresh and unusual and Stabenow does a really good job of conveying the isolation and beauty of the remote parts of the state. Interspersed with some characters that you love and some you love to hate, there are more murders, a few twists and turns and red herrings to keep the reader on his/her toes, and a kind of cosmic justice wrapup of the first murder.
This is going to be a pretty short review because I really liked everything about this book. It's not just a good book for the price, it's a good book.
This book starts off with a great character, Liam Campbell, and a murder. One of the things I really liked was the setting in Alaska. It's fresh and unusual and Stabenow does a really good job of conveying the isolation and beauty of the remote parts of the state. Interspersed with some characters that you love and some you love to hate, there are more murders, a few twists and turns and red herrings to keep the reader on his/her toes, and a kind of cosmic justice wrapup of the first murder.
This is going to be a pretty short review because I really liked everything about this book. It's not just a good book for the price, it's a good book.
August 8, 2011
This was another free download from iBooks, and it was a refreshing change. Most of the books I've downloaded because they were free have been crap; this one was most definitely not crap.
It took me awhile to get into the characters. I wasn't sure that I liked Trooper Liam Campbell, but by the end I was rooting for him. There are the usual suspects for a small town murder mystery. The fire and brimstone preacher and his meek and submissive wife; the town flirt; the beautiful yet damaged girl; the quirky bartender; the wise shaman and so on, but they are actually likable and believable characters.
The bad guy was easily identifiable - his last name was even Wolfe - but yet the ending was still a surprise. In the case of Dana Stabenow's 'Fire and Ice', the fish out of water plot device really works.
It took me awhile to get into the characters. I wasn't sure that I liked Trooper Liam Campbell, but by the end I was rooting for him. There are the usual suspects for a small town murder mystery. The fire and brimstone preacher and his meek and submissive wife; the town flirt; the beautiful yet damaged girl; the quirky bartender; the wise shaman and so on, but they are actually likable and believable characters.
The bad guy was easily identifiable - his last name was even Wolfe - but yet the ending was still a surprise. In the case of Dana Stabenow's 'Fire and Ice', the fish out of water plot device really works.
May 11, 2012
Engaging mystery novel which begins Stabenow's Liam Campbell series (and available for only 99 cents as an eread!) Although I wasn't sure any new character could lure me away from Kate Shugak, Stabenow sets up Liam, his love interest Wy, and his new post after disgrace and demotion (for three days he can't even iron his one wrinkled uniform, much less find a house to rent in small-town Alaska). Stabenow's characters seem unusually unlucky to have so many good friends involved in murder mysteries, but I suppose that's conventional in this genre. I certainly enjoyed the portrayal of herring fishing, in which fishermen and their spotter planes labor for only 20 minutes at a time for potential rewards of thousands of dollars (and could easily believe that the inherent tensions and intrigues of the trade could very well lead to murder!)
Some graphic sex.
Some graphic sex.
June 4, 2012
I have never fantasized about living in Alaska, maybe a visit but not to live. But Liam Campbell is give an demotion from Sargent to Trooper, and sent to a coastal town in the south west part of Alaska. As soon as he lands in this desolate frozen town he's immediately thrown into a murder mystery. It takes him nearly 4 days to get his personal stuff organized, he doesn't even have a chance to get his wrinkled uniform cleaned and pressed...cause that matters?
Anyway it is a good mystery, oh yeah there is a bit of naughty stuff...so close your eyes, and you won't see it...k.
Anyway it is a good mystery, oh yeah there is a bit of naughty stuff...so close your eyes, and you won't see it...k.
April 15, 2015
This was novel had a good plot and the characters were a little interesting. I deducted a star because I tired of reading that this character or another was noticing another round, full breast with poky nipples instead of advancing the story. There weren't explicit sex scenes or profane language. It was just, "Meh."
January 21, 2021
Notes:
Too much drama loaded details are packed into one story. I'll probably continue reading the series at some point but not eager to dive into it right away.
Too much drama loaded details are packed into one story. I'll probably continue reading the series at some point but not eager to dive into it right away.
