Murder on the Iditarod Trail (Jessie Arnold Series #1) » (Reprint)

Sue Henry, whose award-winning Alaska mysteries have received the highest praise from readers and critics alike, has lived in Alaska for almost thirty years, and brings history, Alaskan lore, and the majestic beauty of the vast landscape to her mysteries. Based in Anchorage, she is currently at work on the next book in this series.

The winner of Alaska's world-famous Iditarod—-a grueling, eleven-hundred-mile dog sled race across a frigid Arctic wilderness—-takes home a $250,000 purse.

But this year, the prize is survival.

Only the toughest and the most able come to compete in this annual torturous test of endurance, skill, and courage. Now, suddenly and inexplicably, the top Iditarod contestants are dying one by one in bizarre and gruesome ways. Jessie Arnold, Alaska's premier female "musher," fears she may be the next intended victim, but nothing is going to prevent her from aggressively pursuing the glory and the rewards that victory brings.

Dedicated State Trooper Alex Jensen is determined to track down the murderer before more innocent blood stains the pristine Alaskan snow. But Jensen's hunt is leading him into the frozen heart of the perilous wild that Jessie Arnold knows so well—-a merciless place far from any vestige of civilization, where nature can kill as fast as a bullet...and only the Arctic night can hear your final screams.

Publishers Weekly

In this enthralling debut mystery, someone is killing the mushers (dog sled racers) competing in Alaska's internationally famous Iditarod--a 1000-mile race from Anchorage to Nome. The first victim's face is ripped off during a freak accident. Later, state trooper Sgt. Alex Jensen, assigned to the routine investigation of an apparently accidental death, learns that the deceased had been drugged and unconscious moments before his sled crashed. As the two-week run in sub-zero cold continues, the second victim is crushed by a rigged dog sled and the third is eaten alive by doped huskies. The $250,000 prize money makes Jensen consider all the competing mushers as suspects; however, as more fall prey to mysterious injuries, he realizes that the killer is after more than cash. While the list of suspects dwindles, pitiless Arctic snowstorms immobilize Jensen's search and leave the surviving racers at the mercy of the killer. Henry provides suspense and excitement in this paean to a great sporting event and to the powerful Alaskan landscape. (Apr.)