4 stars for book 23 in the Kate Shugak series. Kate is a private investigator, who lives in what is called "the park" in the book. The description fits the Wrangell St. Elias National Park, the largest in the US and Alaska. It is located between the Yukon, Canada Border and the Trans Alaska pipeline. This book has Kate investigating a mid air collision between two private planes. She finds a dead body and tangles with some white supremacists who have purchased a lodge inside the park. She does solve the case with the help of the team in her company and her boyfriend, Jim Chopin, ex Alaska state trooper.
The author has some choice words for some hot button issues:
driving while black
religious fanatics who use religion to justify bigotry and hatred : One conversation quote:
"Chr**tofascists.
Say what?
What you get when you bastardize Christianity with white supremacy."
election deniers
The author explains that the title comes from a Robert Frost poem, which she quotes in the acknowledgements.
The author and my wife share a love of garlic and Penzey's spices.
My wife and I both recommend this series. I read it in 2 days. I recommend reading this series in order.
Thank You Aria & Aries, Head of Zeus for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
#NottheOnesDead #NetGalley

Not the Ones Dead by Dana Stabenow, the latest in the Kate Shugak series is a welcome addition to a series that is excellent in its depiction of Alaska Native lives and the country they reside in. The mystery of a midair collision and an extra body in the wreckage and the ensuing investigation by Kate, and of course her dog Mutt is another well done and enjoyable read.

I am a long time reader of the Kate Shugak series and this latest installment doesn't disappoint. The story is engaging and will keep you guessing. The loveable, relatable characters are back in Not the Ones Dead. If you are a fan of the series, don't skip this one. If you need a new series to read, start at the beginning and work your way up to this one - you'll appreciate it more if you get to know the characters.

Thanks to Aria and Aries and NetGalley for ARC.

Hard to believe this is number 23 in the Alaskan crime series featuring Kate Shugak, Aleut, ex-fed turned PI, living on her homestead in the middle of what is now National Park Service land. It can be read as a standalone for sure.
A mid-air crash of two light aircraft leaves several dead, and unanswered questions for the family who employ Kate to dig a little deeper for the truth. It doesn't take long to realise that there is an extra body in the wreckage, who was not on the manifests, and didn't die in the same way as the others.
Mix in the devastating legacy of Covid on the indigenous community, the insidious creep of survivalists, and the far reaching power of ruthless billionaires, and its a potent brew.
Kate is a terrific character, and the people surrounding her in the Park are complex and plausible. There's a great sense of place, and of respect for the land. Mutt, Kate's longest companion, is one of the best creations in crime fiction.
For me, this was an absorbing read and it led to the discovery I've somehow missed the preceding two in the series - I'll be rectifying that.

Part of a series but can be read as a stand alone without spoiling anything.
This is not the first book I have read in the series and it definitely does not disappoint. Mid air crash sets up a series of events that are seemingly unrelated. Kate takes her responsibility seriously as part of the native Alaskan community. Newcomers make waves when they should of kept a low profile due to their questionable views.
Follow the story as the incidents stack up.

An racist attack on Bobby Clark, a black man, opens Not the Ones Dead and is a foreshadowing of what is to come in this latest Kate Shugak mystery by Alaska writer Dana Stabenow. There have been other clues. Park tourists are turned back by paramilitary guards. Local craftsmen have been hired to build a church at a newly established compound. A local “park rat” is murdered. And the beloved Roadhouse bar burns down. Suspicions are interrupted by a mid air plane crash and the discovery of an extra body at the crash site. Kate and her partner Jim investigate the crash to help the family of one of the pilots. That investigation leads into danger, a danger that is tied to recent political events.

Although the title of this thriller refers to a poem written long ago by Robert Frost, the situation it describes could (and probably is) be happening somewhere today. Kate Shugak is a stubborn, compelling woman. The supporting characters are familiar (the aunties) and well described. Wolf/dog Mutt is a character himself and, as usual, the wild beauty of Alaska stars. This series continues to impress. 5 stars.

