Cougar Claw

“In this highly anticipated second novel in the Sam Rivers series, Cary J. Griffith delivers another finely researched and compellingly written thriller. Both the beauty and the savagery of our natural world form the heart of a Griffith story. In this case, it’s the predatory habits of cougars. When the killing of a Twin Cities man in an apparent cougar attack brings Sam to the Minnesota River Valley to investigate, what follows is a gradual and fascinating revelation of not just the predatory nature of cougars, but that of humans as well.”—William Kent Krueger, Edgar Award-winning author of This Tender Land

“Griffith—and his very engaging hero, Sam Rivers—both know the Minnesota wilderness inside and out. But be careful. After staying up all night to devour Cougar Claw, you may find yourself listening for a low growl the next time you’re alone in the forest.”—Brian Freeman, New York Times best-selling author of The Deep, Deep Snow

“From the first page to the last, Cougar Claw blends high suspense with the quiet observations of the predator’s predator, Sam Rivers. 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 is a fluent student of the Minnesota outdoors. His detailed storytelling makes the rugged landscape come alive, becoming a major character in his writings. And 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

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, Gunflint Burning, Lost in the Wild, and Opening Goliath. He lives with his family in a suburb of Minnesota’s Twin Cities.