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Edie Kiglatuk #2
The Boy in the Snow: An Edie Kiglatuk Mystery
In the second book of the Edie Kiglatuk Mystery Series, Edie’s discovery along Alaska’s Iditarod trail leads to a massive, far-reaching conspiracy
M. J. McGrath’s debut novel, White Heat, earned both fans and favorable comparisons to bestselling Scandinavian thrillers such as Smilla’s Sense of Snow and the Kurt Wallander series.
In M. J. McGrath’s compelling follow-up to White Heat, Edie Kiglatuk, the half-Inuit and half-outsider heroine, prepares to help her ex-husband, Sammy, in his bid to win Alaska’s world-famous Iditarod. But the race turns grim when she stumbles upon body of an infant—its tiny corpse covered in mysterious ceremonial markings—on land belonging to the Old Believers, an exiled Russian Orthodox sect.
Meanwhile, it’s election time and the lead candidate for governor of Alaska, Anchorage mayor Chuck Hillingberg, desperately wants to keep Edie’s discovery out of the press. As Sammy mushes his team across frozen wilderness, Edie begins an investigation that leads into a murky world of corrupt politics, religious intolerance, greed, and sex trafficking. But just as she begins to get some answers, Edie finds herself threatened by a painful secret from her past.
M. J. McGrath’s debut novel, White Heat, earned both fans and favorable comparisons to bestselling Scandinavian thrillers such as Smilla’s Sense of Snow and the Kurt Wallander series.
In M. J. McGrath’s compelling follow-up to White Heat, Edie Kiglatuk, the half-Inuit and half-outsider heroine, prepares to help her ex-husband, Sammy, in his bid to win Alaska’s world-famous Iditarod. But the race turns grim when she stumbles upon body of an infant—its tiny corpse covered in mysterious ceremonial markings—on land belonging to the Old Believers, an exiled Russian Orthodox sect.
Meanwhile, it’s election time and the lead candidate for governor of Alaska, Anchorage mayor Chuck Hillingberg, desperately wants to keep Edie’s discovery out of the press. As Sammy mushes his team across frozen wilderness, Edie begins an investigation that leads into a murky world of corrupt politics, religious intolerance, greed, and sex trafficking. But just as she begins to get some answers, Edie finds herself threatened by a painful secret from her past.
379 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2012
48 people are currently reading
739 people want to read
About the author
M.J. McGrath
7 books114 followersM.J. McGrath is an award-winning writer of non-fiction and crime novels. She is an experienced journalist, broadcaster, teacher, event organizer and speaker, with particular interests in London, literature, crime, feminism and psychology.
As Melanie McGrath she wrote the critically acclaimed and bestselling family memoir Silvertown. As Mel McGrath she writes crime novels including the psychological thriller Give Me The Child. McGrath lives in London and on the Kent coast.
As Melanie McGrath she wrote the critically acclaimed and bestselling family memoir Silvertown. As Mel McGrath she writes crime novels including the psychological thriller Give Me The Child. McGrath lives in London and on the Kent coast.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
March 17, 2024
“How d’you eat that stuff?” Anything other than meat or fish was just a waste of a chew!
Edie Kiglatuk is a diminutive arctic guide from the tiny Inuit community, Autisaq, on Ellesmere Island, a chunk of Canadian tundra hundreds of miles from nowhere that is arguably one of the harshest, coldest, most windswept, most desolate and most unforgiving terrains anywhere in the world. THE BOY IN THE SNOW opens with Kiglatuk flying to Nome, Alaska, to help her ex-husband on his bid to compete in the Iditarod, the world’s most dangerous dog sled race that traverses over 1000 km of tough Alaskan forest, mountains and rivers. On her first morning in Alaska during what we white southerners, “Qallunaat”, might characterize as a morning constitutional out on the land, Kiglatuk discovers the deep frozen corpse of an infant boy wrapped in an elaborately embroidered red cloth and marked with smeared ashes by an elaborate inverted cross.
Naturally, Kiglatuk and her close friend, Derek Palliser, an RCMP officer from the detachment in Kuujuaq back on Ellesmere, find themselves in the middle of an investigation that will eventually have repercussions across the entire state. As mysteries go, THE BOY IN THE SNOW moves at the speed of the glaciers that are prevalent throughout Alaska and the Canadian Arctic. To compare it to a more standard mystery or suspense thriller like Thomas Harris’ THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS or William Diehl’s PRIMAL FEAR is a bit like comparing the eloquent soft sci-fi of Clifford D Simak to the rock-em, sock-em hard space opera of something like Robert Heinlein’s STARSHIP TROOPERS. They’re just different beasts entirely.
The mystery is solved to be sure and the story is resolved in a satisfactory way but the true beauty of The Boy in the Snow is how McGrath outlines the circumstances of the murder - the awesome beauty and strength of the land in which it takes place; the societal norms that gave rise to the heinous human trafficking ring at the heart of the crime; the nature of American municipal and federal politics in a frontier location like Alaska; the head-butting animosity that occurs between fundamental Christianity and a sect of Russian Orthodox Catholicism; the ever present risk of hypothermia and frostbite that can result from the slightest mistake; and the vast, almost unbridgeable gulf that divides Inuit and other northern Aboriginal cultures from the Qallunaat that set the rules of the game.
