Mystery Novel Picks for Nature Lovers

As a reader, I devour mysteries and thrillers. I love the twists and turns, the quirky characters, the surprise endings. But as a science writer, I am often dismayed by certain genre tendencies. Scientists are often dweeby stereotypes. Wild animals show up thousands of miles outside their range, and behave in ways they never would in real life.

I’m happy to suspend disbelief in novels, but not when vultures are circling the protagonist at midnight.

Mysteries don’t have to be nature-illiterate, as the novels and mystery series demonstrate. All the writers featured in this blog have field experience and an understanding of research and natural history. Conservation issues, and the clashes caused by differing values towards natural resources, often plays a central role. And the stories are page-turners. I hope you enjoy these picks – even if they mean you have some sleepless nights ahead.

As always, I welcome your own suggestions in the comments section.

  • The Anna Pigeon Novels

    By Nevada Barr

    Anna Pigeon, the protagonist in Nevada Barr’s 19-novel series, is a National Park Service ranger who finds perplexing crimes wherever she is stationed. Barr spent time working as a seasonal staffer in several national parks, and her experience shows. The descriptions of field research, park politics and conservation issues are pitch perfect, and has earned her a following among wildlife biologists and other National Park staff (some of whom have even written introductions to the novels).

    The descriptions of life and conflict in field stations, and in park offices, is enjoyable reading for nature literature fans. But be prepared: Just when you’re settling in, there’s sure to be a shocking (and sometimes gruesome) crime. If you’re planning to take on along on your next park trip, you may find yourself sitting a little closer to the campfire, clutching a can of bear spray.

  • The Mike Bowditch Mysteries

    By Paul Doiron

    There are now a number of mystery series involving game wardens and conservation officers. Paul Doiron’s Mike Bowditch series is the best of the bunch. Unlike many novels in this sub-genre, Doiron builds suspense without the need for shocking gore and high body counts. Bowditch is a warden in Maine, where he often deals with issues like feral hog control, predator politics, wildlife poaching and private forest ownership. And murder.

    Doiron is excellent at creating flawed, relatable characters. I’ve found that, for many mystery series, you can read the novels in any order and not lose much. This is one you should read chronologically. Bowditch matures as a character through the series, and following his journey is a big part of the fun. Start with The Poacher’s Son and read them all.

  • The Sean Stranahan Mysteries

    By Keith McCafferty

    Keith McCafferty is one of my favorite outdoor writers, penning thoughtful, long-form pieces on fishing and hunting for Field & Stream. He’s equally adept as a novelist, capturing the quirks and conflicts of “New West” Montana. His eclectic protagonist, Sean Stranahan, is a painter, fly fishing guide and private detective who finds himself solving crimes involving bison management, lost Hemingway manuscripts and endangered rivers.

    McCafferty clearly loves the landscape and the people who inhabit it. And best of all – for me, at least – there’s always a lot of fishing here. While there is plenty of murder and mayhem, there’s also humor here, too. I’ve read them all and look forward to future installments

  • A Stranger Here Below

    By Charles Fergus

    Charles Fergus has extensively covered scientific research and natural history (I also recently reviewed his guide, Make A Home for Wildlife). A Stranger Here Below is not a nature mystery, per se. The story involves Gideon Stoltz, an inexperienced “Pennsylvania Dutch” sheriff making his way on the frontier of Central Pennsylvania in 1835.

    Simply put, I loved this novel. It works as a compelling and complex historical mystery, but it’s more. The characters struggle mightily with the evil around them, trying to find purpose in a world that is frequently brutal and unforgiving. But they carry on. They find meaning in their connections to others, in song, in following dogs into thickets. Their lives are perpetually caught between beauty and violence, compassion and cruelty, love and hate.

    Fergus also excels at capturing the spirit of what he calls the “thick and uncivil places” of the Eastern United States. That’s on display here. The details, whether of a grouse’s feathers or a horse’s gait or burning charcoal for an iron mill, are flawless. Fergus has a curious naturalist’s attention to detail. This is a gem. I hope we see more of Gideon Stoltz in the future.

  • Where the Crawdads Sing

    By Delia Owens

    I reviewed this one already, for my holiday book picks. But I loved it so much I’ll include it here as well. Delia Owens is a wildlife biologist, best known for her work in the Kalahari on lions and in Zambia on elephants.

    This is a fine mystery. And it includes a self-taught swamp naturalist, field guides and plenty of flora and fauna of Coastal Carolina. Every bibliophile cliché applies here: I couldn’t put it down.  And I didn’t want it to end.

  • A Hunt for Justice

    By Lucinda Schroeder

    This isn’t a new book, and it’s not fiction. But it’s worth seeking out, because it’s as chilling and thrilling as any novel on this list. Schroeder was a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service undercover agent in the early 1990s. She not only had to deal with dangerous criminals in the field, but with often-sexist fellow agents within her agency.

    This book follows Schroeder’s assignment to bust an illegal poaching ring in Alaska, involving an unethical guide who broke numerous violations to get his clients big game. Posing as a wealthy hunter, she joined the poacher’s camp. The result is a heart-pounding and often-infuriating look at poaching, as well as the grave dangers faced by those solving wildlife crimes.

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17 comments

  1. Joan Flynn says:

    Thank you for these, some of the authors are new to me and I am plannng to look into each f them.

  2. Nancy karp says:

    This was my first Cool Green Science, and I’m delighted with it. I look forward to reading several ( or all) of the books you reviewed. The only one I have already read ( and who hasn’t already read it) is “…Crawdads…”
    Thanks,
    Nancy

  3. Maggie Frazier says:

    Thanks for this – I have read most of Nevada Barr -Paul Doiron & Keith McCafferty – plus the Crawdads book. All super reading – nice to know our taste in books is pretty much the same. Love your articles & will continue to read them.

    1. Hi Maggie,
      Glad you liked these picks. You should check out the Fergus book; if you like the others, you’ll enjoy that one.

      Cheers,
      Matt

  4. Kirtly P Jones says:

    Torrey House Press also has a National Parks Mystery series that is quite good – the hero is an anthropologist and has an interesting take on the parks.

  5. Harvee Lau says:

    Add Jessica Speart’s mystery novels

  6. LOUISE B MEYERS says:

    I have been a fan of Nevada Barr for years!

  7. Bob Faber says:

    Randy Wayne White’s Doc Ford series is based in Florida and the hero is a marine biologist, at least that’s is his cover, when he has an occasional assignment from a secret federal agency. Lots of outdoor action and mystery mostly centered around the waters of Sanibel Island. And the science and conservation issues are right on..

  8. Susan Perry says:

    Thank you so much! This is just what I’ve been needing.

  9. som sai says:

    Joe Pickett wouldn’t be surprised in the least at his non inclusion, nor would he probably care. Joe is too busy making sense of confusing tracks and busting poachers while fishing bodies out of the acidic pools of Yellowstone.

  10. Catherine Hess says:

    Thanks so much for this list. I was already a fan of Delia Owens and Nevada Barr, and this inspired me to go on a bit of a reading jag. I gobbled up Track of the Cat (Barr) and am saving Boar Island for later. Next I read Stay Hidden (sorry, I didn’t start with the first book, but I’ll go back and re-start from there). I’m currently finishing off Where the Crawdads Sing.

    Next on my list is a Hunt for Justice, which I’m saving for the weekend, and then Boar Island. Yes, I’m a glutton for such books … so I thank you again!