Yellowstone Standoff: A National Park Mystery

Graham’s intriguing third National Park mystery (after 2015’s Mountain Rampage) takes archeologist Chuck Bender; his wife, Janelle Ortega; and his two young stepdaughters, Carmelita and Rosalita, to the Turret Patrol Cabin in the Thorofare region, “the highest and coldest forested part” of Yellowstone. There they join a contentious group of 40 researchers, including meteorologists, geologists, wolf experts, grizzly bear experts, and two drone operators, who are dealing with such phenomena as global warming, an increase in the number of small tremors, and an odd pairing of a wolf and a grizzly. The threatening behavior of the park’s predators is worrisome enough, and then the discovery of a murdered researcher lifts threats to a whole new level. Graham, an avid outdoorsman and amateur archeologist, does a fine job detailing the various and competing demands made on National Parks by the public, scientists, and bureaucrats. (June)