FICTION | AVAILABLE NOW
DEATH VALLEY DUEL: A National Park Mystery
by SCOTT GRAHAM
"A taut, smart, and propulsive thriller."
—NINA DE GRAMONT, The Christie Affair
Cover art by David Jonason davidjonason.com
In the latest installment of Scott Graham's acclaimed National Park Mystery Series, an archeologist must stop a century-old evil to save his daughter.
When archaeologist Chuck Bender makes a stunning discovery of a century-old crime, he believes it may be related to a series of deadly accidents plaguing the Whitney to Death 150, the world's toughest ultra trail-running marathon. While Chuck’s teenage stepdaughter Carmelita races to win the competition, Chuck races to uncover the wicked intent lying behind the tragedies—before Carmelita becomes the next victim.
June 2024 | Fiction/Mystery | 9781948814942 | Trade Paper | 243 pp | $17.95
PRAISE FOR DEATH VALLEY DUEL
“An ultramarathon in the California desert draws attention to the fight over water rights. This well-informed nature series hits its storytelling stride.”
—KIRKUS REVIEWS
“Scott Graham has written a love letter to the California desert, and to parenthood, and to the athletes who push themselves past limits most of us cannot even imagine. Within the framework of a fifty-hour, hundred-and-fifty-mile ultramarathon, Graham tells a story that’s been unfolding for a hundred years—a steady, dangerous, and addictive race toward justice.”
—NINA DE GRAMONT, New York Times bestselling author of The Christie Affair
“Thanks to mystery author and Durango-based outdoorsman Scott Graham, we know a lot about America’s national parks. Graham exhibits enormous passion and engagement around the theme of water control and equity in his latest work.”
—TAOS NEWS
"Graham has wound together the threads of two different plots successfully while also educating the reader about water issues in the American West...California landscape and history, environmental effects of the need for water, Native American history, and the sport of ultra trail running. I'm looking forward to seeing where Graham takes us next."
—REVIEWING THE EVIDENCE
“The latest installment in Scott Graham’s National Park Mystery series will not disappoint. His ability to blend thrilling mystery and environmental suspense is unparalleled in the genre, and mystery readers new to his work will delight in protagonist Chuck Bender, a perfect blend of Miss Marple and Indiana Jones. A propulsive, page-turning murder mystery with an environmental cold case at its core, Death Valley Duel asks thoughtful questions surrounding water rights and American colonialism that keeps it from being just another whodunit.”
—MOLLY IMBER, Maria’s Bookshop
“Move over, Chuck Bender, because it’s Carmelita Ortega’s turn. Fans of Scott Graham’s novels will relish in watching one of their most adored characters take center stage. By turns a life-and-death thriller and a fascinating examination of endurance sports, Death Valley Duel is an adrenaline-soaked journey through one of the most forbidding and alluring places in the United States. Expertly paced and compelling, you’ll find it impossible to put down once you’ve started.”
—C. MATTHEW SMITH, Twentymile
“A twisty thriller that promises an epic race to the finish.”
—CLAIRE KELLS, Forgotten Trail
"Equally divided between his daughter’s perspective as a race participant and Chuck’s desire to find justice for an almost forgotten murder victim, the two stories weave back and forth against the richly described landscape of Death Valley. Compelling...Death Valley Duel is a fun read and may well hook you into wanting to read the other titles in this series."
—ASSOCIATION FOR MORMON LETTERS
“Take the outdoors, archaeology, a grueling ultramarathon, and the reliable trope of a 100-year-old crime that connects to modern-day deaths, and you get the latest book in Graham’s National Park Mystery Series. This story is a literal race to the finish that will keep you guessing and glued to the pages.”
—5280 MAGAZINE & TATTERED COVER BOOK STORE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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SCOTT GRAHAM is the author of the critically acclaimed National Park Mystery Series, featuring archaeologist Chuck Bender and Chuck’s spouse, Janelle Ortega. In addition, Scott is the author of five nonfiction books, including Extreme Kids, winner of the National Outdoor Book Award. Scott is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys whitewater rafting, mountaineering, and backpacking. He lives with his spouse, an emergency physician, in Durango, Colorado.
"An exciting, rewarding puzzle."
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
~ GRAHAM'S NATIONAL PARK MYSTERY SERIES ~
PRAISE FOR GRAHAM'S NATIONAL PARK MYSTERY SERIES
“Terrific.”
—C.J. BOX, New York Times bestselling author
“One part mystery, one part mysticism, one part mayhem—and all parts exciting.”
—CRAIG JOHNSON, New York Times bestselling author
“Engrossing. A topnotch read.”
—WILLIAM KENT KRUEGER, New York Times bestselling author
“A winning blend of archeology and intrigue, Graham’s series turns our National Parks into places of equal parts beauty, mystery, and danger.”
—EMILY LITTLEJOHN, Shatter the Night
“As always, the highlight of Graham’s National Park Mystery Series is his extensive knowledge of the parks system, its lands, and its people.”
—KIRKUS REVIEWS
