Janelle Ortega and Chuck Bender are drawn deep into a threatening web of hostility and deceit in Saguaro National Park in this page-turner of a mystery.

"A winning blend of archaeology and intrigue, Graham's series turns our national parks into places of equal parts beauty, mystery, and danger.”
—EMILY LITTLEJOHN, author of Lost Lake

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 ofhostility 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.
Contributor Bio(s)
 
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.
Marketing Plans
Galleys available - in print and on Edelweiss
Co–op available
Extensive social media campaign
Publicize to regional newspapers, magazines, and radio
Targeted outreach to mystery publications such as Mystery Readers Journal and Reviewing the Evidence
Promotion through scottfranklingraham.com
Regional Southwest tour and virtual events; publicity and promotion in conjunction with author events
Electronic postcard sent to publisher contact list announcing publication and relevant reviews
Key Selling Points
New National Park Mystery: 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.
Insider look at a national park: Offers readers an inside look at the wonders of a wildly popular national park and the complexities of archaeological preservation and protection.
Praise: Author has received endorsements from such mystery–fan favorites as C. J. Box, William Kent Kreuger and Anne Hillerman.
Promotion and partnership: Author is well–connected in the mystery community and has had great success with bookstore events for previous books in the series; we will coordinate virtual and in–person multi–author events partnering with environmental nonprofits and bookstores.
Regional appeal in the Southwest.
Quotes/Reviews
"With Saguaro Sanction, Scott 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

"Prickly issues, a dramatic setting, and a taut plot—Saguaro Sanction scores a trifecta ofsuspenseful 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

"Expertly plotted, Saguaro Sanction delivers a page–turning mystery along with another suspenseful episode in the lives of archaeologist Chuck Bender and his family. A masterful novelist, Scott Grahamweaves environmental and historical details together with stunning backcountry landscapes in each of his National Park Mysteries. Brilliant storytelling!"
—MARGARET MIZUSHIMA, author of the award–winning Timber Creek K–9 Mysteries, including Standing Dead