3.5 stars

Two things initially drew me to this book – that great cover & the fact that it’s set in Alaska. I’ve mentioned before how Alaska is on my bucket list and while reading Bear Witness, I found myself wishing that Stacie was a real person – because if I ever do get to Alaska I want to take a tourist cruise with her as my tour guide. Her character was so winsome, and her faithful canine sidekick Sasha added an extra dimension of likability to this dynamic duo. The glimpses we get of Alaskan wildlife and its marine landscape had me feeling like I was riding that top deck of the boat along with Stacie, Sasha and crew.

I really enjoyed the mystery and all that went along with it. I was surprised at how easily the local law enforcement agreed to let Stacie poke her nose into the case in conjunction with their own investigation, but it worked for the community they were in and with the circumstances surrounding the murder. Every loyal cozy mystery reader knows it’s rarely the most obvious suspect who turns out to be the murderer, so we tend to look at everyone with a bit of a side-eye lol. Even so, I was completely surprised when I figured out who it likely was – because I’d had my accusation resting firmly (but wrongly) on a perfectly good ‘less obvious’ suspect the whole time lol.

Whew, don’t even get me started on how swoony Liam is, the law enforcement agent charged with the murder case that casts a somber shadow over Stacie’s employers. His low voiced comments that were clearly flirting even though Stacie couldn’t see it. Swoon!! It’s clear Liam is highly attracted to Stacie and since the feeling is mutual, sparks sizzle in the air whenever they’re in the same space.

(Pardon me a brief aside, here) That sizzle eventually leads to some closed door action between the two, something that I would have preferred take place later in the series, if at all. In my opinion, Liam & Stacie fast-forwarded past all that I love about the intricate ‘early stages of a romance’ dance, bypassing any emotional connection between them (there wasn’t time!) and zeroing in on the physical. It didn’t make sense to me on several different levels, didn’t allow me enough time to become emotionally invested in their relationship, and was just an all-around disappointing development for me.

Bottom Line: Bear Witness by Lark O. Jensen takes readers on a tour of Alaska in all its wild beauty. You’ll spot seals and bears, glaciers and ice floes, even some wolves and a humpback whale or two. But watch out – you’ll also spot a body. And it’s here that the story kicks into gear, drawing us along as the investigation takes root. Liam, Stacie, and even sweet Sasha are engaging characters with layers that I look forward to exploring as the series sails along. If your travel budget looks like mine, this is a great way to vacay vicariously – through the pages of a delightful cozy mystery! Yes, there were some elements of the plot that I didn’t love but overall this is a very entertaining read and I’ll likely keep an eye out for book two!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

This was just an okay read/listen for me. I loved the setting-that was my favorite element of the story. The case was interesting, but I just didn't connect to the story overall.

I found this book very trying. So much white noise, and so many descriptions that have no relation to the essence of the book.
We are taken on a boat trip to Alaska. Yes, it is beautiful. The scenery is amazing. The fauna is breathtaking. However, what does it have to do with the mystery? Nothing.
It takes a lot of pages to get to the gist of the story. And it takes as many if not more to get through the mystery.
Not my kind of writing, sorry.

Bear Witness is the first book in a new cozy mystery series starring protagonist, Stacie Calder, a naturalist. Staci loves the outdoors, so moved to Alaska to work in the great northern wilderness. She is employed by a tour boat company, where she shares her knowledge of the area and its animals with the tourists. On one of the tours she meets a man, Truit, who monopolizes her attention asking some very uncomfortable questions. When Staci finds out he used to be employed by her company, on her boat, she asks questions of her own, learning that he has plans to open a rival tour boat company. Staci keeps her eye out for him, but he seems to have disappeared before they return to the dock. When his body is found the next day, everyone one the boat is a suspect, even Staci.

