White Sky, Black Ice: A Nathan Active Mystery

by Stan Jones

Paper Book, 1999

Status

Available

Call number

813.54

Series

Nathan Active (1)

Genres

Mystery

All Topics

Fiction

Publication

New York : Soho, c1999.

Description

In the small Alaskan village of Chukchi, what are the odds of two suicides occurring in a matter of a few days? State trooper Nathan Active discovers that his suspicions concerning the deaths are well-founded; the two men were murdered. But what was the motive and who killed them?

User reviews

LibraryThing member cbl_tn

Alaska State Trooper Nathan Active was born in a remote town to an Inupiaq mother, but was raised in Anchorage by adoptive parents. Ironically, he ends up posted to Chukchi, the town of his birth and where his birth mother still lives. He's doing everything he can to earn a promotion out of there.

He's not sure whether his current case will help or hurt his chances for promotion. When two Inupiat men die within hours of each other, apparent suicides, Active's gut tells him there's something wrong. He soon learns that the men had something in common, and that's enough to trigger a murder investigation.

I found a lot to like in this series debut. I like mysteries with unusual settings, and northern Alaska qualifies as unusual. Nathan has a lot of potential as the central character of a crime series. He has a lot of confidence in his professional skills and training, but he has some insecurities in his personal life. He lives in a tension between two cultures – the Inupiat culture of his birth mother and the white majority culture of his adoptive family. He feels a bit like an outsider in both cultures. He's also resisting his attraction to a native co-worker, since he has ambitions beyond the confines of Chukchi. I'll be looking for more books in this series to see how his life and his career develop.

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LibraryThing member msf59

Trooper Nathan Active! Sounds like a sci-fi superhero! Actually he's a young Alaskan State Trooper, who is also a Inupiaq (an Eskimo is a lesser term). He is stationed in a small village called Chukchi and he is investigating a double suicide. Both men died in separate incidents but in exactly the

same manner. Were the deaths self-inflicted, pre-meditated murder or the work of a shaman's curse? Jones, an Alaskan native, captures the culture vividly and honestly. This is the first of a mystery series and one I will gladly continue. Question: Why does crime fiction and frigid winter climes, work so well together? I'm not sure but it's a perfect fit!

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LibraryThing member FicusFan

I read this book for a RL book group. It is the start of the Nathan Active mystery series. It is set in northern, rural Alaska and is about the lives of the native people. It is the setting and the characters and the native lore that makes it such a good read.

The writing is good, but very

simple, and not as meaty as it could be.

Nathan is the POV character and an Inupiat. He is an Alaskan State Trooper and has been stationed in the village of Chukchi. He was born there, but given to white teachers to raise. They moved to the city of Anchorage, were he grew up. Now returned to Chuckchi, Nathan is ignorant of his language, culture and the outdoor craft needed to survive in a harsh wilderness. Nathan's ignorance means the natives treat him like a half-breed, and allows the author to 'explain' the native lore for him, and the reading audience.

Nathan struggles with his conflicted feelings for his birth mother, his feeling of loss for the easy good life in the city, and his hunger to learn about his culture and to belong. He alternates between wanting to return to Anchorage as soon as possible, and to take up with an Inupiat woman who moves him (meaning he will need to stay in Chukchi).

The mystery in this book is about two odd suicides that Nathan thinks may be murders. He is walking a fine line professionally due to the different jurisdictions between the state and local police, and politics in the state capitol. It becomes even more dangerous when an outside 'white' business becomes involved, and the welfare of the tribe which depends on this business.

Great setting and interesting characters, with lots of good info and a glossary about the natives. I am reading the rest of the series, on my own.

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LibraryThing member Crazymamie

I picked this one up as a Kindle deal for a mere $1.99, and it was worth every penny. Set in the village of Chukchi in Alaska, Nathan Active is an Alaskan State Trooper who happens to be Inupiat by birth. He was raised by white parents who adopted him but kept in touch with his birth mother, who

was just fifteen when he was born. He has returned to the village he was born in to work, with the goal of getting transferred back to Anchorage, where he was raised and grew up. So he is an outsider in his own hometown, and now he has two apparent suicides that look suspicious only to him on his hands. With his boss out of town, Nathan is forced to take matters into his own hands, and this is where things get interesting. I liked Nathan, and I loved the setting and the supporting cast of this book. Nathan doesn't always play by the rules and he is not afraid to take chances, which make for an entertaining story. Fast paced and intelligent, this mystery holds up from beginning to end. This is the first book in a series that currently has five entries. I have already requested the next book from the library.

