What do you think?
Rate this book
Nathan Active Mystery #2
Shaman Pass
“In a robust sequel to White Sky, Black Ice, this Alaska state trooper is still burdened by his urban upbringing and his aversion to ice and snow . . . Active maintains his awe of the vast Alaskan tundra, a forbidding region that Jones renders in all its bone-chilling beauty.” —The New York Times Book ReviewState Trooper Nathan Active was born in the Inupiat village of Chukchi, where he is now stationed, but he was adopted and raised in Anchorage. Now he must investigate the murder of a tribal leader who was stabbed to death with an antique harpoon that was recently returned to the community under the Indian Graves Act.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2003
36 people are currently reading
212 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
August 16, 2018
Once known as Eskimos, the Inupiat people of Alaska and Canada have a place in our American myth. The Nathan Active series of mysteries explore these First Nations Americans who are synonymous with toughness and endurance. These traits are present both physically and psychologically in this fast paced novel by Stan Jones. The picture that emerges is not one of brash disregard for others but rather an indomitable perseverance.
The characters, both Inupiat and white, ring true because they are drawn as human beings first, unique in their success adapting to their environment in a way that demands a high level of mental fortitude. One of the many joys in reading this book is how Jones conveys that common trait of endurance in the many different characters of the novel.
Elevating Shaman Pass to 5 stars is how Jones weaves in the story of a fascinating historical figure, Maniilaq (worth googling!) an Inupiaq social reformer who shook things up in the 1800's. Jones' characters are not stuck in the past and yet the past looms large as it does in all cultures that have undergone rapid changes.
Having all these interesting elements underlie a page-turning mystery makes this book a great read.
The characters, both Inupiat and white, ring true because they are drawn as human beings first, unique in their success adapting to their environment in a way that demands a high level of mental fortitude. One of the many joys in reading this book is how Jones conveys that common trait of endurance in the many different characters of the novel.
Elevating Shaman Pass to 5 stars is how Jones weaves in the story of a fascinating historical figure, Maniilaq (worth googling!) an Inupiaq social reformer who shook things up in the 1800's. Jones' characters are not stuck in the past and yet the past looms large as it does in all cultures that have undergone rapid changes.
Having all these interesting elements underlie a page-turning mystery makes this book a great read.
January 11, 2016
This book turned out to be a delightful surprise. Stan Jones evidently knows a lot about Inupiat (Eskimo) culture and puts it to good use in Shaman Pass, in which Alaska State Trooper Nathan Active -- himself an Inupiat raised by Whites -- must solve a case in which the mummy of a shaman who died a hundred years ago is stolen and an old man is murdered with a harpoon belonging to the mummy.
What I enjoyed the most about the book are the conversations between Active and the various Inupiat involved in he case:
What I enjoyed the most about the book are the conversations between Active and the various Inupiat involved in he case:
Kelly fell into another deep, wordless study and Active thought over what he'd heard. So many stories of death and loss and dislocation in the Arctic. Perhaps they explained the cheerful fatalism of the Inupiat, of the ones who didn't succumb to drink or suicide, anyway. Maybe it was either crack a joke or go crazy.What I will always remember from Shaman Pas is the expression that pops up from various characters when describing something inordinately difficult: "Goes with," meaning "Goes with [the territory]."
February 1, 2010
This is another great read about Nathan Active, an Alaska State Trooper, posted to the little town where he was born.
Nathan is such a great character, the conflict between his Inupiat heritage and the white world in which he grew up as the adopted child of white parents, adds a lot to the stories.
The descriptions of the frozen tundra and the snow and how it swirls and blows add to the atmosphere of the story.
This one begins with the murder of an elder of the village, using an antique harpoon that was recently returned to the village along with an unidentified mummy that was sent back from the Smithsonian. The plot revolves around finding out who then steals the mummy, the harpoon and who kills the elder. It takes some twists and turns as the story plays out and Nathan puts himself in danger solving the case.
All of the characters are well-done, the accents and word usage adding to who each person in.
I really enjoy this series and recommend them for anyone who likes a quick, taut read.
Nathan is such a great character, the conflict between his Inupiat heritage and the white world in which he grew up as the adopted child of white parents, adds a lot to the stories.
The descriptions of the frozen tundra and the snow and how it swirls and blows add to the atmosphere of the story.
This one begins with the murder of an elder of the village, using an antique harpoon that was recently returned to the village along with an unidentified mummy that was sent back from the Smithsonian. The plot revolves around finding out who then steals the mummy, the harpoon and who kills the elder. It takes some twists and turns as the story plays out and Nathan puts himself in danger solving the case.
