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Sam Rivers #5
Rattlesnake Bluff
When the mysterious appearance of an endangered snake leads to murder, special agent Sam Rivers must solve the case before those responsible can slither away.
The appearance of a rattlesnake wouldn’t normally be enough to halt construction on Alta Vista, an upscale housing development in Southeast Minnesota’s bluff country. But this is no ordinary reptile; it’s a rare eastern massasauga rattlesnake (EMR). The endangered snake has not been seen in the region for more than two decades, so Sam Rivers is called in. As a special agent of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Sam takes his responsibilities seriously—especially when it comes to protecting endangered species and their habitats. If he finds EMR dens on the construction site, he’ll close it permanently.
While the developers protest in outrage, Sam enlists the help of herpetologist Gina Larkspur from the Department of Natural Resources. Together, they begin to find anomalies that call the entire situation into question. When Sam’s wolfdog, Gray, tries to sniff out the EMR dens, it isn’t rattlesnakes he finds. Instead, Gray discovers the remnants of a terrible, 25-year-old crime. Were the endangered species merely pawns in a diabolical coverup? As Sam searches for the truth, bodies begin to pile up. He and his team must race to find answers before more innocents die.
Natural history writer Cary J. Griffith brings back Sam Rivers for his fifth outdoors-themed mystery—a suspenseful novel filled with fast-paced action.
The appearance of a rattlesnake wouldn’t normally be enough to halt construction on Alta Vista, an upscale housing development in Southeast Minnesota’s bluff country. But this is no ordinary reptile; it’s a rare eastern massasauga rattlesnake (EMR). The endangered snake has not been seen in the region for more than two decades, so Sam Rivers is called in. As a special agent of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Sam takes his responsibilities seriously—especially when it comes to protecting endangered species and their habitats. If he finds EMR dens on the construction site, he’ll close it permanently.
While the developers protest in outrage, Sam enlists the help of herpetologist Gina Larkspur from the Department of Natural Resources. Together, they begin to find anomalies that call the entire situation into question. When Sam’s wolfdog, Gray, tries to sniff out the EMR dens, it isn’t rattlesnakes he finds. Instead, Gray discovers the remnants of a terrible, 25-year-old crime. Were the endangered species merely pawns in a diabolical coverup? As Sam searches for the truth, bodies begin to pile up. He and his team must race to find answers before more innocents die.
Natural history writer Cary J. Griffith brings back Sam Rivers for his fifth outdoors-themed mystery—a suspenseful novel filled with fast-paced action.
- GenresMystery
384 pages, Paperback
Published June 10, 2025
64 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Cary J. Griffith
11 books143 followersAward-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.
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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
July 10, 2025
I'm hovering somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. I was interested in the setting because I had recently finished a book of essays about the Driftless area of southwestern Wisconsin, and this takes place in the adjacent area of southeastern Minnesota. I've enjoyed Sam Rivers' other investigations of murders connected in some way to various wild animals. However, sometimes this book dragged in too much "textbook" kind of information about endangered rattlesnakes, microchip procedures, and other technicalities. Also, the white supremacist/Nazi motivations and connections seemed a bit over the top. Not sure if I'll return to the series.
September 29, 2025
This is a good read, but I couldn't help but think of Mike Bowditch.
June 22, 2025
A Thriller That Bites—and Doesn’t Let Go!
Cary J. Griffith strikes again with Rattlesnake Bluff, a masterful blend of wilderness grit, psychological suspense, and social commentary. From the heart-pounding prologue involving a chilling hit-and-run to the discovery of an endangered rattlesnake that halts a major development, this story is both timely and thrilling. Sam Rivers, our steadfast U.S. Fish & Wildlife agent, is as compelling as ever—reluctant hero, wilderness expert, and all-around badass—with his loyal wolf-dog Gray by his side. The villain, Der, is one of the most nuanced and disturbingly believable antagonists I’ve read in a long time.
What elevates this mystery is Griffith’s deep knowledge of the landscape and his sharp attention to the complexities of morality and justice. This book isn’t just a whodunit—it’s a why-dunit, and that makes it unforgettable. Highly recommended for fans of C.J. Box and Craig Johnson.
Don't miss this haunting ride through bluff country—it's both a gripping mystery and a sobering reflection on the past's long shadow.
