ARA Review by Susy6869 of Alaska Deadly

[Susy6869]

[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, Alaska Deadly.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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Alaska Deadly by JL Askew is listed under the genre of crime thrillers and follows Race Warren and a group of scientist’s investigation into a mysterious killing in Alaska.

The murder of a woman sets these men on a quest for the truth. Are werewolves real? In the beginning, Private Investigator, Race Warren, goes to Alaska in search of a woman’s missing husband, Ron Billings. It’s there he meets Dr. Mark Dunbar and Professor Hartley who are on a research excursion, researching an Alaska Tribe, the Ankauits, and their occult practices. When Warren finds Billings, he learns that Billings is in search of his daughter who has been kidnapped by a Russian sex-trafficking ring.

This story entertains many characters’ point-of-view, skipping from Race Warren to an Alaskan detective named Roberts, to Dunbar and Hartley, then back to Warren. This leaves the reader feeling a little disjointed, being jerked out of one storyline (Or POV) into another. It would’ve been fine if the two very different plots seamlessly dovetailed at the end, but sadly they did not.

This book had a lot of potential. I really enjoyed the werewolf lore and secret tribal practices. I was a little put off by the author’s explanation of why the native shaman, Tulok, desired to be transformed into a wolf, citing a craving for human blood and a desire to please some dark, evil entity. The author could’ve delved into the why a bit more and given us more than one possible explanation. This storyline could’ve been a book on its own.

The whole Russian sex-trafficking plot could’ve been another novel on its own as well. While entertaining, it didn’t quite fit in with the rest of the book. All in all, I felt there were too many different plots and sub-plots in the book. One example that I just couldn’t quite suspend my belief system for was the scene when Warren kills a man in an Anchorage post office and leaves the scene of the crime. He’s a P.I. and I didn’t think his reactions as a character were believable.

Therefore, I am giving Alaska Deadly a 3 out of 5-star rating. The book contained a lot of expositions that could’ve easily been transformed into action. The “show don’t tell” rule could’ve helped this book reach its potential. Because of the lengthy paragraphs and descriptions, the book wasn’t fast paced enough for a true crime thriller.

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