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, Gunflint Burning, Lost in the Wild, and Opening Goliath. He lives with his family in a suburb of Minnesota's Twin Cities.
Praise for Wolf Kill: Honestly, I've never read a book that evokes the fierce winter landscape of the North Country better than Wolf Kill. -William Kent Krueger, Edgar Award-winning author of This Tender Land Griffith's prose makes you feel the winter chill... and the twisty plot delivers a chill down your spine. -Brian Freeman, New York Times best-selling author of The Deep, Deep Snow Up here in the North Country, we have a bounty of fine mystery writers. Krueger, Housewright, Eskins, Freeman, Mejia, Sanford... add to that list Cary Griffith. -Peter Geye, author of Northernmost Wolf Kill is a terrific read! The writing is so good that you can feel the frigid winds blowing through this dark and masterfully crafted novel even as the suspense heats up. -David Housewright, Edgar Award-winning author of What Doesn't Kill Us Cary J. Griffith defines the savage, howling beauty of a Northern Minnesota winter in this taut, compulsively readable mystery. I want more Sam Rivers! -Wendy Webb, author of The Haunting of Brynn Wilder Fans of Paul Doiron's The Poacher's Son or the Joe Pickett books will appreciate this descriptive novel with an intriguing plot and well-written characters. -Lesa Holstine, Library Journal Cary J. Griffith's Wolf Kill is a surprisingly fast-paced, highly intriguing outdoor action thriller with some mystery and romance thrown in for good measure. -Joseph B. Hoyos, Gumshoe In Wolf Kill, natural history writer Cary J. Griffith introduces readers to Sam Rivers, a predator's predator, and weaves a masterful tale of danger and suspense in the far north. -Thoughts on This'n That Praise for Cougar Claw: Between Griffith's descriptions of Minnesota's natural beauty and the human nature of his characters, this is a book you won't want to end. -Debra H. Goldstein, award-winning author of the Sarah Blair mystery series Mixing deep knowledge of the natural world with the twists and turns of the best suspense novels, Cougar Claw is a thoughtful and thrilling story. -Mary Logue, author of the Claire Watkins mysteries and The Streel Griffith doubles down on his strengths in this series, giving us another vibrant cast of allies, suspects, and a misunderstood predator, while navigating a path between animal rights and human fears of the natural world. I can't wait for Sam Rivers' next assignment. -Mindy Mejia, author of Everything You Want Me to Be and Strike Me Down Griffith's popular creation, Sam Rivers, is a striking star, handsome, playful and deeply knowledgeable in his field. Turns out he's not so bad at unraveling the darker side of human nature, too. -Ginny Greene, Star Tribune Sam Rivers is a welcome addition to the growing list of crime fiction protagonists by Minnesota writers. His love of nature and creatures, even predators, permeates the plot. -Mary Ann Grossman, Pioneer Press