My debut mystery novel, Rim to Rim- Death in the Grand Canyon is an Adventure Mystery because it doesn’t quite fit the criteria for a cozy mystery––but almost.
Here’s the story behind the story…I was on a five-day backpacking trip with the Sierra Club from the Grand Canyon’s north rim, down and across the floor of the canyon, and up the south rim along the Bright Angel Trail. We took our time and enjoyed the sights.
While we were camped at Phantom Ranch, rumors were flying that a man had a heart attack, a woman had fallen and had to be helicoptered out, and other inaccurate accounts. I wasn’t surprised because an average of twelve people per year die from one cause or another in the canyon. After completing our hike, I was devastated when the newspaper reported that a four-year-old had tumbled over the edge on the south rim. Her Air Force captain father jumped down, ledge to ledge 300 feet to get to her, breaking his legs. She was already gone.
I needed to write about my feelings and wanted to remember the details of my journey and also stress that the canyon is not a playground…it can be dangerous. Nature must be respected.That little girl’s story was not mine to tell, so I created my own. Using the framework of my actual trip, I wrote the dangers and the raw beauty of the Grand Canyon into the story. Then, I threw in bad guys to keep the action going.
If you like nature, wilderness and camping or just a thrilling adventure, you’ll love Rim to Rim. It tells the story of Amy Warren, a woman jilted by her husband on her fiftieth birthday. She is determined to regain her self-respect by challenging herself to hike the canyon. Amy is met with obstacles right from the beginning…stolen gear, rattlesnakes, a crazed stalker, and the normal dangers of the canyon. Amy hangs in there, literally by her fingernails. At the end of the trail, her new friends, Sarah and Glen, help her celebrate her survival and her new look at life.
