A COLD DAY FOR MURDER – by Dana Stabenow

I had no idea venturing into this rerelease that this book is one of twenty-three in the Kate Shugak Investigation series, and I can’t wait to read more!

‘Kate Shugak is a native Aleut working as a private investigator in Alaska. She's five foot, one inch tall, carries a scar that runs from ear to ear across her throat, and owns a half-wolf, half-husky dog named Mutt. Resourceful, strong-willed, defiant, Kate is tougher than your average heroine – and she needs to be to survive the worst the Alaskan wilds can throw at her.’

A heartbreaking, at times intense whodunit sprinkled with the perfect amount of humor—Highly Recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and Head of Zeus (Bloomsbury Publishing Plc), for providing me with an eBook of A COLD DAY FOR MURDER at the request of an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC. Although this review is for the audiobook, it applies equally to the novel.

A Cold Day for Murder is the first book in the wonderful Kate Shugak series, featuring a Native American private investigator in Alaska. The audiobook is narrated by the talented Linda Holmes, who does an excellent job of bringing the characters and the setting to life. Holmes has a clear and confident voice that suits the genre and the tone of the story, and I have listened to numerous audiobooks narrated by this talented individual.

This fast-paced and engaging mystery involves the disappearance of a ranger, who may have been killed by a poacher or an environmentalist.

Kate Shugak, a half-wolf, half-husky dog named Mutt, and her friend and lover Joe Leaphorn, an Episcopal priest, use their skills and intuition to find out what happened to Mark Miller.

The book explores the themes of identity, culture, tradition, and modernity in Alaska.

The main character, Kate Shugak is proud of her Aleut background, however, she encounters racism from both sides of her heritage.

Shugak encounters additional challenges of sexism, corruption, and violence in her hometown of Anchorage, and she must balance her work as a private investigator with her personal life and spiritual beliefs.

A Cold Day for Murder is a well-written and well-read introduction to one of the most original and compelling female sleuths in crime fiction. Holmes delivers a captivating performance.

If you are looking for a thrilling and thought-provoking audiobook set in Alaska, you should definitely check out A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow.

A Cold Day for Murder is the first in Dana Stabenow's critically acclaimed Kate Shugak Mysteries. A lot of books usually either have a super good beginning or an amazing end. It's pretty rare for me to find one that has both but this defiantly had such a great beginning and all the way through pace that kept me wanting to keep reading like crazy.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Oh excellent book, recommend it.

It took me a while to get into this book, but once I got into it I really enjoyed it. Atmospheric and tense and so engaging, I can't wait to read the rest of the series

I enjoyed reading this mystery. This is the first book in a long running series. Kate has left the big city and returned to the wilds of Alaska. When two rangers disappear Kate is asked to investigate. The author does a wonderful job with the Alaska background. The characters include local natives and developers hoping to get rich. I really liked the Alaska setting and the wonderful characters. The mystery was good with lots of suspects and twists and turns. The solution made sense. I look for word to reading more in this series. Enjoy

This book started out a little difficult for me to get invested in but I stuck with it and am so glad I did. The heroine in this story really blew me away. The crazy cast of characters was very well written. The descriptions of the atmosphere and terrain were fantastic.

A Cold Day For Murder by Dana Stebanow
Murders in the tropics or in the Alaskan interior both need to be solved. Kate Shugak is an Alaskan native who got out (betrayed?) her ancestors by attending college and then law school to join the district attorney’s office in Anchorage. Roughly a year or so ago, the resolution of a case sent Kate back deep into the Alaskan wilderness where she shares a small but mostly comfortable cabin with her dog Mutt. The “Park”, roughly 4X the size of Denali, is home to a small and scattered population of highly protective Alaskan natives. They certainly don’t appreciate it when Outsiders (anyone who doesn’t live within the boundary of The Park) try to tell them how to live and manage The Park.
A new-ish Ranger from Ohio has been making noises about expanding the few roads within The Park to make it more accessible to tourists (and the $$$ tourists spend). Locals disagree. After a local council meeting with the townspeople, the Ranger disappears. By the time the book opens, he’s been missing for 8 weeks. And his daddy, an Ohio congressman, has squeezed the FBI to investigate. DC calls the Anchorage office who gets an investigator from the District Attorney’s office to look into the missing son/ranger.

That was two weeks ago and now he’s missing, too. The DA’s office knows Kate lives in the Park and sends someone to convince her to start asking questions, which she begrudgingly accepts. The trail goes all over the area local to the disappearances. Family, friends, drunks, poachers, Outsiders, and Park hermits show up in various situations, mostly with an alibi.

Stebanow has been reviewed by us here at MRB. She’s an Edgar Award winner who lives on the border between civilization and the Alaskan bush. Her stories are direct and quick. I’m not sure if the quick read is because her books aren’t all that long or because she’s such a good writer that the time passes quickly. One of the terrific selling points is the way she manages to make the Alaskan wilderness a vital character of the story. Sort of how George Pelacanos makes Washington, DC a vital plot element in his books.

Pick up most any Kate Shugak books to be transported to a world most of us will never get to because that land is just so remote. Add that to a story web that has multiple criss-cross trails, enough to make you run out of fuel from all the running around on her Artic Cat snowmobile.

