Circling vultures lead hunting outfitter Allison Coil to an angry man tied to a tree. The man will answer none of Allison's obvious questions. Devo, a frequent ally of Allison's and the leader of a group of scrappy devolutionists, has gone missing. Allison's best friend, Trudy Heath, finds herself intrigued by the overtures of a retired rock star who has put down roots to grow tomatoes. And Trudy's boyfriend, newspaper reporter Duncan Bloom, is tempted by an opportunity to resolve his bleak finances by taking a flyer on Colorado's fastest growing industry, retail marijuana. Allison's trail across The Flat Tops Wilderness leads to an airplane wreck, a murder, and a cunning conspiracy. The Melancholy Howl braids interweaving threads of mystery as Allison, Trudy, Duncan, and Devo's followers test the definition of family and the dangerous boundaries of trust.

Mark Stevens grew up in Massachusetts. He was raised by two librarians. By law, he was required to grow up loving books. And writing. Today, he lives in Colorado. He writes the Allison Coil Mystery Series-Antler Dust, Buried by the Roan, Trapline, Lake of Fire and The Melancholy Howl (2018). Kirkus Reviews called Lake of Fire "irresistible" and The Melancholy Howl "smart and indelible." Mark was the 2016 Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers' Writer of the Year. Website: www.writermarkstevens.com