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Anna Pigeon #15
Borderline
The killings on Isle Royale have left Anna drained and haunted, her memories of her time with the wolf study group forever marred by the carnage on the island.
Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, she is on administrative leave, per her superintendent's urging. Anna wonders if the leave might not be permanent, either by her own choice or that of the National Park Service. The one bright spot in Anna's life is Paul, her husband of less than a year. Hoping the warmth and the adventure of a raft trip in Big Bend National Park will lift her spirits, Paul takes Anna to southwest Texas, where the sun is hot and the Rio Grande is running high. The sheer beauty of the Chihuahuan Desert and the power of the river work their magic--until the raft is lost in the rapids and a young college student falls overboard, resulting in an even more grisly discovery. Caught in a strainer between two boulders and more dead than alive, is a pregnant woman, hair and arms tangled in the downed branches. Instead of the soul-soothing experience they'd longed for, Anna and Paul find themselves sucked into a labyrinth of intrigue that leads from the Mexican desert to the steps of the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas.
Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, she is on administrative leave, per her superintendent's urging. Anna wonders if the leave might not be permanent, either by her own choice or that of the National Park Service. The one bright spot in Anna's life is Paul, her husband of less than a year. Hoping the warmth and the adventure of a raft trip in Big Bend National Park will lift her spirits, Paul takes Anna to southwest Texas, where the sun is hot and the Rio Grande is running high. The sheer beauty of the Chihuahuan Desert and the power of the river work their magic--until the raft is lost in the rapids and a young college student falls overboard, resulting in an even more grisly discovery. Caught in a strainer between two boulders and more dead than alive, is a pregnant woman, hair and arms tangled in the downed branches. Instead of the soul-soothing experience they'd longed for, Anna and Paul find themselves sucked into a labyrinth of intrigue that leads from the Mexican desert to the steps of the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas.
399 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
347 people are currently reading
2,093 people want to read
About the author
Nevada Barr
62Ìýbooks2,225ÌýfollowersNevada Barr is a mystery fiction author, known for her "Anna Pigeon" series of mysteries, set in National Parks in the United States. Barr has won an Agatha Award for best first novel for Track of the Cat.
Barr was named after the state of her birth. She grew up in Johnstonville, California. She finished college at the University of California, Irvine. Originally, Barr started to pursue a career in theatre, but decided to be a park ranger. In 1984 she published her first novel, Bittersweet, a bleak lesbian historical novel set in the days of the Western frontier.
While working in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Barr created the Anna Pigeon series. Pigeon is a law enforcement officer with the United States National Park Service. Each book in the series takes place in a different National Park, where Pigeon solves a murder mystery, often related to natural resource issues. She is a satirical, witty woman whose icy exterior is broken down in each book by a hunky male to whom she is attracted (such as Rogelio).
Currently, Ms. Barr lives in New Orleans, LA.
Barr was named after the state of her birth. She grew up in Johnstonville, California. She finished college at the University of California, Irvine. Originally, Barr started to pursue a career in theatre, but decided to be a park ranger. In 1984 she published her first novel, Bittersweet, a bleak lesbian historical novel set in the days of the Western frontier.
While working in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Barr created the Anna Pigeon series. Pigeon is a law enforcement officer with the United States National Park Service. Each book in the series takes place in a different National Park, where Pigeon solves a murder mystery, often related to natural resource issues. She is a satirical, witty woman whose icy exterior is broken down in each book by a hunky male to whom she is attracted (such as Rogelio).
Currently, Ms. Barr lives in New Orleans, LA.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 785 reviews
October 17, 2014
To a certain extent, when you commit to a series like this you're suspending disbelief. The protagonist has to last throughout the whole series. Therefore she will survive dozens of shootings, stabbings, bludgeonings. In situations where anyone else would die of dehydration, exhaustion, exposure, starvation, drowning, broken bones from falls, this protagonist will live to see other days. Many, many other days. Your protagonist would be able to accidentally drink a vial of an Ebola victim's infected blood from the hospital refrigerator, thinking it was a cranberry slushie, and survive. So, okay. Disbelief suspended on all this.
But other parts of the narrative need to make sense. Characters' reactions need to be relatively normal. Actions need to be within the realm of possibility. In Borderline, Anna and her newish husband Paul are rafting down the Rio Grande with their guide Carmen and several young people on vacation. They come across the body of a 9-month pregnant woman wedged between river rocks. She's alive, barely, but after they rescue her she dies. Anna, who has no real medical experience, performs a C-section with a camping knife and saves the fetus. While everyone stands around and watches. Would you watch? Then as the woman's fileted body remains exposed, they stand around and discuss what to name the baby.
Their guide Carmen climbs to the top of a cliff so she can get reception for her satellite phone. Suddenly a sniper shoots her off the cliff. Her body bounces down to some unseen place. This doesn't seem to enormously bother our vacationers. Soon after the sniper takes aim at another woman, whose head explodes in bloody mist. Anna and the new baby, Helena, are covered in Lori's blood. This is all greeted with another collective shrug. Snipers. Blood. Whaddya gonna do?
At some point, maybe 5, maybe 8, maybe 12 hours later, the vacationers are rescued and brought back to park headquarters. No, they're not taken to a hospital. No doctor or nurse sees them. They are taken to a conference room because the Mayor of Houston, who is at the park to launch her run for the governor's office, wants to see them and talk to them. At this point the newborn has had maybe a few teaspoons of water. But the newborn sits in the conference room with Anna, who is still covered in Lori's blood and brain matter. No one in the room thinks this is unusual.
This edition had fewer typos than some by Barr I've read. Maybe she got a new editor. But she still seems to be a bit confused by the verbs lay and lie, and spellcheck was not turned on: Malibu is spelled Mailbu.
I've complained before about Barr's tendency to excise pronouns when she gets to hardcore action scenes. She didn't do as much of it here as in some other novels, but she can't seem to fully wean herself off this horribleness:
Knuckles smashed into the side of Anna's skull.
Muscles went slack, vision blurred, thought faded.
Flesh rebelled.
My favorite sentence was Barr informing the reader, as Anna changed Helena's diaper, that "Disposable diapers made infant care easier by far, if less environmentally friendly."
Reading! You learn something new every day.
May 7, 2018
We were headed out on a short road trip and we wanted something to listen to. So I ran into the library; quickly scanned the available audio books; and, grab a familiar name that had the right number of disks for the trip.
Borderline is a thriller that follows Anna Pigeon, National Park ranger, as she finds another mystery and avoids death. The scene this time is Big Bend National Park in Texas on the border with Mexico. Anna is off duty and recovering from another traumatic adventure when she and her husband decide to take a rafting trip through some of the park. First a stranded longhorn demands their attention. Then a cloudburst puts their raft in jeopardy. Then a body turns up. And quickly thereafter their river guide is shot. Any more details would spoil the plot, but I will add that this is a near a part of the river where local people from Mexico frequently crossed back and forth before 9-11 changed the rules of border security.
