144 ratings | 137 reviews | avg rating:4.49

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Cary J. Griffith’s Followers (143)

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Cary’s Friends (17)

Rachel Anderson

254 books | 15 friends

Beau

525 books | 6 friends

Ralph Strong

700 books | 834 friends

Sterling Gate Books

583 books | 4,182 friends

Joanna Griffith

220 books | 11 friends

Aaron Roberts

423 books | 47 friends

douglas peterson

6 books | 104 friends

Dorothy

3,998 books | 229 friends

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Cary J. Griffith

Goodreads Author

Born

in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, The United States

Website

http://www.carygriffith.com

Twitter

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Genre

Nonfiction, Thriller, Suspense

Influences

Ernest Hemingway, Father, ...more

Member Since

March 2010

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Award-winning author Cary J. Griffith grew up among the woods, fields, and emerald waters of eastern Iowa. His childhood fostered a lifelong love of wild places.

He earned a B.A. in English from the University of Iowa and an M.A. in library science from the University of Minnesota.

Griffith’s books explore the natural world. In nonfiction, he covers the borderlands between civilization and wild places. In fiction, he focuses on the ways some people use flora and fauna to commit crimes, while others with more reverence and understanding of the natural world leverage their knowledge to bring criminals to justice.

He lives with his family in a suburb of Minnesota’s Twin Cities.

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Cary J. Griffith’s books

Average rating: 4.03 · 4,310 ratings · 578 reviews · 12 distinct works • Similar authors

	Lost in the Wild: Danger and Survival in the North Woods 4.09 avg rating — 2,240 ratings — published 2006 — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wolf Kill (Sam Rivers #1) 3.92 avg rating — 490 ratings — published 2013 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gunflint Burning: Fire in the Boundary Waters 3.92 avg rating — 433 ratings — published 2018 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gunflint Falling: Blowdown in the Boundary Waters 3.84 avg rating — 309 ratings — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cougar Claw (Sam Rivers #2) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 253 ratings — published 2022 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rattlesnake Bluff (Sam Rivers, #5) 4.24 avg rating — 174 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Killing Monarchs (Sam Rivers Mystery #3) 4.06 avg rating — 158 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dead Catch (Sam Rivers Mystery #4) 4.31 avg rating — 120 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Savage Minnesota 3.73 avg rating — 71 ratings — published 2014	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Opening Goliath: Danger and Discovery in Caving 3.90 avg rating — 62 ratings — published 2009 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Series by Cary J. Griffith

Sam Rivers (6 books)
by

Cary J. Griffith (Goodreads Author)

4.04 avg rating — 1,195 ratings

Cary is Currently Reading

Cary Griffith is currently reading

Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection

by John E. Sarno

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Apr 29, 2025 07:29PM

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Cary’s Recent Updates

Cary Griffith rated a book liked it The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
While not predictable the characters didn't seem exactly real. Sort of cartoonish, taking some unbelievable turns. I was surprised to find this was such a bestseller ...more
Apr 12, 2026 08:30AM · like · see review
Cary Griffith rated a book it was amazing Sea of Grass: The Conquest, Ruin, and Redemption of Nature on the American Prairie by Dave Hage	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 06, 2026 11:38AM · 1 like · like
Cary Griffith rated a book it was amazing Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Great author, great read.
Apr 06, 2026 11:34AM · like · see review
Cary Griffith rated a book it was amazing A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Wow. I know a book is good when I read how difficult the described hike is, and all I can think about is doing it. Mind you, it's never gonna happen. I enjoyed this book ... though I gotta say it was a little long. Could have used a little editing, t ...more
Mar 03, 2026 06:08PM · like · see review
Cary Griffith rated a book it was amazing Broken Fields (Cash Blackbear Mysteries, #4) by Marcie R. Rendon	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. A buddy and I take on reading all the finalists for the MN Book Awards, genre fiction category. This was one of them. Gotta say, I agreed with whoever the judges were who selected it. Full disclosure, I submitted Rattlesna ...more
Mar 03, 2026 06:01PM · 1 like · like · see review
Cary Griffith rated a book it was amazing Think Twice (Myron Bolitar, #12) by Harlan Coben (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I'm a sucker for a fastpaced thriller. This fit the bill. Interestingly, I heard mystery writer Lori Rader Day speak recently and she mention Harlan Coben's approach to novel writing. If I remember correctly, he spends up to six months (?) working on ...more
Mar 03, 2026 05:56PM · 1 like · like · see review
Cary Griffith rated a book liked it Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
If there was a way to give this book 3.7 stars, I would. It's quite good. But there were a few plot points that didn't add up for me - that lacked veracity. The idea a grown, mature, adult woman living in contemporary times (admittedly this was a few ...more
Jan 16, 2026 03:34PM · like · see review
Cary Griffith rated a book it was amazing Horse by Geraldine Brooks (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I won't waste anyone's time adding my accolades to the others who have rated this book with 5 stars. I see some have rated is with fewer stars. I'm not sure why, and I don't really care to find out. This book had it all - great story lines, lots of p ...more
Jan 16, 2026 03:30PM · like · see review
Cary Griffith is now following Taylor Jenkins Reid Author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Jan 03, 2026 07:23PM · like
Cary Griffith rated a book it was amazing Where Wolves Don't Die by Anton Treuer (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 14, 2025 12:28PM · like

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Topics Mentioning This Author

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Nothing But Readi...: New 2 U Authors 2021	113	617	May 23, 2022 09:14AM
Goodreads Librari...: GR authors	117	90	Jan 14, 2025 04:06PM
Hooked on Books : 2025 Book Carnival Circuit: Team Magics & Mystics	357	65	Jun 30, 2025 05:26AM
Nothing But Readi...: Team Lotus Tower	2187	189	Aug 22, 2025 12:21AM

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Cary’s Friend Comments

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message 2: by Dorothy

Dec 25, 2012 03:54PM

Thanks for friendship. :D

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message 1: by Nicholas

Oct 07, 2012 09:21AM

Padre! You should be exploiting Goodreads! Seriously! It's your friend. Look up Cary J Griffith and they've already made a profile for you because you're an author, but there's nothing listed. Social Media is the future.

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Cary’s Year In Books

Cary J. Griffith’s Followers (143)

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Cary J. Griffith

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