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Matteesie Kitologitok #1
Murder in a Cold Climate
Ice Cop
The assignment says find a plane lost somewhere near the Yukon border—a plane suspected of carrying a cargo of drug smugglers and a half million in cash. En route, Matthew “Matteesie” Kitologitak, RCMP Inspector and full-blooded Inuit, witnesses the shocking assassination of Canada’s major spokesman for native rights, Morton Cavendish. He was at Matteesie’s personal friend.
It takes a man with special insight to make the connection between the two cases. Insight is how Matteesie got his job. Now he’ll have to earn it all over again, in a dramatic chase across the rugged, frozen North that he knows best.
The assignment says find a plane lost somewhere near the Yukon border—a plane suspected of carrying a cargo of drug smugglers and a half million in cash. En route, Matthew “Matteesie” Kitologitak, RCMP Inspector and full-blooded Inuit, witnesses the shocking assassination of Canada’s major spokesman for native rights, Morton Cavendish. He was at Matteesie’s personal friend.
It takes a man with special insight to make the connection between the two cases. Insight is how Matteesie got his job. Now he’ll have to earn it all over again, in a dramatic chase across the rugged, frozen North that he knows best.
238 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
8 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Scott Young
111 books14 followersScott Alexander Young was a Canadian journalist, sportswriter, novelist and the father of musician Neil Young. Over his career, Young wrote 45 books, including novels and non-fiction for adult and youth audiences.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 11, 2021
A fun mystery to read. The Arctic is an important character in this book. It comes alive in this book, from the dog sleds & skidoos needed to travel, the -35 degree air, the snow & ice, the ice highways....the Arctic lifestyle and ways are a character that helps move this story along.
Inspector Matthew "Matteesie" Kitologitak is humorous and he's astute. However, we get to know the other characters more than we get to know him. His thoughts are mostly hidden from us. This makes him intriguing and a bit of an enigma.
The murder mystery revolves around a drug ring and drug money. The search through the Arctic and the difficulty in finding anyone in such a vast expanse of empty country is astounding to contemplate. While the mystery isn't what I'd call suspenseful, it is interesting and keeps one entertained.
Inspector Matthew "Matteesie" Kitologitak is humorous and he's astute. However, we get to know the other characters more than we get to know him. His thoughts are mostly hidden from us. This makes him intriguing and a bit of an enigma.
The murder mystery revolves around a drug ring and drug money. The search through the Arctic and the difficulty in finding anyone in such a vast expanse of empty country is astounding to contemplate. While the mystery isn't what I'd call suspenseful, it is interesting and keeps one entertained.
December 2, 2012
#1 in the Matteesie Kitologitok series. Matthew "Matteesie" Kitologitak is a Inuit officer in the RCMP. Now as a member of Northern Affairs, he is a globe trotting diplomat representing the views of Native Americans both Inuit (Eskimos) and Dene (Indians).
He is scheduled to attend a conference in Leningrad when he gets a call from Ottowa headquarters asking him to keep his eyes and ears open for a missing small plane flown by the son of a government minister. He witnesses a murder of a prominant man of his acquaintance and soon suspects a connection. He officially transfers back to the "Mounties" to investigate both cases. The unique position of a high ranking Inuit in the RCMP and the unusual setting of the northern stretch of the Mackenzie River make this a book worth looking into.
Inspector Matthew "Matteesie" Kitologitak of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is one of the few Inuit officers to make it past the "token" level. For 2 years he's been on loan to the deputy minister of Northern Affairs, so it comes as a surprise when his old RCMP superior manages to get him back so Matteesie can investigate the disappearance of a small plane suspected of carrying members of a drug ring. Matteesie hasn't started investigating when he witnesses the murder of a powerful local man. He spots a connection between the two cases, and it boils down to locating the suspects and gathering the evidence. The star of this book is the Arctic landscape.
He is scheduled to attend a conference in Leningrad when he gets a call from Ottowa headquarters asking him to keep his eyes and ears open for a missing small plane flown by the son of a government minister. He witnesses a murder of a prominant man of his acquaintance and soon suspects a connection. He officially transfers back to the "Mounties" to investigate both cases. The unique position of a high ranking Inuit in the RCMP and the unusual setting of the northern stretch of the Mackenzie River make this a book worth looking into.
Inspector Matthew "Matteesie" Kitologitak of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is one of the few Inuit officers to make it past the "token" level. For 2 years he's been on loan to the deputy minister of Northern Affairs, so it comes as a surprise when his old RCMP superior manages to get him back so Matteesie can investigate the disappearance of a small plane suspected of carrying members of a drug ring. Matteesie hasn't started investigating when he witnesses the murder of a powerful local man. He spots a connection between the two cases, and it boils down to locating the suspects and gathering the evidence. The star of this book is the Arctic landscape.