Consider this eloquent, provocative example of the problem:
“All the Inuit she knew would say they’d rather die than spend even a night behind bars, and they meant it. In part, she thought, this was because they lived so much of their lives out on land that had no boundaries. It was also because Inuit knew they were obliged to act within a law based on principles they often found incomprehensible. It wasn’t as though they wanted to break the law; it was more that they didn’t feel it was their law in the first place.”
Then there is this atmospheric description of the Inuit attitude toward hunting and living off the land:
“You took a gun and a komatik, a sled, and a dozen dogs and you came back with some meat. She had thought of herself as liberating animals from their bodies so they could be born again. The act of killing had felt less like taking a life and more like releasing a spirit.”
Interesting stuff and an enjoyable read that is a refreshing change of pace from the usual fare that you’ll come across in the mystery section of the bookstore. Recommended.
Paul Weiss
Edie Kiglatuk is a diminutive arctic guide from the tiny Inuit community, Autisaq, on Ellesmere Island, a chunk of Canadian tundra hundreds of miles from nowhere that is arguably one of the harshest, coldest, most windswept, most desolate and most unforgiving terrains anywhere in the world. THE BOY IN THE SNOW opens with Kiglatuk flying to Nome, Alaska, to help her ex-husband on his bid to compete in the Iditarod, the world’s most dangerous dog sled race that traverses over 1000 km of tough Alaskan forest, mountains and rivers. On her first morning in Alaska during what we white southerners, “Qallunaat”, might characterize as a morning constitutional out on the land, Kiglatuk discovers the deep frozen corpse of an infant boy wrapped in an elaborately embroidered red cloth and marked with smeared ashes by an elaborate inverted cross.
Naturally, Kiglatuk and her close friend, Derek Palliser, an RCMP officer from the detachment in Kuujuaq back on Ellesmere, find themselves in the middle of an investigation that will eventually have repercussions across the entire state. As mysteries go, THE BOY IN THE SNOW moves at the speed of the glaciers that are prevalent throughout Alaska and the Canadian Arctic. To compare it to a more standard mystery or suspense thriller like Thomas Harris’ THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS or William Diehl’s PRIMAL FEAR is a bit like comparing the eloquent soft sci-fi of Clifford D Simak to the rock-em, sock-em hard space opera of something like Robert Heinlein’s STARSHIP TROOPERS. They’re just different beasts entirely.
The mystery is solved to be sure and the story is resolved in a satisfactory way but the true beauty of The Boy in the Snow is how McGrath outlines the circumstances of the murder - the awesome beauty and strength of the land in which it takes place; the societal norms that gave rise to the heinous human trafficking ring at the heart of the crime; the nature of American municipal and federal politics in a frontier location like Alaska; the head-butting animosity that occurs between fundamental Christianity and a sect of Russian Orthodox Catholicism; the ever present risk of hypothermia and frostbite that can result from the slightest mistake; and the vast, almost unbridgeable gulf that divides Inuit and other northern Aboriginal cultures from the Qallunaat that set the rules of the game.
Consider this eloquent, provocative example of the problem:
“All the Inuit she knew would say they’d rather die than spend even a night behind bars, and they meant it. In part, she thought, this was because they lived so much of their lives out on land that had no boundaries. It was also because Inuit knew they were obliged to act within a law based on principles they often found incomprehensible. It wasn’t as though they wanted to break the law; it was more that they didn’t feel it was their law in the first place.”
Then there is this atmospheric description of the Inuit attitude toward hunting and living off the land:
“You took a gun and a komatik, a sled, and a dozen dogs and you came back with some meat. She had thought of herself as liberating animals from their bodies so they could be born again. The act of killing had felt less like taking a life and more like releasing a spirit.”
Interesting stuff and an enjoyable read that is a refreshing change of pace from the usual fare that you’ll come across in the mystery section of the bookstore. Recommended.
Paul Weiss
April 11, 2013
For many North Americans used to mainstream murder mysteries and thrillers, McGrath opens the genre wide open and takes readers on a splendid ride. Alaska sets the scene for the book, surrounding the famed Iditarod dogsled race, a baby’s frozen body is discovered and no one is doing anything about it. When an orthodox religious group of outcasts are determined to be responsible, the small community seems ready to close the case. However, an amateur sleuth in town for the race begins to ask questions and will not rest until the real killer is found. While the story includes sub-plots about politics and the struggle between the ‘white’ and ‘northern’ ways of life, McGrath weaves a wonderful story that will open the eyes of reader who are used to murderers fleeing the police in the streets of LA, NYC, or even San Francisco. McGrath’s extensive research into the people of the Far North comes in very handy and truly is a great addition to this spectacular novel. Excellent twist near the end made the book all the more worthwhile.
While some may wonder why they ought to read such a book, about a people (or peoples) so disconnected from themselves, I would ask why not. While we may all be able to loosely relate to Joe Shmoe, detective for the NYPD or Jack Smith, SFPD criminalist, very few of us have any idea what goes on in the Far North and how different it can actually be. While some authors may take their own filter on what life would be like and how to survive in the snow, McGrath has firsthand knowledge of the world and has a way with words that keeps the readers wondering what is yet to come. Her subtle social commentary on the clash between the Inuit and those of us further south is second to none. Nuances lost on many are highlighted and addressed by McGrath, leaving that (needed) awkward feeling with the reader.