January 1, 2015
Looking back at the book blurb for Fire And Ice (Liam Campbell #1) by Dana Stabenow, I now realize this was a perfect summary of the book.:
“Transferred in disgrace to this rough-and-tumble fishing town on the shores of Bristol Bay, Liam knows Newenham is the end of the line. It's also his last shot at getting his life back.. He's about to come in for a very rough landing. Stepping onto the airstrip at Newenham, Liam walks into a crime scene: a body torn apart by the propeller of a Piper Super Cub. As if that isn't enough of a welcome, the woman bending over the corpse is Wyanet Chouinard, the only woman Liam ever truly loved - and soon to be his prime suspect.”
I found this book on one of the many freebie lists I get daily, and it had attractive qualities – murder mystery, romance, and suspense, the Alaskan wilderness - what’s not to like there?
Well, the actual book did have a murder mystery, in fact it had more than one murder, and several incidents, that I wondered how they would fit into the overall plot. The backdrop theme of the book was the herring fishing season in Alaska, and how cut throat the business could be. The book was not suspenseful; it was more procedural, and a bit on the dull side, there was some humor (mainly surrounding Liam’s uniform), and in my opinion the romance was going nowhere fast (a one sided attempt to rekindle a past love affair).
The author left no loose ends, connecting all of the incidents and murders into a logical plot by the books conclusion. The promised romance portion of the book was weak, and nonexistent, lacking a spark, chemistry, and emotional connection between Liam and Wy. I could see myself reading the 2nd book in the series just to see if the love connection is ever made( but not in the near future)
The character development was thin, some back story was provided for Liam and Wy(explaining the challenge to the romance), and there was no descriptive Alaskan scenery. The author did spend quit a lot of time explaining the process of herring fishing, and plane spotting though.
For me what could have been a outstanding read (given the Alaskan scenery, potential for excitement & suspense, a hot romance in a cold climate) turned out to be 2.5 – 2.75 star read, and that’s just because the author left no loose ends. I will note that there is no cliff hanger in this book, but there is also no HEA and that’s because the murder mystery is the books focal point, not the romance.
“Transferred in disgrace to this rough-and-tumble fishing town on the shores of Bristol Bay, Liam knows Newenham is the end of the line. It's also his last shot at getting his life back.. He's about to come in for a very rough landing. Stepping onto the airstrip at Newenham, Liam walks into a crime scene: a body torn apart by the propeller of a Piper Super Cub. As if that isn't enough of a welcome, the woman bending over the corpse is Wyanet Chouinard, the only woman Liam ever truly loved - and soon to be his prime suspect.”
I found this book on one of the many freebie lists I get daily, and it had attractive qualities – murder mystery, romance, and suspense, the Alaskan wilderness - what’s not to like there?
Well, the actual book did have a murder mystery, in fact it had more than one murder, and several incidents, that I wondered how they would fit into the overall plot. The backdrop theme of the book was the herring fishing season in Alaska, and how cut throat the business could be. The book was not suspenseful; it was more procedural, and a bit on the dull side, there was some humor (mainly surrounding Liam’s uniform), and in my opinion the romance was going nowhere fast (a one sided attempt to rekindle a past love affair).
The author left no loose ends, connecting all of the incidents and murders into a logical plot by the books conclusion. The promised romance portion of the book was weak, and nonexistent, lacking a spark, chemistry, and emotional connection between Liam and Wy. I could see myself reading the 2nd book in the series just to see if the love connection is ever made( but not in the near future)
The character development was thin, some back story was provided for Liam and Wy(explaining the challenge to the romance), and there was no descriptive Alaskan scenery. The author did spend quit a lot of time explaining the process of herring fishing, and plane spotting though.
For me what could have been a outstanding read (given the Alaskan scenery, potential for excitement & suspense, a hot romance in a cold climate) turned out to be 2.5 – 2.75 star read, and that’s just because the author left no loose ends. I will note that there is no cliff hanger in this book, but there is also no HEA and that’s because the murder mystery is the books focal point, not the romance.
