May 28, 2007
In veteran Anchorage journalist Doogan’s uneven second Nik Kane mystery (after 2006’s Lost Angel
), a wealthy widow hires Kane, a disgraced former Anchorage cop turned PI, to help defend a promising Native Alaskan state legislator, Matthew Hope, against the charge of murdering an aide to conservative senator O.B. Potter. The first half of the book reads like a traditional detective novel, with a tough, troubled protagonist, mysterious client, unjustly accused suspect and reluctant informants, including Kane’s estranged son, Dylan. Kane even acquires a sarcastic sidekick, Tlingit cab driver “Cocoa” Paul. The story eventually falls apart as Kane, working by instinct, suffers threats and beatings en route to an unsatisfying conclusion. Though most books set in Alaska take place in the glorious and forbidding wilderness, almost all the action is in the state capital, Juneau, a city that seems carved out of ice and rocks. Unfortunately, strong writing and evocative descriptions can’t save a predictable plot and a hodgepodge of stock characters.
Starred review from August 1, 2007
Investigator Nik Kane, a recovering alcoholic, ex-husband, and ex-cop and exonerated ex-felon, works for a security company in Anchorage, AK, but wants more challenging cases. He is sent to Juneau to prove the innocence of state senator Matthew Hope, who's been accused of murder. Doogan packs his story with insider information on politics Alaska-style (he holds a seat in the Alaska legislature), nonstop action, fully drawn characters, and a heart-stopping finale. "Lost Angel", his debut Nik Kane mystery, was gripping in its intensity. Doogan has only gotten better in this follow-up. Highly reommended. The author lives in Anchorage.
Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2007
Former Anchorage police detective Nik Kane spent seven years in prison after shooting a supposedly unarmed boy. He was exonerated when a witness recanted and said the boy had pointed a gun at Nik before the detective responded. Unable to rejoin the police department, Nik works for a security firm until he decides to go out on his own. His former boss offers him his first job: clear a native Alaskan state senator, Matthew Hope, of the charge of murdering another senators legislative assistant. Hope proclaims his innocence but seems uninterested in defending himself, even though he was found standing over the body with the murder weapon in his hand. Kane quickly becomes immersed in Alaskan state politics, where corruption seems rife. It soon becomes clear that someone wants Kane off the case.This gritty, hard-boiled mystery, the second in a series, also finds Kane trying to reestablish a relationship with his son after his stint in prison.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)