Summary
When Nate Burke agrees to take the job of sheriff in beautiful but isolated Lunacy, Alaska, he doesn’t know what he’s signing up for. He expects the bonechillling temperatures, the small-town attitude from many who see him as an Outsider, and the sadness that’s plagued him since he ran from his job at the Baltimore Police Department. What he gets is a decades old murder mystery that turns current when a frozen murder victim is discovered on the mountain, and then a town resident winds up dead. Pretty soon anyone could be a suspect and Nate’s not sure who he can trust anymore. He must partner up with headstrong, independent Meg Galloway, the town’s bush pilot and daughter of the man murdered on the mountain years ago, to solve the mystery in a town that’s become his home.
Evaluation
The twists and turns and flawed characters within this novel make it a page-turner. Ms. Roberts uses journal entries, dialogue, and flashbacks, as well as character descriptions to piece together a spine-tingling mystery that will have you questioning your neighbors’ innocence. The mini conflicts and small town drama help blur the true villain. The omniscient narrative shows how intelligent both the female and male protagonists are. Every twist and turn is wrapped up in an exciting, action-movie style finale, where everything ends well.
They style of this book is poetic in a way, yet simplistic and almost manly. Having a male driven narrative allows us to break from the usual perspective. Ms. Roberts expounds on her normal style of descriptive writing in order to build suspense as well as character depth. Her amazing detailed descriptions of the mountains and cold are complemented by how her characters’ personalities play off of each other. The realistic dialogue expresses what her characters are thinking and feeling in a skilled way.
The content of this novel is sexually explicit, but the explicity scenes are interwoven with magical imagery and creative figurative language that make it romantic at the same time. The two strong characters spark off of each other while they each battle with their own issues, but these sparks make the sex scenes intense and sincere. The controversial issues covered in this novel include greed and murder, parental issues, overcoming self-doubt, and the justice system.
Similar/Related Readings
The Witness, by Nora Roberts
Defending Dani: Alaska Blizzard #1, by Kat Mizera
Inspiring the Works of Valerie Jean 