“Mulled to Death,” “Canyonlands Carnage” and other Colorado mystery books

Colorado mysteries of note for January:

“Mulled to Death,” by Kate Lansing (Berkeley Prime Crime)

Irrepressible Parker Valentine, the Boulder vintner, is off for a romantic holiday at the Silver Springs ski resort. She’s hoping to mix a little business into the vacation by selling her mulled wine to the resort owner, Olympic skier Annemarie.

But Valentine’s hopes are dashed when she discovers Annemarie’s body on a ski run. And this isn’t just an accident. How could an Olympic gold medalist crash into the trees and break her neck? It’s murder, of course, and nosy Valentine, who’s solved two previous killings in Kate Lansing’s mysteries, is in the thick of it.

Turns out Annemarie was not just a sports star but also a ruthless businesswoman who intimidated her employees. Several had good reason to want the Olympian out of the way.

If Valentine’s on to the killer, the killer’s on to her. While Valentine and her boyfriend are relaxing in a rooftop hot tub in a freezing blizzard, they’re locked outside. If they aren’t rescued, they’ll turn into popsicles. Then, a fire breaks out in Valentine’s room.

“Mulled to Death” is part mystery/part romance/part virtual wine-tasting, with recipes thrown in for good measure.

“The Other Family,” by Wendy Corsi Staub (William Morrow)

When the Howell family of California moves to New York, they can’t believe their luck in finding a cool renovated brownstone at a price that’s too good to be true. Of course, there’s a reason: The family who lived there before was murdered, probably a hit by organized crime figures.

From the beginning, things go bump in the night. One of the family’s two daughters is convinced that she’s being watched, either by a stranger or by the odd new boyfriend she’s hooked up with.  The mother, Nora, digs up a strong box filled with money, jewels and family mementos that obviously belonged to the dead family. New neighbors seem a little too friendly.

Then a stranger takes an interest in the Howells, watching and following them. It’s as if a ghost of the murdered family is on the loose.

The shocking ending pits one member of the family against the others. It’s a little unbelievable, but then, who wants to read a mystery with an obvious ending?

“A Blizzard of Polar Bears,” by Alice Henderson (William Morrow)

Wildlife biologist Alex Carter has just landed a plum job studying polar bears in the Canadian Arctic. Along with an assistant, she hunts the bears by air, tranquilizing them, then records information about the animals.

But things go wrong right off the bat. Someone breaks into Carter’s lab and steals her samples. On the next flight, she discovers supplies are missing. Her motel room is trashed. Her pilot quits suddenly, and is replaced by a stranger. Finally, the plane is sabotaged, and the three occupants are left in the snow as a blizzard approaches. Then, out of nowhere, come three assailants on snowmobiles, claiming Carter must turn over something they want or she’ll be killed.

Making matters worse, a poacher who has it in for Carter is camped out in the frozen land of Hudson Bay. She’d discovered the pelts of two polar bears he’d killed and turned them over to the Mounties. And back in civilization, there is a villainous corporate magnate who cares more about oil than polar bears.

Just as in author Alice Henderson’s previous book, “A Solitude of Wolverines,” action-packed doesn’t begin to describe “A Blizzard of Polar Bears.”  As soon as you think Carter has solved one crisis, she’s faced with another.

The swift-paced book is hard to put down.  And there is a bonus: The author, whose day job is documenting wildlife, adds a wealth of details about polar bears and the Arctic. That makes “A Blizzard of Polar Bears” a book that both entertains and educates.

“Canyonlands Carnage,” by Scott Graham (Torrey House)

In his seventh National Park mystery, Scott Graham sends his hero, Chuck Bender, through Cataract Canyon with a group of environmentalists and capitalists. They are gathered to find common ground on water issues.

Early on, one of the organizers is found dead. He’s old, and the death appears to be natural. But Bender finds a penny with the body. His boat is sabotaged, and he nearly drowns. Then the body of a guide is discovered with a second penny. Bender and his brother-in-law, Clarence, realize a killer is in their midst. Meanwhile, back in Durango, Bender’s wife learns one of the rafters is a grifter, and she and her daughters set out to warn him. They, too, are in danger.

“Canyonlands” is a well-crafted whodunit as well as a text on the importance of water in the West.

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