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A Superior Death (An Anna Pigeon Novel) Mass Market Paperback – September 2, 2003
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In her latest mystery, Nevada Barr sends Ranger Pigeon to a new post amid the cold, deserted, and isolated beauty of Isle Royale National Park, a remote island off the coast of Michigan known for fantastic deep-water dives of wrecked sailing vessels. Leaving behind memories of the Texas high desert and the environmental scam she helped uncover, Anna is adjusting to the cool damp of Lake Superior and the spirits and lore of the northern Midwest.
But when a routine application for a diving permit reveals a grisly underwater murder, Anna finds herself 260 feet below the forbidding surface of the lake, searching for the connection between a drowned man and an age-old cargo ship.
Written with a naturalist's feel for the wilderness and a keen understanding of characters who thrive in extreme conditions, A Superior Death is a passionate, atmospheric page-turner.
- Print length320 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBerkley
- Publication dateSeptember 2, 2003
- Dimensions4.23 x 0.81 x 6.7 inches
- ISBN-10042519471X
- ISBN-13978-0425194713
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About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Berkley; First Edition (September 2, 2003)
- Language : English
- Mass Market Paperback : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 042519471X
- ISBN-13 : 978-0425194713
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 4.23 x 0.81 x 6.7 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #217,834 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,543 in Science Fiction Crime & Mystery
- #4,480 in Murder Thrillers
- #7,952 in Women Sleuths (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Nevada was born in the small western town of Yerington, Nevada and raised on a mountain airport in the Sierras. Both her parents were pilots and mechanics and her sister, Molly, continued the tradition by becoming a pilot for USAir.
Pushed out of the nest, Nevada fell into the theatre, receiving her BA in speech and drama and her MFA in Acting before making the pilgrimage to New York City, then Minneapolis, MN. For eighteen years she worked on stage, in commercials, industrial training films and did voice-overs for radio. During this time she became interested in the environmental movement and began working in the National Parks during the summers -- Isle Royale in Michigan, Guadalupe Mountains in Texas, Mesa Verde in Colorado, and then on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi.
Woven throughout these seemingly disparate careers was the written word. Nevada wrote and presented campfire stories, taught storytelling and was a travel writer and restaurant critic. Her first novel, Bitterweet was published in 1983. The Anna Pigeon series, featuring a female park ranger as the protagonist, started when she married her love of writing with her love of the wilderness, the summer she worked in west Texas. The first book, Track of the Cat, was brought to light in 1993 and won both the Agatha and Anthony awards for best first mystery. The series was well received and A Superior Death, loosely based on Nevada's experiences as a boat patrol ranger on Isle Royale in Lake Superior, was published in 1994. In 1995 Ill Wind came out. It was set in Mesa Verde, Colorado where Nevada worked as a law enforcement ranger for two seasons.
The rest is, shall we say, HISTORY! Nevada's books and accomplishments have become numerous and the presses continue to roll, so in the interest of NOT having to update this page, books, awards, status on the New York Times Best Seller List -- and more -- will be enumerated with the relevant books else where on this website.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book an enjoyable read with a well-crafted mystery. They appreciate the descriptive prose and interesting characters. The book introduces them to various national parks and their geography. Readers describe the heroine as strong and amusing.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find the twists and turns keep them interested from start to finish. The stories are fun and enjoyable, keeping readers engaged from beginning to end. Readers also mention that the books are good as stand-alone reads.
"...Awesome read." Read more
"...If you're already a fan of Anna Pigeon, this is a fun book to pick up for a quick read...." Read more
"C j box is a great author" Read more
"Enjoyed, definitely can sense the author getting better after this second book in the series...." Read more
Customers enjoy the well-crafted mystery set in various parks. They find the plot engaging with lots of twists and turns. The details are accurate, making the books interesting with facts.
"...Being a Michigan native, I had special interest in this one. Action-packed and extremely well-written, this is the sixth book I’ve read in this..." Read more
"...with diving in the Great Lakes, apparently the details in this story are pretty accurate, but with some dramatically bad choices or poor judgement..." Read more
"...I recommend this well-crafted mystery set on and in Lake Superior and Isle Royal National Park." Read more
"...Her writing moves along well & keeps you guessing!" Read more
Customers enjoy the writing style. They appreciate the descriptive prose and well-written story. The writing style is reminiscent of Tony Hillerman, with detailed descriptions of the area and characters. Readers can sense the author getting better after this second book in the series. They find the book easy to read, entertaining, and fast-paced.
