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Kate Shugak #20
Bad Blood
BAD BLOOD
Dana Stabenow
The Alaskan villages of Kushtaka and Kuskulana sit across the river from each other, but Kuskulana's always thrived while Kushtaka is slowly dying out. One hundred years of bad blood between the communities threaten to come to a boil when the body of a young Kushtaka ne'er-do-well is found dead—and questions of love, loyalty, and revenge rise to the surface. Could this one, unexplained death ignite an all-out war? When a second murder that looks suspiciously like payback occurs, the escalating enmity can no longer be ignored. Now it's up to private investigator Kate Shugak, along with Sergeant Jim Chopin, to find the truth about what happened…while a killer remains at large. And is on their trail…
Dana Stabenow
The Alaskan villages of Kushtaka and Kuskulana sit across the river from each other, but Kuskulana's always thrived while Kushtaka is slowly dying out. One hundred years of bad blood between the communities threaten to come to a boil when the body of a young Kushtaka ne'er-do-well is found dead—and questions of love, loyalty, and revenge rise to the surface. Could this one, unexplained death ignite an all-out war? When a second murder that looks suspiciously like payback occurs, the escalating enmity can no longer be ignored. Now it's up to private investigator Kate Shugak, along with Sergeant Jim Chopin, to find the truth about what happened…while a killer remains at large. And is on their trail…
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 26, 2013
237 people are currently reading
1525 people want to read
About the author
Dana Stabenow
103 books2,188 followersDana 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 525 reviews
July 24, 2024
In this 20th book in the 'Kate Shugak' series, the Alaskan private investigator helps her State Trooper boyfriend investigate two murders. The book can be read as a standalone but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.
*****
Aleut private detective Kate Shugak, a former investigator with the district attorney's office, lives on an isolated homestead in Alaska with her boyfriend, Alaska State Trooper Jim Chopin.
Because of the vast distances in Alaska Jim patrols in a small plane, but he isn't welcome everywhere.
This is especially true in the two hamlets of Kushtaka and Kuskulana, which lie on either side of a river, and have been feuding for over a century.
When the U.S. government offered financial incentives long ago, Kuskulana signed on while Kustaka - which wanted to adhere to the traditional old ways - refused. Kuskulana is now a prosperous town with jobs, stores, and a good school while Kustaka is a dying village with fewer than 10 students.
The bad feelings between Kushtaka and Kuskulana may now have escalated to murder. The body of teenager Tyler Mack is found in his family's fish wheel in Kushtaka.....
.....and the body of Kuskulana carpenter Mitch Halvorsen is found in the crawl space of a house he was building.
Trooper Chopin suspects some kind of tit for tat killing, but no one in either Kushtaka or Kuskulana will tell him anything. Residents of both regions insist they saw nothing, heard nothing, and know nothing.....and they'd just as soon Jim didn't come around at all.
Meanwhile, there's a kind of Romeo and Juliet romance between a Kushtaka girl called Jennifer and a Kuskulana boy named Ryan, which - if it comes to light - could set off a war between the two regions.
Kate Shugak, who's between cases of her own, helps her boyfriend Jim investigate the murders with the assistance of her smart half dog/half wolf Mutt, who accompanies her everywhere.
It turns out there's a lot going on beneath the surface in Kushtaka and Kuskulana, with a gold mine nearby whose workers like whiskey and fun. There's plenty of incentive for bad behavior, and trouble inevitably follows.
Much of the charm of this series lies in the depiction of Alaska, where people fish, hunt, and get around on snowmobiles.....and even the pastor flies her own plane to minister to her flock. When Kate sets off on a multi-day snowmobile jaunt, her preparations are impressive!
This is an enjoyable atmospheric mystery with clever twists.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
June 4, 2013
I feel guilty for not remembering all the details of the prior books. (I hope it's not incipient Alzheimer's disease!) But I don't. I remember the big stuff: the fire, something that happens in Hunter's Moon, who the main and supporting characters are (Axenia is indelible, apparently). But I don't remember a conflict that was resolved with a bulldozer, the interior details of the cabin that Able Int Hout left to Kate are now unknown to me, the details of what Erland Bannister did are a blur, and so on.
It mars my experience of her new books. I have read all of them, really I have, and I'm a big fan, but I feel stupid and like I'm missing something important when I don't recall the references. It's like Sue Grafton's A is for Alibi books. At some point, they're a blur in my memory, and new books that I enjoy are ones that could succeed as a stand alone. For people who have better recall, I know references to canon are a ton of fun. I just wish I recalled more than, say, 25% of the details of the canon. Oh well.
This has all the things that I like about the set-in-Alaska Kate Sugak and Liam Campbell stories: info/description of the land, wildlife, Alaskan and Native American history, catching up with characters I do remember: Bobby and family, Johnny, Van, Bernie, Auntie Vi. The central mystery is based on a conflict between two settlements that had a common beginning. Right away, it seemed a Shakespearean conflict, and it was, to good effect.
Something happens in the last act that has me and everyone else who likes Kate Shugak waiting on a publication date for the next book. I think I might even recommend waiting for the next one to be published before reading this one. Or maybe I'm just recognizing that I'll have to re-read this one to completely follow the next one, which should continue the same story, I would think.
It mars my experience of her new books. I have read all of them, really I have, and I'm a big fan, but I feel stupid and like I'm missing something important when I don't recall the references. It's like Sue Grafton's A is for Alibi books. At some point, they're a blur in my memory, and new books that I enjoy are ones that could succeed as a stand alone. For people who have better recall, I know references to canon are a ton of fun. I just wish I recalled more than, say, 25% of the details of the canon. Oh well.
