Deadly Yellowstone: An Original Collection of Tantalizing Western Mystery Tales

by Lise McClendon, Sally Milliken, David Bart

Thirteen stories of wildlife, mystery, and mayhem, set in Yellowstone National Park 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 something for everyone.

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

Included in the
DEAD ZONE by Karen Keeley
THE INTRUDERS by Robert Mrazek
FOR THE LOVE OF ANSEL ADAMS by Celeste Berteau
SOME DAYS YOU EAT THE BEAR by Katy Munger
PREY FOR REVEREND MORGAN by David Bart
LITTLE GLORIOUS LIFE by Sally Milliken
DEAD BEAR AFFAIR by Kenzie Lappin
YELLOW STONE by R.T. Lawton
WHAT ROAMS AT NIGHT by Alyssa Bowen
HONEYMOON TRIP by Julie Fasciana
TERRACES by Katie Thomas
HIGH, WIDE, AND HEINOUS by Lise McClendon
YELLOWSTONE A LEGEND ARISES by Cheryl Fallin

Available in e-book and paperback March 1, 2025

Genres: Short Stories

274 pages, Paperback

Published February 28, 2025

About the author

Lise McClendon is a fiction writer living in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. She has been a film reviewer, a film maker, a journalism professor, and a PR flack. Since her first novel, The Bluejay Shaman, in 1994, she has served on the national board of Mystery Writers of America and the International Association of Crime Writers/North America, as well as on faculty of the Jackson Hole Writers Conference where each year she critiques, speaks, and learns from writers new and old.

Check out the Lise McClendon Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LiseMcClendon

Lise McClendon also writes as Rory Tate in the 2011 thriller, JUMP CUT. Her new novel by Rory Tate is PLAN X, available now. Read her latest novel, Château des Corbeaux, 17th in the Bennett Sisters mystery series that began with Blackbird Fly.

Reviews

[Bookworm86 · Rating 4 out of 5]

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Deadly Yellowstone' edited by Lise McClendon

'Deadly Yellowstone' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. These stories discuss/include animal killing/abuse, animal death, child abuse and poaching.

This book is very well written with vivid descriptions that absolutely grip the readers attention and puts them right in the middle of it all making your heart pound and you constantly second guessing.

An addictive and horrific collection of 13 short stories filled with mystery, nature, disasters, friendship, romance, western, mayhem and absolutely everything you could ask for in a fantastic page turner. As I always do with books of short stories or poems I will rate them individually and then give an overall rating at the end. Although these stories all have a western mystery theme, if you are not a fan of westerns please do not let that put you off. I am not a fan of westerns at all and never have been but I absolutely love horror and mysteries and I am so glad I picked this book up as it is ram packed with it!! These are the stories that are included in order, a short description of what they are about and my rating:

'Dead Zone' by Karen Keeley: In this story we meet our protagonist in Schanks Bar 'n Grill where he meets his friend and colleague Randy . Randy starts telling him about a place in Yellowstone that is classed as a 'dead zone' where you can get away with murder. Randy then tells him that they are going on a trip there together to celebrate Randy's 40th birthday. However, there is a reason Randy wants to go there with our protagonist that has nothing to do with his birthday!! An intriguing short story about revenge. 4/5

'The Intruders' by Robert J. Mrazek: Chip and Lonny head to Yellowstone to stay in a lodge where they can monitor bison for work but go fishing and trophy hunting for fun. When they arrive they start hearing strange noises and discover bite marks in the lodge. I am not sure what I thought of this one as without giving too much away I hate animal abuse/death but at the same time justice is served so I will give this mysterious and wilderness packed tale a 4/5.

'For The Love Of Ansel Adams' by Celeste Berteau: Cat heads on a trip with her neighbours Alice and Marian to Wyoming to see an exhibition of Ansel Adams' national park photos. When they are enjoying a drink Cat spots somebody that she knows who she very much dislikes for his abuse of art. An enjoyable art break ends with a drugging, murder and theft!! I really liked this one, especially the little twist at the end. 4/5

'Some Days You Eat The Bear' by Katy Munger. This is definitely one of my favourites!! Daphne is fed up of being treated as a slave by her so called friend and boss Alexa who is an influencer. Alexa is brash, immature, demanding and overall a horrid person!! They are on a visit to Yellowstone where Alexa is completely inappropriately dressed and pretending she knows or cares about the national park. Alexa also ignores all the safety signs as well as the rangers advice but this is a great story of karma!! It definitely gets 5/5 from me.

'Prey For Reverend Morgan' by David Bart: Ex Reverend Morgan Williams is on a trip to Yellowstone with his wife Tonya and best friend Rick when he is tricked and abandoned by them. Morgan has not always been a nice guy but doesn't believe he deserves the fate they have left him for. When he sleeps he dreams that he is a wolf but these dreams feel more like reality. Is truth stranger than fiction in this strange story? Not one of my favourites if I'm honest as I found it to be more confusing than any of the others so just a 2/5 for this one from me.