This was an interesting story. I love the setting and profession of Staci, our protagonist, it is one I have not come across before. Having been on an Alaskan Cruise before, it was nice to revisit the area through this story. I know this is the first in the series, so I hope we will get to know more about the characters as the series continues. I always enjoy when animals play a role in the mystery, and Staci's husky pup, Sasha is a large part of the story. As often happens our protagonist and detective begin to fall for one another, but I thought Stacie and Liam Amaruq, Alaska State Trooper had too quickly of a more intimate relationship, a bit unusual for a cozy mystery. Liam actually encourages Stacie to snoop and work with him to solve the case, which worked for me. There were plenty of suspects and Staci spends a lot of time asking questions and trying to put two and two together. Along the way she does alienate a few people, which added them to hers and my suspect list. I thought I knew who the culprit was about halfway through the book, but it wasn't until the end where I found out the motive and that I was not correct. There was a bit of a dangerous showdown, but fortunately, Sasha was there to help save the day. I enjoyed this story and will watch for the next book in the Alaska Untamed Mysteries.

I had such high hopes for this book. I love anything Alaska and couldn’t wait to dive into this book. Unfortunately, the story was rather dry and moved pretty slowly. Stacie herself was boring. All she talks about is her job and her dog. In the few instances where she thought of Liam as a hot guy, it still seemed formulaic with no real enthusiasm. I will continue with the series in the hopes that this was just because it’s the first one in a series but it won’t be with as much anticipation as I had for this one.

I am sorry to say that I could not get interested in this book. The blurb sounded like it would be good but it just did not work for me. Had to DNF.

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I don't read a lot of books that take place in Alaska, so I was excited to start this cozy mystery. Imagine my surprise and dismay, this story could have taken place anywhere. I was also disappointed by the flat characters. The story felt like more of an outline than an actual story.

The plot sounded interesting but ended up lacking any real substance. The police force is not just bumbling but actually appaers to only let this one tour guide do all the investigating. The final reveal, the romance, even the dog as her sidekick - all of it felt like plot devices and not like an actual story with real people. I wish I'd liked ths more.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I love finding new series to try, and the premise of Bear Witness by Lark O. Jensen piqued my interest, so I had to give it a try.

Stacie is a wildlife tour guide in Alaska. She works on a tour cruise ship alongside her husky Sasha. When a passenger on the ship goes missing, Stacie decides to start looking into the mystery to help the family that owns the tour business. Then throw in the handsome cop, Liam, who is investigating the missing person, which turns into a possible homicide.

So, the mystery had great potential. A passenger goes missing during a tour, and then they find his body during the tour on the following day. With the odd approval of the police, Stacie is questioning her co-workers and regulars on the tour about the murder. It was a unique setting, this boat tour in Alaska, and an interesting mix of characters. I just think that the mystery got a little lost in the world-building.

There were a lot of mundane details to slog through to get to the actual crime-solving. Don’t get me wrong, Stacie was actively investigating, but so much detail about morning routines or little details about the tour that was just repetitive enough to wonder why it was necessary, and it wasn’t —except maybe to the world-building. But I don’t need to know about all the walks Stacie took with her dog—or how often the dog was petted by strangers (on and off the ship). The story just got a little lost in the details sometimes.

Stacie was likable enough. She seemed to be friends with most of her co-workers, and they even tolerated her snooping. I wasn’t a huge fan of her budding relationship with Liam. It seemed way too soon in the series and a little inappropriate, given he was actively working on a crime that she was involved in. But she was tenacious and honest about her motives in trying to help the police.

Bear Witness was a good book. It did take me a little while to get into the story, but once it finally got going, I was reeled in until The End. It’s evident that the author did some research on Alaska wildlife and boat tours, as those scenes were easy to picture in my head. I’ll be curious to see how this series evolves in the future.

The Clementos family own a fleet of boats, operated by their company, ClemTours. Stacie Calder is a wildlife lover in her early thirties and a tour guide on the ClemElk which is one of the boats. Sasha, Stacie's 2-year-old grey and white Husky often travels with her. One afternoon, one of the tourists goes missing and is found dead the next day. Stacie is a suspect as is the entire crew in Trooper Liam Amauri's opinion.

