Mountain Rampage

National Park Mystery #2

by Scott Graham

In the riveting second installment of the National Park Mystery Series, archaeologist Chuck Bender finds himself and his young wife and stepdaughters in the crosshairs of an unknown killer when he defends his brother-in-law from false accusations of murder in the brutal slaying of a resort worker in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Scott Graham is author of Canyon Sacrifice: A National Park Mystery and Extreme Kids, winner of the National Outdoor Book Award. He is an avid outdoorsman and amateur archaeologist who enjoys hunting, rock climbing, skiing, backpacking, mountaineering, river rafting, and whitewater kayaking with his wife, an emergency physician, and their two sons. Graham lives in Durango, Colorado.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Adventure, Adult Fiction

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 18, 2015

About the author

Scott Graham is author of Canyon Sacrifice: A National Park Mystery and Extreme Kids (winner of the National Outdoor Book Award). He is an avid outdoorsman and amateur archaeologist who enjoys hunting, rock climbing, skiing, backpacking, mountaineering, river rafting, and whitewater kayaking with his wife, an emergency physician, and their two sons. Graham lives in Durango, Colorado.

Reviews

[Sharon Huether · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this free book through Goodreads First-reads. Thanks Goodreads for sending me such a great book filled with adventure. A fast paced adventure in the Colorado Rocky Mountain National Park. Archaeology students searched for artifacts while murder and poaching was going on. A great story with something new on every page.

[Mark Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chuck Bender is an archaeologist—founder, CEO and sole full-time employee of Bender Archaeological Inc. He surveys and excavates sites of potential archaeological significance that might be development on federal, state, and Indian reservation lands. So the switch in scenery from Chuck’s first adventure, in “Grand Canyon Sacrifice,” is a natural.

He’s used to digging, scraping, searching—down.

But trouble keeps piling—up.

And then some.

In “Mountain Rampage,” woe comes in spades (digging pun intended).

Newly married and with his wife and a couple of new step-daughters in tow, Chuck’s latest project involves leading a summer field-study course at the abandoned Cordero Mine, five miles from the top of trail ridge road in Rocky Mountain National Park. Problems? He has a daughter with a fever—she’s had seizures. There’s the delicate dance of trust with his new wife, Janelle. Can he adapt to his new role as father? Does he trust the men who come around, especially good looking E.R. docs?

There’s a strange puddle of blood found outside the dormitories at the “Y of the Rockies” where the students are living during the project. Rotted timbers inside the mine shaft lead to a near tragedy when a student tumbles through. And down. Chuck becomes a human rope and averts catastrophe. And then police come around and put Chuck’s brother-in-law, Clarence, straight in the crosshairs when his knife is found with blood all over it. Chuck finds a woman in the woods with a “grievous” wound in her neck and, if that wasn’t enough, there’s a pile of headless “trophy-worthy” ram carcasses.

Let’s hope you didn’t take the term ‘rampage’ lightly. Misery is piled higher than Long’s Peak. Colorado readers will get a kick out of the scenes around Estes Park and if you’ve ever stayed at “The Y” outside of town or taken a ride up Trail Ridge Road, you’ll enjoy many of the scenes in this book. The writing is so vivid that you might have to drive up there after you’ve finished to make sure that everything is really okay (no spoilers here, but you will feel the heat).

Suspense abounds, especially when Chuck decides to take a few key bits of information (ahem, evidence) into his own hands in a good-hearted attempt to protect his new, extended family. There’s more to that gold mine than meets the eye, but Chuck has just the right training and know-how to figure out what’s going on. A substance like coffee grounds? Who knew?

At the core of the mayhem in “Mountain Rampage” is a tri-cornered foundation of history, science and current events. The layers to be scraped away involve human motivation. Revealing the story involves peering through the ever-settling dust, not overlooking the obvious, and trusting your instincts when it’s time to make the big choices.

(Full disclosure that I offered Scott feedback on his first book before it was published and that the publisher sent me a copy of "Mountain Rampage," although with no strings attached.)

[Patricia Stoltey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in Graham’s national park mystery series. I received a print copy of this book from the publisher when I invited Scott to be a guest author on my blog on June 11th.