NOT THE ONES DEAD by Dana Stabenow is a gripping and atmospheric mystery novel set in Alaska, featuring the indomitable private investigator Kate Shugak.
A mid-air collision in the Alaskan wilderness between two small aircraft leaves ten people dead. Kate Shugak is hired to find out the truth about the crash.
In addition, an eleventh body is found in the wreckage: dead not from the plane crash but gunshots.
It turns into an investigation reaching the highest levels of government, and Kate Shugak is determined that the truth will out, even at the risk of her life and the lives of those she loves most.
Stabenow's prose is sharp and evocative, capturing the rugged beauty and harsh realities of life in the Alaskan wilderness. Her characters are well-drawn and believable, particularly Kate, who is tough and smart but also vulnerable and haunted by her past. The plot is intricately crafted, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing until the very end.
Overall, NOT THE ONES DEAD is an excellent addition to the Kate Shugak series, and a must-read for fans of atmospheric mysteries set in unique and remote locations. Stabenow's writing is top-notch, and her ability to capture the essence of Alaska and its people is unparalleled. Highly recommended.

If you want an in-depth look into Alaskan park land and people, Not the Ones Dead is the book for you. I had not read a Kate Shugak book since I met her in her first book, A Cold Day for Murder published in 1992, and I thought I would again journey north to Alaska for the read. Stabenow obviously loves Alaska and its people. Not the Ones Dead is her 23 book in the Shugak PI series. Her setting and characters are like old friends waiting for a visit. Unfortunately, her plots have proven to be thinner than her settings and characters, and so it has been years since I read her novels…. and this book is not an exception to that expectation.

Kate Shugak is an Aleut PI living on a 160-acre homestead in the largest national park in Alaska with her state Trooper boyfriend and her half-wolf, half-husky dog named Mutt. A mid-air collision in the wilderness between two small planes leaves 11 people dead — and there were only 10 people on the two planes. Kate decides to investigate as her friends coincidentally are being subjected to racist attacks by newcomers.

I rather enjoyed the Not the Ones Dead; however, it was not a plot you could get behind. From the very start you know who the murderers are and even why they are doing their deeds. The plot revolves around Kate’s putting it all together for the less than bright professional police agencies. If you don’t mind the absence of any deductive procedures, let alone a whodunit, you will enjoy you trip to Alaska here. My rating 3 of 5.

This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review. Not the Ones Dead will be published on April 13, 2023.

I am hooked on this series. Nice to have a strong female main character. I like how all the characters have evolved through the series. This book is as good as all the rest. I can’t wait for the next one b

Although the title of Dana Stabenow’s 23rd Kate Shugak mystery, Not the Ones Dead, is taken from a single line in a 1916 poem by Robert Frost, “Out, Out,” her newest novel is very much set in the 21st Century. Alaska is known as “the Last Frontier, and for many, it is a place to hide. Such seems to be the case in this book, as quite a few folks in “the Park” discover.

First, Bobby Clark, a Black man, is run off the road by a foursome of outliers dressed in new-looking camo and spouting racist epithets. Next, while doing some shopping, Kate and her significant other, Jim, encounter a gaggle of outsiders, including women and children, and men dressed in camouflage. They’re led by a man wearing a holstered sidearm He introduces himself as Cisco Barre and tells Jim that they’ve purchased property in the area. He ignores Kate altogether, which tells Jim all he needs to know. However, this is only the beginning of a series of troubles to beset the Park rats.

When a mid-air collision takes down two planes and kills nine people, the cause is assumed to be pilot error. The pilot of one plane was an 87-year-old man, after all. But his children hire Kate to dig for answers. But wait! There’s more! The rumor mill has it that a tenth body was found. This turns out to be correct. There was no tenth person on either plane. Who was it? Is there evidence of foul play? It’s no secret that the right-wing group is involved somehow, is it? But there’s more to the story than that. Much, much more.

It has been years since I’ve read a Kate Shugak book, and I’ve missed all these people! Kate, Jim, even the rascally rascals like Howie Katelnikof and Willard Shugak…oh, and the aunties, of course! Bernie’s Roadhouse…Dan O’Brien is still the Park’s chief ranger, and he’s a busy man in this story. At times, the plot gets a bit confusing, and it gets busy. More action than you can shake a stick at, and then – quiet. Sit under the stars and watch the Northern Lights with Kate, Jim, and Mutt. Can’t forget Mutt!

I found it helpful to have been familiar with the series as Ms. Stabenow didn’t go too much into the backgrounds of her characters. It would be doable as a standalone, probably, but in my opinion, it’s far more enjoyable to know the characters. It was great to be reunited with some of my favorite people again! Thanks, Dana Stabenow!

I received a digital copy of Not the Ones Dead in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley, Head of Zeus, and the author.