Cary J. Griffith strikes again with Rattlesnake Bluff, a masterful blend of wilderness grit, psychological suspense, and social commentary. From the heart-pounding prologue involving a chilling hit-and-run to the discovery of an endangered rattlesnake that halts a major development, this story is both timely and thrilling. Sam Rivers, our steadfast U.S. Fish & Wildlife agent, is as compelling as ever—reluctant hero, wilderness expert, and all-around badass—with his loyal wolf-dog Gray by his side. The villain, Der, is one of the most nuanced and disturbingly believable antagonists I’ve read in a long time.
What elevates this mystery is Griffith’s deep knowledge of the landscape and his sharp attention to the complexities of morality and justice. This book isn’t just a whodunit—it’s a why-dunit, and that makes it unforgettable. Highly recommended for fans of C.J. Box and Craig Johnson.
Don't miss this haunting ride through bluff country—it's both a gripping mystery and a sobering reflection on the past's long shadow.
June 20, 2025
From the moment Der is introduced, you get the feeling something is off—and Griffith plays that tension masterfully. He isn’t your typical villain. He’s quiet. Polite. Calculated. But as his chilling past begins to unravel, you start to realize he’s the kind of evil that doesn’t just hide—it blends in.
The way Griffith layers Der’s obsession with Hitler, control, and a twisted sense of justice is downright disturbing. His relationship with the caves—his “Lair”—gives off serious Silence of the Lambs energy, only wilder and more grounded in American soil. It’s rare to feel this unsettled without gore.
By the time justice comes slithering back, you’re not cheering—it’s more of a primal exhale. That’s how deeply Griffith makes you feel the stakes.
Absolutely recommended for readers who want their villains terrifyingly real and their thrillers laced with psychological poison.
The way Griffith layers Der’s obsession with Hitler, control, and a twisted sense of justice is downright disturbing. His relationship with the caves—his “Lair”—gives off serious Silence of the Lambs energy, only wilder and more grounded in American soil. It’s rare to feel this unsettled without gore.
By the time justice comes slithering back, you’re not cheering—it’s more of a primal exhale. That’s how deeply Griffith makes you feel the stakes.
Absolutely recommended for readers who want their villains terrifyingly real and their thrillers laced with psychological poison.
July 2, 2025
From the moment a rattlesnake is found inside a Bobcat cab, Rattlesnake Bluff sinks its fangs into you. What starts as a strange environmental disruption quickly evolves into a chilling dive into a 25-year-old cold case. Griffith is a master of suspense, and this entry in the Sam Rivers series proves it.
Sam, paired with his fiercely loyal wolf-dog Gray, navigates more than just bluffs and limestone caves—he’s navigating layers of buried truth and moral rot. The setting is vividly rendered, but it’s the psychological undercurrent—particularly the villain Der, a sociopathic man raised on hate—that truly haunts.
With a narrative coiled as tight as its titular snake, this book strikes with precision.
Highly recommended for fans of C.J. Box and gritty wilderness thrillers. This one belongs in your cart.
Sam, paired with his fiercely loyal wolf-dog Gray, navigates more than just bluffs and limestone caves—he’s navigating layers of buried truth and moral rot. The setting is vividly rendered, but it’s the psychological undercurrent—particularly the villain Der, a sociopathic man raised on hate—that truly haunts.
With a narrative coiled as tight as its titular snake, this book strikes with precision.
Highly recommended for fans of C.J. Box and gritty wilderness thrillers. This one belongs in your cart.
June 20, 2025
Nothing is more chilling than a cold case suddenly unearthed, and Rattlesnake Bluff digs it up with venomous precision. The pacing is perfection—each clue revealed at just the right time, each character more layered than the last.
The emotional stakes soar when we meet the Garcia family, victims of a decades-old disappearance. It’s not just about solving the mystery—it’s about healing wounds that never truly closed. The confrontation between past and present is gut-wrenching and handled with incredible grace.
And when you add in ecological sabotage, racial tension, and domestic terror—this story grows claws. This is one of those books that stays in your head long after the final page. A knockout recommendation from me.
The emotional stakes soar when we meet the Garcia family, victims of a decades-old disappearance. It’s not just about solving the mystery—it’s about healing wounds that never truly closed. The confrontation between past and present is gut-wrenching and handled with incredible grace.
And when you add in ecological sabotage, racial tension, and domestic terror—this story grows claws. This is one of those books that stays in your head long after the final page. A knockout recommendation from me.
June 26, 2025
This book feels like if True Detective and A Walk in the Woods had a brilliant, twisted baby. The 25-year-old cold case—wrapped in a developer's nightmare, endangered snakes, and one of fiction’s creepiest villains—makes for a relentlessly thrilling story.