This has all the things that I like about the set-in-Alaska Kate Sugak and Liam Campbell stories: info/description of the land, wildlife, Alaskan and Native American history, catching up with characters I do remember: Bobby and family, Johnny, Van, Bernie, Auntie Vi. The central mystery is based on a conflict between two settlements that had a common beginning. Right away, it seemed a Shakespearean conflict, and it was, to good effect.
Something happens in the last act that has me and everyone else who likes Kate Shugak waiting on a publication date for the next book. I think I might even recommend waiting for the next one to be published before reading this one. Or maybe I'm just recognizing that I'll have to re-read this one to completely follow the next one, which should continue the same story, I would think.
June 5, 2016
Another satisfying read from Stabenow. This book ends with a cliffhanger. The Shugak series, of which this is book 20,are full of information about Aleutian Indian culture and Alaskan plants and animals. If you read Hillerman or Nevada Barr,you will like this series.
There is a lot going on in this murder mystery--3 murders, drugs and whiskey smuggling, and a blood feud between two bush Alaskan villages. There is also a Romeo and Juliet love story.
This book is more about Alaska State trooper Jim Chopin than Kate Shugak.
There is a lot going on in this murder mystery--3 murders, drugs and whiskey smuggling, and a blood feud between two bush Alaskan villages. There is also a Romeo and Juliet love story.
This book is more about Alaska State trooper Jim Chopin than Kate Shugak.
March 6, 2013
First Sentence: Two villages, where two rivers meet.
The villages of Kushtaka and Kuskulana are the Hatfield’s and the McCoy’s of Alaska; the relationship between the two is uncomfortable, at best. The murder of a young man from Kushtaka risks more blood being shed and Alaska State Trooper Sergeant Jim Chopin isn’t having much luck getting people from either village to talk to him. A second death prompts Jim asking Kate to go undercover.
When an author is at their 20th book of a series, there is always the risk of that series becoming stale. With Dana Stabenow, there is never that worry.
The book opens with a look at the issues, and conflicts, of nature, man and wealth. The descriptions are evocative and visual, leaving you no question of the location. The characters are strong, well-written and very well defined. Kate is the woman most of us would like to be; independent, capable, self-sufficient yet still generous and caring. She could stride alone through the world, but chooses not to. I appreciated that we learn more about Jim in this book, and the horror of some of his past cases.
I always appreciate and enjoy Stabenow’s excellent dialogue and dry humor. The story started a bit slowly but, as with a dangerous rollercoaster, soon accelerated to a breathtaking ending. Although many people severely criticized the ending, even considering it a wall-banger, other than the shock of it, I wasn't bothered. I trust her as an author and, instead, it had the effect of leaving me demanding the next book--NOW!
“Bad Blood” is one of Ms. Stabenow’s best book in the series. I really can’t wait for the next.
BAD BLOOD (PI-Kate Shugak-Alaska-Contem) – VG+
Dana Stabenow – 20th in series
Minotaur Books – 2013
The villages of Kushtaka and Kuskulana are the Hatfield’s and the McCoy’s of Alaska; the relationship between the two is uncomfortable, at best. The murder of a young man from Kushtaka risks more blood being shed and Alaska State Trooper Sergeant Jim Chopin isn’t having much luck getting people from either village to talk to him. A second death prompts Jim asking Kate to go undercover.
When an author is at their 20th book of a series, there is always the risk of that series becoming stale. With Dana Stabenow, there is never that worry.
The book opens with a look at the issues, and conflicts, of nature, man and wealth. The descriptions are evocative and visual, leaving you no question of the location. The characters are strong, well-written and very well defined. Kate is the woman most of us would like to be; independent, capable, self-sufficient yet still generous and caring. She could stride alone through the world, but chooses not to. I appreciated that we learn more about Jim in this book, and the horror of some of his past cases.
I always appreciate and enjoy Stabenow’s excellent dialogue and dry humor. The story started a bit slowly but, as with a dangerous rollercoaster, soon accelerated to a breathtaking ending. Although many people severely criticized the ending, even considering it a wall-banger, other than the shock of it, I wasn't bothered. I trust her as an author and, instead, it had the effect of leaving me demanding the next book--NOW!
“Bad Blood” is one of Ms. Stabenow’s best book in the series. I really can’t wait for the next.
BAD BLOOD (PI-Kate Shugak-Alaska-Contem) – VG+
Dana Stabenow – 20th in series
Minotaur Books – 2013
April 15, 2017
I absolutely love the Kate books. I recommend all 20 of them no matter what genre you like to read. I haven't finished one yet without wanting to read more. At least in the past I was still catching up with the series, so there was more to read. This latest book reads like Romeo and Juliet in the modern day, but with some modern twists. I'm just bummed I'm going to have to wait at least a year before I find out what happens next. I don't remember any of the other Kate books ending with such a huge cliff hanger.
Seriously, if you like mystery/true crime books, check out anything written by Dana Stabenow. If you like books with a strong female character who takes no prisoners, definitely check out the Kate Shugak series. You will love them. But read slowly, when you get to Bad Blood you are going to be left wanting to know what happens next.
Just finished rereading this one since #21 comes out in early May. I cannot wait!
Seriously, if you like mystery/true crime books, check out anything written by Dana Stabenow. If you like books with a strong female character who takes no prisoners, definitely check out the Kate Shugak series. You will love them. But read slowly, when you get to Bad Blood you are going to be left wanting to know what happens next.
Just finished rereading this one since #21 comes out in early May. I cannot wait!
