Nevada Barr - Murder Mysteries in the National Parks
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National Parks Murder Mysteries by Nevada Barr
I was introduced to Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon murder mystery books when my mother read "A Superior Death", which takes place on Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior. She thought it was a very engaging book with interesting characters and and in a beautiful natural setting, and suggested I take a look at it.
I had backpacked on Isle Royale a couple times and loved the place. I also love murder mysteries with strong female characters and well-constructed, complex plots, so I was hooked as soon as I started reading "A Superior Death" by Nevada Barr. I've read all of her Anna Pigeon murder mysteries since then, including Winter Study (shown left), which also takes place on Isle Royale.
Nevada Barr's character Anna Pigeon is a law enforcement ranger with the National Park Service who solves murders that are often related to natural resource issues. Each book takes Anna to a different National Park for a different murder to solve, although a couple of the parks are repeated, including Isle Royale.
I had backpacked on Isle Royale a couple times and loved the place. I also love murder mysteries with strong female characters and well-constructed, complex plots, so I was hooked as soon as I started reading "A Superior Death" by Nevada Barr. I've read all of her Anna Pigeon murder mysteries since then, including Winter Study (shown left), which also takes place on Isle Royale.
Nevada Barr's character Anna Pigeon is a law enforcement ranger with the National Park Service who solves murders that are often related to natural resource issues. Each book takes Anna to a different National Park for a different murder to solve, although a couple of the parks are repeated, including Isle Royale.
Nevada Barr -- Park Ranger, Author
Author Nevada Barr is best known for her 16 book Anna Pigeon murder mystery series that take place in various National State Parks in the U.S."Nevada" is her real name -- she was born in Nevada, although the Wikipedia article on Nevada Barr says that she was named after a character in one of her father's favorite books.
Originally Nevada Barr pursued an acting career for about 20 years. Her husband during that time, a director, changed careers when he became involved with the National Park Service and in the environmental movement. Nevada's interest in wildlife and conservation grew during this time, and she started spending summers working as a seasonal ranger in a few of the parks of the National Park Service system. She eventually took a full time position as park ranger on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi.
Nevada combined her passion for writing and her love of the wilderness in her Anna Pigeon novels. She's worked in a number of the parks featured in her novels.
Nevada Barr eventually resigned from the National Park Service to focus more on her writing.
(Image captured from YouTube video -- click on photo to go to video.)
Anna Pigeon -- Fictional Law Enforcement Ranger
Anna Pigeon is loosely patterned on Nevada Barr, and is described as a "wine drinking, tough talking, law enforcement ranger who ran away from Manhattan to join the National Park Service" (Rancourt). Anna is small and wiry, and middle-aged, which appeals to me since I'm also middle-aged, rather small, and I also like the wilderness. It's the secret "path I didn't take" but thought about. I've enjoyed reading this series of books because of the strong character of Anna that I like and can relate to.
Even though Anna is based on Nevada, Nevada Barr says that the two have developed in different directions. On the Nevada Barr FAQ page she says, "We've evolved in different ways over the years, so now she is less like me. While Anna Pigeon battled alcohol dependence and slowly became more of a work-oriented loner, I've grown more whimsical, more lackadaisical, lazier, happier. I've rejoined humanity, and Anna had no intention of getting near it, though that, too, is changing now that she's married Paul."
Anna Pigeon Murder Mysteries
Murder in the National Parks
Currently there are 16 Anna Pigeon murder mysteries, including the most recent, Burn, published in August 2010.
They're listed here in chronological order.
NOTE: If any of these links don't look like they're working, first refresh the page and see if that works. If they still don't work, please feel free to leave me a comment and I'll see what needs fixing. Thank you!
They're listed here in chronological order.
NOTE: If any of these links don't look like they're working, first refresh the page and see if that works. If they still don't work, please feel free to leave me a comment and I'll see what needs fixing. Thank you!
Isle Royale National Park, Lake Superior, Michigan
Novels -- "A Superior Death" and "Winter Studies"
Cumberland Island National Seashore, off the coast of Georgia
Novel -- "Endangered Species"
Natchez Trace, Mississippi
Novels -- "Deep South" and "Hunting Season"
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Novel -- "Hard Truth"
Burn: Nevada Barr's Most Recent Anna Pigeon Book
Read a review of Burn: An Anna Pigeon Mystery.
Nevada Barr's Next Book "The Rope"
To be released January, 2012
The next book in the Anna Pigeon series will take place in the Glen Canyon National Recreational Area in Arizona and Utah. This is a "prequel" to the rest of the Anna Pigeon books, taking us back to 1995, after the death of her first husband, Zach.
