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Nathan Active Mystery #6
The Big Empty
Police Chief Nathan Active investigates a plane crash out in Alaska’s Big Empty—and what he finds there casts suspicion of murder on several locals in his small town of Chukchi.
Evie Kavoonah, a young mother-to-be, and her fiancé, Dr. Todd Brenner, are on a flight over the Brooks Range when their bush plane runs out of gas and hits a ridge, instantly killing them both. Chukchi police chief Nathan Active doubts he’ll find anything amiss when his close friend, Cowboy Decker, asks him to look into the possibility of foul play. Evie was like a daughter to Cowboy, who trained her to fly, and he insists there’s no way his protégée made a fatal mistake that day. Nathan reluctantly plays along and discovers that Cowboy’s instincts are correct—the malfunction that led to the crash was carefully planned, and several people in the village have motives for targeting the pair.
Meanwhile, Nathan’s wife, Gracie, is pregnant, but so scarred by memories of domestic abuse that she isn’t sure she should have the baby. Nathan must support her and their adopted daughter, Nita, while managing an increasingly complex and dangerous murder case.
Evie Kavoonah, a young mother-to-be, and her fiancé, Dr. Todd Brenner, are on a flight over the Brooks Range when their bush plane runs out of gas and hits a ridge, instantly killing them both. Chukchi police chief Nathan Active doubts he’ll find anything amiss when his close friend, Cowboy Decker, asks him to look into the possibility of foul play. Evie was like a daughter to Cowboy, who trained her to fly, and he insists there’s no way his protégée made a fatal mistake that day. Nathan reluctantly plays along and discovers that Cowboy’s instincts are correct—the malfunction that led to the crash was carefully planned, and several people in the village have motives for targeting the pair.
Meanwhile, Nathan’s wife, Gracie, is pregnant, but so scarred by memories of domestic abuse that she isn’t sure she should have the baby. Nathan must support her and their adopted daughter, Nita, while managing an increasingly complex and dangerous murder case.
244 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2018
57 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Stan Jones
20 books54 followersStan Jones is a writer of mystery novels, and is co-author of a non-fiction oral history book.
He has written seven books in the Nathan Active mystery series. He is also the co-author (with Sharon Bushell) of The Spill: An oral history of the Exxon Valdez disaster.
THE SAND GARDEN, installment No. 1 in his Dana Forsythe Mysteries was published in November 2023. It's based in the Palm Springs area and features a female private detective. Mary Wasche was his co-author on THE SAND GARDEN.
He was born in Anchorage, Alaska, where he lives today.
He has written seven books in the Nathan Active mystery series. He is also the co-author (with Sharon Bushell) of The Spill: An oral history of the Exxon Valdez disaster.
THE SAND GARDEN, installment No. 1 in his Dana Forsythe Mysteries was published in November 2023. It's based in the Palm Springs area and features a female private detective. Mary Wasche was his co-author on THE SAND GARDEN.
He was born in Anchorage, Alaska, where he lives today.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 26, 2019
First I'd read in this crime series set in Alaska. I enjoyed the vivid writing and distinct characterisations. Compared to the Dana Stabenow books I didn't find much humour, but the flying accident which sparks the story is bleak and saddening for all. The wild Alaskan landscape is well described, though most of the book is set in the bush town.
I would read more of this series.
I was sent an e-ARC by Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.
I would read more of this series.
I was sent an e-ARC by Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.
January 23, 2019
Nathan Active is back after a long absence, longer for me actually than for the series. THE BIG EMPTY does not measure up to the promise of the first books in the series but will keep you turning the pages. Consider this book equivalent to an episode of MANNIX, fine for a bit, not CHINATOWN, a classic that will stay with you forever.
