Saturday, January 21, 2017

In the Shadow of Denali

In the Shadow of Denali 

The Heart of Alaska #1 

Paperback, ebook, hardcover, audio

January 3, 2017


  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Bethany House Publishers 
  • ISBN-13: 978-0764219238

Their Future Depends on Unlocking the Secrets the Mountain Holds From the Past

Cassidy Ivanoff and her father, John, work at the new and prestigious Curry Hotel near the foot of Mount McKinley--Denali as it's still called by the natives. John is the wilderness and exploration guide for the wealthy tourists while Cassidy works in the kitchen as Cook's assistant. The entire staff buzzes with excitement during the busy days preparing for the President's imminent visit. His historic trip to dedicate the new national park on his way to driving in the golden spike to officially complete the Alaska Railroad will be the beginning of a new era for all of them and place The Curry at the heart of Alaska. 

Allan Brennan travels to the Curry Hotel to be an apprentice to the seasoned Alaska mountain guide, with hopes of discovering the truth about his father's death on the mountain years earlier. His father's business partner blames the guide for Henry Brennan's untimely death, but Allan cannot be at peace until he knows for sure. He finds an unlikely ally in Cassidy, and as the two begin to look into the mystery, they suddenly find that things are much less clear, and much more dangerous, than either could ever imagine.


My thoughts: First, the disclaimer. "I was provided a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own." That done, IN THE SHADOW OF DENALI was a very exciting book that held my attention from the first page to the very last. From the prologue it is very apparent who the bad guy is, but there is some remaining questions as to how, even though the why is clearly answered. 

I liked Allan and John. They both were hurting from the tragedy and both needed to heal and stop placing blame. I liked Thomas too, he was a dear, clumsy boy who was too eager for approval (which made him even clumsier.) 

Cassidy is a bit quick tempered, judgmental, and it took awhile for me to even begin to like her.  

The main draw for this story was the historical details, a presidential visit to Alaska, and the mystery. The romance was there, but lacking.  It was still a very enjoyable read. 


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This sounds great.

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