The Rope: An Anna Pigeon Novel (Anna Pigeon Mysteries)
Amazon Price: $8.50 (as of 06/03/2012)
List Price: $25.99
Release Date: 01/17/2012
Nevada Barr on YouTube
Nevada Barr talks about, and reads from "Winter Studies" which takes place on Isle Royale in the winter. The name of the book refers to the studies done on the Isle Royale wolf population.
curated content from YouTube
Current News About Nevada Barr
- FOX5 Vegas - KVVUNorth Las Vegas suspends union contracts
- City Attorney Jeff Barr said the council has the right to take whatever steps are necessary to protect the city and its residents under Nevada Revised Statue 288. "You as City Council have the inherent authority and the statutory authority to protect ...
- John L. Street Library Notes for Wednesday, May 9
- New Audio Books: ?77 Shadow Street? by Dean Koontz, ?Steve Jobs? by Walter Isaacson, ?The Rope? by Nevada Barr, and ?The Devil's Elixir? by Raymond Khoury. New CDs: ?Eleven? by Martina McBride, and ?Hell on Heels? by Pistol Annies.
- North Vegas budget emergency declaration debated
- City officials told the Review-Journal that City Attorney Jeffrey Barr consulted with outside lawyers on the emergency declaration proposal. Neither the Nevada state attorney general's office nor the Legislative Counsel Bureau would comment on the ...
- Summertime, and the Reading Is Easy: Genre Fiction Summer Reads
- Barr, Nevada. The Rope. Minotaur: St. Martin's. (Anna Pigeon Mysteries). 2012. 368p. ISBN 9780312614577. $25.99. F Summer in the National Park Service would seem like a great opportunity to mend a wounded spirit, but when a young Anna Pigeon signs up ...
Nevada Barr to Receive the 2011 Robert Winks Award
"Each year the NPCA (National Parks Conservation Association) identifies an individual or organization that through the arts, media or academia effectively and consistently communicates to the American public the values of the National Park System and the national park ideal. For 2011, they have selected NEVADA BARR!!"
~ read the rest at Nevada Barr to Receive the Robert Winks Award
~ read the rest at Nevada Barr to Receive the Robert Winks Award
Other Books by Nevada Barr
Nevada Barr Books on eBay
Find inexpensive Nevada Barr books on eBay.
Are You a Nevada Barr fan?
What do you like about the Anna Pigeon books? Do you have a favorite Nevada Barr book?
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agoofyidea
Mar 5, 2012 @ 2:10 pm | delete
- I was a National Park Ranger when I first started reading Nevada Barr. While I love her early Anna Pigeon books I felt she got to moody in later books. Still it is a great series. Blessed.
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bloomingrose
Jan 27, 2012 @ 1:59 am | delete
- Oh this is so cool - this is a new author to me, one I think I am going to read. I am going to check out "Bittersweet" as well as her murder mysteries.
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VillaDejaBlue
Jan 8, 2012 @ 4:50 pm | delete
- Nice lens.
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RenaissanceWoman2010
Mar 31, 2011 @ 6:32 am | delete
- I have pretty much read all of Nevada Barr's mysteries. Really enjoy the series since I love the park settings and spent time working for the National Park Service. Thanks for this spotlight on a favorite author. Nicely done!
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MamaRuth
Dec 21, 2010 @ 8:24 pm | delete
- Thanks for the lens about one of my favorite authors. I've read and enjoyed all of the Anna Pigeon books, but probably like Deep South and Hunting Season the best. Both are set on the Natchez Trace and since I'm a Mississippi "girl" it was fun to read these stories set in familiar places. I just finished reading Barr's most recent book, Burn, and frankly didn't like it as much as I expected to. It was very, very dark. If this had been my first read in the series, I doubt I would have finished it and certainly would not have tried another. Hopefully Anna will evolve in a way that will move the next novel in another direction.
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by kajohu
I've enjoyed reading Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon mysteries since I read her second book, "A Superior Death". more »
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Read Nevada Barr Books on the All New Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi
Kindle Keyboard 3G, Free 3G + Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Display
Amazon Price: (as of 06/03/2012)
I've owned and loved a Kindle for over a year now, and have read the latest Nevada Barr books on it.
This new generation of the Kindle is even better than the version I have, and it's less expensive. It's lighter (weighs less than a paperback) and sleeker, has better contrast (but the old version is still just fine in all of these categories if you happen to find one available!). The Kindle product page on Amazon gives you all the specifics for this great reader.
Burn: An Anna Murder Mystery
A Review
You May Also Enjoy This Murder Mystery Series