I would consider the first four books in the series close to classics. The Alaskan wilderness and Inupiat culture dominated the stories as central characters. Nathan Active, an Inupiat law enforcement officer raised by a white couple in Anchorage, touchingly connected with the cultural stresses Alaskans endured. After I read VILLAGE OF THE GHOST BEARS in 2009, there was a long period of silence in the series, and I lost track so much that the publication of a new entry in the series in 2016, TUNDRA KILL, entirely escaped me. So, when I accidentally discovered THE BIG EMPTY, there was a longer interregnum between reads for me than for most and that may have factored into my feelings that this book was more superficial than previous efforts. The authors (yes, now there is a co-author who writes with Stan Jones, by the name of Patricia West) cover the back story for the primary characters adequately, though without creating a sense of urgency that would seem natural. The relationship between Nathan and Grace, his wife, does not click. Nathan seems oddly passive and Grace overly mercurial. Nita, their daughter, is often presented as the caricature of a teenager. Given the trio of back stories here, these characteristics are understandable on the surface, so I do not want to overstate this criticism. It is just that the family relationships do not ring true. They seem artifical. The relationships between Nathan and his deputy, and with the pilot "Cowboy", are better, though some of the banter about the use of the work "Eskimo" seems forced in to make a point.
The plot is a standard procedural, including a clever murder plan and a realistic and empathetic villain, though the conclusion is predictable. There are many opportunities in the world Stan Jones has created for vivid stories. At its best Nathan Active's world is one of the hidden gems in current mystery series. I will be paying attention moving forward for the next effort.
Nathan Active flies
at the end of this novel,
kind of like Garp did.
I would consider the first four books in the series close to classics. The Alaskan wilderness and Inupiat culture dominated the stories as central characters. Nathan Active, an Inupiat law enforcement officer raised by a white couple in Anchorage, touchingly connected with the cultural stresses Alaskans endured. After I read VILLAGE OF THE GHOST BEARS in 2009, there was a long period of silence in the series, and I lost track so much that the publication of a new entry in the series in 2016, TUNDRA KILL, entirely escaped me. So, when I accidentally discovered THE BIG EMPTY, there was a longer interregnum between reads for me than for most and that may have factored into my feelings that this book was more superficial than previous efforts. The authors (yes, now there is a co-author who writes with Stan Jones, by the name of Patricia West) cover the back story for the primary characters adequately, though without creating a sense of urgency that would seem natural. The relationship between Nathan and Grace, his wife, does not click. Nathan seems oddly passive and Grace overly mercurial. Nita, their daughter, is often presented as the caricature of a teenager. Given the trio of back stories here, these characteristics are understandable on the surface, so I do not want to overstate this criticism. It is just that the family relationships do not ring true. They seem artifical. The relationships between Nathan and his deputy, and with the pilot "Cowboy", are better, though some of the banter about the use of the work "Eskimo" seems forced in to make a point.
The plot is a standard procedural, including a clever murder plan and a realistic and empathetic villain, though the conclusion is predictable. There are many opportunities in the world Stan Jones has created for vivid stories. At its best Nathan Active's world is one of the hidden gems in current mystery series. I will be paying attention moving forward for the next effort.
Nathan Active flies
at the end of this novel,
kind of like Garp did.
Read
April 15, 2019This tightly written and well-plotted mystery is the latest in a series of books featuring Police Chief Nathan Active and his small town of Chukchi, Alaska. You would think that, in such a small settlement on the tundra, there would be few secrets among the indigenous townsfolk, but Chief Active is shocked and saddened to learn that a recent accidental plane crash was actually a murder. The authors have a style that makes you feel the beauty and desolation of the land and an appreciation for the Inupiat language and culture, in the context of today's world. Give this book a try! –Louisa A
December 31, 2018
Good Book!
Really enjoyed the book. I like the character Nathan Active! This is the first book I've read by these authors, but it won't be my last.
Really enjoyed the book. I like the character Nathan Active! This is the first book I've read by these authors, but it won't be my last.
January 2, 2019
The Big Empty begins with series detective Nathan Active, a public safety officer in Chukchi, Alaska, searching for a plane crash when a local woman pilot and her doctor fiance go missing. The wreckage is easily found and the investigation by federal authorities said it was pilot error. The plane ran out of gas. The pilot who owned the plane and taught the woman pilot who died insisted that she would never have made such a mistake. Moreover, he also checked the gas was full. They found incontrovertible evidence that this was no accident, it was murder.
