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National Park Mystery #5
Arches Enemy
A famed sandstone arch in Utah’s Arches National Park collapses and takes a woman atop it to her death, ensnaring archaeologist Chuck Bender and his family in lethal questions of environmental monkeywrenching and political intrigue. As more deaths follow, Chuck and his wife Janelle race to uncover the killer even as they become murder targets themselves.
252 pages, Paperback
First published June 11, 2019
About the author
Scott Graham
102 books77 followersScott Graham is author of Canyon Sacrifice: A National Park Mystery and Extreme Kids (winner of the National Outdoor Book Award). He is an avid outdoorsman and amateur archaeologist who enjoys hunting, rock climbing, skiing, backpacking, mountaineering, river rafting, and whitewater kayaking with his wife, an emergency physician, and their two sons. Graham lives in Durango, Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 16, 2022
Another park, another mystery. Arches Enemy by Scott Graham is the last book I had to read to be up to date about Chuck Bender and his family before book 8 is out later this year. This time we get to know a lot about Chucks background and about his mother. The mystery is somewhat dim but still a good story. Once again we never really get to know if he finishes his job and the result of his study in the park. I would like more information about the different parks. Still it was a few hours spent travelling from my reading chair and that is always good.
September 24, 2024
The plot line and characters were a 2.5 star for me, but having just visited Arches, I loved all the landscape and scenery in the story.
July 16, 2019
Chuck Bender, an archaeologist working in U.S. national parks, manages to find not only Native American artifacts, but also murders during his digs. In ARCHES ENEMY, in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah, Chuck, his wife, and his two step-daughters are living in a camper trailer in Devil's Garden Campground while he works on surveying and documenting cave paintings that could change the historical narrative concerning early Native communities. Shortly after their arrival, one of the nearby arches falls, killing a woman who was (against Park regulations) on top of it.
There is a strong environmental theme to this book, as an oil and gas company has been allowed to search just outside of the Park. Searching involves using huge "thumper" trucks, causing mini-earthquakes, and it is one of these trucks that is presumed to be the cause of the arch's shattering and the woman's death. If that were the end of it, the investigation would be over quickly and Chuck could get back to his work. However, within the next 48 hours, there are two more deaths.
Chuck finds himself right in the middle of the investigation, given his relationship with the chief ranger at the Park. In addition, Chuck's long-estranged mother has set herself up as a "seer" in Moab, and she attempts to insinuate herself into his new family. He senses that she is somehow involved in the events surrounding the deaths, but she is hard to pin down and clarity doesn't come until the end of the book.
The writing about Native American history and the possible meaning of the cave art is poignant and compelling. Descriptions of the landscape make the desert come alive, and Graham has a way of drawing a clear picture of both setting and characters quickly so that the reader is drawn into the story and cares about the people almost immediately. The environmental message is clear, as Chuck sometimes loses his temper and is quick to cast blame on the oil and gas workers. For someone who has visited Arches National Park and recognizes its fragile beauty and importance, this message is frightening. Graham also captures the small moments in family life, and Chuck's hot-headedness as he attempts to deal with his teenage step-daughter rings true.
ARCHES ENEMY is Graham's 5th National Park Mystery. Like the others before it, it can be read as a stand-alone but benefits from a longer relationship with the characters. The book jacket contains superlatives from many writers about the great outdoors and the American Southwest, including Craig Johnson, Anne Hillerman, Margaret Coel, and William Kent Krueger. These are good indications of what the reader will find between the covers. I look forward to each new book in the series as it is published, and now have MESA VERDE VICTIM, projected for June 2020, to anxiously anticipate.
This review first appeared at reviewingtheevidence.com
There is a strong environmental theme to this book, as an oil and gas company has been allowed to search just outside of the Park. Searching involves using huge "thumper" trucks, causing mini-earthquakes, and it is one of these trucks that is presumed to be the cause of the arch's shattering and the woman's death. If that were the end of it, the investigation would be over quickly and Chuck could get back to his work. However, within the next 48 hours, there are two more deaths.
Chuck finds himself right in the middle of the investigation, given his relationship with the chief ranger at the Park. In addition, Chuck's long-estranged mother has set herself up as a "seer" in Moab, and she attempts to insinuate herself into his new family. He senses that she is somehow involved in the events surrounding the deaths, but she is hard to pin down and clarity doesn't come until the end of the book.