Griffith’s villain, Der, is haunting. His unsettling idolization of Hitler and chilling “Lair” filled with WWII artifacts is unlike anything I’ve encountered in mystery fiction. He’s evil, yes, but so disturbingly ordinary that it chills the soul.
If you enjoy villains who are scarily real and heroes who feel like they could walk off the page and into your neighborhood, grab Rattlesnake Bluff ASAP. Recommended for fans of smart, wild, and deeply layered thrillers.
Griffith’s villain, Der, is haunting. His unsettling idolization of Hitler and chilling “Lair” filled with WWII artifacts is unlike anything I’ve encountered in mystery fiction. He’s evil, yes, but so disturbingly ordinary that it chills the soul.
If you enjoy villains who are scarily real and heroes who feel like they could walk off the page and into your neighborhood, grab Rattlesnake Bluff ASAP. Recommended for fans of smart, wild, and deeply layered thrillers.
July 2, 2025
This book doesn’t just revisit a cold case—it exhumes it with fury. When construction unearths more than rocks, Special Agent Sam Rivers finds himself face-to-face with a monster hiding in plain sight. The unraveling of the past—especially the death of two children—is both heartbreaking and harrowing.
Griffith balances pulse-pounding action with forensic and ecological depth. The timber and snake species aren’t just plot devices—they symbolize the fragility of what we protect… or fail to. And in the middle of it all, Sam remains the steady hand we trust.
The final scenes are stunning—poetic justice delivered in scales and silence.
This is not just a mystery—it’s a reckoning. Highly recommended.
Griffith balances pulse-pounding action with forensic and ecological depth. The timber and snake species aren’t just plot devices—they symbolize the fragility of what we protect… or fail to. And in the middle of it all, Sam remains the steady hand we trust.
The final scenes are stunning—poetic justice delivered in scales and silence.
This is not just a mystery—it’s a reckoning. Highly recommended.
June 20, 2025
Cary J. Griffith understands something many thriller writers miss: fear is more potent when it’s quiet. Rattlesnake Bluff doesn’t rely on jump scares or clichés. It coils its story tightly around your chest and squeezes—slowly, deliberately, mercilessly.
There’s an eerie beauty in the way nature plays judge and jury in this book. The rattlesnakes, the bluff, the decay in the soil—it all becomes a haunting metaphor for buried secrets. And when those secrets strike? They leave scars.
I came for the wildlife. I stayed for the haunting moral ambiguity. Griffith has built a world where nature doesn’t just reclaim the land—it reclaims truth.
There’s an eerie beauty in the way nature plays judge and jury in this book. The rattlesnakes, the bluff, the decay in the soil—it all becomes a haunting metaphor for buried secrets. And when those secrets strike? They leave scars.
I came for the wildlife. I stayed for the haunting moral ambiguity. Griffith has built a world where nature doesn’t just reclaim the land—it reclaims truth.
June 23, 2025
Minnesota’s Driftless area becomes a living entity in this novel—rugged, beautiful, and merciless. Griffith’s ability to blend ecological knowledge with narrative momentum is astonishing. The landscape feels like a trap and a refuge all at once.
As rattlesnakes slither through limestone crevices and forgotten children whisper beneath the dirt, the story tightens its grip. Even the side characters like Jules and Gina are beautifully drawn, with clear motives and layered backstories.
This isn’t just a crime story—it’s a lament for the forgotten. Perfect for fans of outdoor noir, environmental thrillers, and gritty human drama.
As rattlesnakes slither through limestone crevices and forgotten children whisper beneath the dirt, the story tightens its grip. Even the side characters like Jules and Gina are beautifully drawn, with clear motives and layered backstories.
This isn’t just a crime story—it’s a lament for the forgotten. Perfect for fans of outdoor noir, environmental thrillers, and gritty human drama.
June 27, 2025
This isn’t just a mystery—it’s a deep-dive into the psyche of a killer. Der is a complex, horrifying creation whose obsession with fascism and control gives this story an unforgettable darkness. His upbringing, his secret Lair, and his carefully crafted mask of normalcy are disturbing in the best literary way.
Meanwhile, Sam Rivers’ empathy and focus offer a compelling counterbalance. Griffith pits predator versus protector in a dance of death and justice. You’ll finish this book breathless.
Highly recommended for fans of intelligent, thought-provoking crime fiction. You won’t regret this purchase.