For me, Mountain Rampage was a true “I can’t put it down” mystery. I admit part of the reason was the setting. Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, and the YMCA of the Rockies resort make an irresistible combination for most of us Coloradoans. And when the mystery involves poaching wildlife, archaeological projects, and murder, it’s a lock. When you add solid writing skills and excellent plotting to the mix, throw in great pacing, a couple of social issues, and a terrifying fire near the cabins, you have a good read. I like the main character, Chuck Bender, who’s an archaeologist. His wife and two stepdaughters add depth to his character and help make him a thoroughly likable guy.

I’m adding Graham’s first national park mystery to my TBR list and will look forward to future books in the series.

[Tami · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to read, the protagonist is from Durango, CO, my home town, as is the author, so he throws in a bunch of stuff about Colorado along the way. The mystery here was somewhat predictable but the adventure of figuring it out was good. Chuck Bender is a badass as archaeologists go!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plenty of action and villains in this outdoor thriller. Quite a bit of coincidence comes into play which i have a bit of a problem with but characters are good and the plot moves along.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though two of the characters annoyed me and that Chuck needs to find better people to work for it wasn’t that bad.

[Sharon Mensing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not the first time I've picked up a second-in-a-series with trepidation. When the first is as good as CANYON SACRIFICE was, there's always a worry that the second will disappoint. Fortunately, MOUNTAIN RAMPAGE is as good as the first. The prologue sets up one of the story lines, and the initial scenes that have archaeologist Chuck Bender rushing to the hospital with his very sick new daughter sets the stage for his own personal growth. Once the main plot takes off, with Chuck leading a group of archaeology students in the excavation of an old mine in Rocky Mountain National Park, the reader is hard-pressed to put the book down.



Graham knows how to build suspense, and throughout the book there are many scenes during which my house could have been burning down and I wouldn't have noticed. As in his previous book, this amateur archaeologist writes best when he is writing about the physical trials associated with climbing in remote locations and the history behind his plots. In MOUNTAIN RAMPAGE, this history has to do with gold mining, so the reader learns a lot about how a mine like the one the students are excavating came to be and what could be inside. Again, greed plays a significant role in the plot.



The archaeology students are housed close-by to support workers for the Park, and there is much mingling between the two groups. When one of the workers is killed, and Chuck's new brother-in-law is a "person of interest," Chuck's desire to protect his new family causes him to make some poor choices. As the character begins to develop in the series, Chuck's fallibility helps give him dimension; at the same time, it can cause a certain amount of dissonance in the reader. One wonders whether any rational man would make these same mistakes. Nonetheless, it's hard not to root for Chuck as he struggles to keep one step ahead of the police to nab the killer while protecting his brother-in-law.



One of the joys of this National Park Mystery series is the beauty with which Graham writes about the landscape. In this book, Rocky Mountain National Park springs off the page in full color. Having been there and seen the location with my own eyes, I can confirm that Graham captures the majesty of the Park. I can only imagine that a reader who has not personally visited the Park would be anxious to do so after reading about it in MOUNTAIN RAMPAGE. And I'm sure that reader would be careful that his or her car was in good working order before making the trip!


This review first appeared at www.reviewingtheevidence.com.

[Susan Imhoff Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scott Graham’s latest, Mountain Rampage, is another page-turner that had me alternately cheering for and chastising the protagonist, Chuck Bender. Don’t do it, I implored him, as he continued to place himself in ridiculously risky and volatile situations, leaving himself vulnerable to unknown, sometimes violent forces. But Chuck and caution are two opposite concepts, and this tension is what keeps me turning the pages. Graham drew me in with his clean dialogue, descriptions that bring to life the Estes Park area and Rocky Mountain National Park, and interpersonal relationships that are as intriguing as the mysteries Chuck is trying to solve. A great read—Scott Graham is a master at hooking, keeping a reader on edge, and satisfying, finally, that gut-tightening suspense that begins on page one.

[Maryann Lucero · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm loving this mystery series, and Graham just gets better. this installment, set in Rocky Mountain National Park, is almost non-stop action. it starts with the crack of a rifle and ends with the roar of a forest fire. In between, we get an abandoned gold mine, unrequited love and mysterious murders, one of which is decades old. Chuck Bender is the heroic Everyman, insecure with his beautiful young wife, infatuated with his two young stepdaughters, and a little overwhelmed with his sudden status as family man. if you love the great outdoors, a little bit of history, well rounded characters and a well plotted mystery, this is the book for you.