The writing about Native American history and the possible meaning of the cave art is poignant and compelling. Descriptions of the landscape make the desert come alive, and Graham has a way of drawing a clear picture of both setting and characters quickly so that the reader is drawn into the story and cares about the people almost immediately. The environmental message is clear, as Chuck sometimes loses his temper and is quick to cast blame on the oil and gas workers. For someone who has visited Arches National Park and recognizes its fragile beauty and importance, this message is frightening. Graham also captures the small moments in family life, and Chuck's hot-headedness as he attempts to deal with his teenage step-daughter rings true.
ARCHES ENEMY is Graham's 5th National Park Mystery. Like the others before it, it can be read as a stand-alone but benefits from a longer relationship with the characters. The book jacket contains superlatives from many writers about the great outdoors and the American Southwest, including Craig Johnson, Anne Hillerman, Margaret Coel, and William Kent Krueger. These are good indications of what the reader will find between the covers. I look forward to each new book in the series as it is published, and now have MESA VERDE VICTIM, projected for June 2020, to anxiously anticipate.
This review first appeared at reviewingtheevidence.com
April 8, 2023
I picked up this book in a bookshop in Moab and it was a really good read for people who have visited the area. Landscape Arch collapses at the start of the book. Was it sabotage or the result of evil oil companies drilling nearby? The issues of environmental protection and indigenous people are outlined heavily in the book alongside some murders. An easy read for a tourist.
September 1, 2024
Good one forgot to write a review
April 8, 2025
A very good National Park Mystery.
June 25, 2023
The characters bored me; they’re all one-sided and stereotypes are heavily played on in their development. The perspective on mental health issues was also very tone-deaf.
June 26, 2019
I’m a fan of Scott Graham’s National Park Mystery series, but “Arches Enemy” isn’t my favorite book. Its story seems contrived and heavy handed, and the scope of the action is narrow, despite an awesome setting.
Characters we’ve met in previous novels are ripening, but those introduced here seem implausible—driven to make odd choices by a bizarre plot. Honestly, they just seem stupid.
“Arches Enemy” remains highly readable, however, and Graham does develop a villain we’re likely to see much more of in the future. And, fortunately, there are many more national parks for Chuck, Janell, and kids to visit.
Characters we’ve met in previous novels are ripening, but those introduced here seem implausible—driven to make odd choices by a bizarre plot. Honestly, they just seem stupid.
“Arches Enemy” remains highly readable, however, and Graham does develop a villain we’re likely to see much more of in the future. And, fortunately, there are many more national parks for Chuck, Janell, and kids to visit.
February 25, 2024
In this fifth episode of the mystery series, the Bender/Ortega clan visits (obviously) Arches national park. Though it is only thinly discussed in the book, I'm assuming that the enemy portion of the name derives from the deprecated Anasazi term for the Ancestral Puebloans frequently featured in Graham's novels, a name that as revealed in the novel means "ancient enemy."
I disagree with other reviewers who view the characters as flat or undeveloped. In particular, we're introduced to Sheila in this installment, who we learn pretty quickly to be Scott's mother. Graham, in my opinion, does a great job of building out her character, and helping us to understand Bender's disdain for his mother, both through stories about experiences in his childhood and her behavior throughout the novel. If you are reading this book on its own without having read the prior four novels, I do think that there's much less development Chuck, Jan, and the kids; and virtually no development of Clarence's character, and unlike other sequels in the series, this one definitely benefits from having read the prior installments.
I concur with the other reviewers have identified certain elements of the book that leave us scratching our heads in terms of behaviors and plausibility / realism. While Sheila's character is very relatable (though not in a good way), the behaviors of many of the other characters sometimes reach beyond believability and are so out there that it somewhat interferes with the development of the story.
One element of these novels that has begun to be an improvement area that I didn't realize in the first reading of some of the later novels (including #6, Mesa Verde Victim) is that I have become discontented with not being able to know the outcome of the various contracts / projects that Chuck is engaged to perform that places him in the parks in each of the installments. This one is even more mystifying, as at the very beginning, it is simply referred to as a contract with no further explanation. It was so unnerving that I kept going back to see if I had overlooked information about the contract. Eventually we learn that the nature of the contract is a secret, and get greater color on its purpose and the work to be done (and to a certain extent the initial stages of the work), but the esoteric and confidential nature of the contract could have been revealed earlier. And the lack of closure on it leaves the reader wanting more (at least this reader).