4 stats

What is there to really say? I cannot be subjective about these books. I love Kate and Mutt and the
Park, and every time I get to read a new book about them, I feel as if I’m getting news from loved ones. The individual books go up and down but the series overall is tops for me. If you are a new reader, you are lucky.

I do have to say that time became a bit of an issue for me in this book. I’ve been reading this series of books for 25 years, so I know that Mutt and Kate are aging. I know that the events of the books are keeping up with real life current events, which means that there is a distortion of time happening. I’m very happy to ignore it. However, I know that time is moving in the Park. Johnny is finishing school, some aunties are gone, and I spent some time thinking about that while reading this book.

Summer is turning into fall and there are some odd things happening in the park. First Bobby is run off the road and threatened by some “good ol' boys” for being black. The Roadhouse is burned down, and two planes hit each other in mid-air, when searching the crash site an extra body is found. One of the pilot's family hires Kate to find out what really happened. In her search she and Jim discover another body, a prospector rumored to have sold up and moved south was really buried on his own land. What is going on in the park and who is behind the mayhem?
Still some lingering after effects of the previous books that featured Bannister, but this book brings back some of the original style of mysteries I enjoyed so much. I read for character development and as usual there are quite a few developments. Not her best effort, but better than the previous books by far.

I love this series, it just gets better & better. It has a strong female lead & a bunch of eccentric characters that I love. This edition has some topical events throughout which add to the authenticity. Kate is investigating a plane crash & a bunch of violent racist attacks against some residents of the park. Couldn't wait for her to get some justice.

New entry in the long-running Kate Shugak series, set in a fictional national park in south-east Alaska. A midair collision over a remote corner of the Park leads to uncovering some sinister goings-on, and very unwelcome new neighbors. A bit sad, but very enjoyable.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The main plot revolves around a plane collision, the cause and the wreckage below. Why was there an extra body found at the crime scene? What caused the planes to crash mid-air? Kate is asked to investigate by one of the pilot’s family and discovers so much more

I was very excited to get a copy of this book early. I always enjoy a visit to the Park and see what all the residents have been doing lately. To be honest, I always get a little nervous when one of my favorite book series has a new title out. Nerves and excitement - is it just me? I was very curious as to what happened in the Park during Covid and if it would be covered at all. I really enjoyed how Dana Stabenow approached Covid. It was not the main plot of the book but it wasn’t ignored or forgotten. It definitely played its role in the characters and the plot of the book.

I loved the latest trip to the Park. I have yet to go to Alaska but every time I visit it through Dana Stabenow’s books I feel like I am visiting friends and family.

NOT THE ONES DEAD by Dana Stabenow

Oh, what an adventure!
So much happening in The Park, and Kate is tasked with sorting out only part of it, but as with an unraveling sweater, one thing might lead to another, and another, and a group of scary bullies, and dangerous drones. There is seat-of-the-pants suspense, and I don’t regret any lost sleep, worth it! I also love that the title is taken from a Frost poem and that many books are mentioned.
There is one very good thing, the establishment of a trade school to help the youth toward good jobs, with a good number of young women enrolled . . . “a good start.” Also, good, loving, respectful relationships, Johnny and Van’s growing independence, and the aunties, firmly guiding everyone toward doing the right things.
I finished before bed, had to, so intense, and slept well with a satisfying resolution. No, everything is not solved, just as here in the real world. There will be work for future books, for which I’ll try to be patient. I love Kate and friends, and can’t wait to reconnect. There are things I want to discuss with friends who read NOT THE ONES DEAD. (I don’t do spoilers, even when bursting with excitement).
Also, for a few, I have to add a warning about “language.” I didn’t notice after a while, and it is realistic dialogue for time and place . . and well worth a bit of unease, IMHO.

This is a little different from Ms. Stabenow's usual mystery. Oh, don't get me wrong. There are the usual wonderful descriptions of the land, flying, food, animals, character growth, and the same 'friends helping friends' vibe as her other books.

I'm just not at all sure that I like the political vibe you get with this book. Yes, it is a modern, up-to-date issue, but it is not what I expect from a book that is supposed to be entertaining, no matter what side of the political coin you fall on or the color of your skin.

All in all a good mystery that keeps your blood boiling.

*This ARC was supplied by the publisher Head of Zeus, the author, and NetGalley.