The investigation centers around the people who work at the airport who had means and opportunity, though it spreads further when another person is murdered.
Meanwhile, Active has stresses at home. His wife Grace is pregnant but unsure she has capacity and strength to be a mother. Their adoptive daughter (there’s more story here) is struggling with gossip in school that adds to her insecurity.
The Big Empty is a good, fair mystery that makes me want to read more in this series. The setting is interesting and the authors succeed in creating a strong sense of place. The characters are sufficiently complex we come to care about them. There are enough red herrings to make it interesting. It is a fair mystery, every clue is available to the reader, there are not forensic results or reports that are delivered with an “Aha!” without telling us. We know what Active knows and we can solve the mystery ourselves.
I received a copy of The Big Empty from the publisher through Edelweiss.
The Big Empty at Soho Crime/Soho Press
Stan Jones author site
Patricia Watts author page at Goodreads
★★★★
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
The investigation centers around the people who work at the airport who had means and opportunity, though it spreads further when another person is murdered.
Meanwhile, Active has stresses at home. His wife Grace is pregnant but unsure she has capacity and strength to be a mother. Their adoptive daughter (there’s more story here) is struggling with gossip in school that adds to her insecurity.
The Big Empty is a good, fair mystery that makes me want to read more in this series. The setting is interesting and the authors succeed in creating a strong sense of place. The characters are sufficiently complex we come to care about them. There are enough red herrings to make it interesting. It is a fair mystery, every clue is available to the reader, there are not forensic results or reports that are delivered with an “Aha!” without telling us. We know what Active knows and we can solve the mystery ourselves.
I received a copy of The Big Empty from the publisher through Edelweiss.
The Big Empty at Soho Crime/Soho Press
Stan Jones author site
Patricia Watts author page at Goodreads
★★★★
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
December 8, 2018
Stan Jones' Nathan Active mysteries continue to be my favorite series set in Alaska-- and it's for a multitude of reasons. There's a strong cast of characters from all walks of life. There are intriguing-- and often spine-chilling-- mysteries to solve. The setting of extreme northern Alaska is often a character, and last but not least, the cultural information is fascinating. Each book comes with a short glossary at the beginning which I find extremely useful because part of learning about a culture is learning a bit about the language.
The Big Empty is 50% mystery and 50% the personal life of Nathan Active. At times I found that percentage weighing too heavily on the personal life aspect, but only because I find Nathan's wife annoying. I shouldn't. Grace Active has had horrendous things happen to her in the past, and she's finding it daunting to overcome them. Anyone would, and I applaud Jones for not only having a troubled character like Grace but for dealing with her problems honestly and with great sensitivity.
The mystery is a good one, beginning with discovering what caused the crash and then moving into whodunnit territory. I did find the killer's identity to be a bit too easy to deduce, but getting to the reveal was enjoyable.
If you're a fellow armchair traveler/sleuth who loves solving mysteries in exotic places, you should meet Nathan Active and learn about the culture of the Inupiat. I still remember one book scaring me badly when Nathan went out on the pack ice. Even though you can pick up The Big Empty and read it as a standalone, I recommend starting at the beginning with White Sky, Black Ice. You've got some mighty fine reading ahead of you.
The Big Empty is 50% mystery and 50% the personal life of Nathan Active. At times I found that percentage weighing too heavily on the personal life aspect, but only because I find Nathan's wife annoying. I shouldn't. Grace Active has had horrendous things happen to her in the past, and she's finding it daunting to overcome them. Anyone would, and I applaud Jones for not only having a troubled character like Grace but for dealing with her problems honestly and with great sensitivity.
The mystery is a good one, beginning with discovering what caused the crash and then moving into whodunnit territory. I did find the killer's identity to be a bit too easy to deduce, but getting to the reveal was enjoyable.
