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Kate Shugak #0.5
Nooses Give
"The bodies had fallen around the table like three cards from a spent deck. Jeremy Mike, the jack of spades. Sally Jorgenson, queen of hearts. Ted Muktoyuk, the king of diamonds."
A person has to be pretty drunk to play Russian roulette. And usually a person has to work pretty hard to get drunk in a dry Native village. Most of the words Kate has for “bootlegger” are unprintable. A short story.
A person has to be pretty drunk to play Russian roulette. And usually a person has to work pretty hard to get drunk in a dry Native village. Most of the words Kate has for “bootlegger” are unprintable. A short story.
31 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2011
About the author
Dana Stabenow
103 books2,198 followersDana Stabenow was born in Anchorage and raised on 75-foot fish tender in the Gulf of Alaska. She knew there was a warmer, drier job out there somewhere.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
August 27, 2022
This is a great new series from me. Nooses Give by Dana Stabenow is a short story introducing Kate Shugak a woman not to mess with. Great little story with fantastic ending and a wonderful setting of Alaska.
February 11, 2021
Set before A Cold Day For Murder, this story would be an excellent introduction to the Kate Shugak series. I'm already a long-time fan, and I felt the magic all over again. In fact, I'm tempted to read the whole series all over again from the beginning, just because they're so incredibly good.
The story opens while Kate is hibernating in her cabin, seven months or so after she resigned from her job as an investigator for the Anchorage D.A.'s office. There's a situation that needs to be handled in the Park, but the Ranger is off chasing a bank robber and besides, it's really more of a local issue. She's just the woman for the job - if she can be pulled out of her hermitage to do it.
The story opens while Kate is hibernating in her cabin, seven months or so after she resigned from her job as an investigator for the Anchorage D.A.'s office. There's a situation that needs to be handled in the Park, but the Ranger is off chasing a bank robber and besides, it's really more of a local issue. She's just the woman for the job - if she can be pulled out of her hermitage to do it.
June 25, 2018
A really good short story, great introduction to the series.
June 28, 2016
Another reason why I don't like short stories: they're too short! Loved the perspective of Kate before the series takes place. Now I'm chomping at the bit to get started where I left off in the series!
September 1, 2017
I found this short story in The Mysterious West edited by Tony Hillerman. This story helped explain some of the past alluded to in the first Kate Shugak book, A Cold Day for Murder. Kate is one tough cookie and a skilled investigator. Love the Alaska setting.
March 25, 2025
This is actually a short story appearing in The Mysterious West by Tony Hillerman (who curated this collection of 'Western' short stories). If I understand correctly, this is the 'launch' of a series of Kate Shugak books. Kate here is a small, rugged Alaskan indigenous woman; she posses a lot of grit, determination to keep things right. There is a proud sense of place, a love of nature which permeates this short story. There were elements I didn't know about her (seemingly plunged into the setting without her background information). I googled and had pieced together the community setting. As is the case with so many series novels, readers are drawn more and more into the novels' 'world'. I may pursue some further Kate Shugak series. I see where Dana Stabenow has a couple series, the Liam Campbell novels and the Eye of Isis series. They're probably good as audiobooks too.
August 22, 2023
"Nooses Give" is a short introduction to the Kate Shugak series.
After suffering horrendous injuries she has become a hermit in her home in rural Alaska, somewhere near the fictional town of Nilitna (based on the real town of McCarthy).
The area recently voted to go dry but the booze is flooding in and people are dying. When local efforts fail Kate, for reasons that are not explained, is asked to sort it out.
She does in short and exceptionally brutal order.
One thing is very clear - don't get on Kate's nerves!
It's too short to judge but it leaves so many questions unanswered that I'll definitely be reading further.
3 Stars.
After suffering horrendous injuries she has become a hermit in her home in rural Alaska, somewhere near the fictional town of Nilitna (based on the real town of McCarthy).
The area recently voted to go dry but the booze is flooding in and people are dying. When local efforts fail Kate, for reasons that are not explained, is asked to sort it out.
She does in short and exceptionally brutal order.
One thing is very clear - don't get on Kate's nerves!
It's too short to judge but it leaves so many questions unanswered that I'll definitely be reading further.
3 Stars.
August 18, 2019
Real quick short story. So typical of Kate.
"The bodies had fallen around the table like three cards from a spent deck. Jeremy Mike, the jack of spades. Sally Jorgenson, queen of hearts. Ted Muktoyuk, the king of diamonds."
A person has to be pretty drunk to play Russian roulette. And usually a person has to work pretty hard to get drunk in a dry Native village. Most of the words Kate has for “bootlegger” are unprintable. A short story.
"The bodies had fallen around the table like three cards from a spent deck. Jeremy Mike, the jack of spades. Sally Jorgenson, queen of hearts. Ted Muktoyuk, the king of diamonds."
A person has to be pretty drunk to play Russian roulette. And usually a person has to work pretty hard to get drunk in a dry Native village. Most of the words Kate has for “bootlegger” are unprintable. A short story.
December 5, 2024
Yikes! A great short story---well, shortish, at the least--- that starts this series off. Kate has just come back to the park and is asked if she could do anything about a bootlegger. This Kate is not like the one we've come to know. She was a bit vengeful, and I kind of found that I liked knowing Kate had that side.
August 31, 2022
Brevissimo racconto prequel, che ci mostra una protagonista assai forte. Il finale è un po' "forte". Avevo letto i primi libri anni fa quando erano stati tradotti e ora ho deciso di riprendere in mano la serie.
February 6, 2018
A good prequel to the Kate shugak series.
January 21, 2019
Cold and a harsh. Great back story.
January 23, 2019
It takes place before the first Kate Shugak book, and it's quite short. It serves as an introduction to Kate Shugak's personality.
July 30, 2020
Have not read a Kate Shugak book for 6 years, and aim to go back and read some more. So just limbering up with the short story prequel. Enjoyed revising the character.
August 12, 2024
Included in short stories and essays book.
March 31, 2025
Don't mess with Kate!
Short story.
Short story.
July 22, 2025
I like this author and this little book was a good read. Always action packed and fun. Love the main character of Kate Shugak. Finally got around to reading it. Didn't disappoint!
December 26, 2023
The Alaskan bush is the setting. It's a story about bootlegging how alcohol has affected the Natives.
April 22, 2013
Although this short story was written after book One in the Kate Shugak series by Dana Stabenow, it acts as something of a prequel - 4 stars. Kate is holed up in her cabin having left her job with the Tribal Police after having her throat cut. Bootleg whiskey has been linked to three dead teenagers, a night of alcohol abuse, Russian Roulette, murder and suicide. Kate is asked to investigate the bootlegging suspect and tracks him down to an abandoned mining camp outside of town. Kate makes the arrest, destroys the whiskey, and disables the bootlegger's airplane, but nature provides the ultimate justice in the case.
Although this is a fairly short story it does a good job of introducing Kate Shugak and her community to the reader. The story was spare, but provided every bit of information needed to provide a real taste of the Alaskan wilderness. I am looking forward to starting the series to see if Ms Stabenow tells as good a story in a longer format as she did here.
Although this is a fairly short story it does a good job of introducing Kate Shugak and her community to the reader. The story was spare, but provided every bit of information needed to provide a real taste of the Alaskan wilderness. I am looking forward to starting the series to see if Ms Stabenow tells as good a story in a longer format as she did here.
March 4, 2012
A freebie from Kindle. And a solid read.
November 11, 2012
I love Dana Stabenow and this short story was an excellent read.
February 2, 2013
4.5 stars
February 26, 2013
How can you not enjoy time with Kate and Mutt? (unless you are a bad guy.)
May 4, 2013
I really like these short stories that fill in some of Kate's history. A writer friend says they are just scenes that were cut from a book, but it does not matter.
September 2, 2013
Short story at 0.5 in the Kate Shugak series. I enjoy mysteries and have especially enjoyed this series.
August 11, 2016
I've never been so drunk that Russian Roulette sounds like a good idea to me. These were some dumbass teenagers. I don't even feel bad saying that.
But damn, Kate is cold in this story.
But damn, Kate is cold in this story.
December 30, 2021
Good short story, got a little lost with the directions/descriptions of the area, but otherwise was a decent story.
June 25, 2016
I love Dana Stabenow's books, they pull you in and you feel as if you are really there.
April 7, 2017
Fantastic - can't believe I haven't read this before.
April 27, 2018
Too short of a short and it just ends. No real closure.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews