Frozen Evidence
(2025)(The second book in the Tails and Trails Mystery series)
A novel by Hailey Hartley
Park Ranger Riley Cooper has dealt with her share of challenges at Snowcrest Wilderness Area, but nothing prepared her for the annual winter wildlife count turning deadly. When her arrogant rival Derek Fontaine goes radio silent during the count, Riley is volunteered to check on him. What she finds in a remote snow shelter changes everything—Derek's frozen body positioned peacefully in an expertly constructed shelter that should have kept him alive. With a blizzard trapping her at the scene overnight, Riley and her Siberian Husky Blizzard discover clues that suggest this was no accident. Someone with serious wilderness expertise wanted Derek dead and made it look like winter camping gone wrong.
As Sheriff Kowalski's investigation unfolds, nearly everyone at Snowcrest had reason to want Derek gone. The Chief Ranger he'd been undermining with complaints. The wildlife biologist he'd accused of fraud. The seasonal ranger whose reputation he'd destroyed. The outfitter whose business he'd nearly bankrupted years ago. With a missing GPS unit, mysterious snowmobile tracks heading toward the restricted wolf habitat, and a suspicious heater that wasn't part of Derek's gear, Riley finds herself caught between professional duty and amateur sleuthing. Her best friend Harper provides comic relief and research support, but as suspects are cleared one by one, the truth becomes more elusive than the wolf packs Riley is supposed to be counting.
The mountains of Snowcrest hold secrets deeper than snow drifts, and someone is willing to kill to keep them buried. Riley must navigate treacherous terrain both literal and social, following a trail of evidence through the frozen wilderness before the killer strikes again. With Blizzard's nose for finding buried clues and her own determination to see justice served, Riley discovers that in the wilderness, the most dangerous predator isn't always the one with fangs. Sometimes it's the one who knows the mountains better than you do—and is willing to use that knowledge to commit the perfect murder.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
As Sheriff Kowalski's investigation unfolds, nearly everyone at Snowcrest had reason to want Derek gone. The Chief Ranger he'd been undermining with complaints. The wildlife biologist he'd accused of fraud. The seasonal ranger whose reputation he'd destroyed. The outfitter whose business he'd nearly bankrupted years ago. With a missing GPS unit, mysterious snowmobile tracks heading toward the restricted wolf habitat, and a suspicious heater that wasn't part of Derek's gear, Riley finds herself caught between professional duty and amateur sleuthing. Her best friend Harper provides comic relief and research support, but as suspects are cleared one by one, the truth becomes more elusive than the wolf packs Riley is supposed to be counting.
The mountains of Snowcrest hold secrets deeper than snow drifts, and someone is willing to kill to keep them buried. Riley must navigate treacherous terrain both literal and social, following a trail of evidence through the frozen wilderness before the killer strikes again. With Blizzard's nose for finding buried clues and her own determination to see justice served, Riley discovers that in the wilderness, the most dangerous predator isn't always the one with fangs. Sometimes it's the one who knows the mountains better than you do—and is willing to use that knowledge to commit the perfect murder.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Used availability for Hailey Hartley's Frozen Evidence