My rating:
add to my books
Loading...
A Taint in the Blood (Kate Shugak #14)
by
Dana Stabenow (Goodreads Author)
In Dana Stabenow's latest novel, a woman hires Aleutian P.I. Kate Shugak to clear her mother's name. Twenty years ago, the mother was convicted of arson and murder, of setting fire to the family home while her two sons were inside. One died, and one was maimed. Her daughter has always believed in her innocence, though the mother herself had accepted the verdict and ...more
Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
Published
August 30th 2005
by St. Martin's Paperbacks
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
962)
30 years is a very old case. Victoria was convicted of the murder by arson of her teenaged son, and after she spends 30 years in prison, her daughter Charlotte hires Kate Shugak to prove she didn't do it.
Victoria is the daughter of one of Alaska's most powerful families. Considering all the unscrupulous maneuvers made by the family's patriarch, why did they ever let her get convicted? I knew who committed the original crime within the first few chapters, but that didn't stop me from ...more
Victoria is the daughter of one of Alaska's most powerful families. Considering all the unscrupulous maneuvers made by the family's patriarch, why did they ever let her get convicted? I knew who committed the original crime within the first few chapters, but that didn't stop me from ...more
This is # 14 in the series of the Shugak books. My mystery book group chose this to read and learn about Dana Stabenow. The over all feeling was that out of 5 points that we gave the book a 3.8. The catch for us is that most authors giive you back story so that if you jump into the middle of a series but this one does not. While it is an interstng plot, you definitely get the impression throughout the book that you are really missing key background on people, places, and things. I found the...more
I was disappointed in this installment of the Kate Shugak series. Kate is hired to clear a dying woman's name of a deadly arson conviction from 30 years past. She heads to Anchorage to investigate which is where the book takes place. She is accompanied through most of the book by Jim Chopin. The mystery was only mildly engaging, and I missed the park and wilderness setting in this one. I also felt like the book's purpose was more to develop the sexual relationship between Jim and Kate than ...more
As others have noted, Dana Stabenow does a great job of evoking place and the culture of Alaska in her Kate Shugak series. And (as others have noted) she's very good at creating quirky, memorable characters--starting with Shugak herself, a feisty little fire plug of a woman who can seemingly take on any number of armed men single-handedly and somehow come out on top.
If the ending of A Taint in the Blood seemed a bit contrived, no harm; this is escapist literature, and it's the ride,...more
If the ending of A Taint in the Blood seemed a bit contrived, no harm; this is escapist literature, and it's the ride,...more
A TAINT IN THE BLOOD (Private Investigator-Alaska-Cont) – VG
Dana Stabenow – 14th in series
St. Martin’s Minatour, 2004 – Hardcover
Kate Shugak is hired by wealthy Charlotte Muravieff to prove her mother, Victoria, innocent of the crime for which she has served 30 years in prison, the arson death of her son. But Victoria isn’t making it easy when she tried to fire Kate and no one else in this influential Alaskan family is willing to help.
*** Kate is one of my favorite chara...more
Dana Stabenow – 14th in series
St. Martin’s Minatour, 2004 – Hardcover
Kate Shugak is hired by wealthy Charlotte Muravieff to prove her mother, Victoria, innocent of the crime for which she has served 30 years in prison, the arson death of her son. But Victoria isn’t making it easy when she tried to fire Kate and no one else in this influential Alaskan family is willing to help.
*** Kate is one of my favorite chara...more
My first Kate Shugak--although Dana Stabenow's books have been recommended many times. I usually like to read a series from beginning to end, at least roughly in order, but the library had this one in, and available on CD. Lots of sassy writing and a nicely plotted mystery. This won't be my last Kate Shugak--I like Stabenow's style.
Kate Shugak goes to Anchorage after she is hired by a determined daughter to get her terminally ill mother out of jail for setting fire to their home and killing her brother. Involving one of the founding families of Alaska, Kate has to uncover what really happened 31 years earlier.
Intricate story with Kate hired to find out the truth behind a 31-year-old crime. Information and action of the main story are greatly offset by Kate's sexual pursuit and involvement with Jim Chopin (ongoing in the series), and Stabenow's predilection to give Alaskan history.
Outstanding; Continuing character: Kate Shugak; Kate is hired by a woman to clear her mother of the murder of her son thirty years prior; she stirs up a series of family secrets and other murders, while leading Trooper Jim into a relationship
Finally getting back to the Kate of earlier books! After having to be rescued by Jim and ending up in the hospital in the last few (which seemed entirely out of character to me), she kicks ass in this one!
I really like the characters in this series set in Alaska (without Palin, thank God). This is not the strongest on the series. They should be read in order to appreciate some of the plotting.
This is another character series, I love them. It is set in Alaska. The books give you a good idea of life in Alaska. Kate is smart and very down to earth, someone you'd love to know.
JC
rated it
Recommends it for:
anyone who likes a good mystery and/or a tough female protagonist
Shelves:
mysteries
I love Dana Stabenow's writing, but most especially her Kate Shugak novels. She writes incredibly quirky characters - even the smallest bit parts are memorable. She describes Alaska so vividly and with great love - her stories could not be picked up and placed anywhere else. But it's Kate Shugak most of all that keeps me reading. Possibly the only Native Alaskan female PI in all of the fiction world, she's tough as nails and stubborn as an ox - once she's on a case, she will not be deterred....more
This book compelled me to find everything I could of Stabenows. Love how she creates place as a character and hooks a reader time and time again!
Audrey
added it
I love the Kate Shugak Mysteries. Set in Alaska the books are filled with atmosphere of that amazing state and the books are always excellent.
I love the main character, Kate. She is a fiesty and determined woman, and I love the different predicaments she gets herself into.
Another solid mystery from Dana Stabenow. The Kate Shugak character is one of the more interesting in the crime/mystery genre.
Recommended by a relative-in-law following a trip we made to Alaska. Appreciated the environment more after the trip.
A good read, as always with this series, though I missed the wilderness setting and I could have done with a tad less sex.
Martha Shaw
rated it
Recommends it for:
anyone who loves mysteries
Recommended to Martha by:
Betty Potter
I've read quite a few of these now. I think I read about 6 over this summer, the summer of 2011.
Suzanna
added it
Miss Kate is my hero. Love her character, and enjoy the native american story line.
A typical Kate Shugak. I still love the authentic Alaskan setting of this series most of all
Kate bulls through old cold case, seduces Jim
New author for me. I will get more of her books.
I ain't tainted by anything...
Still enjoying each book!
It was ok, but dragged.
I'm reading these out of order, so there is kind of a sense of "deja vu" since some of the characters appear in other books. Almost felt like I'd read this book before, however there were certain other pieces that I didn't remember - not sure if I did read it before or whether it's because bits of the story appeared in later books in the series.
In general, I do like the strong sense of family, the Alaska setting and Mutt.
In general, I do like the strong sense of family, the Alaska setting and Mutt.
Kate is one tough investigator. I enjoy her no-nonsense attitude and all the Alaska history and info. A good read.
I mistakenly read this a second time. I did not realize I had read it until I was about 40 pages in, and then I chose to keep reading because I remembered liking it the first time. Kate Shugak is one of my favorite PI's and the way Stabenow brings in Alaska's geography and culture make these interesting reading.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Readers Also Enjoyed
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, 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, and...more
More about Dana Stabenow...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
