Alice HendersonBesprekingen

simplistic characters, with Little Miss Sunshine as the protagonist, and bland style. She does do a good job describing nature.

Although not as exciting as the first book, learning more about the plight of polar bears, thanks to global warming, was interesting and I enjoyed the descriptions of the Arctic tundra.

Alex was an okay protagonist but she made stupid mistakes and there has been no character growth from the first novel to the second. I did admire her for trying to save threatened species but the action in this novel was over the top. There was one violent event after another, thus making the plot unbelievable and detracting from the story and the serious issue of humans' negative impact on the world’s natural environments. Having read this, I think Alex and I have parted ways and I won’t be bothering with any more books in this series.

In need of a book set in the Arctic Tundra for reading challenge, A Blizzard of Polar Bears by Alice Henderson caught my eye. It’s the second book in a series featuring wildlife biologist Alex Carter, though reads well as a stand alone.

In A Blizzard of Polar Bears, Alex has taken an assignment in the Canadian Arctic studying its threatened population of polar bears. Teamed with an assistant and a helicopter pilot Alex’s job involves tracking and sedating the majestic, but dangerous animals, and recording their condition. It’s exhilarating work but soon things begin to go wrong- the pilot quits without notice, equipment goes missing, and then Alex’s research is stolen. Refusing to abandon the study, Alex is relieved when she is able to secure another pilot but when the helicopter catches fire forcing the crew to ditch on the ice in the middle of nowhere, it quickly becomes clear that someone will do anything to stop her.

I enjoyed this fast paced, action packed thriller. Alex finds herself in several dangerous situations after being targeted by thieves, poachers, and an unscrupulous businessman. I thought the mystery was well plotted, with Henderson deftly crafting several red herrings diverting from the true motive of Alex’s most persistent attackers.

Though Alex is capable and resourceful, she doesn’t always make smart decisions, and the odds are often against her, so a little suspension of belief is required as her circumstances worsen. Alex is likeable though and I thought she was a strong lead character.

The appearance of helicopter pilot Casey, who apparently had a brief role in Henderson’s first novel featuring Alex, A Solitude of Wolverines, adds another layer of interest to the novel.

Henderson does a great job of evoking the Arctic landscape. I found Alex’s work with the polar bears to be interesting, and I appreciated the information Henderson included in an Afterword detailing the threats they face. The forecast that all natural populations of polar bears may be extinct by 2080 due to man-made pollutants and climate change is chilling.

A Blizzard of Polar Bears is a quick and easy read offering lots of excitement and a strong eco message.½

Solid story if a little over the top.

I was a big fan of the Nevada Barr national park series and I’m always on the lookout for similar things and this is the perfect book to scratch that itch.

Wilderness setting, mysterious behavior / crime / adventure, interesting cast of supporting characters, cliffhanger for the next book.

Is it great literature, probably not, but it’s fun to read and a nice change from my usual comfort read of romance (although there is potential for that too!)

As with many thrillers, some suspension of believe is needed to accept the story. The biggest failing of this otherwise good story to me is that too much of it is too hard to believe.½

Quite a story and well developed. I have to admit I'd have liked to see a bit more done with Grace and why she was there because in the end it was a bit of a throwaway plot. I think one of the better things I liked was Ms. Henderson's accuracy and descriptions of the terrain they were traversing. It was nice to see several things mentioned especially in and around Point Reyes. Please note neither the Pelican's Nest nor Odysseus's exist..although I have a serious suspicion about what the Pelican's Nest was based upon. After this I plan to seek out more of her writing.

"A Solitude of Wolverines" was an action-packed read and I enjoyed learning more about wolverines. Wildlife biologist, Alex Carter, was a worthy protagonist - determined, inventive, and passionate about animals. I was hooked from the first page and couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

This is the start of a series starring Alex and I am looking forward to the next novel.

Really good, action-packed thriller. Plan to read this author's next in the Alex Carter series

Shaken from her recent adventures in Canada, Alex Carter returns stateside to follow up on sightings of mountain caribou in Washington state. Shortly after her arrival, the body of a missing park ranger is discovered in a local town, and it becomes apparent that the wilderness is hiding more than just caribou. Trained by her fighter pilot mother, Alex is used to surviving in rugged terrain and has no difficulty hiking out on her own to check on wildlife cams. Of course, the bad guys always underestimate her! I liked that this book was all Alex--she didn't need help from her secret protector to resolve the conflict this time.

Thanks to William Morrow for access to a digital ARC via NetGalley.

A Blizzard of Polar Bears is the second entry in the Alex Carter series. Alex is a wildlife biologist who studies endangered species in their native habitats. This time it’s polar bears in the remote Canadian snowfields and, as she has a habit of doing, she manages to make a few enemies who set out to stop her at any cost.

