Reviewed by Brenda Fisher

[book on tape] 

Barr successfully carries off her readers both to the remote Garden Key in Dry Tortugas National Park and back in time to the Civil War. Ranger Anna Pigeon, has had a temporary promotion filling in for a Supervisory Ranger who has lost his mind and soon Anna begins questioning her own sanity when her long dead great great aunt appears to her on the ramparts of Fort Jefferson. And immediately, as is required in the mystery genre, bodies begin turning up that require explaining. But don’t worry despite the lady in white appearing on the ramparts and the mysterious Mrs. Meyers kept locked away unseen in her room, Nevada Barr has not turned to writing gothics. Ranger Pigeon will not be swooning into the arms of the heroic John Wayne type. She will carry on soldiering through bureaucracy, wild weather, and human folly to bring about a satisfactory conclusion. And along the way allows the reader a tour of the Dry Tortugas National Park above and below the waterline.

Flashback is the latest in the Barr’s Anna Pigeon series of mysteries set in national parks. Barr takes a departure from her usual style by interspersing letters from Anna’s Great-great Aunt Raffia and a mystery from the 1860’s involving the supposed Lincoln conspirators that were imprisoned at Fort Jefferson. This device may frustrate some of Barr’s fans as it does make the book move a little more slowly. However, she succeeded in bringing a slice of history alive for me. And as always she manages to convey the beauty and solitude of one of our National Parks.

For those who haven’t yet read any of the Anna Pigeon series, you may want to start with Barr’s introduction of Anna Pigeon in Track of the Cat, and then read the books chronologically. While her books work well independently, it is interesting to see the development of the character. This also allows you a greater chance of finding the book on the shelf at the library or in paperback at your bookstore.

For those who are already fans, you won’t be disappointed! Mark out a space on your calendar and a comfy chair with good light for your visit to the Garden Key as you face the scorching sun and sink below the waves with your favorite park ranger.

For More About Nevada Barr.

Her Life : http://www.nevadabarr.com/bio/biography.htm

Her Books: http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/english/ms-writers/dir/barr_nevada/

Her protagonist : http://www.shotsmag.co.uk/nevada%20barr.htm