The Wild Inside - (Glacier Mystery) by Christine Carbo (Paperback)

About the Book

"It was a clear night in Glacier National Park. Fourteen-year-old Ted Systead and his father were camping beneath the rugged peaks and starlit skies when something unimaginable happened: a grizzly bear attacked Ted's father and dragged him to his death. Now, twenty years later, as Special Agent for the Department of the Interior, Ted gets called back to investigate a crime that mirrors the horror of that night. Except this time, the victim was tied to a tree before the mauling"--Amazon.com.

Book Synopsis

A haunting crime novel set in Glacier National Park about a man who finds himself at odds with the dark heart of the wild--and the even darker heart of human nature.

It was a clear night in Glacier National Park. Fourteen-year-old Ted Systead and his father were camping beneath the rugged peaks and starlit skies when something unimaginable happened: a grizzly bear attacked Ted's father and dragged him to his death.

Now, twenty years later, as Special Agent for the Department of the Interior, Ted gets called back to investigate a crime that mirrors the horror of that night. Except this time, the victim was tied to a tree before the mauling. Ted teams up with one of the park officers--a man named Monty, whose pleasant exterior masks an all-too-vivid knowledge of the hazardous terrain surrounding them. Residents of the area turn out to be suspicious of outsiders and less than forthcoming. Their intimate connection to the wild forces them to confront nature, and their fellow man, with equal measures of reverence and ruthlessness.

As the case progresses with no clear answers, more than human life is at stake--including that of the majestic creature responsible for the attack. Ted's search for the truth ends up leading him deeper into the wilderness than he ever imagined, on the trail of a killer, until he reaches a shocking and unexpected personal conclusion.

As intriguing and alluring as bestselling crime novels by C.J. Box, Louise Penny, and William Kent Krueger, as atmospheric and evocative as the nature writing of John Krakauer and Cheryl Strayed, The Wild Inside is a gripping debut novel about the perilous, unforgiving intersection between man and nature.

Review Quotes

"...stays in your mind long after you've put the book down. I'm still thinking about it. Prepare to run the gamut of emotions with this fine treat of a story. Then, in the years ahead, be on the lookout for more from this fresh new voice in the thriller genre."--Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of the Cotton Malone series

"An intense and thoroughly enjoyable thrill ride. Christine Carbo's literary voice echoes with her love of nature, her knowledge of its brutality, and the wild and beautiful locale of Montana. The Wild Inside is a tour de force of suspense that will leave you breathlessly turning the pages late into the night."--Linda Castillo, New York Times bestselling author of THE DEAD WILL TELL

"As haunting and vivid as the scenery it depicts, The Wild Inside is a masterful portrait of the savagery of nature--both the great untamed outdoors and the human soul. Highly recommended."--Kira Peikoff, author of DIE AGAIN TOMORROW

"Carbo paints a moving picture of complex, flawed people fighting to make their way in a wilderness where little is black or white, except the smoky chiaroscuro of the sweeping Montana sky.... an evocative debut."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"Fans of Nevada Barr will love this tense, atmospheric thriller with its majestic Glacier National Park setting. The Wild Inside is a stunning debut!"--Deborah Crombie, New York Times bestselling author of TO DWELL IN DARKNESS

"Grizzly bears, murder, mauling, and mayhem mix in Carbo's debut novel. Ted Systead's past and present intersect in an unexpected--and chilling--manner against the incongruously gorgeous backdrop of Glacier National Park."-- "Kirkus Reviews"

"If the key to a mystery's success is keeping the reader guessing, The Wild Inside is a fine example of the genre."-- "The Billings Gazette"

"Sharp, introspective Systead is a strong series lead, and Carbo rolls out solid procedural details, pitting him against Department of the Interior bureaucrats. The grittiness of the poverty-wracked area surrounding Glacier plays against the park's dangerous beauty in this dark foray into the wilderness subgenre. Put this one in the hands of those who enjoy Paul Doiron's Mike Bowditch novels and Julia Keller's Bell Elkins series."-- "Booklist"

"The brutality and fragility of Glacier National Park's wilderness provides the perfect backdrop for this well-crafted, absorbing novel about the barbarities and kindnesses of the humans living on its edge. Christine Carbo is a writer to watch."--Tawni O'Dell, New York Times bestselling author of One of Us

"The most powerful and compelling aspect of the novel is the balancing of criminal investigation and the emotional baggage that burdens the protagonist....The wilderness provides a lush background for this combination of crime and personal redemption, the resolution as nuanced as the death of Victor Lance."-- "CurledUp"