Alpha Female

Will McCarroll/Annie Peacock #1

by April Christofferson

Justice in Yellowstone National Park comes in two Annie Peacock, a beautiful young judge who is the head of the park's judicial system, and Will McCarroll, long-time backcountry ranger who is obsessed with stopping poachers. Will's willingness to break every rule in the book has earned him a formidable reputation€”and Annie's disdain.Then Annie's mother is kidnapped. When Will tries to help find her, a shocking attraction between Annie and Will starts to sizzle€”and then burn.But when Will learns of a plan for trophy hunters to shoot the park's cherished alpha female wolf, he disappears into the back country to stop them. And it's there, in the wilderness of Yellowstone, that Will discovers the true extent of the danger to Annie's mother and to Yellowstone itself.All is not as it seems in Yellowstone country€”where people are far wilder than the park's animals, danger lurks around every bend of the trail, and passions between Anni

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Suspense, Paranormal, Shapeshifters, Paranormal Romance

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 1, 2009

Reviews

[Pamela(AllHoney) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this one at the library so no money spent :) It was heavier on the suspense/mystery side but there is a romance included. I read the whole thing so it must have been pretty decent. The "couple" are older than most mainstream romances. The hero was in his early 50s. I don't remember how old the heroine was but I'm guessing 40s.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book on whim, at Kroger’s. I’m not even really sure why it jumped out at me but it did. I think maybe it had to do with the word ALPHA because I love that word and it was kind of unique seeing it attached to the work FEMALE. I honestly had a completely different idea of what this book was going to be when I bought and after reading I thought okay its going really good so far but when it going to turn into that typical she’s the wolf kind of thing. It was the first time I have ever read from this author and I purposely didn’t read any reviews because it felt kind of nice going into a book blind. I LOVED THIS BOOK! I loved Will and his gruff unwavering faith in himself and the wild. I loved Annie and her determination and tenacity. I loved Eleanor and her courage under such harsh treatment. This book was so much more than just a he said she said book it had a wide open perspective that came from every available source that broke your heart and made you feel as if you were right there. I can’t begin to express the pure happiness and heartbreak and understanding I felt with these characters. Nor can I tell you how much I really want to visit Yellowstone now that I have read the pure love of land through the authors words.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up from the clearance shelf at Half Price Books, and it was a pleasant surprise. Suspense/mystery with a light thread of romance. It's set in Yellowstone, and the author seems to have researched the setting and conservation issues (poaching, species preservation, interests of ranchers vs. native species) thoroughly. The book had more substance than I expected, and after the descriptions of Yellowstone and the characters' love for the park, I'm more interested in traveling there myself.

[shaymond · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book while I was in Yellowstone. I got to see all the areas of Yellowstone described in the book. Very predictable throughout, but still a fun read if you are into Yellowstone and the newly introduced wolves.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thoroughly entertained by this suspense eco-thriller set in my own backyard: Yellowstone National Park and the rugged Montana wilderness to its north. The author definitely knows the area intimately. I'm looking forward to reading more from April Christofferson!

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this book was ridiculously entertaining because of how closely it followed the geography of Yellowstone. It is always so fun to be able to picture the action of a book so clearly.

Although I did get super frustrated when she threw in something that wasn’t there - why spend all this time developing real places and then have the climax of the book take place on a bridge that doesn’t exist? Again with the facts - of the two main wolves, one is accurate and one is made up, and decisions like that were jarring. One final annoyance - she makes some cultural distinctions about the area that I found a bit insulting, especially when it comes to Jardine, which she depicts as a creepy town full of scary illegal hunters where it is dangerous to be if you are an outsider.

However, I’m just gonna say, the role wolf watchers get in this book is GOLD and that makes up for a lot.

Overall, despite its flaws, this was comparatively and compulsively enjoyable and I had a great time reading it.

I highly recommend this to anyone from or interested in Yellowstone who needs a fun read. If you are not as familiar with the park, I just ask that you remember that even the “facts” here are slightly fictional!

[Caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. Interesting characters, a variety of personalities, emotions, suspense, action and a good ending. Great for reading anytime, although some parts will drag you in and you'll might just lose some time. A good one to read but not something I'll probably search out again. Enjoy!