"...Action-packed and extremely well-written, this is the sixth book I’ve read in this series (although number two chronologically). Awesome read." Read more
"...Ms Barr, through Anna, describes the area wonderfully, and you get a pretty good sense of being there, being on the great lake, walking the woods..." Read more
"Enjoyed, definitely can sense the author getting better after this second book in the series...." Read more
"I really enjoy the way Nevada Barr writes! She has the personal experience in each National Park that she writes a murder mystery for...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's character development. They find the characters interesting and engaging, with a strong female protagonist and a talent for friendship. Readers also appreciate the descriptive prose and look forward to seeing where the character goes next. Overall, customers praise the author as an excellent storyteller.
"The characters are fun and interesting people...." Read more
"...Anna, although a loner in most ways, has a certain talent for friendship...." Read more
"...Still, her character is always good company, and Barr is pretty brilliant about evoking the atmosphere of the national parks where Anna does her..." Read more
"...my enjoyment, but I love the descriptive prose and Anna Pigeon is a real character!..." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's introduction to various national parks. They find the references to geography and waterways interesting. The author has personal experiences in each park that she writes a murder mystery for. The descriptions of the islands in Lake Superior are also appreciated. Overall, readers enjoy the series set in the national parks.
"...The setting in the Isle Royal National Park is lovely, and having some experience in that area, was familiar, one of my favorite parts of the world...." Read more
"...She has the personal experience in each National Park that she writes a murder mystery for. Her writing moves along well & keeps you guessing!" Read more
"...novels are just plain fun, replete with interesting characters, great scenery and of course Anna Pigeon's offbeat view of humanity...." Read more
"...was the interesting descriptions of the waterways and islands of Isle Royale National Park. It’s an interesting read, but I didn’t love it." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's strong female lead and fabulous locations. They find the story engaging with unexpected twists and turns. The book arrived promptly and in good condition as advertised.
"Anna Pigeon is a tough and amusing heroine. Great suspense, learned about the islands in Lake Superior, enjoyed the humor and the characters...." Read more
"...The combination of fabulous locations, strong female lead and twists and turns made for an enjoyable page turner...." Read more
"The book came new and in great condition. I really enjoy reading Nevada Barr. Her books are thrilling and you don’t want to put them down...." Read more
"...She uses instince, strength, and moral determination to solve the mystery." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2023Exciting. Engaging. Enthralling. Being a Michigan native, I had special interest in this one. Action-packed and extremely well-written, this is the sixth book I’ve read in this series (although number two chronologically). Awesome read.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2012I've read a number of Nevada Barr's 'Anna Pigeon' mysteries (crime novels? detective series?), but somehow I'd missed the earliest ones, so it was fun to find this on Amazon and be able to go back to the beginning of the character in this, the second of the series, "A Superior Death".
Even though the book itself, and therefore the necessary cultural details, are nearly 20 years old, I didn't find the actual story dated at all (and believe me, I'm among the first to complain if a story is dated and deadly because of that.)
It is a little odd that, in the 20 years that Anna Pigeon has been working for the National Parks Service, so many details of her life have changed yet she hasn't aged much (still in her 40s? Not quite sure.) From the early 1990s of this novel (A Superior Death) we've progressed from tape decks in cars, no such thing as a pc, printers still spitting out dot-matrix print-outs, etc. to thousands of songs available in your palm which can now be played through your car's speakers, ear buds, your home sound system, wherever! NASA-level personal computing in the same palm-sized device if you want it, wireless laser printers - things that Anna wouldn't have even found imaginable on Michigan's Isle Royal 'back in the day'. Yet Anna stays almost as young and active now (in the more current novels) as the day she was born of Ms. Barr's pen.
(Arthur Conan Doyle had it so much easier keeping his character consistent over a 40+ year life-span back around the LAST turn of the century! But, I digress...)
A Superior Death is a quirky crime novel set in a remote, normally beautiful and fairly placid part of northern Michigan. Ms Barr, through Anna, describes the area wonderfully, and you get a pretty good sense of being there, being on the great lake, walking the woods and sitting on the docks with Anna and her fellow Park Rangers. Oh, and the famous mosquitos!
I have to say, the cast of characters is particularly bizarre in this book, which might be a product of this being one of the early novels in the series. Her later novels usually have an odd character or two, but in A Superior Death at least half of the recurring cast has at least one major, outside-the-norm character trait or physical attribute, some of them fairly disturbing and others just a little weird or 'isch'. If I'd read this book first, I might have been turned off by this cultural side show, and if I was a resident of northern MI, I might be seriously offended at how my little pocket of the world was being portrayed.
However, since I've read so many other Anna Pigeon novels, I know that Ms. Barr has developed into a deft writer of mysteries involving a large cast of characters 'trapped; together in what should be a pleasant or fun situation but which has turned horrible for some reason. I think she's become sort of a modern American 'Agatha Christie' for outdoors enthusiasts.