July 10, 2012
A bit lightweight in substance. Very much of an introduction to the rest of the series but not very well done I'm afraid. It was part romance, part murder/mystery and there was so much back story that was irrelevant to the plot of this book that the whole thing just came across as a bit of a mish mash of nothingness.
The main protagonist, Liam Campbell, seems to be a good enough character. He is suitably flawed and has a reasonable amount of baggage and seems to have some room for development and change. But the other characters were one dimensional and didn't seem to have a proper place in the book, which is why I said it feels like an introduction to a series. For example, Bill the bartender - didn't contribute very much to the finding of the killer or to being a matchmaker in the "big romance" element, but as the local magistrate she obviously has much more to her that would be useful in the future. Her native lover, Moses, again was a character that had nothing whatsoever to do with the actual plot, but his "mystical powers" and involvement with Bill the bartender seem to be a prelude to something bigger later on.
I found that I didn't have much sympathy for either Liam or Wy (his romantic interest), and I couldn't really care any less if they got together or not. I didn't feel anything for any of the other characters either, even Cecil the evil business baron when he was killed towards the end of the book. The opportunity to showcase the Alaskan people, their culture and way of life and their natural landscape was lost. Not much attention was paid to the scene setting, which as an Brit would have helped understand a bit more about the relationship between the villages and the people.
I would probably read the next in the series, but only to see whether my impression of this one being an introductionary story is accurate. I could guess that it would be one of those series that have been written with a TV series in mind.
As far as it passing the time, it did a good enough job I suppose but I wouldn't really recommend it if you're after something a bit juicier in the "whodunnit" genre.
The main protagonist, Liam Campbell, seems to be a good enough character. He is suitably flawed and has a reasonable amount of baggage and seems to have some room for development and change. But the other characters were one dimensional and didn't seem to have a proper place in the book, which is why I said it feels like an introduction to a series. For example, Bill the bartender - didn't contribute very much to the finding of the killer or to being a matchmaker in the "big romance" element, but as the local magistrate she obviously has much more to her that would be useful in the future. Her native lover, Moses, again was a character that had nothing whatsoever to do with the actual plot, but his "mystical powers" and involvement with Bill the bartender seem to be a prelude to something bigger later on.
I found that I didn't have much sympathy for either Liam or Wy (his romantic interest), and I couldn't really care any less if they got together or not. I didn't feel anything for any of the other characters either, even Cecil the evil business baron when he was killed towards the end of the book. The opportunity to showcase the Alaskan people, their culture and way of life and their natural landscape was lost. Not much attention was paid to the scene setting, which as an Brit would have helped understand a bit more about the relationship between the villages and the people.
I would probably read the next in the series, but only to see whether my impression of this one being an introductionary story is accurate. I could guess that it would be one of those series that have been written with a TV series in mind.
As far as it passing the time, it did a good enough job I suppose but I wouldn't really recommend it if you're after something a bit juicier in the "whodunnit" genre.
March 26, 2011
I added one of Dana Stabenow's books to my wishlist not that long ago, it's still there.
Last week, as I watched the mushers cross Alaska in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, I got Fire and Ice as a free gift from the Iditarod Trail Committee. I should send them a heartfelt 'Thank You' because I really enjoyed this book, it was an entertaining and quick read. The characters are real, and likable.
Liam Campbell, the new local state trooper, lands, literally, into the middle of a murder case. While trying to figure out this mystery Liam is introduced to the locals who are colorful, and re-introduced to a woman from his recent past. The story keeps you engrossed and at times clinging to the edge of your seat. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author, including the book I have on my wishlist.
Last week, as I watched the mushers cross Alaska in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, I got Fire and Ice as a free gift from the Iditarod Trail Committee. I should send them a heartfelt 'Thank You' because I really enjoyed this book, it was an entertaining and quick read. The characters are real, and likable.
