Cry Wolf (An Alaska Untamed Mystery)
by Lark O. Jensen
About Cry Wolf
Cry Wolf (An Alaska Untamed Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Alaska
Crooked Lane Books (November 7, 2023)
Hardcover : 272 pages
ISBN-10 : 1639104550
ISBN-13 : 978-1639104550
Digital ASIN : B0BQLHWGDL
Perfect for fans of Paige Shelton, an Alaskan tour guide is bracing for winter when she realizes that the wolves aren’t the only predators on the prowl.
With boat tours off the coast of Alaska shut down for the winter, tour guide Stacie Calder is joining the dedicated team at the Juneau Wildlife World, a wild animal sanctuary. Along with Sasha, her husky companion, she’s prepared to spend the long season in the scenic park. But not everyone is so chipper about the newcomers—least of all, Stacie’s new manager, Oliver Brownling. He constantly gives Stacie a hard time, specifically because she brought Sasha along with her. That is, until his mauled body is found in a remote part of the sanctuary containing wolves.
When it becomes clear that a human was responsible for the brutal murder, all eyes are on Stacie. Encouraged by her friend, Officer Liam Amaruq of the Alaskan State Troopers, Stacie is resolved to find the murderer but knows that her investigation will be difficult with the long suspect list she’s made. Did the sanctuary director plot to get rid of Oliver? Or maybe it was one of Oliver’s coworkers, upset over a missed promotion? Stacie wonders about some of the newer employees, especially since Oliver’s personality made it easy to make enemies.
With the weather worsening, Stacie and Sasha are forced to stay at the sanctuary with the wolves—and her colleagues. As the storm gets worse, it’s clear that this killer has a taste for blood and may strike again. Will Stacie be able to find the murderer, or will the hunter become the hunted?
Dollycas’s Thoughts
As winter begins in Alaska, tour guide Stacie Calder switches from being a boat tour guide to working with the wildlife team at the wild animal sanctuary, Juneau Wildlife World. She has received special permission to have her Husky dog, Sasha accompany her in her tasks as long as she adheres to a set of rules created by the executive director of the sanctuary. The new manager, Oliver Brownling is not happy with the arrangement and makes it known every time he sees her. His complaints stopped when his mangled body was found in the wolf area of the sanctuary. But it wasn’t a wolf that killed the man, no that task was performed by a human, and the Alaska State Troopers have decided to focus on Stacie.
Stacie knows she needs to find other options for the authorities and even her boyfriend Officer Liam Amaruq agrees. It has to be someone who works at the sanctuary, and that the victim rubbed many people the wrong way, but who was pushed far enough to kill the man in such a brutal way? Will Stacie flush out the killer or will she be their next victim?
I had hoped to see more development of the characters from the first book, Bear Witness, in this book so I was surprised that Stacie was working another job. With the exception of just a few characters, the book introduced us to a bunch of new characters. Lettie, Stacie’s assistant on the boat tours is now volunteering at the animal sanctuary. Stacie’s relationship with Officer Liam Amaruq is struggling especially with her being a murder suspect. Stacy does know all about animals and had volunteered at the sanctuary in the past so her new job makes sense but I want to know all three of these characters better and all the supporting characters too.
The death of Oliver Brownling set up an interesting mystery with the suspect pool that included everyone who worked at the Juneau Wildlife World. Stacie really tried to investigate but her interviewing technique needs work. She made clear that she was investigating and when her first round of interviews yielded nada, she became like a bull in a china shop accusing everyone including the killer. It was no surprise she ended up in a horrendous situation but I was surprised by who it was with. Again, the author dropped clues at a slower pace and even held some back until we were in the thick of the reveal and that truly kept me guessing. The killer’s plan was diabolical and scary but the motive was not as deep as I had expected. Sometimes it doesn’t take much to push a person to murder.
The setting for this series is fantastic. I enjoyed the detailed descriptions the author provided about the sanctuary and its animals and the Alaskan weather too. There was a bit of repetition because of the nature of Stacie’s job of checking on the animals each day and the tracks through the woods. I was really drawn to the job of prepping and delivering the different foods for the animals in the cold winter months when they can’t forage for themselves. It is a huge job.
Cry Wolf was an enjoyable wildlife-themed story with characters I long to know better set in a beautiful place where conditions can be extreme. I am wondering what Ms. Jensen has planned for her characters next. Will Stacie still be working at the sanctuary? or will she be back doing boat tours? or will Stacie be off on a new adventure? I am excited to find out.
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About Lark O. Jensen
Lark O. Jensen is the pseudonym of Linda O. Johnston, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer. Lark wrote Bear Witness, the first Alaska Untamed mystery for Crooked Lane Books, in 2022, and the second in the series, Cry Wolf, has just been published. Linda has also written the Barkery & Biscuits Mystery series and the Superstition Mysteries for Midnight Ink and the Pet Rescue Mysteries and Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. Linda additionally writes for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, and her stories often involve dogs.
Author Links
Website Blog (Wednesday blog) Facebook Writerspace
Purchase Links
Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Crooked Lane Books
Find Lark’s Books Written As Linda O. Johnston Here
Great Escapes Praise for Cry Wolf (An Alaska Untamed Mystery)
by Lark O. Jensen
4 stars! An intriguing wildlife-themed murder mystery with a naturalist amateur sleuth and her trusty Husky companion. I recommend CRY WOLF to cozy mystery readers, especially those who like nature-themed stories, dog companions, or Alaskan settings.
~Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
4-STAR REVIEW
With a solid story and likable characters, Cry Wolf delivered a satisfying mystery for wildlife or Alaska-loving cozy readers.
~Novels Alive
I enjoy stories with amateur sleuths. Hence my love for cozies. I had fun with my own list of suspects. As for who the killer was, I got it wrong. No worries though. I still had fun. 4 STARS
~FUONLYKNEW
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I enjoyed her other series. I will have to try this one, too.
What an exciting book! Great cover too.