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Anna Pigeon #12
High Country
A New York Times Bestselling Author It's fall in the Sierra Mountains, and Anna Pigeon is slinging hash in Yosemite National Park's historic Ahwahnee Hotel. Four young seasonal park employees have disappeared, and crack search-and-rescue teams failed to turn up a single clue. Working undercover, Anna is detailed to dining-room duty; after a week of waiting tables, she knows the missing employees are only the first indications of a sickness threatening the park.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
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About the author
Nevada Barr
66 books2,292 followersNevada Barr is a mystery fiction author, known for her "Anna Pigeon" series of mysteries, set in National Parks in the United States. Barr has won an Agatha Award for best first novel for Track of the Cat.
Barr was named after the state of her birth. She grew up in Johnstonville, California. She finished college at the University of California, Irvine. Originally, Barr started to pursue a career in theatre, but decided to be a park ranger. In 1984 she published her first novel, Bittersweet, a bleak lesbian historical novel set in the days of the Western frontier.
While working in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Barr created the Anna Pigeon series. Pigeon is a law enforcement officer with the United States National Park Service. Each book in the series takes place in a different National Park, where Pigeon solves a murder mystery, often related to natural resource issues. She is a satirical, witty woman whose icy exterior is broken down in each book by a hunky male to whom she is attracted (such as Rogelio).
Currently, Ms. Barr lives in New Orleans, LA.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/nevada...
Barr was named after the state of her birth. She grew up in Johnstonville, California. She finished college at the University of California, Irvine. Originally, Barr started to pursue a career in theatre, but decided to be a park ranger. In 1984 she published her first novel, Bittersweet, a bleak lesbian historical novel set in the days of the Western frontier.
While working in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Barr created the Anna Pigeon series. Pigeon is a law enforcement officer with the United States National Park Service. Each book in the series takes place in a different National Park, where Pigeon solves a murder mystery, often related to natural resource issues. She is a satirical, witty woman whose icy exterior is broken down in each book by a hunky male to whom she is attracted (such as Rogelio).
Currently, Ms. Barr lives in New Orleans, LA.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/nevada...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 546 reviews
September 13, 2018
I have been into these Anna Pigeon novels from the start. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... She’s a smart and resourceful National Park Ranger who author Barr has moving from one USA National Park to another with each book.
This book finds her in Yosemite National Park and I liked the premise that Pigeon can’t use most of her ranger skill set because she is stuck as an undercover waitress trying to see whether foul play was involved with the disappearance of four people (including another waitress) in the recent past. Barr finds ways to make this assignment interesting while giving us readers some of the “behind the curtain” details of how this part of a park operation is run.
Anna is separated from her “committed relationship” and she is finding that her co-workers are often 20 to 30 years younger than her. This creates some good tension as she tries to find ways to bond with people that she wouldn’t otherwise. As the plot rolls out we get some nice details (per usual) about what makes this park the attraction it is. As the story progresses we (along with Anna) get some clues about what those disappearances are really about. That’s why it is really disappointing when Anna, not only goes “rogue,” but goes against her training in setting up a likely confrontation with the criminal element for which she is not in the slightest prepared. We can see it coming; why can’t she?
With the encounter comes Anna’s resourcefulness and fortitude, but it is just the baseless situation itself that rings false. Because the reader isn’t given a good reason why Anna didn’t do things in the manner that she was trained, it tends to spoil all that comes after. If you can ignore that, you will enjoy Barr’s descriptions of Yosemite in the cold season and her ability to become almost poetic as when she writes that two people are linked by one’s cigarette smoke on a winter’s night like some weird ectoplasm.
The peak of the action comes just after the middle of the book. Then Barr slips the story back to mystery from thriller. I cannot get over the big disconnect, so 2.5 would be generous.
This book finds her in Yosemite National Park and I liked the premise that Pigeon can’t use most of her ranger skill set because she is stuck as an undercover waitress trying to see whether foul play was involved with the disappearance of four people (including another waitress) in the recent past. Barr finds ways to make this assignment interesting while giving us readers some of the “behind the curtain” details of how this part of a park operation is run.
Anna is separated from her “committed relationship” and she is finding that her co-workers are often 20 to 30 years younger than her. This creates some good tension as she tries to find ways to bond with people that she wouldn’t otherwise. As the plot rolls out we get some nice details (per usual) about what makes this park the attraction it is. As the story progresses we (along with Anna) get some clues about what those disappearances are really about. That’s why it is really disappointing when Anna, not only goes “rogue,” but goes against her training in setting up a likely confrontation with the criminal element for which she is not in the slightest prepared. We can see it coming; why can’t she?
With the encounter comes Anna’s resourcefulness and fortitude, but it is just the baseless situation itself that rings false. Because the reader isn’t given a good reason why Anna didn’t do things in the manner that she was trained, it tends to spoil all that comes after. If you can ignore that, you will enjoy Barr’s descriptions of Yosemite in the cold season and her ability to become almost poetic as when she writes that two people are linked by one’s cigarette smoke on a winter’s night like some weird ectoplasm.
The peak of the action comes just after the middle of the book. Then Barr slips the story back to mystery from thriller. I cannot get over the big disconnect, so 2.5 would be generous.
July 18, 2012
First of all, I want to say that the Anna Pidgeon mystery series is stellar and I absolutely love it. I eagerly await every book and would recommend it to anyone.
