Cry Wolf

Alaska Untamed Mystery #2

by Lark O. Jensen

Perfect for fans of Paige Shelton, an Alaskan tour guide is bracing for winter when she realizes that the wolves aren’t the only predators on the prowl.

With boat tours off the coast of Alaska shut down for the winter, tour guide Stacie Calder is joining the dedicated team at the Juneau Wildlife World, a wild animal sanctuary.  Along with Sasha, her husky companion, she’s prepared to spend the long season in the scenic park. But not everyone is so chipper about the newcomers—least of all, Stacie’s new manager, Oliver Brownling. He constantly gives Stacie a hard time, specifically because she brought Sasha along with her. That is, until his mauled body is found in a remote part of the sanctuary containing wolves.

When it becomes clear that a human was responsible for the brutal murder, all eyes are on Stacie. Encouraged by her friend, Officer Liam Amaruq of the Alaskan State Troopers, Stacie is resolved to find the murderer but knows that her investigation will be difficult with the long suspect list she’s made. Did the sanctuary director plot to get rid of Oliver? Or maybe it was one of Oliver's coworkers, upset over a missed promotion? Stacie wonders about some of the newer employees, especially since Oliver’s personality made it easy to make enemies.

With the weather worsening, Stacie and Sasha are forced to stay at the sanctuary with the wolves—and her colleagues. As the storm gets worse, it’s clear that this killer has a taste for blood and may strike again. Will Stacie be able to find the murderer, or will the hunter become the hunted?

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

265 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 7, 2023

About the author

A pseudonym used by Linda O. Johnston

Lark O. Jensen, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer, has published 53 books so far, including mysteries and romantic novels. She has written several cozy mystery series including the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries and Superstition Mysteries for Midnight Ink, and the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mysteries and Pet Rescue Mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime.

She also writes romances for Harlequin, including Harlequin Romantic Suspense. Her latest release is Colton First Responder, for Harlequin Romantic Suspense.

Nearly all Lark's current stories involve dogs!

Reviews

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

As winter begins in Alaska, tour guide Stacie Calder switches from being a boat tour guide to working with the wildlife team at the wild animal sanctuary, Juneau Wildlife World. She has received special permission to have her Husky dog, Sasha accompany her in her tasks as long as she adheres to a set of rules created by the executive director of the sanctuary. The new manager, Oliver Brownling is not happy with the arrangement and makes it known every time he sees her. His complaints stopped when his mangled body was found in the wolf area of the sanctuary. But it wasn’t a wolf that killed the man, no that task was performed by a human, and the Alaska State Troopers have decided to focus on Stacie.

Stacie knows she needs to find other options for the authorities and even her boyfriend Officer Liam Amaruq agrees. It has to be someone who works at the sanctuary, and that the victim rubbed many people the wrong way, but who was pushed far enough to kill the man in such a brutal way? Will Stacie flush out the killer or will she be their next victim?

I had hoped to see more development of the characters from the first book, Bear Witness, in this book so I was surprised that Stacie was working another job. With the exception of just a few characters, the book introduced us to a bunch of new characters. Lettie, Stacie’s assistant on the boat tours is now volunteering at the animal sanctuary. Stacie’s relationship with Officer Liam Amaruq is struggling especially with her being a murder suspect. Stacy does know all about animals and had volunteered at the sanctuary in the past so her new job makes sense but I want to know all three of these characters better and all the supporting characters too.

The death of Oliver Brownling set up an interesting mystery with the suspect pool that included everyone who worked at the Juneau Wildlife World. Stacie really tried to investigate but her interviewing technique needs work. She made clear that she was investigating and when her first round of interviews yielded nada, she became like a bull in a china shop accusing everyone including the killer. It was no surprise she ended up in a horrendous situation but I was surprised by who it was with. Again, the author dropped clues at a slower pace and even held some back until we were in the thick of the reveal and that truly kept me guessing. The killer’s plan was diabolical and scary but the motive was not as deep as I had expected. Sometimes it doesn’t take much to push a person to murder.

