Dead in the Water

Kate Shugak #3

by Dana Stabenow

Once, Kate Shugak was the star investigator of the Anchorage D.A.'s office. Now she's gone back to her Aleut roots in the far Alaska north- where her talent for detection makes her the toughest crime-tracker in that stark and mysterious land.

Two crewmen of the crab vessel Avilda are missing—presumed dead—under very suspicious circumstances. The Bering Sea offers ample means and opportunity, but without bodies, a motive, or evidence of foul play, the DA doesn’t have a case. And so, freelancing again for her former employer, Kate Shugak finds herself working undercover in one of Alaska’s most dangerous professions: crab fisherman. It’s an assignment that will take her from the debauchery of Dutch Harbor to the most isolated of the Aleutians, and if the job itself doesn’t kill her, her unsavory crewmates just might.

Third in Stabenow’s Edgar Award-winning series of Alaskan mysteries, Dead in the Water is richly informed by the author’s own upbringing aboard an Alaskan fishing vessel.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Thriller, Suspense

236 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1993

About the author

Dana Stabenow was born in Anchorage and raised on 75-foot fish tender in the Gulf of Alaska. She knew there was a warmer, drier job out there somewhere.

Reviews

[Luffy Sempai · Rating 1 out of 5]

It had to happen, but it happened way too early. This book came at a terrible timing. My story is that I was hurting from forcing myself to read Moby Dick, a'right?

So I was rationing Moby Dick by reading the Kate Shugak series. What could go wrong? But the thing is Dead in The Water was so aptly named a book for a one star rating.

Plus I feel that the author was paying an homage to Herman Melville. On another day I might have given this book more credit but I can't! I can't.

[Barry who enjoys well-written thrillers, mysteries , & espionage & loathes romance, horror & supernat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Shugak, private Alaskan investigator, is one of my favorite literary characters, all five feet, one inch of her!! DO NOT suggest to her that she is a mere five feet tall; not if you want to keep all of your parts.

In this, the third book in the series, she has agreed with the DA, her former boss and current boyfriend, to be an undercover investigator as a crew member of a crabbing vessel. Two crewmen on this vessel, the Avilda have gone missing and the DA suspects foul play but doesn't know exactly what happened and, therefore, can't bring charges. So, when a crew member, at the last minute, can't make the voyage (wink, wink, nod, nod), Kate manages to sign on as crew on the Avilda.

The Captain and most of the crew are rough, nearly honest, misogynistic characters who would just as soon see Kate go overboard but they need to keep her so she can do her job and help earn the massive profits that will result from a big crab haul. At least that's her belief but could they have another means of making even more money than they could by crabbing? All her suspicions are confirmed when, as a result of an ¨accident¨ she is tossed overboard into the icy waters with little to no chance of survival.

Dana Stabenow does her usual wonderful writing job as she creates a believable but very scary plotline populated by both new and old characters. A delightful aside brings Kate in contact with an Aleutian elder and her young followers that she is training in some of the ¨old¨ ways. While being an integral part of the story, it is also a window into Kate's background and beliefs very deftly created by Stabenow.

To enjoy this book, you should be somewhat interested in its Alaskan setting as well as Kate's Aleutian backgound. And, of course, you should enjoy a good mystery, which this book certainly is.

Ciao

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Former Anchorage DA Kate Shugak goes undercover on a crab boat in the Bering Sea after two deck hands go missing. Their captain says they left when the ship docked and never returned on board. Kate isn’t so sure. I completely love the way this series provides an immersive experience into different facets of life in Alaska. Each book is in a different setting as Kate investigates various cases as a backwoods gumshoe for hire, and it’s fun to see where the series will take you next. In DEAD IN THE WATER, we spend time in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, as well as in the islands formerly populated by the Aleut people. I found the history included about the impact on Alaska during World War 2 and US air force bases interesting, as well as glimpses of what life is like working on a crab fishing boat. All this cool stuff in addition to the mystery!

[Ingrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know you out there following my reviews will think I've become predictable and you're probably right where this series is concerned. But in my defence, I love books that are a diversion of every day life, not too demanding and packed with interesting information.
It's a fast moving story with enough tension and not too much detail in the violence. Besides, I can safely assume that Kate will survive all her ordeals. So another 5 stars for the third book in the Kate Shugak series.