I can’t believe I’ve never read this author before… it was a great book, and upon googling her I found she’s written a huge number of books in this series ….the case was interesting, the descriptions of everything were awesome, characters so interesting, highlighting a lifestyle and living conditions/choices that were unfamiliar. Love to read more.

This is the first in the Kate Shugak series that is set in Alaska. Kate, once an investigator for the DA in Anchorage, has been tasked with finding two missing men. With her faithful dog, Mutt, she works her way through a twisty mess of a mystery and discovers the truth that leads to disappointment and sorrow.
Starts slow, but I expect that when you first start a new series, you need a little background for help in understanding the characters and the place. Loved this story. Kate is an awesome and strong woman and her dog Mutt is a great character as well. It's a great start to a great series.
Thanks to Aria and Aries and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

This is a reissue of the first Katek Shugback mystery series.
"A Cold Day for Murder" is the first book in the Kate Shugak series by Dana Stabenow, and it is a fantastic introduction to the series. Set in Alaska, the book tells the story of Kate Shugak, a former investigator for the Anchorage District Attorney's office who is now living a simple life in a small town in the Alaskan wilderness.

The book starts off with the discovery of a body on a mining site, and Kate is asked to investigate. As she delves into the case, she soon realizes that there is more to the story than meets the eye. With the help of her trusted companion, a half-wolf dog named Mutt, Kate uncovers a web of deceit and corruption that threatens the lives of those around her.

What makes this book stand out is the vivid portrayal of Alaska and its people. Stabenow's writing is evocative, and she paints a picture of a harsh and unforgiving environment that is both beautiful and dangerous. Kate Shugak is a strong and capable protagonist, and her deep connection to the land and its people adds to the authenticity of the story.

Stabenow does a great job of balancing the investigation with the personal lives of the characters, and the ending is satisfying without being predictable.

If you enjoy a good mystery with a unique heroine this book and the series are a must read .

Kate Shugak , a native Aleut and previously an investigator with the DA's office is now a Private Investigator within the 'Park' in Alaska and is asked to use her unique skills to find a missing Congressman's son . The FBI have already sent in their own investigator but he too has gone missing .
Her investigation takes her across the 'Park' , introducing us to the people in her life ....... from her foster father , her grandmother , the local law enforcement ex-lover and her delightful 'half wolf' Mutt to the local cast of crazy people who hide out from society
The suspect list starts out to be diverse but narrows down to just the most unexpected and heart breaking
final one - can it be true ?

After reading this book I found myself reading all the others in the series - I have been introduced to a unique heroine and a cast of disparate friends and foe ........ what more could an avid reader want !!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I couldn’t connect with the writing. I had to stop reading after about 10 pages. I feel bad, but I could tell I wouldn’t connect to the story or the characters.

I read the historical mystery written by Dana Stabenow and loved them. This is her first comtemporary mystery I read and it kept me hooked and guessing.
A gripping and solid plot, interesting characters, solid mystery.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

#AColdDayforMurder #NetGalley If you have not read this series you are missing out if you love mysteries! A re-release of Dana Stabenow! Excellent first book!

A Cold Day for Murder is the first book in the Kate Shugak Investigation series by Dana Stabenow.
In short, native Aleut Kate Shugak, a private investigator is investigating the disappearance of a ranger, Mark Miller and FBI investigator, Ken Dahl.
The story is set in Alaska and apart from the glorious descriptive writing of this remote, wild and beautiful country it also offers a detailed picture of the conflicts between natives and Outsiders and Kate’s personal struggle of life as a modern Inuit living with the tension between the young and old in Alaska.
It’s a quick, interesting murder mystery read with a heart.
Big thanks to Dana Stabenow, Aria and Aries and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

First in this series featuring Kate Shugak. She's a tough investigator whose best pal and protector is a devoted dog. A good read.

This book was 75% descriptions and 25% storyline. I loved Mutt. The best part of this short story.
I just reviewed A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow. #AColdDayforMurder #NetGalley

A Cold Day for Murder is the first book in the long-running series by Dana Stabenow. The 23rd book in the series is due our later in 2023 so now is the perfect time to jump in at the beginning. If you're looking for a unique mystery series that offers something a little different this series is worth considering.

Set in the Alaskan wilderness, our main character is Kate Shugak, an Aleut private investigator. We follow Kate as she investigates the disappearance of two missing persons but Kate is going to find that this mystery might be bigger than it seems. The story is medium-paced with a good introduction to this chilling setting. I'd recommend this one to fans of mysteries and thrillers. There are plenty of books to keep you going and the series is still being written so more to come.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

Kate Shugak is a native Aleut working as a private investigator in Alaska. She’s five foot, one inch tall, carries a scar that runs from ear to ear across her throat, and owns a half-wolf, half-husky dog named Mutt. Resourceful, strong-willed, defiant, Kate is tougher than your average heroine - and she needs to be to survive the worst the Alaskan wilds can throw at her.Somewhere in twenty million acres of forest and glaciers, a ranger has disappeared: Mark Miller. Missing six weeks. It’s assumed by the National Park Service that Miller has been caught in a snowstorm and frozen to death: the typical fate of those who get lost in this vast and desolate terrain. But as a favour to his congressman father, the FBI send in an investigator: Ken Dahl. Last heard from two weeks and two days ago.Now it’s time to send in a professional. Kate Shugak: light brown eyes, black hair, five foot one with an angry scar from ear to ear. Last seen yesterday...

What a gripping and thrilling read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.