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Anna Pigeon #7
Liberty Falling
Nevada Barr has been consistently praised for her enormously popular Anna Pigeon mysteries: "Exceptional" (Denver Post); "stunning" (The Seattle Times); "superb" (The New York Times Book Review); "a constant source of pleasure" (San Francisco Chronicle); "the writing and plotting talents of a master" (Publishers Weekly). With Liberty Failing, she gives us her most exciting and ambitious novel to date.When Anna's beloved sister Molly becomes gravely ill, Anna rushes to her bedside at New York's Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital. What began as pneumonia has turned horrifyingly more complicated, and Anna, helpless, can do nothing except sit and watch.
To clear her mind, Anna bunks with friends on Liberty Island and finds solitude across the harbor in the majestically decayed remains of hospitals, medical wards, and staff quarters of Ellis Island. Unlike the magnificently restored Registry Hall, these buildings are slowly being reclaimed by nature, where brick, glass, and iron are wrapped with delicate green tendrils and walls disappear behind leafy curtains. When a tumble through a crumbling staircase temporarily halts her ramblings, she's willing to write off the episode as an accident, until a young girl falls -- or is pushed -- to her death while exploring the Statue of Liberty. Park administrators are quick to point fingers, until one of their own meets a fate similar to the unidentified girl's.
Though she's warned against it, Anna plunges into the investigation, sure that the deaths are not accidental. While party boats raucously cruise the harbor and danger and casualties mount, Anna is determined to solve Liberty's problems and uncover the deadly secrets of her treasured island.
To clear her mind, Anna bunks with friends on Liberty Island and finds solitude across the harbor in the majestically decayed remains of hospitals, medical wards, and staff quarters of Ellis Island. Unlike the magnificently restored Registry Hall, these buildings are slowly being reclaimed by nature, where brick, glass, and iron are wrapped with delicate green tendrils and walls disappear behind leafy curtains. When a tumble through a crumbling staircase temporarily halts her ramblings, she's willing to write off the episode as an accident, until a young girl falls -- or is pushed -- to her death while exploring the Statue of Liberty. Park administrators are quick to point fingers, until one of their own meets a fate similar to the unidentified girl's.
Though she's warned against it, Anna plunges into the investigation, sure that the deaths are not accidental. While party boats raucously cruise the harbor and danger and casualties mount, Anna is determined to solve Liberty's problems and uncover the deadly secrets of her treasured island.
321 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
316 people are currently reading
1567 people want to read
About the author
Nevada Barr
66 books2,302 followersNevada Barr is a mystery fiction author, known for her "Anna Pigeon" series of mysteries, set in National Parks in the United States. Barr has won an Agatha Award for best first novel for Track of the Cat.
Barr was named after the state of her birth. She grew up in Johnstonville, California. She finished college at the University of California, Irvine. Originally, Barr started to pursue a career in theatre, but decided to be a park ranger. In 1984 she published her first novel, Bittersweet, a bleak lesbian historical novel set in the days of the Western frontier.
While working in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Barr created the Anna Pigeon series. Pigeon is a law enforcement officer with the United States National Park Service. Each book in the series takes place in a different National Park, where Pigeon solves a murder mystery, often related to natural resource issues. She is a satirical, witty woman whose icy exterior is broken down in each book by a hunky male to whom she is attracted (such as Rogelio).
Currently, Ms. Barr lives in New Orleans, LA.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/nevada...
Barr was named after the state of her birth. She grew up in Johnstonville, California. She finished college at the University of California, Irvine. Originally, Barr started to pursue a career in theatre, but decided to be a park ranger. In 1984 she published her first novel, Bittersweet, a bleak lesbian historical novel set in the days of the Western frontier.
While working in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Barr created the Anna Pigeon series. Pigeon is a law enforcement officer with the United States National Park Service. Each book in the series takes place in a different National Park, where Pigeon solves a murder mystery, often related to natural resource issues. She is a satirical, witty woman whose icy exterior is broken down in each book by a hunky male to whom she is attracted (such as Rogelio).
Currently, Ms. Barr lives in New Orleans, LA.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/nevada...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 472 reviews
March 30, 2024
In this seventh book of the Anna Pigeon mysteries, park ranger Anna Pigeon has come to NYC because her sister Molly is gravely ill. She’s visiting Molly in the hospital, staying on Ellis Island, and trying to avoid FBI agent Frederick Stanton, who used to date her, but who is now dating Molly (because, ouch.) While she’s at Ellis Island, several people are discovered dead at the base of the Statue of Liberty, presumably having jumped… but Anna isn’t so sure, and the further she investigates the matter, the more she begins to wonder if the investigators assigned to the case may have missed something. This series is one of my favorites because of the wonderful descriptions of each national park—a different one in every book. I enjoyed this book and its descriptions of New York especially. The author always leaves me guessing as I’m trying to solve her mysteries…
November 16, 2015
For me, this was the best Anna Pigeon novel so far. She gets to see Molly - in not so good circumstances, she gets to see some guys (new and old), and best of all - she wanders all over the abandoned buildings at Ellis Island. That was the best thing about the book. Sure, there's the usual murder plot, but I liked the setting immensely.
