The Kate Shugak series follows Kate Shugak, an Alaskan Native American working as a private investigator. Readers are captivated by Kate, a kick-ass, gusty protagonist with an intriguing backstory. They enjoy the blend of action, adventure, and mystery that they say makes them laugh, makes them cry, and makes them scratch their heads as they try to put together the clues to the mysteries, which often keep them guessing until the very end.
For many readers, another big part of the enjoyment of the books is learning about Kate and the history and culture of the Aleut people. Equally fascinating for readers are the interesting locales Dana Stabenow takes readers to, which give them a glimpse into life in Alaska’s wilds. Dana, who grew up in the state, says she moves Kate around to different places to keep the stories fresh and because “every new location provides new characters and new ways to kill them.” She also gets many of her story ideas from current newspaper headlines and the real-life tales she’s heard from pilots, cops, and other Alaskans, which give the books an authentic feel.
Fans recommend reading the books in order to fully enjoy the characters as they evolve throughout the series. The first nine books in the series recently came back into print, making it easy for new readers to start from A Cold Day for Murder (Book 1).
Dana Stabenow has written a few short stories featuring Kate that appear in the mystery anthology Wild Crimes and in her volume, The Collected Short Stories and Essays.