April 16, 2013
I've really enjoyed this series until this entry but what a disappointment this title was. It had a tired, "OMG, my manuscript is due at my publisher's" sort of feel to it. I might have even forgiven that, given how good the series used to be, but the ending here was such a contrived cliff hanger that I was astonished that author would offer up such a stale trick to her readers. She's a better story teller than that. So unfortunate that this book was such a let down.
March 15, 2013
I've always felt that Dana Stabenow has a great talent for telling true-to-life stories. Combine that with a refreshingly literate skill at telling them and, with twenty books now in the Kate Shugak series, they've never yet failed to entertain. Bad Blood, the latest in the series, is no exception to my way of thinking.
Dana's prose is beautifully descriptive (this is more evident at the beginning of the book than at the end, where events are more fast-moving and necessarily taken up with action and dialogue):
Some complain that this is not a stand-alone book, and it really isn't. To understand some of the things that are going on in the story, familiarity with other events that have taken place in the earlier books (or in one particular short story, Nooses Give) might be an advantage. I hope that this will not discourage you from reading it, because it is a terrific read in and of itself. I do encourage you to read the whole series from A Cold Day for Murder at the beginning to a re-read of Bad Blood at the end. I don't think you'd regret doing so.
You will find some other interesting bits in this book, including a lemon coffee cake and a shepherd's salad with olive oil and pomegranate molasses that may or may not have come straight out of Dana's Feast for One blog (not to mention Corinna Chapman's Lemon Cordial). Above all, you'll be privileged to armchair-observe a slice of Alaska that is at the same time informative, entertaining and, if not always pleasing to you, I'm reasonably sure that it will hold your attention.
Like die-hard Northern Exposure fans, some would like to believe that this slice of life just probably does exist somewhere in the real world, and that the characters truly live. Certainly our favorite characters in this series, Kate Shugak and her canine partner Mutt, do seem to have a life of their own thanks to Dana. Despite Bad Blood's somewhat notorious ending, I fully expect them to continue to thrive on the pages of future books.
Dana's prose is beautifully descriptive (this is more evident at the beginning of the book than at the end, where events are more fast-moving and necessarily taken up with action and dialogue):
The spring's outflow trickled down the south face of the wedge, over time carving a channel for a little stream too steep to support a salmon run and too shallow to be good for anything but watering the blueberry bushes that grew thickly along its sides. In Spring, this slope was first to thaw, snow and ice giving way to a fairyland of wildflowers – the brash orange and yellow florets of western columbine, the shy blue of forget-me-nots, the noxious brown blooms of chocolate lilies, the elegant pink paintbrush, and the dignified purple monkshood.
Some complain that this is not a stand-alone book, and it really isn't. To understand some of the things that are going on in the story, familiarity with other events that have taken place in the earlier books (or in one particular short story, Nooses Give) might be an advantage. I hope that this will not discourage you from reading it, because it is a terrific read in and of itself. I do encourage you to read the whole series from A Cold Day for Murder at the beginning to a re-read of Bad Blood at the end. I don't think you'd regret doing so.
You will find some other interesting bits in this book, including a lemon coffee cake and a shepherd's salad with olive oil and pomegranate molasses that may or may not have come straight out of Dana's Feast for One blog (not to mention Corinna Chapman's Lemon Cordial). Above all, you'll be privileged to armchair-observe a slice of Alaska that is at the same time informative, entertaining and, if not always pleasing to you, I'm reasonably sure that it will hold your attention.
Like die-hard Northern Exposure fans, some would like to believe that this slice of life just probably does exist somewhere in the real world, and that the characters truly live. Certainly our favorite characters in this series, Kate Shugak and her canine partner Mutt, do seem to have a life of their own thanks to Dana. Despite Bad Blood's somewhat notorious ending, I fully expect them to continue to thrive on the pages of future books.
August 7, 2013
So exciting! I've just won an ARC of this in a GR Giveaway! And I'll be writing a review soon but I need to read it again. Just once through and there are things I really liked and things I puzzled over and said "hmmm." So I'll re-read it a little more critically and then try to do it justice.
Okay, here's the updated review after a second reading and a 2-star rating. I was annoyed nearly all the way through this book and it has to do with the plot. While I am a Shakespeare fan, his play "Romeo & Juliet" is one of his worst -- pride, intransigence, teenage drama. It's just wearing. So once the Bad Blood plot came clear, I heaved a big sigh. Oh fine, I said, let's slog on.
And a slog it is. Kate herself is noticeably missing for much of the first half of the book (she's the Friar, I think). And then, all of a sudden, there she is in one of those insular villages alongside Jim Chopin. And while I like Jim, he's not the reason I read this series.
One of the main reasons I read this series is Kate and her relationships with the people around her. If she's not the center, the book fails. Therefore, this book fails.
And no humor, either, a cardinal sin. Depressing.
Okay, here's the updated review after a second reading and a 2-star rating. I was annoyed nearly all the way through this book and it has to do with the plot. While I am a Shakespeare fan, his play "Romeo & Juliet" is one of his worst -- pride, intransigence, teenage drama. It's just wearing. So once the Bad Blood plot came clear, I heaved a big sigh. Oh fine, I said, let's slog on.
And a slog it is. Kate herself is noticeably missing for much of the first half of the book (she's the Friar, I think). And then, all of a sudden, there she is in one of those insular villages alongside Jim Chopin. And while I like Jim, he's not the reason I read this series.
One of the main reasons I read this series is Kate and her relationships with the people around her. If she's not the center, the book fails. Therefore, this book fails.
And no humor, either, a cardinal sin. Depressing.