[Joyce · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, I gave Scott Graham a second chance to redeem himself as a writer, and that’s it for me! I think this 2nd book in his series was even more outrageous and unbelievable than his first book! No character development, plot that was disjointed and hard to follow,things that didn’t jive or add up. It was all about the heroics of the main character, Chuck. I actually had to make myself finish it to justify being able to rate it. I think the author needs to learn what reality is. I’m done with this series for sure!

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author places his mystery in the middle of Rocky Mountain National Park's 415 square miles of rugged beauty and nearly 80 abandoned mines. Archaeologist Chuck Bender must protect his team, uncover a mass murder and stop the theft of the park's treasures. Although the multiple twists and turns may keep you guessing until the end, better physical descriptions would make the characters more unique.

[Nancy McGrath · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great follow-up to Canyon Sacrifice. Set in Rocky Mountain NP, Chuck Bender is once again at the center of a murder investigation. The revelation of the culprit was confusing and needed a bit more backstory explanation, but otherwise, a fun quick read with historical and location information that adds to the series.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed that the librarian in this story was an old stereotypical lady and even more so that she became a librarian after being a teacher without getting a degree. I did like how Web savvy she was though. Overall this is a great, thrilling read.

[Nikii · Rating 2 out of 5]

Better than the first, definitely. No slow first third/half, no protagonist wife slapping protagonist husband. The protagonists are still fairlly unlikeable, though, and I think I'm probably done with this series.

[Anne - Books of My Heart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
 

Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I decided to try this National Park Mystery series because I would enjoy a national park setting and a mystery is always another layer to the plot.  The main character is an archeologist who does work at park sites where they are planning to build.  Chuck Bender is in his early 50s in good shape. He has just married Janelle, who is the sister of one of his staff.  She has two girls, Carmelita and Rosie.

Chuck has a summer gig from his alma mater to take 12 students on an archaeology project at Rocky Mountain National Park.  Janelle and the girls come along and they all stay in a cabin. (I'm not sure how the cabin would have been available or the dorm buildings during the busy season.)  Janelle's brother Clarence and a PHD student Carina help supervise the students and the work.

Chuck finds things he doesn't like.  Clarence is still drinking too much and while he is not hooking up with the students, he is with the staff from the hotels.  He also finds someone he believes is poaching rams.  Then the floor of the cave tunnel collapses during their exploration.  No one is hurt but Chuck knows something is fishy about it.

When there is blood found outside the dorms, and a few nights later a server is murdered suspicions fall on the Clarence and even Chuck.  I don't quite understand why Chuck researches everything on his own and then doesn't share the information with law enforcement. Well, I know he wants to stay under the radar.  But the people doing bad things aren't stopping.

There are plenty of twists in this one.  Someone is always trying to use Chuck and have him take the fall. He's used to working on his own and takes too many chances.  His immature wife never supports him and withholds her approval until he's proven once again he has integrity and gets the job done.    I have to wonder if that will improve when they have been married longer, and whether the student program will continue.

Narration:
I've enjoyed this narrator previously.  The primary voice and thoughts were Chuck and he certainly became Chuck for me.  The other voices were all comfortably appropriate. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.

[Ryan Zink · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably my least favorite yet in the series, having started with later books before going back to the Grand Canyon, and now RMNP installments.

I wanted to enjoy this book more, and as someone who has spent a fair amount of time in Estes Park and RMNP, there was a lot of imagery to draw from as I read, recognizing all of the landmarks referenced, and even the topography of the area.

As other reviewers have noted, the behaviors and conversations of some of the characters are a bit too far out there, even for fiction, when that fictional story is intended to be representative of reality.

That said, I do really like Scott’s writing style, I still found the book easy to read, and the ending not as I predicted. Others have said there are too many characters; I disagree, and think the multitude of characters adds to the interest of figuring out “who done it.” It also helps having read later books (and the first one) as the development of Chuck, Jan, and the others builds across the series.