[Yodamom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful edge of my seat action plus adventure on the frozen sea. I swear I thought I'd scream during several of the near death moments. Kate can be insanely strong ! Oh and i love the new character California surfer Andy.
Kate goes on a crabbing boat, one of the most dangerous jobs on earth to find out what happened to two missing/presumed dead crabbers. She faces a frozen angry ocean, meets an elder who teaches her much and faces some of her past. Holy smokes it's intense !
Now on to #4

[Vivisection · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whenever I read a Kate Shugak mystery, I always go back to see if Dana Stabenow has any Native blood because her portrait of the indigenous Alaskans is so 3 dimensional. I have ever claimed to be constantly annoyed by Anglo authors who can't resist the lure of the Noble Savage and the connection to the Great Spirits and the Ancestors.

Dana Stabenow, however, is pitch perfect. Her representations of life at the Park (aka the Aleut Rez) and the dynamics between the tribal members, the old ways vs. the new, the pettiness, the traditions, the struggle to survive, and the connection all provide a snap shot of a modern reservation.

This novel is no exception even though Kate is away from the Park and on a fishing vessel living out her very own episode of The Deadliest Catch. Of course there's a mystery and some good old fashion corruption. Kate even has a side-kick: blond surfer Andy from Ventura who LIKES ALL THE ALASKA much as golden retrievers LIKE ALL THE TENNIS BALLS.

My favorite part, besides the gentle teasing of Andy and his naivete, is Kate's relationship with the Aleuts of Anua and Unalaska. Her conversations with Olga and Sasha blend perfectly the modern and the traditional. Kate learns to weave. Sasha carves stories in the sand with her story knife while her mother acknowledges her defects from fetal alcohol sydrome. Olga's reveals her power through her age, stories of ancestors, and knowledge of Kate's own powerful Grandmother, Ekaterina. All while Kate pumps them for information regarding nefarious activities on the islands.

[Anne (Booklady) Molinarolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead In The Water is the 3rd installment of the popular Kate Shugak Series by Dana Stabenow. And it's my favorite to date.

Shugak has allowed her former boss and part time lover talk her into finding out what happened to two crewmen on the Avilda crabbing vessel captained by the ne'er to well son in law of a major Board Diector of the vessel's parent company. Harry Gault isn't whom he's thought to be. Crabbing in the Bering Sea is hard work as well as dangerous. Kate has much to fear while she's on the Avilda. Mother Nature is brutal this time of the year, and so are some of her crew members. But which ones?

The Author's descriptions of the roiling waves, the ice being beaten, the hard work of the crabbers were wonderful as well as spot on. The Aleutian Islands she visited made me want to go out and purchase a ticket to see them. And we readers learn more about these wondrous indigenous people. I wish more stories were included. And I loved the ship line's names of all of their vessels - very appropriate for a Kate Shugak novel.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well done! The description of crab fishing in the Bering Sea comes alive and matches the television shows my husband enjoys. I couldn’t stand being that cold and fearing the storms at sea. Kate is a little nuts at times. She has no fear!! I really liked Andy and the Russian fisherman too. A great story full of adventure and terror at times.

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Kira · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had really high hopes for this one but they were squashed right at the beginning. There was nothing about the book that would hold my attention.

The main character Kate Shugak ought to have been a strong character but all I got were cold vibes. She was no doubt intelligent yet not intriguing enough to keep me interested in knowing about her life.

The mystery in the book was just okayish and I wasn't invested too much. I couldn't care less as to what had happened to the missing crewmen and the whole plot reveal was mediocre at best. I was definitely not a fan lol.

IMO the most interesting thing to happen in the book was the last 2 pages which was the build up for the next book in the series and I may go pick that one up sometime.

[Abibliofob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead in the Water by Dana Stabenow is a great suspense filled mystery with some insight into crab fishing in Alaska.

[Olivermagnus · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the third book featuring native Alaskan investigator, Kate Shugak, we find her working undercover as a crab fisherman aboard the fishing vessel Avilda. The skipper, Harry Gault, has reported that two men on the last voyage went ashore on Anua Island and never returned.

This is not written as a typical mystery since we already know Harry is the bad guy. I would describe it as more of a suspense novel, especially after Kate meets a young Aleutian native who is able to provide clues through story knifing. The girl, formerly from Anua Island, tells a story with pictures drawn in the sand with an ivory knife.