March 5, 2013
Loved this book!. The quiet review of all the characters in the park, alive or past, was a bit scary because it reminded me of Hunter's Moon where everything is going so well for the people that Kate loves and then it's almost as if nature is seeking balance, forshadowing horrible things to come. The Yin and the Yang. I enjoyed the Romeo and Juliet theme exceedingly. The feuding villages, the families vs families, the senseless violence, eye for an eye--all was written to perfection--I just could not put this book down. Poor Chopper Jim has to wade through all the lies and silences to find out the who did it and why's of three murders. Kate's dealings with the bootlegger who sold to her mother comes back to haunt her in a very Shakespearian way. The ending is draw dropping frightening and I will admit I yelled out loud, then sat there stunned.
March 8, 2013
Amid all the rave reviews here, I hesitate to say I disagree. This series has always been unique in character development, historic foundation and using the setting of Alaska to draw the reader in. Bad Blood seemed like a cop-out, that the author felt the need to go to a more edgy, cut-away style, complete with a cliff hanger. I had been looking forward to the next Kate Shugak book, but this one left me disappointed.
March 12, 2023
Romeo and Juliet in Alaska? Well in Bad Blood Dana Stabenow makes it work. I am on the other hand really mad at her for the ending... I have three more books to read in this series and she ends this one as she does, what's the point in continue reading? What will happen? Who will the books be about? Well if you like me have come this far in our journey you'll just have to read on. I have had such fun so far and I even have one more about Liam Campbell to read.
September 24, 2021
4.5
Oh gods that ending ! Get the next book before you finish this, the cliffhanger will rip your heart out.
Oh gods that ending ! Get the next book before you finish this, the cliffhanger will rip your heart out.
November 24, 2024
Was My Book Missing Pages?
---------------->SPOILER ALERT AHEAD SORRY!<-------------------------------
I have never really disliked any of Ms. Stabenow's books except after she killed off Jack. Even then, after a while, I picked up the series again. I even ended up loving the series more after I got used to Jack not being around. Then we recently lost Old Sam. You expect many beloved characters to die in a series of this length, especially when most of them are quite old. But I just finished this one and feel like I can't be sure what the hell has happened.
We have Jim investigating a possible murder at the site between two feuding villages, then another murder and another murder, an elopement of two young adults, each from opposing villages, just like Romeo and Juliet. As a matter of fact, if you think about it, this whole book is just a modern version of Romeo and Juliet, what with feuding families, politics, and deaths. You just don't have the kids dying like in the original, and you need to throw in bootlegging and massive amounts of drugs.
So both of the main characters (sort of) have been shot, and one was even shot in the chest. They were not wearing Kevlar either, or we wouldn't see blood, right? Then we hear a "golden crested bird singing a mournful song,"...so one or both of these main characters must be dead. Right? The End. Find out what happened in the next episode! IF there is going to be a next episode! Boo.
---------------------->END SPOILER ALERT<-----------------
Throughout this book, I had been thinking that it was odd that the author would add so much backstory yet not give us anything of some of the more beloved and usual characters. The only one we see in this book is Bobby, not even Dinah or Katya, no Aunties, no Bernie. I thought to myself that perhaps this was Ms. Stabenow's way of getting ready to take us in a new direction. Because this book seems so different from what she normally gives us. And as pointed out, it was significantly shorter than any but her first books. But with this ending, could it be the series has ended with us being none-the-wiser?
There is one main plot, but with several limbs off of it, and that is sometimes the norm for these books, but this one just didn't feel right; there was too much going on about politics and not enough going on about what was happening with the plot.
This can't be the last book, no matter what it feels like, since there are too many huge plot lines left open...but even still, it still feels like the end.
No matter, this is the first of her books that I found myself nibbling at instead of devouring in one huge gulp, and it still ended up giving me indigestion.
---------------->SPOILER ALERT AHEAD SORRY!<-------------------------------
I have never really disliked any of Ms. Stabenow's books except after she killed off Jack. Even then, after a while, I picked up the series again. I even ended up loving the series more after I got used to Jack not being around. Then we recently lost Old Sam. You expect many beloved characters to die in a series of this length, especially when most of them are quite old. But I just finished this one and feel like I can't be sure what the hell has happened.
We have Jim investigating a possible murder at the site between two feuding villages, then another murder and another murder, an elopement of two young adults, each from opposing villages, just like Romeo and Juliet. As a matter of fact, if you think about it, this whole book is just a modern version of Romeo and Juliet, what with feuding families, politics, and deaths. You just don't have the kids dying like in the original, and you need to throw in bootlegging and massive amounts of drugs.
So both of the main characters (sort of) have been shot, and one was even shot in the chest. They were not wearing Kevlar either, or we wouldn't see blood, right? Then we hear a "golden crested bird singing a mournful song,"...so one or both of these main characters must be dead. Right? The End. Find out what happened in the next episode! IF there is going to be a next episode! Boo.
---------------------->END SPOILER ALERT<-----------------
Throughout this book, I had been thinking that it was odd that the author would add so much backstory yet not give us anything of some of the more beloved and usual characters. The only one we see in this book is Bobby, not even Dinah or Katya, no Aunties, no Bernie. I thought to myself that perhaps this was Ms. Stabenow's way of getting ready to take us in a new direction. Because this book seems so different from what she normally gives us. And as pointed out, it was significantly shorter than any but her first books. But with this ending, could it be the series has ended with us being none-the-wiser?
There is one main plot, but with several limbs off of it, and that is sometimes the norm for these books, but this one just didn't feel right; there was too much going on about politics and not enough going on about what was happening with the plot.
This can't be the last book, no matter what it feels like, since there are too many huge plot lines left open...but even still, it still feels like the end.
