In 1972, the late, great John Denver released his iconic song “Rocky Mountain High” extolling the beauty of the state of Colorado. As a teen, I lived on a cattle ranch near the small town of Saguache, surrounded by mountains in Colorado’s high altitude San Luis Valley. The song exemplifies my lifelong love of the Colorado high country.
I’ve spent many a glorious day searching for golden aspen groves or hiking rocky mountain trails to reach pristine lakes nestled like gems among jagged peaks. So it wasn’t much of a stretch to set my Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries in a fictional town in the Colorado Rockies. Protagonists Deputy Mattie Cobb/Wray, her K-9 partner Robo, and veterinarian Cole Walker solve crimes that impact their rural mountain county that has more forested acres than people. I love pitting this threesome against the challenges of rugged terrain, the elements of nature, and the ever-changing weather.
Then, in 2022 my husband and I decided to move from Colorado to the state of Washington to be closer to family. In a process that took two years, we dispersed our cattle herd and farm equipment, closed our veterinary clinic, and sorted through forty years of collectibles to separate treasures from giveaways. We packed up our remaining belongings and our two German shorthaired pointers and headed west.
The move was grueling, both emotionally and physically; but in the end, we’re happily settled and it’s been great for our family. And we’ve found another gorgeous area to explore near our new home on the Olympic peninsula. Rainforests, the Olympic mountains swathed in towering Douglas fir and Western red cedar, and a wet climate resulting in thick undergrowth and moss covered deadfall sparked my imagination and inspired me to set my ninth Timber Creek K-9 Mystery here in Washington.
In Gathering Mist, one week before her wedding, Mattie and Robo accept a mission to search for a celebrity’s missing son on Washington’s rugged Olympic peninsula. They encounter unfamiliar territory, danger lurking in the mist, and deadly secrets, forcing them into a desperate race to find the child before he disappears forever. I invite you to join Mattie, Robo, and Cole on their latest adventure in a new setting.
Not only do I love writing mysteries set in the great outdoors, I love reading them too. This isn’t an all-inclusive list but here are some of my favorites. From debut authors to those well established in the outdoor mystery genre, I think you might enjoy reading their books. Ten authors are listed below in alphabetical order.
CJ Box
With twenty-four installments in the Joe Pickett series, Box delivers a binge-worthy series for the most avid outdoor mystery lover. His latest, Three Inch Teeth, pits game warden Joe Pickett against two kinds of murderous beasts, a rogue grizzly bear and an ex-con seeking revenge. Box plunks his readers smack dab in the middle of the Wyoming Rockies while his plots keep them on the edge of their seats.
Kathleen Bryant
Lucky me, I was given an early read of Over the Edge, Bryant’s debut mystery set in Sedona’s red rock canyons. Here is what I thought of it: “Bryant weaves a rich tapestry out of all things Sedona. Loaded with details about the area’s people, its history, and the mystical beauty of its landscapes, Over the Edge delivers a unique and compelling outdoor mystery. There’s a lot to love about this book!” Don’t miss this cat-and-mouse thriller in which a former reporter pieces together her shattered memories, hoping to stop a killer before it’s too late.
Kathleen Donnelly
Donnelly combines her real-life experience handling narcotics detection K-9s with her passion for the forested mountains of Colorado in her National Forest K-9 series. In book #3, Killer Secrets, an avalanche exposes a serial killer’s dumping grounds, challenging Forest Service officer Maya Thompson and her Belgian Malinois partner Juniper to catch the murderer before they become the next targets.
Sara Driscoll
Driscoll’s FBI K-9 series features FBI handler Meg Jennings and her K-9 partner Hawk. Driscoll has eight books out so far with a ninth, Summit’s Edge, set to come out in November of this year. Meg’s assignments take readers to different wilderness areas on search and rescue missions. In book #8, That Others May Live, Meg and Hawk race to find survivors inside a partially collapsed building in Washington D.C. after an act of domestic terrorism.
Scott Graham
In Graham’s National Park Mysteries, each episode is set in a different park. Death Valley Duel, book #9, features archaeologist Chuck Bender who discovers a century-old crime that he believes may be related to a series of accidents endangering the lives of participants in a tough ultra trail-running race—including his stepdaughter. Visit the nation’s national parks by reading these well-crafted mysteries while sitting in your favorite easy chair.
Anne Hillerman
Hillerman’s latest, Lost Birds, is #27 in the binge-worthy Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito novels. This quote from the book’s cover describes it best: “Exploring the emotionally complex issues of adoption of Indigenous children by non-native parents, Anne Hillerman delivers another thought-provoking, gripping mystery that brings to life the vivid terrain of the American Southwest, its people, and the lore and traditions that make it distinct.” Hillerman is a master storyteller.
Craig Johnson
Johnson’s beloved Longmire Mysteries are truly binge-worthy favorites in the outdoor mystery genre. In First Frost, book #20, the past and the future collide for Sheriff Walt Longmire. The setting for this series is Absaroka County, a fictional place that Johnson makes tongue-in-cheek reference to as “the most dangerous county in Wyoming.” Look for Longmire book #21, Return to Sender, coming out May 2025.
Claire Kells
Pinnacles National Park is the setting for Forgotten Trail, the third book in Claire Kells’ National Parks Mysteries, in which Investigative Services Branch agent Felicity Harland must hike through a volcanic wilderness to investigate a murder at a remote lodge. She soon discovers that things aren’t what they seem and all are in danger as a predator closes in. Discover national parks through the eyes of this gutsy ISB agent.
A.J. Landau
Leave No Trace is the first National Parks thriller written by co-writers Jeff Ayers and Jon Land. In a brutal act of terrorism, an explosion topples the Statue of Liberty in Landau’s debut thriller featuring Special Agent Michael Walker of the National Park Service. Fans won’t have to wait long for book two in the series; Cold Burn is scheduled to launch in April 2025.
Paula Munier
Munier’s Mercy Carr Mysteries are set in the beautiful woods of Vermont. The latest is The Night Woods, book #6, in which the very pregnant Mercy and her Belgian Malinois Elvis discover a body in a missing friend’s cabin. She and Elvis battle a storm to search for her friend, who is the number one suspect in the murder investigation, and they uncover evidence that the real killer is out there ready to strike again. Munier delivers an immersive outdoor setting as a backdrop for a twisty whodunit.
***