All of the characters are well-done, the accents and word usage adding to who each person in.
I really enjoy this series and recommend them for anyone who likes a quick, taut read.
July 20, 2012
Shaman Pass is a fairly straightforward police procedural, but one given a nice twist through its setting and Nathan Active’s position as an outside insider. Jones does a very good job of capturing the social relations and tensions of an Inupiat community interfacing with white culture and laws and of placing the reader in the landscape and creating a sense of place. Active is a solid lead character and provides a nice pair of eyes through which to view the local community and its ways. The writing is nicely paced and expressive and the plot for the most part works well. The final third of the story, however, falls a little flat. The mystery element is gone, replaced with more of a thriller-style conclusion and some sub-plots, such as Active’s relationship with his grandfather, are forgotten. Overall, Shaman Pass was an enjoyable and engaging read and I’m looking forward to catching up with Trooper Active in the third book in the series, Frozen Sun.
November 6, 2011
This is the second book in a series featuring State trooper Nathan Active. The fact that a stolen Inupiaq mummy is nicknamed “Uncle Frosty,” captures the informality and close skein of interpersonal relationships in this remote area of Alaska. These relationships help define the present as well as bind people to a connection with their past.
Nathan is an Inupiaq who was city-raised and his “outsider” status leads to much good natured teasing, beginning with his purchase of a purple Yamaha snowgo, dubbed the “ladies' model” by Jim Silver, the local police chief. Nathan does, however, understand people – both the indigenous villagers and the people he works for. Capitalizing on his supervisor's adherence to a tight budget, Nathan maneuvers to secure permission to charter a plane in order to pursue a dubious lead during a heavy snowstorm.
The first half of the book felt somewhat slow, and the action really begins to pick up once all the relationships begin to be established, and historical and cultural details take command of the narrative. The pervasive cold weather passes from mere description into experience as the airplane is readied. It's roped down to prevent the wind from blowing it over. Nathan is "asked" to untie the rope and then jump in while the pilot runs the engine and keeps the plane stable. When he queries: “Is that safe?” the pilot replies: “You want to go or not?” However, that's not the end of the takeoff procedure. One of the skis is frozen into the ground, and Nathan must then rock the idling plane until it can creep across the runway and then, he can jump in! The details of flying in Arctic weather were fascinating.
Equally compelling is the flavor of Jones' writing. A brief glossary lists the Eskimo words to be encountered in the story: Angatquq (shaman), inuksuk (stone figures erected as trail markers), natchiq (seal). The languid cadence of the locals, recounting the past as if re-immersing themselves in the experience; the present tense recounting, and the tentative indirect style enhance the sense of a separate culture. Nathan admits: “He often failed to get the point of Inupiat stories...he thought maybe Inupiat stories just had no point in the white sense of the word.”
I think I would have liked this book more if I had read the first volume in the series. Nevertheless, once I reached the half-way point, I found this mystery impossible to put down.
Nathan is an Inupiaq who was city-raised and his “outsider” status leads to much good natured teasing, beginning with his purchase of a purple Yamaha snowgo, dubbed the “ladies' model” by Jim Silver, the local police chief. Nathan does, however, understand people – both the indigenous villagers and the people he works for. Capitalizing on his supervisor's adherence to a tight budget, Nathan maneuvers to secure permission to charter a plane in order to pursue a dubious lead during a heavy snowstorm.
The first half of the book felt somewhat slow, and the action really begins to pick up once all the relationships begin to be established, and historical and cultural details take command of the narrative. The pervasive cold weather passes from mere description into experience as the airplane is readied. It's roped down to prevent the wind from blowing it over. Nathan is "asked" to untie the rope and then jump in while the pilot runs the engine and keeps the plane stable. When he queries: “Is that safe?” the pilot replies: “You want to go or not?” However, that's not the end of the takeoff procedure. One of the skis is frozen into the ground, and Nathan must then rock the idling plane until it can creep across the runway and then, he can jump in! The details of flying in Arctic weather were fascinating.
Equally compelling is the flavor of Jones' writing. A brief glossary lists the Eskimo words to be encountered in the story: Angatquq (shaman), inuksuk (stone figures erected as trail markers), natchiq (seal). The languid cadence of the locals, recounting the past as if re-immersing themselves in the experience; the present tense recounting, and the tentative indirect style enhance the sense of a separate culture. Nathan admits: “He often failed to get the point of Inupiat stories...he thought maybe Inupiat stories just had no point in the white sense of the word.”
I think I would have liked this book more if I had read the first volume in the series. Nevertheless, once I reached the half-way point, I found this mystery impossible to put down.