All that said, this novel, as all of Graham's novels, is highly readable; I can almost always read in one extended session over several hours, and I did not find this mystery's ending predictable. If history, geography, and mystery are all of interest, this is an excellent, enjoyable read. While the conclusion was not at all believable, I'm hoping that it sets us up for the return of some of the marginal characters in future installments.
Four stars for this installment. Re-reading Mesa Verde Victim next (the book that introduced me to this author).
I disagree with other reviewers who view the characters as flat or undeveloped. In particular, we're introduced to Sheila in this installment, who we learn pretty quickly to be Scott's mother. Graham, in my opinion, does a great job of building out her character, and helping us to understand Bender's disdain for his mother, both through stories about experiences in his childhood and her behavior throughout the novel. If you are reading this book on its own without having read the prior four novels, I do think that there's much less development Chuck, Jan, and the kids; and virtually no development of Clarence's character, and unlike other sequels in the series, this one definitely benefits from having read the prior installments.
I concur with the other reviewers have identified certain elements of the book that leave us scratching our heads in terms of behaviors and plausibility / realism. While Sheila's character is very relatable (though not in a good way), the behaviors of many of the other characters sometimes reach beyond believability and are so out there that it somewhat interferes with the development of the story.
One element of these novels that has begun to be an improvement area that I didn't realize in the first reading of some of the later novels (including #6, Mesa Verde Victim) is that I have become discontented with not being able to know the outcome of the various contracts / projects that Chuck is engaged to perform that places him in the parks in each of the installments. This one is even more mystifying, as at the very beginning, it is simply referred to as a contract with no further explanation. It was so unnerving that I kept going back to see if I had overlooked information about the contract. Eventually we learn that the nature of the contract is a secret, and get greater color on its purpose and the work to be done (and to a certain extent the initial stages of the work), but the esoteric and confidential nature of the contract could have been revealed earlier. And the lack of closure on it leaves the reader wanting more (at least this reader).
All that said, this novel, as all of Graham's novels, is highly readable; I can almost always read in one extended session over several hours, and I did not find this mystery's ending predictable. If history, geography, and mystery are all of interest, this is an excellent, enjoyable read. While the conclusion was not at all believable, I'm hoping that it sets us up for the return of some of the marginal characters in future installments.
Four stars for this installment. Re-reading Mesa Verde Victim next (the book that introduced me to this author).
February 13, 2020
Great setting and treatment of environmental issues, plot and characters a bit weak...
I had not heard of Scott Graham’s National Park mystery series until recently, when I was given a chance to read an ARC of the latest title, Arches Enemy. I’ve always been fascinated by the archaeology of the American Southwest (my dad’s family comes from New Mexico) and so I was very willing to be entertained by a mystery set in a region I love, and with an archaeologist as the main protagonist. Unfortunately, Arches Enemy underperforms a little bit in my opinion.
First – the good stuff… Arches Enemy is set in Arches National Park/Moab and the book provides really nice descriptions evocative of the area. The author seems to know the region, and as far as I could tell from an amateur’s viewpoint, most of the archaeology seemed consistent with what I’ve seen in various museums and read about in various non-fiction books.
In addition, from what I’ve read in newspapers and magazines about the subject of land use in the West, Arches Enemy also seems to do a pretty good job of describing the tensions between various groups (indigenous peoples, oil/gas companies, mountain bikers/recreational park users, locals) that have been exacerbated by the current federal administration’s efforts to reduce or eliminate the size/protections for federal moments in the Southwest. So the initial take on the plot itself (don’t want to be a spoiler, so being vague here) seems pretty credible.
Unfortunately, the book then spins off into what appeared to me to be a different, less credible track. And, I also had issues with many of the characters in the book. I just couldn’t see them and their behavior as authentic – I had a lot of trouble imagining folks behaving the way they did. So I kept getting pulled out of the plot by my disbelief, which was kind of distracting.
All-in-all, I did enjoy the book, primarily due to its setting, but didn’t feel it was strong enough to receive my normal rating of four stars. (I keep five stars for a few truly awesome read-over-and-over-again books.) So it gets a three-star rating from me instead.
My thanks again to the publisher and to Edelweiss for the ARC, which I received in exchange for an honest review.
