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11th out of 99 books
—
74 voters
Murder on the Iditarod Trail (Alex Jensen & Jessie Arnold #1)
by
Sue Henry
The winner of Alaska's world-famous Iditarod -- a grueling, eleven-hundred-mile dog sled race across a frigid Arctic wilderness---takes home a $250,000 purse.
But this year, the prize is survival.
Only the toughest and the most able come to compete in this annual torturous test of endurance, skill, and courage. Now, suddenly and inexplicably, the top Iditarod contestants are...more
But this year, the prize is survival.
Only the toughest and the most able come to compete in this annual torturous test of endurance, skill, and courage. Now, suddenly and inexplicably, the top Iditarod contestants are...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
January 1st 2001
by Avon
(first published 1991)
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Note: My paperback version, published by Avon Twilight in 1993, actually only has 246 pages. This version is not listed at GR.
I wasn't sure I was going to like this one, especially based on comments from other members of the Cozy Mysteries group, but I did. I could not go to bed Friday night until I had finished--sprinting to the end almost as fast as the mushers the end of the race. I was sure of who the murderer was before I was halfway through the book, though a few well-placed red herrings...more
I wasn't sure I was going to like this one, especially based on comments from other members of the Cozy Mysteries group, but I did. I could not go to bed Friday night until I had finished--sprinting to the end almost as fast as the mushers the end of the race. I was sure of who the murderer was before I was halfway through the book, though a few well-placed red herrings...more
Apr 07, 2009
Joy
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who loves mysteries, dogs, or the wilderness
Fully deserved the Anthony and MaCavity awards for Best First Mystery that it won in 1991. It has stayed in my memory as an awesome recreation of a deadly challenge and the mushers' responses. After watching the show on this year's heroic Iditarod race, I had to reread the book again.
See this description of the volunteers who open the trail:
"The snow machine drivers, dressed in layers of outerwear to repel the worst the Arctic can deliver, may cover the full thousand miles without a good night's...more
See this description of the volunteers who open the trail:
"The snow machine drivers, dressed in layers of outerwear to repel the worst the Arctic can deliver, may cover the full thousand miles without a good night's...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I really enjoyed this book. I found the descriptions of the dog race along the Iditarod trail very realistic and felt the cold, hunger and tiredness the racers felt. I almost liked the racing descriptions better than the mystery.
However, I think this book would have been better served if there was a character list at the beginning. I sometimes found myself confused about who a character was as the author would sometimes use the person's first name, then further on in the book, their last name. I...more
However, I think this book would have been better served if there was a character list at the beginning. I sometimes found myself confused about who a character was as the author would sometimes use the person's first name, then further on in the book, their last name. I...more
Murder on the Iditarod Trail ist der erste Roman der Reihe Alaska oder Alex Jensen & Jessie Arnold Mysteries von Sue Henry. Während des berühmten Iditarod auf dem Trail zwischen Anchorage und Nome geschehen merkwürdige Todesfälle. Es scheint sich um Unfälle zu handeln, aber es stellt sich doch heraus, dass da ein Mörder seine Hände im Spiel hat. State Trooper Alex Jensen übernimmt die Ermittlungen und muss versuchen, den Täter zu finden und darf dabei so wenig wie möglich das Hundeschlittenr...more
I really enjoyed it! I especially loved reading about those ultra cold snowy weather conditions when it was like 110 outside here this summer. I've always been interested in the Iditarod.....so it was a perfect match since I also love mysteries. I felt like I was there!! The descriptions were breathtaking....I love how she weaves the imagery. Reviews have compared her to Mitchner....I never cared for his style....WAAAAAAY too wordy even for me. She says it well & moves on.
Sue Henry's Jessie...more
Sue Henry's Jessie...more
What an interesting mystery. We did an Alaskan cruise last year and on of our day trips was to a musher camp. We got a quick ride on a dogsled, well it was on rollers I believe but the dogs were thrilled to race along the trail pulling us all. This mystery covers the race each day along the way, with a little mayhem thrown in of course. You get a real sense of the conditions and strategy involved and of the spirit of the mushers. The plot is solid, lots of red herrings and the heroine is one I a...more
In Murder on the Iditarod Trail, the vicious weather of an Alaskan winter is not only the setting but also one the the main antagonists. The plot and characterization are competent, but what makes this a terrific, timeless book is the way the reader gets to go along vicariously on the grueling, two-week race.