Kudos on a second wonderful novel, Madam McGrath. You capture the mystery so well and have opened my mind to a spin on a great genre.
While some may wonder why they ought to read such a book, about a people (or peoples) so disconnected from themselves, I would ask why not. While we may all be able to loosely relate to Joe Shmoe, detective for the NYPD or Jack Smith, SFPD criminalist, very few of us have any idea what goes on in the Far North and how different it can actually be. While some authors may take their own filter on what life would be like and how to survive in the snow, McGrath has firsthand knowledge of the world and has a way with words that keeps the readers wondering what is yet to come. Her subtle social commentary on the clash between the Inuit and those of us further south is second to none. Nuances lost on many are highlighted and addressed by McGrath, leaving that (needed) awkward feeling with the reader.
Kudos on a second wonderful novel, Madam McGrath. You capture the mystery so well and have opened my mind to a spin on a great genre.
November 20, 2014
Isn't it nice when you pick a book up at random because everything you have at home is not doing it for you & you just need to break the cycle of starting things & getting nowhere with them? And the book you pick up happens to be delightful? It makes me wonder why certain people come to the library & complain that there's nothing good to read, but that's neither here nor there. Edie Kiglatuk is a character I can absolutely get behind. This is a tad convoluted & very sad, and what on earth is with all the glaring editing errors? but it's still well worth the afternoon of effort it required. The only character I couldn't stand reading was the mayor, not because he's pure evil but because after the past few months of living in a swing state, I couldn't be more tired of thinking of or reading about anyone's political ambitions or machinations.
February 25, 2017
Compelling story, as the first one. Great protagonist and great - subtle - look at the Inuit way of life, here when transplanted to the 'south' - i.e., Alaska. I am wondering how much Marsha Killenberg (sp? I didn't read, but listened) was modelled on Palin? (and if so, what a GREAT dig).
But also, man oh man, the plot complexity and layers of twists and coincidences started to pile up like snow on an Arctic plain, until it threatened to veer wildly out of control like an Iditarod sled on a downhill slope. Speaking of which, what the hell was the tie-in between that narrative and the central Edie-driven one?
So: flawed but redeemed by otherwise strong story-telling and a wallop of an ending. Plus, dogs. :-)
I look forward to the final in this series.
But also, man oh man, the plot complexity and layers of twists and coincidences started to pile up like snow on an Arctic plain, until it threatened to veer wildly out of control like an Iditarod sled on a downhill slope. Speaking of which, what the hell was the tie-in between that narrative and the central Edie-driven one?
So: flawed but redeemed by otherwise strong story-telling and a wallop of an ending. Plus, dogs. :-)
I look forward to the final in this series.
March 3, 2020
Edie Kiglatuk (half Inuit, have European) has travelled from Ellesmere Island, Canada down to Anchorage, Alaska, USA--the farthest south she's ever been--because her ex is racing the Iditarod when she stumbles across a frozen body. It is also election time, and the last thing the current mayor of Anchorage--who is planning to run for state government--wants is a messy investigation, so he's keen on getting a suspect arrested and charged ASAP and not having the police dig too deep. But things are not particularly simple--in addition to various First Nations groups and politicians, there are the Old Believers and trafficked young Russian girls, and this is not a simple set up in the least.
McGrath is British and while she makes mistakes with some of her Alaska facts, this novel is intense and is similar to some Scandinavian mysteries--this is NOT a cozy mystery by any stretch of the defnition. I read the first and third books in this series two or three years ago, but had left this one aside due to inaccuracies regarding Alaska, but if you set that sort of thing aside, it's nearly as good as the other two, which I gave 4 stars to.
McGrath is British and while she makes mistakes with some of her Alaska facts, this novel is intense and is similar to some Scandinavian mysteries--this is NOT a cozy mystery by any stretch of the defnition. I read the first and third books in this series two or three years ago, but had left this one aside due to inaccuracies regarding Alaska, but if you set that sort of thing aside, it's nearly as good as the other two, which I gave 4 stars to.
May 14, 2025
Read the first couple of chapters in this book and I found it to be pretty slow. I found it to be not as intriguing as I thought. the writing and the suspense was practically not there. the characters were very dull
August 7, 2014
Edie Kiglatuk is in Alaska with her friend, policeman Derek Palliser, helping her ex-husband Sammy Inukpuk participate in the famous dog-sled race called the Iditarod. Edie is out in the woods exploring the area when she stumbles across a "spirit house" hidden under a tree which contains the body of a baby boy. She immediately informs the authorities and then begins her own investigation into what happened to this child.
This could have been a really good book but the story was so haphazardly patched together... I really just kept thinking how disjointed everything was. Connections were made that didn't make any sense, people who didn't even live in the same towns seemed to know the business of others in towns far away... The bad guys were all over the place... Just very confusing.
This could have been a really good book but the story was so haphazardly patched together... I really just kept thinking how disjointed everything was. Connections were made that didn't make any sense, people who didn't even live in the same towns seemed to know the business of others in towns far away... The bad guys were all over the place... Just very confusing.
November 14, 2016
I am a fifth generation Alaskan who grew up in rural, off-the-road-system Alaska. I currently live in the area in which this book is set. The author is not writing about Alaska and Alaskans that I recognize. This is a common problem with literature about our state. A problem tackled well by local authors like Eowyn Ivey and Seth Kantner. It grieves me that readers are not getting a true picture of my home from visiting authors with large readerships. I'm about 40 pages in and I don't think I can overcome the frustration enough to keep reading.
December 30, 2013
This book made no sense. The plot was convoluted and nonsensical. Why did any of the characters act the way the did? I didn't understand the bad guys' (yes, there were many) motivations. The author obviously visited Alaska and had many of her details right, but it didn't come together. It was as if she was book-smart about Alaska, but didn't really understand it. Poor character development. Disappointing.
July 19, 2019
Putting my mind in the cold of Alaska as Edie Kiglatuk’s former husband competes in the Iditarod dogsled race, is a good way to spend a hot summer day. Edie becomes disturbed by finding the body of a baby, and disagrees with authorities when they place the blame on a religious sect. So Edie gets so involved her safety is threatened. I enjoyed the plot and am so glad Edie has gotten control of her alcoholism. I want to read more of this series.
July 24, 2012
Too many words. The underlying structure of the book seems sound enough, for a run-of-the-mill genre crime novel. But it doesn't seem to have had much editorial input. That got me to wondering just how the publishing houses work nowadays. Many older well established authors have complained a lot over the past few years how book editing has drastically declined. It seems that for most authors, they get more of a copy edit of their book only, and then it's out to the marketing dept. This book badly needs some serious chopping and trimming; much of it reads more like a second draft than a finished polished product. There are just too many words doing too much explaining of mundane boring stuff. And they are hiding the interesting core.
I have always wondered why the name of the editor is not included in the book. The book will credit the cover illustration, the translator, but not the editor. And yet it seems the quality of the editor could make or break a book.
There was an interesting article about the lost art of editing in The Guardian last year: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/...
This was promising -- a crime novel set in Alaska, with an Inuit ("we call them Eskimos in Alaska") woman (with Baggage of course, including that old reliable one of Battle with Alcohol) as the main character. She stumbles across a frozen dead baby (or is she lead to it by a Spirit Bear? -- she is indigenous so there seems to be a need to have a mystical spiritual overlay; boring and predictable). The book founders in the plodding narrative which successfully blunts any tension.
ARC from Penguin.
I have always wondered why the name of the editor is not included in the book. The book will credit the cover illustration, the translator, but not the editor. And yet it seems the quality of the editor could make or break a book.
There was an interesting article about the lost art of editing in The Guardian last year: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/...
This was promising -- a crime novel set in Alaska, with an Inuit ("we call them Eskimos in Alaska") woman (with Baggage of course, including that old reliable one of Battle with Alcohol) as the main character. She stumbles across a frozen dead baby (or is she lead to it by a Spirit Bear? -- she is indigenous so there seems to be a need to have a mystical spiritual overlay; boring and predictable). The book founders in the plodding narrative which successfully blunts any tension.
ARC from Penguin.
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December 31, 2012The Boy in the Snow is the second book in M. J. McGrath's Edie Kiglatuk mystery series - the follow up to her very successful fiction debut novel White Heat.
Edie is a wonderfully unique protagonist. She is half Inuit, half white and makes her home on remote Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, working as a guide. She has travelled 'down south' to Alaska with Sergeant Derek Palliser to support her ex-husband/his friend Sammy in his bid to run the Iditarod. But while out on a drive, Edie stumbles across the body of a baby, left in the forest. Her reporting the body to the police is only the beginning of her involvement - she can't let it rest and begins to investigate on her own - with the help of Derek.
Edie is canny, intuitive, dogged, determined and just a really engaging and different character. McGrath has chosen unique settings and backgrounds as well. McGrath has written non fiction on the displacement of Canadian Inuit. Her fiction narrative carries detail and descriptions that utilize that knowledge very effectively. Customs, culture and language and the landscape all play an important role in McGrath's story.
The plotting of the mystery in The Boy in the Snow is excellent as well - corrupt politicians, age old religious sects and more. But, this is truly a character driven series - one I will be adding to my must read list.
I chose to listen to this book. Now the reader was Kate Reading - not one of my favorites as I dislike her habit of drawing out her words. (She just narrated Cornwell's The Bone Bed) But it didn't bother me as much this time - I think because I was quite engrossed in both the story and the characters.
Edie is a wonderfully unique protagonist. She is half Inuit, half white and makes her home on remote Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, working as a guide. She has travelled 'down south' to Alaska with Sergeant Derek Palliser to support her ex-husband/his friend Sammy in his bid to run the Iditarod. But while out on a drive, Edie stumbles across the body of a baby, left in the forest. Her reporting the body to the police is only the beginning of her involvement - she can't let it rest and begins to investigate on her own - with the help of Derek.
Edie is canny, intuitive, dogged, determined and just a really engaging and different character. McGrath has chosen unique settings and backgrounds as well. McGrath has written non fiction on the displacement of Canadian Inuit. Her fiction narrative carries detail and descriptions that utilize that knowledge very effectively. Customs, culture and language and the landscape all play an important role in McGrath's story.
The plotting of the mystery in The Boy in the Snow is excellent as well - corrupt politicians, age old religious sects and more. But, this is truly a character driven series - one I will be adding to my must read list.
I chose to listen to this book. Now the reader was Kate Reading - not one of my favorites as I dislike her habit of drawing out her words. (She just narrated Cornwell's The Bone Bed) But it didn't bother me as much this time - I think because I was quite engrossed in both the story and the characters.
December 12, 2016
Edie Kiglatuk, my favorite female sleuth, bear hunter, wilderness guide is back. She is half Inuit and embraces that part of her culture. Her home is in the treeless tundra of Ellesmere Island in Canada's Far North. This time she heads south to Anchorage, Alaska. She is there as support for her ex-husband, Sammy in his effort to complete the 1,100 mile world famous Iditarod dog sled race. Her friend, policeman Derek Palliser, also from Canada's Far North, is stationed as support at the end of the race near Nome.
Edie is disoriented by the large city of Anchorage, but even more by trees in the Forrest. On her first snowmobile excursion in the woods she becomes lost and stumbles upon the frozen body of a baby in a spirit house. Both the small house and the child have ceremonial markings.
Soon another dead child is found in similar circumstances. The authorities want this covered up and are quick to arrest man from a dissident Russian Orthodox sect called True Believers. Rumors are spread that the sect practices sacrifice and other dark rituals.
Edie is determined to get to the truth which leads her to corrupt politicians and a far reaching conspiracy involving human trafficking. When she, Derek and Sammy find themselves together near the end their lives are in extreme danger.
I love there books. The sense of place , the cold and snow, the frozen landscape makes for an atmospheric read. You can feel the chill ! I have read all 3 books in the series and hope for another one.
Edie is disoriented by the large city of Anchorage, but even more by trees in the Forrest. On her first snowmobile excursion in the woods she becomes lost and stumbles upon the frozen body of a baby in a spirit house. Both the small house and the child have ceremonial markings.
Soon another dead child is found in similar circumstances. The authorities want this covered up and are quick to arrest man from a dissident Russian Orthodox sect called True Believers. Rumors are spread that the sect practices sacrifice and other dark rituals.
Edie is determined to get to the truth which leads her to corrupt politicians and a far reaching conspiracy involving human trafficking. When she, Derek and Sammy find themselves together near the end their lives are in extreme danger.
I love there books. The sense of place , the cold and snow, the frozen landscape makes for an atmospheric read. You can feel the chill ! I have read all 3 books in the series and hope for another one.
October 19, 2020
Unfortunately I have read so many novels that fall into the "Really great" category that a sub par one really sticks out. This regrettably is one of those. Don't get me wrong it was a good read with a respectable plotline but was let down by the sheer implausibility of some of the actions therein. The heroine suffers from what I call the "Lisbeth Salander Complex" where against almost impossible odds she comes out on top yet again. An enjoyable enough read with a story that carries the reader merrily along but, like consuming a big bowl of sweet food, after a while you feel less than satiated.
May 22, 2016
A good solid second entry into McGrath's Edie Kiglatuk series. Edie, Derek and Sammy leave Ellesmere Island for the loud & crowded Anchorage Alaska. Sammy is running the Iditarod in honor of his murdered son Joe, Edie and Derek his mushing crew.
Nothing ever goes the way you imagine it. Not the race, not Edie's time in the city or her drive out on the snow mobile where she finds a small frozen wrapped bundled. Edie being Edie needs to find the answers to the mystery surrounding the bundle.
Filled with sad good-byes, new friends, timely political intrigue and of course, murder.
Nothing ever goes the way you imagine it. Not the race, not Edie's time in the city or her drive out on the snow mobile where she finds a small frozen wrapped bundled. Edie being Edie needs to find the answers to the mystery surrounding the bundle.
Filled with sad good-byes, new friends, timely political intrigue and of course, murder.
February 18, 2019
Though this is the second in a series, it was my first Edie Kiglatuk mystery. I found it at my local library on Audiobook to work for the PopSugar Challenge prompt #30:A book featuring an amateur detective and appreciated that it was set in Alaska, though McGrath is not an Alaskan.
I felt like the narrator did a pretty good job with pronunciations overall and then got weird with words like penitentiary pronouncing it peni-ten-she-airy like I've never heard it pronounced before.
I had a hard time keeping track of all of Edie's friends and their significance and relevance, maybe it wouldn't have been so hard for me if I wasn't stepping in to book #2?
But, I thought the mystery was good, Edie's amateur detectiving was good, and it suited me just fine!
I felt like the narrator did a pretty good job with pronunciations overall and then got weird with words like penitentiary pronouncing it peni-ten-she-airy like I've never heard it pronounced before.
I had a hard time keeping track of all of Edie's friends and their significance and relevance, maybe it wouldn't have been so hard for me if I wasn't stepping in to book #2?