I had not heard of Scott Graham’s National Park mystery series until recently, when I was given a chance to read an ARC of the latest title, Arches Enemy. I’ve always been fascinated by the archaeology of the American Southwest (my dad’s family comes from New Mexico) and so I was very willing to be entertained by a mystery set in a region I love, and with an archaeologist as the main protagonist. Unfortunately, Arches Enemy underperforms a little bit in my opinion.
First – the good stuff… Arches Enemy is set in Arches National Park/Moab and the book provides really nice descriptions evocative of the area. The author seems to know the region, and as far as I could tell from an amateur’s viewpoint, most of the archaeology seemed consistent with what I’ve seen in various museums and read about in various non-fiction books.
In addition, from what I’ve read in newspapers and magazines about the subject of land use in the West, Arches Enemy also seems to do a pretty good job of describing the tensions between various groups (indigenous peoples, oil/gas companies, mountain bikers/recreational park users, locals) that have been exacerbated by the current federal administration’s efforts to reduce or eliminate the size/protections for federal moments in the Southwest. So the initial take on the plot itself (don’t want to be a spoiler, so being vague here) seems pretty credible.
Unfortunately, the book then spins off into what appeared to me to be a different, less credible track. And, I also had issues with many of the characters in the book. I just couldn’t see them and their behavior as authentic – I had a lot of trouble imagining folks behaving the way they did. So I kept getting pulled out of the plot by my disbelief, which was kind of distracting.
All-in-all, I did enjoy the book, primarily due to its setting, but didn’t feel it was strong enough to receive my normal rating of four stars. (I keep five stars for a few truly awesome read-over-and-over-again books.) So it gets a three-star rating from me instead.
My thanks again to the publisher and to Edelweiss for the ARC, which I received in exchange for an honest review.
September 30, 2024
Graham's greatest skill is his ability to integrate wonderful western settings into his mysteries. His plotting abilities grow with each episode, but his characterizations remain weak. Sadly this is a family I just wouldn't care to know. The main character, archaeologist Chuck Bender, has an unpredictable temper leaning toward violence, his much younger wife is so prickly and stubborn that if the author didn't keep telling us how much Chuck loves her, we would never guess that it was anything but a physical attraction. Her two young daughters are spoiled, rude, willful, and stubborn to the point where they are often dangers to themselves. Chuck's brother-in-law is simply a mess; his mother is downright evil with no redeeming human qualities. This episode included a fascinating archeological experience that was pretty much glossed over and needed way more attention. I'll give it 3 stars for the well developed plot, the use of setting, and a nice audio performance by Joel Richards. I would have ranked it higher if not for the awful unidimensional characters on both good and evil sides of the plot.
February 25, 2025
I loved this book and would’ve given it 5 stars except for the terrible ending!! There were four people involved in the crimes and they all got away with it! So bad.
Anyways. I really enjoyed the plot development and the incredible amount of true information about Arches, Moab, and the southwest region embedded. Lots of great info, all the details about plants, trail names, etc. are totally accurate. I could totally see something like this happening in the future…collapse of a world famous arch because of people being stupid/fracking/developments nearby. Especially with all the loss of NPS employees right now, thank you Trump and Elon. 😡
Anyways. I really enjoyed the plot development and the incredible amount of true information about Arches, Moab, and the southwest region embedded. Lots of great info, all the details about plants, trail names, etc. are totally accurate. I could totally see something like this happening in the future…collapse of a world famous arch because of people being stupid/fracking/developments nearby. Especially with all the loss of NPS employees right now, thank you Trump and Elon. 😡
June 30, 2026
This is not true crime but a work of fiction. Landscape Arch is not destroyed by ground bashing equipment or explosion!
Now that we can sit back and investigate this fictional act of terrorism, I enjoyed the main characters, Chuck Bender, his wife Janelle Ortega and two daughters Rosie and Carmelita.
I printed the map of Arches National Park, and Devils Garden Trail.
I always learn some interesting facts in this series of national park mysteries.
I have never been to Arches, so I was alert to its descriptions and history.
It was eye opening to meet Chuck's mother to say the least. Quite a character and a bonified villain.
This also highlighted the traveling group of retired RV campers and not always in a good light.
Homeless people hiding in the park was another surprise.
This is a fast read and I am off to the next in the series.
I bought a copy since it was not available in my public library.