February 25, 2011
I don't usually like mysteries, but these Anna Pigeon books by Nevada Barr have captured me! Really, they are the first books I've read in a very long time that have me thinking about them even when I'm not reading: trying to figure out the solution to the mystery, or cogitating on Anna's unique and elegant way of reading others' body language, thoughts and feelings. Barr has an uncanny ability to evoke the sights, sounds, smells and feelings of our National Parks: wolves on Isle Royale, rafting down the Rio Grande, or clambering around the ruins of Ellis Island. Occasionally Barr's prose gets a little convoluted and too rich in twisty metaphors, but that is easily forgiven when enjoying these fabulous thrillers.
March 21, 2014
Absolutely horrendous writing, so thick with twisted metaphors that you have to reread sentences to find out what Barr is trying to say. The story is bad, too - the Liberty Island/Ellis Island setting is claustrophobic, the denouement dimwitted. Frederick Stanton, who used to be Anna's love interest but is now head over heels for the older, apparently homelier, and much unhealthier Molly, Anna's sister, is gross.
July 18, 2018
A departure from Anna Pigeon's usual assignment to a National Park. In this book she is visiting the Park at Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. This is one place I would love to visit; so I loved learning about the Islands. Again, I take a side excursion on the Internet to see the maps and also visit the NPS website telling about the park. There are some unusual characters involved with this mystery, which made it interesting. And I think Barbara Rosenblatt's reading is so great. I would listen to most any book she narrates.
November 17, 2015
I enjoy the Anna Pigeon books. Read this on a cruise that passed Lady Liberty going into NYC and back out to sea, so it was especially appropriate. Nevada Barr always does a great job evoking the characters and the location.
June 24, 2018
Really good read with an exciting ending. A little different to see Anna “imprisoned” in a city instead of her usual more rustic parks out west.
March 3, 2023
Mystery set on Liberty Island and Ellis Island
December 24, 2018
Mystery writer Nevada Barr was a ranger at various National Parks and has written 19 novels set in the parks. This one is her seventh and I have been reading them in order. I read them in the spirit of reader activism during these days of the current administration's tactics favoring profit over preservation when it comes to our supposedly protected national lands.
Liberty Falling takes place at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis National Monuments on Liberty and Ellis Islands. Park ranger Anna Pigeon, the protagonist in all of the novels, is on leave of absence to be with her beloved sister Molly, in intensive care after a case of pneumonia turned dangerously complicated. Since park rangers are relatively low paid government employees, Anna is staying with a friend on Liberty Island.
As she often does, Anna finds herself in emotional turmoil, fearing she will lose her sister and abhorring the crowded confines of New York City where her husband died many years ago. When she is not at Molly's bedside, she prefers exploring the overgrown abandoned hospitals, medical wards and old staff quarters on Ellis Island.
Then the tension builds further after Anna tumbles through a crumbling staircase in one of those buildings. Was it an accident? A young girl falls to her death from a Statue of Liberty lookout. Was she pushed? Finally a park administrator dies from a similar fall and Anna goes into full investigator mode because though she is officially on leave, investigating is what she does wherever she is.
If you have read the earlier books you may remember a certain FBI agent who has been romantically involved with both sisters. He shows up too! I say this every time I read another Anna Pigeon story but the author has once more outdone herself with her plotting, her dives into the psychological depths of her characters, and the intricate building of suspense.
Liberty Falling is set in the late 1990s so the Twin Towers still loom but terrorism within the United States shows its ugly face before Anna solves the several mysteries that have entangled her. Nevada Barr is firmly in my top three favorite female crime novelists alongside Sara Paretsky and Tana French.
May 17, 2015
Long on whine, short on action, lethargic on suspense. Not the best Pigeon book in the series. Still it did get me interested enough to get me to do some research on Ellis Island. I found pictures and video that agreed with the descriptions in the book.
January 7, 2019
The only problem I had with this book is the many many numerous spelling mistakes that were left uncorrected. Half the h's were b's and visa versa and c's were replaced with e's lot. It boggles the mind how there mistakes weren't noticed when the books were being printed or first sold.
I also find it interesting that this books main mystery and subject was an attack on a national monument of New York by extremists that takes place a year and a half before the world trade centers were brought down.