But, I thought the mystery was good, Edie's amateur detectiving was good, and it suited me just fine!
November 24, 2019
Such a smart series, sometimes depressingly believable, with a very compelling heroine.
June 26, 2025
A decent read for a long commute. What I liked: the indigenous perspective, the often hilarious metaphors, the reality-based subject matter (can't divulge without spoiling, I think).
However, Edie Kiglatuk is just way too amazing for this to be a satisfying detective story. Too many things fell into place too easily.
However, Edie Kiglatuk is just way too amazing for this to be a satisfying detective story. Too many things fell into place too easily.
February 1, 2014
This is one of the worst books I have ever read. I forced myself to finish it. From the reviews I saw here, most people who liked it had read the first of the series (and said that this one was not nearly as good). I believe that is the main problem here. You HAVE to read the first book to understand the second. I have NO idea why this strange woman is with these people or what her motivations are. She comes across as just plain stupid and selfish. Why is she going around trying to solve a mystery on her own in the first place? The book kept alluding to her reasons but apparently these were all spelled out for us in the first book. Only at the end do we get even a tiny bit of an explanation but it's meant to be some big revelation which falls flat. So predictable...
Overall, the pieces fell together MUCH too neatly - and often with completely unbelievable scenarios. You really expect me to believe that this woman who has NEVER driven a truck before can not only rent one in another country without a driver's license, but also learn how to drive it perfectly IN ALASKA IN THE WINTER within a couple hours??? COME ON! And that is an example of an insignificant part of the story not ringing true. Imagine major plot lines just falling together like that! Ugh. Of course her pseudo-boyfriend just happens to speak Russian when she needs a translator! Of course complete strangers are going to spill their secrets to this weird woman simply because she asks! Such an insult to my intelligence.
What is her relationship with Derek? Are they a couple? I HAVE NO IDEA! IT WAS NEVER EXPLAINED! Why on earth does he keep putting up with her nonsense? And I actually liked his character to some extent. No clue why she would travel to Alaska just to support her ex-husband. She clearly hates leaving her hometown and hated being in Alaska. I certainly would not do anything for my ex-husband. Clues to that relationship must've been in the first book too. And to top it off she blows him off to do her own thing...I just don't get it. It was lazy writing simply to explain why the main character ends up in Alaska.
I am certainly no expert on Alaska, but much of what she wrote about the people and places seems fake. It annoys me to no end that people who enjoyed this book say this is such a wonderful snapshot of Alaskan culture. I highly doubt that. Then "Gilligan's Island" must be a perfect illustration of what life is like living in Hawaii...pfft. Just because she visited a place once does not mean she is capable of writing books set in that location.
This book had so much potential and it fell short. I cannot understand how it has received so many good reviews especially since I want to smack whoever suggested I read it. And I feel horrible for asking my library to obtain this copy. I should write them a letter of apology. How this author has won awards is beyond me.
Overall, the pieces fell together MUCH too neatly - and often with completely unbelievable scenarios. You really expect me to believe that this woman who has NEVER driven a truck before can not only rent one in another country without a driver's license, but also learn how to drive it perfectly IN ALASKA IN THE WINTER within a couple hours??? COME ON! And that is an example of an insignificant part of the story not ringing true. Imagine major plot lines just falling together like that! Ugh. Of course her pseudo-boyfriend just happens to speak Russian when she needs a translator! Of course complete strangers are going to spill their secrets to this weird woman simply because she asks! Such an insult to my intelligence.
What is her relationship with Derek? Are they a couple? I HAVE NO IDEA! IT WAS NEVER EXPLAINED! Why on earth does he keep putting up with her nonsense? And I actually liked his character to some extent. No clue why she would travel to Alaska just to support her ex-husband. She clearly hates leaving her hometown and hated being in Alaska. I certainly would not do anything for my ex-husband. Clues to that relationship must've been in the first book too. And to top it off she blows him off to do her own thing...I just don't get it. It was lazy writing simply to explain why the main character ends up in Alaska.
I am certainly no expert on Alaska, but much of what she wrote about the people and places seems fake. It annoys me to no end that people who enjoyed this book say this is such a wonderful snapshot of Alaskan culture. I highly doubt that. Then "Gilligan's Island" must be a perfect illustration of what life is like living in Hawaii...pfft. Just because she visited a place once does not mean she is capable of writing books set in that location.
This book had so much potential and it fell short. I cannot understand how it has received so many good reviews especially since I want to smack whoever suggested I read it. And I feel horrible for asking my library to obtain this copy. I should write them a letter of apology. How this author has won awards is beyond me.
October 30, 2013
This is a clever story with deep resonating comment on modern life. The main characters of the first book, White Heat are transposed into Alaska during the annual dogsled endurance race.
The star again is native hunter and Arctic guide Edie Kiglatuk clearly out of her comfort zone. This aspect is presented factually and not overplayed; her ability to adjust and adapt is championed as she takes on a new case. Finding a dead child in the forest she sets out to uncover the truth and find justice for the little one.
Along the way she has to overcome prejudice and tackle corruption within the local police department, unscrupulous business and political ambition, religious extremism and cult beliefs with sex slave people trafficking.
