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Secret Places

A Southeast Alaska Mystery

By: Don Stuart

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Paperback | 9 May 2026

At a Glance

Paperback
330 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.86 x 15.24 x 1.88

Paperback

$26.39

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The tiny Southeast Alaskan village of Sweetwater is in trouble. It is a lovely, scenic place nestled beneath the trees in a quiet cove deep in the wilderness. It is also a place where people depend on one another.

Then Native Alaskan fisherman Johnny Ingman leaves town at the start of fishing season and vanishes. No one, not even Johnny's family, knows where in the vast, wild Alaskan Panhandle he may have gone. Johnny's childhood friend, Wildlife Trooper Chuck Kolinsky, undertakes a relentless investigation that reignites old resentments and awakens growing anxieties over threats to the traditional commercial salmon fishery upon which they all depend. Those frustrations erupt in an angry public protest at a fish-buying scow anchored in a tiny cove out along the uninhabited North Pacific Ocean coast. At the height of that protest, Kolinsky finds the answers he needs, apprehends the killer, and restores peace to his community.

Industry Reviews

"Secret Places by Don Stuart is a thoroughly educational and enthralling murder mystery set in the windswept and wildly rugged salmon fishing fields of the Alaskan panhandle. . . . Author Don Stuart has perfectly blended his obvious love of the Alaskan wild and its fishing community with a well-balanced murder mystery. . . .[T]he author gave me a sound education and still managed to seamlessly weave a twisting "whodunnit" into the narrative. The relating of the story from multiple perspectives not only gives the narrative greater depth but also allows the reader to better understand the lead characters' motivations. . . I love books that educate as well as entertain and this story impressively achieves that aim. I highly recommend this read."

- Five Stars

Grant Leishman for Readers Favorite

Secret Places by Don Stuart is an intriguing and informative read . . . I found it easy to immerse myself in the Alaskan lifestyle and feel connected to the fishing community. The story was fast-paced and maintained my interest from the start . . . The writing was exceptional, and I was engrossed right up until the conclusion . . . The revelation of the true perpetrator took me by surprise; I had not anticipated it at all . . . .

- Five Stars

Alma Boucher for Readers' Favorite

This novel is an engaging combination of drama and mystery, and the background plays a crucial role in developing events. Those who, like me, don't know much about trolling will find this book enlightening, thanks to its well-written descriptions. Stuart skillfully brings the narrative to a climax and doesn't leave any unanswered questions at the end.

- Five Stars

Nino Lobiladze for Readers' Favorite

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