The setting for this series is fantastic. I enjoyed the detailed descriptions the author provided about the sanctuary and its animals and the Alaskan weather too. There was a bit of repetition because of the nature of Stacie’s job of checking on the animals each day and the tracks through the woods. I was really drawn to the job of prepping and delivering the different foods for the animals in the cold winter months when they can’t forage for themselves. It is a huge job.

Cry Wolf was an enjoyable wildlife-themed story with characters I long to know better set in a beautiful place where conditions can be extreme. I am wondering what Ms. Jensen has planned for her characters next. Will Stacie still be working at the sanctuary? or will she be back doing boat tours? or will Stacie be off on a new adventure? I am excited to find out.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alaska Untamed Mystery series is a cozy mystery series whose protagonist, Stacie Calder, is a naturalist. In the summer she leads tours aboard boats, but in the winter, she works at Juneau Wildlife World, a wild animal sanctuary, with Sasha, her husky companion. This season there is a new manager, Oliver Brownling, who seems to have issues with everyone and everything. He is not happy to have Sasha in the sanctuary, nor is he happy that Stacie seems to take chances with the animals, at least in his mind. When his mauled body is found in a remote part of the sanctuary containing wolves, Stacie is sure it was not from the wolves. Once it is revealed that it was a manmade wound, Stacie becomes a suspect as everyone witnessed her arguments with Oliver. She begins her own investigation as she is sure someone working in the animal sanctuary is guilty. Once the weather worsens and a storm moves in, Stacie and Sasha have to stay at the sanctuary, maybe with a killer.

I really enjoy the setting of this book and the occupation of the protagonist. Learning about Alaska and the animals is a bonus for me. Stacie is a smart character, using her knowledge about the animals and her instincts to solve the crime. With Sasha by her side, she is safer than being alone, which is needed. Although some of the story was repetitive, I enjoyed the mystery and trying to sort out all the clues. This book had a totally new cast of secondary characters with the new season and job, and I enjoyed getting to know them. If you enjoy armchair travel, learning about the outdoors and the animals, all mixed in with a mystery and likable characters, then pick up Cry Wolf or Bear Witness, the first book in this series. I did a read/listen with this book and enjoyed the narration by Suzie Althens. She gives voice to Stacie and the other characters adding enjoyment to the story.

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to say it but I found this book boring. Most of the book is repetitive, same location, same actions which have nothing to do with investigating. Mostly it talks about observing the wildlife. #CryWolf #NetGalley

[Jacqui · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Lark Jensen's Cry Wolf (2023 Crooked Lane Books), #2 in the Alaska Untamed Mystery, Stacie Calder and her husky Sasha are again called to solve a murder in the Alaskan wilds. She’s a Juneau Wildlife World naturalist who looks after the health and safety of the wildlife in this Alaskan sanctuary and she's an amateur sleuth--the rare person not afraid to ask difficult questions and go where most of us don't want to go. When a new  manager at Juneau Wildlife World is murdered, Stacie becomes the main suspect because the man had insulted her dog Sasha often, seemed to threaten Stacie's job that included the presence of her  husky. Stacie had pushed back on the insult, defending her dog, so when the manager is killed, she realizes she will be suspected. As a result, she starts asking around to see who else might have had a big enough grudge against the man to kill him. As she follows the clues, we explore the glorious Alaskan wilderness and all it offers man and animal.

I enjoyed the story though the dialogue was a bit stilted and the plot slow and plodding. Plus there were too many mundane details that made me want to rush past them. I was easily 80% into the book before I recognized the first real clue. Overall, I’d call the book good not great. Still, I'd recommend it for lovers of the Alaskan wilderness who don't want that imagery interrupted by riveting plot and addictive characters.