March 9, 2012
Finally, we come to a book I can wholeheartedly recommend.
I'll get my one complaint out of the way first: This book has zero in the way of character development. Two books in, and the protagonist is pretty much the same as he was on the first page of the first book.
That said, great atmosphere, fascinating setting, and insight into a culture that's invisible in media today. These books are great.
I'll get my one complaint out of the way first: This book has zero in the way of character development. Two books in, and the protagonist is pretty much the same as he was on the first page of the first book.
That said, great atmosphere, fascinating setting, and insight into a culture that's invisible in media today. These books are great.
September 7, 2022
Another engaging mystery in the Nathan Active series, set in northern Alaska and featuring a state trooper described by some as a Naluaqmiiyaaq - "almost white; an Inupiaq who tries to act white".
This novel opens with the murder of a local elder on the tribal council. He was stabbed with an old harpoon which had recently been repatriated from the Smithsonian - along with the mummified remains of an Inupiaq man (dubbed "Uncle Frosty"), and an amulet - to the museum in Chukchi at the behest of the local tribal council.
Stan Jones brings alive the freezing environment of Chukchi and surrounds; I swear my body temperature went down a degree or two reading about the bone-chilling winds, snow and ice, all the layers people wear, and the lifestyle they adopt in this climate.
I find the Inupiaq culture really interesting too, and the contrasts between the traditional and modern/Western ways of life, and Nathan's own family situation (adopted by whites) provides ample scope to explore the cultural contrasts and tensions.
There's a gentle sense of humour in the book too - in the ribbing Nathan gets from his colleagues and others about the "Ladies' Model" snowmobile (it's purple), and the ribald earthiness about sex from a couple of the older Inupiats. I love the "Village English" too - it sounds authentic.
This novel opens with the murder of a local elder on the tribal council. He was stabbed with an old harpoon which had recently been repatriated from the Smithsonian - along with the mummified remains of an Inupiaq man (dubbed "Uncle Frosty"), and an amulet - to the museum in Chukchi at the behest of the local tribal council.
Stan Jones brings alive the freezing environment of Chukchi and surrounds; I swear my body temperature went down a degree or two reading about the bone-chilling winds, snow and ice, all the layers people wear, and the lifestyle they adopt in this climate.
I find the Inupiaq culture really interesting too, and the contrasts between the traditional and modern/Western ways of life, and Nathan's own family situation (adopted by whites) provides ample scope to explore the cultural contrasts and tensions.
There's a gentle sense of humour in the book too - in the ribbing Nathan gets from his colleagues and others about the "Ladies' Model" snowmobile (it's purple), and the ribald earthiness about sex from a couple of the older Inupiats. I love the "Village English" too - it sounds authentic.
May 6, 2020
"Shaman Pass" is the second Nathan Active mystery I've read and the second of Stan Jones's six books about the Alaska state trooper solving crimes and trying to find his place in the Arctic. Just as in the first book -- "White Sky, Black Ice" -- the best thing about "Shaman Pass" is the intimate view of Inupiat culture and traditions combined with Jones's descriptions of the lifestyle and people of Alaska's far north. My problem with the book is the glacial pace of the narrative. It takes a looong time for things to happen in this story. There's nothing wrong with that. Plenty of people like a slow burner. It's just not my taste in mysteries so I gave it three stars. I know it's Alaska and hard traveling is the norm, but too much of this book is devoted to Nathan Active simply getting from point 'A' to point 'B' by snow machine or airplane. Then in the climactic chapter the murder suspect does something completely out of character, in my opinion. I may try the third book in the series because the characters have really grabbed me.
February 26, 2022
Absorbing crime novel set in Inupiat (Inuit) Alaska.
State Trooper Nathan Active investigates the murder of a tribal leader, killed with an antique ivory harpoon. The harpoon, he finds, was recently stolen after having been returned to the community under the Indian Graves Act. More puzzlingly, the mummified body of an Inupiat ancestor, previously stored in the Smithsonian, was stolen at the same time as the harpoon. Did the thief kill the tribal leader, and why did he also steal the preserved body?
This is a well-told story: taut narrative, good suspense, rich in Inupiat history and culture, and authoritative on the rigors of outdoor survival in the bitterly cold Alaskan wilderness. A diverting one-day read.
State Trooper Nathan Active investigates the murder of a tribal leader, killed with an antique ivory harpoon. The harpoon, he finds, was recently stolen after having been returned to the community under the Indian Graves Act. More puzzlingly, the mummified body of an Inupiat ancestor, previously stored in the Smithsonian, was stolen at the same time as the harpoon. Did the thief kill the tribal leader, and why did he also steal the preserved body?
This is a well-told story: taut narrative, good suspense, rich in Inupiat history and culture, and authoritative on the rigors of outdoor survival in the bitterly cold Alaskan wilderness. A diverting one-day read.
January 14, 2020
I’ve had a good time binging my way through Stan Jones’ mystery series featuring the adventures of Alaska state trooper Nathan Active. Although born into the Inupiat tribe, Active was adopted by a white couple and brought up in Anchorage. Now he’s stationed in the place where he was born, the little village of Chukchi, but still feels a bit like an outsider.
This is book 2 in the series. Shaman Pass starts with the death of a tribal leader killed with a stolen antique ivory and wooden harpoon. To solve the crime, Nathan delves into Inupiat history and culture, consulting with village elders. I enjoy reading about Inupiat culture but the motive seemed rather improbably.
This is book 2 in the series. Shaman Pass starts with the death of a tribal leader killed with a stolen antique ivory and wooden harpoon. To solve the crime, Nathan delves into Inupiat history and culture, consulting with village elders. I enjoy reading about Inupiat culture but the motive seemed rather improbably.
February 15, 2023
A solid police procedural, set in the far North? I'm a fan.
Jones has created a believable, likeable but vulnerable cop on the unlikeliest of beats ... a tiny Inupiat village in Alaska. The pacing is excellent; the ear for the backwoods dialect rings true without being an embarrassing caricature; the description of the great white north (US version) is perfect; and I loved the ending.
Minus half a star for unquestioning acceptance of the man / horse (or snowmobile) woman / house dichotomy, and I prefer more complex plots. But a solid, solid 4.5 star recommend for detective novel with a significant change of location.
Jones has created a believable, likeable but vulnerable cop on the unlikeliest of beats ... a tiny Inupiat village in Alaska. The pacing is excellent; the ear for the backwoods dialect rings true without being an embarrassing caricature; the description of the great white north (US version) is perfect; and I loved the ending.
Minus half a star for unquestioning acceptance of the man / horse (or snowmobile) woman / house dichotomy, and I prefer more complex plots. But a solid, solid 4.5 star recommend for detective novel with a significant change of location.
May 11, 2023
Jones, an Alaskan, is a talented writer. He has created a believable, sympathetic main character, Nathan Active, who struggles with being half white-half Native Alaskan, yet being treated by the villagers as if he’s just another white guy from the city (Anchorage). As a long-time Alaskan myself, I appreciate his accurate depiction of village life in Bush Alaska, as well as the incoveniences of dealing with such a harsh environment, both the weather and the land itself.
He tells a good story, too.
He tells a good story, too.
January 26, 2020
These books are fun. They give a glimpse into native culture and the tenuous relationship between natives and outsiders. And the mysteries are good stories. This one had the added benefit of multi-generational beefs between families.
July 23, 2021
Interesting story of a murder that leads into an investigation of a hundred year old murder mystery. Enjoyed this one more than the first two as the author left out most of the main character's personal relationship conflicts. Good story!
June 26, 2017
Another good read from Jones. This book spend a lot of time discussing a character who is a shaman/prophet of the Inupiats, modelled on a historical prophet. It was well done and interesting.
July 12, 2017
Good story with the extra benefit of learning about the Arctic and the Inupiat culture.
April 28, 2018
Great way to spend a couple rainy day's
Being a history nut, I was able to get a feel for the clash of culture. The old Grandfather got to be where he belonged
Being a history nut, I was able to get a feel for the clash of culture. The old Grandfather got to be where he belonged
July 28, 2018
Interesting characters, great setting, ok mystery...
September 13, 2018
Has a Tony Hillerman flavor.
May 6, 2019
Love this series. I wouldn't say you have to read them in order, but it really helps if you do.
January 26, 2020
I loved all the Alaskan lore & cold.
February 9, 2020
Great setting. Great read.
May 31, 2020
I like this series. I'm a little confused that goodreads calls this #3 when every other source calls it #2. Whatever, I shall read them in the author's order.
August 6, 2020
3.5 Stars
September 2, 2020
Little slow and no great mystery but interesting insight into bush life in Alaska among native peoples.
January 11, 2021
This is actually the second book in the Nathan Active series. Really good read. Progressing the main character very well.
January 7, 2022
I'm going to have to stop reading these until summer.
April 10, 2022
Very enjoyable mystery. The characters are interesting and the setting fascinating.
July 31, 2023
Enjoyed the first book. Loved the second. The characters are rich and interesting and you get a good sense of how difficult life can be in those extremes.
August 17, 2024
3.5
A little hard to get into, but it picked up.
A little hard to get into, but it picked up.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews