Sunday, April 26, 2009

Borderline by Nevada Barr


From the Jacket: Drained and haunted by the killings on Isle Royale, diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and on administrative leave by order of her superintendent, the one bright spot in Anna’s life is Paul, her husband of less than a year. Hoping the warmth and the adventure of a raft trip in Big Bend National Park will lift her spirits, Paul takes Anna to southwest Texas, where the sun is hot and the Rio Grande is running high. The sheer beauty of the Chihuahuan Desert and the power of the river work their magic—until the raft is lost in the rapids and a young college student makes a grisly discovery. Hair and arms tangled in the downed branches of a strainer between two boulders, more dead than alive, is a pregnant woman. Nature, it turns out, isn’t the only one who wants to see the woman and her baby dead. Instead of the soul-soothing experience Paul planned for her, Anna and her husband are sucked into a labyrinth of intrigue that leads from the Mexican desert to the steps of the Governor’s Mansion in Austin, Texas.
My Thoughts: I started reading this series because they are set in National Parks all around the states and my husband and I try to visit as many as we can. I'm a long time fan of Nevada Barr and this series staring Anna Piegon. I found this book, # 15, to be a real page turner, well written and lots of action. It was especially appealing because it was set in the Big Bend National Park in my home state. I liked that Paul was with her and we got to see a softer side of Anna as she cared for the baby she rescued. The side story of the stranded cow was interesting, and if you watch the video on the authors site, you'll find that it was based on truth. I liked this book a lot and I think you will too.
Challenges:
100+ Reading Challenge
Support Your Local Library Challenge
See a video with Barr talking about this book.

4 comments:

Kristie said...

I've never read one of Nevada Barr's books, but this one sounds great! Do you think it would be bad to jump start in the middle of the series?

Teddyree said...

Sounds great, just the sort of suspense/thriller I like. Haven't read anything by this author!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the reminder about this series! I've read most of her books, but haven't picked one up for a while. I find the series a bit uneven, ranging from "pretty good" to "very good" and this one sounds like it could be on the high side of that scale.

To Kristie, wondering if you could read these out of order, my answer is a qualified yes. The mysteries stand alone, but there are events and growth in the main character's life that is more interesting read in order.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the reminder about this series! I've read most of her books, but haven't picked one up for a while. I find the series a bit uneven, ranging from "pretty good" to "very good" and this one sounds like it could be on the high side of that scale.

To Kristie, wondering if you could read these out of order, my answer is a qualified yes. The mysteries stand alone, but there are events and growth in the main character's life that is more interesting read in order.