Angel’s Diamonds

Alaska bush pilot Josh Browning, the proprietor of Goldstream Air Services, and his wife, Claire, the protagonists of Pinger’s pedestrian debut, make a modest living from the Golden Valley General Store in Fairbanks. Far more lucrative is a gig that Josh has flying Canadian whiskey in his private plane to places like a gravel bar on the Coleville River. Josh and Claire tangle with a host of quirky characters, including Carter Thomas, a shifty Texan who claims he knows where diamonds are to be found in Alaska; Pete (“just Pete, with no last name that he would admit to”), a go-between for Josh and the liquor he’s delivering; and Jim Littlejohn, a partner in a mining development firm from Fargo, N.Dak., who says he works for the Fargo Cartel and threatens Josh if he continues to make liquor deliveries. Readers will learn a lot about handling a small plane as well as running a general store. Pinger obviously knows and loves Alaska, but the narrative lacks direction and will have limited appeal to mystery fans. (Apr.)