[Lucille · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book for 50 cents at a used book sale fundraiser in my school. I was browsing through and picked out random books because I figured that for 50 cents, it wouldn't really matter if I didn't like it. Alpha Female takes place in Yellowstone National Park. Annie is the judge presiding over the park. Will is a longtime park ranger with extreme dedication to the wildlife, especially the wolves. Recently, a poacher was caught after he shot the alpha male of one of the park's packs. He claims that it was self defense. Will and the rangers think otherwise. Just before the trial, Annie's mother is kidnapped. Sometime is trying to scare the young judge off the bench.
The danger for Annie's mother escalates. There are a lot of people that are on an anti-wolf crusade and who think that the poacher who killed the alpha is some sort of hero. Annie also has to contend with two cult-like 'churches' on the outskirts of the park.
In another subplot, a young ranger notices some severe shifts in the natural hot springs of the park. Things change all the time in yellowstone, but this is too much too fast. Something unnatural and most likely illegal is going on in the park, and he is determined to figure it out. Will also learns about a plot to kill the mate of the dead alpha, the alpha female, a striking wolf that many people admire.
Annie and Will start the novel despising each other. Then Will starts helping Annie out with the investigation and the stress of her mother's disappearence. As can be predicted, the young beautiful judge and the rugged, dedicated ranger have some sexual tension going on, but it all seemed kind of forced.
I had a bit of a hard time rating this book. It was interesting, but the writing just wasn't all that great. There were quite a few cliches being utilised- I can't think of any off the top of my head, but they stood out while I was reading. I suppose that I didn't exactly have high expectations going into the book. When I picked it out, I don't think that I even read the back description. For some reason, I expected Annie to turn into a wolf or something, but this is paranormal free. Would I recommend it to someone? Maybe if they were looking for something light and they didn't have anything else to read. Was it great? Not really. But for 50 cents, it was a pretty decent read.

[Douglas Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book in the Annie Peacock/Will McCarroll series. Occurs in Yellowstone National Park. If you like CJ Box you will probably enjoy this.

First Paragraphs from Chapter 1, skipped the Prologue,
RESTORING OUR MOST PRECIOUS ASSET: WILDERNESS! Annie Peacock’s grip on the steering wheel loosened reflexively as she passed the newly erected billboard that hovered over the entrance to the tiny town of Gardiner, Montana. Below the billboard’s motto (which Annie had heard no less than four times on the radio on her drive back from Livingston), a rotating globe featured bear and elk and moose, each safely perusing its own natural habitat. It radiated a warm and fuzzy feeling. The WERI— World Energy Resources, Inc.— logo proudly dominated the bottom right corner of the sign, which, by virtue of its size and grandeur, stuck out like a sore thumb next to the only other billboards in Gardiner: one for Holly’s Drive-Thru and the other for a white-water expedition company called The Flying Pig. Annie glanced across the Yellowstone River and the town, mostly sleeping now, and in the moonlight, saw the outline of the Roosevelt Arch stretching skyward, dusting the North Star.

Christofferson, April (2009-06-30). Alpha Female (p. 10). Tor Books. Kindle Edition.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heidi chose this book for our book club because a romance would shake up our normal routine, the book was set in Yellowstone, and April Christofferson is the mother of one of the locals.
It was an interesting premise for the second book by this author. The judge in Yellowstone, Annie Peacock, comes home one night to find her mother missing. She immediately calls in law enforcement and is dismayed when one of the first responders is Will McCarroll, a backcountry ranger who she has clashed with in the past. The two have to work together to help rescue Annie's mother, save a popular wolf from being hunted and also stop a local cult from drilling into the geothermal features of the park.
The references to some of the local areas were pretty accurate which was nice. I was confused by the mix of fictional and real locations in Gardiner. Why not choose one or the other? An interesting read and it will be a great addition to the Research library.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very exciting book. It was about a park ranger and the Judge and crime in Yellowstone National Park.
Park ranger, Will McCarroll is ready to go to court over a poaching of one of the wolves re-intoduced in the park. The Judge is Annie Peacock and they don't agree on some things so there is already tension from another case. Annie's mother is kidnapped and her dog shot. Some of the geo-thermal areas in the park are drying up. Finding answers to all the questions pushes the story on.
It's very good I recommend it.

