Solid, good writing by every metric. I found this mesmerizing for a crime novel and the scene-setting was particularly well-done. I felt like I was reading it very slowly, and although I'm sure there's room for improvement, I think my reluctance was actually just that I didn't want to see anything bad happen to these people; a credit to the characterization. ( )

Excellent. ( )

En la remota isla de Craig, un vasto territorio helado, dos turistas cazan patos. Los acompaña Edie Kiglatuk, de origen inuit, una de las mejores guías del Ártico. Pero cuando uno de ellos es asesinado en medio de la tundra, sin nadie en las inmediaciones, el consejo de ancianos de la comunidad niega que se trate de un accidente.
Paralelamente, Edie vive una tragedia impensable. Y ese giro la decide a intentar descubrir qué está ocurriendo en los confines de la tundra.

Good mystery, but incredibly depressing in its realistic depiction of the disappearing Arctic and the disenfranchised natives who live there. Alternatively fascinating as a look into another culture, and just damn sad. ( )

Having read all of Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak mysteries set in Alaska, MJ McGrath's Edie Kiglatuk series seemed quite similar although the latter is based on arctic Quebec, across the sea from Greenland. Edie has some of the same issues of alcoholism and a dysfunctional love life, but is more of a hunter/guide and less of a detective. Her police contact Derek Pallister was pretty weak, and had to be constantly prodded to action by Edie. Two men, masquerading as tourists, die under mysterious circumstances and then Edie's stepson appears to commit suicide as a consequence. The local characters are quite colorful, especially Aunt Martie and old man Koperkuj, and the book delved into some of the serious problems faced by the Inuit. The underlying rationale for the deaths, when finally clarified, seemed far fetched. Unlike Stabenow's focus on tasty foods, like fry bread, the meals in White Heat were gross. ( )