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Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Wildlife Mystery Series Opener a Sluggish Read
7:44 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
After a face-off with an angry gunman at a Boston ceremony celebrating a controversial wetlands preservation project, wildlife biologist Alex Carter is only too happy to get away. The chance to track wolverines in the Montana wilderness is a dream come true. She's eager to study the elusive animals, working to save the dying species. Not all of the locals are thrilled with her presence, however, and they're letting her know it. Determined not to bow to their scare tactics, she stays on at the abandoned ski lodge where she lives by herself.
When Alex's wolverine-watching cameras catch movements of a different kind of animal on film, she's puzzled. Why is a man who's clearly suffering from a severe injury roaming around in the woods looking dazed and confused? When Alex reports her findings, she's even more stunned at the authorities' dismissive response. Refusing to let it go, she soon finds herself caught in the crosshairs of a dangerous predator. Just what has Alex stumbled upon? And how far will someone go to keep the curious scientist from sticking her nose where it doesn't belong?
It's no secret that I dig immersive, atmospheric mysteries set in isolated places. From the looks of A Solitude of Wolverines, the first book in a new series by Alice Henderson, it appears to be just this sort of read. Is it? Well...I did like the setting, not just mountainous Montana but also the creepy lodge, which adds an eerie vibe to the story (always a plus in my book). I also appreciate that Henderson's passion for nature, animals, and the conservation of both really comes through in this novel. In fact, her prose (which is pretty humdrum otherwise) shines brightest when she's writing about these subjects. Unfortunately, the author has a tendency to drone on and on, adding so many unnecessary details that the plot drags under them. Add in a storyline that's contrived and convoluted, characters that are bland and unlikable, and narration that's melodramatic and wordy, and you've got yourself one sluggish novel. I persevered with A Solitude of Wolverines (which is saying something, I guess), but it ended up being, for me, an average read at best. Needless to say, I won't be continuing with the series. Bummer.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of The Last Woman in the Forest by Diane Les Becquets and The Wild Inside by Christine Carbo)
Grade:
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I don't have the patience any more for novels that drag. Might have to pass on this one.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like this novel needed a really good editor to insist on a few more drafts. I do like some description of the surroundings, but don't like it when it gets in the way of the plot.
ReplyDeleteToo bad this one didn't work for you, but at least you were able to decide after only one book. I really hate it when that happens on the second or third book...or even worse (as had recently happened to me), only when an author just loses the plot after a couple of decades and starts repeating himself.
ReplyDeleteSorry this was a bummer for you. Way to stick with it though. The whole idea of the book sounded good, but it just didn't deliver.
ReplyDeleteWe can't love every book! Thanks for this honest review.
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad as this one did catch my attention. I hate when a great premise just doesn't deliver.
ReplyDelete