[Laura Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know this was tagged as a cozy mystery, but I felt it was more of a straight up mystery. Some situations didn’t feel as light as they would be in a cozy. That being said, I did enjoy the mystery. I liked the idea of Stacie. She’s a tour guide in Alaska. When the tours shut down for the winter, she opted to sign on with a wild animal sanctuary. She’d volunteered there before so she knew quite a bit about what was required. What she wasn’t expecting was landing on the suspect list when the manager she’d butted heads with was found dead. At first glance it looked like the native wolf population as culprits but quickly turned to a human killer.

I enjoy stories with amateur sleuths. Hence my love for cozies. This is where I struggled with the book. Stacie was so confrontational. Going around accusing people of the murder. Sure, she wanted her name cleared, but you’d think she’d realize that puts her in the killer’s path. Other than that, I had fun with my own list of suspects. As for who the killer was, I got it wrong. No worries though. I still had fun.

I received a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.

[Paromjit · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first taste of Lark O. Jensen's Alaskan series featuring tour guide Stacie Calder, who is joining the wild animal sanctuary, Juneau Wildlife World team for winter primarily observing and documenting the animals she sees. I chose this because of the location and I listened to it on audio, 8 hours and 15 minutes long, narrated by Suzie Althens, I did not really click with her narration, but she did manage to keep me listening till the end. I think she was a 3 star narrator, but it could be said she was not best served by underdeveloped characters, and poor and stilted writing that struggled to hold my attention. Stacie has a beloved husky, Sasha, and is involved in a friendship with benefits with good looking Alaskan State Trooper, Liam Amaruq.

Stacie's troubles begin with new manager, Oliver Brownling, when she first meets him, he takes an instant dislike to Sasha, telling her she should not have the dog in the sanctuary. He is not happy that she has permission to have Sasha accompany her, subject to conditions that she adheres to. However, matters take a serious turn when Oliver's mutilated mauled body is discovered, in a killing that at first appears to have been carried out by a wolf. Closer examination reveals that this is a misdirection, Oliver has been murdered by a human, and Stacie becomes the prime suspect. She feels driven to begin her own investigation in an effort to clear her name.

Almost everyone is a suspect, but her conversations with them fail to bring her closer to the killer, so she takes to using the strategy of accusing a number of suspects of being the murderer, which had me rolling my eyes. As you might have gathered this is not a book I enjoyed, there was a high level of repetition, and the storytelling and characters were not to my liking. I would have preferred more depth all round, and the location alone was insufficient in holding my interest. I imagine that there are readers who will enjoy this, feel free to read other reviews before deciding whether to read or listen to this. Many thanks to Netgalley for an ALC.

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I sincerely thought I was the target audience for this book, but I was not. Despite not having read the first book in the series, I didn't feel like I was missing a huge amount of backstory because the characters were flat and generic. Initially, I was excited about a wildlife sanctuary in Alaska as the setting, imagining I'd find out about running a sanctuary and the wildlife it housed, but there was no information. The employees were tasked with writing daily reports, though we knew nothing about what was included. They also observed moose, wolves, mountain goats, and more, but we learned nothing about them at all. However, we were told all the groceries she bought at the store and what she got from the vending machine for lunch, among other strange, extraneous information. But did we even learn what the wildlife ate, since food prep was such a huge topic of the story? Nope. It was as if the author was talking down to us, telling us what she thought we could handle, which wasn't much. Likely it was just a case of no research being done at all, and she had no actual information to impart, which was a shame and a huge missed opportunity.

Stacie was an annoying character, actively trying to piss off all her colleagues, knowing full well she was trapped with them, and one was a killer. One can make observations without alienating oneself, but apparently, she could not. If everyone doesn't hate her for her nonsense in the next book, it will be even less plausible than it already is. And it sure would've been nice if people thought more instead of talking because the dialog was so awkward and stilted, as in the very definition of stilted. Is the author real, or was this generated by AI?

Like I said, as a discerning reader, I was not the intended audience, but I've read many cozies between more hard-core literature that were all charming, character-driven, empathetic stories, and this was not.