Meanwhile, Sam Rivers’ empathy and focus offer a compelling counterbalance. Griffith pits predator versus protector in a dance of death and justice. You’ll finish this book breathless.
Highly recommended for fans of intelligent, thought-provoking crime fiction. You won’t regret this purchase.
July 2, 2025
Griffith opens this novel with raw horror—a drunk joyride, a collision, two young lives stolen. And then, decades later, a snake slithers back into the story to bring it all to light. That’s the brilliance of Rattlesnake Bluff. It’s not just a thriller; it’s karmic.
Sam Rivers is the moral compass in a community losing its bearings. Whether he’s confronting corrupt sheriffs or calming grieving families, his actions speak volumes. Add Gray, the wolf-dog, and you have a duo that commands every page.
Don’t come for cheap thrills—come for the layered truth and smart suspense. This book delivers.
Sam Rivers is the moral compass in a community losing its bearings. Whether he’s confronting corrupt sheriffs or calming grieving families, his actions speak volumes. Add Gray, the wolf-dog, and you have a duo that commands every page.
Don’t come for cheap thrills—come for the layered truth and smart suspense. This book delivers.
July 2, 2025
Every now and then a thriller comes along that makes you pause—not because it slows down, but because you need a second to catch your breath. Rattlesnake Bluff is that book. The villain’s twisted psychology, the stark beauty of the landscape, and the rawness of the investigation make it impossible to put down.
Sam Rivers is the perfect protagonist for this kind of story—rooted in empathy, armed with intellect, and tough when it counts. The bond with his wolf-dog Gray gives the novel emotional grounding without ever losing its edge.
This is the kind of book you pass to a friend and say, “You have to read this.”
If you’re building your 5-star thriller shelf, don’t skip this one.
Sam Rivers is the perfect protagonist for this kind of story—rooted in empathy, armed with intellect, and tough when it counts. The bond with his wolf-dog Gray gives the novel emotional grounding without ever losing its edge.
This is the kind of book you pass to a friend and say, “You have to read this.”
If you’re building your 5-star thriller shelf, don’t skip this one.
July 13, 2025
Dude, this book stank on ice. The writing style was horrid, like what I would expect from someone right out of college or just super inexperienced. We don’t need everyone’s first and last name every time we refer to them and we don’t need to reiterate what’s happening in the plot so often. It felt like a book for people with no attention span. Plot-wise also very predictable and I was mad there was no like follow up or resolution for what happened with the people in the town. What happened with the dairy farm? What happened with Jules? Did the development happen? Just kind of a let down overall.
December 29, 2025
Sam Rivers is an agent for US Fish Wildlife Service; and his job has taken him to many places; THIS time it takes him along the Mississippi River Bluff Country Minnesota and Wisconsin. A new development is being built but has come to a stop as a result of discovery of a rare, deadly rattlesnake at the development build. Sam is called in and what begins in one direction turns into a long ago mystery for the community along the river; and long ago mysteries bring pain, loss and questions that have not had answers until now. Excellent story, great book and Sam Rivers is a great protagonist to follow!
June 20, 2025
What makes Rattlesnake Bluff so addictive is its careful balancing of karma and chaos. Der may believe in destiny, but nature has other plans—and those plans include a rattlesnake bite to the ass of evil.
Griffith doesn’t just punish villains—he lets the natural world weigh in. This is one of the most satisfying justice arcs I’ve ever read in a mystery novel. It’s not flashy, it’s not theatrical—but it’s true.
You’ll feel every moment, from Sam’s breathless hikes to the killer’s final reckoning. Rarely do thrillers deliver justice so symbolically and so sweetly.
Griffith doesn’t just punish villains—he lets the natural world weigh in. This is one of the most satisfying justice arcs I’ve ever read in a mystery novel. It’s not flashy, it’s not theatrical—but it’s true.
You’ll feel every moment, from Sam’s breathless hikes to the killer’s final reckoning. Rarely do thrillers deliver justice so symbolically and so sweetly.
June 20, 2025
This isn’t just about solving a murder—it’s about unraveling how pain weaves itself into the land. Every character in Rattlesnake Bluff is shaped by what the Driftless hides and reveals.
Sam is the ideal guide through this terrain—skeptical but caring, brave but wounded. And his bond with Gray? It’s the emotional center of the entire book.
I devoured this in one sitting. You’ll come for the mystery, but you’ll stay for the characters. Especially Gray. Especially Sam. Especially the bite of truth.
