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Dana Stabenow

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So Sure of Death: A Liam Campbell Mystery (Liam Campbell Mysteries) Hardcover – October 1, 1999

by Dana Stabenow (Author)

4.4 966 ratings

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Liam Campbell has lost more than most men lose in a lifetime: his wife and young son are dead - victims of a tragic accident; his budding career is in a deep freeze ever since five people died on his Anchorage watch. Demoted from sergeant to trooper, exiled to Newenham, a town teeming with fiercely independent Natives, he lives on a leaky gillnetter moored in Bristol Bay, brooding on how to put down roots on dry land again and rekindle his relationship with bush pilot Wyanet Chouinard, who won his heart long ago, and then broke it.
Then word arrives from Kulukak: The fishing boat Marybethia is adrift, victim of a shipboard fire. Flying out with Trooper Diana Prince, his new assistant and pilot, Liam arrives to find the horribly burned bodies of a family of local fishers and their crew. Was it a terrible accident? Or a cover-up of something worse?
At the same time, on a routine air-taxi run to a dig near Chinook Air Force Base, Wy discovers a young archaeological assistant, gruesomely murdered. And to make a perfect day complete, Liam's estranged father, Air Force Colonel Charles Campbell, flies into Newenham on assignment to the Chinook base. Even for Newenham, things are getting out of hand.
From Bill's Bar and Grill, where the local magistrate metes out her own brand of justice - Bristol Bay-style - to a remote northern shore where herds of walrus emerge from a sullen sea, Liam follows a trail of false leads, false confessions, and false hopes.

Print length

288 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Dutton
Publication date

October 1, 1999
Dimensions

6 x 1 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

9780525945192
ISBN-13

978-0525945192
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Stabenow's second Liam Campbell mystery (after Fire and Ice) has the vivid descriptions, rich characterization and compelling plot that distinguish her nine Kate Shugak books, with the added advantage of extra sex appeal. Alaska State Trooper Campbell, stationed in the southwest Alaska boondocks, has a lot on his plate: an eager new trooper, Diana Prince; a visit from his estranged father, an air force colonel on a suspicious mission; the reappearance of his great love, charter pilot Wyanet (Wy) Chouinard; and two very different cases rife with false clues. When an assistant at an important archeological site is murdered, evidence points to Frank Petla, a Yupik grave robber who travels by four-wheeler. Liam apprehends him in a dramatic chase by leaping out of Wy's Cub into a lake, but later comes to believe Frank's profession of innocence. The desperate murderer finally reveals himself, almost killing Wy and her journalist friend Jo. Finding a killer who sets fire to a fishing boat, incinerating all seven people aboard, proves a more difficult task. Initially, Liam suspects a disgruntled former deckhand, but the solution hinges on careful observation and an understanding of Yupik lifestyles and traditions, a necessity for these white cops in a predominantly Native American population. Colorful characters abound, and Stabenow ably evokes the life of hard-pressed commercial fishermen. The mystery ends on a mystical note, integrating Native American belief into a satisfying conclusion. (Nov.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA-Demoted because of five deaths that occurred on his watch, Alaskan state trooper Liam Campbell is sent to the remote village of Newenham where he finds himself fitting in with the hardy townspeople. In one day, he is faced with seven shot and burned bodies of a local family on a scuttled fishing boat and the murder of an archaeologist's gofer. Though he quickly has suspects in jail for each of the crimes, Liam continues sleuthing over the protests of his assistant and finds a twist to each of the murders. All of this is set against a backdrop of fishing villages and backwoods saloons with their attendant colorful characters. The culture of the native Alaskans is introduced as Liam collects clues from the dig site and interviews the council members of the fishing village. The challenges of the terrain are apparent from the number of airplanes, four-wheel drive vehicles, and boats used for transport; and the clear, concise writing mimics the clarity of the Alaskan light during the long summer days. There's a mixture of romance with the mystery as Liam connects with a former girlfriend. Great for adventure or mystery lovers.
Pam Spencer, Young Adult Literature Specialist, Virginia Beach, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