2 starts because I made it through the book and vaguely was interested in the resolution.

[boogleloo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outdoorsy Cozy Mystery in which an Alaskan boat tour guide and naturalist with her Husky dog turns sleuth when her wild animal sanctuary manager is found dead.

5/5 stars: This is the second entry in Jensen's Alaska Untamed Mystery series and it doesn't disappoint. Jensen has not only written incredibly likable characters but enjoy reading the progression of Stacie's relationship with her Alaskan State Trooper boyfriend, Liam, and how they dealt with conflict. Additionally, it was interesting meeting a whole new cast of folks with the introduction of Stacie's winter job at the wild animal sanctuary. I love the unique Outdoorsy / Tourism themes that are tackled in this series and really appreciate how vividly Jensen brings the Alaskan landscape and atmosphere to life. The descriptions of the various animals, especially the wolves, are fantastic and speaking of animals, one can't forget to mention Stacie's awesome Husky dog, Sasha. So adorable. Most importantly, Jensen's mystery perfectly balances the clues, red herrings and suspects and will leave you guessing the whodunit until the final reveal. To start this series at the beginning, pick up book one, Bear Witness.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

[Debra Gaynor · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cry Wolf
Lark O. Jensen
The setting of this book is Juneau, Alaska, early winter. The main character is Stacie Calder, during the summer she does boat tours but with winter coming on she is working at the Juneau Wildlife World. Stacie is a naturalist who looks after the health and safety of wildlife, and she is an amateur investigator. She has special permission to bring her dog, Sasha, a husky, with her to the wildlife sanctuary. A new manager, Oliver Brownling does not want Sasha on the property. He constantly complains about Sasha. He is a difficult person to get along with.
His body is found in a remote part of the sanctuary where the wolves are located. Although his body is clawed and mauled it is obvious that he was murdered by a human. Due to the friction between Oliver and Stacie she is the main suspect. Stacie is determined to discover who murdered Oliver Brownling. Alaskan State Trooper encourages her but also warns her that it will be difficult for her to investigate since she in the main suspect.
I did not care for this book. This is the first book in this series that I have read/listened to. I do not know about the previous books but this one did nothing for me. The dialogue was stiff and artificial. The plot is dull and lacks depth. If I wanted to read a book about wildlife, I would have picked a wildlife book. This was supposed to be a mystery. I am sure there are other readers that will enjoy this book but it wasn’t for me.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. My reviews are my unbiased opinions.

[Jan Fore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cry Wolf
Lark O. Jensen
November 07, 2023

Stacie Calder is a professional naturalist. She spends her spring, summer and early fall as a tour guide for ClemTours on one of their tourist boats. She gives the passengers a live view of the wildlife and areas of Alaska from an ocean view. She’s decided she wants to find winter employment but would rather be outdoors helping wildlife in the Alaskan wilderness. Her interview with the director of Juneau Wildlife World went well. As a new hiree, she’ll report to work soon to learn the responsibilities and meet the staff. She has volunteered at the sanctuary in the past so she is aware of the needs to observe and help the animals who reside near there. She tells the story of her thoughts and beginnings with the staff to introduce the riddle that follows into Jensen’s plot. She brings the suspense into the path of knowledge she gives the reader.
Cry Wolf will be published on November 07, 2023 by Penguin Random House Publishers. I was able to read and review Lark O. Jensen’s latest in the An Alaskan Untamed series via NetGalley. She pulls a lot of documentation and interesting facts along with the killing of one of the staff at the preserve. As an Alaskan Suspense reader I always find it interesting to learn about the landscape and local facts. Stacie and her buddy, a Husky named Sasha, explore together. It becomes an eerie fictional documentary that is really fascinating. Do enjoy this one.