I also find it interesting that this books main mystery and subject was an attack on a national monument of New York by extremists that takes place a year and a half before the world trade centers were brought down.
June 3, 2018
Reread this again after having been to nyc for the first time and now have personally visited liberty and Ellis islands. Was much more enjoyable to read knowing exactly and being able to picture what Anna was describing. For some reason, I did struggle to really get into this book this time around - didn’t captivate right away and get moving. But maybe because it was lots of introspection and feelings surrounding he sister’s hospital stay. As always though, a great mystery that doesn’t disappoint.
July 24, 2016
I am assuming that the information on Liberty and Ellis Islands was researched by the author and is accurate. Anna Pigeon has come to New York to be with her sister who could die. By the end of the book, so much has happened to her that the reader is surprised that SHE hasn't been killed. It is interesting and exciting.
March 23, 2015
Reports of ghostly sounds by the night Park Ranger on Ellis Island has Anna searching the historic landmark’s creepy abandoned buildings. But what has brought her to New York City is her sister’s illness. It’s a heart-wrenching time for Anna in what is one of Barr’s best stories.
In Liberty Falling Barr reached a comfortable place writing Anna, the park ranger who grapples with murder in every park she works. The nice thing about this series is that Anna is such an authentic person, er, character. We like her because she screws up. She battles alcoholism, she struggles to express her feelings and she knows who we are because she is us. It’s the perfect combination of human weakness quelled by the strength we all somehow muster in challenging times.
To be close to her sister, Anna’s staying at a friend’s house on Liberty Island. When a fourteen-year-old girl takes the express route down the Statue of Liberty—usually 354 claustrophobic steps and a hot two-hour climb—Anna’s attention is diverted from her sister. A visitor to the statue claims that a park employee pushed the dead girl. Anna likes the accused, in spite of knowing Hatch for only a short while, and can’t help doing a little investigating on her on even though she has no legal authority. When Hatch is found dead at the base of Lady Liberty some herald it as a guilt-induced suicide but Anna thinks it may be murder.
Missing the open spaces in her home park of Mesa Verde, Colorado, Anna goes exploring Ellis Island, part of Liberty State Park. One building has been painstakingly restored to its lavish 1920s design but the others remain sad ruins of another era. During its day, 10,000 of the masses passed through Ellis Island each day hoping for a new beginning. The building consisted of a huge immigration center and state-of-the-art (at the time) hospital including operating theaters and autopsy facility. Today, the same numbers visit the compound and wonder what it must have been like. You will too because Barr describes it well and you almost feel lost in time.
What she finds leads to a conspiracy of death and destruction if Anna can’t uncover who is behind it. In the final spellbinding pages Anna attempts to thwart a pernicious plot at Liberty’s feet in Barr’s shining homage to the best and worst of humankind.
Liberty Falling does not fall short of expectations and instills in the reader a new appreciation for those who came before—yearning to breathe free.
To read full review, go to: https://reluctantmediumatlarge.wordpr...
In Liberty Falling Barr reached a comfortable place writing Anna, the park ranger who grapples with murder in every park she works. The nice thing about this series is that Anna is such an authentic person, er, character. We like her because she screws up. She battles alcoholism, she struggles to express her feelings and she knows who we are because she is us. It’s the perfect combination of human weakness quelled by the strength we all somehow muster in challenging times.
To be close to her sister, Anna’s staying at a friend’s house on Liberty Island. When a fourteen-year-old girl takes the express route down the Statue of Liberty—usually 354 claustrophobic steps and a hot two-hour climb—Anna’s attention is diverted from her sister. A visitor to the statue claims that a park employee pushed the dead girl. Anna likes the accused, in spite of knowing Hatch for only a short while, and can’t help doing a little investigating on her on even though she has no legal authority. When Hatch is found dead at the base of Lady Liberty some herald it as a guilt-induced suicide but Anna thinks it may be murder.
Missing the open spaces in her home park of Mesa Verde, Colorado, Anna goes exploring Ellis Island, part of Liberty State Park. One building has been painstakingly restored to its lavish 1920s design but the others remain sad ruins of another era. During its day, 10,000 of the masses passed through Ellis Island each day hoping for a new beginning. The building consisted of a huge immigration center and state-of-the-art (at the time) hospital including operating theaters and autopsy facility. Today, the same numbers visit the compound and wonder what it must have been like. You will too because Barr describes it well and you almost feel lost in time.
What she finds leads to a conspiracy of death and destruction if Anna can’t uncover who is behind it. In the final spellbinding pages Anna attempts to thwart a pernicious plot at Liberty’s feet in Barr’s shining homage to the best and worst of humankind.
