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The Yellowstone Directive
A thrilling medical/science mystery set in beautiful Yellowstone National Park!A few weeks after volcanologist Sage Maldonado begins her new job as a seasonal ranger at Yellowstone National Park, visitors start dropping dead on hiking trails near Old Faithful - four the first day, five the next, two more the day after that.FBI experts and National Guard soldiers quickly respond to the escalating situation. In a desperate attempt to apprehend the killer, they place Yellowstone in lockdown, trapping hundreds of park guests and employees in a deadly limbo.But the body count continues to rise.As the FBI investigation stalls amid mounting panic from those trapped in Yellowstone, Sage teams up with Whitney Hughes, a renowned biochemist with the CDC, in a quest to unlock the mystery of the baffling deaths. The two scientists pair cutting-edge microbiology with old-fashioned sleuthing in a frantic race to stop the killer.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 24, 2020
About the author
John S. Shaw III
3 books23 followersPsychology Professor
Former Public Defender
Neophyte Author
Proud Father and Husband
Former Public Defender
Neophyte Author
Proud Father and Husband
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 10, 2025
A page-turner with lots of unexpected surprises that kept me reading. So did Shaw's knowledge of the Yellowstone landscape. Looking forward to reading more of his thrillers.
June 23, 2022
Not what you think!
A book I kept waiting for to be either thrilling or exciting it never made it. It teased of Volcanic activity but but alas not. Boring and mundane, it drug on mercilessly until the end. The characters were childish and cliche with incessant bantering. Skim reading seemed to be the order of the day . I recommend passing on this one!
A book I kept waiting for to be either thrilling or exciting it never made it. It teased of Volcanic activity but but alas not. Boring and mundane, it drug on mercilessly until the end. The characters were childish and cliche with incessant bantering. Skim reading seemed to be the order of the day . I recommend passing on this one!
May 29, 2025
Not your average horror novel...
With the backdrop of one of the most stunning parks in the USA with many known dangers (that "tourons" continue to ignore) comes a new and unfathomable danger.
Great science/horror/mystery (sci-fi?) mashup with interesting characters and relationships developed. Horrifying premise that unfortunately pales in comparison to things developing currently. Absolutely would recommend, it's almost like a cozy Michael Crichton thriller but that sounds a bit condescending. Apologies.
SOAPBOX DISCLAIMER:
I picked this up partly because our federal workers are being abused by the current regime (read May 2025) and wanted to read about their joy and excitement for their jobs. Many federal workers CHOOSE a lower-paying government job because they believe in the MISSION of the agency, but many are over qualified and could make MUCH more in the private sector. What is happening currently in the USA is that people are being unlawfully fired from positions, constitutional law is being ignored and DECADES of service, knowledge and wisdom are being gutted without a clearly defined plan to replace all that is being lost. AI cannot replace all the human learning and nuance that has been lovingly, painstakingly gathered and documented across our federal agencies.
So I read this book in light of what is happening now and that is the true terror - equipment would not have been granted to the agencies involved and the loss of life could have been much more catastrophic.
Thank you to the author for writing this novel!
With the backdrop of one of the most stunning parks in the USA with many known dangers (that "tourons" continue to ignore) comes a new and unfathomable danger.
Great science/horror/mystery (sci-fi?) mashup with interesting characters and relationships developed. Horrifying premise that unfortunately pales in comparison to things developing currently. Absolutely would recommend, it's almost like a cozy Michael Crichton thriller but that sounds a bit condescending. Apologies.
SOAPBOX DISCLAIMER:
I picked this up partly because our federal workers are being abused by the current regime (read May 2025) and wanted to read about their joy and excitement for their jobs. Many federal workers CHOOSE a lower-paying government job because they believe in the MISSION of the agency, but many are over qualified and could make MUCH more in the private sector. What is happening currently in the USA is that people are being unlawfully fired from positions, constitutional law is being ignored and DECADES of service, knowledge and wisdom are being gutted without a clearly defined plan to replace all that is being lost. AI cannot replace all the human learning and nuance that has been lovingly, painstakingly gathered and documented across our federal agencies.
So I read this book in light of what is happening now and that is the true terror - equipment would not have been granted to the agencies involved and the loss of life could have been much more catastrophic.
Thank you to the author for writing this novel!
September 1, 2020
I absolutely loved John Shaw's first book (Death by DNA), so was looking forward to reading this one! The story/mystery pulled me in immediately, and kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat until the last page (and beyond!). While some topics/scientific conversations could seem overwhelming at times, the author does an excellent job of explaining scientific phenomena in a way that is digestible but doesn't take away from the flow of the story. I felt like I was right there with the scientists and agents hypothesizing and speculating what could be happening/causing the mysterious deaths. I thought the book was also culturally relevant as we're currently in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and seeing in real-time how scientists are working to understand and manage a novel phenomenon - seeing the scientific process play out in real time can be frustrating, especially when public health/safety is a stake. This frustration came through in this book, and made the anticipation of the characters figuring things out that much more exciting! Looking forward to future books from John Shaw!