On a sunny July day, Alaska state trooper Liam Campbell begins to investigate the murders of a family on a fishing boat and an archaeologist on a dig. Meanwhile, on a personal level, he entertains two very different visitors: his overbearing, perfectionist father and his great love Wyanet Chouinard. Personal and professional come together when Wyanet helps with the investigations and when the murders appear to be linked to Liam's father. This second Liam Campbell mystery is about as good as it gets--among the best of the year. Stabenow puts Liam through a few stunts worthy of an Indiana Jones movie, and she describes Alaskan communities with insight, vividly captures the Alaskan landscape, and constructs a challenging, compelling plot. Best of all, though, are the fully realized, multidimensional characters, whose stories comprise a sympathetic, convincingly real mix of humor, sadness, unrealized love, and frustrated ambition. Stabenow's ability to make her Alaska setting more than window dressing will appeal to Northern Exposure fans, and her exploration of native cultures has the depth of Tony Hillerman. Clearly, Stabenow's is a star on the rise. John Rowen

From Kirkus Reviews

For such a backwater, Newenham, Alaska, sure is jumping. Now that State Trooper Liam Campbell's comatose wife has finally died and Liam is free to pursue his romance with air-taxi owner Wyanet Chouinard, seven murders have come between them: the Malone family, father, mother, brother, two children, and two deckhands, all have been shot and set afire aboard their fishing boat, which was then scuttled and left to sink. As if that slaughter werent enough to keep Liam preoccupied, Wy has found a corpse of her own. Prof. Desmond McLynn's gofer, Don Nelson, has been pinned by a native storyknife to McLynn's excavation at Tulukaruk. So even though things ought to be looking up for Liamthe arrival of rookie Trooper Diana Prince has given the boss who broke him from sergeant and exiled him to Newenham (Fire and Ice, 1998) an excuse to promote him to corporal, and he and Wy are at least on speaking terms againhe's spending most of his time with Wy getting flown from one crime scene to the next. Liam never doubts that the two suspects who fall handily into his lap, one for each crime, are guilty as hell, but veterans of Stabenow's long-running Kate Shugak series (Hunter's Moon, p. 492, etc.) will know better. Nonstop incident and matchless local color keep you from noticing that you don't get to spend enough time with them to make the real perps as vivid as the Alaska scenery. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Dana Stabenow lives in Anchorage, Alaska, where she also cohosts a radio show about books on KBYR. She is the author of the Kate Shugak series (Putnam/Berkley) and Fire and Ice (Dutton/Signet). She also has a Web site at www.stabenow.com.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0525945199
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dutton (October 1, 1999)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780525945192
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0525945192
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,608,668 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #52,275 in Women Sleuths (Books)
- #116,761 in American Literature (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.4 966 ratings

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Dana Stabenow

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Dana Stabenow was born in Anchorage and raised on 75-foot fish tender in the Gulf of Alaska. She knew there was a warmer, drier job out there somewhere and found it in writing.

Her first science fiction novel, Second Star, sank without a trace (but has since been resurrected as an e-book), her first crime fiction novel, A Cold Day for Murder, won an Edgar award, her first thriller, Blindfold Game, hit the New York Times bestseller list. The Land Beyond, the final third of her historical trilogy about Marco Polo's granddaughter, Silk and Song, was published in October 2015. At present she is at work on the 21st Kate Shugak novel.

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4.4 out of 5

966 global ratings

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Anna1

Another hit from Dana Stabenow

Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2020

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After reading the first book in this series, I could hardly wait for this one. It did not disappoint me!! liam Campbell is still having to prove himself to the town but has made some friends and even found a love interest which he thought to never see again. All of the characters are so lovable and willing to help him. The book has mystery, a love story and even funny moments. Ms Stabenow has created people who the reader feels like you know by the end of the book. You feel like you want to fly to Alaska and find this town! I am eagerly awaiting the book!

