I just finished Dana Stabenow's new book "Bad Blood." Has anyone else read it? I surely would like another's opinion.     M'ann

Just finished it.  I did not like the focus on the ranger instead of on Kate Shugak.  Judging by the ending, Stabenow is bringing the series to a close to work on her other series.  She could continue it though as the ending is left open to speculation, but Kate without Mutt would not be the same if she chooses to let Kate llive.  My co-worker, who read it first, and I agree that it is the first book that Kate did not get hit in the head (three or four times in the previous book).  He and I had agreed that Stabenow had overused that injury to the point of being ridiculous.  Unless you remembered much of the previous book, the ending would not make much sense since it was a revenge for Kate's previous actions.  I like the continuation of a series' events, but sometimes when it has been a year between books, a little refresher mentioned in the story would be nice.

I'm waiting for this book at the library now. I came late to this series, and really, really enjoyed it, but I had to wonder how long the author can keep it going. Sounds like things may be wrapping up.....I will miss it, but I can see how things just have to wind down.

SPOILER ALERT (if you haven't already figured it out from above)

OK, I read it---fast, admittedly, which may be why I found this one a little harder to follow, with all the characters and their relationships, than most of the others.

But I did not get the idea she's ending the series at all. The main players are not dead; they've been shot but not declared dead. They could easily be alive for the next one. 

OTOH, I am about to agree that Kate has miraculously survived a whole lot of attacks that would kill anyone else. And it's the 18th book in the series. Maybe the author is taking it in a real different direction.

But I really did not get that feeling from it. I do like the books better with more about the aunties and the elders' roles, but having the focus on the ranger wasn't anything I saw as major, just a bit of a change-up.