Set in Juneau, Alaska, the differences between the crew members were well highlighted by the author and I enjoyed reading about Sasha, her dedication to her passengers and her knowledge of wild animals. The mystery was well done too. Very enjoyable.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

BEAR WITNESS by Lark O. Jensen
The First Alaska Untamed Mystery


Stacie Calder loves her job. As a naturalist, she's well suited to being a guide on an Alaskan tour boat, pointing out wildlife to enthusiastic tourists. One passenger is more than he seems, however. A former employee, he's now trying to create his own tour company starting by badmouthing Stacie's. When he disappears from the boat, Stacie wonders if it's a trick, another way to create trouble. But when he's found dead the next day, Stacie isn't so sure. With her trusty dog, Sasha, at her side Stacie will look to solve the murder, and if it gets her closer to the hunky state police officer also investigating...even better!

I love the concept of a mystery surrounded by Alaskan Wildlife. There are a few implausibles here, how law enforcement welcomes Stacie's assistance, being the big one. There's also the growing relationship between Stacie and Liam. With a small pool of suspects and limited avenues of investigation, it seemed that more time was spent on the romance than the mystery. But, if you can suspend your disbelief, you can enjoy the story.

While there were things I liked about Stacie, I didn't feel a great depth to her or any of the characters. Even the romance was hasty and not very romantic. I love animals and do love Sasha. Admittedly, I didn't need Stacie continually saying how great she was. Indeed I found a lot of repetition. The same basic things happening every cruise...and described every time. In fact, lots of details are included, specifically the minutia surrounding Stacie's day to day life. Details that didn't really add to the story.

With a great setting and an exciting conclusion BEAR WITNESS has lots of potential for a new series.

The setting is gorgeous and perfectly captured through Lark O. Jensen's vivid writing style. Alaska provides the ideal backdrop to Stacie's sleuthing. She's a wildlife expert and uses this knowledge to work as a tour guide on a boat which serves as a primary location for the story and adds some originality that makes this mystery stand out against the rest. The characters are charming and endearing with a cast of personalities that provide the ideal suspects and introduce Stacie to a handsome love interest. Jensen's Bear Witness is a must-have for every cozy mystery lover to have on their shelf!

I really wanted to like this book as I found the premise of it being set in Alaska very intriguing but it just wasn't that great.

It was my first from the author and also my first cosy mystery and it was really slow and not very interesting.

I also found it really farfetched that the police officer would have allowed a civilian to be going around meddling in an investigation.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Stacie Calder is a tour guide on the ClemElk, one of the Clem Tours fleet owned by the Clementoses. There are six boats in total, the ClemElk, the ClemWolf, the ClemBear, the ClemSeal, the ClemBison, and the ClemMoose. Each is piloted by a member of the Clementos family and hosts tours leaving from Juneau, Anchorage, and Skagway. Stacie is accompanied daily by her 2-year-old and very well-behaved Husky, Sasha.

One afternoon one of the tourists goes missing. He had spent most of the day questioning Stacie about everything under the sun so she became quite troubled when she couldn’t find him anywhere on the ship and he failed to disembark the ship when they got back to port. They had no choice but to report his disappearance to the authorities which brought in the Alaska State Troopers, Initial Response Team to the dock. Trooper Liam Amauri leads a team to investigate the man’s disappearance which means he will be traveling on the ClemElk and close to Stacie every day.

The next day the man’s body is found along the tour route in the icy water. Trooper Amauri considers the entire crew including Stacie a suspect. She volunteers to help with the investigation and surprisingly Liam accepts. They also accept there is romantic chemistry between them. But they need to focus on the case and catch the killer before he ices another victim . . . maybe Stacie herself!

Our protagonist, Stacie Calder’s life revolves around the job she loves, sharing her knowledge of wild animals and their habitats. Right now that includes the animals found in the Alaska wilderness on and around the panoramic glaciers. She strives to give her passengers the best experience she can. She is likable and friendly and takes great pride in what she does. She is also blessed to get to take her canine companion, Sasha to work with her every day. I love Sasha and loved that she played pivotal roles in the story.