That being said, there was one glaringly obvious flaw in this book, that I just had to point it out. --(Minor Spoiler References below)--
Anna is supposed to be a law enforcement agent. With her training, and after all her previous exploits in which she is physically harmed, why did she not inform someone of where she was going to be before she went on a 24 mile hike during the winter in one of the most harsh environments?? If someone couldn't have accompanied her, she should, at the least, have called in and let one of the other rangers know where she was going!
Also, at the end, when she was walking everywhere, didn't it occur to her that there was a disfigured, partially burned murderer out there who might still want her dead? Yet she continues to be out in the middle of nowhere, in the dark, where even someone who didn't have law enforcement training, and criminals after her, wouldn't dare to walk.
Anyway, I just had to get that off my chest. Other than that, this is an excellent series, well worth reading. I just wish Anna would get a bit more sense . . . .
That being said, there was one glaringly obvious flaw in this book, that I just had to point it out. --(Minor Spoiler References below)--
Anna is supposed to be a law enforcement agent. With her training, and after all her previous exploits in which she is physically harmed, why did she not inform someone of where she was going to be before she went on a 24 mile hike during the winter in one of the most harsh environments?? If someone couldn't have accompanied her, she should, at the least, have called in and let one of the other rangers know where she was going!
Also, at the end, when she was walking everywhere, didn't it occur to her that there was a disfigured, partially burned murderer out there who might still want her dead? Yet she continues to be out in the middle of nowhere, in the dark, where even someone who didn't have law enforcement training, and criminals after her, wouldn't dare to walk.
Anyway, I just had to get that off my chest. Other than that, this is an excellent series, well worth reading. I just wish Anna would get a bit more sense . . . .
October 28, 2023
Another fun read in this consistently entertaining series set in the US National Park system. This one takes place in Yosemite, a park of nearly 1,200 square miles in California’s Sierra Madre mountains. It is 95% wIlderness, but also offers luxury accommodations and dining. Both of these elements feature in the plot.
As always, Barr’s description of the park reminds us of how lucky we in the US are to have these parks. But she also takes pains to point out that a location of breathtaking beauty on a day when the weather is dry and clear can be unpleasant and actually menacing under other conditions.
Barbara Rosenblat is the ideal narrator to convey Anna’s wisecracking attitude, love of nature, and determination to get the bad guys.
As always, Barr’s description of the park reminds us of how lucky we in the US are to have these parks. But she also takes pains to point out that a location of breathtaking beauty on a day when the weather is dry and clear can be unpleasant and actually menacing under other conditions.
Barbara Rosenblat is the ideal narrator to convey Anna’s wisecracking attitude, love of nature, and determination to get the bad guys.
July 20, 2011
Damn Nevada Barr for writing books I can't put down so I don't get enough sleep. I should know better than to start one of her novels in the evening. Nevada Barr is one of those people who write so well I find myself slowing down to make sure I capture every word. It's kind of necessary as her prose isn't the light and simple fiction one finds in the average mystery novel. High country is tight, fast-paced, interesting and full of content. While that last may be an odd description, I'm tired of mysteries that use a lot of pointless banter or heroine in grave peril for no discernible reason just to fill out the pages. As she's gotten older, she's gotten more opinionated and I expect more conservative. :( But the writing is so good, I'll forgive her defense of profiling this once (I'd like to remind her that the second largest terrorist attack on American soil was perpetrated by a white Christian American).
Her opinions did bother me twice in this novel but both were only a couple of sentences long and moderately applicable as well as being appropriate for the character to feel. (Unlike Dana Stabenow who, while a good writer, is judgmental on really silly things. Her main character has proclaimed that a woman who doesn't provide her child a light on the nightstand to read by is a bad mother and clearly doesn't respect herself if she doesn't make her bed. Men on a week-long backwoods hunting trip carrying in backpacks by float plane don't care about their families if they don't also bring framed photographs of their loved ones. Who takes a framed photo camping? I don't even take them to a hotel. But I digress.)
I like Anna because she's a little of a curmudgeon but she knows it and it fits with the character. She doesn't expect people to like her much but she knows there's a reason. She's a real, 3-dimensional character. What's more, she's in law enforcement and acts like it.
If you like mystery thrillers and the wilderness, I think you'll love Nevada Barr.
Her opinions did bother me twice in this novel but both were only a couple of sentences long and moderately applicable as well as being appropriate for the character to feel. (Unlike Dana Stabenow who, while a good writer, is judgmental on really silly things. Her main character has proclaimed that a woman who doesn't provide her child a light on the nightstand to read by is a bad mother and clearly doesn't respect herself if she doesn't make her bed. Men on a week-long backwoods hunting trip carrying in backpacks by float plane don't care about their families if they don't also bring framed photographs of their loved ones. Who takes a framed photo camping? I don't even take them to a hotel. But I digress.)
I like Anna because she's a little of a curmudgeon but she knows it and it fits with the character. She doesn't expect people to like her much but she knows there's a reason. She's a real, 3-dimensional character. What's more, she's in law enforcement and acts like it.
If you like mystery thrillers and the wilderness, I think you'll love Nevada Barr.
