At the request of her grandmother, a matriarch of her Aleut clan, Kate Shugak travels to Anchorage to investigate the mysterious deaths of several Council members just before a crucial meeting to determine the fate of some disputed tribal lands. Mystery Guild Alt. Ancestral Alaska is at stake when Kate's grandmother, matriarch of their tribe, drags Kate to an important Federation of Natives meeting. Suspicious deaths threaten development decisions until Kate investigates. Evocative. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. Stabenow's latest is an intriguing blend of modern morality tale and ageless legend. The story, starring strong, sensible Kate Shugak, juxtaposes Alaska's rugged beauty against the greed and corruption of the politicians and businessmen intent on exploiting the state's vast natural resources. Kate's beloved grandmother, Ekaterina Shugak--Aleut tribal elder, storyteller, and wise counselor--is engaged in a fierce battle to save a tract of Aleut-owned land from falling into the hands of developers, but she is rapidly losing her allies on the tribal council, two of whom have died in suspicious accidents. That's when Ekaterina decides it's time for Kate to leave her remote wilderness hideaway and come to Anchorage to help. The talented Stabenow tells a riveting tale that's as satisfying to the soul as it is to the intellect. Highly recommended. Emily Melton Fresh from killing and dressing a moose, subsistence fisher Kate Shugak (Play With Fire, 1995, etc.) allows her activist grandmother Ekaterina to drag her to big-city Anchorage before Ekaterina's Niniltna Native Association--in town for the annual Alaska Federation of Natives convention--votes whether a disputed parcel of tribal land be open to logging. Ekaterina, who's concerned that the protectionists' narrow majority on the Niniltna board has been disturbed by the death of Kate's cousin Sarah Kompkoff, would be frantic if she knew that the balance on the board is about to be altered further by a fatal accident. Meantime, Kate's lover and former colleague, Anchorage D.A.'s investigator Jack Morgan, is threatened with a custody suit by his bulldog ex. It's obvious from the beginning who's behind the Niniltna deaths, but you'll have a great time along the way to the arrest watching Kate, protesting vigorously, shop for evening wear at Nordstrom's (a cherishable scene), make an impromptu convention speech, break into a shady lawyer's office, sic her half-wolf dog on the bad guys, and plot a divinely effective revenge on the ex. Even though she says she hates the city, Kate glows throughout the case, presumably confident that her creator has framed the Anchorage background and the familiar issues perfectly. (Mystery Guild alternate selection; author tour) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. Mystery Native Americans Murder Alaska detective