An Unforgiving Place

[cornerofmadness]

An Unforgiving Place by Claire Kells

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'm a bit of a sucker for mysteries set in parks apparently. I did like Felicity Harland better than I do Anne Pigeon from the Barr books. I didn't get to read book one but you pick it up fast. Harland is IBS, an investigative branch for the National Parks service and her partner in this is "Hux" Huxley, ex Navy SEAL. The backstory we have on Harland is she lost her husband in Australia on a hiking expedition that seriously hurt her back and he was lost presumed dead in the Outback (mentioned so many times I do wonder if he'll pop up alive a few books into the series after she gives in to her feelings for Hux)

They are called in when a married couple were found on the river in the Gates of the Arctic park, half eaten by wolves. This is a very rugged, dangerous park where deaths and disappearances aren't that uncommon. For me the biggest issue in the book is how fast they figure out why Tim and Kelsey Greer are in this park: they've joined an infertility 'cult'. They seem to get that part right out of the gate, no pun intended.

In fact, it seems harder to determine was this an accidental death or a murder but it does seem odd they died of eating a poisonous berry that is extremely bitter and caustic, not something you'd usually keep consuming (which is in fact why many poisonous plants taste that way) Harland and Hux track down the cult which is honestly less a cult and more a shyster selling fertility to women who can conceive but their husbands cannot (i.e. we know who is doing the sowing of the seed here). I do find this a bit of a stretch because wouldn't it be easier to convince your spouse to let you use a sperm bank?

Anyhow, Hux and Harland have to figure out which of the remaining group would have done the couple in. Add into this the idea there could be two drug dealing killers in the mix as well. I did figure out the who and why about 75% in but I did enjoy the book over all. I'd like to see this park but I think it's a tad out of reach given my abilities.



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