Campaign for the American Reader: Pg. 69: "A Deeper Sleep"

A Deeper Sleep is the 15th volume of Edgar Award–winning Dana Stabenow's "Kate Shugak" series.

In addition to that series, Dana is the author of three Liam Campbell mysteries, three science-fiction novels, and a stand-alone novel. She also writes an acclaimed column for Alaska magazine.

I asked her to put A Deeper Sleep to the "page 69 test," and here is what she reported:

Okay, you made me look. I had to go see what was actually on p. 69 of A Deeper Sleep before I could answer this question. And the answer is…

I think p. 69 is more representative of the entire Kate Shugak series than it is just the one book. There is Kate, at Bobby’s house, Bobby a very popular recurring character, so that she can contact a DA in Anchorage who has a job for her. Other recurring characters from the Kate Shugak ensemble, Dan O’Brien, a Park ranger, Mac Devlin, a miner, are also mentioned, grounding the reader in the history of the series.

History, yes, but then notice is paid to the times they are a changing, in the Park as they are anywhere else. Instead of talking over Bobby’s ham radio so that all the Park rats can listen in, Kate’s now IM’ing.

During which mention is made of the Smiths, new characters but ones integral to the plot of this particular book, and characters indicative not only of the changing population of Kate’s Park but also of the recurring problem of squatters on public land in Alaska. Which is, not coincidentally, a way into the plot of A Deeper Sleep. It’s also a setup for the next book in the series, and probably more.

Wow. That actually was a pretty good page. Who the hell wrote that?

Many thanks to Dana for the input.

There is one excerpt from A Deeper Sleep at Dana's site, and another excerpt at BookBrowse.

Among the praise for A Deeper Sleep:

"All the elements that have made the author's signature Kate Shugak crime series successful shine in this 15th entry (after 2004's A Taint in the Blood): Kate's personal growth as a woman and as an investigator; the Alaskan environment in all its unforgiving beauty; and a mystery whose solution remains in doubt until the end. The story opens with a brutal murder. The culprit, Louis Deem, who has managed to avoid justice for past crimes, is so odious that his presence is a cancer in the little Niniltna community Kate calls home. Stabenow's rich cast of supporting characters include natives and longtime settlers as well as those newcomers so unprepared that Kate refers to them as committing 'suicide by Alaska.' There is rough humor, a rich heritage of the community necessary for survival, and at the same time a remarkable tolerance for the many idiosyncrasies of those attracted to the harsh realities of Alaskan life. Kate Shugak is becoming a leader among her people and is already a leader in the sorority of women detectives."
--Publishers Weekly

"[A] satisfying exploration of justice on America's last frontier with a twisty ending that marks a new stage in Kate's career."
--Kirkus Reviews

"An engaging plot, the fascinating Native American frame, the well-developed characters, and the vivid depiction of the Alaskan wilderness add up to another strong entry in this consistently satisfying series."
--Booklist

"When I'm casting about for an antidote to the sugary female sleuths who solve crimes without disrupting their social calendars, Kate Shugak, the Aleut private investigator in Dana Stabenow's Alaskan mysteries, invariably comes to mind," wrote Marilyn Stasio in the New York Times. "In more than a dozen novels, Kate has demonstrated that she can shoot a rifle, butcher a moose, overhaul an engine and survive in remote regions of the Alaskan wilderness. More amazing yet, her outdoor skills don't alienate the rugged men in her life."