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LibraryThing member -Eva-

In the remote Alaskan village of Chukchi, state trooper Nathan Action, who was born Inupiat but fostered by white parents, is struggling to come to terms with his own background, his feelings about the people and culture of Chukchi, and trying to figure out if a series of strange suicides are in

fact something else entirely. I had a little bit of a hard time in the beginning getting a grip on the character, possibly because he isn't very comfortable with himself, but once the actual police procedural starts, the story hits the right pace. In addition to the mystery part, which is rather clever and only somewhat easy to guess, I did enjoy the parts about Inupiat culture and traditions and found the discussions about old life versus new very poignant. A big part of enjoyment of the story is that it feels completely authentic - the descriptions of the people and landscape are beautiful, raw, and sometimes very, very sad.

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LibraryThing member cathyskye

White Sky, Black Ice by Stan Jones is the first Nathan Active mystery.
Nathan Active is an Alaskan state trooper who's recently been sent from
Anchorage to the remote village of Chukchi somewhere around the Arctic
Circle. Most of the 2500 inhabitants of Chukchi are Inupiat--the people most
of us call

Eskimos. Although alcoholism and suicide rates are very high in
Chukchi, it is unusual for two people to commit suicide within days of each
other, and this rarity has Active suspicious.

For someone like me whose idea of hell is anyplace cold, you'd think I'd
steer clear of mysteries set in the Arctic Circle, but I really enjoyed this
book. There is a small glossary in the front that helps with pronunciation
of Inupiaq words. From Jones's descriptions, most of the buildings in
Chukchi seem to be constructed of plywood, and since the warmest
temperatures during the timeframe of this book seemed to be below zero, I'm
glad I was sitting out in the pool when I read most of it! LOL

Strong writing, characterization and plotting combined with immersion into
an unfamiliar land and culture made for a very enjoyable reading experience.

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LibraryThing member ckNikka

"He remembered when Martha's ( his real mom) new propane stove had arrived the month before. For a week, it sat in the middle of the kitchen in its shipping carton. For a week, Martha said, "My leroy will put it in for me" For a week, Leroy was busy with other things. On Saturday, while Active was

over to do his laundry, the matter had come to a head, or as close to a head as things ever came in Martha's house. He was drinking coffee with Martha when Leroy, who liked to sleep in on weekends if he wasn't hunting of fishing, finally got up around noon. He came to the door of the kitchen in a bathrobe, a towel over his shoulder. "Sweetie, do I have any clean underwear?" he asked. "Of course ," Martha said. Your Tshirts are on the top shelf and your shorts are on the bottom, just like always." "No they're not," Leroy said. " I looked in the closet." "Oh I guess I forgot to tell you," Martha said. "I moved them." "You moved them? Where?" " I put them in the new oven. Seem like if we're not going to cook with it we could use it for a closet,ah?" Good writing... northern native american humor... another great place story that gives you the feel of the bright blue sky and the brillant snow... with a cultural context that gives it some new spice and wonderful flavor..." the killer is dead too. That's why it's hard to prove." "Dead? but who..." Her eyes widened. " the radio this morning, it said..."...... " I don't know if I should beleive you." why won't you tell us what happened'?....."Sometimes the facts don't do justice to the truth," - Active said.... a good story and a interesting plot ... lucky you if you have not read the books!

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LibraryThing member cmbohn

Nathan Active is an Alaskan state trooper. He was born to an Inupiat girl and a white father, but raised by a white couple, so he knows almost nothing about his native heritage. Now he's been assigned to a tiny village in the middle of nowhere. He'd love to get back to Anchorage, but until then,

he's got a series of strange suicides on his hands. Everyone else is happy to write them off as alcohol, as a curse, as whatever. But Nathan not so sure that they are suicides at all. And what does the local oil company have to do with this?

I have mixed feelings on this one. I liked the setting a lot, and I was involved in the mystery. But Nathan is a funny sort of character. He is a good cop, but just randomly jumps into bed with a coworker without a second thought. He's all conflicted about it and it causes complications at his job, but then he does it again as soon as he get the chance. That makes me wonder just how smart he really is. I did like the ending, but I'm not sure I'll read another by this author.

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LibraryThing member bfister

A 4MA discussion book. I enjoyed it a great deal -- particularly its arctic setting and the way the author presents the community and its various challenges.

LibraryThing member smik

The issues that surface in this crime fiction will strike chords with Australian readers, particularly those who have read Adrian Hyland's novels (DIAMOND DOVE and GUNSHOT ROAD)

Young men committing suicide is a big problem in the Alaskan Inupiat community.
The Clinton family believes it has been

cursed and so, to some extent, the death of their fourth son George, by his own hand, is no surprise. But when a second body is discovered, that of Aaron, alarm bells ring. Because Aaron is in his 50s and had everything to live for. Even more oddly he has killed himself in just the same way George did, a shotgun to the Adam's apple.