If you're a fellow armchair traveler/sleuth who loves solving mysteries in exotic places, you should meet Nathan Active and learn about the culture of the Inupiat. I still remember one book scaring me badly when Nathan went out on the pack ice. Even though you can pick up The Big Empty and read it as a standalone, I recommend starting at the beginning with White Sky, Black Ice. You've got some mighty fine reading ahead of you.
January 14, 2020
I’ve had a good time binging my way through Stan Jones’ mystery series featuring the adventures of Nathan Active, formerly a state trooper and now the police chief. Although born into the Inupiat tribe, Active was adopted by a white couple and brought up in Anchorage. Now he’s living in the place where he was born, the little village of Chukchi, but still feels a bit like an outsider.
This is No. 6 in the series. The Big Empty has Nathan Active investigating a fatal plane crash at the insistence of his favorite bush pilot, Cowboy Decker, that it couldn’t have been caused by pilot error. Stan Jones has a co-author for this one (Patricia Watts), so I’m guessing he is easing his way into retirement. I liked the story and I always like all the references to Inupiat culture. However, I just haven't been able to warm up to Grace, Nathan's ex-beauty queen wife and their relationship. Her life and the way Jones describes her is all about her recovery from childhood sexual abuse. Other than that, you don't really get a good feel about who she is as a person.
June 29, 2020
I saw a recommendation for this book, looked good, so I picked it up at my library back in February. With the libraries closed I still have the book and finally got it read. I had no idea this was book six in the Nathan Active series, and therefore I have no idea what happened in the previous five books. Despite getting into the series late I really enjoyed this book. I haven’t read too many books that take place in Alaska, so I learned about living in the small town of Chukchi. Very good descriptions of the area and the characters of the town. I’m very thankful there was a Northwest Alaska Glossary at the beginning of the book. With so many Native words used throughout the book I definitely needed translations.
I grew quite fond of Police Chief Nathan Active, a very kindhearted, smart cop.
He has a huge murder investigation on his hands while he is also being supportive to his pregnant wife and her adopted daughter. With so much going on in his investigation, he does a great job of balancing his family and his work.
I look forward to reading the next in the series.
I grew quite fond of Police Chief Nathan Active, a very kindhearted, smart cop.
He has a huge murder investigation on his hands while he is also being supportive to his pregnant wife and her adopted daughter. With so much going on in his investigation, he does a great job of balancing his family and his work.
I look forward to reading the next in the series.
December 7, 2018
Nicely plotted and written procedural set in Chukchi, Alaska. Nathan Active finds himself investigating the sad deaths of two people who went down in a small plane for a very unusual reason. Was someone trying to kill Evie, who was piloting it? Or were they really after Chief, who was expected to fly that morning. Interesting characters and an intricate (and topical) mystery made this a good read, with the added benefit of being educational about Alaska (and wind balloons). Jones never talks down to his characters, who are easy to envision. Active's personal life is at a crossroads, as he and his wife Grace find themselves expecting a baby. Grace needs to make decisions about what to tell her daughter. I'd only read one in this series and was fine with this latest as more or less a standalone. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. I enjoyed this and look forward to the next one to see how things are resolved.
November 11, 2020
I have loved this series. I appreciate learning about the culture of Alaska and some of the history. Nathan Active is a terrific hero but in the Hemingway tradition a wounded hero. His way of solving crimes in his small village is instinctual but always based on the facts at hand. Nathan Active is smart, humble and yet uncompromising with the law and with keeping people in his life safe. In this book, Stan Jones weaved a story of love and loss, life and death in ways that are startling but also real. Highly recommend this series and especially this book.
October 29, 2018
3.3***
I appreciated learning some Inupiaq words via this Alaska based story. Nathan Active tackles the mystery of an unexpectedly downed plane throughout which aspects of the lifestyle and ongoing challenges for native Alaskans are relayed. Insight into this unique culture is greatly appreciated.
I appreciated learning some Inupiaq words via this Alaska based story. Nathan Active tackles the mystery of an unexpectedly downed plane throughout which aspects of the lifestyle and ongoing challenges for native Alaskans are relayed. Insight into this unique culture is greatly appreciated.
