Murder on Skis

by Phil Bayly

A ski resort owner in Montana is murdered. Other deaths, once believed to be accidental, receive a fresh look from television reporter JC Snow and police. There could be a serial killer in the resort community. Grizzly Mountain is a ski resort full of snow country characters, from ski racers to ski bums to overdressed billionaires. An unfortunate few may be caught in the claws of Grizzly Mountain.

310 pages, Paperback

Published November 4, 2019

About the author

Phil Bayly is an American author. CARPE SKI 'em, released in November of 2025, is his seventh novel in the Murder on Skis Mystery series. Bayly has been named a finalist for three American Fiction Awards and was awarded a silver medal at the CIPA Colorado Book Awards.

CARPE SKI 'em begins with a woman's fatal plummet from a chair lift at a ski resort in Colorado. Her husband's disappearance is poorly timed. But there are plenty of colorful characters in ski country who could attract suspicion.

Bayly's other MOS mysteries:

A SMALL MOUNTAIN MURDER (2024) begins with the disappearance of a ski industry executive while visiting a small ski hill in Wisconsin. The investigation crosses paths with a crusading newspaper journalist and someone who thinks the stakes are worth killing for.

THE MAN WHO HAD 9 LIVES (2023) is Bayly's fifth novel in the Murder on Skis Mystery series and has been named a finalist for two American Fiction Awards. The story begins with an avalanche and tumbles toward murder and mystery at a Colorado Ski Resort.

WITCH WINDOW (2022) takes off as two bicycle riders, on a hot summer day, find the body of a man dressed to go skiing. The investigation travels from New York to Vermont.

BACK DIRT (2021) was also named a finalist for the American Fiction Awards. The tale unfolds in the adirondacks of Upstate New York. A murder suspect from Colorado has surfaced there. And an archaeological dig for old bones at the Battle Ax Ski Resort finds fresh blood.

LOVING LUCY (2020) was shortlisted for the Murder and Mayhem Award. The story takes JC Snow from Albany, New York to the Snow Hat Ski Resort in Colorado. JC follows the manhunt for a New York state senator accused of murder, and a petty thief who may be more than police bargained for.

MURDER on SKIS (2019) tells the tale of Victims caught in the claws of the Grizzly Mountain Ski Resort in Montana. The discovery of a frozen body buried beneath a ski run leads to the re-examination of other deaths previously ruled 'accidental.' JC Snow and police explore whether there is a cold blooded killer in the red hot resort community.

A veteran of television and radio news in New York, Colorado, Wyoming and Pennsylvania, Bayly was born and raised in Evanston, Illinois. He now resides in Saratoga County, New York.

For more, go to murderonskis.com.

Reviews

[Barbara Fournier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Phil Bayly takes you on a wild run. This the first of the Murder On Skis adventures. I liked that he not only used his own love for the slopes in this novel but also his wealth of knowledge as a television journalist. He will keep you guessing all the way. His description of each character allows the reader to visualize and feel. As a non skier, I surprised myself at how quickly I got into the story, never thinking that the events that took place could happen. Well done Mr. Bayly.

[Julie Farrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read. It was well paced and kept me engrossed til the end. The characters were well developed and I became emotionally invested in their stories. I also loved the descriptions of the unique Montana landscape and wildlife. Since I can't really go anywhere right now it was marvelous to escape to such an amazing place, if only for a little while.

[Debbi Wraga · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you ever skied in Montana, or even if you haven't, the authors descriptive narrative brings you into Montana and Yellowstone Park as if you were standing right there. Great read of interesting characters and an incredible plot. Can't wait to read the sequel, Loving Lucy.

[Rosemary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Freshman start to a mystery series. Enjoyed the setting and will check out the next book.

[Debbie Christiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first Phil Bayly book. Mr. Bayly is a local author/journalist who lives in Saratoga Country, NY, like I do. I always try to support local authors and I really enjoyed his book. He has a series of 'Murder On Skis' and I'll definitely read the other in the series.

Murder On Skis' is a good beach read, even though it's set in winter. A murder mystery with a few turns to get you off the path here and there. 4 stars.

[Ryan Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder on Skis is a mystery set in the mountains of Montana. A woman is found dead on one of the ski gondolas. Journalist J.C. Snow just happens to be there and ends up involved in the mystery along with the local police. It has plenty of twists in it. The details put into the story are also fantastic. It'll be interesting to see how the rest of the series goes from here.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good whodunnit mystery. This does not disappoint! No spoilers here but there are a few twists and turns as any great mystery would have. Looking forward to seeing what else the main character, JC, uncovers in future tales! -Well played, Mr. Bayly, well played!

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this one up as the author was our local news anchor for several years. The story was a mild thriller / murder mystery, a bit too many details about skiing but an interesting look into that world.

[Melissa Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read. Liked the setting.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took several attempts to get into the book, but once I committed I really enjoyed it. I must say that I was very angry when Al Pine was killed off. I couldn't believe that Phil did that.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was Ok but kind of dragged on. Didn’t finish

[Alliefair · Rating 4 out of 5]

christmas gift from mom! easy read & interesting story

[Sage · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun read - enjoyed this series

[Kimberly Diaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure... I am acquainted with Mr. Bayly and think he is such a wonderful person. With that said, I loved his first endeavor into mystery writing and am not surprised it takes place at a ski resort because of his love and passion for skiing. I found that Mr. Bayly's style of writing and plot line was very similar to an Agatha Christi book, whom I'm a big fan. I loved his knowledge of Montana and Yellowstone. The story gripped me right from the start with the finding of the woman on the moutain in the snow and then the man who was killed by the avalanche explosion. Mr. Bayly's knowledge of ski resorts and those that work at them is clear in his writing. You definitely pick up that he has spent a lot of time at them (and it wasn't for research). Knowing he has been a journalist and then TV reporter for years seems to have served him well with his writing. The plot moved right along and kept me hanging on multiple occasions. I admit, I figured out "who dunit" about 3/4 of the way through the story but it didn't detract from the end. It kept my interest and I couldn't wait to see how he tied up all the loose ends. I was a little sad that JC's best friend, the Forest Ranger's story line didn't make it to the end because I found him a very likeable character. The way Mr. Bayly wrote the villian was a little obvious but when I remind myself this was his first novel, one can't really complain. I will be really interested to read the next 3 and see his progression and how he develops his villians. One would think he can only get better right? I would recommend this as a fun, fast, enjoyable read to anyone looking for a light suspense that rolls right along.