On vacation with his girlfriend, Nathan Active is pulled back to duty first by discovery of a dead hunter, then by new of arson fire in the village that killed 7 including the chief of police. City police and state troopers rally to investigate but leads are few and seem to go in multiple directions. Once the case is solved Nathan faces a choice, stay in Chukchi with the woman he is involved with or accept transfer to Anchoarge. A third option also opens.

In the fourth book of this series, Alaska State Trooper Nathan Active has a lot to handle. An arson fire at the Chukchi Recreation Center has killed several residents, including the town police chief. Nathan has found an unidentified dead man at a remote lake. There is an improbable plane crash involving a bush pilot who may be connected to the fire. Several people may also be involved in poaching and smuggling polar bear gallbladders. And Nathan’s impending transfer back to Anchorage is affecting his relationship with his almost lover, Grace Palmer.

Nathan is an Inupiat who was adopted and raised in Anchorage. He’s of both worlds but a bit of an outsider in each. He has a lot to negotiate, both in his life and work.

Stan Jones writes in detail of the Inupiat and their lives, and the other people that make up Alaska. His descriptions of bush-piloting and the skills necessary to survive are believable and compelling. I’m hoping the fifth book in the series comes along soon. ( )

After watching Alaskan State Troopers on NGTV for years, it's nice to read about them in fiction. I enjoy the dialogue and the subject matter. ( )

I had read the first two of Jones's Nathan Active mysteries a few years ago and then he apparently had some trouble getting the next one published. So when I saw this one, I didn't realize I'd missed one book in between. Apparently a lot has happened in Trooper Active's personal life and if that took place in book 3, I kind of know the ending now. Oh well.

I found this book a bit slow-moving at first, but it's very possible that was just me. About halfway through things sped up and it became a satisfying mystery. Since I read mysteries as much for character and setting as anything, those are what kept me going through the slow parts. Trooper Active is an Alaska state trooper who was adopted (in an open adoption) as an infant and raised by white schoolteachers in Anchorage, although he is Inuit. Ironically, he has been assigned to his own native village, reestablished relationships with his birth mother and grandmother, and has gone through a lot of culture shock. His viewpoint as insider/outsider is a good way of showing the reader the local situation (the glossary in every book helps too). Active is a good cop without being unbelievable, and the other village characters are well-drawn. The setting includes both incredible beauty and everyday squalor and problems such as alcohol and domestic abuse are not glossed over. I'd advise starting at the beginning with this series. ( )

This is the first Stan Jones that I've read and I really enjoyed it. I loved the details of the Alaskan setting and the relationship between Nathan and Grace was touching. It was a quick read, and I will go back and read the others by this author. ( )