simplistic characters, with Little Miss Sunshine as the protagonist, and bland style. She does do a good job describing nature. ( )

As with many thrillers, some suspension of believe is needed to accept the story. The biggest failing of this otherwise good story to me is that too much of it is too hard to believe. ( )

Shaken from her recent adventures in Canada, Alex Carter returns stateside to follow up on sightings of mountain caribou in Washington state. Shortly after her arrival, the body of a missing park ranger is discovered in a local town, and it becomes apparent that the wilderness is hiding more than just caribou. Trained by her fighter pilot mother, Alex is used to surviving in rugged terrain and has no difficulty hiking out on her own to check on wildlife cams. Of course, the bad guys always underestimate her! I liked that this book was all Alex--she didn't need help from her secret protector to resolve the conflict this time.

Thanks to William Morrow for access to a digital ARC via NetGalley. ( )

Very enjoyable eco-mystery. There was the usual dead body, but also abduction of the heroine's friend and the disappearance of a hiker. All 3 happened to be women. I enjoyed learning about the mountain caribou [and its relatives--different species all over the world that had adapted to their particular environments].
I'm glad the author had a section on where to look if we wanted more information on this animal.
I might read others of the author's eco-novels. No wonder the author seemed so well informed; she works with wildlife in real life. I got this recommendation from a wildlife magazine; otherwise, I may never have heard of this novel. ( )

Alice Henderson's Alex Carter novels have become my Go-To Reads whenever I need a vicarious adrenaline rush with a one-two punch of wildlife and the great outdoors. A Ghost of Caribou is no exception.

There's always the opportunity to learn with Alex Carter. In this book, it's remote locations, camping, caring for remote cameras, how to collar an animal... and how to avoid getting killed. I enjoyed learning about mountain caribou as well as the Selkirk Mountains and setting up remote cameras, and my craving for an adrenaline rush was certainly fulfilled.

Alex Carter is one of the best female characters in the thriller business. Her father may be a guest artist at a different national park each year (in A Ghost of Caribou, he's at the Grand Canyon), but her mother was a fighter pilot who played survival games with the growing Alex, and-- boy howdy-- does she ever use everything she learned at her mother's knee! (It's also nice to have a main character with two loving and supporting parents.) Alex is well able to take care of herself, and readers won't catch her doing anything stupid.

But there's more to this series than a kick-ass main character, thrilling action scenes (how about that ultra-scary "UFO"!), and wildlife. There's Sheriff Maggie Taggert, a capable, take-charge woman who works well with Alex. There are the unexpected laughs amid all that tension ("If she kept taking these gigs, she'd have to invest in a satellite phone"-- something that I'd been thinking), and the chilling hunt for a killer targeting older women. There's also the fact that Alex learns more about herself each time she takes one of these assignments, so she's not the typical "action figure" who never changes.

If you're in the mood for fast-paced excitement in the great outdoors with a strong, capable female lead character, head straight for Alice Henderson's Alex Carter books. They're fantastic. ( )