Sue Henry's latest thriller set in the Valley

PALMER -- Anchorage author Sue Henry has chosen the Alaska State Fairgrounds and other spots in the Valley for her latest murder mystery, "Death Trap."

Knik musher Jessie Arnold is once again in the thick of things, along with her beloved sled dog Tank, in Henry's 10th novel.

Things begin on a quiet note. Jessie is recovering from a knee injury that will prevent her from racing in the upcoming season, so most of her dogs are staying with other mushers. She and Tank take leisurely walks on the trails behind Jessie's cabin as Henry opens the book with a scene any Alaskan will recognize.

"The woods were fairly quiet, some of the small birds that filled them with a cheerful summer cacophony already fleeing south before the frost arrived with chill winds to snatch leaves from the trees to litter the ground. A few leaves already crunched beneath her feet, and their earthy, slightly acrid smell rose in a pungent reminder of damp and decay to blend with a pale scent of wood smoke on the breeze from some neighbor's breakfast fire."

Henry is skilled at recording the delights of Alaska's landscape, and it's fun to read her descriptions of places that exist in everyday life. She writes of the fairgrounds view, "It was a sunny day with a few clouds over the spectacular Chugach Mountains that framed the Mat-Su Valley to the east and south, Pioneer Peak rising sharply against the sky. Area residents, including Jessie, were so used to living next door to wilderness that they seldom noticed it as they went about their daily lives. Now, for a moment, it struck her that there were probably no other fairgrounds with such an impressive setting."

Things don't stay so bucolic for long, though. Soon a body is discovered at the fairgrounds. Then Tank is stolen from the Iditarod booth where Jessie has been volunteering. She goes hunting for her lead dog but is captured and taken far into the country where her life, and Tank's, too, hang by a thread.

In typical Henry style, the book gains momentum and accelerates at a pace sure to keep most readers up way too late at night. This latest novel, like the others since Henry's debut "Murder on the Iditarod Trail," is just too much fun to miss.

That's why Henry's plan to expand her work is such good news. "Death Trap" is her last book for HarpersCollins Publishers but beginning in April 2004 she'll spin off a new series featuring Maxie McNabb, the RV-driving character from "Dead North."

The new series begins with "The Serpent Trail," set in and around Grand Junction, Colo., as Homer resident McNabb embarks on a series of adventures in the Lower 48.

Henry said during a telephone interview that the fictional queen of the road has already made her a hit in the RV industry, with a major company asking Henry to travel in one of its vehicles to publicize the McNabb series.

That doesn't mean Jessie Arnold's days are over.

The plucky musher is scheduled to return in April 2005 in a novel set near Petersburg. Both the McNabb series and the continuation of Arnold tales will be published by Penguin-Putnam.

In the meanwhile, there's plenty of time to pick up a copy of "Death Trap" to enjoy before hitting the Alaska State Fair in August. Just be prepared to look over your shoulder now and then as you cruise the midway.