Liberty Falling does not fall short of expectations and instills in the reader a new appreciation for those who came before—yearning to breathe free.
To read full review, go to: https://reluctantmediumatlarge.wordpr...
January 20, 2019
Though published in 1999, this remains a timely book twenty years later. I liked it well enough, though it's not among my favorite Anna Pigeon mysteries in the series. Unlike most of Barr's mysteries, this one has an urban setting, that of New York City. Though informative, the lengthy descriptions of Liberty and Ellis Islands seemed to overwhelm the mystery itself at times. Still, it was interesting to get the unique perspective "behind the scenes" of the Statue of Liberty from a park ranger's point of view. It's clear the author did extensive research and likely had an inside tour of the scene herself. Seems ironic now that the cover of the book features the Twin Towers and not Lady Liberty.
August 24, 2023
I listened to Flashbacks years ago and I really liked that book. When I found the books about Anna Pigeon I started from the beginning. You don't have to read all the books but you want to read them in the right order.
I find the information about the national parks really interesting. Thanks to Anna I would like to visit Ellis Island!
I wish Nevada Barr had more accurate information about what happens in the ICU! If you can't breathe, a doctor puts a breathing tube down your throat, it is hooked up to a ventilator. A respirator mask is something you use if you are painting etc.
For short term use, a feeding tube goes through the nose to the stomach.
Molly might have got TPN (Total parenteral nutrition) but that goes through a normal IV. A patient on a ventilator normally have their hands tied to the railings to avoid that they pull out tubes or IVs etc.
Anna is supposed to be an EMT but she walks around in the dark, in the old building where the floors and stairs are crumbling! None knows where she is! When she gets injured she doesn't seem concerned about cleaning the wound!
Why did Agnes bring anything to the island!? Both Ben and Mandy works there. Things have been brought by boat at night.
Why doesn't Anna tell someone when she realizes she was not the only intruder at the island that night?
The end of the book got even more strange. Anna calls 911 but hangs up when she doesn't know if she'll get connected to the right state. If she'd said she called about the Statue of Liberty she would have been connected to the right place!
Why would her boat start going in circles if she's driving straight from the beginning!? Why was Tucker holding Jim at gunpoint. He had no use for Jim. He'd already shot Andrew.
Why are all these women falling for Molly's doctor!? He didn't sound like a great catch.
Anna is supposed to be an alcoholic but she forgets to buy wine...
I find the information about the national parks really interesting. Thanks to Anna I would like to visit Ellis Island!
I wish Nevada Barr had more accurate information about what happens in the ICU! If you can't breathe, a doctor puts a breathing tube down your throat, it is hooked up to a ventilator. A respirator mask is something you use if you are painting etc.
For short term use, a feeding tube goes through the nose to the stomach.
Molly might have got TPN (Total parenteral nutrition) but that goes through a normal IV. A patient on a ventilator normally have their hands tied to the railings to avoid that they pull out tubes or IVs etc.
Anna is supposed to be an EMT but she walks around in the dark, in the old building where the floors and stairs are crumbling! None knows where she is! When she gets injured she doesn't seem concerned about cleaning the wound!
Why did Agnes bring anything to the island!? Both Ben and Mandy works there. Things have been brought by boat at night.
Why doesn't Anna tell someone when she realizes she was not the only intruder at the island that night?
The end of the book got even more strange. Anna calls 911 but hangs up when she doesn't know if she'll get connected to the right state. If she'd said she called about the Statue of Liberty she would have been connected to the right place!
Why would her boat start going in circles if she's driving straight from the beginning!? Why was Tucker holding Jim at gunpoint. He had no use for Jim. He'd already shot Andrew.
Why are all these women falling for Molly's doctor!? He didn't sound like a great catch.
Anna is supposed to be an alcoholic but she forgets to buy wine...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2020
I've been enjoying this series featuring Park ranger Anna Pigeon, although I have been reading the books out of order. With this one, I go back to Number 7 ( it was published in 1999). Anna finds herself in New York City, as her sister had become ill and was hospitalized in a New York hospital. While in the city, she bunks with a friend in the park service on Liberty Island. So once again, she is in a unit of the National Park system--and once again, gets involved in an investigation. A young girl falls--or is pushed --from the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. Is it suicide, an accident or murder? Anna, as usual, has to find out, although she is only a guest on Liberty Island.
I have to say I enjoyed the mystery, but I must admit I am terrible at figuring out whodunit. And I was wrong in this case. However, more than the mystery itself, I was fascinated by the setting of the story--Liberty Island and Ellis Island--especially seeing the behind-the-scenes world that we don't get to see on a visit to our great Lady Liberty.
