Joji's Book Haven

I'd been looking forward to reading Restless in the Grave since I first heard that Kate and Liam would both be featured. It didn't disappoint. Central to this installment, of course, is a mystery that needed solving. The investigation began in Alaska Trooper Liam Campbell's town of Newenham, timed nicely with a perceived need by Kate to get out of Niniltna for a while. (No spoilers.) She and Mutt go in undercover to check out the "suspects". As this installment is essentially book 19 of the Kate Shugak series (and book 5 of the Liam Campbell series), many characters from earlier books make appearances or are mentioned. (So fun to revisit them!) It would be nearly impossible to summarize the backstory for all of them, and reading the books in order would be my recommendation, but I think that author Dana Stabenow filled in enough of the blanks to make the story very readable even for those readers who would be new to either or both series. Kate hasn't lost her touch as a private investigator. She and Mutt show yet again that they make a great team. This book had great pace, a solid plot, and the usual cast of memorable characters. I've always enjoyed the touches of humor, the tips of the hat to other authors, and the deft way in which Stabenow works in pieces of colorful Alaskan history as well as glimpses of everyday life in the vastness of that state. I found the book hard to put down, despite wanting to savor it. It's a book that I will definitely reread and would highly recommend to others. Five star read for me!