If you've ever watched The Deadliest Catch of Discovery Channel, it was east to picture everything that Kate goes through. Because the author, Dana Stabenow, grew up on a fishing boat in the Gulf of Alaska the scenes on the boat are very realistic. This was an enjoyable read, but also a good historical background on Alaska and the people who live there. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to work on a crabbing boat in Alaska and thought you might like to try it...this book will dissuade you of that notion right quick!

Kate is back and working another undercover case for the D.A.'s office. This time she is working on a crabbing boat trying to find out why two men have disappeared.

This book is filled with a great who and why did they do, it mystery, heart pounding excitement (learn what it is really like to be in the middle of the Aleutians with your boat becoming covered in ice and with your hold empty), debauchery and humor! This is a great way to learn about the history Alaska, the indigenous people of Alaska and crabbing all at the same time.

This is another great read about the feisty Kate and her pals.

[Antonella Imperiali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seconda avventura di Kate Shugak, questa volta tra le acque gelide e i ghiacci dell'estremo nord del Mare di Bering, appena al di sopra dell'Arcipelago delle Aleutine, alla ricerca di due uomini misteriosamente scomparsi durante uno scalo per il rifornimento d'acqua di un peschereccio di granchi.

È solo l'inizio...

Descrizioni straordinarie e molto particolareggiate di persone, luoghi, paesaggi e situazioni, come ormai ci ha abituati la Stabenow.
E storie, tante storie che riguardano la sua gente, gli Aleuti, e le loro tradizioni.
Quasi favole. Leggende...

Bello.

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dana Stabenow has created quite an unusual character in native Alaskan Aleut Kate Shugak, a former investigator for the Anchorage D.A.'s office, who was seriously injured in one of those investigations. This is the third in the series and has Kate going undercover on an Alaskan fishing boat.

Its a really tough job for a small woman, or a large man for that matter, so Kate faces two issues -- how to survive the undercover job and try to investigate a case where doesn't even have any clue as to what she is looking for.

Her boyfriend who works for the D.A.'s office would have been a much better fit for the case and the circumstances, so I found it a bit unbelievable that they would use her in this type of situation. That frankly may have been why I got into the story a bit slowly.

Never the less, I did enjoy the book and found it an exciting, if a bit unrealistic, conclusion.

[Kirsty Darbyshire]

This has been my favourite book in the series so far (it's the third). In this book Kate is working on a crab fishing boat in the Bering Sea. There are two reasons that this worked for me. The first was that the setting was wonderful and I really got the feel of the icy seas and the isolated villages visited. The second is that because Kate was away from her home ground I didn't spend half the book wondering if I was supposed to remember the characters from the previous books which is what happened when I read the second book. The only other recurring character in this book, as far as I could tell anyway, was Jack Morgan who is Kate's lover and the police contact who gets her into these mysteries.

I think if you get too hung up on finding the mystery in this book you probably wouldn't enjoy it, Kate herself seems to forget that she is supposed to be investigating the deaths of a couple of fishermen most of the time. That didn't spoil it for me, I was enjoying finding out about the fishing as much as anything. I can't say I'd recommend this book to anyone except as a glimpse into Alaska and given that the investigatory side of the book doesn't seem particularly realistic I have to wonder whether any of the fishing detail and Aleut customs parts of the story were at all realistic too.

All in all it was a short and interesting read though and I'll keep reading about Kate's adventures.

[Mender · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty solid, vivid descriptions of life on a deep sea trawler catching crab.

Had a super weird patch at the end where she had to go back out to sea again, in spite of them having like 18 kinds of evidence of fake identities and fraud and what exactly was she meant to find out about the dead guys while she's trapped on a boat in the middle of nowhere, that they couldn't get out of the guy in an interrogation room?

Instead she kills the dude, so now they have no clue where he stashed all his money, and no-one gets recompense. Bizarre. Clearly done so there can be a dramatic climax, but the other stories didn't rely on that, they were much more prosaic. It didn't seem necessary.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying the Kate Shugak mysteries. In this story Kate works undercover on a crabbing boat in the Bering Sea. It's amazing what this lady can accomplish. Maybe a little farfetched, but based on the author's life experiences, maybe not so much. Anyway, fun and quick to read.