2 people found this helpful

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MA C

Great read.

Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2021

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I purchased, several more of the author's books.
Very creative, with close relative features that are truly Alaskan.🌌
Great adventure mystery novel.

One person found this helpful

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Jill Rhodes

Great Reading....as usual with Stabenow

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2013

Verified Purchase

Liam Campbell on another adventure as great as the last one. I read all of Dana Stabenow's books because they are simply wonderful. Campbell lives, works and upholds the laws of one of the nation's great states, Alaska. He has adventures unlike lawmen in many other places and the plots never disappoint. If you read one of Stabenow's books featuring Liam Campbell you will have to read them all because they are that good. Then you'll have to move on to her books featuring Kate Shugak as heroine. It's all Alaska at it's best and if you can't visit the place in person, you can feel that you have when you fall into these stories and situations.

One person found this helpful

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Harvey Bennett

So white of death

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2016

Verified Purchase

Just finished this book and ready to read my already purchased book three in the series. Yep, I'm hooked. Start with book one so that you can take advantage of the sequence. The first book was free. Now I am pleased to pay for the rest. Having been to Alaska, I was able to recognize the names of towns and remember the spectacular beauty of this State. Good read!

One person found this helpful

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LakeviewGma

Book 2 of the Liam Campbell Stories by Dana Stabenow

Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2012

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I am enjoying the characters in this series. Knowing romance and/or another mystery to solve is always just another page away keeps me reading on. The stories are not too long, the plots are just evasive enough to keep you in suspence and suprise you often. I'll read the entire series. A good romance/mystery/murder/suspense story that entertains and takes me away from my world of work for an nice break. I'm reading book #3, Nothing Gold Can Stay, now.

Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2017

Verified Purchase

I just love Dana Stabenow novels. Getting to know her characters brings gives the reader a chance to be one of them. Liam Campbell is a marvelous main character. Hope there will be as many books in this series as there are in the Kate Shugak one. Hope that Ms. Stabenow knows how much pleasure her stories give us.

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Shaw

I really wish these were better

Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2013

Verified Purchase

I like the writing, the setting, the characters. I don't like the constant rehashing of the plot of the last book, why everyone is where they are and who they are and on and on ad nauseum. I also don't like the graphic nature of the sex in the series.

Come on Dana... your other series is awesome w/o the constant rehash. A little sex is good and fun. Graphic details.. not so much. That's what porn novels are for. If I wanted 50 Shades of Alaska, I'd go for it.

One person found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Another Stabenow success!

Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2021

Verified Purchase

Stabenow never fails to write a good story complete with great descriptions of Alaskan life, history and how they fit into today.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

islanderray

Killer Hunter of Alaska

Reviewed in Canada on December 20, 2013

Verified Purchase

What a great set of light thrillers, I enjoyed this one immensely, it's got everything, Humour, Sex, Thrill and spills it's got it all. I lve the whole series.

maggie m

I really enjoy her style of writing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 8, 2014

Verified Purchase

I have read three books of Dana Stabenow so far. The first was a freebie from her Kate Shugak series. The others with Liam Campbell, and I prefer his character. I really enjoy her style of writing, her humour, her character descriptions, the descriptions of the Alaskan landscape are so vivid I feel I am there.
Her plots are great, and I have enjoyed trying to unravel it all, mostly

CEFK

good read

Reviewed in Spain on July 22, 2013

Verified Purchase

I really enjoy all books written by Dana Stabenow. The great thing is that there's more of them! Interesting characters and settiings. Recommended read.

Dianne Ayres

Another Stabenow triumph. I enjoy every book.

Reviewed in Australia on September 22, 2015

Verified Purchase

Great read

Bell

So good I bought the rest of the series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 13, 2022

Verified Purchase

Really enjoying these novels set in Alaskan Bush. The setting creates different types of cases to be investigated and the character development is not rushed but keeps the interest. I enjoyed the first Liam story but I think the author seems much more comfortable with her cast this time round.

One person found this helpful

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