Liam Campbell, the new local state trooper, lands, literally, into the middle of a murder case. While trying to figure out this mystery Liam is introduced to the locals who are colorful, and re-introduced to a woman from his recent past. The story keeps you engrossed and at times clinging to the edge of your seat. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author, including the book I have on my wishlist.
October 6, 2011
I recently went on a cruise to Alaska and I downloaded 2 of Stabenow's books because they take place in the Alaskan Bush. I thought this book had a slow start, but I was so active during my time in Alaska that I didn't have much time to read!
Now that I'm home, I am enjoying the setting of the Bush, the look into the Yupik and other native Alaskans' way of life, and main the characters who are very independent and very human.The story centers around disgraced Alaska state trooper Liam Campbell who gets to his new assignment and is greeted by 3 murders and his former girlfriend. Flying in the Bush, herring spotting, salmon fishing, and quirky people in a small town where news travels at lightning speed add to the charm of the story.
This is a fairly typical crime novel, but the setting and the unusual characters give it a nice twist. I am going to try the next book in the series.
Now that I'm home, I am enjoying the setting of the Bush, the look into the Yupik and other native Alaskans' way of life, and main the characters who are very independent and very human.The story centers around disgraced Alaska state trooper Liam Campbell who gets to his new assignment and is greeted by 3 murders and his former girlfriend. Flying in the Bush, herring spotting, salmon fishing, and quirky people in a small town where news travels at lightning speed add to the charm of the story.
This is a fairly typical crime novel, but the setting and the unusual characters give it a nice twist. I am going to try the next book in the series.
December 10, 2012
This is the first book in a second mystery series by the woman who writes the Kate Skugow mysteries. It is also set in Alaska and features some intriguing adventures. The protagonist is Liam Campbell, a cop. His girlfriend is a pilot. Both occupations are essential in a mystery set in Alaska - someone who has access to murder and someone with access to transportation.
The writing is better than the introductory Skugow mystery - she seems to have gotten a little more glib and confident. The story is decently crafted, but the characters are so scarred and wounded and, therefore, uncomfortable with social interaction. I find the characters more pathetic and unsympathetic than anything else.
It's a quick and easy read when you don't have the attention span of a gnat and don't want to become emotionally invested in the characters.
The writing is better than the introductory Skugow mystery - she seems to have gotten a little more glib and confident. The story is decently crafted, but the characters are so scarred and wounded and, therefore, uncomfortable with social interaction. I find the characters more pathetic and unsympathetic than anything else.
It's a quick and easy read when you don't have the attention span of a gnat and don't want to become emotionally invested in the characters.
January 12, 2012
This is fast paced and keeps you guessing. This book is the first in The Liam Campbell series.
Liam is an Alaskan state trooper who has just been assigned to a new town where it seems everyone who needs to escape from where they are winds up. He is taking over for another trooper who didn't care how he did his job as long as everyone followed his rules.
Wy is a pilot who works as a spotter for the fisherman when they need her. Liam hasn't seen her in about two yearsand hasn't forgot her.
There is a murder happening at the exact time the plane Liam is on is touching ground. The murder weapon is Wy's plane propeller and the victim is her assistant spotter. Can he find out who the killer is without proving it's Wy or will he have to arrest the woman he loves.
Liam is an Alaskan state trooper who has just been assigned to a new town where it seems everyone who needs to escape from where they are winds up. He is taking over for another trooper who didn't care how he did his job as long as everyone followed his rules.
Wy is a pilot who works as a spotter for the fisherman when they need her. Liam hasn't seen her in about two yearsand hasn't forgot her.
There is a murder happening at the exact time the plane Liam is on is touching ground. The murder weapon is Wy's plane propeller and the victim is her assistant spotter. Can he find out who the killer is without proving it's Wy or will he have to arrest the woman he loves.