[Jan Fore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cry Wolf
Lark O. Jensen
November 07, 2023

Stacie Calder is a professional naturalist. She spends her spring, summer and early fall as a tour guide for ClemTours on one of their tourist boats. She gives the passengers a live view of the wildlife and areas of Alaska from an ocean view. She’s decided she wants to find winter employment but would rather be outdoors helping wildlife in the Alaskan wilderness. Her interview with the director of Juneau Wildlife World went well. As a new hiree, she’ll report to work soon to learn the responsibilities and meet the staff. She has volunteered at the sanctuary in the past so she is aware of the needs to observe and help the animals who reside near there. She tells the story of her thoughts and beginnings with the staff to introduce the riddle that follows into Jensen’s plot. She brings the suspense into the path of knowledge she gives the reader.
Cry Wolf will be published on November 07, 2023 by Penguin Random House Publishers. I was able to read and review Lark O. Jensen’s latest in the An Alaskan Untamed series via NetGalley. She pulls a lot of documentation and interesting facts along with the killing of one of the staff at the preserve. As an Alaskan Suspense reader I always find it interesting to learn about the landscape and local facts. Stacie and her buddy, a Husky named Sasha, explore together. It becomes an eerie fictional documentary that is really fascinating. Do enjoy this one.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t very impressed with book 1 in this series, but I decided to give the second book a try. This book has different issues from the the first but it isn’t an improvement.
The plot is slow and plodding. The conversations are stilted.
I struggle with the placing this in the cozy mystery genre because of the casual sexual relationship between Stacie and Liam that is constantly mentioned from the first page. It’s not like readers don’t know that sex happens, but part of what draws me to cozy mysteries is the lack of bad language, sexual situations and lack of gritty descriptions.
The mystery is an interesting one. The way Stacie investigates kind of put me off. I realize she doesn’t want to be a suspect but the confrontation that occurs with the killer came about because she actively accused people and then pretended she knew what the detectives were planning.
The narrator was fairly good. Although, the narrator may have contributed to the feeling that Stacie was uptight and sanctimonious.
I wouldn’t recommend this book.
Thanks to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to read this book.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the first book in this series but this one was an absolute disappointment. It didn't have the Alaska feel of the first one (and suggesting that those who like Paige Shelton's Alaska Wild series would like this series is a stretch. There is no comparison. Alaska Wild is one of the best mystery series set in Alaska) Also, I don't remember the first book being so amateurishly written. The use of the phrase "of course" so many times in the book started to become a distraction and was totally unneeded in order to point out the thoughts and actions of the character. I am a huge animal lover but the insistence that the main character only go places where her dog was allowed really limits the story.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The new manager was a real toad and had poor interpersonal skills, but that didn't seem to be enough to murder him. But someone did and Stacie is in the frame. Add in an injured wolf, the usual workplace issues and a faltering relationship to make this a fair whodunit. There are lots of teaching moment that I loved, but I don't really favor the stream of consciousness method.
I guess that I am disappointed because I really loved the first in series.
I requested and received an EARC from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

[Jeanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

The basic plot was decent, but the writing was stilted. The author went overboard on adjectives. The dog was always "my wonderful dog" or "my awesome dog' and so on. The MC regularly pointed out that she fed the dog "healthy kibble" Another bit of writing that got on my nerves was when the boyfriend spent the night. An author who wanted to make it spicy would put some description in. An author who didn't want any spice could just leave it at he spent the night. Instead we get the boyfriend spent the night and "we had fun".

[Mary C · Rating 2 out of 5]

With boat tours shut down for the winter, Stacie Calder, along with her husky Sasha, goes to work for a wild animal sanctuary in Juneau. When the new manager is found murdered, Stacie is suspected due to the argument she had with him. As the weather worsens and Stacie and Sasha are staying at the sanctuary, she begins to question all her coworkers to try to uncover who wanted Oliver dead.

#CryWolf#NetGalley

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Alaska based cozy series has a lot of potential but is hampered by writing that could use another polish. Stacey, a naturalist, and her husky Sasha once again find themselves investigating a murder, a murder that someone would like to pin on Stacey. It's classic cozy territory and I continue to have high hopes that Jensen will make better use of the Alaska setting but, alas. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fast read that might entertain.