[Jolene]

This was a good read. Annie Peacock is a lovely young judge who is head of Yellowstone park's judicial system. Her mother is kidnapped and she has to find out why and who did it with help of Will McCarrol a longtime backcountry ranger. Exciting mystery... April Christofferson is highly acclaimed author of several novels set in the West. She is an attorney with a background in biology and veterinary medicine. She divides her time between Yellowstone and Missoula, Mt

[Pamela Beason · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the setting of Yellowstone National Park, and I could identify with the different problems within the park (I write about conflicts on public lands, too). The book started off a bit rough with some POV problems and at times it felt like the author had tossed a bit too much into the mix, but the story became more suspenseful and interesting as the events unfolded. I'd like to read other books by this author in this same setting.

[Jessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I picked up for $1.25 and expected it to be a trashy romance novel (something to pass the time while I was at work-study), as that is where it was located in the store. However when I started reading it, it turned out to be a suprisingly good book. It wasn't the best book I've ever read, but it was a really good read.

[Jenny]

April is a friend of the family...and a wonderful writer!!! this book os exciting, action packed, and will definetely make you want to to a journey to Yellowstone!!! a fun and fast read with all the right ingredients for a perfect rainy day on the couch!

[Marcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this new-to-me (thanks to Shomeret) author's thriller set in Yellowstone on many levels, but mainly for the beautiful setting and the mischief that wrecks havoc there. For me, the good guys also included the environment and the wilderness animals and consequently, the stakes were raised.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story. I found it to be similar to the "Anna Pigeon" books by Nevada Barr. The plot was exciting and kept moving at a good pace. I had not read this author before so will now search out some of her other books at the used book store.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

I judged the book by it cover and didn't read to back of this book before I bought the book. I seen Alpha Female and thought.....Wearwolve book, yeah!!! Well that's not what this bok is about...LOL

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new author -to me - found on the library trade shelves. April Christofferson writes an interesting ranger procedural set in Yellowstone, and well done, mystery, characters, and Park details that warmed my heart. I must find more of her work.

[Darcy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made it to about page 50 with this one, but the story just couldn't keep me interested. I can't really put my finger on the specifics, just over all the book isn't for me.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable thriller.

[Sapphire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable thriller.

[Alyson Mutch · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring.

[Hildegart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book because I've enjoyed her other books. The first time the reading this book, I got nowhere. Next time, I finished it. To me, it seemed a little different than her past books.

[Andrew Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good story with two mysteries tied together at the end.

[Rhapsody Phoenix · Rating 1 out of 5]

Total snore!

[Nancy Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

So many jumbled Yellowstone facts! And it took a federal judge that long to put two and two together? Seriously?! But I still read it all the way to the end, so it gets two stars.

[Judith Trail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yellowstone National Park is under siege. Poachers take game for food, but worse are the trophy hunters who seek animals for bragging rights. Combine this with radical groups that oppose the re-introduction of wolves in Yellowstone as well as those big money/political groups that want to mine the underground resources of Yellowstone, thereby interfering with the delicate balance of the ecosystem that supports the springs and geysers. Judge Annie Peacock is the magistrate for the Yellowstone territory and hears matters that involve the Park. There is some tension between the written law and the passionate belief in protection of these natural lands held by the rangers that protect the Park, its wildlife and public enjoying the land. This is a suspenseful story about the collision of these interests, and the extreme beliefs that prompt some people to go to terrible, violent lengths to assert those interests. Lots of information about the Park and the threats to its existence and a great sensitivity to the wildlife that lives there. A fascinating read.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are planning a trip to Yellowstone this is a must read ! If you’re not- it’s still a good read! Detailed descriptions about the park and the issues that can face it. Great characters and a good plot that will keep you guessing….

[TPLL · Rating 5 out of 5]

The number of times I said - not now, I want to finish this book was more than I care to admit. Thank you for the visual trip through one of my favorite parts of the US. And then, I find out it is a series!?!? What!? I’m so excited!