This was the third book I've read in the series - originally I skipped over the second, going from the first to the third – and even though it can be read as a standalone there’s enough of a story arc across the first two that I’d recommend reading them in order. I’d also recommend skipping the audiobook version since the narrator has a way of dropping her voice at the end of a sentence that makes her hard to understand.½

Very enjoyable eco-mystery. There was the usual dead body, but also abduction of the heroine's friend and the disappearance of a hiker. All 3 happened to be women. I enjoyed learning about the mountain caribou [and its relatives--different species all over the world that had adapted to their particular environments].
I'm glad the author had a section on where to look if we wanted more information on this animal.
I might read others of the author's eco-novels. No wonder the author seemed so well informed; she works with wildlife in real life. I got this recommendation from a wildlife magazine; otherwise, I may never have heard of this novel.

Alice Henderson's Alex Carter novels have become my Go-To Reads whenever I need a vicarious adrenaline rush with a one-two punch of wildlife and the great outdoors. A Ghost of Caribou is no exception.

There's always the opportunity to learn with Alex Carter. In this book, it's remote locations, camping, caring for remote cameras, how to collar an animal... and how to avoid getting killed. I enjoyed learning about mountain caribou as well as the Selkirk Mountains and setting up remote cameras, and my craving for an adrenaline rush was certainly fulfilled.

Alex Carter is one of the best female characters in the thriller business. Her father may be a guest artist at a different national park each year (in A Ghost of Caribou, he's at the Grand Canyon), but her mother was a fighter pilot who played survival games with the growing Alex, and-- boy howdy-- does she ever use everything she learned at her mother's knee! (It's also nice to have a main character with two loving and supporting parents.) Alex is well able to take care of herself, and readers won't catch her doing anything stupid.

But there's more to this series than a kick-ass main character, thrilling action scenes (how about that ultra-scary "UFO"!), and wildlife. There's Sheriff Maggie Taggert, a capable, take-charge woman who works well with Alex. There are the unexpected laughs amid all that tension ("If she kept taking these gigs, she'd have to invest in a satellite phone"-- something that I'd been thinking), and the chilling hunt for a killer targeting older women. There's also the fact that Alex learns more about herself each time she takes one of these assignments, so she's not the typical "action figure" who never changes.

If you're in the mood for fast-paced excitement in the great outdoors with a strong, capable female lead character, head straight for Alice Henderson's Alex Carter books. They're fantastic.½

After reading a review I added this to my TBR list and was happy when it was chosen by my book club, however I found it a disappointment. Poor writing, not as much research/science info as I had hoped for, and a story that just didn't flow for me. On a positive note, my bookclub offered some links to informational videos and from them I did learn a lot about these interesting creatures.½

I liked the title of this book and thought it would just be an interesting mystery. I would call it an environmental thriller, with the suspense continually ramping up as the story moves on. This is the third in a series. Alex Carter is in Eastern Washington state, sent to look for signs of the nearly extinct mountain caribou, which once roamed the area. Alex has a pretty solitary job but has made some close friends over the years and relies on them, plus a wonderful relationship with her dad, to get her through tough times. There's a missing hiker, a dead body found at the local playground and a missing volunteer fire watcher. Not an easy read with the violence, but it didn't keep me from reading quickly to the end to find out what happens.

This has been on my TBR for a year or more. I was finally able to find a good time to read it. I heard several very favorable reviews for this mystery thriller. The set up is fairly simple: an environmental biologist who loves the wild outdoors is stationed at a lone site in Montana to document the wolverine population. The author uses vivid descriptions to set the scenes as the main character treks through the mountainous forest. The characters are interesting and definitely hold promise to be developed more as the series continues. However, I thought the thriller plotline was overly done and reads like a movie script. I was disappointed and not sure I’ll move on. The characters beckon me though, so we’ll see.

A Ghost of Caribou is the latest entry in Alice Handerson's Alex Carter series.

Alex is an wildlife biologist who travels Canada and the US tracking species that are in danger. And, it seems like wherever she goes, Alex attracts danger as well.

This time around, she's looking for confirmation that the reported sighting of a mountain caribou is real, as they are extinct in the contiguous United States. I've quite enjoyed learning about each of the featured animals in this series. Henderson's facts are real and she is a dedicated wildlife researcher who walks the talk.

I really like Alex as a lead character. She's strong, resilient, curious, intelligent, adventurous, and courageous. She doesn't back down from anything. But she's smart about it. Supporting players are her dad and her best friend Zoe. Because of her job, contact is usually over the phone. Their lives are interesting as well and there's usually a mystery one of their lives.

The setting this time is in the Selkirk mountains of Washington state. Henderson does a fantastic job with her setting details. There's a lot going on in this forested area. Missing women, logging disputes, mysterious tunnels - and mysterious inhabitants. Alex has landed right in the middle of things.

