Thunder in Yellowstone: A Contemporary Literary Novel

Thunder in Yellowstone by E.B. Lee was a delight to read. Told from the perspective of former crime reporter Amber Phillips, the reader is taken on a journey of mystery, love, heartbreak, and betrayal set in the magnificence and beauty of Yellowstone.

After losing the love of her life, Amber has moved cross country from Philadelphia to Montana to work for a new magazine. Fletcher, her news reporter boss, is counting on her to craft a publication that captures the good, the bad, and the ugly about the region. With a dream to help their community grow while retaining its fundamental values, Fletcher believes Amber is the perfect reporter to bring his visions to life. Upon her arrival, she immediately becomes aware of how much she stands out; entering a tight-knit, small town as a newcomer is both intimidating and lonely. Thankfully, she is tucked under the wing of Abby, a diner owner, who gives her the scoop on everyone and everything in town.

On the day of Amber’s arrival, a horrible accident occurred. Per Abby’s report, a tourist was gored by a bison who had broken into local rancher Sam Nelson’s fences. Sam, also present at the scene of the crime, unfortunately, did not make it. The tourist is in extremely rough shape, and there are whispers all over town about how this came to be. Why would a bison gore someone? Why was there a bison even near Sam’s ranchlands? With rumors swirling about insurance monies, financial troubles, and foul play, clearly something is not right about this horrific tragedy.

As previously stated, Amber is a former crime reporter. Although not assigned to this case, she closely follows the sheriff’s and Fletcher’s leads and reports about the investigation. Before long, she finds herself invested in solving this devastation, one that with her stellar skill set just may be able to be solved.

I loved reading Thunder in Yellowstone. With a perfect mix of mystery, fiction, and romance, I think Lee did an excellent job creating a novel to interest a variety of readers. Truly a unique story, I loved that this book had so many interesting facts about Yellowstone, bison, and ranching. Per the afterword, Lee drew from many real events and laws concerning bison and cattle protection. I learned a lot about Montana, environmental laws, and actions Tribal nations have taken to protect the buffalo. This book has a heavy focus on conservation and awareness for Yellowstone, one which I really appreciated. Lee clearly had performed excellent research to capture this topic in depth as she was able. If you are a reader looking for a one-of-a-kind mystery plot, this is the book for you!