I have to say I enjoyed the mystery, but I must admit I am terrible at figuring out whodunit. And I was wrong in this case. However, more than the mystery itself, I was fascinated by the setting of the story--Liberty Island and Ellis Island--especially seeing the behind-the-scenes world that we don't get to see on a visit to our great Lady Liberty.
June 21, 2023
The Anna Pigeon series is written by an ex- ranger. The hook is that each murder takes place at a different federal park. This one is different in that it doesn’t take place in nature, but on the island The Statue of Liberty is on. I think this one has been my favorite book in the series so far.
September 12, 2025
Another great Anna Pigeon mystery, with the emphasis not so much on the mystery as on her way of dealing with things. As ususal, a lot is learned about the setting, in this case, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Engrossing.
July 31, 2023
This is another series I started years ago and enjoyed, but put on hold until the audio versions of the books became available. I like that each book in this series is set in a different national park – or in this case, a national monument that is part of the National Park System – so we learn a lot about each location, and the information is presented as a relevant part of the story, not just facts thrown at the reader out of nowhere. I learned a lot about Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, neither of which I have visited, although both are on my bucket list.
I like Anna, the MC, a character who is not perfect, but has attitudes, weaknesses and fears that make her more real, and make me feel more sympathetic toward her. This book focuses on the relationship between Anna and her sister, with one of her failed romantic relationships also playing a large part. I felt empathy for Anna, a woman used to wide open spaces, physical exertion, and a sometimes solitary existence being stuck in New York City with noise and people around her all the time.
The mystery in this book was complex, with several puzzles to solve that turned out to be connected. There were a lot of threads weaving in and out of the story, and I gave up trying to figure out what was going on and who was responsible. The confrontation scene at the end of the book was tense, with a lot on the line, and I was unable to turn off the audio until everything was resolved.
I look forward to traveling to Mississippi for the next book in the series, to see what adventure awaits Anna – and what I’ll learn along the way.
I like Anna, the MC, a character who is not perfect, but has attitudes, weaknesses and fears that make her more real, and make me feel more sympathetic toward her. This book focuses on the relationship between Anna and her sister, with one of her failed romantic relationships also playing a large part. I felt empathy for Anna, a woman used to wide open spaces, physical exertion, and a sometimes solitary existence being stuck in New York City with noise and people around her all the time.
The mystery in this book was complex, with several puzzles to solve that turned out to be connected. There were a lot of threads weaving in and out of the story, and I gave up trying to figure out what was going on and who was responsible. The confrontation scene at the end of the book was tense, with a lot on the line, and I was unable to turn off the audio until everything was resolved.
I look forward to traveling to Mississippi for the next book in the series, to see what adventure awaits Anna – and what I’ll learn along the way.
May 27, 2020
This is my second thriller of 2020, and I had a great time! Continuing my trend of books recommended by family members, this one belongs to my mom. She read it many years ago, and I can say it's stood the test of time.
The Good
-Anna's narrative voice is extremely strong. Since this is the seventh book about her*, it's to be expected. She feels so well-developed. Clearly, she has a past and a future beyond this snapshot, which is always a good feeling in a character. We see the entire world through her eyes--other characters, situations, clues, etc, which is especially great in a mystery.
-The sense of place is SO GOOD. I've been lucky enough to go to both Ellis and Liberty Islands, and to read about them--especially the behind-the-scenes areas--is just so fun. I'm a total National Parks junkie, so if you're not, this might not be such a big deal to you.
-Very strong side characters/side plots. Crime fiction tends to rely on a good, fun set of stock characters, but not so with Nevada Barr. They were very memorable, and there were quite a few! I really liked the fact that we weren't one hundred percent focused on the mystery at all times, too. Her sister's health problems and Anna's own dating life were both fun to read about, too.
The Bad
-This is some pretty hard-boiled detective fiction, which is not at all bad on its own, but there are some common pitfalls that Barr does fall into from time to time. Her prose can get a little flowery at points, maybe not quite purple--let's say approaching lavender?
-The mystery wrapped up a little abruptly for my taste.
-The characters suffered from their occasional stupid moments. I'm not even sure this is "bad" per se; it's just a little frustrating to read. SUPER minor, I know, it just bugged me.
Overall, this was a great book. I've had a bit of a college-induced reading slump lately, so now that it's summer, I'm happy to be getting back to my happy place, which is murder-mystery thrillers. I plan to go through my mom's entire collection of Nevada Barr books, and then hopefully the library will be open again and I can restock!
*I'm jumping into the middle of the series--don't feel like you have to read them in order; there are a few very minor spoilers revealed in this book, mostly about a previous romantic subplot.
The Good
-Anna's narrative voice is extremely strong. Since this is the seventh book about her*, it's to be expected. She feels so well-developed. Clearly, she has a past and a future beyond this snapshot, which is always a good feeling in a character. We see the entire world through her eyes--other characters, situations, clues, etc, which is especially great in a mystery.
