by Sandra Murphy

This week we have a review of book 2 in the Alaska Untamed Mystery series by Lark O. Jensen aka Linda O. Johnston. We also have an interesting interview with Lark/Linda. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

Cry Wolf by Lark O. Jensen
Review by Sandra Murphy

Stacie Calder, a tour guide in Alaska, usually shows tourists the highlights of Alaskan scenery from a boat. Once the temperatures drop low enough that ice in the water becomes a problem, she’s at loose ends. As a volunteer at Juneau Wildlife World, she’s familiar with the terrain and the animals who live there. This year, she’s a paid employee. One of the perks is being able to bring her dog with her and to stay on the premises when the roads are too slippery to navigate her way home.

Her job is to catalog sightings of wildlife—what she saw, where, how many, and if any are in distress or need supplemental food. There is one skirmish of sorts with another new employee, a manager. He thinks it’s dangerous for wildlife if Stacie takes her dog along when she’s walking the trails and gives her a hard time.

When his body is found in a remote area when Stacie goes to check on an injured wolf, suspicion arises that she might have killed him and framed the wolves. As the weather worsens and all employees, aka suspects, are forced to stay at the sanctuary, Stacie asks questions to draw out the real killer—but at what cost? The killer may strike again.

This is book two in the series. The first book, Bear Witness, was also reviewed here. Stacie walks the trails alone, questions everyone, and when she doesn’t receive answers or a confession, accuses each of her co-workers of the murder, a huge risk considering their isolation because of bad weather. The setting is beautifully described, especially when talking about the habits of wildlife. Readers will look forward to following the progress of Stacie’s relationship with Liam, an Alaskan State Trooper and to see what will happen next.

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She’s editor for Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s, with twenty-two cozy stories. She also edited A Murder of Crows, twenty-one stories featuring animals and crime (no animals were harmed). She also writes for magazines, newsletters, and the occasional guest blog. Both anthologies are available at the usual outlets, print or ebook.

Interview with Lark O. Jensen:

KRL: How long have you been writing?

Lark: I’ve been writing for nearly all my life. I started my first story in grade school, although I didn’t finish it. It was about a girl and boy who traveled the world.

KRL: When did your first novel come out, what was it called, and would you tell us a little about it?

Lark: My first novel was published in 1995. It was called A Glimpse of Forever, and it was a time-travel romance. In it, a woman stranded on a wagon train in 1858 looked up at the sky and sensed a man in another time staring similarly at the night sky. Little did she know they would wind up together in her future.

Lark O. Jensen/Linda O. Johnston

KRL: Have you mostly written mysteries/suspense, and if not, what else have you written?

Lark: Mysteries and suspense are my primary focus today, but as indicated I’ve also written time travel romance, plus paranormal romance, including a series for Harlequin Nocturne about a covert military unit of shapeshifters. They’ve all been fun!

KRL: What brought you to choose the setting and characters in your latest book/series?

Lark: My latest mystery series, Alaska Untamed, is written under my first pseudonym, Lark O. Jensen. It was inspired by my most recent Alaskan cruise, which took place a few years ago now. While in port near Juneau, I took a tour on a small local boat where naturalists pointed out the wildlife in the water, on shore, and in the sky, and I knew I needed to write about it.

My Alaska Untamed series is about Stacie Calder, a naturalist who, among other things, surprise points out the wildlife on boat tours. She also finds she has to solve murders, as she does in Bear Witness and Cry Wolf. And, of course, she has her wonderful husky Sasha with her. I love to include dogs in nearly everything I write.

KRL: I love that you include dogs! Do you write to entertain or is there something more you want the readers to experience from your work?

Lark: I do write to entertain. I hope my readers really enjoy my work. And in some of my stories, like the Alaska Untamed Mysteries, I hope they’re inspired to learn more about the areas and the special things about them, and their residents, including wildlife, that I’m writing about.

KRL: Do you have a schedule for your writing or just work whenever you can?

Lark: As a retired attorney, my days are mine to schedule, although I’ve a lot of other things going on too. But my writing takes priority.

KRL: What is your ideal time to write?

Lark: These days, I find I like to get a lot of things out of the way, such as going through my emails, before I settle down to write, so I focus mostly on it in the afternoon.

KRL: Do you outline? If not, do you have some other interesting way that you keep track of what’s going on, or what needs to happen in your book when you are writing it?

Lark: I do outline – or, rather, I put together a synopsis and work from there. I’ve created my own plot skeleton and fill in the blanks before writing the synopsis.

KRL: Did you find it difficult to get published in the beginning?

Lark: Surprisingly not. When I started to become serious about my writing, even with a day job as a lawyer, I began writing short stories, and the first, “Different Drummers,” was published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine in 1988, and I won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for best first mystery short story of the year!

KRL: What are your future writing goals?

Lark: I want to keep on writing! These days, I primarily enjoy writing mysteries, as well as romantic suspense novels for Harlequin Romantic Suspense. and plan to continue writing in those genres. But my mind is always churning on other genres too.

KRL: What kind of research do you do?

Lark: Whatever it takes. I’ve even gone out on ventures with SMART, the wonderful, elite, specialized rescue team of Los Angeles Animal Services, when I was researching animal rescue for some of my books.

KRL: What do you like to read?

Lark: Well, unsurprisingly I enjoy mysteries and romantic suspense the most these days, but I’ll read other kinds of fiction as well. Some nonfiction too, including things about places I’ve visited or want to visit. And always about dogs!

KRL: Have you any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?

Lark: Just do it! Sit down at your computer and begin writing whatever strikes your fancy. And join local chapters of organizations that fit the genre(s) you choose, such as Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Romance Writers of America. Plus, critique groups help a lot.

KRL: Do you have any pets?

Lark: Absolutely! I’ve been owned by Cavalier King Charles Spaniels for many years, and currently have two: Cari and Roxie. My Cavaliers have inspired me to include dogs in nearly everything I write these days, although I use other pups besides Cavaliers so I’m not writing about them all the time. Besides, though I’m a bit of a hypocrite about it since I’m so addicted to Cavaliers, I want to encourage others to adopt dogs needing homes from shelters.

KRL: Is there anything you would like to add?

Lark: Definitely! I had three books published this year, two in November—my 60th and 61st traditionally published novels!

The first this year, published in March, was Undercover Cowboy Defender, the third in my Shelter of Secrets stories for Harlequin Romantic Suspense. The Shelter of Secrets is a very special shelter where animals are taken in to be cared for and rehomed – and the people who take care of them are there under protective custody!

The second this year was my second Alaska Untamed mystery, Bear Witness, mentioned above.

And the third was CSI Colton and the Witness, the eleventh story this year in the Coltons of New York series, part of the Harlequin Romantic Suspense ongoing and vast story of the Colton family, who are always getting into trouble… and finding romance.

KRL: Website? Twitter? Facebook? Instagram?

Lark: Website: LindaOJohnston.com
Facebook: facebook.com/LindaOJohnston

To enter to win a copy of Cry Wolf, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “wolf” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen December 30, 2023. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.