FICTION
SAGUARO SANCTION: No. 8 in the National Park Mystery Series
by SCOTT GRAHAM
"Saguaro Sanction delivers an expertly plotted, page-turning mystery."
—MARGARET MIZUSHIMA, author of the award-winning Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries
Cover art by David Jonason davidjonason.com
When Janelle Ortega’s cousin from Mexico is found brutally murdered at a remote petroglyph site in Saguaro National Park, she and her husband, archaeologist Chuck Bender, are drawn deep into a threatening web of hostility and deceit stretching south across the US-Mexico border and back in time a thousand years, to when the Hohokam people thrived in the Sonoran Desert.
Book 8 in Scott Graham's National Park Mystery Series introduces readers to the landscapes and cultural histories of Saguaro National Park in southern Arizona, providing an inside look at the wonders of the wildly popular national park and its archaeological and cultural complexities.
March 2023 | Fiction/Mystery | 978-1-948814-75-1 | Trade Paper | 275 pp | $16.95
PRAISE FOR SAGUARO SANCTION
"Rich descriptions of the landscape and the history of the Hohokam people who once thrived in the area...Those interested in the terrain and the native peoples of the Southwest will best appreciate this one."
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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"One of the big treats in Saguaro Sanction is Graham’s portrayal of this national park. His prose vividly brings all the readers’ senses into play, especially the sense of smell."
—THE DURANGO HERALD
"Set against a background of the life-threatening desert between Mexico and Tucson, the book tells of the desperate trip immigrants make for a better life in the United States."
—THE DENVER POST
"Saguaro Sanction delivers an expertly plotted, page-turning mystery . . . Graham weaves environmental and historical details together with stunning backcountry landscapes.”
—MARGARET MIZUSHIMA, author of the award-winning Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries, including Standing Dead
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"With Saguaro Sanction, Graham has pulled off yet another storytelling feat: a whodunit in the tradition of Agatha Christie and Ellery Queen, set in the rugged majesty of one of the lesser known national parks. Touching on themes both new and familiar to his work—family, immigration, the uniquely complicated history of the land at its core—this is a sleek mystery brimming with heart and powered by rocket fuel."
—C. MATTHEW SMITH, author of Twentymile
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“Prickly issues, a dramatic setting, and a taut plot—Saguaro Sanction scores a trifecta of suspenseful reading pleasure. With Scott Graham at the wheel, you know you’re in for a rewarding ride.”
—MARK STEVENS, author of The Fireballer and the Allison Coil Mystery Series
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SCOTT GRAHAM is the author of the acclaimed National Park Mystery series, featuring archaeologist Chuck Bender and Chuck’s spouse, Janelle Ortega. In addition to the National Park Mystery series, 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 backpacking, river rafting, skiing, and mountaineering. He has made a living as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, radio disk jockey, and coal-shoveling fireman on the steam-powered Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. He lives with his spouse, who is 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
“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
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“Intriguing . . . Graham has a true talent for describing the Rockies’ flora and fauna, allowing his readers to feel almost as if they were trekking the park themselves.”
—MYSTERY SCENE MAGAZINE
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“Graham has crafted a multilevel mystery that plumbs the emotions of greed and jealousy.”
—DURANGO HERALD
“Graham has created a beautifully balanced book, incorporating intense action scenes, depth of characterization, realistic landscapes, and historical perspective.”
—REVIEWING THE EVIDENCE
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“Only a truly gifted novelist is able to keep a reader turning pages while imparting extensive knowledge about the people, the landscape, and the park system. Scott Graham proves yet again that he is one ofthe finest.”
—CHRISTINE CARBO, author of A Sharp Solitude: A Glacier Mystery
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“A winning blend of archaeology and intrigue, Graham’s series turns our national parks into places of equal parts beauty, mystery, and danger.”
—EMILY LITTLE JOHN, author of Shatter the Night: A Detective Gemma Monroe Mystery