January 23, 2014
This mystery novel's heroine is Anna Pigeon, an undercover park ranger. She is working as a waitress in the hopes of discovering what happened to four missing people. The poor lady is beat up several times, left on her own by her supervisors, and deemed to be a "poor" waitress which seems to hurt her self-esteem. Maybe the real reason is that hits too close to home as she isn't that great of a detective - she doesn't "solve" the mystery as much as just get the solution handed to her.
Anna is a professional involved in the national park system but doesn't leave word of where she might be going when she hikes into "danger." Not sure who might be the killers, she has no trouble walking around alone - but more importantly - while not paying attention to her surroundings so she can be run off the road. She needed (or the writer wanted) breaks in the story so she could rehash what had been learned. This became very tedious, causing the reader to mentally wonder off. This device was probably warranted as Anna seemed to have trouble remembering she has a "significant other" waiting for her - thus it isn't much of a stretch to believe she can't remember the clues she has so far.
Instead of any real detective work, the author uses the chance discovery and the villain's desire to spill it all.
The "mystery" is solved three-fourths of the way through the book, leaving the reader to wait for the wrap-up that will eventually come.
There are some spots with confusing sentence structure which is jarring - causing the reader to leave the story in an attempt to understand what the writer is trying to say.
Anna is a professional involved in the national park system but doesn't leave word of where she might be going when she hikes into "danger." Not sure who might be the killers, she has no trouble walking around alone - but more importantly - while not paying attention to her surroundings so she can be run off the road. She needed (or the writer wanted) breaks in the story so she could rehash what had been learned. This became very tedious, causing the reader to mentally wonder off. This device was probably warranted as Anna seemed to have trouble remembering she has a "significant other" waiting for her - thus it isn't much of a stretch to believe she can't remember the clues she has so far.
Instead of any real detective work, the author uses the chance discovery and the villain's desire to spill it all.
The "mystery" is solved three-fourths of the way through the book, leaving the reader to wait for the wrap-up that will eventually come.
There are some spots with confusing sentence structure which is jarring - causing the reader to leave the story in an attempt to understand what the writer is trying to say.
July 30, 2014
Filled with annoying, drugged-out teen girls and Barr's usual horrible writing. I'm giving it two stars because it didn't have typos like the last one (maybe they were cleaned up from the hardcover edition?) and because there were outdoor scenes in a snowy wilderness requiring survival skills. Yes, superhuman survival skills; any normal person would be dead of hypothermia and blood loss after a night walking around in winter in Yosemite wearing a turtleneck and a fleece on a cracked ankle and a gunshot wound.
Also you're not supposed to drink from mountain streams, which often contain giardia and give you giardiasis. Maybe if you already have a cracked ankle and a gunshot wound you don't care about a severe diarrheal infection, though.
Also a not very realistic scene where the hot guy, who is ten years younger than Anna, who is approaching fifty, wants to sleep with her even though her face is all bruised. Mm hmm. And she almost does, even though she has just gotten engaged to her fiance who is petsitting back in Mississippi for her. But then she is given a note from the fiance, which reminds her that she is engaged. Sure.
I wouldn't mind all the non-realism if Barr would just write better.
March 8, 2020
Anna Pigeon goes undercover as a waitress in Yosemite National Park to find what happened to three hikers. She must spend time getting to know the various persons in the park, and "being chummy" is not one of her strengths. She does manage to forge some trust, but most people think she's a company spy of sorts. Adding to the confusion, the chief ranger is called away during Anna's investigation, and she does not know who was named acting chief. This causes her to do some "lone wolf" adventures when she should have reported her intentions. This installment of the Anna Pigeon series works well as an audio book. The mounting threats and tension keeps one listening. I figured out part of the final solution, but the author created one twist I did not expect. I'm glad I decided to pick this series back up where I left off. (3.5 stars)
July 15, 2016
3.5 stars
I find the Anna Pigeon crime/mystery/suspense novels as reading comfort food. They are well written and predictably good. Anna Pigeon is this kick-ass crime solving national park ranger. Even though this is a series, I find no problem reading them as stand-alone books.
I listened to the audio version of this book and narrator did an adequate job in reading this book. The narration was not bad and not exceptionally good either.
In this book, Anna is undercover in Yosemite National Park trying to track down why four young hikers mysteriously disappeared in the Yosemite back country. Anna's cover is working as a waitress in the restaurant of one the Yosemite Valley lodges. The timing in the story is in the winter. So, as in many suspense novels, the winter season casts a dark and ominous backdrop to the story. The characters besides Anna are not always strongly developed so they are more stereotypical in their roles in the story. This however is not necessarily a bad thing.
The main attraction is the plot and the twists and turns through the story. In this particular story, some of the twist and turns are not as good as they could be. Other parts of the plot twists are really good. The writing, I think, is good and the dialog well crafted. We see the story through Anna's eyes so we go through her mental processes as she reflects on the situations and problem solving the mystery. There are parts of the book that are quite suspenseful that manage to get me and keep me hooked.
Besides the crime/suspense aspects, Anna is a lover of the outdoors and has deep respect for Nature and its creatures. Her job allows her to get out explore the different National Parks. She portrays some of the "culture" as a part of the story. For example, Yosemite is a mecca for rock climbers who see its majestic cliff walls as a challenge as well as a scenic wonder. I like this feature about this book and the other books in this series by Nevada Barr.
The Anna Pigeon mystery books are good solid crime/suspense reads that don't run too long and keep me engaged.
