The Curious Eat Themselves

An investigator for the public defender of Alaska, Cecil Younger investigates the sexual assault and then the murder of a cook employed at an isolated mining site. 25,000 first printing.

With the second adventure of Cecil Younger, a PI in southeastern Alaska, Straley reconfirms his claim to the regional territory he staked out in The Woman Who Married a Bear . Louise Root, who was raped at the Global gold mine where she worked as a cook, hires Cecil to gather evidence of the crime, although she won't tell him who assaulted her. Only days later, Louise's body is pulled from a river, her throat slit. Cecil is soon hired by Global's Lee Altman and Charlie Potts, who want to know "everything" about environmentalist Steven Mathews. They pay in cash, want no written records of the transaction and warn Cecil to "stay clear of this Louise Root thing." But social worker Hannah Elder, Cecil's former lover and Louise's childhood friend, has no qualms about involving Cecil in her probe of Louise's death, especially after she discovers in Louise's things letters addressed to Steven marked "return to sender." Once past the gimmicky assignments that initiate the plot, Straley's atmospheric prose takes hold and the action hums along, through unethical dealings and more killings, to the rugged, backwoods Alaska finale. Author tour.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Everybody wants to hire underemployed Alaska investigator Cecil Younger (The Woman Who Married a Bear, 1992)--even including his autistic roommate Toddy, who insists that Cecil track down Nelson, his missing Labrador retriever. First, though, Otter Creek gold-mine cook Louise Root gives him a retainer to expose the Global Resource coverup after she was raped at the mine; then Cecil's ex-girlfriend Hannah Elder demands that he investigate Louise's murder. Global thugs Lee Altman and Charlie Potts bully Cecil into taking $15,000 of company money to dig dirt on environmentalist Steven Mathews, Louise's old mentor, while insisting that their request has nothing to do with the assault and murder of Louise. And when local drifter Phil Dominic confesses to killing Louise, his dissatisfied lawyer hires Cecil to prove him innocent. As in Cecil's first outing, though, the strongest presence here is the Alaskan wilderness, dotted by memorably quirky towns that the sleuth keeps crisscrossing in other people's planes. Straley's skill in weaving his background into the story makes his regional series one of the strongest since Tony Hillerman set up shop. (First printing of 25,000) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Alaskan private investigator Cecil Younger has troubles with his autistic roommate, with ex-love Hannah, with any form of alcohol, and with the special assistant in charge of Louise Root's murder case. Louise hired Carl to find the men who raped her at the Otter Creek gold mine, but someone kills her before he has a chance. Cecil approaches his work at an angle: desiring a source of drink or food, he locates instead a likely source of information. A love and appreciation of Alaska shine through Straley's quietly compelling prose. For all collections.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.