A Kate Shugak Novel (Book 13)

A talented writer at the peak of her abilities, Stabenow delivers a masterful crime novel in A Grave Denied that turns out to be as much about living as it is about dying. Even Kate Shugak, the Park's unofficial private investigator, seems to have known less about Len Dreyer, a handyman for hire in the Park near Niniltna, Alaska, than anyone else. Everyone knew Dreyer, but no one knew anything else about him. Hired by Shugak to thin the trees on her 160-acre homestead, Dreyer was also planning to help build a small second cabin on her property for Johnny Morgan, a teenaged boy in her care.

Alaska is a place where anybody can bury his history and start fresh, and for any reason. This particular mystery comes to light when Len Dreyer turns up murdered, his body discovered, frozen solid, in the path of a receding glacier with the hole from a shotgun blast in his chest. No one even knew he was missing, but it turns out he's been missing for months.

Alaska State Trooper Jim Chopin asks Kate Shugak to help him dig into Dreyer's background, in the hope of finding some reason for his murder. She takes the case, mindful of the need for gainful employment as she copes with her responsibility for Johnny, a constant reminder of his father, her dead lover. Little does she imagine that by trying to provide for him, she just might put him right in the path of danger.

Stabenow's masterful crime novel, A Grave Denied, is as much about the complexities of life as it is about the mystery of death. Kate Shugak, a talented private investigator, finds herself drawn into a case that challenges her understanding of the people and the land she calls home. As she delves into Dreyer's past, she uncovers a web of secrets and lies that threaten to upend her own precarious existence.

The frozen landscape of Alaska serves as a backdrop to this gripping tale, where the line between survival and danger is often blurred. Stabenow's vivid descriptions transport the reader to the rugged wilderness, where the pursuit of answers can lead to unexpected consequences. Ultimately, A Grave Denied is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, as Shugak navigates the complexities of her own personal life while seeking justice for a man whose life was cut short.

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