An Alaska Untamed Mystery: Book 2
Publication Date: November 7, 2023
Perfect for fans of Paige Shelton, an Alaskan tour guide is bracing for winter when she realizes that the wolves aren’t the only predators on the prowl.
With boat tours off the coast of Alaska shut down for the winter, tour guide Stacie Calder is joining the dedicated team at the Juneau Wildlife World, a wild animal sanctuary. Along with Sasha, her husky companion, she’s prepared to spend the long season in the scenic park. But not everyone is so chipper about the newcomers—least of all, Stacie’s new manager, Oliver Brownling. He constantly gives Stacie a hard time, specifically because she brought Sasha along with her. That is, until his mauled body is found in a remote part of the sanctuary containing wolves.
When it becomes clear that a human was responsible for the brutal murder, all eyes are on Stacie. Encouraged by her friend, Officer Liam Amaruq of the Alaskan State Troopers, Stacie is resolved to find the murderer but knows that her investigation will be difficult with the long suspect list she’s made. Did the sanctuary director plot to get rid of Oliver? Or maybe it was one of Oliver’s coworkers, upset over a missed promotion? Stacie wonders about some of the newer employees, especially since Oliver’s personality made it easy to make enemies.
With the weather worsening, Stacie and Sasha are forced to stay at the sanctuary with the wolves—and her colleagues. As the storm gets worse, it’s clear that this killer has a taste for blood and may strike again. Will Stacie be able to find the murderer, or will the hunter become the hunted?
Having read the first book in the Alaska Untamed series, Bear Witness, by author Lark O. Jensen, I wanted to see the direction the second book, Cry Wolf, would take.
This series follows Stacie and her husky, Sasha. Winter is quickly approaching in Alaska, and the tour boat company she works for is closing down for the season. Stacie takes a seasonal job at the Juneau Wildlife World, where she had volunteered previously. While the director of the refuge is perfectly fine with Stacie’s dog hanging around, one of the new managers is not. When that manager is found dead, Stacie is a prime suspect and decides to don her sleuth cap to prove her innocence.
While I enjoyed the plot and mystery, some world-building and details got lost in the mundane to me. I didn’t feel we needed to know as much about Stacie’s routines or how often people pet Sasha. Having said that, it certainly wasn’t a deal breaker. I enjoyed Stacie actively trying to solve the murder, and the resolution was satisfying.
With a solid story and likable characters, Cry Wolf delivered a satisfying mystery for wildlife or Alaska-loving cozy readers.
Lark O. Jensen is the pseudonym of Linda O. Johnston, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer. Lark wrote Bear Witness, the first Alaska Untamed mystery for Crooked Lane Books, in 2022, and the second in the series, Cry Wolf, has just been published. Linda has also written the Barkery & Biscuits Mystery series and the Superstition Mysteries for Midnight Ink and the Pet Rescue Mysteries and Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. Linda additionally writes for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, and her stories often involve dogs.
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