Like the first book, the ending was a bit abrupt, and something that I think improved in the author’s more recent books in the series. Overall, a good read, not as good as some of his others, but I would treat it as a bit of a sophomore slump. Excited to move on to the third installment next.

[Dave Weller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chuck Bender and his family are back in book number two of the National Park Mystery series. Janelle is his wife and Carmelita and Rosie are his step daughters. Clarence is Janelle's brother. Chuck and Clarence are anthropologists, and Chuck's professor commissioned them to lead a dig at an abandoned mine in Rocky Mountain National Park along with a team of twelve students. Janelle and the daughters are allowed to accompany Chuck for the summer, and they temporarily live in a cabin near the YMCA of the Rockies outside Estes Park. All seems to be uneventful, until Clarence's knife is found near a pool of blood, and then Chuck discovers one of the YMCA's seasonal workers dead. That sets the stage. Since I live in Colorado, and I have visited Rocky Mountain National Park numerous times, I loved the setting and the descriptions of the mountains, the vegetation and terrain. The author does a nice job of enhancing the character descriptions of Chuck and his family. The plot is decent, as it combines several threads that coalesce in a climactic ending. If you like surprise, thriller endings, this is a book for you. I will surely tune into book three.

[Sharon E T Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlikely hero keeps the reader guessing as he tracks a cunning predator

I definitely recommend this book. But don't read it if you are planning a backcountry campout in the near future. Wait until you get back home!
Seriously, Graham's knowledge of backcountry hiking, climbing ,wildlife and our national park plus human nature make all of his books hard to put down.
Two things about this one were distracting to me. Our hero's mulitple injuries in the story, seemed excessive. Second, without a spoiler, I would only add that there seemed to be one too many complications, natural or otherwise. Maybe, too many ideas to squeeze into one novel?

[Abibliofob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mountain Rampage by Scott Graham was not the best book about archeologist Chuck Bender but it was ok. This time he has a class of students learning how to do a dig and restore the sight after them and surprise, surprise there's a murder. The thing that really got me annoyed where the fact that he hid evidence from the police without any reason. It was really illogical. But the setting is great and it's hard finding thrillers set in national parks. I will however continue reading this series.

[Sue · Rating 1 out of 5]

This had the makings of an excellent story with a look at Colorado's Rocky Mountain Park combined with history and archaeology. The plot was underdeveloped, characters were not well developed. There were so many times where I would wonder "why would a professional in this scene do that", soon got tiring to the point that I was forcing myself to finish the book.

[Janet Frost · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe a 3.5. It felt like the "beginning " of a series even though it was book 2. The storyline was ok, the setting in the National parks is the real draw for me. I just didn't connect with the characters. The protagonist is an archaeologist who thinks he is smarter than the police. He might be smarter but not really a detective.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very authentic, especially the details of Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, my parents retired there and I've spent many days in and around both the town and national park, Reading it was like taking a trip back home.

[Patricia Correll · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Bit Slow Paced

Characters introduced late in the story and a slow pace made for a slightly painful read. Not much description of the national park - could have happened almost anywhere.

[Scott]

I thought that Scott Graham is a wonderful writer, he really does a great job of being able to go out of his way to get a result done! I really enjoyed reading this book. He has to know a lot about the National Parks to complete his works.

[Stephanie Olson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was marginally better than the first, but not by much. So many times where I just couldn’t believe a character would say or do the things they said, and far too many characters to keep track of.

[Liz Meyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don’t bother. Main character is macho and self-centered and makes every possible bad decision. His solution to problems is to pinch, run away, ignore his wife & kids, or go off on his own and not include anyone who may actually be able to help. So annoying.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

An airplane read; I bought it for the setting. Not that bad, just not good enough that I would bother with the author again.

[Bev Byram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

This was a page turner from the start. Great book with lots of twists and turns. Not sure who done it until the end.

[Linda Pobanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rampage

Oh, this was really good. I found it difficult to put down. It was a nail-biting experience! It was awesome and I was glad it was book two. Can't wait for book three.

[Heather Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different look at RNMP

An exciting and fun look at a different side of RNMP. All though it seemed a bit over the top at times it was a quick easy read.