[Victoriakor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Моя любимая книга про Кейт/Катю Шугак и ловлю краба. Прекрасный детектив с Катей, которая работает под прикрытием на краболовном судне (адская работа, неплохой заработок). Эпизоды с островами и полётами, а также с сортировкой крабов незабываемы.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great novel in the series. I liked this novel even better than the last one.
4 stars, and recommended.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead in the Water has Kate undercover on a crabbing boat from which two young men have gone missing.

In addition to the mystery of what happened to the young men, the dangers and financial rewards of fishing and crabbing in Alaskan waters is made perfectly and frighteningly real.

"These conditions add up to the deadliest occupation in the United States -- 128 per 100,000 Alaskan fishermen perished on the job in 2007, 26 times the national average [source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health]. Fishing deaths also make up about a third of all occupational fatalities in Alaska each year."

and "Crab pots and crab pot launchers are common sources of injuries. Fishermen get caught up in the coil lines. Working at the edge of the boat also puts them at risk of being swept off the deck and falling overboard."(source)

Also neatly intertwined with the plot is a history of the Aleut tribe and why they were removed from their original homes on the Aleutian Islands during WWII when Japanese troops occupied the islands of Attu and Kiska. The information about the Alaskan Scouts, a fascinating part of the defense of Alaska during the war was new to me.

"It wasn’t easy to become an Alaska Scout. The qualifications were stringent, and Castner handpicked them all—trappers, hunters, fishermen, dogsledders, miners, and prospectors. He also chose Native Alaskans—Aleuts, Eskimos, and American Indians. “They have one thing in common,” he said. “They’re tough.” (source)

Learning by reading fiction is the easiest and most memorable way to absorb history. Well, it works for me because I can't resist checking things out.

[Vášnivá čtenářka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kniha zaujme autentickým zobrazením aljašské reality, které Stabenow čerpá ze svých zkušeností. Jakkoli pečlivé líčení prostředí někdy zpomaluje děj a některé postavy i dialogy působí klišovitě, styl autorky je srozumitelný a čtenářsky přístupný. Pod hladinou je solidní kriminální román s dobrodružnou atmosférou a realistickou hrdinkou, který nadchne milovníky severského krimi a aljašských příběhů, zatímco méně zkušení čtenáři v něm najdou skvělý vstup do série, přestože se jedná o 3. díl série.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't connect with this book as much as the first two in the series. I think there was a bit too much backstory and not enough plot to keep me as involved in the story. The murder plot and the cultural background information seemed flipped, with the murder plot being secondary to the cultural information. I like the setting of the series but I do want the books to be, first, a murder mystery, and only secondary, a cultural setting.

[Mortisha Cassavetes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Kate Shugak series and I think this book goes into Alaska's traditions more! Kate finds herself on a crabbing boat investigating the deaths of two fisherman dead. I really enjoyed this book learning about the story knife and I also enjoyed the deadly voyage on the boat. I don't want to go into the story more as to not spoil it but I continue to recommend this series and I am on to the next book!

[Judy A. Kuhl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!

The characters that Dana Stabenow comes up with are very well developed. I am able to envision each person. As always, one of her main characters is the scenery. The ocean, the Aleutian Islands, the fishing boats all have a place in this book. Lord, I never want to be on a crab boat in the Bering sea. That is something I could definitely not ever do. Smashing ice on a ship as it forms is not the type of job I would want. Kate is one feisty, heroic woman.

[Kateřina Petrusová · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zhltnuto během pár hodin - četlo se to samo (díky, Bětko ;-) ).
Skvěle popsaná Aljaška, pro mě spousta nových slov a informací ohledně lovení krabů a aljašských domorodců. A když jako já začnete omylem od třetího dílu série, vůbec to nevadí, vše potřebné je krátce vysvětleno.

[Regan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good mystery. I really enjoy Stabenow's descriptions of Alaska, the areas I wish I could visit but know I won't ever have the chance. She brings it to life. I also enjoyed learning about crab harvesting.

[Ruth Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books. Also, I know a lot more about crab fishing in Alaska than I did.

[Debra Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent mystery action adventure. I couldn’t put it down and look forward to reading others

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fast read. Simple plot. Slightly choppy.