Sam is the ideal guide through this terrain—skeptical but caring, brave but wounded. And his bond with Gray? It’s the emotional center of the entire book.
I devoured this in one sitting. You’ll come for the mystery, but you’ll stay for the characters. Especially Gray. Especially Sam. Especially the bite of truth.
June 20, 2025
Griffith’s narrative style is so immersive, you can practically hear the rattle before each reveal. The mystery of the missing children is tragic, but the way it ties into modern-day ecological tension is where this novel truly shines. What begins as a federal investigation into a protected snake quickly morphs into an excavation of small-town rot.
The payoff? Beyond satisfying. Think Sharp Objects meets Wind River, with venom.
Highly recommended for fans of dark rural mysteries with serious teeth.
The payoff? Beyond satisfying. Think Sharp Objects meets Wind River, with venom.
Highly recommended for fans of dark rural mysteries with serious teeth.
June 23, 2025
Der is a villain you won't forget. His quiet devotion to hate, passed down from his father, is more unsettling than gore. What Griffith achieves here is terrifying—a character who doesn't hiss or roar, but calmly rationalizes murder with generational rot. The Lair scenes gave me literal chills.
This isn't just a thriller; it's a psychological excavation. One of the most important fictional studies of inherited evil I’ve read in years.
Recommended for fans of Mindhunter, Breaking Bad, and books that haunt your conscience.
This isn't just a thriller; it's a psychological excavation. One of the most important fictional studies of inherited evil I’ve read in years.
Recommended for fans of Mindhunter, Breaking Bad, and books that haunt your conscience.
June 26, 2025
The brilliance of Rattlesnake Bluff lies in its ability to weave ecological stakes with human wickedness. From the moment a rare rattlesnake halts development on sacred bluff land, the plot slithers into darkness and suspense. It’s not just about snakes—it’s about secrets buried under stone, bone, and time.
Griffith builds tension with slow-burning mastery. Each chapter leads us deeper into both a physical wilderness and the psychological wilderness of a killer hiding in plain sight. The ecological insight makes the mystery even richer. I couldn’t put it down.
Griffith builds tension with slow-burning mastery. Each chapter leads us deeper into both a physical wilderness and the psychological wilderness of a killer hiding in plain sight. The ecological insight makes the mystery even richer. I couldn’t put it down.
June 26, 2025
What starts as a wildlife investigation turns into a gut-wrenching revelation of a decades-old crime. Sam Rivers doesn’t just track endangered species—he tracks humanity at its worst. And wow, does Griffith know how to peel back the layers.
The scenes with the rattlesnakes are vivid and visceral, but it’s the emotional beats—Sam’s grief, his connection to Carmel, and his unwavering moral compass—that make this book sing.
You don’t have to love snakes to love this story. Just bring a strong heart. I recommend this for readers who appreciate nature-infused thrillers with real teeth.
The scenes with the rattlesnakes are vivid and visceral, but it’s the emotional beats—Sam’s grief, his connection to Carmel, and his unwavering moral compass—that make this book sing.
You don’t have to love snakes to love this story. Just bring a strong heart. I recommend this for readers who appreciate nature-infused thrillers with real teeth.
June 26, 2025
Sam Rivers is the type of hero you root for without hesitation. He’s quiet, competent, deeply passionate about wildlife, and not afraid to face the venom—literal and metaphorical—slithering through Bluff Country. His loyal companion, Gray, is one of the best animal sidekicks in fiction.
I loved how the novel blurred the lines between justice and vengeance. Griffith doesn’t just tell a story—he forces us to ask questions about guilt, history, and what we choose to bury.
Buy this book. It deserves a spot on the shelf beside Craig Johnson and William Kent Krueger.
I loved how the novel blurred the lines between justice and vengeance. Griffith doesn’t just tell a story—he forces us to ask questions about guilt, history, and what we choose to bury.
Buy this book. It deserves a spot on the shelf beside Craig Johnson and William Kent Krueger.
June 27, 2025
This novel sizzles with tension and cold-blooded truths. Der’s scenes are especially terrifying—he's a villain you’ll never forget. His warped sense of destiny and power is portrayed with spine-chilling realism.
Sam’s steady unraveling of the mystery is deeply rewarding, especially as it intersects with grief, love, and justice. The moment Carmel and Sam come together emotionally is such a welcome pause in a story brimming with dread.
If you’ve been sleeping on this series, wake up. It’s time.