Now that we can sit back and investigate this fictional act of terrorism, I enjoyed the main characters, Chuck Bender, his wife Janelle Ortega and two daughters Rosie and Carmelita.
I printed the map of Arches National Park, and Devils Garden Trail.
I always learn some interesting facts in this series of national park mysteries.
I have never been to Arches, so I was alert to its descriptions and history.
It was eye opening to meet Chuck's mother to say the least. Quite a character and a bonified villain.
This also highlighted the traveling group of retired RV campers and not always in a good light.
Homeless people hiding in the park was another surprise.
This is a fast read and I am off to the next in the series.
I bought a copy since it was not available in my public library.
March 17, 2023
My two favorite things: parks and mystery books.
Picked up this one from Back of Beyond Books in Moab while I visited Arches recently. It was so neat to picture everything in the book as I had just been. Could’ve done without all the Desert Solitaire references, though. It was a simple read that got me through the long car rides home. I might make this a tradition and get a new book in the series that coincides with the parks I visit.
Picked up this one from Back of Beyond Books in Moab while I visited Arches recently. It was so neat to picture everything in the book as I had just been. Could’ve done without all the Desert Solitaire references, though. It was a simple read that got me through the long car rides home. I might make this a tradition and get a new book in the series that coincides with the parks I visit.
September 22, 2024
I’d give this a 3.5/5 if possible. An interesting whodunnit type story that really makes use of all 252 pages before telling you whodunnit. That being said it felt like there was zero payoff at the end.
I really did like that it was centered around Arches National Park but felt like some of the story was drowned out by historical context that, while interesting and even important, felt unnecessary in certain moments.
I really did like that it was centered around Arches National Park but felt like some of the story was drowned out by historical context that, while interesting and even important, felt unnecessary in certain moments.
August 1, 2026
Normally I do not start a book series at number 5, but I needed a book set in Utah to satisfy a reading prompt and decided that this would fit the bill. It made me sad because the book talked about the importance of the monuments in southern Utah to the Dine people and our federal government has just moved protections on both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante.
I plan on continuing with this series as I really enjoy our national parks.
I plan on continuing with this series as I really enjoy our national parks.
April 3, 2021
Decent combination of natural history and mystery, this time in Utah’s Arches National Park. Lots of local references, including to Edward Abbey, Moab’s Back of Beyond bookstore and the continuing battle in Utah over fracking. I could have done without Chuck’s intensely annoying mother, although she was tangled up in much of the plot.
Read
October 13, 2021Picked this up at a local bookstore as we were heading to the Utah national parks. It was okay - I wanted to finish it to find out 'who done it' and I learned some things about the park and the original occupants of the area. But the story was a bit preachy about current and historical conflicts between preservation folks, native folks, political folks, industry folks etc.
September 13, 2020
I chose this book because of the setting of arches park. I enjoyed reading about the adventures of campers in the park and the strange happenings. First book I’ve read in this series that takes place in national parks.
November 6, 2022
A good mystery surrounding the fall of one of our National Park treasures. Some parts felt 'preachy', but there was a good amount of reference to conservation of the National Parks. Some characters were likeable and some were not, but all w were flawed. Overall, 4 Stars
November 9, 2024
A contemporary murder mystery set within the incredible landscape of Arches National Park. Also has themes of environmentalism, protecting native heritage and historical sites, and surviving toxic parents.
January 23, 2025
Love his books but all too similar in the way the story is presented and the interactions between characters. A fun way to get to know the parks, but this one felt a little convoluted and disjointed. I kept putting it down and reaching for another book.
May 9, 2026
I didn't realize this was book three of a series, and I'm not sure you need to read the others first. However, it was interesting how the author tied everything together at the end and makes me want to grab the next in the series.
June 13, 2019
Quite entertaining and well written but not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
March 17, 2021
Don't forget any character.
Read
May 11, 2021Good book to read on the heels of visiting Arches Park in Utah. I learned some related history and overall enjoyed the book.
February 8, 2022
Great mystery, full of twists and turns!
June 21, 2024
Extremely light reading set in a park that is a lot like Arches NP, but rearranged for narrative purposes. I appreciate the environmentalist sensibility.
August 13, 2025
I always find myself asking why I read these (it's for the national park) but wow, the main character makes SUCH stupid choices. I get really frustrated with him and the author.
May 27, 2026
It was a cool read after just hiking the park the imagery was spot on!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews