For years folks have heard about all sorts of weird ways to hurt yourself in Yellowstone National Park. From jumping into a hot pool to save your dog (nope) to being dragged from a tent by a grizzly bear (yikes) — dangers abound. So when I was planning a new mystery anthology– and living just 30 miles from the park– my choice was easy. Yellowstone it was.

I spent last year developing this book, putting out feelers to mystery writers who might want to take the leap into the dark recesses of Yellowstone for fun and good reading. A great group answered the call and I choose 13 to be in the anthology. They hail from Canada to New Mexico, New York to California. And a couple of us from Montana.

Now the time has come to announce and launch! It releases on March 1 on most platforms and, crucially, through your favorite hometown bookstore. (Where you will have to special order it, I think. Tell them the title or use this ISBN #: 9781960556042) If you are willing and able to order online may I suggest one of these two independent bookstores that are set up to take your order now. Or Bookshop.org, always a good alternative.

So who is in this anthology? A diverse group, men and women, old and young, all avid mystery writers. A few are making their “in print” debuts, we’re proud to say. Here’s the lineup:

Here’s the promo copy, in case a tantalizing bunch of Yellowstone stories about criminals, wild animals, and murder isn’t enough for you!

Explore the treacherous and awe-inspiring landscape of America’s first national park in this new anthology, Deadly Yellowstone. With scalding geysers, stampeding buffalo, and ravenous grizzlies, danger lurks at every turn.

As a global tourist magnet, Yellowstone National Park attracts not only nature enthusiasts but also those with sinister intentions. Unravel the mysteries within the park’s boundaries as these thirteen gripping short stories delve into baffling events amidst the beauty and danger of Yellowstone.

The wonders of Yellowstone — the geysers and mudpots, the wildlife, the incredible landscape — have fascinated visitors for over 150 years. The hydrothermal features in the park number more than half the world’s total. Before — and after — its early 19th-century discovery by mountain men, Native American tribes hunted and traversed the region for over 11,000 years. It was named America’s first National Park in 1872, and visitation continues to grow today.

These thirteen short stories are fictional, and bear no relation to real people or events. Some are amusing, some scary or mysterious, some fantastical. Yellowstone is like that: something for everyone.

From authors all over North America, tales to keep you reading through the chilly forest nights.

The paperback will be available this summer in Yellowstone proper, as the authors are doing several in-person events at the inns and hotels. Stay tuned in case you’re in the area.

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