I find the Anna Pigeon crime/mystery/suspense novels as reading comfort food. They are well written and predictably good. Anna Pigeon is this kick-ass crime solving national park ranger. Even though this is a series, I find no problem reading them as stand-alone books.
I listened to the audio version of this book and narrator did an adequate job in reading this book. The narration was not bad and not exceptionally good either.
In this book, Anna is undercover in Yosemite National Park trying to track down why four young hikers mysteriously disappeared in the Yosemite back country. Anna's cover is working as a waitress in the restaurant of one the Yosemite Valley lodges. The timing in the story is in the winter. So, as in many suspense novels, the winter season casts a dark and ominous backdrop to the story. The characters besides Anna are not always strongly developed so they are more stereotypical in their roles in the story. This however is not necessarily a bad thing.
The main attraction is the plot and the twists and turns through the story. In this particular story, some of the twist and turns are not as good as they could be. Other parts of the plot twists are really good. The writing, I think, is good and the dialog well crafted. We see the story through Anna's eyes so we go through her mental processes as she reflects on the situations and problem solving the mystery. There are parts of the book that are quite suspenseful that manage to get me and keep me hooked.
Besides the crime/suspense aspects, Anna is a lover of the outdoors and has deep respect for Nature and its creatures. Her job allows her to get out explore the different National Parks. She portrays some of the "culture" as a part of the story. For example, Yosemite is a mecca for rock climbers who see its majestic cliff walls as a challenge as well as a scenic wonder. I like this feature about this book and the other books in this series by Nevada Barr.
The Anna Pigeon mystery books are good solid crime/suspense reads that don't run too long and keep me engaged.
November 7, 2017
This one came out like a D grade R rated movie that may or may not have gone straight to video. At least that is how it reads. It's pacing was slow, way too many characters at first, highly improbable plot with conspiracy like elements, and lots of crude language (her character Anna thinks that if one of the bad guys couldn't say fuck anymore his vocabulary would go down to only a third (1/3) and that is how this whole book goes. Without the word fuck or damn or shit this book would be reduced by 1/3) that Mrs. Barr has never used in any of her previous books which throws the whole thing off kilter and is very off-putting.
All told I might not have finished this if it wasn't for my OCD like mentality that I have to finish what I started or else. I see a pattern lately too of misogynistic men as the bad guys or at least a few as suspects in recent books. I know that they are out there but this/that many in a small area or time frame...not cool, irritating and boring to reread constantly. Mrs. Barr needs to read up on HIV and AIDS, it's one virus, not two and in 2004 it's not just gay actors who get it or drug users and also at this time it's not instantly fatal to whoever contracts it. And just because you have it does not mean you become reckless because you have no reason to live since you are dying anyway! It's offensive and appalling! The last chapter is almost complete gay bashing and 100% stereotyping.
All told I might not have finished this if it wasn't for my OCD like mentality that I have to finish what I started or else. I see a pattern lately too of misogynistic men as the bad guys or at least a few as suspects in recent books. I know that they are out there but this/that many in a small area or time frame...not cool, irritating and boring to reread constantly. Mrs. Barr needs to read up on HIV and AIDS, it's one virus, not two and in 2004 it's not just gay actors who get it or drug users and also at this time it's not instantly fatal to whoever contracts it. And just because you have it does not mean you become reckless because you have no reason to live since you are dying anyway! It's offensive and appalling! The last chapter is almost complete gay bashing and 100% stereotyping.
August 30, 2016
This was a wonderful story on audio cassette that I listened to en route to my daughter's house. It was exciting, realistic and it showed Anna, the Park Ranger as resourceful, smart and tough. She was posing as a waitress to ferret out information for two people who'd disappeared in Yosemite. She goes into the park alone (not a great idea) and encounters much more than information. Also, more is going on at the restaurant that is affecting Anna. A great read.
March 16, 2025
Started off a bit slow for my taste, however the "action" portion that followed kept me glued to the page. The actual mystery wasn't that interesting to me but I liked the characters and dialog.
December 22, 2025
I found this book on my parents bookshelf and was immediately drawn to the story as I've been to Yosemite several times but not in the winter season. It started off a bit slow as Barr was establishing the setting and characters but I could not put it down today as the suspense picked up.
November 30, 2007
I've said it before, and I'll repeat it here, I'm generally not a fan of the mystery fiction genre. I've read a few of the Nevada Barr/Anna Pigeon mysteries simply because I am a fan of our National Parks, and I liked the idea of using the Parks for literary series'. The fact that Nevada Barr is also a true National Park Ranger has made it more interesting.
I am also not in the habit of listening to a book rather than reading one, but because I knew I was going to be driving a good distance several days in a row, I quickly rushed to my library to look for a book on CD that I thought I might enjoy.
This has been my least favorite of the books I have "read" by Barr. I immediately sensed the "red herrings" and was sure I knew who was behind the trouble (I was right). The fact that drugs played a key role in the plot was a real disappointment. Didn't drugs figure in to another of her books? I believe so.
I guess, all in all, it really just seemed too easy. I didn't have to work much as a reader, and I didn't feel she had to work too hard as a writer -- stock characters and plot, and a wonderful setting that never really figured in to the story.
Not recommended.
I am also not in the habit of listening to a book rather than reading one, but because I knew I was going to be driving a good distance several days in a row, I quickly rushed to my library to look for a book on CD that I thought I might enjoy.