With her expertise on the Alaskan wilderness in general and dog-sledding in particular, Sue Henry provides her readers with the gift of insight into a real world completely different from th...more
With her expertise on the Alaskan wilderness in general and dog-sledding in particular, Sue Henry provides her readers with the gift of insight into a real world completely different from th...more
This book is iabout a 1000 mile dog sled race in Alaska and is a mystery. I didn't really feel like the characters were developed well...not enough to make me about about them and it definately did not have me sitting on the edge of my seat while reading it. It did present some interesting facts about Alaska and dog sled racing, but I'm not sure that I'll read any other books in the series (unless I cns't get to the library--I already checked out the next book before starting this one, and it wo...more
For Mystery Mondays book group. I have to say, I found this one pretty boring. In an attempt to make it fast paced, most of the detail about the setting and the characters are lost. There are lots of characters and few of them are fully fleshed out, so it is hard to keep track of who is who (or care) and the mushers are constantly moving from checkpoint to checkpoint that are themselves pretty bare boned so it's hard to visualize. I can't say I'd recommend it, and lots of the group members seem...more
Having lived in Nome and traveled in the region I found the story entertaining, being able to easily picture what the author was saying. The story left a bit to be desired, as most mysteries do to me. The story followed a predictable plotline, after the grizzly start. Iditarod mushers are killed, Troopers are called in to figure it out, Trooper that lost a love finds another in a beautiful but humble musher, that love is the target, continue to end. I wasn't sad for the story to end and won't mi...more
I have an odd affection for reading about the Iditarod, and I'm blaming Scott O'Dell. So I've been looking at this series which is alternately referred to as "Alaska Mysteries" or "Alex Jensen Mysteries". Why have I avoided them you might ask? Well, I don't really like reading about main characters with my name for one. And to paraphrase my sister Rachel, you read the back and it seems like they might kinda suck.
Fortunately, they do not. The pace moves quickly and the characters are well drawn....more
Fortunately, they do not. The pace moves quickly and the characters are well drawn....more
(246 pgs.) I did enjoy the plot and learned quite a bit about the Iditarod. But I was unhappy with the use of repeated foul language and sexually explicit passages which added nothing to the story. Also (pg. 99) Henry refers to "autopsy reports" on three dead dogs. Post mortems for animals are called necropsies. Post mortems for humans are called autopsies. Pulp mystery quality. I would not recommend it because of the cursing and graphic sexual passages.
This is the first book that I have read by ue Henry and I have to say, I never would have thought of anyone coming up with a mystery happening on the Iditarod Trail. It was pretty good.
The book begins with the race and quickly some of the racers are either killed or injured. State Trooper Alex Jensen is sent out to find out what is happening but what he didn't expect is the attraction that he had for Jessie Arnold, a female musher who despite the incidents, continues her efforts on the race. Fro...more
The book begins with the race and quickly some of the racers are either killed or injured. State Trooper Alex Jensen is sent out to find out what is happening but what he didn't expect is the attraction that he had for Jessie Arnold, a female musher who despite the incidents, continues her efforts on the race. Fro...more
Likable characters,interesting setting, and intriguing murder mystery all contribute to an enjoyable read. Although the main character did not actually solve the murders with his own gray cells, the ending is plausible given the characters and setting. There were too many suspects to choose from and not enough clues. Perhaps Henry was going for realism and forgot that in fiction, we like half a chance to solve the crime ourselves.
I love these books! Jesse and Alex make great protagonists- I picked these up because a sweet old lady at the library was checking some out, and the librarian said "haven't you already read all the Sue Henry's?" and she said yes, and she loves them. I took that recommendation and I'm so glad! There's wonderful historical info about Alaska and the goldrush, and she paints Alaska so vividly! Makes me want to see it all.
