BOAR ISLAND by Nevada Barr

BOAR ISLAND

by

Nevada Barr

            Boar Island is Nevada Barr’s latest Anna Pigeon novel. Anna, a park ranger, is temporarily assigned to Acadia National Park as Acting Chief Ranger. And, we are once again reunited with Heath, Elizabeth, Gwen, and Wiley.

            Elizabeth is being cyber-bullied, at her home in Boulder. So, while Anna goes to Acadia, the others go to nearby Boar Island, owned by a friend of Gwen. Naturally, during Anna’s tenure at Acadia, there is murder in Maine. We meet a ranger at Acadia, Denise Castle. And, the threat to Elizabeth has followed them east.

            The writing in Boar Island is better than the last few of Barr’s Anna Pigeon books. Although I like Heath and the others with whom we are reunited, I feel like their reappearance is overdone. While reading the book, I sometimes felt like it was more about Heath and Denise than about Anna. Furthermore, I miss Paul – there was only a brief mention or two about him.

Each of Barr’s books is set in a different National Park, and the reader usually learns a great deal about that park. But Boar Island left me wishing that Barr had included more detail about the featured park, Acadia. And, I would have preferred that the book focus more on Anna, front and center.

            But, Anna Pigeon is one of my all time favorite characters. I have been a long time fan of this series. Although I have found some of the more recent installments to be somewhat wanting, Boar Island is reminiscent of the Barr of old. I cannot wait for the next Anna Pigeon adventure.

RECOMMENDED/HIGHLY RECOMMENDED