What are friends for? Well, I should have read my GF friend, Darlene’s, review and learned from her experience. I had read Track of the Cat, the first Anna Pigeon novel, for which Barr received an Agatha Award. When I grabbed Borderline off the library shelf, I did not pay any attention to the fact that there were thirteen (13!!) novels in between. A lot has happened and, as Darlene notes, the events of the preceding book, Winter Study, have a direct bearing on the plot.
Barbara Rosenblat is an excellent narrator with a fine set of voices that make the characters� personalities vibrant. Give it 3.5 stars for the interesting setting and background stories.
Borderline is a thriller that follows Anna Pigeon, National Park ranger, as she finds another mystery and avoids death. The scene this time is Big Bend National Park in Texas on the border with Mexico. Anna is off duty and recovering from another traumatic adventure when she and her husband decide to take a rafting trip through some of the park. First a stranded longhorn demands their attention. Then a cloudburst puts their raft in jeopardy. Then a body turns up. And quickly thereafter their river guide is shot. Any more details would spoil the plot, but I will add that this is a near a part of the river where local people from Mexico frequently crossed back and forth before 9-11 changed the rules of border security.
What are friends for? Well, I should have read my GF friend, Darlene’s, review and learned from her experience. I had read Track of the Cat, the first Anna Pigeon novel, for which Barr received an Agatha Award. When I grabbed Borderline off the library shelf, I did not pay any attention to the fact that there were thirteen (13!!) novels in between. A lot has happened and, as Darlene notes, the events of the preceding book, Winter Study, have a direct bearing on the plot.
Barbara Rosenblat is an excellent narrator with a fine set of voices that make the characters� personalities vibrant. Give it 3.5 stars for the interesting setting and background stories.
April 21, 2009
2.5 stars
Bummer...I don't know if I've outgrown my enjoyment of the Anna Pigeon series or if this new one is just a clunker. I've always liked these because they take place in national parks. They're all easy reads, but this one went beyond "easy" into the category of trite and utterly implausible. There's so much she could have done with the rich backdrop of Big Bend National Park, but this plot is so terribly thin and disappointing. I gave an extra half star because Nevada Barr has very deep insight into human nature and thought, and she gives this gift to her Anna Pigeon character. I always enjoy finding out Barr's political and social leanings by reading about the attitudes of her characters. :)
I haven't given up completely, but I won't be eagerly awaiting the next one. Oh well. Plenty many other good authors out there.
Bummer...I don't know if I've outgrown my enjoyment of the Anna Pigeon series or if this new one is just a clunker. I've always liked these because they take place in national parks. They're all easy reads, but this one went beyond "easy" into the category of trite and utterly implausible. There's so much she could have done with the rich backdrop of Big Bend National Park, but this plot is so terribly thin and disappointing. I gave an extra half star because Nevada Barr has very deep insight into human nature and thought, and she gives this gift to her Anna Pigeon character. I always enjoy finding out Barr's political and social leanings by reading about the attitudes of her characters. :)
I haven't given up completely, but I won't be eagerly awaiting the next one. Oh well. Plenty many other good authors out there.
August 8, 2011
This book tried to make “Deliverance� look like water ride at Disney.
Set on the Rio Grande, Borderline centers around an unbelievable and unlikeable character named Anna Pigeon who is on administrative leave from her job in the police department for a stress disorder.
In search for some R & R, Anna and her husband sign up for a river raft tour down the river and before you know it, she spots starving longhorn cow on the mountain which prompts her to trail up the unsafe passage, lure the cow down, and strap it to a raft. No surprise here, the raft hits dangerous rapids and ejects the whole group in the river, cow and all.
Searching for the cow, and supplies she comes across a nearly dead pregnant woman in the river who dies once she lays eyes on Anna and mumbles something about “saving the baby�. Anna, with her husband’s rusty, yet handy pocket knife performs an emergency cesarean like a seasoned neo-natal surgeon.
Soon after the operation, her group is being shot at by hiding bandits in the mountain, and now stresed-out Anna must proceed to unwind and solve an absolutely idiotic murder plot that involves the mayor of Texas, all while dodging gunfire, running into deserts and diving into rivers while toting this new born infant around like a bag of groceries.
To all those aspiring writers out there; find out who Nevada Barr uses as an editor, and run the other way, just make sure you don’t have a new-born in your arms when doing so.
Set on the Rio Grande, Borderline centers around an unbelievable and unlikeable character named Anna Pigeon who is on administrative leave from her job in the police department for a stress disorder.
In search for some R & R, Anna and her husband sign up for a river raft tour down the river and before you know it, she spots starving longhorn cow on the mountain which prompts her to trail up the unsafe passage, lure the cow down, and strap it to a raft. No surprise here, the raft hits dangerous rapids and ejects the whole group in the river, cow and all.
Searching for the cow, and supplies she comes across a nearly dead pregnant woman in the river who dies once she lays eyes on Anna and mumbles something about “saving the baby�. Anna, with her husband’s rusty, yet handy pocket knife performs an emergency cesarean like a seasoned neo-natal surgeon.
Soon after the operation, her group is being shot at by hiding bandits in the mountain, and now stresed-out Anna must proceed to unwind and solve an absolutely idiotic murder plot that involves the mayor of Texas, all while dodging gunfire, running into deserts and diving into rivers while toting this new born infant around like a bag of groceries.
To all those aspiring writers out there; find out who Nevada Barr uses as an editor, and run the other way, just make sure you don’t have a new-born in your arms when doing so.
April 16, 2009
Tucked away on a wilderness retreat for a weekend, cozied up in a rocking chair by the fireplace, I opened the cover of the review copy I had received of Nevada Barr’s newest novel in the Anna Pigeon series, Borderline. One of the best things about receiving review copies of books in the mail, frequently unrequested, is that I end up reading books I would never consider on a bookstore wander. This would be one of those. The cover illustration is a little too cheesy for me (rushing river rapids between high blue cliffs), a series of any kind is a bit of a turnoff (note to series authors: get over it and move on to your next character), and a detective story by any measure (beyond cliché) would have had me at a quick trot past this one. But retreats are a time for escapism from our usual reality, so I cracked open the cover to read.