We also meet Trooper Liam Amauri. He appears to be very smart and capable of investigating the murder but I felt he was going around in circles a lot. I was also surprised that a relationship evolved so quickly and before the case was solved.

The Clementos family and the crew of the ClemElk were also introduced. The Clementos family sounds like a great group of down-to-earth people all ready to work hard to keep the family business a highlight for visitors to Alaska. The crew all appear to love their jobs.

I feel like all the characters were introduced well but look forward to them being more fleshed out in future books. I think this is going to be a fun group.

Because of Stacie’s job and the tour boat setting, there was a bit of repetition. Most of the tourists were quickly eliminated as suspects so that truly just left the crew. Stacie and Liam had to go back every day to question the same people until someone let something slip or a new piece of information was revealed. The author kept the clues close to her vest throughout the whole story. I myself was going in circles trying to solve the mystery before the killer was revealed and I never settled in on any one person.

I was delighted by Ms. Jensen’s descriptions of Alaska. The trip to the Tracy Arm fjord and the strings of ice floes “bobbing in the water” with the harbor seals mamas sunning with their babies. It was easy to visualize the birds in the sky and the bears “lumbering at the foot of the craggy snow-dotted mountain and near the top a group of wolves. I know the author took time to research the area and all the animals found there because Stacie was a font of information about everything she saw and shared.

In Bear Witness, Ms. Jensen has built a great foundation for this series going forward. Her characters are unique and I want to get to know them better. Alaska is a fantastic setting too, so different from the lower 48 with its distinct way of life. A vast area that could contain all kinds of mysteries. I am curious to read about Stacie’s next adventure and see if she and Liam’s relationship continues.

Bear Witness is the first book in a new series starring Stacie, a naturalist and tour guide on daily Alaska nature cruises. Her husky Sasha travels with her on these daily cruises and is a calming presence for passengers. Stacie loves her job and has shared her love of nature on cruises for a long time, but there’s never been a murder on one! However, one unfortunate day, a passenger is murdered, and Stacie’s inquisitiveness leads her to snoop around and get the scoop on who may have wanted him dead.

I think that this series has a lot of potential, especially if the cruise ship isn’t the scene of the crime each time. Though I enjoyed Stacie’s descriptive narration during the tours, it could become a little tiresome for those of us who love reading all the books in a series if the cruises take the same route each trip. But since the tour company owns multiple boats, I’m anticipating fresh, new routes and beautiful Alaskan scenery in each book.

The mystery in Bear Witness is not an easy one to solve with its multiple red herrings As it turns out, many of the passengers had motive to murder…including Stacie. However, Stacie quickly becomes close to lead investigator Liam, who knows Stacie wouldn’t murder anyone. For those of you who don’t like closed door sex at all in your cozy mystery books, here’s a heads up. The couple’s closeness becomes intimate rather quickly in this book, so it may not be right for you.

In addition to getting to know Stacie and Liam, you’ll get a peek at the many side characters’ in Bear Witness. I’m sure it will be fun getting to know them all better in the books to come. I especially enjoyed Stacie’s young assistant who steps up while Stacie is away from the microphone. I appreciate how both Stacie and her assistant are so interactive with the passengers, taking and answering their questions. Having curious children on board was a fun addition to the story.

If you enjoy cozy mystery books set in Alaska and are okay with closed door sexual situations, I think you’ll enjoy Bear Witness for its lovely setting and puzzling murder.