'Little Glorious Life' by Sally Milliken: I absolutely adored this story which is another one of my favourites and if you loved the film and/or book P.S I Love You, you will too as it has very similar vibes. Four friends, Cathy, Heather, Jennifer and Alice have come to Yellowstone to spread the ashes of their friend Mary. Mary has given them very strict instructions as well as paying for what she wants done. Sally takes us on their journey with them and includes a brilliant ellipses in Mary's letters. This story is a beautiful tale of friendship, adventure and more. It definitely gets a 5/5 from me.

'The Dead Bear Affair' by Kenzie Lappin: Another of my favourites takes us back to Yellowstone where we meet Ranger Mary Daggett who prefers nature to people. Mary is checking up on a team of scientists including Dr. Joanna Folger who surprisingly to Mary she actually kinds of gets along with. When Mary and Joanna come across a murdered bear whose claws have been removed they know they have a problem with trophy hunters. They are both sickened and angered with this cruelty and are determined to get the bear justice. When a wolf is later found both declawed and beheaded and they work out which way the hunters have gone they go to chase them down. I absolutely hate animal abuse but loved the relationship between these 2 characters, their personalities and love of nature and determination for justice and the ending so this one definitely gets a 5/5 from me!

'Yellow Stone' by R.T. Lawton: Beaumont and Yarnell are on a mission to steal 'Old Yeller' which is being stored in a safe in the rangers office after being displayed in the 'Albright Education Center' before it is returned to the Montana Museum of Mining. However, when it is finally time for the thieves to make their grand entrance it seems that someone has got there before them!!! Will any of the thieves get the gold? A great short story with brilliant characters! 4/5

'What Roams At Night' by Alyssa Bowen: Elizabeth Martin has just started her new job as a ranger where she also lives onsite. On her first night she is disturbed by a screaming woman but is too worried to venture out. When she speaks to Ranger Coleman Fisher the next day they decide to investigate together. What will they discover roaming at night in Yellowstone? 4/5

'Honeymoon Trip' by Julie Fasciana: Josephine Jacobson and her husband George are on a very belated honeymoon to Yellowstone. We discover how Josephine grew up, where she met George and that she has an alternative motive to wanting to go to Yellowstone. Loved the karma in this one but wont say anymore just be wary of difficult topics discussed previously. 4/5

'Terraces' by Katie Thomas: Vivian has taken on a seasonal job at mammoth Hot Springs Hotel after following the man she loves there. The man she has followed is called Trevor and Vivian, Trevor and several of their friends that all met in their freshman year at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon have come to the hotel to work. All the friends are enjoying the sites and having adventures until one disaster after another happens and Vivian no longer feels safe leaving the hotel. Absolutely loved the twist at the end of this one!! 4/5

'High Wide And Heinous' by Lise McClendon: FBI agent Lucy Arnold has been called in to investigate the death of an author at The Old Faithful Inn that followed an evacuation of the hotel after the fire alarms went off. Lucy is determined to get to the bottom of it and ends up discovering the author was possibly reading a book that was well known to degrade other authors' work. Will Lucy find a link to the book and the murder? A great mystery that I did not guess the ending too. 4/5

'Yellowstone Awakening : A Legend Arises' by Cheryl Fallin: This is a mythical story of the legend of Yellowstone and how Dr. Erica Starlight and her faithful wolf Timber are determined to save the day. It was an enjoyable story but with not being a huge fan of mythical stories this one only gets a 3/5 from me.

An absolutely fantastic collection of magical, disturbing, westernised, suspenseful and nature packed short stories!!! A fantastic collection of short stories with an excellent range of situations, characters and narratives. My favourite ones had to be 'Some Days You Eat The Bear'', "Little Glorious Life' and 'The Dead Bear Affair' . These stories include suspense, nature, revenge, tension, murder, fantasy, the supernatural and much more! There is a great mix of stories so there is definitely something in there for everyone The cover is absolutely amazing and it was one of the things that drew me to the book. This book is ideal to be able to pick up and read a story during a break or while making a cuppa!! I am a huge fan of horror and mystery stories and some of these definitely ticked both of those boxes!!! The excellent descriptions throughout transports the reader into Yellowstone and in the lives of all the different characters that you will meet!!! The fact that these are short stories also allows you to pick it up and read a story at a time or read it in one sitting which is perfect for those who like to read multiple books at one time. A great selection of stories that work perfectly together and I am looking forward to reading more books edited and written by Lise McClendon as well as the other fabulous authors I discovered in this book.

Grab your copy of 'Deadly Yellowstone' and discover which stories you love!!!

Overall a brilliant selection of creepy, horror and suspense filled stories with something for everyone!!

#DeadlyYellowstone #WesternMysteryTales #LiseMcClendon #ThaliaPress #RandomThingsTours #RandomTTours

@LiseMcClendon @karenmkeeley @karenkeeley77 @RobertJMrazek @CelesteBerteau @KatyMunger @DavidBart @SallyMilliken @SallyHistoryMystery @SallyMillikenAuthor @KenzieLappin @RTLawton @AlyssaBowen @awelltraveledhomebody @JullieFasciana @KatieThomas @CherylFallin @ThaliaPress @RandomThingsTours @RandomTTours

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[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 13 short stories in Deadly Yellowstone, edited by Lise McClendon, are set (as you’ve likely already realised) in the stunning landscape and iconic and functional buildings of Yellowstone National Park. Between them, these stories contain many kinds of human and beast, as well as different time periods and features of the park.

I found Deadly Yellowstone very enjoyable. As well as being enthralled by the crime or mystery at the heart of each tale, I loved getting to “see” bits of the park through the authors’ vivid, multi-sensory descriptions of geysers, lakes, mountains, and more.

The park’s wide appeal means there’s a whole variety of characters to root for or against – from poachers and other wrongdoers to rangers and researchers, everyday people to the rich and famous, and younger to older visitors. Some stories follow the perpetrators, and others the victims. And, of course, the park’s wildlife pops up in many of the stories, from fearsome bears and bison to smaller forest critters.

The stories that particularly stood out for me were characteried by friendships between older women, showing the value of supporting, rather than rivalling one another, and that there’s still plenty more you can see and do even if society deems you “past it”.

For example, Celeste Berteau’s For the Love of Ansel Adams, as well as being a fun and intriguing art museum mystery, features two adventurous, irrepressible septuagenarian sidekicks to the main character, who really make the story pop. Alongside its thread of danger, Sally Milliken’s Little Glorious Life is a moving, contemplative account of four friends following an itinerary set by their late fifth, culminating in the scattering of her ashes in a place she loved. In Honeymoon Trip by Julie Fasciane, meanwhile, a desperate woman calls on a resourceful pair of old friends to help her take care of a problem.

I also particularly liked the stories where objectionable characters got what was coming to them from the animals of the park. I won’t say which stories this happens in so I don’t spoil anything, but the characters absolutely deserved it and it made for some very satisfying endings!

As you might expect, park rangers pop up in quite a few of the stories, highlighting the important work they do keeping visitors safe and conserving the wildlife and environment in the parks – especially important messages considering the bumpy ride they’ve been having recently with firings and re-hirings.

I especially enjoyed The Dead Bear Affair by Kenzie Lappin, and What Roams at Night, by Alyssa Bowen, because their woman ranger main characters were clearly very passionate about Yellowstone, had entertaining interactions with other characters and appealing senses of humour, and were sensible and resourceful while working in remote, potentially dangerous conditions.

Deadly Yellowstone is a thrilling and scenic anthology.

[Naturalbri (Bri Wignall) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this collection of short stories!! I already love horror and mystery stories, but this was even better because not only were they short stories, which gave me a chance to read little and often when I do not have a lot of time, but they were also based in Yellowstone national park, where we are planning to visit this summer, when we take the kids to America. What a treat!
Thai shorts are all sweet and to the point. None of them hang about, but they do still have a brilliant level of detail. You get plenty of time to get a feel for the characters, some of which I dislikes enough I did not mind what happened to them. You get to have a wee twist or turn in there to keep you on your toes and a nice ending to really bring it all together.
I honestly loved this collection!

[Fatguyreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deadly Yellowstone is a collection of thirteen short stories set in Yellowstone National Park.

They are all tales of mystery, wildlife and chaos, with great Western themes.

As there are thirteen, I won't go into any of the stories, but I will say, some of my favourites were:

- Prey for Reverend Morgan.
- What Roams at Night.
- Yellowstone Awakening.

So all in all, I must say, I enjoyed all thirteen stories, but for their own reasons. They all had that great American feel, some quite dark, some strange and mysterious, some intriguing, some emotional and thought-provoking.

I read this on and off over about 2 week, 1 story per day.

4 🌟 🌟 🌟🌟 's from me.

[Lisa reads alot Hamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book a collection of short stories all set in Yellowstone national park, I’ve always had a fascination with this place and its mysteries.
Having been there I always remember how beautiful it is but also how eerie it can be and oh so quiet.
Great set of stories to be savoured so strange some thrilling and eerie but oh so good.

[Rachel Findley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Deadly Yellowstone! All of the stories were captivating, but my favorites were For the Love of Ansel Adams, Some Days You Eat the Bear, and The Intruders. Each had its own unique voice and style, which kept the collection fresh and exciting. It’s an excellent summer read! Gripping, well-written, and hard to put down!

[Sonja Charters · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I'm not a traveller at all and I've only ever been abroad twice.

I just don't feel that pull or need to explore new places ....

But!

If I was to travel anywhere, Yellowstone would absolutely be top of the list!

 

This book contains 13 diverse short stories all set in Yellowstone National Park and each with its own charm and each showcasing the most wonderful landscapes and fascinating natural history.

 

I read this over a longer period than I would normally read a book this size - but I decided to read one short story each day as I ate lunch.

This allowed me to leisurely work my way through each story and really spend time to appreciate each one.

 

Having never been before, it was great to experience something new in each story and to learn about and visualise the wonders that can be found there.

The descriptive writing really did a great job of transporting me into each storyline, setting and era too.

 

Along with the diversity within the genres of each story, we also see a wide range of different characters and of course, a plethora of wildlife too.

 

This was a really enjoyable read and I know that I'll be diving back in for a re-read in the near future.