Sam Rivers is back in Cary J. Griffith's latest eco-mystery Rattlesnake Bluff. This is the fifth book in the Sam Rivers series.
"Sam Rivers is a special agent with the US Fish and Wildlife Service," says Griffith of his fictional lead character. "He gets involved in crimes that usually have to do... with an endangered species." In the case of Rattlesnake Bluff, a rare Massasauga Rattlesnake - not seen in Minnesota for over two decades - is found near a development site. The discovery leads to mystery and unsolved murders from many years previous.
All of Griffith's books take place in Minnesota. This time, the focus is the southeastern bluff country, sometimes called The Driftless. From book to book, the location changes necessitate research about the region and about the species in question. "I actually interviewed some DNR conservation officers... about what would happen if they found an endangered species that hadn't been seen in the state in a couple of decades. What would the process look like?" says Griffith, who also interviewed a herpetologist to get an expert's insight on the Massasauga Rattlesnake.
Rattlesnake Bluff is available at local booksellers throughout the state as well as online through Adventure Publications.
Minnesota Reads is produced at The North 103.3 with funding provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