Once you've gotten used to all of the odd characters, A Superior Death unfolds at a straightforward, steady pace. It starts fairly simply with the accidental discovery of a body by some tourists, and gets more and more complex until Anna and the killer are thrown together for a dramatic and physical denouement that is completely satisfying. There are plenty of hints and just as many red herrings along the way, and you'll find that you're going to suspect plenty of other people before you finally realize, along with Anna, who the real killer is.
(If you're a diver or familiar with diving in the Great Lakes, apparently the details in this story are pretty accurate, but with some dramatically bad choices or poor judgement thrown in. I'll have to take your word for it... I don't like either heights or depths, myself!)
If you're already a fan of Anna Pigeon, this is a fun book to pick up for a quick read. If you've never read her before, I don't think I'd tell you to start here - I like Ms. Barr's later writing of the character better. (Reading this was sort of like a big sister going home and finding some cute drawing that her younger sibling had done years ago in 5th grade. There's obvious promise in the work, but it's pretty naive.)
- Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2024C j box is a great author
- Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2023The characters are fun and interesting people. The setting in the Isle Royal National Park is lovely, and having some experience in that area, was familiar, one of my favorite parts of the world. I particularly enjoy books where the author has researched the natural world which the characters inhabit. I recommend this well-crafted mystery set on and in Lake Superior and Isle Royal National Park.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2024Enjoyed, definitely can sense the author getting better after this second book in the series. Definitely another major “coincidence” here in A Superior Death that may have some readers rolling their eyes. But all in all, an entertaining read
- Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2023I really enjoy the way Nevada Barr writes! She has the personal experience in each National Park that she writes a murder mystery for. Her writing moves along well & keeps you guessing!
- Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2024I have a fear of water so I found this book a bit scary. Loved it
- Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2024A conundrum as an expert diver is discovered near a sunken vessel dressed in a military uniform ????
Also a battered woman is missing and the husband has purchased a case of relish. So the town thinks he’s eating her ( shades of a Sherlock Holmes story). But, Anna comes through.
Top reviews from other countries
- Robin G.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 3, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Murder in the great lakes USA
This was a good story from start to finish. It was set on Lake superior on the US side in a national park Belle isle.The characterisation was excellent and varied . A murder occurred in unusual circumstances and other possible murders were discussed and investigated. I liked the main character Anna Pigeon . In the series she moves on to other national parks so the character offers a wider range than the Tec in A-Z murders.
- J - loves books, reads booksReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 10, 2021
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable with a good sense of place in this remote National Park
Solid 3.5 rounded up.
I enjoyed this book but agree with a number of the comments made in the book club I belong to who read this. It started off well but soon slowed and it a short while to get to the murder plot line. Some felt a bit of confusion over the place names, the characters and their names but once I wasn’t too bothered as once I got into the book it did seem easier to keep track.
There is a good plot and storyline. A bit light on characterisation possibly because there were quite a lot of characters despite this I still liked several of them. This light touch could be because the books are set in different National Parks. The writer obviously understands the National Park set up. The setting of Lake Superior was good and I enjoyed this aspect of the story. I visited Chicago, which sits at the bottom end of Lake Michigan, below Lake Superior, one November a few years ago when it was very, very cold so I can only imagine how hostile Lake Superior is especially in its more remote parts. The book certainly demonstrates the remoteness and gives a great sense of place.
This is the 2nd book of the series. It was written in the mid 1990s.
Overall I enjoyed this book.
- bop3Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 19, 2015
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
writing a bit heavy going but a good story.
- Regency BelleReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 16, 2018
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Read
Found a copy of an Anna Pigeon book in a local charity shop and I decided to download the first two books in the series. They are a good read, providing an element of crime solving, beautiful USA landscapes and an interesting character - the widowed Anna.
I will download the other books in the series as they remind me a little of the Joe Picket books by CJ Box. The National Parks background, the development of a character, their friends and family are similar but Anna is a far gentler character, who is still trying to come to terms with the loss of her husband.
None of the extremes of Joe Picket but both are fascinating people, who work in amazing locations. I loved Anna for her feminist qualities, her relationships with Molly, her NYC based sister and with her strong female best friend - Christine. I truly enjoyed reading about her thought processes, how her brain collates information, digests it, then utilises her ability to “read” the emotions and foibles of others to solve the puzzles in her life.
Off now to read book three in the series.
- ZOWEECATReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 28, 2013
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best
This is one of my favourites. My paperback is falling to bits so good to have it on Kindle. Interesting introduction to Frederick. I loved Oscar the heroic bear - now part human. I'd like to see more of him and his companions.