Alaskan Wilderness Murder by Kathleen Tailer

Alaskan Wilderness Murder Reviews

• 
  Sheila

  This book was bit to over the top for me, i liked the characters though.
• 
  Elle

  I was unsure how to approach choosing the star rating for this book, since I enjoyed it for what I assume are entirely unintended reasons. I don't want to say this book was "awful," because there is nothing specifically WRONG with it as an entity. It's mostly well proofread (despite misspelling its main character's name in the last chapter), it doesn't have anything socially objectionable or irresponsible (like the complete misunderstanding of how BDSM works in Fifty Shades of Grey), and its plot logic holds together reasonably enough. The writing is technically correct. And yet...in terms of artistry, originality, or anything like complexity or maturity...this book is an utter travesty. It is a mind-boggling trainwreck. In fact, it is so ridiculously juvenile and predictable, that reading it became its own kind of entertainment for me. I began to read it the way one watches films that air on shows like Mystery Science Theater or the way my family used to gleefully and repeatedly watch The Alien Factor or Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. The sheer awfulness (oh, look, I DID use the word awful, apparently it's just unavoidable) of this novel was endlessly amusing. So, I was unsure whether to choose my star rating on whether this was a quality piece of literature (very much NOT) or worth your time to read (very much YES if you can appreciate the glorious humor of this book's existence).
  
  At one point in reading Alaskan Wilderness Murder, I said to my husband it was like an AI was told to write a suspense romance novel and it proceeded to simply paste together every single over-used cliche in the history of writing into one novel. You can literally predict half the lines in this book and say them before you go on to read them. The plot twists to keep things "exciting" are so over-the-top and ridiculously timed, you just can't believe this story is for real. It feels like a parody skit of a romance, a skit from The Muppet Show, or clips you would see of a "film within a film" where the main character is starring in a terrible romance. I could almost believe it if this book had been written by a twelve-year-old making his/her/their first foray into writing a romance novel.
  
  Which brings me to the point that I feel like the author HAD to know how bad this book is when she was writing it, and she had to have been doing it on purpose. According to the list in the back of the book, this is Ms. Tailer's ELEVENTH novel for this Harlequin line. I don't think it's possible for a grown woman with this amount of professional writing experience to have written something this moronic in true sincerity. She MUST have been trying to game the system. In which case, more power to her.
  
  So...did I enjoy reading this novel? Yes, I did. The main characters are likeable people. And the endless amusement of the awfulness of the writing style as well as the plot and pacing kept me eager to read more. Just when I would think it couldn't get worse and it couldn't REALLY be as ridiculous as I was painting it to be, I would read a line that would genuinely fill me with glee at its absurdity in a published work.
  
  I feel like this might be a good book for someone still learning English. It's very direct, states things clearly and with no artistry, symbolism, or nuance whatsoever. It spoon-feeds the moments of the book with the tone of a child's chapter book, then repeats the obvious over and over, in case you have forgotten any of the key elements of the story in the last couple of pages (like characters' names or jobs or even the fact that the major events of the novel have indeed occurred).
  
  I am torn on whether I should avoid this author in the future or, in fact, try another title and see if the woman is actually building a career with this caliber of work. It's like a trainwreck from which one cannot look away.
• 
  Glenda Parker

  My review today is on the Love Inspired Suspense, Alaskan Wilderness Murder. I'm a big fan of Kathleen's work. This story is well-written, action-packed, and full of faith. I know you are going to love this one. It's an awesome book.
  
  Alaskan Wilderness Guide Zoey Kirk is leading a tour of a canoe trip when she almost drowns. She's sure one of the ladies was trying to push her down instead of helping her up. Her boss had recently died and his son is on the trip, he rescues her. She is concerned the son might fire her. Her nearly drowning isn't going to help her keep her job. The next morning they find a dead body. Now what?
  
  Ex-military Josiah Quinn is overwhelmed. His father died and left all his businesses to him. He isn't a businessman, can he do this? He can't let his father down. He is awed by Zoey's skill and leadership even as the group tries to panic. Dead bodies seemed to be found on every curve of the river. They can't reach home base so they are on their own.
  
  An exciting journey as they traveled the river, one of their group is a killer will they be able to survive? God has a plan for these two, a plan for hope and a future. God has a plan for you too. Give Him your trust, make Him Lord, and watch Him move in your life.
• 
  Diane Yliniemi

  Great beach read! It was easy to read and kept my interest.
  
  Zoey, an Alaskan guide, is leading a two-week kayak adventure trip with a business group. On the first day, in the remote wilderness, they run into trouble...a near drowning and a murder. Communication is blocked because of a storm and the group has to make it back to base camp with a killer amongst them.
  
  Christian Fiction, Romance, and Suspense. I picked this book up at a little library at the beach.
• 
  Laurie Winter

  An action-packed story filled with danger and a fight for survival. And of course love.
• 
  Shelley Laster

  Good clean read
• 
  Nancy

  Did not like this one quite as much as Everglades Escape.
  The plot was just okay.
  Too much packed into a short book .. three murders on a week’s kayak vacation trip ?!
  Just the romance would have been enough.