Flashback (Anna Pigeon Series #11) » (Unabridged)

A former actress, restaurant critic, and National Park Service ranger, Nevada Barr is best known for her bestselling series of mysteries starring her intrepid heroine -- and alter ego -- Anna Pigeon.

When Sheriff Paul Davidson proposes marriage to Anna Pigeon, he doesn't get the reaction a man might hope for. Intrepid park ranger Anna runs all the way to the furthest scrape of American ground not found in Alaska or Hawaii. How's that for a no? Anna takes a new post as temporary supervisory ranger in Dry Tortugas National Park, 70 miles off Key West. Dry Tortugas is the site of the former prison for Lincoln conspirators during and after the Civil War. One of the seven islands in the chain is completely encircled by the massive stone walls of Fort Jefferson, a crumbling reminder of the site's gritty past. Now, the park looks like an island paradise. But as Anna quickly discovers, even the most picturesque and seemingly peaceful places have more than their share of shady goings-on. An exploding boat, the discovery of unidentifiable body parts, and the emergence of secrets both past and present put Anna's life in danger. Cut off from the modern world by poor communications and...

Publishers Weekly

When it comes to a vibrant sense of place, Barr has few equals, as deliciously demonstrated in her 11th Anna Pigeon novel (after 2002's Hunting Season), set in little-known Dry Tortugas National Park, 70 miles off Key West in the Gulf of Mexico. Anna takes up her new post on Garden Key, home to Fort Jefferson, a notorious Union prison during the Civil War, after fleeing a marriage proposal from just-divorced Sheriff Paul Davidson. As she goes about her duties, Anna quickly becomes ensnared in one life-threatening situation after another. Anna's fans expect no less; all her postings somehow turn dangerous. Indeed, the contrast between the natural beauty of the landscapes and the human evils within them is a recurring theme. But this one has an added twist: a mystery concerning alleged Lincoln assassination conspirator Dr. Samuel Mudd interweaves with current crimes. In a coincidence best left unscrutinized, Anna's great-great-great-aunt was the wife of the fort's commanding officer, and her letters, relating a story of intrigue and murder, have surfaced. The two stories are told in alternating chapters, and only Barr's skill keeps this familiar device fresh. The pitch-perfect 19th-century phrasing in the letters makes it easy to forgive the occasional over-the-top prose in the modern scenes. But this is a quibble. Those who already admire the doughty National Park ranger will rejoice in this double-layered story with its remarkable setting, passionately rendered; new readers have a treat in store. (Feb. 10) Forecast: Backed by a 20-city author tour, this one will shoot up the bestseller lists. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.