From the book jacket I learned that Anna Pigeon, the park ranger of this now 15-book series, is apparently quite a popular read. You don’t reach 15 without fans. Must be something to this, I thought. Either sheep mentality, or, one would hope, something of value. And, admittedly, I was finding curb appeal here. Anna is no gumshoe. She is, after all, a park ranger, and my wilderness-loving self warmed to the idea of each book having a backdrop of a national park rather than the cops-and-robbers� inner city. I am also interested in strong female characters, as much of my dislike for detective novels is that too many are based on Bogie-like womanizers, forever saving (and subsequently “doing�) “damsels in distress.� Look, there wouldn’t be so many damsels in distress if there were fewer womanizers wandering the landscape. I was ready to give Anna a chance.
The cool and sharp Anna, independent to the bone, found favor with me in the first few pages. Independent, sure, but she also knew how to be soft for that one special man—her husband, Paul. Her vulnerability showed in a recent diagnosis of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), an after-effect of the novel preceding this one � a story about a killing in which Anna had been involved (without regret) on Isle Royale in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Anna and her husband head south to Texas for a much-needed rest, planning on rafting the rapids of the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park. Also on the raft trip are four teenagers and the raft guide.
To no one’s surprise but maybe Anna’s, the trip is far from soothing. Instead, we are quickly pulled into another mystery, replete with half-drowned bodies and illegal border crossings, a corrupt politician and her philandering husband, a sassy and savvy journalist sniffing out a good story, snipers on mountaintops and falling dead bodies, suspect security guards, whiny teens, a sacred cow, and even a C-section performed with a pocketknife on a drowned corpse. Rapids, indeed. Yet among all this chilling, fast-paced, page-turning stuff, I also found snippets of delicious humor that had me laugh out loud, or else simply snicker in female comrade recognition.
“Paul kissed her gently. He was the best kisser of any man she had ever met. Most men thought they were good kissers, just like they all thought they were good drivers. Most were wrong on both counts.�
And I thought I was the only one with that observation, ha!
Barr could also slip in a political statement while addressing border laws and drug wars:
“America no longer wanted anybody to give her their tired, their poor, and their huddled masses made people’s blood run cold.�
Or the occasional jibe at religious views: “Should there be a heaven it would probably have a border patrol that put Homeland Security to shame.�
Mostly, Barr just did what she apparently does best: she kept me turning pages, putting another log on the fire, turning more pages, then reading late into the night. I like this Anna. I get the way her mind works and how her nerves settle. And I enjoyed, rather than the damsel-chasing for which this genre is known, having a warm, caring marriage as the backdrop for our heroine. Goodness, Paul even touches her on occasion simply to show love, with no demand for the night to end in more. What a guy. He gets that his wife mostly just needs him to be there. There is plenty of passion and mutual physical admiration, but placed strategically to tell us more about the characters than for cheap and gratuitous thrills. Nice.
The mystery is solved satisfactorily, if not exactly with unpredictable results. Anna’s devotion to the orphan child she saves from the river turns very quickly to the aloofness of a woman who is not maternally inclined—too suddenly not to be a bit jarring. Overall, Barr has a snappy, sharp style, not particularly literary, but with moments of wit and sparks of humor; she knows what she is doing with this genre. The main character is engaging enough that the reader quickly and easily grows fond, and so, to my own surprise, I added a couple more Barr books on my wish list. Anna Pigeon is the kind of main character women readers enjoy: the right and realistic mix of strength, intellect, softness, introspection, independence, with an ability to lean on, and be leaned upon by, one trustworthy man.
From the book jacket I learned that Anna Pigeon, the park ranger of this now 15-book series, is apparently quite a popular read. You don’t reach 15 without fans. Must be something to this, I thought. Either sheep mentality, or, one would hope, something of value. And, admittedly, I was finding curb appeal here. Anna is no gumshoe. She is, after all, a park ranger, and my wilderness-loving self warmed to the idea of each book having a backdrop of a national park rather than the cops-and-robbers� inner city. I am also interested in strong female characters, as much of my dislike for detective novels is that too many are based on Bogie-like womanizers, forever saving (and subsequently “doing�) “damsels in distress.� Look, there wouldn’t be so many damsels in distress if there were fewer womanizers wandering the landscape. I was ready to give Anna a chance.
The cool and sharp Anna, independent to the bone, found favor with me in the first few pages. Independent, sure, but she also knew how to be soft for that one special man—her husband, Paul. Her vulnerability showed in a recent diagnosis of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), an after-effect of the novel preceding this one � a story about a killing in which Anna had been involved (without regret) on Isle Royale in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Anna and her husband head south to Texas for a much-needed rest, planning on rafting the rapids of the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park. Also on the raft trip are four teenagers and the raft guide.
To no one’s surprise but maybe Anna’s, the trip is far from soothing. Instead, we are quickly pulled into another mystery, replete with half-drowned bodies and illegal border crossings, a corrupt politician and her philandering husband, a sassy and savvy journalist sniffing out a good story, snipers on mountaintops and falling dead bodies, suspect security guards, whiny teens, a sacred cow, and even a C-section performed with a pocketknife on a drowned corpse. Rapids, indeed. Yet among all this chilling, fast-paced, page-turning stuff, I also found snippets of delicious humor that had me laugh out loud, or else simply snicker in female comrade recognition.
“Paul kissed her gently. He was the best kisser of any man she had ever met. Most men thought they were good kissers, just like they all thought they were good drivers. Most were wrong on both counts.�
And I thought I was the only one with that observation, ha!
Barr could also slip in a political statement while addressing border laws and drug wars:
“America no longer wanted anybody to give her their tired, their poor, and their huddled masses made people’s blood run cold.�
Or the occasional jibe at religious views: “Should there be a heaven it would probably have a border patrol that put Homeland Security to shame.�
Mostly, Barr just did what she apparently does best: she kept me turning pages, putting another log on the fire, turning more pages, then reading late into the night. I like this Anna. I get the way her mind works and how her nerves settle. And I enjoyed, rather than the damsel-chasing for which this genre is known, having a warm, caring marriage as the backdrop for our heroine. Goodness, Paul even touches her on occasion simply to show love, with no demand for the night to end in more. What a guy. He gets that his wife mostly just needs him to be there. There is plenty of passion and mutual physical admiration, but placed strategically to tell us more about the characters than for cheap and gratuitous thrills. Nice.
The mystery is solved satisfactorily, if not exactly with unpredictable results. Anna’s devotion to the orphan child she saves from the river turns very quickly to the aloofness of a woman who is not maternally inclined—too suddenly not to be a bit jarring. Overall, Barr has a snappy, sharp style, not particularly literary, but with moments of wit and sparks of humor; she knows what she is doing with this genre. The main character is engaging enough that the reader quickly and easily grows fond, and so, to my own surprise, I added a couple more Barr books on my wish list. Anna Pigeon is the kind of main character women readers enjoy: the right and realistic mix of strength, intellect, softness, introspection, independence, with an ability to lean on, and be leaned upon by, one trustworthy man.