November 16, 2024
Fantastic, worthy of James Rollins!
The Yellowstone Directive is an absolutely fantastic mystery/thriller set in Yellowstone National Park. The mystery seems close to being solved, repeatedly, only to have new information that comes to light and shreds each hypothesis. The actual answer is both unexpected and chillingly possible. This book is just as good as anything written by James Rollins and has a feel similar to his works, particularly those dealing with the microbial world. If you want an up-all-night mystery to keep them guessing, The Yellowstone Directive is exactly what the Dr ordered. 5/5 stars, a fantastic showing!
The Yellowstone Directive is an absolutely fantastic mystery/thriller set in Yellowstone National Park. The mystery seems close to being solved, repeatedly, only to have new information that comes to light and shreds each hypothesis. The actual answer is both unexpected and chillingly possible. This book is just as good as anything written by James Rollins and has a feel similar to his works, particularly those dealing with the microbial world. If you want an up-all-night mystery to keep them guessing, The Yellowstone Directive is exactly what the Dr ordered. 5/5 stars, a fantastic showing!
July 17, 2020
After reading and enjoying the author's first novel, I knew I was bound to like this one too! What starts as a classic who dunnit, turns into a beautifully woven story that integrates mystery with science. I read a lot of murder mysteries, and this one incorporates a twist ending that you will never see coming! The plot is also particularly topical right now (July 2020, in the era of COVID19), because visitors and employees of the park are put on lockdown. As a lover of our national parks, I would say this book does Yellowstone justice as well! Excellent read that I highly recommend
July 22, 2020
The Yellowstone Directive quickly and seamlessly draws the reader into a mystery set at Yellowstone National Park. Shaw weaves scientific procedures, FBI briefings, and CDC reports throughout the novel, which allows the reader to fully immerse themselves in this knowledge-based thriller. I am recommending this book to all of my friends and colleagues!
December 12, 2020
Shaw’s second novel is smart, exciting, and captivating. There was clearly a considerable about of research that went into the writing of The Yellowstone Directive, as the reader is treated to an inside view of both CDC & FBI operations. I was moved to tears a few times throughout the novel, but spent most of my time reading the book on the edge of my seat... and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride!
May 13, 2022
Real Scientific Mystery
The Yellowstone Directive is a great scientific 'who done it' that will keep you guessing until the end. It shows how we no longer trust each other because of foregone conclusions. It also gives a taste of how complex it is to do forensic research.
Great reading for anyone who loves science and for those who want to know about the process.
The Yellowstone Directive is a great scientific 'who done it' that will keep you guessing until the end. It shows how we no longer trust each other because of foregone conclusions. It also gives a taste of how complex it is to do forensic research.
Great reading for anyone who loves science and for those who want to know about the process.
June 27, 2020
Great read, especially for those who love Yellowstone!
If you're looking for a suspense novel combined with a bit of science, this is the book for you. It reminded me of some of Michael Crichton's earlier novels, but set in beautiful Yellowstone Park. I loved it!
If you're looking for a suspense novel combined with a bit of science, this is the book for you. It reminded me of some of Michael Crichton's earlier novels, but set in beautiful Yellowstone Park. I loved it!
June 30, 2024
Good Base Story, Lengthy Interruptive Data
This began with an entertaining Deaths-at-Yellowstone story line, but often buried too deep in science data to keep my interest burning. Thus, I dragged through it over several weeks.
This began with an entertaining Deaths-at-Yellowstone story line, but often buried too deep in science data to keep my interest burning. Thus, I dragged through it over several weeks.
December 27, 2021
Good story, fast paced but the dialogue was cheesy, almost made it a three and kept it from a five. Good ending as well, mystery was wrapped up well
March 29, 2022
Never made it past page 1! The dialogue was inane!!! The writing, juvenile. Don't bother.
July 31, 2022
The writing style was not my cup of tea. Lots of telling and far too many extraneous details for my taste. The mystery kept me reading.
October 16, 2022
Poor writing, slow pace and insufferable characters. Gave up after 60% of the book (incredibly rare for me)
September 10, 2024
Enjoyed the Yellowstone Park setting and the science related mystery. But the character development was a little thin and at times it read like a young adult story.
March 14, 2022
The characters in this book are doctors and FBI agents and CDC employees and none of them behave and speak in a mature and professional manner. The main character is a doctor and her behavior is that of a 16 year old. So very unrealistic. It was difficult for me to finish this book because of it.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews