Anna Pigeon hangs tough in "The Rope"

Nevada Barr never disappoints. Her Anna Pigeon books do for the National Park system that Tony Hillerman’s books did for the Navajo Reservation—create a magnificent sense of place. I do most of my “reading” in the form of audio books that I listen to on my commute. But Barr is one of the few authors I will only read the old fashion way, with eyes on pages. I want to savor every page.

The Rope is a prequel to Barr’s earlier Pigeon books. It explains how a one-time New York stage manager became a law enforcement ranger for the U.S. National Park Service. Escaping the Big Apple after the death of her husband, Anna takes a temporary position as a seasonal ranger. Shortly after, however, she wakes up to find herself trapped in a deep desert depression with no clothing and no way out of the “solution hole.” Her only company is a baby skunk and the half-buried corpse of a young girl.

Rather than solve the crime of her kidnapping and imprisonment, Anna’s rescue results in more mysterious deaths. Anna Pigeon has to transform herself from a damaged city girl into an outdoor woman capable of holding her own against Mother Nature and the men who dominate the law enforcement ranger force.

As I said, Nevada Barr never disappoints, and The Rope is another fine installment in the Anna Pigeon series.