Back to the awesome Kate Shugak mysteries of old…

As Not the Ones Dead opens, a nasty incident involving Kate’s friend, Bobby Clark, one of the few Black men in the Park, makes it obvious that the outside world is tentacle-ing into the Park again in unpleasant ways. And the unpleasantness seems to be spreading. Are these incidents linked? Does the mysterious group that bought Demetri Totemoff’s Lodge have anything to do with this? And there sure seem to be a bunch of drones around. So when an extra body shows up at an airplane crash site, Kate is asked to investigate, and things get even more complicated. There are a lot of threads, but with her unique “sledgehammer” interrogation style, and helped out by her usual cast of co-conspirators, Kate figures it all out in the end.

I’ve been a big fan of the Kate Shugak mysteries since I discovered them in paperback back in the 1990s. But I have had a little bit of a mad-on going on with the series since Bad Blood, a few years back. So I am happy to report that Not the Ones Dead has me loving it again. This latest story has all of the elements that make Kate Shugak books something special: Kate’s smarts and snark and toughness; Mutt; the aunties (although Auntie Balasha and several other Park rats have succumbed to Covid-19); Mutt; the occasional laugh-out-loud moments of Park weirdness; Mutt; Kate’s relationships with Jim, Johnny, and Van; and on and on. Oh, and did I mention Mutt? And just as important, it doesn’t have the things I don’t like – which would primarily be the cliff-hanger ending of Bad Blood, followed by a period of several years without a follow-on book to resolve it…

All-in-all, I’m happy (and relieved) to give Not the Ones Dead a well-deserved five stars. Dana Stabenow’s love for Alaska and its inhabitants is obvious throughout and she has a deft touch with humor too. And although readers will have a general sense of what is going on rather early on, they will keep reading to find out the details, and how it all fits together. I highly recommend this book both for fans of the series, and for newcomers - although as with almost any series, newcomers might be a bit happier to start at the beginning and read through to this one. And finally, my thanks to the publishers, Head of Zeus, and to NetGalley for the advance review copy.

Book 23 in the highly recommended Kate Shugak series - an engrossing read.
Things are changing in Niniltna - positive addition is the new vocational school that ex-trooper Jim
Chopin is funding with his inheritance. Unfortunately, a group has moved in on land recently purchased
who have no intention of intermingling with the natives.
A resident is run off the road. Hikers have informed the chief park ranger that they have been accosted
by armed men who claim the hikers are on private property. The local watering hole is burned down - accident or arson?
When a collision happens between two planes with no survivors, it is ruled as pilot error by the NTSB.
The adult children of one of the pilots hire Kate Shugak to determine the actual cause of the crash.
More questions are raised when an unidentified body is among the crash victims and the DOJ is spotted in the area.
Kate's investigation puts those involved with the investigation and her life in danger. Race against the clock to uncover
the truth before someone else dies.
#NotTheOnesDead #NetGalley

I would like to thank Netgalley and Aria & Aries for an advance copy of Not the Ones Dead, the twenty-third novel to feature Alaska P.I. Kate Shugak.

A midair collision between two private planes leaves nine dead, but a tenth body, shot execution style, has been found in the wreckage. Kate is asked to investigate the origins of the crash and what she finds suggests high level government involvement.

It’s hard to believe that Not the Ones Dead is the first novel in this long running series that I have read and that has pros and cons for my reading experience. Obviously it’s interesting to find a new character, but not so great to join such a well established series so late in the game. I feel that the author has created a sense of home in the novel, but I didn’t understand enough of the relationships or the terrain to find that comfort. Much of it is explained, but not enough to easily identify the characters or their references.

The novel is extremely slow to get going. The crash is described as are several other incidents, but the investigation comes much later. Once it gets going the novel is a gripping read with links to all the events slowly becoming apparent as more facts are revealed and Kate starts to make informed guesses. It slows down at the end with an overly long conclusion.

The novel is as much about friendship, community and the land as it is about a criminal investigation. There are plenty of descriptions of the scenery and landscape, which passed me by as I have no visualisation skills, and the author is skilful in describing a rural community and the real life problems of residing there, like the cost of shipping goods or the lack of said goods locally. There are petty grievances but everyone comes together in a crisis, something I find hard to believe.

The author is ready to condemn right wing militancy, which plays a role in the plot, and that’s fair enough when the majority of the characters are indigenous, but it’s not particularly nuanced or subtle.

Not the Ones Dead is a mixed bag for me, solid and very readable in parts, less so in others.