January 8, 2012
I simply loved Nevada Barr's series with Ranger Pigeon. This one however, I could not get into. I was bored with the plot and characters. The writing was just not up to Barr's normal excellent standards. Sorry Mrs. Barr, this one fell short.
I am editing my review a bit. I have just realized that I have not enjoyed Nevada Barr's last 4 books. I do not know if it was the writing, plots or Ranger P's life journey.
I am editing my review a bit. I have just realized that I have not enjoyed Nevada Barr's last 4 books. I do not know if it was the writing, plots or Ranger P's life journey.
March 14, 2025
I like Anna Pigeon. I can relate to her as a woman who chose not to have children. I love the national park settings. I have been to some of them. I lived in Wyoming and Arizona and absolutely love the West. This novel started with Anna in a rather dark and despairing place after going through some real trauma in the last novel. We end up seeing a softer Anna as she ‘mothers� a newborn infant. This was a great story and had some real emotional ups and downs. I haven’t been to Big Bend but I am putting it on my list.
March 14, 2009
I really wanted to like this book. I'd saved it for a quiet evening, fully expecting to embrace a new (for me) author.
For the most part, I enjoy books that feature returning protagonists; there's something quite comfortable about following the exploits of well-known and loved characters. When it works (see , , ), the latest installment is an event to celebrate.
Sadly, it was clear from the beginning that this was the latest in a long line of stories about Anna Pigeon. A good series shouldn't be too obviously a series. From the very beginning, this book relies too heavily on the reader's prior knowledge of Anna, her husband and their earlier exploits. Without this information, the characters are hollow and unsympathetic. Nine chapters in, I was still struggling for the essence of the story and the characters - and fighting irritation with the plot.
By the tenth chapter, it was clear that finishing the book would require real tenacity. In this chapter, Anna Pigeon performs emergency cesarean surgery on a woman who'd just died. This statement is just about as emotionally moving (and as bloodless) as description of the event. Within moments of the delivery, the by-standers are arguing about a name for the newborn, as though they'd completely forgotten the poor mother - sliced opened from sternum to groin - lying at their feet.
This is my first "First Read" review; I'd expected and hoped to be upbeat and positive about the assigned book. I'm sorry that I can't give this book a thumbs-up. I'm even more sorry that there's not a "new" series for me to enjoy.
This isn’t the first time that I’ve started late in a series; I read ’s “G is for Gumshoe� (not one of her best, by the way) and was impressed enough to go back to “A is for Alibi�.
Unfortunately, I won’t bother starting at the beginning with Nevada Barr’s series � not when I know how badly it ends.
For the most part, I enjoy books that feature returning protagonists; there's something quite comfortable about following the exploits of well-known and loved characters. When it works (see , , ), the latest installment is an event to celebrate.
Sadly, it was clear from the beginning that this was the latest in a long line of stories about Anna Pigeon. A good series shouldn't be too obviously a series. From the very beginning, this book relies too heavily on the reader's prior knowledge of Anna, her husband and their earlier exploits. Without this information, the characters are hollow and unsympathetic. Nine chapters in, I was still struggling for the essence of the story and the characters - and fighting irritation with the plot.
By the tenth chapter, it was clear that finishing the book would require real tenacity. In this chapter, Anna Pigeon performs emergency cesarean surgery on a woman who'd just died. This statement is just about as emotionally moving (and as bloodless) as description of the event. Within moments of the delivery, the by-standers are arguing about a name for the newborn, as though they'd completely forgotten the poor mother - sliced opened from sternum to groin - lying at their feet.
This is my first "First Read" review; I'd expected and hoped to be upbeat and positive about the assigned book. I'm sorry that I can't give this book a thumbs-up. I'm even more sorry that there's not a "new" series for me to enjoy.
This isn’t the first time that I’ve started late in a series; I read ’s “G is for Gumshoe� (not one of her best, by the way) and was impressed enough to go back to “A is for Alibi�.
Unfortunately, I won’t bother starting at the beginning with Nevada Barr’s series � not when I know how badly it ends.
November 14, 2024
I was heading down to the basement to grab books for a College Buddies roadtrip to Big Bend National Park in southwestern Texas, when my wife suggested I take one of my Nevada Barr novels. Barr writes crime novels based around heroine Anna Pigeon, a national park ranger. Anna has adventures in many different parks. I found two Nevada Barr novels and opened them to pick one. I usually just read the oldest one that I have on hand. But reading the blurbs, I was amazed to see that one takes place in Big Bend. What are the odds of that ?!
Anna is on administrative leave after a physically and emotionally traumatic incident in Isle Royale National Park, Michigan. She and her husband Paul, who is the sheriff of Jefferson County, Mississippi, go to Big Bend to unwind. They take a guided rafting trip on the Rio Grande, which is starting to rise with recent rains. Several teenagers make up the rest of the group. At the same time the park lodge is hosting a fund raiser for Judith Pierson, the Mayor of Houston. She has a small security team with her, headed up by Darden White, who became a father figure for her in her childhood. Pierson's husband is having an affair, and Darden is determined to keep it from disrupting her career path, which she hopes will culminate in becoming the state Governor. One of the Big Bend rangers has a passion for border politics, which comes into play when the rafters discover the body of a Mexican woman lodged in debris in the river.
In terms of Barr's writing, while dialogue isn't her strong suit, her interesting plots in national parks keep me coming back. One concept that Anna Pigeon mentioned as she contemplated the minds of criminals and killers really rang true:
"It was said that the world's best swordsman's worst enemy was the world's worst swordsman because of the unpredictability of the untrained. For law enforcement, perpetrators of random violence were the hardest to catch. They didn't conform to logic."
I rank Borderline, written in 2009, among the lower half of the 12 or 15 Barr novels I've read.
Anna is on administrative leave after a physically and emotionally traumatic incident in Isle Royale National Park, Michigan. She and her husband Paul, who is the sheriff of Jefferson County, Mississippi, go to Big Bend to unwind. They take a guided rafting trip on the Rio Grande, which is starting to rise with recent rains. Several teenagers make up the rest of the group. At the same time the park lodge is hosting a fund raiser for Judith Pierson, the Mayor of Houston. She has a small security team with her, headed up by Darden White, who became a father figure for her in her childhood. Pierson's husband is having an affair, and Darden is determined to keep it from disrupting her career path, which she hopes will culminate in becoming the state Governor. One of the Big Bend rangers has a passion for border politics, which comes into play when the rafters discover the body of a Mexican woman lodged in debris in the river.
