Endangered Species

Nevada Barr

12/27/2003

Cumberland Island National Seashore off the coast of Georgia is a National Park. Anna Pigeon has been assigned there for fire patrol during a drought season. It is a boring job, broken up by the occasional excitement of helping protect the loggerhead turtles during egg laying and hatching season. It is a short assignment, six weeks or so, then she will return to Mesa Verde.

While patrolling, she and her partner spot smoke from a fire. But the palmetto undergrowth is not the cause. The crashed small drug interdiction airplane is. The pilot and his passenger are dead, caught in the explosion. They prevent the fire from catching, but can't prevent the speculation surrounding the crash. After the aircraft inspection team arrives and concludes there had been malicious tampering of the plane, Anna finds herself in the middle of another murder mystery. She has been assigned as the ranger liaison to the inspection team, so has the first hand knowledge as more clues are uncovered.

Now, in Endangered Species, Anna has to figure who was the intended victim (the pilot, the passenger, or the original passenger who had to change plans) and why. Then, perhaps, she can discover the murdered. She not only has the ranger staff and their families, the volunteer staff, the biologists, but also the current residents of Cumberland Island. There's no shortage of suspects, but rather of motive.

I enjoyed this book. Endangered Species not only follows Anna, but also has a side story line that includes her current lover, Frederick Stanton, and her sister, Dr. Molly Pigeon. There are some fun characters in the novel, especially the older women who are volunteers with the Park Service. The mystery is crafted well and flows. This is a good addition to the Anna Pigeon series.

You can find more about this book at .

Track of the Cat
A Superior Death
Ill Wind
Firestorm
Endangered Species
Blind Descent
Liberty Falling
Deep South
Blood Lure
Hunting Season
Flashback
High Country
Hard Truth
Winter Study