(13 ½, Bittersweet, Anna Pigeon series)
Barr is best known for her murder mysteries set in National Parks, which star park ranger Anna Pigeon. Anna is a complex protagonist, which helps readers to connect with her and her investigations. Barr also emphasizes the natural beauty of her settings with unhurried prose and wonderful descriptions. She has also written a psychological thriller and an historical novel (13 ½ and Bittersweet, respectively).
If you enjoy Nevada Barr, try:
Jessica Speart (if you enjoy the overall feel of the Anna Pigeon mysteries, you might like her series starring U.S. Fish and Wildlife agent Rachel Porter. Border Prey is the first)
Linda Barnes (readers who connect with Anna Pigeon as a character might enjoy Barnes’ Carlotta Carlyle series—the first is A Trouble of Fools)
J.A. Jance (like Barr, Jance has a talent for creating complex, believable characters and setting them in well-described locales. Her Joanna Brady series might appeal most to Barr readers—start with Desert Heat)
Deborah Crombie (while they might seem very different at first, Barr readers might find a lot to enjoy in Crombie’s mystery A Finer End, particularly in regard to characters’ work and relationships)
CPL Readers Corner 