Mystery #1

Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr

This is the first novel in Barr's Anna Pigeon series. A co-worker highly recommended the Anna Pigeon series to me, so I figured I should start with #1. I was not disappointed!

Anna Pigeon is a National Park Ranger in west Texas. When she discovers a fellow ranger's body while on patrol, it is written off as a cougar attack. Anna is not so sure. She takes it upon herself to follow clues and find Sheila's murderer.

While I find overly-described landscapes boooooring in a book, I loved the descriptions of the national park and the animals here. Barr gave just enough to paint the picture without detracting from the action. Score one for a great setting!

I also enjoyed the way Anna talks to herself and the wildlife around her. Loneliness is a theme throughout the book, and Anna tends to think out loud. Perhaps it is to break the silence around her, or perhaps to humanize her rough, difficult, desert surroundings. She talks to her horse, to animals that pop out of the ground or cross her path while she walks, to herself, and even to the landscape.

I am still watching Will Manley's progress with his mystery challenge and getting ideas for more mysteries from his list. He's loving Agatha Christie - that wouldn't be a bad choice for me! What do you think? (Ok, ok, I should probably finish Black Echo by Michael Connelly first. It's good; I just got side-tracked by Track of the Cat.)