No matter, this is the first of her books that I found myself nibbling at instead of devouring in one huge gulp, and it still ended up giving me indigestion.
December 4, 2013
As I indicated in one of my status updates, I found that Bad Blood wasn't as engrossing as past entries in the series, at least until the final chapters when it did pick up steam. Kate and Jim were rarely present early on, especially Kate, and much of the early story seemed a treatise on development of native lands. As I read further this episode also seemed almost a placeholder between books, as there are many plot pieces that are sitting waiting to be picked up.
That being said, I did find many of Stabenow's typically excellent pictures of the Alaskan land and people. Also the action at the end was more at the level of the other novels I've read. The moral and ethical quandaries being faced seem to be getting harder for all in The Park as outside influences, and inside prejudices, continue to rise.
Recommended to those who are following the series.
That being said, I did find many of Stabenow's typically excellent pictures of the Alaskan land and people. Also the action at the end was more at the level of the other novels I've read. The moral and ethical quandaries being faced seem to be getting harder for all in The Park as outside influences, and inside prejudices, continue to rise.
Recommended to those who are following the series.
April 19, 2013
Disappointing Kate Shugak novel
Dana Stabenow is on my Top Ten author list especially for her Kate Shugak series. I have read all of her books, even the science fiction earlier ones, and "Bad Blood" didn't measure up to the previous books. I guess all authors are entitled to bad writing experiences but I'm so disappointed that Stabenow fizzled out on this latest in my favorite series.
Disjointed, convoluted, very little character development - it really felt like Stabenow didn't even write this Shugak offering. Kate was in the background for most of the book and even when she was at the forefront, it was a weak showing.
I missed the map that we normally get showing an overview of Niniltna and the crime scenes. I missed interaction with the Aunties. I missed Johnny and his relationship with Kate. And I could go on and on.
And that is without going into anything about the abrupt, cliffhanger ending.
I am glad that I got this from the library rather than buying it myself. Paying a premium price for a sub-par product would have upset me even more.
If this was my first Shugak book,I wouldn't be back for more. As it is, I hope Stabenow is back to her normal, great author self for the next Shugak offering.
Dana Stabenow is on my Top Ten author list especially for her Kate Shugak series. I have read all of her books, even the science fiction earlier ones, and "Bad Blood" didn't measure up to the previous books. I guess all authors are entitled to bad writing experiences but I'm so disappointed that Stabenow fizzled out on this latest in my favorite series.
Disjointed, convoluted, very little character development - it really felt like Stabenow didn't even write this Shugak offering. Kate was in the background for most of the book and even when she was at the forefront, it was a weak showing.
I missed the map that we normally get showing an overview of Niniltna and the crime scenes. I missed interaction with the Aunties. I missed Johnny and his relationship with Kate. And I could go on and on.
And that is without going into anything about the abrupt, cliffhanger ending.
I am glad that I got this from the library rather than buying it myself. Paying a premium price for a sub-par product would have upset me even more.
If this was my first Shugak book,I wouldn't be back for more. As it is, I hope Stabenow is back to her normal, great author self for the next Shugak offering.
May 16, 2014
It is so annoying when a beloved book series goes bad. It happened with Elizabeth George and now Dana Stabenow. Stabenow was never the world's best writer but she developed some interesting characters and reading about Native American life in Alaska was fascinating. The setting was like another interesting character. I don't know what happened here but this book was drivel.
Here what's wrong with it: 1. An obvious Romeo and Juliet rip-off done very poorly. 2. There was very little of the regular cast of characters and Kate's character was so flat that it would have better if she had been left out completely 3. It was short but that was a blessing as it put me out of my misery early 4. It was set up like a TV script. Perhaps it was a rejected TV proposal. That's too bad because Kate and Alaska could be an interesting series if done properly. 5. It was poorly written with a laughable plot.
I don't need to go on and on. I would recommend you avoid this one and read one of the early ones. I have learned my lesson from the Elizabeth George debacle. I won't buy another one until I read the reviews. I'm that disappointed.
Here what's wrong with it: 1. An obvious Romeo and Juliet rip-off done very poorly. 2. There was very little of the regular cast of characters and Kate's character was so flat that it would have better if she had been left out completely 3. It was short but that was a blessing as it put me out of my misery early 4. It was set up like a TV script. Perhaps it was a rejected TV proposal. That's too bad because Kate and Alaska could be an interesting series if done properly. 5. It was poorly written with a laughable plot.
I don't need to go on and on. I would recommend you avoid this one and read one of the early ones. I have learned my lesson from the Elizabeth George debacle. I won't buy another one until I read the reviews. I'm that disappointed.
June 21, 2015
SETTING: Alaska
SERIES: #20 of 20
RATING: 2.5
Kushtaka and Kuskulana are two Alaskan villages founded over 100 years ago where two rivers meet. There has been a bitter rivalry between them ever since, with Kuskulana thriving and Kushtaka dying. The inhabitants of each village act more as enemies than neighbors. Thus, when a Kushtaka teen is murdered, it is immediately assumed that a Kuskulanan is to blame. And when shortly thereafter a Kuskulanan is murdered, it appears to be payback from the other village.
Other deaths occur, and it’s up to Sgt. Jim Chopin to sort things out. It’s a tough investigation, with both sides withholding evidence; and Jim finds the attitudes of each to be extremely frustrating. He spends a lot of time flying back and forth between his home and the villages and finds himself a target of their animosity. The fact that there’s a growing romance between two teens from each of the villages further complicates things. That situation leads to conflict between Jim and his significant other, Kate Shugak.
Normally, this series features Kate, with whom Jim lives, together with her half wolf, Mutt. Unfortunately, Kate does not take an active part in the book until almost 70 pages before the end. Earlier chapters told from her point of view focus on her daily life and explanations about her homestead. These were mostly long digressions that did not actively advance the plot. The usual cast of characters (such as “the Aunties”) was completely missing.
I also didn’t care for the cliffhanger ending. Even though I would like to know what happened, I don’t feel motivated to get the next book, given my lukewarm reaction to this one.
SERIES: #20 of 20
RATING: 2.5
Kushtaka and Kuskulana are two Alaskan villages founded over 100 years ago where two rivers meet. There has been a bitter rivalry between them ever since, with Kuskulana thriving and Kushtaka dying. The inhabitants of each village act more as enemies than neighbors. Thus, when a Kushtaka teen is murdered, it is immediately assumed that a Kuskulanan is to blame. And when shortly thereafter a Kuskulanan is murdered, it appears to be payback from the other village.
Other deaths occur, and it’s up to Sgt. Jim Chopin to sort things out. It’s a tough investigation, with both sides withholding evidence; and Jim finds the attitudes of each to be extremely frustrating. He spends a lot of time flying back and forth between his home and the villages and finds himself a target of their animosity. The fact that there’s a growing romance between two teens from each of the villages further complicates things. That situation leads to conflict between Jim and his significant other, Kate Shugak.
Normally, this series features Kate, with whom Jim lives, together with her half wolf, Mutt. Unfortunately, Kate does not take an active part in the book until almost 70 pages before the end. Earlier chapters told from her point of view focus on her daily life and explanations about her homestead. These were mostly long digressions that did not actively advance the plot. The usual cast of characters (such as “the Aunties”) was completely missing.
I also didn’t care for the cliffhanger ending. Even though I would like to know what happened, I don’t feel motivated to get the next book, given my lukewarm reaction to this one.
September 16, 2016
This is a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in Alaska, a familiar story of the Park where Kate Shugak is facing a summer of unaccustomed peace and prosperity. Her bank account is good so she doesn't need to do PI work unless she wants to. Her adopted son Johnny is working at the new goldmine and making decent money. She's got plenty of firewood from the dead spruce trees, and birches are filling the gaps. And her boyfriend Officer Jim is working to get new troopers up to aid him since the mine has brought so much chaos in the wake of the new workers.
Then a young man is killed while working a fish trap on a stream, and a feud becomes apparent between a modern village of outsiders who are prospering and a traditional village of Natives who are not. The Romeo and Juliet aspect feels a bit heavily accented - the young couple's initials are even R and J - while all kinds of people are suddenly learning to fly in order to get them at the right place at the right time for the story. The wilderness descriptions are beautiful as ever and the richness of an Alaskan summer is clearly measured in more than gold.
I don't like books which end on cliffhangers so that is the main reason why I am taking off a star. I am sure that the author meant to work twenty Kate books and take a break from the series, and wanted a hook to drag her back and make readers ask her what will happen next. If all ended happily it would be too easy to leave the series alone. Stabenow has gone on to write historical adventures about the Silk Road.
Then a young man is killed while working a fish trap on a stream, and a feud becomes apparent between a modern village of outsiders who are prospering and a traditional village of Natives who are not. The Romeo and Juliet aspect feels a bit heavily accented - the young couple's initials are even R and J - while all kinds of people are suddenly learning to fly in order to get them at the right place at the right time for the story. The wilderness descriptions are beautiful as ever and the richness of an Alaskan summer is clearly measured in more than gold.
I don't like books which end on cliffhangers so that is the main reason why I am taking off a star. I am sure that the author meant to work twenty Kate books and take a break from the series, and wanted a hook to drag her back and make readers ask her what will happen next. If all ended happily it would be too easy to leave the series alone. Stabenow has gone on to write historical adventures about the Silk Road.
May 13, 2016
I'm a huge fan of the Kate Shugak series and this book gives us much of what makes the series so wonderful: fabulous descriptions of Alaska and Alaskans that make the reader feel like she's been there (or would like to visit), memorable characters, and a mystery to solve. However, this book didn't give quite enough of the latter two as many of the better entries in this series.
First of all, the book was relatively short for a novel, so I breezed through it even more quickly than usual. Kate and Jim are separated for much of the book, though the sections in which they are together are wonderful, both for the delicious banter and for the delicious, ahem, getting together. The mystery--people on both sides of a Hatfield and McCoy type feud are getting killed while a Romeo and Juliet relationship unfolds for a young couple--held few surprises, always a disappointment for this mystery fan who too frequently figures things out quickly anyway.
But the thing that really spoiled things for me was the ending. I. Hate. Cliffhangers. Especially when the next book won't come out for a year, my chief emotion during the wait is annoyance rather than eagerness to find out what happens.
That said, this is an enjoyable chapter in the series. I'll look forward--in somewhat bad temper--to the next book.
N.B. It would be helpful and enlightening for readers to have read the short story "Nooses Give" before reading this book. The events of that story play a role in this one.
First of all, the book was relatively short for a novel, so I breezed through it even more quickly than usual. Kate and Jim are separated for much of the book, though the sections in which they are together are wonderful, both for the delicious banter and for the delicious, ahem, getting together. The mystery--people on both sides of a Hatfield and McCoy type feud are getting killed while a Romeo and Juliet relationship unfolds for a young couple--held few surprises, always a disappointment for this mystery fan who too frequently figures things out quickly anyway.
But the thing that really spoiled things for me was the ending. I. Hate. Cliffhangers. Especially when the next book won't come out for a year, my chief emotion during the wait is annoyance rather than eagerness to find out what happens.