April 11, 2019
This was a good story, but somewhat unreal. Grace isn’t realistic when her husband, in law enforcement, is at work, she’s always interrupting him, expecting him to drop everything to help with her daughter, her wanting to abort their baby, etc. Who does that. I didn’t like the ending either, it’s too abrupt. The end.
September 3, 2019
An Alaska bush police book that is pretty interesting. The story was simple and the physical description good. The authors did not glorify the natives but showed both their good and bad. The showdown was a little over done but believable. I almost gave it 4 stars but my tough review nature took over.
December 14, 2018
Excellent read. Enjoyed my stay in Alaska. Couldn't put the ebook down
Strong character development. Good dialogue writing. Hooked me on the series, feeling these are people I can enjoy knowing for a long time
Strong character development. Good dialogue writing. Hooked me on the series, feeling these are people I can enjoy knowing for a long time
January 31, 2019
This was a fairly unsurprising mystery. The characters were bland and the writing, especially the dialogue, was stilted and unsurprising. Also, there were many, many mentions of women’s hormones and how unpredictable pregnant women are. Just a very old, and tired stereotype. Skimmed at the end.
February 1, 2020
Alaska is a major character in the Nathan Active mysteries. Jones gives such a good picture of life in the far, far northwest. Good plot twists, though some of the background stuff can get a little far fetched. I also like the tension in the relationships between Active, Grace, Lucy and Martha.
December 21, 2020
The FAA rules the plane crash as pilot error on the part of Evie Kavoonah. However, Cowboy Decker, who trained Evie, convinces police chief Nathan Active to make the trek to the remote crash site to investigate. An intriguing mystery plot in a vividly evoked setting.
July 30, 2021
Probably the best book of the series. Too bad it is the last one currently published. Will look forward to the next novel in the series if/when it comes out. The character development and comfortability in the roles played in the story seem to come together in this one. Would recommend!
November 7, 2020
I did not like this book and will probably not read another of Stan Jones' books.
September 19, 2021
I found this an enjoyable mystery though I didnt like this as much as I did some of the earlier Nathan Active mysteries. I found this more plot driven (e.g solve the mystery) than character driven
November 14, 2023
Mystery by local Ak author set in a rural village.
May 14, 2024
Clever murder weapon. Good twists. Not much character development except Grace has changed from a disturbed moody sex fiend into an unstable manic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2025
Such a great book
June 24, 2021
The characters are pretty bland considering the exotic Alaska location and Inupiak culture involved. I found my self skimming over the frequent digressions into the main character’s home life.
December 11, 2018
Sixth in the Nathan Active Alaskan series
This was the first book I've read in this superior Alaskan series with protagonist State Trooper Nathan Active. I do feel like I missed out on some of the nuances of the story since I haven't read the first five books but the backstory is filled in adequately in this story.
State Trooper Active ends up looking into a suspicious plane crash at the request of a friend and finds it was not an accident but murder. Then there's a suicide that turns out to be murder.
But one of his problems is that there are an abundance of suspects. And to add to his stress are problems in his personal life.
I enjoy stories that take place in Alaska, our 49th state. I visited there for an extended time in the winter of 1982 and fell in love with the state and the people. This story brought back good memories for me and I learned more about the Inupiat people. Win-win.
I received this book from Random House through Edelweiss in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
This was the first book I've read in this superior Alaskan series with protagonist State Trooper Nathan Active. I do feel like I missed out on some of the nuances of the story since I haven't read the first five books but the backstory is filled in adequately in this story.
State Trooper Active ends up looking into a suspicious plane crash at the request of a friend and finds it was not an accident but murder. Then there's a suicide that turns out to be murder.
But one of his problems is that there are an abundance of suspects. And to add to his stress are problems in his personal life.
I enjoy stories that take place in Alaska, our 49th state. I visited there for an extended time in the winter of 1982 and fell in love with the state and the people. This story brought back good memories for me and I learned more about the Inupiat people. Win-win.
I received this book from Random House through Edelweiss in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews