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The Hidden Assassinsby: Robert Wilson |
A Taint In The Bloodby Dana StabenowDana Stabenow is becoming well-known for her stories set in that wild and wooly, sparsely settled state of Alaska in the far north. Home of glaciers, immense tracts of pristine land with no 'civilized' amenities, Ms. Stabenow is adept at describing Alaska's raw beauty. A Taint In The Blood, however, lands her heroine, Kate Shugak, in the city of Anchorage – the center of earthquake country. And although earthquakes aren't featured in this story, the wealthy and politically ambitious who've congregated there are.Charlotte Muravieff hires Kate Shugak to get her mother, Victoria, out of prison before she dies of uterine cancer. Victoria was incarcerated thirty-one years ago for arson and for murdering her own seventeen-year-old son who died in the ensuing fire. Her other son, Oliver, escaped by jumping from a window, although he damaged a leg in the process. The clues, of course, are cold – and it takes Kate and her determination a while to unravel what turns out to be a complicated situation in one of the most influential families in Alaska. None of the Muravieffs will help Kate, including Victoria herself, who tries to fire her. And the closer Kate gets to the truth, the more murders occur. It seems that no one in the Muravieff family except Charlotte wants to disclose what actually happened and why – then Charlotte herself is murdered. The final pages of A Taint In The Blood reveal the depth of greed and depravity some will submit to for a certain cause. Dana Stabenow is an exceptional teller of tales, and this book is no exception. Ms. Stabenow's passion for the Alaskan wilderness is always evident, even though the novel takes place largely in a city setting, and the protagonist's well-trained part-wolf pet is a marvel of intuitive behavior. Every time I read one of her books I get the feeling that I should at least visit this magnificent state (maybe avoiding the earthquake country and Anchorage!) Alan Paul Curtis |
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