Canyonlands Carnage

by Scott Graham

Overview

"A confluence of thrills, history, and mystery as twisty as the Colorado River."
—MICKI BROWNING, author of Shadow Ridge

When suspicious deaths befall a whitewater rafting expedition through Cataract Canyon in Canyonlands National Park, archaeologist Chuck Bender and his family recognize evil intent lies behind the tragedies. They must risk their lives and act before the murderer makes an already deadly journey on the Colorado River through Utah's red rock wilderness even deadlier—or turns on them instead.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781948814461
Publisher:	Torrey House Press
Publication date:	09/12/2021
Series:	National Park Mystery Series , #7
Pages:	220
Sales rank:	417,597
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

SCOTT GRAHAM is the author of the acclaimed National Park Mystery series, featuring archaeologist Chuck Bender and Chuck's spouse Janelle Ortega. In addition to the National Park Mystery series, Scott is the author of five nonfiction books, including Extreme Kids, winner of the National Outdoor Book Award. Scott is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys backpacking, river rafting, skiing, and mountaineering. He has made a living as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, radio disk jockey, and coal–shoveling fireman on the steam–powered Durango–Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. He lives with his spouse, who is an emergency physician, in Durango, Colorado. ​

Editorial Reviews

09/20/2021

Graham’s earnest seventh National Park mystery (after 2020’s Mesa Verde Victim) takes archaeologist Chuck Bender to Utah’s remote Canyonlands National Park, where Chuck has signed on for a two-week whitewater rafting expedition, the members of which are “comprised of water-policy experts and corporate representatives.” At the end of each day’s rafting, they are “tasked with debating the contentious government policies for water use in the arid American Southwest, discussing how to improve rules and methods for allocating water among residential consumers and agricultural and industrial users.” A few days into the trip, an esteemed emeritus professor of water policy dies of an apparent heart attack. Not until more than halfway through the book is there a clear-cut murder, and Chuck realizes there’s a killer in their midst. Scott’s descriptions of the excitement of rafting and the beauty of the landscape compensate only in part for the almost incidental mystery plot and characters who often speak in lecture mode. This one’s for those who care deeply about environmental policy in the American West. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"Outdoor enthusiasts, environmentalists, and history buffs will all find something that satisfies in Canyonlands Carnage. Graham beautifully captures what it's like to navigate the rapids—the danger, the thrill, the skill required—while also painting a vivid picture of the region's myriad natural wonders."

—MYSTERY SCENE MAGAZINE

"A well–crafted whodunit."

—DENVER POST

"Packed with glorious descriptions of America's most remote national park, Graham's knowledge of whitewater rafting is detailed and intimate, bringing readers along for the tumultuous ride that is Canyonlands Carnage. This is one of Graham’s best."

—DURANGO HERALD

"This one's for those who care deeply about environmental policy in the American West."

—PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY

"From the exhilarating whitewater opening to the satisfying ending, Scott Graham's latest outing in his National Park Mystery series, Canyonlands Carnage, is a confluence of thrills, history, and mystery as twisty as the Colorado River."

—MICKI BROWNING, Agatha Award finalist and author of Shadow Ridge

"Canyonlands Carnage, Scott Graham's gripping seventh National Park Mystery, offers thrills and spills and an insidiously vindictive killer on a whitewater rafting trip through notorious Cataract Canyon, deep in the red rock heart of one of America's most spectacular national parks. A breathtaking ride."

—KEVIN FEDARKO, author of The Emerald Mile

"In Canyonlands Carnage we visit a remote park, experience the thrills and terrors of whitewater rafting on its waters, mourn the death of an elderly scientist (hint: not a natural death), and get a huge bonus: a thoughtful and informative review of water policies and allocations in our drought-stricken Southwest. Phoenix is, as archaeologist Chuck Bender, the series lead, points out, the city most endangered by current policies.”

—BARBARA PETERS, The Poisoned Pen

From the Publisher