Title: Not the Ones Dead
Series: Kate Shugak, #23
Author: Dana Stabenow
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Publication date: April 11, 2023
Length: 336 pages
Genre: Mystery/crime
Source: Purchased
Rating:

The gripping new Kate Shugak novel by New York Times bestselling author Dana Stabenow. What seems a tragic accident soon becomes a murder investigation as Kate is drawn into a case of political intrigue.

A mid-air collision in the Alaskan wilderness between two small aircraft leaves ten people dead. Was it a bird strike, pilot error… or premeditated murder?

Then an eleventh body is found in the wreckage: a man shot gangland style, twice in the chest and once in the head.

In an investigation that reaches to the highest levels of government, justice may not be served, but Kate Shugak is determined that the truth will out, even at the risk of her life and the lives of those she loves most.

The Kate Shugak series is 23 books strong (with a 24th book announced for publication in 2025)… and when I say strong, I mean it! This series shows absolutely no signs of running out of steam. I enjoy every new addition to the overall series, and Not the Ones Dead is no exception.

In Not the Ones Dead, we open with glimpses of outsiders in the Park (the fictional national park in Alaska where most of the Kate stories take place). The residents of Niniltna and the surrounding area, known affectionately as Park rats, are an eclectic mix, but they look out for their own… and these strangers seem to be nothing but trouble.

As the story unfolds, strange and threatening incidents occur, culminating in the midair collision between two small aircraft. At roughly the same time, a beloved local is run off the road, and there’s a blatant case of arson that impacts the entire community. When Kate is hired to look into the midair, she begins to uncover a web of secrets and violence, not without danger to herself and her chosen family.

I won’t go into plot — there’s really no need. Kate Shugak is a terrific character in her own right, and the series is filled with a cast of characters who’ve come to each have a role in the community Kate inhabits. When I read a Kate Shugak book, it’s less for the crime/mystery story and more for the chance to revisit these amazing people, the settings, and the interwoven connections between all the various people in Kate’s orbit.

(I need to give my standard shout-out to Mutt, as I do whenever I write about a Kate book. Mutt is a Very Good Dog, definitely a top contender for best dog in fiction, and no review of a Kate Shugak novel would be complete without a salute to Mutt.)

I’ll give my standard disclaimer: Yes, you could probably pick up Not the Ones Dead and follow the overall mystery storyline… but I tend to think you’d be lost overall, without the context of who these people are, what the different factions, associations, and aunties represent, and reference points to earlier events in Kate’s life and career.

As always, I’ll simply suggest starting with book #1, A Cold Day for Murder. It might feel daunting to start at the beginning of a 23-book series, but trust me, it’s worth it!

Not the Ones Dead is an engaging, satisfying read, and I’m always thankful for the chance to spend time in Kate’s world. Can’t wait for #24!

Title: No Fixed Line (Kate Shugak, #22)
Author: Dana Stabenow
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Publication date: January 14, 2020
Length: 400 pages
Genre: Mystery/crime
Source: Purchased
Rating:

… though there is no fixed line between wrong and right,
There are roughly zones whose laws must be obeyed.

It is New Year’s Eve, nearly six weeks into an off-and-on blizzard that has locked Alaska down, effectively cutting it off from the outside world.

But now there are reports of a plane down in the Quilak mountains. With the National Transportation Safety Board unable to reach the crash site, ex-Trooper Jim Chopin is pulled out of retirement to try to identify the aircraft, collect the corpses, and determine why no flight has been reported missing. But Jim discovers survivors: two children who don’t speak a word of English.

Meanwhile, PI Kate Shugak receives an unexpected and unwelcome accusation from beyond the grave, a charge that could change the face of the Park forever.

A quick word before diving into the review: The synopsis above is not entirely accurate. The details of finding the children are off. Kate gets something from a dead man, but not exactly an accusation. The whole thing is not quite right… just know that ahead of time if such things matter to you.

Anyhoo… let’s talk about No Fixed Line!

Kate Shugak is one of my favorite fictional characters, and naturally, I’m beyond thrilled to get a new volume in this terrific ongoing series — three years after the last book came out, and believe me, it’s been a long three years!

Kate is a Native Alaskan of Aleut descent, a former investigator for the Anchorage DA’s office who now works as a private investigator, generally at risk to her own neck in one way or another. She lives on an isolated homestead in the fictitious Niniltna Park, and associates with a wide array of quirky and unusual characters, from aunties to state troopers to law enforcement types to bush pilots and beyond.

The Kate books also feature a Very Good Dog. Mutt is half wolf, half husky, is Kate’s constant companion, and is truly one of the very best dogs in fiction.

In No Fixed Line, book #22, Kate finds herself drawn into a mystery after two young children are recovered from a plane crash in the remote mountains, leading to a complex conspiracy involving drug distribution and human trafficking. The case itself is harrowing and disturbing.

But beyond the mystery driving the plot, one of the main pleasures of the Kate books is the community that we come to know over the course of the series. I love the beautiful Alaska setting, the gritty reality of life in Anchorage as well as the more remote locations, and the variety of characters who represent the different factions and strata within Alaskan society, from tribal elders to oil and mining tycoons to isolationist homesteaders — it’s a unique and eclectic bunch. All are present and accounted for in No Fixed Line, and the web of politics and corruption and influence sneaks its way into all of the day-to-day concerns of the Park folks just trying to live their lives.

As in all of the books, Kate herself is marvelous — fierce and loyal and strong as steel, but with internal and external scars that she carries with her always. She’s incredibly devoted to her family and the wide group of people she considers hers, and will do whatever it takes to keep the people she loves safe.

I would not suggest starting anywhere but at the beginning of the series, with book #1, A Cold Day for Murder. It’s worth the effort, I promise! I binged the entire series a few years ago, and loved every moment.

No Fixed Line is an engaging addition to the Kate Shugak series, and leaves me hungry for more! Here’s hoping that #23 will come along before another three years go by.