This makes for a complex and engrossing novel, the story is expertly woven into a cracking read with a strong sense of danger and clever plot twists.
The person of Edie is well drawn and realistic. Not only surviving within a modern age but adjusting and confronting where others comply, always able to draw on her own native instincts and the spirit world.
The book is a stand alone thriller that throws background light onto our imperfect modern world; it does this in an entertaining way without signposting issues or preaching a greener way. The author is clearly at home in this world and allows the reader to gain insight like a good guide. Her passion is reflected in excellent prose and rich language, humour prevails throughout but the real star of the book is the Arctic north.
The star again is native hunter and Arctic guide Edie Kiglatuk clearly out of her comfort zone. This aspect is presented factually and not overplayed; her ability to adjust and adapt is championed as she takes on a new case. Finding a dead child in the forest she sets out to uncover the truth and find justice for the little one.
Along the way she has to overcome prejudice and tackle corruption within the local police department, unscrupulous business and political ambition, religious extremism and cult beliefs with sex slave people trafficking.
This makes for a complex and engrossing novel, the story is expertly woven into a cracking read with a strong sense of danger and clever plot twists.
The person of Edie is well drawn and realistic. Not only surviving within a modern age but adjusting and confronting where others comply, always able to draw on her own native instincts and the spirit world.
The book is a stand alone thriller that throws background light onto our imperfect modern world; it does this in an entertaining way without signposting issues or preaching a greener way. The author is clearly at home in this world and allows the reader to gain insight like a good guide. Her passion is reflected in excellent prose and rich language, humour prevails throughout but the real star of the book is the Arctic north.
November 5, 2015
This is a perfectly decent thriller. I quite enjoyed it but in the end I found it followed a rather familiar formula despite the arctic setting which I had hoped would make it distinctive and more interesting.
The plot follows a pretty familiar course. Edie, an Inuit woman from the Canadian High Arctic travels to Alaska to support her ex-husband in the Iditarod race. Before she gets to the start she makes a gruesome discovery which local police fail to investigate to her satisfaction, and so...well, you can probably guess. The plot involves political corruption and ambition, untrustworthy policemen, dark secrets of sexual misdemeanour and child-abuse, our heroine coming under mortal threat and so on. It really did all feel very formulaic and wasn't really redeemed by the setting which I didn't find all that well evoked. The one exception to this was a terrific few pages toward the end where Edie and two companions are stranded and need to try to survive out on the sea-ice. Suddenly both Edie and the environment sprang to life for me and I thought it was a remarkably good passage.
I have given this four stars because it had this flash of brilliance and the rest was perfectly well-written. It's an easy read but rather disappointingly unoriginal, and I can only give it a somewhat qualified recommendation.
The plot follows a pretty familiar course. Edie, an Inuit woman from the Canadian High Arctic travels to Alaska to support her ex-husband in the Iditarod race. Before she gets to the start she makes a gruesome discovery which local police fail to investigate to her satisfaction, and so...well, you can probably guess. The plot involves political corruption and ambition, untrustworthy policemen, dark secrets of sexual misdemeanour and child-abuse, our heroine coming under mortal threat and so on. It really did all feel very formulaic and wasn't really redeemed by the setting which I didn't find all that well evoked. The one exception to this was a terrific few pages toward the end where Edie and two companions are stranded and need to try to survive out on the sea-ice. Suddenly both Edie and the environment sprang to life for me and I thought it was a remarkably good passage.
I have given this four stars because it had this flash of brilliance and the rest was perfectly well-written. It's an easy read but rather disappointingly unoriginal, and I can only give it a somewhat qualified recommendation.
December 7, 2012
“The Boy in the Snow” by M.J. McGrath, published by Viking.
Category – Mystery
This is a mystery for someone who is looking for something different and one that has several layers of complexity.
“The Boy in the Snow” combines the harsh weather conditions of Northern Alaska, the famous Iditarod dog sled race, animal spirits, Russian Orthodox religion, Alaskan Politics, the Dark Believers, and the philosophy and psychology of the Inuit.
Edie Kiglatuk is half Inuit and is supporting her ex-husbands attempt to complete the Iditarod. Edie comes upon a small elaborately designed wooden house and upon exploring it finds a babies body inside frozen to death. The child’s death is blamed on the “Dark Believers” but Edie begins to investigate and discovers that there is much more behind this death than the authorities realize.
Another young child is found in a much similar way and forensics find something very unusual in both children’s deaths. This leads Edie into the area of greed, political intrigue, religious beliefs, and sex trafficking.
Edie leads the reader on an exciting and convoluted journey that keeps one guessing until the final pages. It is a story using harsh weather conditions as a backdrop with the beliefs and steadfastness of a not too well known people.
Category – Mystery
This is a mystery for someone who is looking for something different and one that has several layers of complexity.
“The Boy in the Snow” combines the harsh weather conditions of Northern Alaska, the famous Iditarod dog sled race, animal spirits, Russian Orthodox religion, Alaskan Politics, the Dark Believers, and the philosophy and psychology of the Inuit.