-The sense of place is SO GOOD. I've been lucky enough to go to both Ellis and Liberty Islands, and to read about them--especially the behind-the-scenes areas--is just so fun. I'm a total National Parks junkie, so if you're not, this might not be such a big deal to you.
-Very strong side characters/side plots. Crime fiction tends to rely on a good, fun set of stock characters, but not so with Nevada Barr. They were very memorable, and there were quite a few! I really liked the fact that we weren't one hundred percent focused on the mystery at all times, too. Her sister's health problems and Anna's own dating life were both fun to read about, too.
The Bad
-This is some pretty hard-boiled detective fiction, which is not at all bad on its own, but there are some common pitfalls that Barr does fall into from time to time. Her prose can get a little flowery at points, maybe not quite purple--let's say approaching lavender?
-The mystery wrapped up a little abruptly for my taste.
-The characters suffered from their occasional stupid moments. I'm not even sure this is "bad" per se; it's just a little frustrating to read. SUPER minor, I know, it just bugged me.
Overall, this was a great book. I've had a bit of a college-induced reading slump lately, so now that it's summer, I'm happy to be getting back to my happy place, which is murder-mystery thrillers. I plan to go through my mom's entire collection of Nevada Barr books, and then hopefully the library will be open again and I can restock!
*I'm jumping into the middle of the series--don't feel like you have to read them in order; there are a few very minor spoilers revealed in this book, mostly about a previous romantic subplot.
March 15, 2025
2 1/2. Definitely not my favorite Anna Pigeon book. Not at a national park for her job in this book, tho Ellis Island is part of a national park. In NY to help her sister out who is very ill in hospital. However, she still manages to stick her nose into something that keeps her away from Molly on purpose. Besides the fact that Frederick the Fed, a one-time paramour of Anna's, is taken with Molly and vice versa. A young girl's suicide, the best suspect is killed, Anna is attacked (big surprise) another murder takes place - all related thinks Anna. Slow, not interested in boring NY descriptions, and not really riveting.
Reread in 2025 - rate = 3 Not as riveting as the first . Don't care about NY descriptions.
Reread in 2025 - rate = 3 Not as riveting as the first . Don't care about NY descriptions.
October 31, 2017
Anna Pigeon's psychiatrist sister is gravely ill in New York City, so she has traveled to that city, which she finds too crowded and noisy, and is staying at Liberty Island National Park. Its a very crazy time for the park ranger because she can't do what she usually does and she can't make her sister better. What she does instead is explore the island and its slowly deteriorating buildings. And she is finding some various mysterious things. Then there is a death of a young woman and a park ranger appears to have committed suicide. Needing something to distract her from her sister's illness, she started to investigate what is happening.
Anna Pigeon is an interesting character. I usually like her but less so in this tale. While I can sympathize with her uncomfortableness in New York (that would be the case for me) but the idea of avoiding sitting in a hospital room with your sister and finding it hard to know what to talk to her about seems bizarre to me. I enjoyed the story and thought that that part of the book was good, solid writing. I just was a bit disappointed on this supposedly mature woman who becomes an instant child when faced with an illness that can kill her sister.
Anna Pigeon is an interesting character. I usually like her but less so in this tale. While I can sympathize with her uncomfortableness in New York (that would be the case for me) but the idea of avoiding sitting in a hospital room with your sister and finding it hard to know what to talk to her about seems bizarre to me. I enjoyed the story and thought that that part of the book was good, solid writing. I just was a bit disappointed on this supposedly mature woman who becomes an instant child when faced with an illness that can kill her sister.
April 25, 2019
May be the Best
Hardest of the Anna Pigeon series to get into but by far the best. Between the dry humor, the suspense, the information on the islands with the treasure they hold, the background story of family bonds and true love, the reader is in for a real treat.
Hardest of the Anna Pigeon series to get into but by far the best. Between the dry humor, the suspense, the information on the islands with the treasure they hold, the background story of family bonds and true love, the reader is in for a real treat.
September 14, 2022
I’m beginning to feel a certain level of disgruntlement with this series. Yeah, I know; I wrote that last night about another series. Sorry to be such a downer. I should clarify this to say the series seems to be chugging along ok, but I’m growing increasingly distant from the main character.
Anna Pigeon just seems too unapproachable, too remote, too prickly for me. I can’t figure her out. She’s capable of loving others, but wow does she seem focused on her as number one.
As the book opens, her sister is gravely ill in New York City. Anna gets a temporary transfer from out west to the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island national park so she can be closer to her apparently dying sister.