In terms of Barr's writing, while dialogue isn't her strong suit, her interesting plots in national parks keep me coming back. One concept that Anna Pigeon mentioned as she contemplated the minds of criminals and killers really rang true:
"It was said that the world's best swordsman's worst enemy was the world's worst swordsman because of the unpredictability of the untrained. For law enforcement, perpetrators of random violence were the hardest to catch. They didn't conform to logic."
I rank Borderline, written in 2009, among the lower half of the 12 or 15 Barr novels I've read.
August 3, 2016
This series by Nevada Barr is not one I regularly read but should because I always enjoy it. I came across this particular audiobook , 'Borderline' and I noticed that it was narrated by Barbara Rosenblat, who is one of my favorite performers so I couldn't resist listening.
I have skipped around in this series. 'Borderline' is #15 and after I started listening I realized that it would have been better to have listened to #14 first. 'Borderline' picks up where the story ended in 'Winter Study' (#14). Anna Pigeon, a park ranger with the National Park Service has recently been put on administrative leave because of an incident which occurred at Isle Royale National Park near Lake Superior, where she was working with a group of scientists who were conducting a study of the wolves living in the park. Anna had ended up killing a man in the course of her duties as park ranger and is now suffering from diagnosed PTSD.
Anna's husband Paul, to whom she has been married to for less than a year, convinces her to take a trip with him to Big Bend National Park for a rafting trip. The two are hoping that a few days on the Rio Grande will be a balm of sorts to soothe and lift her spirits. Of COURSE, that isn't EXACTLY what happens�..
Their first day on the river passes uneventfully; but on the second day the group�. which consists of Anna, Paul, their rafting guide Carmen and a group of 4 college students on vacation� discover an emaciated cow who had become stranded on the cliffs surrounding the river. After a harrowing rescue, the group situates the frightened cow (whom they name Easter) into the raft and continue to make their way downstream. They quickly realize, however, that during the time they were rescuing Easter, the river had begun to rise and was continuing to rise at an alarming rate. Despite being given instructions on how to maneuver the raft in high, quick flowing water, the students panic and the raft becomes hung up on boulders and begins filling with river water. Of course, Easter then begins to panic and one of the cow's horns poke a hole in the raft. The group, wearing life jackets, make their way to safety�. only to discover a woman's body! The woman looks to be hispanic, near death and VERY pregnant; and Anna finds herself in the position of delivering the baby through caesarian section. And as if all of these mishaps aren't enough for the group to endure�. when Carmen climbs the cliff to attempt to get a signal for her satellite phone to obtain rescue for the group, she is shot by a gunman who is perched on the boulders above her.
Anna and Paul (who happens to be a sheriff of a small town in Mississippi) find themselves in charge of a new baby and a group of terrified college students� with no supplies and a gunman on the cliffs. Is the gunman a psychotic whose idea of fun is shooting at river rafters on vacation? Or is something more sinister going on? As in many of the mysteries I have read lately, politics plays an important role in Anna Pigeon's action-packed Texas adventure�. the national, state and local politics surrounding border security and illegal immigration of course. Throw in a politician who is becoming emotionally unhinged for a very personal reason and you have the makings of an interesting and adventurous story.
I really enjoyed this Anna Pigeon mystery. I enjoy this series because each book takes place in one of the beautiful national parks under the purview of the National Parks Service. Anna is a middle-aged woman who is by no means soft and sweet. She is most comfortable when she is alone in the wilderness; she is intelligent and sharp tongued and maintains her cool in a crisis. I recommend this book; but I also recommend reading the books in the series in order. Although I had no problem following the story, I was a bit in the dark regarding the emotional issues Anna was dealing with from the previous story.
I have skipped around in this series. 'Borderline' is #15 and after I started listening I realized that it would have been better to have listened to #14 first. 'Borderline' picks up where the story ended in 'Winter Study' (#14). Anna Pigeon, a park ranger with the National Park Service has recently been put on administrative leave because of an incident which occurred at Isle Royale National Park near Lake Superior, where she was working with a group of scientists who were conducting a study of the wolves living in the park. Anna had ended up killing a man in the course of her duties as park ranger and is now suffering from diagnosed PTSD.
Anna's husband Paul, to whom she has been married to for less than a year, convinces her to take a trip with him to Big Bend National Park for a rafting trip. The two are hoping that a few days on the Rio Grande will be a balm of sorts to soothe and lift her spirits. Of COURSE, that isn't EXACTLY what happens�..
Their first day on the river passes uneventfully; but on the second day the group�. which consists of Anna, Paul, their rafting guide Carmen and a group of 4 college students on vacation� discover an emaciated cow who had become stranded on the cliffs surrounding the river. After a harrowing rescue, the group situates the frightened cow (whom they name Easter) into the raft and continue to make their way downstream. They quickly realize, however, that during the time they were rescuing Easter, the river had begun to rise and was continuing to rise at an alarming rate. Despite being given instructions on how to maneuver the raft in high, quick flowing water, the students panic and the raft becomes hung up on boulders and begins filling with river water. Of course, Easter then begins to panic and one of the cow's horns poke a hole in the raft. The group, wearing life jackets, make their way to safety�. only to discover a woman's body! The woman looks to be hispanic, near death and VERY pregnant; and Anna finds herself in the position of delivering the baby through caesarian section. And as if all of these mishaps aren't enough for the group to endure�. when Carmen climbs the cliff to attempt to get a signal for her satellite phone to obtain rescue for the group, she is shot by a gunman who is perched on the boulders above her.
Anna and Paul (who happens to be a sheriff of a small town in Mississippi) find themselves in charge of a new baby and a group of terrified college students� with no supplies and a gunman on the cliffs. Is the gunman a psychotic whose idea of fun is shooting at river rafters on vacation? Or is something more sinister going on? As in many of the mysteries I have read lately, politics plays an important role in Anna Pigeon's action-packed Texas adventure�. the national, state and local politics surrounding border security and illegal immigration of course. Throw in a politician who is becoming emotionally unhinged for a very personal reason and you have the makings of an interesting and adventurous story.
I really enjoyed this Anna Pigeon mystery. I enjoy this series because each book takes place in one of the beautiful national parks under the purview of the National Parks Service. Anna is a middle-aged woman who is by no means soft and sweet. She is most comfortable when she is alone in the wilderness; she is intelligent and sharp tongued and maintains her cool in a crisis. I recommend this book; but I also recommend reading the books in the series in order. Although I had no problem following the story, I was a bit in the dark regarding the emotional issues Anna was dealing with from the previous story.
