The Singing of the Dead
The Singing of the Dead by Dana Stabenow
Reviewed by L. Bennett
Kate Shugak has a new job that will last until the Alaska election is over. She is hired by a pushy campaign manager to protect one of the candidates, an Alaska native who hopes to unseat the white incumbent. When some of the campaign staff are killed and others lie about their whereabouts, Kate wonders how the dead and the candidate are linked. Her investigation is assisted by a state trooper who would love to love Kate, and local officers and citizens. When a link to a 1915 death is uncovered, things become personal. Running parallel to her work is a fight to keep her dead lover's son from being taken out of Alaska by his mother. The mom hates Kate and the boy has promised to run away (again) if his mother tries to move him elsewhere. Kate's friends conspire to keep the boy away from his mother.
Like others in the Kate Shugak series, Dana Stabenow paints good word pictures of Alaska's wilds and the relatives and friends who form Kate's extended family. It was engaging and entertaining and my favorite character in the series played a strong role. When you read the book, see if you can tell which character I mean.
