Since 1993 and Track of the Cat, Barr has been writing about National Park ranger Anna Pigeon. Each novel has been set in a different park, but one constant has been how the gutsy and deeply independent Anna has drawn her strength from, and maintained her sanity by, living among some of the most glorious and remote landscapes in America. Now, having decided that she needs to think about her financial future, Anna has snagged a promotion to district ranger. The catch is that she must leave her beloved Western parks behind and move to the Port Gibson section of the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi. There's no wilderness here, and she feels overwhelmed by the humidity, the streams of tourists and campers and the ever-encroaching kudzu vines. But then Anna discovers one teenage girl in a prom dress dead drunk in an old cemetery and another murdered in the deep woods of the Trace, with a KKK-type hood and noose tied over her head. Anna and the local sheriff uncover plenty of suspects and motives as they team up to investigate. As the first woman ranger in the district, Anna must also learn to deal with male subordinates who challenge her authority. Whether Anna, for whom the solitude of the wilderness has always been essential, can find her equilibrium remains to be seen. But Barr produces another suspenseful and highly atmospheric mystery, illuminated even in this new setting by her trademark lyricism in writing about the natural world. Author tour. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

YA-This eighth mystery in the series, set in the Natchez Trace Parkway, is a real disappointment. When the body of a 15-year-old girl dressed for her prom is found half buried along the old portion of the trail, U.S. Parks Ranger Anna Pigeon must deal with sex discrimination and racial problems as well as adjust to the intricate culture of a small Mississippi town in order to solve the case. The story lacks the exciting plot and tension of some of the series' previous bestsellers such as Firestorm (1996) and Blind Descent (1998, both Putnam). (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Soon after National Park Service Ranger Anna Pigeon moves to the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi, she discovers the body of a white girl in a remote area of the park. The body has been draped in a sheet and noosed--a twisted reference to Klan killings of the past. As Anna starts to investigate, she faces insubordination from her employees, resentment from the victim's family and friends, and lack of cooperation from the locals who frown upon a Yankee female playing a male role. Anna's life and investigation nearly skid out of control when she discovers that the victim had a secret black lover, a potential witness commits suicide, and the still-at-large killer threatens her. In this eighth Anna Pigeon mystery, Barr (Liberty Falling) paints a luminous picture of the geography and the people of the Natchez Trace. Anna is a delight--a tough, independent, funny, and slightly jaded middle-aged woman in a man's profession. Highly recommended for all public libraries. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/99.]--Karen Anderson, Superior Court Law Lib., Phoenix (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A promotion causes forest ranger Anna Pigeon to leave Mesa Verde National Park for the lush, humid warmth of the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi and Tennessee. But even though the people and places are different, Anna still finds herself embroiled in solving a deadly crime that is rooted in the land and history around her. The southern setting of this eighth Anna Pigeon mystery will seem strange to some series fans, but the novel offers the same strengths as its predecessors: vivid prose, a surprising plot, and a cast of sympathetic, well-rounded characters, both series regulars and a new crew of rangers and locals. There are some new pleasures as well: Barr effectively captures the beauty and menace of nature below the Mason Dixon Line and provides thoughtful insights into teens, race, and the Civil War. There is comedy as well, especially in the character of Randy Thigpen, the ultimate employee from hell. Barr solidifies her position as the preeminent writer of outdoor mysteries. --John Rowen