June 21, 2018
I like these murder mysteries by Nevada Barr. They feature Park Ranger Anna Pigeon and each book features a different National Park. This one, the 15th, is set in a park I know almost nothing about- Big Bend Nat'l. Park in Texas. It's along the Rio Grande and that's where much of the action occurs. Anna goes on a rafting trip with her husband and there, on the river, they discover an unconscious woman who is pregnant. Anna finds herself involved in a case that's mixed in with a Texas election. And, of course, her life is endangered. Though the story seemed to get bogged down, there were some very exciting moments that kept me turning the pages. And I did learn something about Big Bend!
January 2, 2020
Would give 3.5 if I could. I didn’t think it was as good as other Anna Pidgeon’s escapades. It was interesting to have Paul, Anna’s husband, play a small part in the adventure.
April 24, 2009
Nevada Barr’s mysteries have a wonderful sense of melancholy that makes them particularly interesting compared to many other mystery series. It’s one of the few series that I’m not behind on and that I’ve now read all the published so far books.
I’ve learned so much about various national parks (the main character is a national park ranger and each story takes place in a different national park) and this particular (Big Bend) park hadn’t been written about before and it’s a park I found especially fascinating. It’s in Texas with a river that has the country of Mexico on the other side.
I really love maps and the national park maps that are in this book and all the books in this series are interesting and educational, but for the first time I noticed the story didn’t follow the map. At one point it said they were headed to the east but their destination was to the west. As someone who frequently peruses maps as I read books containing them, this was disappointing.
Except for that relatively minor distraction, this was one of my very favorite books in the series. Nothing can quite match the first unique book Track of the Cat, but Anna Pigeon has grown and changed and I’ve liked her more and more as these books progress, so overall I actually enjoy the later books more than the earlier ones.
It is very important to read these in order and of course, as usual, I think they should all be read. It’s worth it to read the other 14 books to get to this one, and I’m looking forward to book # 16 in the series.
I read a lot of mysteries and I’m used to the formulas, especially of those authors I know well, so it says quite a bit that I was probably 5/6 into this book before I figured out the crux of this mystery, and I did still enjoy the whole book. It had a lovely and worthwhile ending.
I’ve learned so much about various national parks (the main character is a national park ranger and each story takes place in a different national park) and this particular (Big Bend) park hadn’t been written about before and it’s a park I found especially fascinating. It’s in Texas with a river that has the country of Mexico on the other side.
I really love maps and the national park maps that are in this book and all the books in this series are interesting and educational, but for the first time I noticed the story didn’t follow the map. At one point it said they were headed to the east but their destination was to the west. As someone who frequently peruses maps as I read books containing them, this was disappointing.
Except for that relatively minor distraction, this was one of my very favorite books in the series. Nothing can quite match the first unique book Track of the Cat, but Anna Pigeon has grown and changed and I’ve liked her more and more as these books progress, so overall I actually enjoy the later books more than the earlier ones.
It is very important to read these in order and of course, as usual, I think they should all be read. It’s worth it to read the other 14 books to get to this one, and I’m looking forward to book # 16 in the series.
I read a lot of mysteries and I’m used to the formulas, especially of those authors I know well, so it says quite a bit that I was probably 5/6 into this book before I figured out the crux of this mystery, and I did still enjoy the whole book. It had a lovely and worthwhile ending.
June 8, 2009
I always feel disloyal if I feel lukewarm about the latest installment of a mystery series I've followed for a long time. The author has done her best, the writing is good, the setting is the same one we know and love, what's not to like? This one started off with a (literal) bang: rafters on the Rio Grande lose their guide and some of their party to a shooter. I confess, I read series mysteries more to follow the characters through their lives and for the setting than for the plot, and I'm not keen for suspense, so I skipped ahead a bit and probably missed something critical. I liked the later part of the book better, when Barr got more into the characters' backgrounds and motivations. Still, I couldn't get very interested in the supporting cast this time. It must be difficult for a writer to satisfy readers by resolving some of the characters' conflicts and making them happier (in this case, Anna Pigeon), but at the same time that's what keeps some of us reading: will they solve their problems, find true love, whatever. Perhaps, like TV series, book series have a natural end, or viewers just lose interest. Or maybe it's just me, but it seems as if I've felt tepid at best about several mysteries I've read lately. I hope this doesn't put any prospective readers off Nevada Barr and her Anna Pigeon series, because generally they're pretty enjoyable. I'll have to keep trying to figure out what's operating here.
November 27, 2009
The 15th book in the Anna Pigeon series. I'm beginning to wonder if I read these novels for the stories or for the wonderful descriptions of the national parks that they contain. Probably a little of both, but I'm finding that the violence in the books is beginning to leave me a little cold. In this book, Anna Pidgeon is suffering from post-tramatic stress disorder and considering what happened to her in the last book, Winter Study, it's not hard to understand. Since she is placed on administrative leave from her post at Rocky Mountain National Park, she decides to take a delayed honeymoon with her priest/sheriff husband, Paul, to whom she has been married for less than a year. Predictably enough chaos erupts on the Rio Grande raft trip that she and Paul take through Big Bend National Park. The book is an interesting study on the complexities of trying to close the border between Mexico and the U.S. in the post 9/11 world.
June 18, 2024
Not quite up to the standards of some of her other books I've read, but still compulsive reading, a page turner for me.
February 12, 2017
**Spoiler Alert**
Being my first Nevada Barr book this did not disappoint. I am also pleasantly surprised of this because this is the 15th book in this series! I can tell Ms. Barr has compassion for the land and animals. I loved the ending. It made me smile. Judith and Darden had me guessing until the end. I was very surprised at how everything turned out but was glad that Helena went to her home where she found love.
Being my first Nevada Barr book this did not disappoint. I am also pleasantly surprised of this because this is the 15th book in this series! I can tell Ms. Barr has compassion for the land and animals. I loved the ending. It made me smile. Judith and Darden had me guessing until the end. I was very surprised at how everything turned out but was glad that Helena went to her home where she found love.
April 21, 2009
I won this book in the goodreads giveaway and I wish I could give it a good review, but unforunately I did not like this book. I had high hopes for it because I've heard about Nevada Barr and her mystery series about Anna Pigeon. Borderline is the first book I have read by Nevada Barr.
Overall, I did not like the writing, the character, and the plot. The writing was choppy at times, either full of the same vocabulary words (how many times did you see the word "abdicate"?) or a random difficult word to pronouce or grasp the meaning. I found the character unlikeable. How many different times, does the author need to point out Anna's toughness, inexperiece with maternal emotions, etc? Developing a good character can be done subtely. It got to be irritating and felt fake. Even the plot, which can still save any book was a disappointment. I guessed early on, not only whodunit but also even why. The "why" wasn't even interesting, just the usual trite and overused reason behind most murders.
Nevada Barr is still a pretty popular author and I will try another Anna Pigeon book.