[April Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books set in Alaska, so I listened to both of the books in this series. I enjoyed the basic story. I would enjoy the books more if the main character spent less time overthinking. It starts to get annoying when she spends so much time telling us all what she is thinking. More dialogue with other people would be welcome. I enjoy cozies because we have an opportunity to get to meet more characters in the community where they are set.

[Desiree ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it hard to believe that Stacie’s dog, Sasha, didn’t alert to the killer earlier on in the plot - it describes how sensitive Sasha’s sense of smell is, her protectiveness, but in between the murder discovery, and the murderer confrontation, the only clue Stacie picked up from her dog was taking her for walks and feeding her from the table.

Repetitive words, paragraphs and activities, I found myself skipping entire pages out of boredom to get to the next plot line.

[Marci Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A naturing loving mystery solver with an awesome dog, what's NOT to love? I read the 1st book in the series to get ready for this ARC and I am glad I did! I love the relationship brewing between Stacie and Liam, I am rooting for them to work out!! I can't wait to see what Stacie and her pup get up to in the next installment!

#CryWolf
#NetGalley

[Jenn Scaglione · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second in the series but was a great read. This is also one for those who like a storyline involving an Alaskan tour guide. This also involves and unlikely band of characters like some wolves. If you like a good mystery w dogs and interesting details this one is for you.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read the first book in the Alaska Untamed series, Bear Witness, by author Lark O. Jensen, I wanted to see the direction the second book, Cry Wolf, would take.

This series follows Stacie and her husky, Sasha. Winter is quickly approaching in Alaska, and the tour boat company she works for is closing down for the season. Stacie takes a seasonal job at the Juneau Wildlife World, where she had volunteered previously. While the director of the refuge is perfectly fine with Stacie’s dog hanging around, one of the new managers is not. When that manager is found dead, Stacie is a prime suspect and decides to don her sleuth cap to prove her innocence.

While I enjoyed the plot and mystery, some world-building and details got lost in the mundane to me. I didn’t feel we needed to know as much about Stacie’s routines or how often people pet Sasha. Having said that, it certainly wasn’t a deal breaker. I enjoyed Stacie actively trying to solve the murder, and the resolution was satisfying.

With a solid story and likable characters, Cry Wolf delivered a satisfying mystery for wildlife or Alaska-loving cozy readers.

[Suzy]

I really wanted to like this book. I love books set in Alaska and I love dogs. I listened to the audiobook and the dialogue was stilted. The main character talked about her Husky dog like it didn't belong outdoors and got cold easy. Interesting idea and interesting setting, but it just didn't flow.

[Kathryn Zweigenbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was a nice quick read. I enjoyed reading about Stacie's observations of wildlife in Alaska. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen as Stacie investigated the murder. It was a page turner. I can't wait to read more of her adventures with her dog Sasha.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea but the character development needed work. The conversations were stilted and uncomfortable.

[Harlequin Books]

Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
An Alaska Untamed Mystery

[Harlequin Books]

Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
An Alaska Untamed Mystery

[PottWab Regional Library]

A

[Ian Abram · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like a 3.5 stars

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

CRY WOLF has the potential to be a really great mystery, but it’s bogged down by flat and rambling writing, uninteresting characters, and a romance that is the opposite of sizzling. While I appreciated finally figuring out what happened to Stacie’s boss and who was responsible for his murder, the path we took to get there was long, windy, boring, and didn’t make a lot of sense. Plus, the setting of the book is Alaska and I would have loved more descriptive imagery of the location and the wildlife.

Again, the potential for a great story is there, but the author takes the story on various tangents and offers lots of details for things that just aren’t pertinent to the story. This book is #2 in a series, and I haven’t read the first one, but you don’t have to in order to follow the story. Ultimately, it wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t great either.