If you love easy reads, you'll enjoy this new series set in Alaska. Picture this: you're a musher in the Iditarod Trail in a cold Alaskan winter, when you encounter three dead mushers on the trail. That's what happened to Jessie Arnold, who wants to win the race and meet Trooper Alex Jensen, who's after the culprit and following the trail. After those three casualties, some accidents happen along the way, as the attraction is mutual between Jessie and Alex. But when the next target might be Jess...more
What I love about series mysteries, besides the story and character development, is learning all about new places and things. The setting of this series is Alaska and in this book, the Iditarod dog sled race. I learned SO MUCH about the race. I'm excited to find out more about it and follow it this March. The book was a good, fast cozy mystery. I'll continue on with the rest of the series.
Audiobook: Starting a new series that takes place in Alaska (mostly for John's benefit), and the first book was great! Reading/listening about the ins and outs of Iditarod racing was very interesting and I enjoyed it a lot. It's amazing what those mushers and dogs go through! Just give me a book and a hot chocolate on a zero degree day and I'm good, no need to ride a sled being pulled by dogs for 1000 miles...
I'm actually giving this a 3-. I don't usually read mysteries but I picked this book up off the 'staff pick' shelf at the library on a whim because I've always been interested in the Iditarod race. I found this book packed with interesting tidbits about Alaska and the Iditarod but couldn't resonate with the characters or the plot.
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery series! My aunt recommended them to me when we were going on an Alaskan cruise, and I've read every book in the series. As usual with series, some books are better than others, but Sue Henry is one of the authors that I always search to see if she has anything new out.
I picked this up during an Alaska cruise to read afterwards. I enjoyed it mainly because I had been on a land tour also, and could actually picture some of the scenes. The story, itself, is interesting. It is what I would refer to "diversion reading", but we all need to unwind sometimes.
I really enjoyed this. The mystery was tense and although I guessed who the killer was along the way, I was compelled to keep reading. I was fascinated with the details of the Iditarod, a race I knew almost nothing about, and with the author's descriptions of the Alaska landscape and communities. I might just have to read more in this series.
Set in Alaska.
Having been there several times and eager to return and spend much much more time there, I'm enjoying these Sue Henry books set there.
Good mysteries and good info on more of Alaska locales, traditions.
I'll be reading the series.
Read in 2004.
Having been there several times and eager to return and spend much much more time there, I'm enjoying these Sue Henry books set there.
Good mysteries and good info on more of Alaska locales, traditions.
I'll be reading the series.
Read in 2004.
A suspenseful and engossing murder mystery, but more important a beautiful description of the Alaskan country and what goes into the 1,000 mile Iditarod dog sled race. The training, care, feeding, the selection of the dogs and the race itself is amazing!
Easy fun read - I've read Sue Henry before - with her Maxie and Stretch characters. The story follows an Iditarod race (faithfully) with some "accidents" along the way that turn out to be deliberate attempts by a racer desperate to win.
I have read other Sue Henry mysteries and once again she has written a well researched mystery. The details on the Iditarod race were well incorporated, the character of the race mushers was good, and the storyline very plausible.
I'm glad I didn't read this one first in the series. There were too many obscenities for me. I skimmed quite a few sentences as I hate the big obscenity. The story was predictable, but that is alright for me!
Dec 15, 2008
Awallens
added it
At first I wasn't sure about this book. It didn't sound like a fun read when it was cold out. But as I got into the story, I finished it in one shot. The tension was real and fast-paced, and it was nice to see a strong woman in this book. I have already grabbed the next book and plan to read it soon, if the cold and snow doesn't get me down.
The mystery part of the book was pretty obvious from the get-go. It is the setting of the race and all the details and history of the event that Henry includes that makes this book an interesting read.
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Sue Henry is the author of six novels in her award-winning Alaska mystery series: Murder on the Iditarod Trail, Termination Dust, Sleeping Lady, Death Takes Passage, Deadfall, and Murder on the Yukon Quest. She has lived in Alaska for almost aquarter of a century, and brings history, Alaskan lore, and the majestic beauty of the vast landscape to her mysteries. Based in Anchorage, where she teaches...more
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Jan 29, 2013 12:50pm