Overall, I did not like the writing, the character, and the plot. The writing was choppy at times, either full of the same vocabulary words (how many times did you see the word "abdicate"?) or a random difficult word to pronouce or grasp the meaning. I found the character unlikeable. How many different times, does the author need to point out Anna's toughness, inexperiece with maternal emotions, etc? Developing a good character can be done subtely. It got to be irritating and felt fake. Even the plot, which can still save any book was a disappointment. I guessed early on, not only whodunit but also even why. The "why" wasn't even interesting, just the usual trite and overused reason behind most murders.
Nevada Barr is still a pretty popular author and I will try another Anna Pigeon book.
March 27, 2017
Not since Firestorm have I been so immensed in Anna Pigeon life and the events that shape it. Winter study ( previous book) had some uncomfortable characters and events in it which affect Pigeon in her life to this day. She is on force leave by the National Park service to confort and deal with those events. She decides a vacation in Big Bend and acting like a tourist not a ranger is the best solution to dealing with these actions. Not long after the white water rafting trip begins trouble starts brewing. The younger college kids on the trip want to rescue a cow stranded high on a ledge, this is almost a success but things happen. Then as they travel over the most dangerous part of the rapids, more things happen. Then a body is found tangled in the river's strainer and more things happen. I don't want to reveal the things that happen because it would ruin the story. But these happenings link together and when you get to the end, you will feel justice, sorrow and even horror at these actions. One question remains will Anna return to be a park ranger or will she choose retirement?
June 16, 2009
I think this has to be my favorite Nevada Barr book to date! I really enjoyed the last one (Winter Study), but this one beats that one, although they are very different.
Winter Study was darker, more suspenseful, almost horrific. This book, although Anna is still recovering from the events from the previous book, is more life-affirming and uplifting. Not that there is no suspense--there is a goodly amount.
At first, I was a little irritated that the chapters kept switching between the Mayor's story and Anna's story--I wanted to keep reading about Anna. Although, toward the end of the book, I realized that to do it any other way would hamper the story comprehension.
I love it that my favorite authors only get better and better--even though I thought they were the best that they could be!
Winter Study was darker, more suspenseful, almost horrific. This book, although Anna is still recovering from the events from the previous book, is more life-affirming and uplifting. Not that there is no suspense--there is a goodly amount.
At first, I was a little irritated that the chapters kept switching between the Mayor's story and Anna's story--I wanted to keep reading about Anna. Although, toward the end of the book, I realized that to do it any other way would hamper the story comprehension.
I love it that my favorite authors only get better and better--even though I thought they were the best that they could be!
April 19, 2009
Maybe not the best of the Anna Pigeon stories, but only because Nevada has set a high bar for herself. Borderline starts with a different sort of Anna adventure, but soon satisfies the fan with all the Pigeony details. I highly recommend this book, but I also highly recommend the reader new to Anna Pigeon start at the beginning and read them all through. With the exception of maybe one (only because it is weak in comparison), I think the reader will very much enjoy the ride. My favorites so far would be Flashback and Hard Truth, and most of the rest run a close second.
April 28, 2022
Racism, fat-phobia, ageism, not-like-other-girls, classic boomer intolerance of anyone different than them, loads of stereotypes and a very unrealistic plot. I should just stop reading older books. Sigh. But the adventure was fun enough if you manage to ignore all that.
May 15, 2017
I got bored with the two books that I was reading so picked this one up for some excitement and it was her best book yet. If you read any by Nevada Barr read this one.
January 30, 2023
Audiobook
Loved this book. It seemed shorter than the other books. I don't know if that's my perception because I liked it and didn't want it to end or because it was actually shorter.
I loved the little bit of humor thrown in. Loved Easter. Really sad about the two people who seemed to be randomly shot. Loved that Helena was paired with her dad in the end but it was so funny how Anna at first constantly compared how much cuter, better, etc Helena was than Edgar. That is classic new mom behavior.
All of things Anna thought about "who done it" I thought of too. I was wrong, but I was in good fictional company.
Loved this book. It seemed shorter than the other books. I don't know if that's my perception because I liked it and didn't want it to end or because it was actually shorter.
I loved the little bit of humor thrown in. Loved Easter. Really sad about the two people who seemed to be randomly shot. Loved that Helena was paired with her dad in the end but it was so funny how Anna at first constantly compared how much cuter, better, etc Helena was than Edgar. That is classic new mom behavior.
All of things Anna thought about "who done it" I thought of too. I was wrong, but I was in good fictional company.
August 8, 2021
In her 15th mystery set in National Parks, Nevada Barr takes on another border issue in the wake of 9/11. In her previous book the border was with Canada and her park ranger Anna Pigeon barely survived. Now, suffering from PTSD, she is given a medical leave and travels to Big Bend National Park right across the Rio Grande from Mexico in Texas. What is supposed to be her long awaited honeymoon and a chance to relax turns into another harrowing encounter with crime and insanity.
I liked her takes on all of it, including thoughts about how motherhood affects women as well as how crazy some women can be. In this case, a female Mayor of Houston is angling for the governor's mansion but her childhood comes back to haunt her. The border is a character in this story as is the beginnings of the fantasy that building a wall will solve whatever politicians and national security types think that will solve.
Good stuff!
I liked her takes on all of it, including thoughts about how motherhood affects women as well as how crazy some women can be. In this case, a female Mayor of Houston is angling for the governor's mansion but her childhood comes back to haunt her. The border is a character in this story as is the beginnings of the fantasy that building a wall will solve whatever politicians and national security types think that will solve.
Good stuff!
May 24, 2022
Anna Pigeon goes on vacation, but still manages to get tangled up in a murder. Poor Anna.
This was pretty good! Anna goes rafting on the Rio Grande and discovers a body. Intrigue, including some surrounding a local politician and her chief of security, ensues. The mystery here was well-constructed and, as always, Barr paints a vivid picture of the nature setting of the murder.
You could pick this up without having read any of the previous books, but by this point in the series, I suspect they'd be much more enjoyable if you read through the whole thing. If you like murder mysteries where the protagonist slowly grows and changes throughout, and the idea of a law enforcement park ranger solving murders in nature, these are worth picking up.
This was pretty good! Anna goes rafting on the Rio Grande and discovers a body. Intrigue, including some surrounding a local politician and her chief of security, ensues. The mystery here was well-constructed and, as always, Barr paints a vivid picture of the nature setting of the murder.
You could pick this up without having read any of the previous books, but by this point in the series, I suspect they'd be much more enjoyable if you read through the whole thing. If you like murder mysteries where the protagonist slowly grows and changes throughout, and the idea of a law enforcement park ranger solving murders in nature, these are worth picking up.
March 25, 2023
I enjoy Nevada Barr books (Anna Pigeon). This did drag a bit, I swear publishers want a book to have at least 300 pages). However, it kept me guessing til the end. Glad to have listened to this one though�.I would have been skimming through some passages!
