Rating: 
Summary: Another Great Nevada Barr Book!
Review: Once again I couldn't put a Nevada Barr book down! Anna's newest adventure had me hooked from the first few pages. The setting may have been in an urban park but the story was as exciting as ever. Having been to Ellis Island shortly after the remodeling was finished I was fascinated that I learned more about it (and the Statue of Liberty) in this book than I did actually visiting them! I always enjoy Nevada Barr's vivid and detailed descriptions of places and people and relationships. I can really identify with Anna and her struggles and I can't wait for the next episode in her story!
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Summary: Great backdrop in Ellis Island!
Review: Since this was my first Anna Pigeon mystery I didn't have any problem seeing her in a national park that wasn't so "natural."
I loved the descriptions of the crumbling buildings on the islands and found them to be wonderful eery backdrops for intrigue. The suspense plot kept my interest and gave me plenty of thrills
even as I enjoyed the gentler suspense of the sub-plot of Anna's ailing sister. I'm delighted to have discovered Nevada Barr's works.
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Summary: Another knock out from Nevada Barr!
Review: The worst part of a Nevada Barr book is the ending....knowing you'll have to wait another year or so to read one of her wonderful books!!
Rating: 
Summary: Good but...
Review: This book was a more difficult read than the other Anna Pigeon novels in that it was harder to visualize the crumbling ruins of Ellis Island than the sites of the other novels in this series. Although I have never been to any of the sites of the Anna Pigeon novels, the others seemed much easier to imagine (especially Blind Descent and Superior Death). The descriptions of the NY city environs made me, as well as Anna, long to get back to a good read about a less populated park. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the continuing development of the characters of Anna, Molly, and Frederick. Some of the other characters, Dr. Madison in particular, seemed pointlessly, as Frederick would put it, "ishy". I also hope that in future adventures Anna will not get so beaten up...she is obviously bright; perhaps she could use her brains to avoid some of the physical violence in this book and the others.
Rating: 
Summary: A good read
Review: This is the 2nd Anna Pigeon Mystery I have read and liked it, but thought "Deep South" was a bit better. In this book, Anna is in New York to keep an eye on her sister who is in the hospital, but it seemed like she spent a heck of lot more time running around the city. Most of the story takes place on Ellis Island where Anna is staying with a fellow ranger. She takes to exploring the area and happens to be a witness when a young girl falls to her death off the Statue of Liberty. The police believe she may have been pushed by one of the security guards who, himself, ends up being the next to take the plunge. Of course, Anna can't rest (I noticed throughout the book she rarely slept) until she solves the mystery. Clues are hard to come by, but Anna manages to turn things up that the police couldn't. She ends up piecing things together and nearly gets herself killed in the process. The story tended to drag on a bit, but all in all it was a pretty good mystery. I guess I'm getting hooked on Anna Pigeon mysteries and will have to check out the others by Nevada Barr.
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Summary: Ellis Island simply cannot compete with Mesa Verde et al.
Review: This novel was disappointing after Nevada Barr's long streak of previous winners. Her masterful creation of scene and atmosphere at various National Parks has led me to expect more of the same: beautiful natural settings whether lush with forest, desolate desert or underground mineral wonders. The Statue of Liberty and decaying abandoned buildings simply can't create the same appeal: man-made wonders hold no wonder. Nevertheless, plotting, pace and characters are very good, overall combining to produce a good novel. After greedily consuming one home run after another by Barr, it's a letdown to read what, by comparison, is "just" a double. I was surprised when Barr takes a side-slap at those who are chronically ill by having Anna Pigeon's psychiatrist sister Molly parrot English professor Elaine Showalter's claim that chronic illnesses such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Gulf War Illness are simply cultural phenomena, and by setting up the chronically ill as self-interested and uninformed critics. Having myself struggled for 6 years with chronic illness, it came across as insensitive, to say the least.
Rating:
Summary: Not her best, but still worth the read
Review: This time Nevada has taken ranger Pigeon out of the wilderness and into the middle of New York City. (Which I guess is just another type of wilderness). This book did not grab me as much as her other but I still enjoyed it, It was better then most of the Trash I read. I also recomend: "A Tourist in the Yucatan" an excellent mystery/thriller!
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Summary: An enjoyable read, turned me on to a new author.
Review: This was the first Anna Pigeon mystery I've read. I found it entertaining and suspenseful. I hate starting a mystery and having a good ideal how it will be resolved within the first hundred pages...no problem with that here! Barr's descriptive writing really give the reader a sense of the environment and I love her middle age, non-beauty queen heroine. After reading this book, I immediately ordered Deep South and liked it, too. However I am wondering if the lack of any significant female characters is a recurring theme in Barr's novels. I will be finding out as I plan to read more of them in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Atmospheric and moving
Review: This writer can really evoke a sense of place. Her descriptions of Ellis and Liberty Islands, and the people that populated and cared for them, were done with liveliness and affection. It will be interesting to see how the Molly/Anna/Frederick triangle will develop. A thoroughly exiting "chase" scene at the end was one of the best written of the genre.
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Summary: What A Surprise!
Review: When I first read the synopsis of Liberty Falling, I thought, New York? Nevada Barr? No way. How in the world can you compare New York City with the deep south, the western deserts, Colorado, and the northern lakes? Although she doesn't have the beautiful landscapes to describe, she makes up for it with a very good plot line and characters that are so life-like, it's hard to believe they don't exist in real life. (I would really like to know someone like James Hatchett Sr.) I liked Anna Pigeon in Track Of The Cat and I like her more with each addition in this wonderful series.
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