Sam’s steady unraveling of the mystery is deeply rewarding, especially as it intersects with grief, love, and justice. The moment Carmel and Sam come together emotionally is such a welcome pause in a story brimming with dread.
If you’ve been sleeping on this series, wake up. It’s time.
July 2, 2025
This is one of those thrillers where the tension grows not just from what might happen—but from what already did. The children in this book aren’t just victims—they're echoes that won’t be silenced. The book’s greatest strength is that it makes you feel the weight of those lost voices.
The landscape is vivid and cinematic, from limestone bluffs to rattlesnake lairs. The characters are flawed and fascinating, especially Sam’s calm persistence and Jules’s emotional growth.
There’s not a wasted word. It’s tight. It’s smart. And it lingers.
The landscape is vivid and cinematic, from limestone bluffs to rattlesnake lairs. The characters are flawed and fascinating, especially Sam’s calm persistence and Jules’s emotional growth.
There’s not a wasted word. It’s tight. It’s smart. And it lingers.
June 20, 2025
Cary J. Griffith has written his magnum opus. Rattlesnake Bluff delivers a triple threat: a wickedly smart mystery, a chilling character study, and an unflinching look at environmental justice.
You’ll root for Sam. You’ll want to punch Der. And you’ll fall in love with Gray. There’s so much emotional complexity woven into this thriller, it elevates beyond genre into something unforgettable.
This isn’t just a book—it’s a reckoning.
You’ll root for Sam. You’ll want to punch Der. And you’ll fall in love with Gray. There’s so much emotional complexity woven into this thriller, it elevates beyond genre into something unforgettable.
This isn’t just a book—it’s a reckoning.
June 20, 2025
The brilliance of Rattlesnake Bluff lies in how it exposes the rot beneath polite smiles and zoning plans. The real estate angle is more than a subplot—it’s a modern-day smokescreen for old crimes, and Griffith lays it bare with surgical precision.
If you like your mysteries steeped in atmosphere and slow-burn suspense, this one’s for you.
Recommended for readers who love the grit of Long Bright River and the shadow of Ozark.
If you like your mysteries steeped in atmosphere and slow-burn suspense, this one’s for you.
Recommended for readers who love the grit of Long Bright River and the shadow of Ozark.
June 27, 2025
Cary J. Griffith’s writing is lean and lethal. With Rattlesnake Bluff, he delivers a haunting narrative wrapped in environmental stakes and personal vendettas. The Driftless region is richly portrayed, a character in its own right.
What truly hooked me was the use of rattlesnakes—not just as plot devices, but as symbolic agents of karma. Nature has a way of restoring balance, and this story proves it with a fanged vengeance.
What truly hooked me was the use of rattlesnakes—not just as plot devices, but as symbolic agents of karma. Nature has a way of restoring balance, and this story proves it with a fanged vengeance.
June 27, 2025
There’s something sinister crawling just under the surface in Rattlesnake Bluff. The discovery of a rare rattlesnake leads to one of the best unraveling cold cases I’ve ever read. Griffith keeps us guessing, and when the truth strikes—it’s brutal and satisfying.
If you enjoy environmental thrillers with real-world resonance, this is your next read. Grab it if you want your mysteries sharp, shocking, and serpentine.
If you enjoy environmental thrillers with real-world resonance, this is your next read. Grab it if you want your mysteries sharp, shocking, and serpentine.
June 27, 2025
What starts as a conservation mission quickly spirals into a deadly treasure hunt for the truth. The bodies, the snakes, the twisted past—it’s all part of a beautifully horrific puzzle. I loved the forensic attention to detail, especially the way the snake DNA played into the larger mystery.
Rattlesnake Bluff isn’t just thrilling—it’s smart. With characters who feel real and stakes that couldn’t be higher, this is a one-sitting kind of book.
Rattlesnake Bluff isn’t just thrilling—it’s smart. With characters who feel real and stakes that couldn’t be higher, this is a one-sitting kind of book.
June 27, 2025
Griffith understands not just landscapes, but the landscape of the soul. The eerie terrain of the Driftless area mirrors the moral erosion hiding in Owen’s Gap. Sam’s dedication to truth, even when it comes at personal cost, makes him one of the best protagonists in modern crime fiction.
This book is about more than murder—it’s about the lies we tell ourselves and the monsters we let hide behind closed doors.
This book is about more than murder—it’s about the lies we tell ourselves and the monsters we let hide behind closed doors.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews