Dead Catch - (A Sam Rivers Mystery) by Cary J Griffith (Paperback)

About the Book

"Holden Riggins is an expert outdoorsman and a known poacher. He's made a small fortune by exploiting nature's bounty. So it's no surprise when two conservation officers (COs) from the Department of Natural Resources come upon Holden's fishing boat, anchored beside an illegal walleye net. What is a surprise, though, is Holden's condition: nearly frozen to death on the bottom of his boat. That's not the COs' most shocking discovery. Twisted and tangled within the twines of another nearby net is the dead body of their missing colleague. After the COs save Holden from the icy grip of hypothermia, the suspected murderer refuses to answer questions. The only person he'll speak with is Sam Rivers, a man he last saw when they were 12 years old. Since then, Holden has become a known scofflaw and ex-con, using wilderness and everything in it for his ill-gotten gains. Sam has become a special agent for the US Fish & Wildlife Service, hunting, capturing, and incarcerating criminals-like his childhood friend. Throughout the state's finest walleye lakes, the population of Minnesota's most prized game fish has been unaccountably dropping. Holden's net might explain why. Has he resurrected his illegal netting ring, cashing in on the state's $25-million walleye industry? Did he commit murder to evade the law? One thing is certain: Sam will follow the facts wherever they lead-but is he the one reeling in suspects, or is he just the bait? Natural history writer Cary J. Griffith brings back Sam Rivers for his fourth outdoors-themed mystery-a suspenseful novel filled with fast-paced action"--

Book Synopsis

A murdered conservation officer and a multi-million-dollar poaching business-how are they connected to Sam Rivers' childhood friend?

Holden Riggins is an expert outdoorsman and a known poacher. He's made a small fortune by exploiting nature's bounty. So it's no surprise when two conservation officers (COs) from the Department of Natural Resources come upon Holden's fishing boat, anchored beside an illegal walleye net.

What is a surprise, though, is Holden's condition: nearly frozen to death on the bottom of his boat. That's not the COs' most shocking discovery. Twisted and tangled within the twines of another nearby net is the dead body of their missing colleague.

After the COs save Holden from the icy grip of hypothermia, the suspected murderer refuses to answer questions. The only person he'll speak with is Sam Rivers, a man he last saw when they were 12 years old. Since then, Holden has become a known scofflaw and ex-con, using wilderness and everything in it for his ill-gotten gains. Sam has become a special agent for the US Fish & Wildlife Service, hunting, capturing, and incarcerating criminals--like his childhood friend.

Throughout the state's finest walleye lakes, the population of Minnesota's most prized game fish has been unaccountably dropping. Holden's net might explain why. Has he resurrected his illegal netting ring, cashing in on the state's $25-million walleye industry? Did he commit murder to evade the law? One thing is certain: Sam will follow the facts wherever they lead--but is he the one reeling in suspects, or is he just the bait?

Natural history writer Cary J. Griffith brings back Sam Rivers for his fourth outdoors-themed mystery--a suspenseful novel filled with fast-paced action.

Review Quotes

"A fascinating and thoroughly satisfying investigation into the shadowy world of illegal fishing."

-Pamela Beason, author of the Sam Westin Wilderness Mysteries

"Dead Catch captures your attention from the opening sentence, and then, like Griffith's first victim in the poacher's net, you're caught in a trap that'll keep you flipping pages until the final twist."

--Jeffrey B. Burton, award-winning author of the Mace Reid K-9 Mysteries

"Dead Catch kept me turning pages as Griffith revealed the high stakes in the walleye poaching industry. This fantastic mystery shows the depths of love, friendship, and the power of being given a second chance. A must-read series for all mystery and wildlife lovers!"

--Kathleen Donnelly, award-winning author of the National Forest K-9 series

"Cary Griffith's beautifully crafted Dead Catch... [is] about the complexity of life: the trauma a young boy experiences losing his father and the trauma experienced by a woman harmed; the importance of love in our lives--the love that binds friends, partners, and parents and children--and what love motivates us to do; the power of compassion and mercy; the need to make amends and begin life anew; and the renewal of a friendship lost in childhood. Dead Catch is about all these things and much more. It is a compelling read."

--Brian Duren, award-winning author of The Gravity of Love and Whiteout

"Griffith's writing conveys the awe, respect, and knowledge he has for the wilderness, and Dead Catch, his best Sam Rivers mystery so far, will make your mouth water for tender lake fish and for the series to continue."

--Sara Johnson, author of the Alexa Glock Forensics Mysteries

"Dead Catch is both captivating and gratifying; the perfect winter read that will make the reader want to book their next trip 'up north.' "

--Rob Jung, author of Judgment Day and the host of Minnesota Mystery Night

"Cary Griffith never disappoints. The suspense is taut as Special Agent Sam Rivers spins out a line to land a murderer in the wilds of Northern Minnesota. He pulls in one whopper of a story. This smart and gripping mystery is highly recommended."

--Mary Logue, author of The Big Sugar

"The author weaves together the rugged landscape and his knowledge of those who inhabit it--two-legged, four-legged, and finned--to spin a tale of corruption and deceit sure to please readers who enjoy a gripping outdoors mystery."

--Lois Winston, author of the best-selling Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries

"A fascinating and thoroughly satisfying investigation into the shadowy world of illegal fishing."

--Pamela Beason, author of the Sam Westin Wilderness Mysteries

"Dead Catch captures your attention from the opening sentence, and then, like Griffith's first victim in the poacher's net, you're caught in a trap that'll keep you flipping pages until the final twist."

--Jeffrey B. Burton, award-winning author of the Mace Reid K-9 Mysteries

"Dead Catch kept me turning pages as Griffith revealed the high stakes in the walleye poaching industry. This fantastic mystery shows the depths of love, friendship, and the power of being given a second chance. A must-read series for all mystery and wildlife lovers!"

--Kathleen Donnelly, award-winning author of the National Forest K-9 series

"Cary Griffith's beautifully crafted Dead Catch... [is] about the complexity of life: the trauma a young boy experiences losing his father and the trauma experienced by a woman harmed; the importance of love in our lives--the love that binds friends, partners, and parents and children--and what love motivates us to do; the power of compassion and mercy; the need to make amends and begin life anew; and the renewal of a friendship lost in childhood. Dead Catch is about all these things and much more. It is a compelling read."

--Brian Duren, award-winning author of The Gravity of Love and Whiteout

"Griffith's writing conveys the awe, respect, and knowledge he has for the wilderness, and Dead Catch, his best Sam Rivers mystery so far, will make your mouth water for tender lake fish and for the series to continue."

--Sara Johnson, author of the Alexa Glock Forensics Mysteries

"Dead Catch is both captivating and gratifying; the perfect winter read that will make the reader want to book their next trip 'up north.' "

--Rob Jung, author of Judgment Day and the host of Minnesota Mystery Night

"Cary Griffith never disappoints. The suspense is taut as Special Agent Sam Rivers spins out a line to land a murderer in the wilds of Northern Minnesota. He pulls in one whopper of a story. This smart and gripping mystery is highly recommended."

--Mary Logue, author of The Big Sugar

"The author weaves together the rugged landscape and his knowledge of those who inhabit it--two-legged, four-legged, and finned--to spin a tale of corruption and deceit sure to please readers who enjoy a gripping outdoors mystery."

--Lois Winston, author of the best-selling Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries

About the Author

Award-winning author Cary J. Griffith grew up among the woods, fields, and emerald waters of eastern Iowa. His childhood fostered a lifelong love of wild places. He earned a B.A. in English from the University of Iowa and an M.A. in library science from the University of Minnesota.

Griffith's books explore the natural world. In nonfiction, he covers the borderlands between civilization and wild places. In fiction, he focuses on the ways some people use flora and fauna to commit crimes, while others with more reverence and understanding of the natural world leverage their knowledge to bring criminals to justice. In both genres, readers are likely to learn something about our relationship to the natural world and the creatures who inhabit it.

"I was 14 the first time I visited the lakes and boreal forests of northeastern Minnesota," says Griffith, "and its beauty struck me."

Griffith is also the author of Wolf Kill, Cougar Claw, Killing Monarchs, Gunflint Burning, Lost in the Wild, and Opening Goliath. He lives with his family in a suburb of Minnesota's Twin Cities.