That said, this is an enjoyable chapter in the series. I'll look forward--in somewhat bad temper--to the next book.
N.B. It would be helpful and enlightening for readers to have read the short story "Nooses Give" before reading this book. The events of that story play a role in this one.
February 12, 2013
I really like Stabenow's Shugak series, and this one is up to the high standard she has set in the previous books. I received my ARC as a goodreads giveaway. In this installment, changes are coming to the Park. Some of the older characters have passed away, and development is approaching at a gallop. In the midst of this, as if frozen in time, are two villages at odds with one another. In addition to telling an absorbing story, Stabenow conveys a sense of the grandeur and remoteness of the Alaskan countryside, and of the unique blend of native and foreign peoples and their interactions.
November 25, 2021
Groaning. That ending!!
February 23, 2013
There are dueling villages. The Kushtaka and the Kuskulana. The villages sit across the river from each other.
Pat Mack goes to check on Tyler. Tyler is suppose to be catching fish from the fish wheel. Something is stuck in the wheel. Pat pulls on the item and is left speechless by what he sees. It is Tyler. He has been crammed into one of the baskets in the fish wheel.
Jim Chopin heads up the murder investigation. Who would want to kill Tyler and why? Is there another grudge going on between the Kushtaka and the Kuskulana? These are all questions that Jim must find answers to. He is going to need some assistance, so he calls on his girlfriend, PI Kate Shugak.
I have seen this author’s name around but have not have not had the pleasure of reading one of Dana’s books yet. Bad Blood sounded intriguing to me, so I decided to start now. Ok, after reading this book my report is…Why?! Why have I not read this series sooner?
I liked Jim and Kate’s witty banter that they had with each other. I could tell that they made a good couple even though they spent most of the book apart from each other. For me I tended to like Jim more. This is only because he was more involved with the murder, which is where my focal point was at. However, I also did like Kate. She brought a nice female perspective to the book. Having not read any of the prior novels, there were things about her that made me want to get to know her better. Thus I will be going back to the beginning. The ending was just as promised. I was surprised by how it ended. There is nothing bad about this book. It is all good.
Pat Mack goes to check on Tyler. Tyler is suppose to be catching fish from the fish wheel. Something is stuck in the wheel. Pat pulls on the item and is left speechless by what he sees. It is Tyler. He has been crammed into one of the baskets in the fish wheel.
Jim Chopin heads up the murder investigation. Who would want to kill Tyler and why? Is there another grudge going on between the Kushtaka and the Kuskulana? These are all questions that Jim must find answers to. He is going to need some assistance, so he calls on his girlfriend, PI Kate Shugak.
I have seen this author’s name around but have not have not had the pleasure of reading one of Dana’s books yet. Bad Blood sounded intriguing to me, so I decided to start now. Ok, after reading this book my report is…Why?! Why have I not read this series sooner?
I liked Jim and Kate’s witty banter that they had with each other. I could tell that they made a good couple even though they spent most of the book apart from each other. For me I tended to like Jim more. This is only because he was more involved with the murder, which is where my focal point was at. However, I also did like Kate. She brought a nice female perspective to the book. Having not read any of the prior novels, there were things about her that made me want to get to know her better. Thus I will be going back to the beginning. The ending was just as promised. I was surprised by how it ended. There is nothing bad about this book. It is all good.
June 10, 2016
This is a crime novel set in Alaska in July. There are two villages, where two rivers meet and a rivalry that dates back a century. One village, Kuskulana has prospered, while the other; Kushtaka has not. The bad blood of the title is the bad blood between the two villages. This apparently the 20th Kate Shugak novel, but she is not involved until the second half, unless you count the tour of her land, which might interest someone who had read the other 19 Kate Shugak novels, but didn’t interest me. Her lover, state trooper Jim Chopin is trying to investigate a murder in Kushtaka, where the body of a young man is found in a fish wheel, used for catching salmon. Jim wants to catch a bigger fish but everyone in the village is tight-lipped.
“I feel like the chorus in a five act play.” Jim said, “I can see everything that is going on, but I can’t do fuck all about it.”
The book is divided into five acts, the rivalry of the two villages echoes the feuding families in Romeo and Juliet. This becomes all the more apparent when a girl from the Kushtaka village elopes with a boy from Kuskulana.
The action takes a long time to get interesting, and there is precious little humour. The ending is a surprise, which I won’t spoil. The landscape is full of bears and wolverines and skiffs and lots of daylight.
“I feel like the chorus in a five act play.” Jim said, “I can see everything that is going on, but I can’t do fuck all about it.”
The book is divided into five acts, the rivalry of the two villages echoes the feuding families in Romeo and Juliet. This becomes all the more apparent when a girl from the Kushtaka village elopes with a boy from Kuskulana.
The action takes a long time to get interesting, and there is precious little humour. The ending is a surprise, which I won’t spoil. The landscape is full of bears and wolverines and skiffs and lots of daylight.
April 17, 2013
I've been following the Kate Shugak series from the first, and since I've read so many, with a constantly growing and evolving cast of characters it's impossible to read this without harking back through the series. My advice to first time readers: stop, get the first volume and start there.
Having said that, two-thirds of this book is Stabenow at the top of her form with humor, marvelous settings, and interesting character interactions. The problem comes with the last third, where the two feuding groups and the various nefarious schemes become difficult to tell apart. It does not help that the two groups both have family names beginning with 'S' so I had to go back and refresh constantly on who was who. And the entire book ends in a massive cliffhanger with the almost certain death of one of my favorite characters. I'm not going to say who but (SPOILER) check out my blog posting on the use of this plot device. http://mholland.squarespace.com/journ...