Bear Witness by Lark O. Jensen is the debut of An Alaska Untamed Mysteries. I like the premise of Bear Witness. The author’s detailed descriptions allowed me to visualize traveling on the boat. I could envision the beautiful Alaskan countryside along with the flora and fauna. I did feel that the author used too much detail at times. We really do not need to know what Stacie is wearing every day, where Sasha goes to the bathroom on the boat (or how it is cleaned up), the details of getting from work to home (driving down this street, getting out keys, opening door, taking off shoes), or about Stacie’s stomach problems (TMI). I thought Stacie’s dog, Sasha was a sweetie. Huskies are intelligent and loving dogs. I enjoyed learning about the various Alaskan wildlife. I can tell the author did her research for this book. I thought the characters lacked depth (they were as flat as cardboard). The emotions are lacking. We are told details, but they are not felt. We are told Stacie loves wildlife, but it does not come across. I want personality and depth in the characters. The mystery has Stacie asking questions and searching for clues. She feels the need to help because she loves her job and cares about her employers (she is a wee bit too perky). The whodunit has several suspects along with a few clues (I mean hardly any) to help readers solve the crime before the suspenseful reveal. I like how Sasha helps Stacie with her investigation. I was surprised that Liam allows Stacie to help out (he does try to warn her off in the beginning). He also shares details of the case with her. I like that they get along, but I expected Liam to be more professional. Stacie lacks subtlety (her sleuthing style resembles badgering). I wish the mystery had been more complex. I identified the killer before they found Truit’s body (it was obvious). A romance springs up between Liam and Stacie. I did feel it was a little rushed for a cozy mystery. There is a great deal of repetition (how much she loved her job, information about animals, details about her job and bosses, how handsome Liam is, etc.). From a seasoned author, I did not expect such repetitiveness. There is mild foul language in this story. I wonder what adventure Stacie will have in the next An Alaska Untamed Mystery. Bear Witness is a wild tale with scenic cruises, a dead deckhand, a helpful Husky, a striking trooper, a careful killer, and wandering wildlife.

Bear Witness is a nice start to the new series, Alaska Untamed Mystery, and one that I will be looking forward to reading new books in the series. Set against the beautiful Alaskan landscape, it is easy to imagine the lovely setting with the seals, eagles, bears, and glaciers along with other wildlife they see. Stacie Calder is a wildlife expert working as a tour guide for a family-owned company of tour boats going on day cruises to see the sights. She and her loving Husky, Sasha, love their job. When a former employee taking the trip goes missing and later is found dead, she meets Trooper Liam, of the Alaska State Troopers, who seems to think that the boat captain is a main suspect. Stacie sets to prove him wrong and the two soon work together questioning the staff to find answers.
They take the same trip each day and see a lot of the same wildlife so there is some repetitiveness in the trips, but Stacie enjoys her job. She and Liam have a quick attraction that moves along fast. The mystery to unravel was good and the guilty party was on my suspect list. Sasha is star of the story in my viewpoint. Nice story.
I received a complimentary ARC from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

I was really disappointed by this one. The characters were flat, and the mystery was disappointing. Do not recommend.

Bear Witness
An Alaska Untamed Mystery
by: Lark O. Jensen
Pub date: May 10, 2022
Crooked Lane Books
genre: Mystery & Thrillers

The new Alaska Untamed Mystery series opens with Jensen's Bear Witness, against the stunning backdrop of the Alaskan wilderness. Naturalist Stacie Calder works as a tour boat guide on the ClemElk. A cozy mystery with some romance unfolds after a man is found dead. Stacie's huskie dog, Sasha, and Liam, an Alaska State Trooper, also play key roles in the engaging story. This series promises to be one full of adventure and suspense against a backdrop of spectacular scenery and wildlife. The book is entertaining and enjoyable. Thank you to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for the advance reader's copy and opportunity to provide my review.
 #BearWitness #NetGalley

I had high hopes for this new series as I had enjoyed her other series but, for me, it fell flat. Not so badly that i won't be willing to give the next in the series a try but it will have to be a stronger mystery for me to continue beyond that.
The location was what really got my attention but then it became very repetitious. The main character needed to have more depth for me to warm to her. Stacie has potential. As for her Husky, Sasha, I'm always going to love any dog in a mystery. The mystery itself was average and I did wonder about the relationship between Stacie and Liam, the Alaska State trooper on the case and how fast the relationship grew. After all, he was the investigator and she was on the suspect list.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.