What's not to like? Wrangell, Alaska, rich in scenery, laden with native lore. A child who's not cute but sturdily self reliant. No victim, although needing shelter, James has been prepared by his grandfather for the weight of tribal responsibility. He knows where all the Tlingit bodies are buried. A great, half breed dog who neither talks nor detects. Sam's just a dog. A woman who's wounded but walking, struggling to make sense of her life. She's stubborn and somewhat rash, but you can forgive her as you warm to her prickly personality and watch her pilot her freighter/floating library. And a cop who's no SNAG (that's Sensitive New Age Guy) but working on his attitude. Toss in some Tlingit totems and you get a winning and colorful debut mystery which also has a winning concept.

Genre: Mystery