I hate it when authors do this. Still, it's a good add to the series, if you can put up with the end. Your call.
Having said that, two-thirds of this book is Stabenow at the top of her form with humor, marvelous settings, and interesting character interactions. The problem comes with the last third, where the two feuding groups and the various nefarious schemes become difficult to tell apart. It does not help that the two groups both have family names beginning with 'S' so I had to go back and refresh constantly on who was who. And the entire book ends in a massive cliffhanger with the almost certain death of one of my favorite characters. I'm not going to say who but (SPOILER) check out my blog posting on the use of this plot device. http://mholland.squarespace.com/journ...
I hate it when authors do this. Still, it's a good add to the series, if you can put up with the end. Your call.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2013
I've been a Stabenow fan for years; in particular a fan of the Kate Shugak series. The last few books though, have felt like more time was spent in reminding readers of all that has gone on before, than in giving the readers a new adventure. I find myself skimming a lot of backstory. In this particular book, there was that same issue, although Stabenow did give more original material. What I found hard about this one was keeping two villages with very similar names straight. I had to keep flipping back to remind myself which was which. The biggest problem for me though, was that the ending left me feeling cheated. It is a very dramatic ending, and a risk for the author, but it is such a cliffhanger that I felt it became a plot device to guarantee I'd buy the next book. Too much of a cliffhanger, which I never would have thought possible. I felt a tiny bit more would have closed some loops and still been a dramatic ending.
With that said, will I read the next one? Of course. I hope Stabenow will trust us readers to remember what has happened before and lead us, once again, on a race through the Park. Besides, I have to find out what happens next.
With that said, will I read the next one? Of course. I hope Stabenow will trust us readers to remember what has happened before and lead us, once again, on a race through the Park. Besides, I have to find out what happens next.
July 2, 2016
Unlike other reviewers of this book, I liked the cliffhanger. Dana has never shied away from shocking twists -- like letting Jack die! For me it makes the books far more real and likable. Life isn't easy, perfect or rolled up into little pretty packages in the end. In life loved ones die, people hurt one another and we often hate our jobs. That is something Ms Stabenow does well. Am I anxious to know the outcome from this cliffhanger? Yes, I am. And I like that.
Regarding the rest of the book. This mystery was less interesting to me than the last two. And, unfortunately the things I like best about the Kate Shaguk series are mostly absent. There was less development of the Jim/Kate storyline; Johnny was absent, and Bobby too; Alaska is less of a character in this story. So, I cannot give it more than 3 stars.
Regarding the rest of the book. This mystery was less interesting to me than the last two. And, unfortunately the things I like best about the Kate Shaguk series are mostly absent. There was less development of the Jim/Kate storyline; Johnny was absent, and Bobby too; Alaska is less of a character in this story. So, I cannot give it more than 3 stars.
May 17, 2024
Bad Blood (20)
I really enjoyed this one with the issues between the villages of kushtaka and Kuskulana... I had to go to the internet to find out what "fish wheel" looked like because I had a picture in my mind that just didn't fit what Stabenow was telling me.
One thing I enjoy are these detailed plots, they are just so engaging. In addition, I love that Chopper Jim cooks.
5 stars
Happy Reading!
I really enjoyed this one with the issues between the villages of kushtaka and Kuskulana... I had to go to the internet to find out what "fish wheel" looked like because I had a picture in my mind that just didn't fit what Stabenow was telling me.
One thing I enjoy are these detailed plots, they are just so engaging. In addition, I love that Chopper Jim cooks.
5 stars
Happy Reading!
November 28, 2015
O.M.G. what the hell happened at the end? Are you telling me I have to wait over a year to get the next and find out who survived? You're a mean one Ms Stabenow.
Here we have another adventure in the great beyond featuring Kate Shugak, Jim Chopin and Mutt. I can't say enough good things about this series. Ms. Stabenow writes with such passion that you feel as if you are there in the snow mobile with Shugak and Mutt or in the airplane with Jim. Everything is so realistic and fantastic. I surely hope #21 comes out sooner rather than later. I just have to know.
Here we have another adventure in the great beyond featuring Kate Shugak, Jim Chopin and Mutt. I can't say enough good things about this series. Ms. Stabenow writes with such passion that you feel as if you are there in the snow mobile with Shugak and Mutt or in the airplane with Jim. Everything is so realistic and fantastic. I surely hope #21 comes out sooner rather than later. I just have to know.
March 30, 2013
The death of a young hothead Kushtaka youth escalates years of resentment against the across-the-river village of Kuskulana. Kuskalana has used federal money to build a vibrant town while Kushtaka has remained undeveloped, causing its younger people to leave. Sergeant Jim Chopin's prime suspect is a Kuskulana man, who is unpopular for falling in love across the river. When a second murder that looks like retaliation occurs, Jim calls Kate Shugak for help because she is native. Not enough of the usual characters for me, mosly cameos. Even Kate's role is small. 2.5 stars.
March 4, 2013
Twentieth book in the series with more to come! What a thriller -- can't wait for the next book! Love this series set in Alaska with Aleut native Kate Shugak as the protagonist with her dog Mutt ("only half wolf!"). The planes, snowmobiles, bears, moose, salmon, crabbers, the North Sea, the Roadhouse, NNA, trucks, snow and more snow, oil, gold, evil antagonists, shootings, stabbings, robberies, gorgeous mountains and rivers, and the Aunties! and don't forget some gorgeous men! I'm going to read some of her other books, so I won't have such "Kate withdrawal."
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