August 6, 2017
I randomly picked up an uncorrected proof of this back in 1990, and honestly had no idea that he was an established writer just dipping his toe in the mystery genre (nor that he was Neil Young's father) until just now finishing and quite interested in whether there's more. I'm pleased to find there is indeed another, though saddened it's just the one, as this was both surprisingly good and uniquely featuring an Inuk Mountie in the upper reaches of the Northwest Territories.
December 29, 2022
The Northwest Territories selection for my "Read Across Canada" mystery series. Published in 1988, this novel is dated but gives the reader a wonderful sense of what the Arctic landscape is like and the Inuit sensibilities of police inspector Matteesie Kitologitak of the RCMP. He must find the connection between the disappearance of a small plane and the murder of a well-known native rights-activist. Such a great read - highly recommended!
May 29, 2017
A good story taking place near the Artic Circle. A Mountie named Mathew Kitologitak a full blooded Inuk, better known as Matteesie. Matteesie witnesses to the murder of Morton Cavendish a leading spokesman for Native Rights. Matteesie is a friend of the murdered man. This is the story of a Mountie following all the trails left behind after the murder.
November 27, 2017
W has a proof of this book, so there's no blurbs and no fancy cover by which to judge the book. It was actually pretty compelling, and a really good demonstration of how a setting can be a real asset to a story.
May 23, 2020
Nostalgic read about the north. Enjoyed this book and will look for more from this author.
May 22, 2021
Well paced northern mystery with murder, drugs, missing plane and snowmobiles. And there is humour.
March 6, 2011
#1 of a series set in the Northwest Territories of Canada, featuring Matthew "Matteesie" Kitologitak, an Inuk (singular of Inuit) Inspector for the RCMP. Actually, he's been primarily working for Northern Affairs, not doing much police work but attending conferences living mostly in Toronto. We know from the get-go that Matteesie is not your everyday hero--the opening pages see him with his long-time mistress in the northern town of Inuvik, waiting to fly out to Leningrad for a conference. (His wife, a white woman, is back in Toronto.) He's also not your typical burly-brawny tough guy--at 5'6" with a brown, round face, he doesn't exactly scare many folks, even bundled up in his parka.
His RCMP boss, Buster, calls and asks him to look into something for him as a favor (it's been several years since he did any police work)--the disappearance of a small plane that had a well-known government official's son as the pilot. Meanwhile though, a murder happens right in front of Matteesie and he feels his inspector's instincts kick into gear as he puts that incident first--and of course after digging a bit, figures the two incidents are actually connected. Off he goes across the wild northern wilderness trying to track down a killer and find the connection to the missing plane.
This book provided a great sense of place and a immersion into a culture that I didn't know all that much about. The author brought home in a very real way just how isolated things are up near the Arctic Circle, and how things most of us 'down here' (and even in southern Canada) take for granted--including the usual police procedures--which just aren't the same there.
I liked Matteesie but the story itself was kind of all over the place, especially at first; it was hard to keep people and places straight in part because of the strange names, and it wasn't until the middle third of the book that I finally started 'getting' it enough so that the storyline made more sense. All in all, though, an enjoyable book and I will at some point continue reading on if I can lay hands on the second in the series.
His RCMP boss, Buster, calls and asks him to look into something for him as a favor (it's been several years since he did any police work)--the disappearance of a small plane that had a well-known government official's son as the pilot. Meanwhile though, a murder happens right in front of Matteesie and he feels his inspector's instincts kick into gear as he puts that incident first--and of course after digging a bit, figures the two incidents are actually connected. Off he goes across the wild northern wilderness trying to track down a killer and find the connection to the missing plane.
This book provided a great sense of place and a immersion into a culture that I didn't know all that much about. The author brought home in a very real way just how isolated things are up near the Arctic Circle, and how things most of us 'down here' (and even in southern Canada) take for granted--including the usual police procedures--which just aren't the same there.
I liked Matteesie but the story itself was kind of all over the place, especially at first; it was hard to keep people and places straight in part because of the strange names, and it wasn't until the middle third of the book that I finally started 'getting' it enough so that the storyline made more sense. All in all, though, an enjoyable book and I will at some point continue reading on if I can lay hands on the second in the series.
March 11, 2011
First Line: The air terminal at Inuvik has comfortable chairs and some nice Arctic art on the walls and usually a lot more empty space than passengers, so it is not exactly O'Hare, but it's not Tuktoyaktuk either.
Inspector Matthew "Matteesie" Kitologitak of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is one of the few Inuit officers to make it past the "token" level. For quite some time, he's been on loan to the deputy minister of Northern Affairs in the Canadian government, so it comes as a bit of a surprise when his old RCMP superior manages to get him back so Matteesie can investigate the disappearance of a small plane suspected of carrying members of a drug ring.
Matteesie hasn't even had a chance to investigate when he witnesses the murder of a very powerful local man. While going through the cast of characters, he spots a connection between the two cases, and it boils down to locating the suspects and gathering the evidence.
For me, the first person narrative didn't quite work in this book. Although Matteesie was an excellent guide through the Arctic landscape and very good at describing the other characters, he kept me at a distance, and I never really felt as though I got to know him.
The mysteries of the missing plane and the murdered man weren't particularly suspenseful, but their solutions kept me guessing until almost the end.
The star of this book is the Arctic landscape and how to survive out in it. Matteesie traveled by snowmobile, dog sled and bush plane through a frigid and alien landscape. While he traveled, I learned why old-timers prefer dog sleds to snowmobiles (if the snowmobile breaks down and you're stuck and starving, you can't skin and eat a snowmobile), just what survival gear is mandatory for any sort of travel, and that it's wise to leave your vehicle running in the Arctic cold. If you switch off the ignition, the vehicle may never start again. That's just the tip of the iceberg for all the things I learned.
In reading Murder in a Cold Climate, the author's love of the landscape came through loud and clear, but the story and the characters were not as strong as the setting.
Inspector Matthew "Matteesie" Kitologitak of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is one of the few Inuit officers to make it past the "token" level. For quite some time, he's been on loan to the deputy minister of Northern Affairs in the Canadian government, so it comes as a bit of a surprise when his old RCMP superior manages to get him back so Matteesie can investigate the disappearance of a small plane suspected of carrying members of a drug ring.
Matteesie hasn't even had a chance to investigate when he witnesses the murder of a very powerful local man. While going through the cast of characters, he spots a connection between the two cases, and it boils down to locating the suspects and gathering the evidence.
For me, the first person narrative didn't quite work in this book. Although Matteesie was an excellent guide through the Arctic landscape and very good at describing the other characters, he kept me at a distance, and I never really felt as though I got to know him.
The mysteries of the missing plane and the murdered man weren't particularly suspenseful, but their solutions kept me guessing until almost the end.
The star of this book is the Arctic landscape and how to survive out in it. Matteesie traveled by snowmobile, dog sled and bush plane through a frigid and alien landscape. While he traveled, I learned why old-timers prefer dog sleds to snowmobiles (if the snowmobile breaks down and you're stuck and starving, you can't skin and eat a snowmobile), just what survival gear is mandatory for any sort of travel, and that it's wise to leave your vehicle running in the Arctic cold. If you switch off the ignition, the vehicle may never start again. That's just the tip of the iceberg for all the things I learned.
In reading Murder in a Cold Climate, the author's love of the landscape came through loud and clear, but the story and the characters were not as strong as the setting.
October 27, 2016
This is a well written and devised plot. I loved the remote northern setting on Inuit, Dene and First Nations lands. While the book was written by a southerner, I felt it gave a fair depiction of life and relationaships in the north. It felt both like a Canadian community as well as like a first Nations and Inuit community.
I loved the character of Matteesie. Inspector Matthew "Matteesie" Kitologitak is the first Inuk inspector with the RMCP when he is asked to search for a missing plane and it passengers. He is smart and thorough, yet down to earth. He knows the people he is dealing with and uses and approach that will work with them. Of course, the search is not as simple as it seems at the onset when outside interests and motivations come into play.
This was a refreshing read that took me away from the hustle and bustle of the big city and gave me the space to ponder the story and it's characters.
The story of Matteesie continues in The Shaman's Knife. Scott Young passed way in 2005 after a long career in journalism. He wrote more than forty-five books, both fiction and non-fiction.
I loved the character of Matteesie. Inspector Matthew "Matteesie" Kitologitak is the first Inuk inspector with the RMCP when he is asked to search for a missing plane and it passengers. He is smart and thorough, yet down to earth. He knows the people he is dealing with and uses and approach that will work with them. Of course, the search is not as simple as it seems at the onset when outside interests and motivations come into play.
This was a refreshing read that took me away from the hustle and bustle of the big city and gave me the space to ponder the story and it's characters.
The story of Matteesie continues in The Shaman's Knife. Scott Young passed way in 2005 after a long career in journalism. He wrote more than forty-five books, both fiction and non-fiction.
September 14, 2013
Interesting book to read while traveling through the Arctic. Detective who has been promoted - the first Native to be given this kind of responsibility - and is called back to look at a local murder of a prominent politician in Alaska. All sorts of details and complexities about relationships of Native people and whites and Metis - with the whites and Metis generally in power. A good read.
October 2, 2014
Not engrossing. . . decent book, but I just didn't get sucked into it.
March 31, 2011
would like to see more with this detective
September 2, 2016
Kill me now. That is how I feel about this series.
Want to read
December 20, 2018Synopsis: Inuit Inspector Matthew Kitologitak of the RCMP investigates the disappearance of a small plane.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews