Kate is a wonderful character. She's intelligent, sharp, witty, and a force of nature. Kate bridges the gap between the Aleut heritage, and how life used to be, and the modern era. She understands both sides and does her best to be true to the spirit of her heritage. She's also an investigator with a keen eye that sees connections in the mundane evidence and she's not afraid of the hard truths. In this book we get to see Kate make some really hard choices and she chooses based on her character and that makes an impression on the reader. Justice and truth must go hand-in-hand for the good of all. But there is a difference between the letter and the spirit of the law and Kate walks that fine line.

This is a first in a series of books with Kate Shugak as the main character. Stabenow has a vivid character in Kate and a way of getting the reader to feel the vastness and beauty of the Alaskan setting. The history and politics of the state are woven into the narrative seamlessly along with the plot and characters. This is definitely a writer to put on your watch list.