Sue Henry (1) (1940–)

I don't remember how I learned about this title but I purchased it as a Christmas gift for my mother as I was in awe of her description of being taken for a short sled ride when she was the only volunteer to get on the sled as part of an excursion tour during an Alaska cruise. I was surprised to see this title again recently when one of the characters in another novel was said to be reading this book. In the past few days it has been my turn to read it. I don't think I've imagined being that cold since reading "61 Hours" (Jack Reacher, Book 14) by Lee Child as that novel's setting is during a brutally cold winter in South Dakota.

Although I had certainly been aware of the Iditarod Trail Race prior to my mother's trip, I don't think I had thought about the severity of the unforgiving cold temperatures. Sue Henry brings to life with vivid descriptions the trail terrain, the brutally cold temperatures, the dedication of the mushers not only to the sport of the race but to their prior strategy planning with flexibility during the race, and to the training and ongoing care of their dog teams with special attention given during the race itself. Within this extraordinary annual race setting, the author has created an engrossing, page-turning mystery with the murders of Iditarod participants along the various legs of the grueling race.

In searching for biographical information about the author after reading this novel, it came as no surprise to learn that Sue Henry lived in Alaska for over 30 years. With her words as her artistic brush, she paints the majesty and beauty of the landscape and portrays respect for the land and its perils as only someone could portray with a personal experience of living in this state through many seasons. Another gift of this reading experience is the interspersed history of the trail points and race itself that flows naturally within the storyline without sounding like bullet points from a fact sheet. I have never had the desire to travel and visit Alaska, not even after reading this novel. Still, it has given me a new appreciation for everyone who lives in Alaska and to hold in awe all that choose to participate in the Iditarod Trail Race.

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