This has been my least favorite of the books I have "read" by Barr. I immediately sensed the "red herrings" and was sure I knew who was behind the trouble (I was right). The fact that drugs played a key role in the plot was a real disappointment. Didn't drugs figure in to another of her books? I believe so.
I guess, all in all, it really just seemed too easy. I didn't have to work much as a reader, and I didn't feel she had to work too hard as a writer -- stock characters and plot, and a wonderful setting that never really figured in to the story.
Not recommended.
February 19, 2014
It started off as appealing, wondering how the scraps of information would lead to a fabric that the protagonist would put together, but there was a lot of supposition going on, and it felt rushed, sloppy even. After a while it felt as if the author had contempt for "city people" that come to parks and ruin them, which I get, but it came off as condescending and I could not get over that characterization. Having been to Yosemite, I expected to experience a sense of Nostalgia for the camp, but it never came across. Perhaps that's my own disconnect, perhaps the author's. At any rate, the book simply felt rushed, and the characters felt forced. It's a mystery, so I can't critique the ending without spoiling it, so I'll just say I wrapped up the book feeling underwhelmed.
September 8, 2015
Wish it was more about the park. I was left wondering what happened to the alcoholic administrator and the teen age park sweet heart.
February 7, 2021
Wow - did not see who the bad guys were at all. This one kept twisting and turning and I think I got some frostbite just reading it.
June 24, 2020
Anna is sent undercover into Yosemite National Park in California to discover what has happened to four missing young people, including employees of the concessions and trail crew.
Because she is posing as a waitress, Anna can’t use available law enforcement resources. She begins to piece together parts of the puzzle, but none of the pieces make sense. There are lots of unsavory elements who are bound and determined to keep Anna out of the picture, even if it means killing her.
This was a bit of a different type of Anna Pigeon story. There were several things that didn’t make sense to me. On her day off, Anna takes a hike and finds critical evidence quite easily, as well as the reason for the disappearance of the missing people. It was a common trail, so I'm not sure why no one else found it over the weeks the search was active. However, there's a great action sequence that made me forget about how easily she discovered it.
This wasn't my favorite of the series, but Nevada Barr always gives a great picture of the beauty in the National Parks with well developed characters and intriguing plot lines.
Because she is posing as a waitress, Anna can’t use available law enforcement resources. She begins to piece together parts of the puzzle, but none of the pieces make sense. There are lots of unsavory elements who are bound and determined to keep Anna out of the picture, even if it means killing her.
This was a bit of a different type of Anna Pigeon story. There were several things that didn’t make sense to me. On her day off, Anna takes a hike and finds critical evidence quite easily, as well as the reason for the disappearance of the missing people. It was a common trail, so I'm not sure why no one else found it over the weeks the search was active. However, there's a great action sequence that made me forget about how easily she discovered it.
This wasn't my favorite of the series, but Nevada Barr always gives a great picture of the beauty in the National Parks with well developed characters and intriguing plot lines.
August 3, 2019
Another fantastic adventure with Anna Pigeon. I love, love, love this series. Somehow I read some of the books out of order. But when I started this one and realized it took place at Yosemite, I wanted to continue with it. It’s been a number of years now but I have visited Yosemite several times, camped there, and other times stayed in the charming town of Mariposa. so this book enabled me to relive those times. It’s a very exciting story. Anna is undercover and has several close calls. I enjoyed the book so much I decided to immediately read another of Anna’s adventures. I don’t do that often but I’m enjoying the book I have started.
August 21, 2022
Anna Pigeon is a National Park Ranger who goes undercover in this episode. The change was interesting and I enjoyed the plot.
December 20, 2012
Her experience waiting tables in college lands park ranger Anna Pigeon in an undercover assignment in food services at Yosemite National Park. Four of the park’s employees have gone missing, and the rangers in the park aren’t finding any leads. Anna is rooming with a couple of fluffhead girls while posing as a middle-aged waitress, but even her proximity to the other employees can’t make her fit in. When one of her roommates collapses after getting high on something, Anna becomes concerned. Some odd men claiming to be friends of one of the missing employees have taken over his cabin, and their presence, along with mountains of gear, coupled with a snippet of overheard conversation and a single-line note from a missing woman to her brother, send Anna on a wilderness hike that very nearly ends her life when she stumbles across a big secret.
Though I wouldn’t be so ungenerous as to say the book fell flat, it was definitely missing a vital ingredient usually present in these adventures. Anna spent an inordinate amount of time being hunted by killers in the wilderness and not enough putting things together. The villains were also perhaps a tad too sadistic, and they roughed Anna up a little more than necessary. In all, though it wasn’t my favorite Anna Pigeon mystery, it was still a decent chapter in her saga.
Though I wouldn’t be so ungenerous as to say the book fell flat, it was definitely missing a vital ingredient usually present in these adventures. Anna spent an inordinate amount of time being hunted by killers in the wilderness and not enough putting things together. The villains were also perhaps a tad too sadistic, and they roughed Anna up a little more than necessary. In all, though it wasn’t my favorite Anna Pigeon mystery, it was still a decent chapter in her saga.
July 3, 2015
I'm reading this to fulfill the "set somewhere you've always wanted to visit" category of the 2015 Ultimate Reading Challenge. (Yosemite!)