The best part of the book for me was the learning experience. I’m sure I learned more about the inner workings of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty than I would have found by visiting multiple sources. I had no idea that buildings on Ellis Island were in a state of extreme disrepair and abandonment. That’s apparently the case when this book went to press.
Because she’s a bit of a night owl, Pigeon gets acquainted with the island’s night shift—its security staff and even a group of actors who work there. On one morning as she was about to enter the city to spend time with her sister at a hospital, Anna observes a nine-year-old girl plummet to her death at the Statue of Liberty. Did the girl jump? Or did someone push her? Was the park ranger reaching for her backpack to prevent her from falling? Or did he use it to push the girl to her death??
The investigation heightens as another visitor jumps. As the details unfurl, you realize that this is a race against time. If Pigeon can’t solve this by Independence Day, only a few days distant, something dreadful will happen that will change the statue and Ellis Island irrevocably.
I’ll keep reading the series because of the things I learn about the national parks. Anna is a strange, sometimes-unpleasant person to read about, but that’s not enough to make me terminate the series early.
Anna Pigeon just seems too unapproachable, too remote, too prickly for me. I can’t figure her out. She’s capable of loving others, but wow does she seem focused on her as number one.
As the book opens, her sister is gravely ill in New York City. Anna gets a temporary transfer from out west to the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island national park so she can be closer to her apparently dying sister.
The best part of the book for me was the learning experience. I’m sure I learned more about the inner workings of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty than I would have found by visiting multiple sources. I had no idea that buildings on Ellis Island were in a state of extreme disrepair and abandonment. That’s apparently the case when this book went to press.
Because she’s a bit of a night owl, Pigeon gets acquainted with the island’s night shift—its security staff and even a group of actors who work there. On one morning as she was about to enter the city to spend time with her sister at a hospital, Anna observes a nine-year-old girl plummet to her death at the Statue of Liberty. Did the girl jump? Or did someone push her? Was the park ranger reaching for her backpack to prevent her from falling? Or did he use it to push the girl to her death??
The investigation heightens as another visitor jumps. As the details unfurl, you realize that this is a race against time. If Pigeon can’t solve this by Independence Day, only a few days distant, something dreadful will happen that will change the statue and Ellis Island irrevocably.
I’ll keep reading the series because of the things I learn about the national parks. Anna is a strange, sometimes-unpleasant person to read about, but that’s not enough to make me terminate the series early.
March 11, 2022
If you have never read a book in the Anna Pigeon series, you are in for a treat. The books take place in various national parks and feature National Park Ranger, Ann Pigeon. Anna (40ish) is smart, hardworking, dedicated to the NPS and can be funny or caustic. “No wonder man was always out to conquer Nature, Anna thought. He can’t bear it that she doesn’t love him, or even hate him. She simply doesn’t give a damn." There is mystery, suspense, intrigue and fun in every book. In an ideal world you’d read them in order but I’ve jumped around based on 1) my interest in the park, 2) availability at the library.
In Liberty Falling (book 7, pub 2009) Anna is in her 14th year working for the NPS in New York City. She has taken time off because her older sister, Molly, is gravely ill and in a NYC hospital. Anna is staying on Ellis Island with a friend, also a NPS Ranger. She spends her free time learning the islands history and exploring. When she comes upon a teenager’s broken body at the foot of Lady Liberty, Anna is compelled to determine whether the girl fell or was pushed. Her investigation becomes even more critical when, a few days later, another ranger on the island is found dead, also at the statue’s base. Did he commit suicide after having been accused of pushing the teenaged girl or was he pushed? What other treachery lurks?
Part mystery, part adventure and, as always, there is a level of detail of the park that is fascinating. I especially enjoyed reading about the history of Ellis Island (I had no idea that there were surgical hospital on site). Although not my favorite, still ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#emptynestreader #Instagram #Goodreads #facebook #LibertyFalling #NevadaBarr #BarbaraRosenblat #AnnaPigeon #audiobook #NationalParks #mystery #bookstagramalabama #bookstagrammichigan #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #audiobook #recordedbooks #emptynestreaderaudiobooks🎧
In Liberty Falling (book 7, pub 2009) Anna is in her 14th year working for the NPS in New York City. She has taken time off because her older sister, Molly, is gravely ill and in a NYC hospital. Anna is staying on Ellis Island with a friend, also a NPS Ranger. She spends her free time learning the islands history and exploring. When she comes upon a teenager’s broken body at the foot of Lady Liberty, Anna is compelled to determine whether the girl fell or was pushed. Her investigation becomes even more critical when, a few days later, another ranger on the island is found dead, also at the statue’s base. Did he commit suicide after having been accused of pushing the teenaged girl or was he pushed? What other treachery lurks?
