- Hardcover: 341 pages
- Publisher: Putnam Pub Group (T) (Mar 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0399143718
- ISBN-13: 978-0399143717
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 13.7 x 2.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,850,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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First Sentence
With deep appreciation of the staff of Carlsbad Caverns National Park, particularly Dale Pate, Paula Bauer, Harry Burgess, and Frank Deckert. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
With deep appreciation of the staff of Carlsbad Caverns National Park, particularly Dale Pate, Paula Bauer, Harry Burgess, and Frank Deckert. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
_Blind Descent_ shows Nevada Barr's protagonist, park ranger Anna Pigeon, continuing to struggle and grow as a character. She's battled with alcoholism in the past and has always had a tendency to come off as a bit cold and unfriendly. In the new book, Anna shows signs of coming out of her shell and warming up a bit.
When a friend of hers is injured in a caving accident in New Mexico's Lechuguilla Cavern, a little-explored network of caverns adjacent to Carlsbad, Anna, already on the scene as an information officer, is persuaded to don caving gear and make her way to the scene. Once there, she is confronted with a semi-delirious friend who suggests that the accident may not have been so accidental, prompting Anna to begin her own informal investigation, which very quickly becomes more serious, following a cave-in and rock slide that injures the rescuers and kills Anna's friend.
The real strength of this novel lies in Barr's vivid descriptions of claustrophobic spaces and underground wonders. Anna is no caver, though she does grow to have a certain appreciation for the subterranean. The writing does a great job of capturing her fear and uncertainty as she first enters the cavern, on her way to comfort her friend. Barr also does a memorable job of describing her growing comfort with the cave during a return visit later in the novel.
Beyond this, the novel effectively shows Anna Pigeon growing and maturing as a character. Anna has always been very complex, some might even say unlikeable. In this book, she comes more into her own, as she overcomes her own fears to enter the cave for the first time, and later, as she pursues her investigation at the risk of her own safety.
It's a great pleasure to sit down with each book in this series, just to see what Barr will come up with next for her character, although the novelty of her national park settings may be wearing off somewhat. Toward the end, Anna even seems to be reconsidering her dedication to her park ranger's job.
The on! ly frustration is having to wait for the next book to see what will happen! Very strongly recommended--if you have the chance, this is definitely a series to be read in order.
Format:Hardcover
The first part of this novel which focuses on a cave rescue was very interesting, but it descended into tedium after that. The main character was very bland and the mystery hardly heart-pounding. The second half of the book was slow and dull and even when the mystery was solved, it hardly seemed worth a novel length story. If I hadn't bought the book (in hardcover) I would not even have bothered finishing it.
Format:Hardcover
Each Anna Pigeon mystery is better than the last. I can't wait for the next book in this excellent series!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Unending Suspense
OK, let’s fact it. You know the minute you pick up one of Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon park ranger mysteries that at some point in the narrative, our intrepid heroine is... Read more
Published on 12 Mar 2006 by Carole Chapman
At last. . .Something Different!
I had given up on mysteries for awhile because they all seemed to be the same, until I discovered Blind Descent. What a great book. Read more
Published on 6 Dec 1998
Anna Pidgeon fans will love it.
Ms. Barr has again placed heroine Anna Pidgeon in a dangerous expedition deep underground and teaches readers about the strange hobby known as spelunking. Read more
Published on 12 Oct 1998
I recommend this book to cavers and to mystery fans.
This is my first Nevada Barr novel. The reason I wanted to read this book is that I am a caver and like to read books written with caves and caving as a setting. Read more
Published on 8 Sep 1998
extremely well-written
This is the first of this authors' books I had read. I'm hooked! The writing is so much better than nearly all other mystery writers. Give this author a try.
Published on 28 Aug 1998
Fairly Good Read For The Die-hard Fan
Like Clancey, the author has redruged past characters, and settings into a similar plot. I still enjoyed it, much better than Clancy's new 700 page tomb. But enough is enough. Read more
Published on 27 Aug 1998
A disappointment
I really liked previous Anna Pigeon mysteries, but Blind Descent was so tedious I could hardly read it. Read more
Published on 28 July 1998
really good!
not her best, A superior death was by far my favorite, but blind descent was really good. i missed some of the characters barr brought us in her previous novels, but the new... Read more
Published on 11 July 1998
Excellent read, the best by Nevada Barr so far.
"Blind Descent" is an excellent read, the best by far by Nevada Barr. Anna Pigeon's character is an extremely interesting person who has human frailties like everyone... Read more
Published on 5 July 1998
Another good one from Nevada Barr
I love Nevada Barr and her character, Anna Pigeon! This is not my favorite in the Pigeon series, but it is very good. Read more
Published on 20 Jun 1998
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