The plot is very good. There are a few grains of salt needed with some of the happenings, but just go with it. There's lot of action and many a dangerous situation, characters to like, and many to dislike (strongly) And the end pages brought a surprise. Those who have read the first two books will be surprised as I was.

I chose to listen to A Ghost of Caribou. The same narrator, Eva Kaminsky, has read the previous two books as well. I really appreciate the continuity. Her voice absolutely matches the characters. Kaminsky captures the tone of A Ghost of Caribou. Her voice easily portrays the danger, the action and emotions of the book. Her voice is clear, easy to understand and pleasant on the ears. The speed of the narration is just right. I often find myself more drawn into a book when listened to, rather than a print copy. And that's the case with A Ghost of Caribou.

These books featuring wildlife biologist Alex Carter are truly an immersive reading experience. The backcountry settings and the endangered wildlife are fascinating to read about and the mysteries are action‑packed and suspenseful. I found this one nearly impossible to put down. I went straight from the first book in the series to the third and now I’ll definitely be going back to read the one I skipped.
Disclosure: I received a copy to review from Goodreads Giveaways.

Hold on tight for a wild ride. Main character Alex Carter is a wildlife biologist whose current assignment is studying wolverines in a remote Montana sanctuary. Her work pits her against the rugged terrain and the unfriendly locals who clearly don’t want her there. A few times the plot struck me as repetitious, just one unrelated conflict after another, but then it tied everything together and the thrill ride began. Although this is the beginning of a series the main story works as a standalone mystery except for the sub-plot that dangles a hook at the end to continue on. Since I won the third book, A Ghost of Caribou, in a GR giveaway I’ll be doing that but otherwise I’m not sure I would.

My favorite new series!
Emily and I talk with author Alice Henderson on the Book Cougars. Listen here: https://bit.ly/BookCougars141

(Review to come)

So good! The great outdoors, championing animals in the wild, and a competent, kick-ass woman field biologist. I need to go on a hike stat! A must read for fans of Nevada Barr.

A Ghost of Caribou by Alice HendersonA Ghost of Caribou: A Novel of Suspense
by Alice Henderson (Goodreads Author)

Release date: Nov 15, 2022
"A superb thriller of heart-pounding suspense," (Dirk Cussler, #1 NYT bestselling author). Enter now for your chance to win an early copy! ...more
Building upon the highly acclaimed debut of Alice Henderson's A Solitude of Wolverines and its follow-up thriller A Blizzard of Polar Bears comes the eagerly anticipated and electrifying third installment A Ghost of Caribou, in which wildlife biologist Alex Carter encounters an unsolved murder and a town in turmoil while in search of this majestic, all-but-vanished animal.

When a remote camera on a large, rugged expanse held by the Land Trust for Wildlife Conservation picks up a blurry image of what could be a mountain caribou, they contact Alex Carter to investigate. After all, mountain caribou went extinct in the contiguous U.S. years ago, and if one has wandered down from Canada, it's monumental.

But when Alex arrives on scene in the Selkirk mountains of northeastern Washington state, she quickly learns that her only challenge isn't finding an elusive caribou on a massive piece of land. The nearby townspeople are agitated; loggers and activists clash over a swath of old growth forest marked for clearcutting. The murdered body of a forest ranger is found strung up in the town's park, and Alex learns of a backcountry hiker who went missing in the same area the year before.

As she ventures into the forest in search of the endangered animal, she quickly finds herself in a fight for her life, caught between factions warring for the future of the forest and a murderer stalking the dense groves of ancient trees.

Too similar to the first book, and still preachy. I finished it but I'm done with this series.

Somewhat preachy at times and a bit McGuyver-y but OK. I'll try another

Wildly over the top—the main plot line is almost nonsensical—but the setting worked for me.

> In addition to being a writer, Alice Henderson is a wildlife sanctuary monitor, geographic information systems specialist, and bioacoustician. She documents wildlife on specialized recording equipment, checks remote cameras, creates maps, and undertakes wildlife surveys to determine what species are present on preserves, while ensuring there are no signs of poaching. She’s surveyed for the presence of grizzlies, wolves, wolverines, jaguars, endangered bats, and more.

> She stilled her mind, suddenly grateful for the rigorous mental exercises her mother had put her through as a child, forcing her to think quickly to get out of dangerous exercises, using whatever was at hand to her advantage. Devising a plan, she moved rapidly, wrapping one end of the wire around a tree, then spooling it across the road at about chest height

A Solitude of Wolverines is a good first novel in a series. I found Alex Carter to be a great character and the story was good. I just wish the story had captivated me a bit more. There is one part of the story that I really loved and that was the mystery of the shooter at the beginning of the story. Loved that and everything related to that. But the rest of the story just didn't captivate me as much as that part of the book. Still, I'm eager to read the next book because I did like the book and I'm curious to see what happens next.