Part mystery, part adventure and, as always, there is a level of detail of the park that is fascinating. I especially enjoyed reading about the history of Ellis Island (I had no idea that there were surgical hospital on site). Although not my favorite, still ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#emptynestreader #Instagram #Goodreads #facebook #LibertyFalling #NevadaBarr #BarbaraRosenblat #AnnaPigeon #audiobook #NationalParks #mystery #bookstagramalabama #bookstagrammichigan #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #audiobook #recordedbooks #emptynestreaderaudiobooks🎧
April 6, 2014
I was intrigued by the idea of novels written by a former Park Ranger and set in National Parks after reading about Nevada Barr's novels in the companion book to the PBS series about the history of the National Parks. My first read was set in Yosemite, and it was reasonably entertaining but had some flaws. The major interest for me was in the setting. Although I've not been to Yosemite yet, I did visit King's Canyon and Sequoia last year and they are near to Yosemite. While not wholly satisfied, I felt that the author deserved a second shot so I tried again with Liberty Falling.
While I did enjoy the details about the parks featured in Liberty Falling (Liberty Island and Ellis Island), which were especially interesting since I had visited them in 2007, I have to say that I'm now done with this series and this writer. The writing is just not as strong as it needs to be for me to go any further. Characters are limited in scope and the whole plot is very formulaic. The primary focus of this writer seems to be in describing the strange interior life of this evidently resourceful but not very interesting woman, who happens to be a Park Ranger and happens to run into evil criminal activities, unpleasant coworkers, and too obviously suspicious characters at every turn - yawn.
While I did enjoy the details about the parks featured in Liberty Falling (Liberty Island and Ellis Island), which were especially interesting since I had visited them in 2007, I have to say that I'm now done with this series and this writer. The writing is just not as strong as it needs to be for me to go any further. Characters are limited in scope and the whole plot is very formulaic. The primary focus of this writer seems to be in describing the strange interior life of this evidently resourceful but not very interesting woman, who happens to be a Park Ranger and happens to run into evil criminal activities, unpleasant coworkers, and too obviously suspicious characters at every turn - yawn.
April 11, 2015
Another comfort read from Nevada Barr. In the 7th book in this excellent series, we find our intrepid National Park ranger, Anna Pigeon, on a leave of absence, in New York, watching over her psychologist sister, Molly, who is critically ill. Anna is staying with her friend Patsy who is the chief administrator at the national park on Liberty and Ellis Islands. Even though preoccupied with her sister's health, Anna finds herself embroiled in a mysterious death on Liberty Island. The story moves along a nice pace, sometimes a bit slowly, as Anna moves between the hospital and her off-duty investigation of a young girl's death, presumed suicide. Nevada Barr knows how to string along a neat mystery and to build the tension to an exciting climax. Always entertaining to read, I enjoyed this latest installment and look forward to visiting with Anna soon to see what new National Park will find her embroiled in a mystery.
May 2, 2022
Honestly, this one was weird. Anna Pigeon belongs in the wild. Sticking her in the city made the whole thing feel forced. The pacing was awful - very boring for the first two thirds, then slam bam excitement with a fight, boat chase, near drowning, and stand-off with the baddies followed by a gun fight. Whew! It was a lot.
Also a love interest with her sister’s doctor (medical ethics be damned, I guess) who is seemingly very nice until he turns out to GASP! watch pornography at which point he’s made out to be evil. It was very weird and shamey.
Also, the plot felt really contrived, with bad guys from the Hall of Clichés.
I’d recommend skipping this one except it does introduce a game-changing development in terms of her sister’s life, so if you’re a religious Barr reader you’ll probably want to read it anyway. But you can’t say I didn’t warn you.
Also a love interest with her sister’s doctor (medical ethics be damned, I guess) who is seemingly very nice until he turns out to GASP! watch pornography at which point he’s made out to be evil. It was very weird and shamey.
Also, the plot felt really contrived, with bad guys from the Hall of Clichés.
I’d recommend skipping this one except it does introduce a game-changing development in terms of her sister’s life, so if you’re a religious Barr reader you’ll probably want to read it anyway. But you can’t say I didn’t warn you.
February 27, 2018
4.5 stars. This is one of my favourite of Anna’s adventures so far! I didn’t expect to enjoy an ‘urban’ national park setting this much, but Ms Barr is an expert at finding and sharing the beauty in all national parks. The cultural and historical context of Liberty Island and Ellis Island are used to great effect. And the subplot about Anna’s family is heartwarming.
The only downside is how contemporary it still feels - the motives of the bad guys are still just as prevalent nearly 20 years later.
The only downside is how contemporary it still feels - the motives of the bad guys are still just as prevalent nearly 20 years later.
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