Edie Kiglatuk is half Inuit and is supporting her ex-husbands attempt to complete the Iditarod. Edie comes upon a small elaborately designed wooden house and upon exploring it finds a babies body inside frozen to death. The child’s death is blamed on the “Dark Believers” but Edie begins to investigate and discovers that there is much more behind this death than the authorities realize.
Another young child is found in a much similar way and forensics find something very unusual in both children’s deaths. This leads Edie into the area of greed, political intrigue, religious beliefs, and sex trafficking.
Edie leads the reader on an exciting and convoluted journey that keeps one guessing until the final pages. It is a story using harsh weather conditions as a backdrop with the beliefs and steadfastness of a not too well known people.
March 6, 2013
The Boy in the Snow is the sequel to White Heat which came out last year. I was looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy it. In truth, it was pretty dull. I listened to the audio-book and I'm surprised I even finished it. There was too much going on in the book and too many characters to keep track of to easily follow the book. I don't remember having this issue with the first one. One thing that got annoying was the main characters constantly being referred to by their full names.
The mystery wasn't very exciting. With the Iditarod in the background, I was expecting something related to that. Instead it just seemed to be used as an excuse to have Edie and Derek in Alaska. Maybe it was the main characters? Edie was so depressing that I didn't care what happened to her or anyone else. I was hoping to see more of the relationship between Edie and Derek develop, but it basically fizzled.
If there is a third book, I may read it. But, unless it is a significant improvement, I'll probably stop with the series.
The mystery wasn't very exciting. With the Iditarod in the background, I was expecting something related to that. Instead it just seemed to be used as an excuse to have Edie and Derek in Alaska. Maybe it was the main characters? Edie was so depressing that I didn't care what happened to her or anyone else. I was hoping to see more of the relationship between Edie and Derek develop, but it basically fizzled.
If there is a third book, I may read it. But, unless it is a significant improvement, I'll probably stop with the series.
April 17, 2013
This is the second Edie Kiglatuk mystery that I've listened to, and although I didn't think it was quite as good as the first book, I still really liked it. In this one, Edie and her policeman friend Derek Palliser have joined Edie's ex-husband, Sam, in Alaska as he competes in the Iditarod. When Edie takes off exploring on a snowmobile, she finds the frozen body of an infant boy with a strange symbol on him. Trying to discover his identity and how he ended up frozen in the woods like that lead Edie into a maze of cultists, corrupt politicians and land developers and even human trafficking. Her determination to get to the bottom of the mystery will, of course, put her in danger and her native abilities will get put to use, just not as much as in the first book. Edie's not exactly a sympathetic character, but she is tenacious!
November 17, 2012
M.J. McGrath's The Boy in the Snow has many great features--Alaska setting, the Iditarod, evil politicians, spiritual elements and history. Perhaps there are too many great features, which keeps the book from being a great book. The Iditarod race and some of the characters seem to be forgotten as the mystery unfolds. But this is worth the read, for Edie Kiglatuck, the half-Inuit sleuth, is an intriguing character that offers something new for the mystery reader. I will be picking up the first in this series, White Heat, and the next. Edie Kiglatuck has the potential to garner a great following.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
could-not-finish
May 4, 2013I won't rate this book because I couldn't finish it. I gave up. The opening scene was enough to tell me I wouldn't like it, but I read further and didn't change my mind.
This book begins with a ridiculously unrealistic scene that put a bad taste in my mouth right away. But I hoped the story would redeem itself. Instead, it seemed young adult, what I might have read when I was 12.
I don't need easy reading. So I stopped wasting my time.
I won this book on booktrib.com
This book begins with a ridiculously unrealistic scene that put a bad taste in my mouth right away. But I hoped the story would redeem itself. Instead, it seemed young adult, what I might have read when I was 12.
I don't need easy reading. So I stopped wasting my time.
I won this book on booktrib.com
Read
April 16, 2013This is the second book in this series that I have closed up before finishing. I remembered the title of the first one but did not remember my reaction when I picked this one up. My issue is the same. For whatever reason I cannot connect with or care about the characters. I don't understand it but there it is. I'm sure I will remember NOT to pick up any future books billed as "An Edie Kiglatuk Mystery".
September 13, 2016
I'm really into this series. Makes the necessary nods to the classic noir of the mid-20th century, but against the backdrop of the frozen arctic, or in the case of this entry, the Iditarod race in Alaska.
Edie Kiglatuk makes for a great hero, with her hunter's sense, a strong moral compass, and a take-no-prisoners attitude. Recommended for fans of Hammet, Chandler, and McDonald looking for a whole new take on that world.
Edie Kiglatuk makes for a great hero, with her hunter's sense, a strong moral compass, and a take-no-prisoners attitude. Recommended for fans of Hammet, Chandler, and McDonald looking for a whole new take on that world.
January 9, 2014
Sorry, don't do this very often but I've had to drop this book part thee way. The storyline is ok but there are too many 'oh by the way' moments and too much fleshing out history between dialogues. Tend to prefer these things unfolding over time through combination of narration, dialogue but get tags just preference.
March 3, 2013
I can't explain how annoyed I was with this book. Having lived in Nome and currently living in Anchorage I had a running list of inaccuracies. The author should have done far more research and I really hope, but doubt, that the majority who read this realize how much crap she made up.
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