This was my first Anna Pigeon book - I figured I could easily jump into the middle of the series, and I was right, you don't really need to have read the earlier books to enjoy this one. I chose this one for the location (to satisfy the Reading Challenge).
The mystery is solid - there are probably enough clues to figure it out on your own, but I didn't (I rarely do). The bad guys are suitably evil, the supporting cast is suitably nebulous (are they good guys are are they part of the evil scheme? hard to say!), and the main character - Anna Pigeon - is quite likeable. My one complaint is that I could have used a little more explanation about how Anna had been put in place in this undercover job in Yosemite, and more about her contact, Park Ranger Lorraine. Lorraine just sort of mysteriously disappears halfway through - why? That didn't make any sense. It felt like a red herring - and I think the plot didn't need that.
This was my first Anna Pigeon book - I figured I could easily jump into the middle of the series, and I was right, you don't really need to have read the earlier books to enjoy this one. I chose this one for the location (to satisfy the Reading Challenge).
The mystery is solid - there are probably enough clues to figure it out on your own, but I didn't (I rarely do). The bad guys are suitably evil, the supporting cast is suitably nebulous (are they good guys are are they part of the evil scheme? hard to say!), and the main character - Anna Pigeon - is quite likeable. My one complaint is that I could have used a little more explanation about how Anna had been put in place in this undercover job in Yosemite, and more about her contact, Park Ranger Lorraine. Lorraine just sort of mysteriously disappears halfway through - why? That didn't make any sense. It felt like a red herring - and I think the plot didn't need that.
July 4, 2020
This was an absolutely great captivating book through chapter 19.
I have a friend that always reads the ending before she starts a book. That’s mystifying to me. Why would I want to know the ending before I began reading the story? But, I wish I’d done that, and that is my suggestion to anyone reading this book.
From page 155 to 217… well, just let me say that you do not want to read this until you have the time because you absolutely will not want to be disturbed. I guess most people quick zoom through that part but I am on a zoomer. My husband called me he’s voracious reader. True but I eat a book slowly and with great relish.
Nevada Barr really should’ve wrapped this book up in 19 chapters. By the 20th chapter you are just sick and tired of the fight.
But then again… There is a really nice part where Anna almost……
But… The rest of the book, especially the flight in the high country, could not be ranked below five stars.
I have a friend that always reads the ending before she starts a book. That’s mystifying to me. Why would I want to know the ending before I began reading the story? But, I wish I’d done that, and that is my suggestion to anyone reading this book.
From page 155 to 217… well, just let me say that you do not want to read this until you have the time because you absolutely will not want to be disturbed. I guess most people quick zoom through that part but I am on a zoomer. My husband called me he’s voracious reader. True but I eat a book slowly and with great relish.
Nevada Barr really should’ve wrapped this book up in 19 chapters. By the 20th chapter you are just sick and tired of the fight.
But then again… There is a really nice part where Anna almost……
But… The rest of the book, especially the flight in the high country, could not be ranked below five stars.
December 1, 2021
Audiobook
Can this woman solve a mystery without getting the shit beat out of her? The answer is no, so far. I'm hoping that the future books will take into account her age and the author will let her just have a physically at least nice time. The book itself seemed a little convoluted story wise, especially who was working with whom, and why, and how come there is so much violence? Not my favorite by this author - 3-1/2 stars
Can this woman solve a mystery without getting the shit beat out of her? The answer is no, so far. I'm hoping that the future books will take into account her age and the author will let her just have a physically at least nice time. The book itself seemed a little convoluted story wise, especially who was working with whom, and why, and how come there is so much violence? Not my favorite by this author - 3-1/2 stars
January 23, 2014
I was a little dissappointed by this book. Having been to Yosemite many times, I felt maybe she hurried the research for this book. Her facts could have easily come from a short visit, brouchers and blogs. Her story lines are predictable so I want to be carried by the scenery.
November 30, 2016
Anna goes undercover at the Yosemite National Park's historic Ahwahnee Hotel in this installment of the series. Lots of action and danger made this a compelling audio. The narration was performed by the always good Barbara Rosenblat.
September 17, 2020
Having not been able to get into book 11, I decided do the unprecedented... skip to 12. It's been a couple of months since I abandoned book 11, but this one reminded me of why I love Anna. As my grandmother would have said- she's got gumption.
January 30, 2008
This was the first Anna Pigeon mystery I ever read. I especially liked it because I have been to Yosemite, but I always enjoy the books in this series. They're just fun to read!
October 15, 2025
When you have a sleepless night, it's nice to have a good book to keep you occupied. And last night, I finished High Country by Nevada Barr, Anna Pigeon #12. Without fail, the series has entertained and satisfied me. High Country was no exception.
In High Country, Anna has been asked to work undercover as a waitress in Yosemite National Park. The park ranger is concerned after the disappearance of 4 workers and has requested an undercover operative to help investigate. Anna has left her job as senior ranger at the Natchez Trace National park to help the ranger, Lorraine Knight, find out what has happened.
Anna moves into the room of one of the missing people, Trish, a room she shares with 2 other park workers, waitresses Nicky and Cricket. (Much younger than mature Anna). It doesn't take long for things to start happening. Anna discovers that the cabin occupied by Dixon, another missing person, has been taken over by a group of men, who are quite threatening when they first meet Anna one night, when she has gone out exploring with another waitress, Mary (a lovely girl).