The issues Stan Jones weaves into this tale - alcoholism in the Inupiat community, issues with mining as the community's economic salvation, environmental impacts, and the corruption of a local politician - al all strongly described.
A very readable novel, worth trying to find.

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LibraryThing member ecw0647

Engrossing police procedural. Nathan Active is an Alaska State trooper assigned back to the town where he was born, an Eskimo village (? - hard to tell just how big it is). One Eskimo family has been plagued by suicides of the sons, ostensibly inflicted on the family through a curse. Active has his

doubts. I found the detail of modern Inuit life both interesting and saddening, a clash of cultures. Lots of Inuipiaq words; the glossary helps. Excellent read.

Here's a quote from a review on Amazon that appears to lend credibility to the book's authenticity: "I was a Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal in Alaska during its final territorial and early statehood years. What impressed me most about this book was its absolute authenticity. The natives, the way they live, their unique speech patterns, the land they live in, and the climate they endure are all true to life. Just as realistic are the problems facing a police officer in the rural areas of Alaska." James Chenoweth.

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LibraryThing member Joycepa

First in the Nathan Active, Alaska State Trooper series.

Nathan Active is a Native American, an Inupiat (we learn early on that Eskimo is a white man’s term and Inuit is really not correct) born in the village of Chukchi in NW Alaska, across the Bering Strait from Siberia. His 15 year old mother

gave him to a white couple for adoption when he was still a baby. Nathan is a Alaska State Trooper, unhappily stationed in Chukchi--he’d rather be in Anchorage where his adoptive parents live. Two apparent suicides of Inupiats within a week are suspicious, however, and Nathan decides to investigate further.

The setting is well done, the circumstances auspicious, and the character seemed interesting. But unfortunately, the plot very early on becomes obvious to a three year old. The writing during most of the book is adequate if not brilliant, but towards the end, it degenerates into mediocrity, as if Jones were in a hurry to get the book done and just slapped some sentences together to more or less tie things up. Too bad, because the scenario had real potential.

Read only if interested in what seems to be a good portrayal of modern Inupiat culture. Otherwise, be prepared to be bored.

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LibraryThing member teaperson

A decent book, although the outcome of the mystery was somewhat predictable. The author wasn't as insightful about the culture where he lives as some others in the Soho series. But it was an interesting glimpse of how the Anupiaq of Alaska are caught between their deteriorating culture and American

life.

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LibraryThing member jnwelch

White Sky, Black Ice by Stan Jones is a mystery set in a small rural town, Chukchi, in northwest Alaska. Getting around often involves using a "snowgo" (snowmobile to me) or light airplane. Alaskan state trooper Nathan Active is a native Inupiat whose young mother gave him up for adoption by white

teachers. Now he's back in Chukchi by assignment. The opening of the nearby Gray Wolf mine has caused unemployment to drop, and over-drinking and domestic violence to diminish. Then two men turn up dead, apparently by self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Given the prevalence of suicide in the area and a local curse, their suicides are quickly accepted by everyone but Nathan. Some of the circumstances don't make sense to him, and as he presses the questioning, connections start being made. Meanwhile, he's an eligible bachelor whose status the town women seek to change. He finds himself attracted to one in particular, and fights to keep from being distracted from solving what puzzles him about the deaths.

This was a fun read set in a well-rendered and unusual location. Nathan is a straight-shooter well-equipped to handle larger forces at work. I've already picked up the second Nathan Active mystery. Many thanks to LTer Mamie, who recommended this one a little while ago.

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LibraryThing member jayne_charles

The best thing about this novel was the Alaskan setting, the ways in which people go about their lives in this remote location, and the destabilising effect that the arrival of alcohol has had on the native population. The police investigation provided a bit of diversion but ultimately I found it

hard to follow or get worked up about.

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LibraryThing member SeriousGrace

The first book in Stan Jones's Nathan Active series has the task of painting a picture of who Nathan Active is. The character development is slow in regards to Active's personality. Jones spends a lot of time building the backstory of Active's adoption after his fifteen year old Inupiat mother gave

him up. He was raised by a white couple in Anchorage and grew up to be a state trooper. Here's the rub: he has been posted back in his little birth village of Chukchi where he feels torn between the cultures of his upbringing and the traditions in his blood. He's an obvious outsider, being raised in the big city. But when atypical suicides start happening one right after the other Active decides to listen to his ancestral roots and dig in.

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LibraryThing member ritaer

Native raised by whites is stationed in his birth village. Doubts 2 suicides and reveals plot involving multinational mining company.

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