June 29, 2012
This was my first Stabenow book in any series, and I was impressed with this rich mystery novel and series-starter. The characters are unusual, vulnerable, and fully drawn. What Stabenow does with the setting is a tour de force of personal experience, keen descriptive detail, and absorbing atmosphere. I also enjoyed the moments of wry humor throughout the book, which adds some levity to the moments of pathos, which were handled well. It reminded me a *little* of the great TV show Northern Exposure, with the eccentricity of the characters, the bush pilot and setting detail, and the dry humor. If those Scottish crime novels make you want to hit your head against a wall, try Fire & Ice. I will definitely keep reading in the series.
February 19, 2012
c1998. I enjoyed this book much more than A Cold day for Murder. The murder/mystery was still pretty straight forward but I never thought that catching herring could be so exciting..seriously this was one of the most exciting passages I have read for a while. Go figure? Definitely a novel more dependent on the place and the way of life which is, for me, completely new and unknown. FWFTB: Alaskan, plane, native, rugged, dead. FCN Liam Campbell, Wyanet Chouinard, Bob DeCreft, Cecil Wolfe. "He himself was occupied with holding the fourteen-seat Fairchild Metroliner up in the air by the edge of the seat."
September 18, 2012
I love Stabenow's Alaska--her settings, her characters, her storylines. And I loved this one.
November 13, 2014
Dana Stabenow's mysteries are well paced and easy to read. Her characters are well developed people who are believable because they aren't perfect
June 25, 2021
Three stars - just average
This was an average book that is part romance and part mystery. Although it could be called a book about fishing because I learned everything there is to know about herring fishing. I actually enjoyed the fishing parts the most. Oh, there are some interesting and mysterious characters like a shaman who seems to know things in mysterious ways and an all seeing raven who seems to be the spirit animal of the main character. Only thing, after spending the entire book introducing these interesting mysterious characters the author ends the book with no explanation for why or how the shaman knows things or why he would help a white dude cop from "Outside" (as they call anywhere outside the Alaskan bush). There is only a lame and disappointing explanation for the raven and there could have been an entire book about the fascinating little fella. As for the romance, now I'm no prude but if you enjoy graphic portrayals where men do little more sexually then show up and wave their manhood around and all the women magically climax then you will like the book's unrealistic portrayal of human sexuality. Finally, the main character keeps pushing for attention from his love interest long after she's told him it won't ever work out between them. He goes show far as to show up at her house and go through her things which all seems pretty creepy and like dated thinking in a world where no is supposed to really mean no. Wow, I wrote more than I expected about an average story - I suppose I cared more than I thought I did!
This was an average book that is part romance and part mystery. Although it could be called a book about fishing because I learned everything there is to know about herring fishing. I actually enjoyed the fishing parts the most. Oh, there are some interesting and mysterious characters like a shaman who seems to know things in mysterious ways and an all seeing raven who seems to be the spirit animal of the main character. Only thing, after spending the entire book introducing these interesting mysterious characters the author ends the book with no explanation for why or how the shaman knows things or why he would help a white dude cop from "Outside" (as they call anywhere outside the Alaskan bush). There is only a lame and disappointing explanation for the raven and there could have been an entire book about the fascinating little fella. As for the romance, now I'm no prude but if you enjoy graphic portrayals where men do little more sexually then show up and wave their manhood around and all the women magically climax then you will like the book's unrealistic portrayal of human sexuality. Finally, the main character keeps pushing for attention from his love interest long after she's told him it won't ever work out between them. He goes show far as to show up at her house and go through her things which all seems pretty creepy and like dated thinking in a world where no is supposed to really mean no. Wow, I wrote more than I expected about an average story - I suppose I cared more than I thought I did!
April 2, 2020
Het is net als met Scandinavische series, lekker guur en ongezellig, heerlijk. Net als bij die series heb je goeie en minder goeie huh um thrillers (?). Dit is niet zo’n breister goed boek. Je ziet als het ware de geluidshengel nogal eens in beeld hangen. Toch ben je lekker in Alaska, heerlijk. Enne Liam is een stuk, dat heb ik er althans van gemaakt.
December 4, 2018
I like the Liam Campbell books. But I prefer the Kate Shugak series. These are worth reading, though. They have a different tone.
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