Trish's room is tossed that night by two men and Nicky has been threatened. Cricket collapses at work as they set up for a wedding party. Both Cricket and Nicky seem high. It turns out that Trish was a local drug supplier. Cricket almost dies and ends up in the hospital.
Trish's 'brother' shows up demanding all of Trish's personal effects. He seems to be looking for something. When Anna arrives at work, for one of her shifts, the cook is suddenly very angry with her delaying her orders. Anna can't understand why. She discovers a needle taped inside the sleeve of her jacket and it's filled with what seems to be blood and set to inject if she had pushed on it. Lorraine is away at a conference and her #2 is not at all helpful to Anna when she reports in, misogynistic, drunk.
Anna decides to investigate a bit more, hiking into the mountains on her day off. She had heard conversations about some sort of windfall in the mountains. She discovers something that might solve what has happened to the missing 4some and might solve the whole kit and kaboodle, when she is attacked by two men and leads a merry chase down the mountain in the dark. Anna injured, freezing, desperate and being shot at... (Nevada Barr does know how to spin a tense, exciting situation)
So as you can see. Lots going on, lots happening quickly and potentially deadly but Anna is an old pro. The case is interesting, exciting when it needs to be and the story is filled with interesting, mysterious characters and lots of suspects. The story ties itself all together very nicely and satisfactorily. Nevada Barr knows her national parks. She describes them so very well. And Anna Pigeon is one of the excellent mystery characters created. (3.5 stars)
In High Country, Anna has been asked to work undercover as a waitress in Yosemite National Park. The park ranger is concerned after the disappearance of 4 workers and has requested an undercover operative to help investigate. Anna has left her job as senior ranger at the Natchez Trace National park to help the ranger, Lorraine Knight, find out what has happened.
Anna moves into the room of one of the missing people, Trish, a room she shares with 2 other park workers, waitresses Nicky and Cricket. (Much younger than mature Anna). It doesn't take long for things to start happening. Anna discovers that the cabin occupied by Dixon, another missing person, has been taken over by a group of men, who are quite threatening when they first meet Anna one night, when she has gone out exploring with another waitress, Mary (a lovely girl).
Trish's room is tossed that night by two men and Nicky has been threatened. Cricket collapses at work as they set up for a wedding party. Both Cricket and Nicky seem high. It turns out that Trish was a local drug supplier. Cricket almost dies and ends up in the hospital.
Trish's 'brother' shows up demanding all of Trish's personal effects. He seems to be looking for something. When Anna arrives at work, for one of her shifts, the cook is suddenly very angry with her delaying her orders. Anna can't understand why. She discovers a needle taped inside the sleeve of her jacket and it's filled with what seems to be blood and set to inject if she had pushed on it. Lorraine is away at a conference and her #2 is not at all helpful to Anna when she reports in, misogynistic, drunk.
Anna decides to investigate a bit more, hiking into the mountains on her day off. She had heard conversations about some sort of windfall in the mountains. She discovers something that might solve what has happened to the missing 4some and might solve the whole kit and kaboodle, when she is attacked by two men and leads a merry chase down the mountain in the dark. Anna injured, freezing, desperate and being shot at... (Nevada Barr does know how to spin a tense, exciting situation)
So as you can see. Lots going on, lots happening quickly and potentially deadly but Anna is an old pro. The case is interesting, exciting when it needs to be and the story is filled with interesting, mysterious characters and lots of suspects. The story ties itself all together very nicely and satisfactorily. Nevada Barr knows her national parks. She describes them so very well. And Anna Pigeon is one of the excellent mystery characters created. (3.5 stars)
May 10, 2024
My favorite setting in an Anna Pigeon story done in by plot holes and improbable events. While I enjoyed the book the fact is if it weren't for the wonderful setting and Barr's bringing that to life, this would be a one star book.
A brief summary: Four young persons have disappeared in Yosemite National Park without a trace. Two, a young man and woman who were newer NPS employees; the others, one a waitress at the park lodge restaurant, and the last a young man who was a popular climber. District Ranger Anna Pigeon is brought in from her post in Mississippi to work undercover at the restaurant in an attempt to elicit leads from friends and colleagues of the missing who might otherwise be reluctant to share information with law enforcement.
First, the good point, the setting. Like Blood Lure, this story is set in one of the most popular and visted national parks in the US, Yosemite. Barr’s gorgeous prose setting the scene really put me there, whether Anna was hiking a trail up into the high country, or simply walking to the campground in Yosemite Valley.
Next, the characters. Barr does a good job with Anna, who here is feeling her age both physically and socially as she tries to mix with the youngsters at work and in her dorm. Great job by Barr working that in. But the rest of the characters are not developed as well as in previous series books that I have read; we get very little personality and backstory other than shallow personality quirks. We can presume some from their actions which is better than an info dump, but it does nothing to explain why certain characters are behaving as they do. Some, such as the assistant superintendent and chief ranger who are the only two people who know who Anna really is, are just shells of characters.
As to Chief Ranger Lorraine, Anna is almost goo-goo over her, as if she is meeting her hero, a famous rock star or something. But the most detail we get on Lorraine is she has very long hair she wears in a long braid. Great visual but what does that tell me? I need to know more to make sense of why Anna holds her in such high regard, but it never comes in the book. As a matter of fact, some of her behavior made me think none so highly of her.