March 16, 2009
I had never read this author before, and now I'm glad that I have. I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to going back and reading her other books.
While Borderline is the 15th book in the Ann Pigeon series, I was able to read the book as a stand-alone book. I didn't feel like I was missing any information that would not allow me to enjoy this book. I am going to go back and read the first fourteen books.
Anna Pigeon is a National Park Service Ranger who has been placed on adminstrative leave. She and her husband take a much needed vacation rafting the Rio Grande River with other tourists. The Rio Grande River is along the borderline (thus the title of the book) between the U.S. and Mexico. After losing their raft in some rapids, the group has to swim ashore. One of the tourists in Anna's group discovers a pregnant woman near the shore who appears to be dead. After they pull the woman ashore, a sniper starts killing members of the group. So, there the mystery begins and it's a fun fast paced book as Anna and the group try to outwit the bad guys.
The ending was very predictable, but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book.
The only thing that interferred with my enjoyment of the book was the author's depiction and handling of the new born baby. Several times I had to stop, huff, and ask, "Come on, haven't you ever had kids?" For example, no one (at least that I know) uses "wet nurses" anymore; no one that I know warms a bottle on the stove; and no one that I know can tear half a shirt to make a sling to carry a baby up a rock face. Well, but then, I don't actually know anyone who would be carrying a newborn up a rock face - so I'll give her that one. hah. The other thing was, I thought all newborns were born with gray/blue eyes. So when the author went on and on about the hazel eyes and how the eyes should be brown, I finally got frustrated and went and googled the topic. I was surprised to learn that WHITE people have babies with gray/blue eyes and that Asian, Africans, and Hispanics usually have newborns with brown eyes. So, I did learn something new. I just wish it would have clarified it better in the book so that I didn't have to google it myself.
The language was very clean in the book (thank you) except for a couple of heated fight scenes, where the language did serve a purpose. There was no sex in the book. There was a lot of violence in the book, but nothing terribly offensive.
I would be comfortable recommending this book to anyone. It was great.
While Borderline is the 15th book in the Ann Pigeon series, I was able to read the book as a stand-alone book. I didn't feel like I was missing any information that would not allow me to enjoy this book. I am going to go back and read the first fourteen books.
Anna Pigeon is a National Park Service Ranger who has been placed on adminstrative leave. She and her husband take a much needed vacation rafting the Rio Grande River with other tourists. The Rio Grande River is along the borderline (thus the title of the book) between the U.S. and Mexico. After losing their raft in some rapids, the group has to swim ashore. One of the tourists in Anna's group discovers a pregnant woman near the shore who appears to be dead. After they pull the woman ashore, a sniper starts killing members of the group. So, there the mystery begins and it's a fun fast paced book as Anna and the group try to outwit the bad guys.
The ending was very predictable, but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book.
The only thing that interferred with my enjoyment of the book was the author's depiction and handling of the new born baby. Several times I had to stop, huff, and ask, "Come on, haven't you ever had kids?" For example, no one (at least that I know) uses "wet nurses" anymore; no one that I know warms a bottle on the stove; and no one that I know can tear half a shirt to make a sling to carry a baby up a rock face. Well, but then, I don't actually know anyone who would be carrying a newborn up a rock face - so I'll give her that one. hah. The other thing was, I thought all newborns were born with gray/blue eyes. So when the author went on and on about the hazel eyes and how the eyes should be brown, I finally got frustrated and went and googled the topic. I was surprised to learn that WHITE people have babies with gray/blue eyes and that Asian, Africans, and Hispanics usually have newborns with brown eyes. So, I did learn something new. I just wish it would have clarified it better in the book so that I didn't have to google it myself.
The language was very clean in the book (thank you) except for a couple of heated fight scenes, where the language did serve a purpose. There was no sex in the book. There was a lot of violence in the book, but nothing terribly offensive.
I would be comfortable recommending this book to anyone. It was great.
February 12, 2019
I have been a big fan of Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series, but have missed her last few books. Borderline has all of the suspenseful plot that make the novels so delicious, but there were a few sour notes for me. The first was some gratuitous fat-shaming of an unpleasant character ("One of the girls...despite being considerably overweight, wore...low-cut spandex shorts and [a] high cut spandex top.... A pale fold of fat rounded over the tight band, and Anna hoped the girl had had sense enough to slather her soft white underbelly with sunscreen before exposing it to the element."). And this description struck me as borderline racist (different words would have been just as effective): "Paul's pants were riding at an inner-city half-mast without his belt." I don't remember Anna being particularly cruel or casually racist, so these off notes distracted from the story. And, although this novel was written long before Trump's derogatory characterization of Mexicans, I found a description of Mexican kids shooting and killing rafters on the Rio Grande discordant and inflammatory.
I was also distracted by one of the main characters launching her campaign for Texas governor...against "the incumbent, a jowly overweight liberal." Given the references to real-life events and politicians (9/11, Bill Clinton & Monica Lewinsky, John Edwards, and Barack Obama's singular speech that launched him into the national spotlight), having a liberal governor of Texas took me out of my suspension of disbelief.
I'm hoping this novel was just a one-time miscue from a favorite author, and not that I had just been unaware of problematic language in previous novels. Still, I tore through it and look forward to catching up on the series.
I was also distracted by one of the main characters launching her campaign for Texas governor...against "the incumbent, a jowly overweight liberal." Given the references to real-life events and politicians (9/11, Bill Clinton & Monica Lewinsky, John Edwards, and Barack Obama's singular speech that launched him into the national spotlight), having a liberal governor of Texas took me out of my suspension of disbelief.
I'm hoping this novel was just a one-time miscue from a favorite author, and not that I had just been unaware of problematic language in previous novels. Still, I tore through it and look forward to catching up on the series.
April 12, 2022
Some of the books in this series are more National Park-y, and some are less so, and this one is very much in the less so category. Anna is only in a park for the first half of the book or so, and not in a ranger capacity, as she's rafting the Rio Grande with her husband after the traumatic events of the previous book in order to unwind. But like a British vicar in Oxford, there's always a body to be found wherever she goes, although in this case the body is temporarily alive and leaves Anna with a baby to care for. The second half of the book is middling political thriller and Anna attempting to care for a baby in the most unrealistic and plot-convenient way possible (so much driving the baby around despite not having ever obtained a car seat for a vehicle, and the baby needs to eat much less frequently than a real infant). It seems that at this point Barr is tiring of writing mysteries and wants to pivot more to crime novels but doesn't want to leave her established series behind (which it turns out she will later do), so we'll see if the next one returns the series more to its roots or continues down the path of this book.
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