The plot/mystery was fun and interesting for most of the story, I really enjoyed much of the book but it fell apart at the end. Too bad because the setup was great. As I came to figure out who likely was behind things I could see plot holes develop, and thought, 'well if its these people, they will need to explain x, y, and z. When I turned out to be correct those explanations never came.
And while I enjoyed the action which occurred in the middle of the book it was more action thriller than mystery story and once again Anna became an action hero as in the ending of Liberty Falling.
While the mystery story gets back on track it reverts again to action thriller near the end. Anna had more lives than a cat in this book and I did not buy her taking so many risks when it was unecessary.
Lastly, the whole reveal was full of plot holes. It felt like Barr didn't put a lot of thought into the ending, like she created the plot as she went, then tried to wrap it all up with whatever was left over, then never looked at it so she didn't see how it made little sense. Lazy writing.
So two stars for the great setting and good story through much of the book. This is one of the few Anna Pigeons that I have no interest in rereading in the future.
A brief summary: Four young persons have disappeared in Yosemite National Park without a trace. Two, a young man and woman who were newer NPS employees; the others, one a waitress at the park lodge restaurant, and the last a young man who was a popular climber. District Ranger Anna Pigeon is brought in from her post in Mississippi to work undercover at the restaurant in an attempt to elicit leads from friends and colleagues of the missing who might otherwise be reluctant to share information with law enforcement.
First, the good point, the setting. Like Blood Lure, this story is set in one of the most popular and visted national parks in the US, Yosemite. Barr’s gorgeous prose setting the scene really put me there, whether Anna was hiking a trail up into the high country, or simply walking to the campground in Yosemite Valley.
Next, the characters. Barr does a good job with Anna, who here is feeling her age both physically and socially as she tries to mix with the youngsters at work and in her dorm. Great job by Barr working that in. But the rest of the characters are not developed as well as in previous series books that I have read; we get very little personality and backstory other than shallow personality quirks. We can presume some from their actions which is better than an info dump, but it does nothing to explain why certain characters are behaving as they do. Some, such as the assistant superintendent and chief ranger who are the only two people who know who Anna really is, are just shells of characters.
As to Chief Ranger Lorraine, Anna is almost goo-goo over her, as if she is meeting her hero, a famous rock star or something. But the most detail we get on Lorraine is she has very long hair she wears in a long braid. Great visual but what does that tell me? I need to know more to make sense of why Anna holds her in such high regard, but it never comes in the book. As a matter of fact, some of her behavior made me think none so highly of her.
The plot/mystery was fun and interesting for most of the story, I really enjoyed much of the book but it fell apart at the end. Too bad because the setup was great. As I came to figure out who likely was behind things I could see plot holes develop, and thought, 'well if its these people, they will need to explain x, y, and z. When I turned out to be correct those explanations never came.
And while I enjoyed the action which occurred in the middle of the book it was more action thriller than mystery story and once again Anna became an action hero as in the ending of Liberty Falling.
While the mystery story gets back on track it reverts again to action thriller near the end. Anna had more lives than a cat in this book and I did not buy her taking so many risks when it was unecessary.
Lastly, the whole reveal was full of plot holes. It felt like Barr didn't put a lot of thought into the ending, like she created the plot as she went, then tried to wrap it all up with whatever was left over, then never looked at it so she didn't see how it made little sense. Lazy writing.
So two stars for the great setting and good story through much of the book. This is one of the few Anna Pigeons that I have no interest in rereading in the future.
February 22, 2024
This is the best plot in the series I’ve read. Anna seems less off-putting here, and this plot kept me fully engaged. The author shows some real sophistication in her writing that I haven’t seen in previous books in the series. In short, this is a fantastic read. Alas, it helps a bit to have read the previous books, but if you haven’t touched this series and you want to start somewhere, this book 12 might be the best place to do that. It was excellent.
Anna has gone undercover as a waitress at Yosemite National Park. Four Yosemite employees have disappeared as the book begins, and inviting Anna Pigeon to figure out the reasons for the disappearances makes sense to her supervisors. While the disappearances are seriously problematic, Anna senses a more generalized sickness in the moral fiber of park employees that cause her genuine concern. Worse still, the people to whom she must report seem uninterested in taking proactive stances to solve the problems.
Anna determines to strike out on her own to get answers and get them she does. In the process, she nearly loses her life, and she finds things that indicate that the park has an employee problem indeed.
Anna’s battles with evil people and the elements are far from tropey or humdrum. Granted, in every one of these books, she finds herself endangered, but this felt more involved and less formulaic than most. I’ll be fascinated to see whether this is a fluke or whether these get better as the series progresses.
Anna has gone undercover as a waitress at Yosemite National Park. Four Yosemite employees have disappeared as the book begins, and inviting Anna Pigeon to figure out the reasons for the disappearances makes sense to her supervisors. While the disappearances are seriously problematic, Anna senses a more generalized sickness in the moral fiber of park employees that cause her genuine concern. Worse still, the people to whom she must report seem uninterested in taking proactive stances to solve the problems.
Anna determines to strike out on her own to get answers and get them she does. In the process, she nearly loses her life, and she finds things that indicate that the park has an employee problem indeed.
Anna’s battles with evil people and the elements are far from tropey or humdrum. Granted, in every one of these books, she finds herself endangered, but this felt more involved and less formulaic than most. I’ll be fascinated to see whether this is a fluke or whether these get better as the series progresses.
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